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PlayStation Network issues persist as hacker collective continues attacks
Taking to the US and EU PlayStation Forums en masse, PlayStation 3 users continue to report connectivity issues with PlayStation Network today. Starting with the declaration of attack by hacker group "Anonymous" earlier this week, PSN has been experiencing sporadic issues over the past few days -- Sony characterized the outages as "intermittent" earlier this week, and promised that "engineers are working to restore and maintain the services." As of the time of publishing, we have been unable to connect to PSN today through several staff accounts. According to a Sony EU forum moderator, a trio of error codes could be showing up for affected users (80710092, 80710D36 and 8071053D), though little else is offered in way of information. "We are currently looking into this and I will update the thread as more information becomes available," the post notes. Additionally, PlayStation Lifestyle reports that a splinter group of Anonymous -- identified as "SonyRecon" -- is apparently going after specific Sony executives, seeking to reveal "names, phone numbers, pictures, home addresses, email, internet protocol address, family members and other data." CEO Sir Howard Stringer is said to be one of the group's targets, among others. As previously detailed, Anonymous launched the attacks on Sony earlier this week as a sign of solidarity with hackers George "GeoHot" Hotz and Alexander "Graf_Chokolo" Egorenkov, both of whom are currently in litigation with Sony.
Hacker group 'Anonymous' attacks Sony and PSN
The amorphous hacking collective "Anonymous" is now fighting a war on two fronts -- while one battle continues to rage over WikiLeaks, a new battle has begun with Sony. As of yesterday, Anonymous is focusing efforts on both PlayStation Network and PlayStation's official website, bringing both down at various points. Sony's PlayStation blog noted the issue yesterday, stating that some folks were "experiencing intermittent service" and saying Sony was "working on finding a solution." "We are currently investigating, including the possibility of targeted behavior of an outside party, "Sony senior director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold told us this morning. "If this is indeed caused by such act, we want to once again thank our customers who have borne the brunt of the attack through interrupted service. Our engineers are working to restore and maintain the services, and we appreciate our customers' continued support." A manifesto declaring the group's intentions was posted, which not only declares loyalty to George "Geohot" Hotz and Alexander "Graf_Chokolo" Egorenkov, but also states intentions to "attack your [Sony's] private property because we disagree with your actions." While the group acknowledges this is "wrong," the idea is to mimic what it believes Sony to have done -- restricted the actions of folks trying to use an object they own. Additionally, Ars Technica reports that the group is encouraging people to show up at Sony stores on April 16 and complain. Nothing quite says "stick it to the man" like complaining to retail employees. [Thanks, Aaron]
PlayStation websites, PSN suffer outage: Anonymous claims responsibility, Sony claims 'sporadic maintenance'
Been having trouble with the PlayStation Network or any Sony website today? You're not alone. A widespread outage that started in Europe last night has now spread to North America, and none other than hacktivist group Anonymous is claiming responsibility for the attacks. As you can see above, however, Sony is singing a slightly different tune, and says simply that "sporadic maintenance" may cause PSN service to be interrupted throughout the day. Because, really, you can never do too much "sporadic" maintenance. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Chrome and Firefox adding new opt-out features to prevent third-party advertisers from tracking you
Ever been freaked out by an online ad that seemed to know you that little bit too well? It's the result of good old advertisers tracking your net-navigating habits and delivering targeted commercials to your eyeballs, but it can be prevented. Both Google and Mozilla have stepped up (or perhaps been pushed by the FTC) to try and tackle this issue of pernicious tracking cookies, but they've gone about it in different ways. The Chrome solution is a Keep My Opt-Outs browser extension that remembers the sites you don't want personalized information from, while Firefox will start beaming out a Do Not Track HTTP header that should be respected by advertisers and result in you receiving generic, repetitive ads. The important commonality between the two is that they don't rely on you preparing a cookie file with all your anti-advertiser bile contained within it (which was the FTC's original, somewhat impractical idea). Google intends to open-source its extension and bring it to other browsers as well, though obviously it's taking care of Chrome first, which can benefit from the add-on right now.
Will Anonymous attack Apple?
Could the Internet-driven Anonymous movement possibly bring its DDOS attacks to bear on our favorite Cupertino company? Apple did remove the WikiLeaks application, after all. Not that you can't still access WikiLeaks on the web, but Apple has got to be one juicy target for the Anonymous group. They've gone after not just companies like Visa and Mastercard, but have attacked Sarah Palin and the Swedish government as well. They have said (as much as the loosely-knit organization can speak as a group) it would be "in bad taste" to ruin holiday shopping, however, so maybe Apple will spare the group's wrath, at least until after the season. What do you think? Christmas weekend would appear to be an ideal time, in order to monopolize the attention span of the media on an otherwise slow news day. Imagine Anonymous moving to take the iTunes store down on the day everyone is getting a new Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad or an iTunes gift card. That would make for some major issues (for both Apple and app developers alike), without question. But again, Anonymous doesn't appear to want to frighten the average consumer, so maybe the iTunes store would be a little too close to home. We'll have to wait and see what, if any, the response will be to Apple's removal of the app. Feel free to chime in and share your opinions on the issue in the comments below.
Apple pulls WikiLeaks app from the App Store
Apple has quickly pulled a WikiLeaks app (Google cache) it approved for sale on the App Store earlier this week. The unofficial app went live on the App Store on December 17. The WikiLeaks app gave "instant access to the world's most documented leakage of top secret memos and other confidential government documents," according to The iPhone Download Blog. The blog noted less than two days before the app was pulled that it was "actually surprising that Apple approved such an app, with all of the legal problems that Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks organization have been facing worldwide." TechCrunch has reached out to Apple and the developer for comment, but only the developer has responded so far, saying that Apple changed the official status of his app to "Removed From Sale." It's not too much of a shock that Apple pulled the app, as being seen as associating with or even facilitating funding to WikiLeaks is as about as controversial as you can get right now. The WikiLeaks app sold for US$1.99, but the developer, Igor Barinov, was donating half of his proceeds to WikiLeaks, which could be the ultimate reason why the app was pulled. There are sure to be many questions about why Apple approved then pulled the app in the days to come, but I would love to know what's more worrisome for Apple: the potential pressure/sanctions from various governments if they didn't pull the app, or the fact that the Cupertino company has now probably really, really irritated Anonymous.
Bloomberg: vPhone coming in January
That iPhone on Verizon rumor just won't die -- Bloomberg is now reporting that we'll see an iPhone on Verizon's service in January of next year. "Two people familiar with the plans" say that AT&T exclusivity will finally end next year, and analysts say that if that happens, Apple will sell lots more iPhones, up to 3 million more per quarter to Verizon's 90 million or so customers. Of course there's no comment by Apple or Verizon so far, and I'll point out that we've heard this rumor time and time and time again -- first back in January of this year, then for the new iPhone 4 announcement and WWDC, and now pushed off until next year. Basically, don't hold your breath. It wouldn't be bad to get away from the often complaint-worthy service at AT&T, but if Apple hasn't seen fit to end exclusivity so far (and don't forget that we're still seeing record iPhone sales), why would it do so next year?
Apple visited the iPhone 4G's finder before the police did
With all of the chaos going on around the lost iPhone case, everyone has more or less assumed that Apple is behind the police department's actions in searching Gizmodo Editor Jason Chen's house late last week. Of course, no one believes that the sheriff is working for Apple, but most people seem to be under the impression that Apple wants to get to the bottom of the case, and that the company is pulling strings in law enforcement to try and do that. However, some new information discovered by Wired suggests that the story may be more complicated than that. They have heard claims from an anonymous source that Apple already knew the identity of the person who found the iPhone, and allegedly sold it to Gizmodo. Someone identifying themselves as being affiliated with Apple apparently arrived at the finder's house in Silicon Valley last week, looking for the finder (and possibly the phone) but finding only a roommate, who didn't let them in. Wired's source also says that the person who found the phone never tried to keep it a secret and even contacted Apple and searched Facebook for someone to return the phone to. When money finally changed hands (from Gizmodo), Wired's source says it was "for exclusivity," and not for a sale of the actual device. Of course, this is all a mix of hearsay and conjecture, spoken by an anonymous source who may or may not know about the case. The bottom line at this point is that the police investigation is underway. If they find evidence that makes them believe a crime was committed, then we'll see them take action. Until then, though, it's unclear exactly what happened with the iPhone's finder and whether the "sale" was illegal or not. [via Business Journal]
All the World's a Stage: Anonymosity
All the World's a Stage, and all the orcs and humans merely players. They have their stories and their characters; and one player in his time plays many roles. Roleplaying is a journey of trust you take with strangers. You may now and then start out with a group of people you know in real life, but for the most part, the people you roleplay with have no idea who you really are, or why you are sitting here at the computer. You can tell them if you want to, but most people don't ask. Roleplayers tend to keep personal details private, and don't intrude on one another's space. Besides, other roleplayers don't necessarily care that much about who you "really are" either. They're there to get to know your character, not you as a person, unless your character first makes a very good impression and they decide that they actually want to be friends as real people. Even though you respect each other as people who share the same interest, there's still a distance between you which either (or both) of you may wish to maintain. And yet, the relationship you have is one of trust. It's not at all at the same level as a best friend of course, but you still have to trust one another in a very creative sense -- you rely on each other to create interesting things for your characters to share with one another. You're not just buying a shirt from a salesperson or holding the door for a passerby -- you're exchanging behavior and language in an unpredictable and totally interconnected way. Any little surprise a stranger brings to an interaction may completely alter the whole game session and stick in your mind as one of your most memorable gaming experiences. Roleplayers have to trust other roleplayers to help make those experiences positive, even without knowing anything at all about one another. Sometimes two characters can even become very close friends, even though the real people behind them do not.
WoW Moviewatch: Britney Spears - Piece of Me
If you'd told me two days ago that I'd be featuring a WoW music video based on a Britney Spears song, I'd have called you a bloody liar. But. Well. Here I am, featuring a WoW music video based on a Britney Spears song. Real life is stranger than fiction, I guess. Check out Britney Spears - Piece of Me.This video was posted anonymously on Machinima.com. I didn't really expect a lot from the video. First, it was anonymous. Usually, that means the author is expecting to get flamed and burned for their efforts, and don't want to associate his or her identity with the piece. Second, the anonymous author also said it's a first-time-out piece, and that he or she is learning the ropes. Lastly, it's a Britney Spears song. I mean, c'mon.I was pleasantly surprised. No, shocked! While I can't say that I loved the song and that it's going to change the world, the quality of the video absolutely astounded me. The Blood Elf singer is an obvious choice to represent Spears, but the screen glows, white-outs, and effects are perfectly suited to the persona. The graphics and settings are well chosen and cleverly pieced together, exactly as I'd expect a Spears video to go.So, while this might not be your schtick, exactly, you've got to applaud the incredible first effort from this Anonymous author. Well done, and here's hoping for more. My only real note to the author is that you should go ahead and reveal your identity with this -- you've got some growing skills, and should be proud of what you've done.Click here to see it yourself!If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ..EDIT: As commenter Stalwart has pointed out, this is a video first created by Demachic, and reviewed by Moo Money. Still, the video's worth another watch.
Breaking: Wrath of the Lich King is in alpha
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Confirmed_Wrath_of_the_Lich_King_is_in_closed_alpha'; We had some hints that this would happen soon and now WoW Insider has confirmed through anonymous sources that the next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is in closed alpha status, and that various players are being invited to check it out, under a strict NDA.Alpha is part of the software release life cycle -- a software product in development goes from alpha status to beta status (sometimes including a "closed beta," where a limited few are invited to preview and test the software, and an "open beta,", where anyone can download and try out the beta), to "release candidates" and then "gold" (the final version, used to print the media to be available for sale). This doesn't tell us anything about the timing of the expansion's release (especially since Blizzard historically takes their time going through this cycle), but it does tell us that Wrath's content is in a playable and mostly completed form -- quests, game mechanics, and items are in, even if specific flavor text, names, and even textures are not.We'll keep an eye, as usual, on any other news we see coming out of Blizzard, through official or unofficial channels. Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion of World of Warcraft, is in alpha testing. The journey to Northrend has begun. Update: A word to the wise: this is not an open beta, and any email or site that tells you to sign up for one is still scamming you. When open beta comes down, we'll hear about it on Blizzard's official site. This is just news that the next expansion has moved up a notch in its development, and that we're one step closer to an official open beta.%Gallery-20386%%Gallery-5525% Check out more information on WoW's upcoming expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, including a look at the new Death Knight class and the new creatures that infest Northrend.
Comic Watch: anonymous comic hits the MMOMILF [UPDATED]
This comic riffs on both MMOs and MILFs (note: NSFW language), but I can't find an attribution; if anyone knows who wrote/created this comic, please drop it in the comments. Note: The comic also features NSFW language. If this post seems a little short on explication, just read the strip; it says all there needs to be said.[UPDATE: Reader Carl found out where this came from! WithYourMom.com touts "Same joke, every day" -- but at least it's a good joke! Thanks, Carl!]
Guildwatch: A thing of beauty
There is nothing like a good internet forum argument. It's like an echo chamber-- the people involved just go back and forth, insinuation after insinuation is made, subjects change completely, and there's so, so much typing and nothing gets resolved. It's beautiful in its own way, really-- and that's why we love drama so much here at Guildwatch.We've got downed and recruiting news after the break, too, and don't forget to send us your tips: wowguildwatch@gmail.com. We promise to be anonymous, so the juicier the better-- send us the best news you got!
Anonymous source says: Next expansion = "Into the Maelstrom"
You know we have one anonymous source, who told us that there'll be "Northrend" music played at Blizzcon, and then there's Boubouille at MMO-Champion who says that the next expansion will be called "Wrath of the Lich King" in which we'll go to Northrend and raid Arthas' little snow castle. Apparently IGN has an anonymous source of their own, though, and his info is quite different.According to their contact, named "Blizz guy," we're going to have an "Into the Maelstrom" expansion, in which we go... into... the Maelstrom! and the Light only knows who we're going to fight there. Also, in lieu of new talents, Blizz guy says we're finally going to get our long-awaited Hero Classes that we can level up in, all the way to 80.Now personally, I see all the hints pointing to Northrend, and absolutely nothing pointing to the Maelstrom, so I'm a lot more inclined to trust our own sources -- but we'll put this out there for all you who just love rumors and speculation! MMO-Champion and IGN can't both be right on this one, though I suppose they could both be wrong.Which one do you think seems more likely? Or do you have an anonymous source of your own?
Leave Fake Steve Jobs fake
The other day, I posted a little summary of the latest attempts to discover the identity of anonyblogger Fake Steve Jobs. At the time, I thought finding FSJ's identity out would be a good time, a fun mystery to solve. Many of you (most of you, I'd say) disagreed, saying that it didn't matter who FSJ was-- as long as he wrote strong, insightful (and often hilarious) pieces about what Apple was up to, you were willing to let him have his anonymity. And after hearing your good points, I have to tell you (because this doesn't happen very often): I changed my mind, and decided to agree with those who wanted FSJ to stay FSJ. Then, today, FSJ decided to post this, his first thoughts on people trying to discover his identity. With FSJ, you can never tell when he's joking, but he makes it pretty clear that he's had an experience he doesn't want to have. And the finger is pointed directly at Valleywag, who respond as you'd expect them to, calling the post a set of "rambling accusations."So here's what we're going to do at TUAW. We've heard your opinions. We've talked it over as a staff, and we've agreed: FSJ is much more fun as FSJ himself, not some writer pretending to be him. And so we're pledging, to you, not to write any more speculation, ever, about FSJ's identity. You're exactly right-- it's much more fun having him anonymous, for both him and us. He's a great insight on Apple's comings and goings, and if he doesn't want us to know who he is, we don't want to either. Here at TUAW, we're going to leave Fake Steve Jobs fake.
$40 XBL Vision camera & UNO bundle detailed by MS source along with prices & dates for other 360 accessories
Our friendly anonymous source at Microsoft has provided us with a few more details concerning the 360 accessories announced back at E3.Perhaps the most important involves the bundling of the Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset, the popular Live Arcade title UNO, and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 when it releases in the States on September 19, 2006.Granted, this is still an unofficial report (based on a leak of "official" info), so understand that you're probably not gonna get much confirmation from MS until they're good and ready to give it. If you'd like information on what other peripherals are coming out "Holiday 2006" (so sometime in the 4th quarter) and at what price, read on for more.
