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eeeMac runs OS X on an even smaller portable than the Air
I've heard some great things about the tiny little eeePC, but this is the best thing I've heard so far: it can be a Mac. Twitterer Gregory Cohen has pictures on Picasa of his completed eeeMac, an eeePC transformed (perhaps in similar fashion to this previous attempt -- details please, Gregory) into an OS X-running ultraportable, complete with a tiny little lit Apple logo on the back.Pretty hot. As slim as the MacBook Air is, Asus' unit is even smaller. And it's super cheap, too -- we haven't heard how much this little transformation cost, but considering the eeePC sells at retail for 1/3 of the Air's price, odds are that even tons of modding won't set you back as much as a kitted-out Air. Apple wouldn't be thrilled with it, but you have to admit, that's one good-looking little ultraportable.
Diebold comes clean, admits that its e-voting machines are faulty
For years, Diebold has embarrassed itself by claiming that obvious faults were actually not faults at all, and during the past decade or so, it mastered the act of pointing the finger. Now that it has ironically renamed itself Premier Election Solutions, it's finally coming clean. According to spokesman Chris Riggall, a "critical programming error that can cause votes to be dropped while being electronically transferred from memory cards to a central tallying point" has been part of the software for ten years. The flaw is on both optical scan and touchscreen machines, and while Mr. Riggall asserts that the logic error probably didn't ruin any elections (speaking of logic error...), the outfit's president has confessed to being "distressed" about the ordeal. More like "distressed" about the increasingly bleak future of his company.[Via Techdirt]
Unloved e-voting machines cluttering warehouses, losing value fast
Just as the world's landfills could soon see an influx of unwanted televisions, many American warehouses are packed with e-voting machines that once held promise for a better way to vote. Instead, they turned into a multi-year fiasco, with hackers figuring out how to do everything save for their income taxes on 'em and states reverting back to less vulnerable methods. Now, many states are scrambling for ways to recoup costs, even for outlets that will take them in for recycling. Oddly, Ohio cannot ditch the systems it purchased until a couple of related lawsuits get dealt with. The result? Buckeyes will probably still be using e-voting machines come November.[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of BradBlog]
More e-passports hacked within minutes, security questions abound
It's downright frightening that we've become numb to this news, but here again we're faced with another report of e-passports being hacked within minutes. The University of Amsterdam's Jeroen van Beek was reportedly able to clone and manipulate a pair of British passports in about the time it takes you to sip down your first cup of joe in the morning, and worse still, they were accepted as genuine by the software "recommended for use at international airports." The tests point out a number of vulnerabilities, including the fact that the microchips could be susceptible to having falsified biometrics inserted for use. As expected, talking heads at the Home Office still insist that any chip manipulation would be immediately recognized by the electronic readers, so we'll leave it up to you to decide who's telling the truth here.
Authenticator failure revisited, Blizzard responds
We created a lot of waves with this post about Blizzard's Authenticator key allegedly failing -- as you know if you've been listening to the podcast, lots of people have emailed us with their own input on the situation, alternately thanking us for making it known that the Authenticator wasn't 100% secure, and lambasting us for being "ignorant" about how Blizzard's security token works. At the base of the story, there are two things we know are true: that someone was using the Authenticator on their account, and then was subsequently hacked. For that reason, we've stood by the "Authenticator fails" story -- while having an Authenticator on your account is a helpful line of defense, it, like all other computer security measures, isn't a 100% guarantee against getting hacked.Most people agree on that. Where opinions differ are in how the account was hacked -- originally, we and a few other sources speculated that the Authenticator had been somehow removed from the account in question. But now Belfaire has responded (we believe to the incident in question, though a link to our story was removed from the original post), and says that as far as he can tell, the Authenticator was not removed from the account. In fact, after the password was changed back, the Authenticator's serial key was asked for and given, so the Authenticator remained attached to the account the whole time.Of course, that just leaves the most important question: how did the account get hacked? We've heard all kinds of various insights as to how the Authenticator works (it only lasts for 60 seconds, supposedly each key can only be used once, so there's no way a keylogger could nab the Authenticator code and reuse it), but the fact remains that the person we're talking about was using the key, and still got hacked. One hack out of all the Authenticators sold so far is a terrific record, and could prove that, statistically, an Authenticator is good as 100% security. But the fact remains that this person got hacked while using the key (however it was done), and if security can be broken once, it will be broken again.
Authenticator fails, removed from account without user's permission
Editor's Note: This entire situation has been debunked. The authenticator was not hacked, compromised, or forcefully removed. The account had been shared, and the authenticator along with it. Authenticators do not offer any security if you give it away. If you're worried about other account security myths, our own Michael Sacco has tackled them in a mythbusting series. Think a Blizzard Authenticator will keep your account from being hacked? Think again -- we've got our first known report of someone who was protecting their account with one of Blizzard's keys, and still got their character hacked down to their undies. Someone in this forum thread apparently logged out one night and logged on the next morning to find her account stripped of everything but PvP gear, and her Authenticator no longer connected to her account. Supposedly, to deactivate an Authenticator from an account, you need to get in touch with Billing services, and reportedly they'll then ask for a notarized statement with a picture, like a driver's license, just to remove the Authenticator. But obviously, this one was removed even without that, and we're being told that all you might need to remove the Authenticator is the answer to the user's secret question and a CD key (or even less). In other words, the fault isn't with the technology, it seems to be with the support reps on Blizzard's side of the phone line -- if they can be convinced to remove the Authenticator, the account can then be hacked. The little keys have been selling like hotcakes since they were released -- almost everyone has figured that $6.50 was cheap for peace of mind. But while an Authenticator still does provide an extra step in security, the sad truth is that it hardly makes an account impermeable. [Via BRK]
Severed USB cable is really a 2GB flash drive
This one goes out to the same folks who buy bullet hole stickers for their whip, hang stuffed arms from their tailgates and have those half-baseballs suctioned to their windshield -- all in the name of garnering attention. HACKED! is a user creation-gone-commercial that features a severed USB cable with 2GB of internal capacity. For those not in the know, it looks as if you had a nasty encounter with a vicious canine (or a hacksaw), but in reality, it's simply a 2GB flash drive in disguise. This has success written all over it.[Via MAKE]
Roku serves up Netflix Player source code
Hope you're not too sleepy, you hacker you, 'cause we've got a juicy one coming your way. No sooner did we find that the Netflix Player would be streaming content from other players in the industry later this year than Roku opens up the source code vault. You heard right -- the GPL code has now been posted for the world to see, meaning that there's just one link standing between you and umpteen delicious tarballs. Mmm, tarballs.[Via Hack-A-Day]
Behind the Curtain: Hacked account - opportunity or deathknell?
Well, it seems I may have been too hasty in jumping on the 'omgblizzardgmsaretehsuckzorz" bandwagon last week. Merely a handful of hours after logging back on to my World of Warcraft account and submitting a GM ticket after reformatting my PC, not only had my deleted characters been restored, but all of their gold and items had been recovered. Colour me chuffed. I was correct in my suspicions, and whoever had managed to compromise my account had indeed stripped and deleted two of my level 70 characters. The last time I had logged on, I had three characters at level 70; a Horde Druid and Priest and an Alliance Warrior. On checking the Armoury, both the Priest and Warrior were missing, and the Druid was naked – which, as I'm sure any other Tauren player can attest, is rarely a good look. Now, as much as I deplore it, I can understand the concept of hacking a person's account in order to sell their gear, then pass that money along via a Goldseller – that's simply business, but I don't understand why you would delete a character completely – while the first is an undeniably rotten thing to do to a person, it's generally something that can be recovered from, or (in the worst-case scenario) rebuilt. New gear can be acquired, gold can be earned once again, and if your guild happens to be chock-full of good folk like mine, you'll maybe get some help along the way.
Blizzard Authenticator adds new layer of security, for a price
When you play online games these days, you always have to be mindful that you don't leave yourself vulnerable to viruses, account fraud, and hacks. Something as seemingly simplistic as a hidden keylogger in a UI mod can open the floodgates to strangers to come on your computer and take your account information. Stories abound of players losing accounts they've dumped thousands of hours into because they didn't take the proper precautions. While some of the blame certainly lies with the players, there are some critics who have charge that the MMO industry doesn't do enough to prevent fraud.Enter the Blizzard Authenticator. This new keychain SecurID device can be attached to your World of Warcraft account, making it impossible for anybody to access it without the Authenticator plugged into the computer They'll be debuting the device at the upcoming Blizzard Invitational, but it should be available on Blizzard's online store soon at the low, low price of $6.50. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind.
A personal account of the devastation wrought by virtual theft
In the mainstream media it's not entirely uncommon to hear tales of virtual theft cast in a mocking or sometimes even light-hearted tone. Given the right set of details, we're sometimes guilty of it ourselves. In any case, when you actually read a first-hand account of such an experience, you quickly see how devastating a personal blow it can be to a person. A recent article in The Escapist explores one such experience, going into the depths with one unfortunate Paladin who had her Final Fantasy XI account hacked.Much the same way that a real life burglar can rob somebody of their sense of safety, virtual thieves rob players of the joy and security they get from building up a character in a virtual world. The Paladin followed in the article lost her will to play altogether, which we think is an even sadder outcome than losing her highly-valued account.
Behind the Curtain: My turn to get hacked
It's official – my guildies are 'teh awesomez'. The reason? My World of Warcraft account was hacked yesterday afternoon, and I've already been inundated by offers of assistance and gold from my friends, should things go South once I log back into my account. To clarify – I came home from work yesterday evening to find a nausea-inducing email from Blizzard informing me that my account had been suspended due to activities which made them suspect it has been compromised. They advised that they had reset my account password, and suspended the account for three hours as a precautionary measure. Unable to actually access my account in-game, I check the Armoury to see what state my characters were in, only to find that of my three level 70 characters, only one is now showing up, and he's completely naked. So it seems that not only have all my items been sold off, but at least two of my characters have been deleted. It's that last part that really annoys me.
Account hacked? Why not stop and smell the flowers?
It happens to the best of us. We try to be careful, we try to be conscientious, and then the unthinkable happens: your MMO account gets hacked. You log in to find your virtual life has been torn asunder. What happens then? Sean Sands, over at the Gamers with Jobs site, walks us through the ordeal of having his World of Warcraft account hacked.Sean reminds us that the most important thing to do is to keep things in perspective. Most likely the person that hacked you was just doing their job. It probably wasn't malicious, and unfocused rage never helped anyone resolve their problems. Moreover, Blizzard is well aware of the problems inherent to the account breach issue. They've got a polished, professional team ready to give you back your stuff in a timely fashion. In fact, as Sean notes, it may be that they're a bit ... too practiced at this. The problem of account hacking is universal. We suggest you check out some of the security resources WoW Insider has on hand for World of Warcraft fans, as many of them can be transposed to another game. in the meantime, have you had any experiences with hacked accounts? What happened and ... most importantly ... did you get your stuff back?
How easily can your account be hacked?
You've probably heard the stories before. A friend's roommate's cousin once got his WoW account hacked. The hacker took all of his character's items and gold, and left a few naked, violated characters to fend for themselves. It conjures the same feelings as coming home to find your house has been broken into, or walking out to the driveway in the morning to find your car is gone.There has been a recent phenomenon of hacked accounts lately, more than ever. WoW had a recent problem with Xfire, and several people got their accounts hacked. The leader of Rebel Rising [rawr], one of the top PvP guilds in Guild Wars just got their account hacked and the hacker disbanded the entire [rawr] alliance and deleted the guild. This is a guild that had worked for years to establish itself in the GW PvP community, including its very own tournament cup named after them. But the fact that it can all go away so easily, as it did from one hacker, makes us aware of the inherent dangers and vulnerabilities we face in this environment.
Wii's Virtual Console hacked on video
We'll be straight with you -- it's a bit of a mystery what exactly is going on here, but famed Wii hacker Waninkoko has apparently figured out a way to take Virtual Console titles and play them on another Wii. The good news? There's a video -- which many aren't hesitating to blast with "fake!" -- of the trick posted after the jump. The bad? There's no how-to in sight.[Thanks, Craig]
Hackers embed flashing animations on epilepsy support forum
Shortly after hearing a sad tale of a 7-year old cancer patient having his medication and PSP stolen whilst en route to treatment comes yet another story of the world's meanest preying on the innocent. This go 'round, a group of griefers (which appear to be members of Anonymous) managed to invade a support forum established by the nonprofit Epilepsy Foundation and use JavaScript code and messages littered with flashing animations to effectively assault dozens of visitors who suffer from the disorder. The Foundation managed to catch wind of the problem within 12 hours of the attack, and while the boards were closed down temporarily to purge it of offending messages, many readers (such as RyAnne Fultz, pictured) experienced headaches and seizures before rescue arrived. Let's just say we sincerely hope the culprits get what's comin' to 'em.
Another blow in the keylogging experience
Thank you all for the encouragement I received in response to my recent keylogging experience. As a whole the experience was just dreadful. As I mentioned on last week's WoW Insider Show podcast, I am still afraid every time I log in that I will get the "The information you have entered is not valid" error. For the most part things have settled down, but the fear remains. The worst part of the keylogging episode was that my Shaman was transferred from a PvP to PvE server. After about a week in limbo my beloved Tauren was returned to her proper place. I was extremely relieved. Unfortunately that's the only thing on my account that Blizzard was kind enough to restore. They refused to return any of my gear or gold and did nothing about the items ninjaed from the guild bank. I appealed their decision with several emails. Those appeals were ubiquitously denied despite logical arguments and heart-filled plights. I thought it was all over, for better or for worse. I got more bad news in my email box the other day:
Samsung's Auto Motion Plus so fast, so real it requires expletive to describe
It's not like we haven't seen HD-related websites hacked up before, but we're most certainly hoping some wiseguy (or gal) at Samsung didn't deliberately whip this one up. On a promo website for the firm's 120Hz Auto Motion Plus technology, it nonchalantly explains that said innovation enables the display to "keep it fast and real," but closes things out with a word typically reserved for less public settings. We're hoping someone cleans this up real quick like, but we've screen-capped the offending image above for the sake of comedy.Update: It's been fixed -- fun's over, kids.[Thanks, Wendell]
WoW Insider Show Episode 26: Badges, Blizzard and buffs
This past Saturday the WoW Insider Show welcomed Amanda Dean and Adam Holisky on, as well as myself and Turpster, for the 26th episode of our podcast on WoW Radio. Despite some lackluster, if I may say so, email from readers (you can send us some better emails at theshow@wow.com), we charged through and got a lot of good discussion done: We chatted about Amanda's hacked characters, and what a little name-dropping will get you from Blizzard (not much) We confronted whether all this new badge loot makes raiding worthless (surprise -- we decided it does not) We talked about all the new class changes on the PTR, with a special look at Shamans, and the Warlock change to Lifetap. We ran over what Rob Pardo said during the GDC Liveblog And finally, we wondered just what kind of player it takes to PuG with Adam All in all, good show, and you can listen to it right now over on WoW Radio's website. You can also subscribe to our podcast in iTunes if you so choose, and we'll be back at it again next weekend -- every Saturday at 3:30pm EST. Enjoy the show!
The best of WoW Insider: February 11-18, 2008
Lots of great patch 2.4 and Sunwell news on Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider this week. The biggest MMO out there is about to get a little bigger, with a brand new patch that will include a new raid instance and lots of new quests and things for players to kill (like this Dark Naaru above). Here's what we posted about last week on WoW Insider.News The companion cube cannot remain through the testingMore proof that Blizzard employees are playing Portal rather than working on the next expansion. Mobile WoW officially being consideredPlaying WoW on your cell phone? You will... but probably not in the way you think. Getting what you paid for: should the endgame be accessible to casuals?Shouldn't everybody get a chance to play in the deep end of the pool? Magister's Terrace walkthroughA WoW Insider exclusive: we take you through the new 5man instance in patch 2.4. Hail to the (Lich) King, babyWho's the king of MMOs? Gimme some sugar, baby. Features Blood Pact: Warlocks buffed in 2.4Life will be even better for the demonic class after the new patch releases. Forum Post of the Day: These are the people in your raidFrom the Dead Mage to the Prima Donna, a few familiar faces from your raiding experience. The Light and How to Swing It: Four things for 2.4Our weekly Paladin column (we've got one for all the classes) examines the big lore moves in the new patch. Breakfast Topic: Hacked!Our daily discussion topic covers the worst experience in WoW: logging in to find your character taken over. Scattered Shots: Your first levels as a new HunterStarting out, hunter-style.
