Pony
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Two million accounts compromised by 'Pony' botnet, bad passwords
Though most of us cast stones at large-scale corporate password thefts, we ought to be checking our own glass houses, according to a security company called Trustwave. It just revealed that a single attack from a Dutch-based server has resulted in 2 million passwords pilfered from individual users for sites like Facebook and Google. The ne'er-do-well did it using a botnet and hacker program called "Pony," which likely directed the stolen info through a gateway or so-called reverse proxy. Thieves also gained access to an unusually high number of accounts from a single payroll service, which could cause "direct financial repercussions," according to the site. Lest you imagine that complex hacks were involved, though, think again. A commonly used cracking method was "guessing," thanks to poorly chosen passwords like "123456" used by -- wait for it -- 15,820 of the victims.
Maker Faire pony has Wiimote-controlled indigestion, belches fire (video)
There's a good reason why My Little Pony wasn't marketed to boys. Shown off at the 2011 Maker Faire in Detroit, this animatronic, fire-breathing horsie got to spread a little heat thanks to the Louisville, KY-based modding duo, LVL1. The partially Wiimote-controlled mechanical filly is the result of the duo's Hackerspace efforts, and plans are already underway to loose this steed into the great, fully wireless open. Also on deck for the hot-mouthed stallion: a flame-spewing cabbage patch doll riding companion. How's that for a DIY-perversion of your precious 80s youth? Peep the full pyromania-tinged project after the break.
New scam tries to give you a free Celestial Steed
One of the sadder parts of this job is reporting on the numerous scams that sweep across the World of Warcraft landscape. It's no secret that your WoW account is valuable to thieves -- the entire gold-selling industry is built on a foundation of hacked accounts and stolen items. Their latest scam vehicle? Our inherent desire for sparkle ponies. Let's get two things straight off the bat: You did not just win a free Celestial Steed mount. That in-game tell is an attempt to steal your account. No one just bought you a Celestial Steed mount. That email you got is an attempt to steal your account If it sneaks by your spam filter, the latest scam email can be quite convincing. The message, which appears to be from sales@mail.blizzard.com, masquerades as a receipt for the purchase of the $25 Celestial Steed mount. Of course, the email is not actually from Blizzard (the "from" email is spoofed), and the links to Battle.net and Worldofwarcraft.com inside send you to a phishing website designed to steal your password or infect your computer with a keylogger. Attempt to collect your sparkle pony, and within a few short hours, your entire account will be under someone else's control. If you haven't put an authenticator on your account, the scammers will do it for you, locking you out of your own account and severely hampering your ability to get it back. More information on the latest scam, what you can do to protect yourself and what to do if you're a victim, all after the break.
Free Realms adds new pegasus, horse, ponies, and more!
The Free Realms team has been crazy busy at work lately creating all manner of new things that players have been clamoring for. With the recent addition of dragon and dinosaur mounts came the call for horses for players to ride. As such, they introduced new horse mounts, but then added even more fun in the form of pegasus rides as well! The horses are available for members to pick up at 450 Station Cash each. The White-Nosed Mares are colored in fantasy-like style -- pink, purple, blue, pure white and more -- while the Stallion model features more traditional horse colors like gray, black, tan, and chestnut. Pegasus rides, on the other hand, are available at 550 Station Cash, and come in lilac, blue-black, gray, pink, sea-foam green, and white.
WoW.com's top ten stories of 2009
What a year it's been for the World of Warcraft. We've had three big content patches, a BlizzCon, an expansion announcement, and perhaps out of all of the five years this game has been running, this was the year with the most surprises. A few things players thought would never happen (including faction changes) finally did, and we saw quite a few new tricks from Blizzard, both in terms of game features and in the way they run the game at large. 2009 was also a year of expectation: we thrilled to leaks and rumors about Cataclysm, and all year long, we looked forward to the villian that has been set up for us ever since 2008's Wrath release: the Lich King himself. As we've done for the past couple of years, let's take a look back at the most popular stories of 2009 here on WoW.com. We'll start first with number 10, which also came as a surprise to many players, right after the break.
The Queue: Can't get enough pony
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's (almost) daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.I'm taking a break from piecing together the video from WoW.com's recent run of the Forge of Souls to whip up a brand new edition of The Queue for you guys to read this afternoon. I went to Twitter for most of today's questions, so don't be surprised if they're pretty short!AngerFork asked... "Theory time: Since Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep are coming back as Heroics, do you think any other dungeons will come back as Heroics? If so, which?"
Ghostcrawler to take a break from the forums
Ghostcrawler, aka Greg Street, the Lead Systems designer, posted today that he is going to "chill it out a little" from the role forums. These forums are the primary conduit for Blizzard to communicate with the fanbase about changes to WoW and the philosophy behind those changes. For the past year and a half, Ghostcrawler has been the daily presence in the forums, offering a unique and exceptionally detailed look at the inner workings of the design process that goes into WoW.One of the primary complaints Ghostcrawler has about the forums is how his words are picked apart by folks, often times with such a fine scalpel that things which he says are taken out of context and diluted from their original meanings. We've noticed this ourselves, in that when we post on something he says commenters will often look past the context of the post (or article we've written) and dive right into a uniquely feisty brand of QQ. As of late the forums have reached a new level of annoyance, with more and more posts being about Ghostcrawler's job performance and him personally, instead of being about the game mechanics. Even post about game mechanics and design issues find a way to devolve into people crying about their class or what Ghostcrawler has or has not done. Some people actually believe that Ghostcrawler promised them a pony, and those people have became significantly more and more vocal.
TurpsterDoubleVision: Mounting Your Squire
We can't believe it either – Turpster has been let loose on WoW.com to bring you videos from in and around the World of Warcraft! You've heard him on the WoW Insider Show, and now see him on TurpsterVision right here on WoW.com.Drinking alcohol might make you feel big, but you wont be clever! Don't do drugs kids! Now I've got that out of the way, I can leave you all to enjoy the video and to get in game and complete the achievements. If you need any help then make sure you check out Allison Robert's fantastic guide on the Brewfest 2009 achievements!Also, as some of the less filthy minded of you out there might have guessed from the title, this week's TurpsterVision features the Argent Tournament reward and the achievement of Pony Up! And I have it on fairly good word that this is indeed THE Pony that Ghostcrawler promised us -- well at least that is how I am treating it in-game (RP ftw!). Check out more of Turpster's work, from his WoW parody songs to TV previously on Massively.com, not forgetting everyone's favorite podcast 'The WoW Insider Show' and of course, TurpsterVision right here on WoW.com!
BlizzCon 2009: Don't forget to look for us
BlizzCon 2009 officially starts tomorrow and most of Team WoW.com are either in Anaheim or heading down there as we speak. As you make your way through throngs of people this Friday and Saturday, keep your eyes peeled for our intrepid crew. But how do you spot them? Granted, they're not like cosplayers. Although follow the throng of adoring women and you may just spot Turpster. The rest of the team are known for their ability to Shadowmeld instantly so we've had to equip them with some very special gear this BlizzCon.You can get a good look at team at the meetup tonight, but if you can't make it and need a visual cue you can spot them on the convention floor by looking for their special BlizzCon gear: a Legendary and totally epic, limited edition T shirt (with +50 visibility) featuring a certain crab and that long-promised equine mount. So don't forget to mark them off like the rare spawns they are and come up and say "hi". They may even have a little something for you. BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there's some great looking costumes.
The Queue: You can't take Spell Power away from me
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today. There's a great question about the mechanics of spell casting when a proc / buff is or is not active. It's a very fine point that most people don't consider, and it's a mechanic that has been reiterated by Ghostcrawler and company recently. Take a few minutes to read it, you'll be glad you did.Today's reading music is Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole singing They Can't Take That Away From Me.I love the way we dance 'till three.Mortur asked... "Now that the Battle.net conversion has been released for a while and bugs have been being dealt with, do you feel that there is much reason anymore for holding off on converting your account to Battle.net? Have the authentication issues after a patch been going away?"
First Blu-ray Disc / DVD hybrid announced in Japan
It sure took long enough to happen, but one of HD DVD's biggest benefits has finally made it over to the Blu-ray side. Yep, we're talking about a Blu-ray / DVD hybrid disc, with a single-layer of Blu on one side and a standard DVD on the very same side (as in, not a "flipper" disc). Not surprisingly, the action's going down first in Japan, with Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX (yes, seriously) as the first hybrid title. There's no word on when (or if) this technology will make it to US soil, but the sooner the better -- nothing like a little inbuilt backwards compatibility to ease the mind.[Via CDRInfo]
New TCG wallpaper featuring Human Paladin
You guys already know how I feel about Paladins, but if all Pallys looked this badass, I might have to change my opinion. This is Graccus, the anti-hero Paladin featured in the latest TCG wallpaper released officially by Blizzard.See, most Paladins are just shiny golden boys, wandering around the land trying to do good and "win for the Light" or whatever. But this Graccus guy looks like he's seen a lot of dark in his day, and he's spent way too long slaying undead rather than prancing around on his little Pally pony. This guy doesn't bubble, he breaks out the Righteous Fury. This is the kind of Paladin I might really like -- he's not holier-than-thou, he's just a holy warrior willing to get his hands dirty.
