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Tag: leak

  • Game of Thrones Leak Fails to Keep Show from Setting Viewing Record

    A day before HBO was set to air the highly-anticipated premiere of the new season of Game of Thrones, the first four episodes from said season leaked online. Of course, the prompted a huge dilemma among the show’s ardent fans. On one hand, the weekly anticipation is part of the fun of the show – and who wants to blast through the next four weeks’ worth of episodes in four hours? On the other hand, well, everyone does. Duh.

    According to TorrentFreak, the episodes were downloaded more than 100,000 times in just the first few hours of availability. Now, that number is well over a million.

    But according to numbers, this leak didn’t stop Game of Thrones from having its biggest opening ever.

    Deadline has the ratings, and Game of Thrones‘ Sunday night premiere crushed it. It garnered 7.99 live viewers – a series best. It beats the previous record, which was 7.1 million viewers during last season’s finale.

    “Of Sunday night’s Season 5 premiere crowd, 5.32 million fell into the 18-49 demographic, and 2.64 million came from the 18-34 crowd, while 5.25 million fell into the older 25-54 age bracket,” says Deadline.

    Leak or no leak, Game of Thrones is more popular than ever.

    “Sadly, it seems the leaked four episodes of the upcoming season of Game of Thrones originated from within a group approved by HBO to receive them. We’re actively assessing how this breach occurred,” said HBO following the leak.

    And now that the episodes are out there in the wild, GoT fans will face a quandary for the next few weeks. Download, for instant gratification? Or wait it out, for maximum gratification. One thing is for sure – beware the internet, for it’s dark, and full of spoilers.

    Image via GameofThrones, YouTube

  • 5.3-Magnitude Earthquake near Fukushima

    5.3-Magnitude Earthquake near Fukushima

    An earthquake that registered as a 5.3-magnitude on the Richter scale was detected at 17:25 GMT today, according to a statement made by the United States Geological Service (USGS). Currently the ‘USGS’ and organizations like the ‘Japan Meteorological Society’ and the analysts at ‘The Weather Channel’ aren’t in complete agreement as to the size of the quake – both of which currently assert that they detected it as a 5.8-magnitude. Regardless of this minor qualm, the incident in itself caused quite a scare. The quake was within a close enough range that it’s effects were once again experienced by the Fukushima Prefecture – the region that is home to the recently devastated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
    Fukushima Nuclear Plant
    The areas primarily affected by the tremors were said to have only been in the constrains of the ‘Intensity II’ category as described in the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. Intensity II describes areas which the tremors were only felt by a limited number of people who were currently at rest, as well as some movement in the upper floors of buildings and skyscrapers. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, more concisely known as Phivolcs estimated that the epicenter was about 84 kilometers Southeast of General Santos City (Philippines). The group initially cited the coordinates of the epicenter to be 05.45 degrees North latitude and 125.54 degrees East longitude.

    After the March 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, the Fukushima Daiichi plant was rendered virtually unusable – as well as being extremely dangerous. In the aftermath of the two natural disasters, Fukushima had three of it’s reactors meltdown and extensive damages were caused to one of the primary fuel cooling pools. Fortunately, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had been advised only days before by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to ensure all six reactors were completely shutdown (including the two that weren’t damaged last year). The Prime Minister also encouraged the plant to concentrate their full attention and capabilities toward solving the clean-up and disposal issues associated with the radioactive water leak caused by the disasters that happened in 2011. In pictures of the facility we can see several large barrel shaped tanks that are currently holding the contaminated waste that has already been collected in efforts made by associates of the plant.
    Plant Disaster Diagram
    During the time the tremors began to effect the Fukushima Prefecture, operations at the plant were being heavily monitored and has thus far not reported any incidents. Seismic activity within the Prefecture registered at a depth of around 13 miles (22 km.). Throughout the history of Japan, the people have been continually plagued by large and often disastrous earthquakes in the majority of the country’s various regions. Japan is the closest country to the vicinity at which four primary tectonic plates are all almost adjacent: the North American plate, the Pacific plate, the Eurasian plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate – the constantly floating plates cause the location to be an extremely seismically active region.

    Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Aerial View of Fukushima Daiichi 1975, Present Day Plant Photo, Plant Damages Diagram

  • Drake’s ‘Nothing Was the Same,’ Slated to Be His Best Work to Date

    With all that’s happened over the past two days, rapper Drake should be livid at just the thought of his album sales being compromised. Drake’s third studio album, “Nothing Was the Same,” is slated to be released September 24. Anyone who’s following Drake on Twitter has seen at least one tweet about the highly anticipated release date.

    However, the only problem with that particular date is the fact the album has already been released as of September 15. Unfortunately, Drake didn’t quite get that memo. Late Sunday evening, the full album went viral across the Internet as it leakedto listeners around the world, via Twitter. So much for September 24.

     (image)   (image)

    Now, most artists would consider this an utter travesty. Fortunately for Drake, it seems as though the leak won’t be much of a problem at all. As the release date approaches, the leak is actually serving as a dominant marketing strategy, fueling even more anticipation for the album’s official release. While Drake has already set the tone of expectation with his dauntless confidence toward the project, the leak only proved his remarks were credible. The leak has also fueled the fire for early reviews of the album.

    http://youtu.be/qVdXD6cFLqY

    As the reviews of the exploited album slowly begin to flood the Internet, “Nothing Was the Same” is collectively being referred to as, “Drake’s best work yet.” Hollywood Life stated, “It’s everything he promised it would be. There are no ‘skippable’ songs on the album, which is a rare thing for artists. I can’t get enough of it.” Examiner even went so far as to deem the album, ‘the best of his career.’ Ultimately, the majority of the album’s early reviews have been nothing less than laudable, with every track on the album being praiseworthy.

    Some would probably wonder why anyone would want to purchase an album that’s already been leaked. That inquisition can be answered with one word – quality. Quality can always be a winning component, and drawing card, when it comes to music sales. So leak or no leak, it still appears that Drake will trek to the top of the Billboard charts regardless of the minor setback.
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

     

  • Drake Album Is Leaked Online A Week Before Release

    Drake, the Canadian born rapper, singer-songwriter and actor has become the latest person to release music online, before it was due to come out. Lady Gaga did the same thing in August, while Britney Spears released a new single on Sunday. Drake first gained recognition for his role on the television show Degrassi: The Next Generation and debuted his first album, “Thank Me Later,” in 2010. Drake’s new album is called “Nothing Was The Same” and is due to be released on September 24.

    Drake has been known to collaborate with a number of people throughout his career and this album will be no different. His new album features cameos from Jay Z, Jhené Aiko, Majid Jordan and Detail, mentions Mashable. After the album was leaked, all sorts of social media became a part of the equation, making the name of the album one of Monday’s top searches in the United States. His single “Pound Cake,” which features Jay-Z, was also trending on Twitter worldwide for most of Monday. “Pound Cake” is the final song on the album and it’s likely to please his current and new fans while raising eyebrows from rap traditionalists, according to Spin Magazine.

    His new single “Too Much” premiered on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday night. This is a track that had never been heard before and features a guest appearance from Sampha. The heartfelt song functioned as an open letter to his old friends and family who have watched him transform from a locally known actor to an international superstar rapper, says Billboard.com.

    The rapper is in complete promo mode, after working for the past two weeks to advertise himself over Instagram and Twitter. His new album is likely to be another hit like its predecessor, “Take Care,” which can be credited for creating the popularized phrase YOLO. Drake’s previous work has earned him a Grammy, three Juno Awards, six BET Awards and several Billboard Music Awards.

    Drake’s real name is Aubrey Graham. He sat down with Jimmy Fallon on Friday and talked about the song and the album’s cover art, before performing his new single. He also played a round of charades with Fallon and fellow guest Scarlett Johansson. Other tracks from the album have been released for streaming as well including “Started From The Bottom” and “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” He also previewed each of these songs for his fans during a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9AN9ycow4c

    Image via Youtube

  • Windows Blue Leak Reveals New Customization Options, Internet Explorer 11

    After numerous leaks, it’s pretty much a given that Microsoft’s next OS will be Windows Blue. What we don’t know is when it will be released. A leak of an early build over the weekend suggests that we may be seeing the new OS sooner than we thought.

    Some intrepid Windows explorers have installed Windows Blue already and are now just starting to find out what’s in the updated OS. It seems that Windows Blue is a small update to Windows 8 with a number of new customization options alongside a few updates to programs.

    The major update, of course, is that the Start Screen, or Metro interface, has received a few needed upgrades. For starters, Live Tiles can now be resized so users can enlarge the presence of more important apps, and reduce the size of less used apps.

    Multitasking in the Metro interface has also been improved with two apps now being able to share equal width on the screen. Before, one app would always take up the majority of the screen thus making the other app kind of worthless as only a small portion of it would be visible.

    As for programs, Windows Blue will apparently ship with Internet Explorer 11. There’s not many details on what improvements Microsoft have made, but there’s bound to be more information released as people dig around in the new browser.

    If you want to get more in-depth with Windows Blue, YouTube user sM4llziE has uploaded a walkthrough of the changes coming to Microsoft’s next OS:

    [NeoWin via Engadget]

  • BlackBerry 10 Phone Pics Leak Out Again

    RapidBerry, the self-styled “Number 1 Dedicated UK BlackBerry site” today released what it says is leaked marketing material for one of the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones. The pictures show the BlackBerry Z10 in various stages of use, particulary in business contexts. Rapid Berry states that the images are pulled from the latest public developer alpha for BlackBerry 10.

    The first thing that is easily noticeable in the pictures is how similar the Z10 looks to the current design of the iPhone. Though it works to RIM‘s advantage to design a smartphone that isn’t wildly different from what people are used to, the company should also beware of Apple. Samsung has seen what happens when you attempt to copy Apple. Of course, Samsung is now Apple’s biggest competitor, so perhaps following the crowd really is the way to get ahead in the mobile market.

    Something else to notice is that one of the pictures shows what appears to be a BlackBerry Messenger video calling app for BlackBerry 10, which might be an essential feature for the base of customers who are still loyal to the BlackBerry brand. A slide-on case bearing the BlackBerry logo can be spotted in another picture.

    Of the apps that can be seen on the phones’ screens, only a few social network apps are not made by BlackBerry. If RIM really does expect customers to switch to a BlackBerry 10 device, it’s going to have to make sure some of the most-used mobile apps and games will show up on the Z10. The company will have until its January 30 announcement to shore up developer support.

    (Image via RapidBerry)

  • BlackBerry 10 Smartphone L-Series Leak Video Released

    More than a month out from RIM’s scheduled unveiling of its BlackBerry 10 lineup on January 30, the leaks are already coming. Today, a Vietnamese website known for its Apple leaks has released a video preview of an upcoming BlackBerry 10 device codenamed “London.”

    The smartphone, as shown in the video, has a rear-facing camera & flash, a microSD card slot, and a removable battery. It is also rumored to have a 4.2-inch screen, which the video appears to confirm.

    The surprising thing about the video may be that the device isn’t all that remarkable. Even the BlackBerry 10 software running on it heavily resembles the Android and iOS interfaces, with a few twists. This could be worrisome for RIM fans, as not even Microsoft’s highly unique Windows Phone 8 devices have been able to capture consumers’ imaginations and make much of a dent in the iOS/Android dominated smartphone market.

    Unless RIM has a surprise waiting for January, BlackBerry 10 devices could easily fall under the shadow of Apple and Samsung, as so many other manufacturers have. In fact, it might be hard for the company not to be upstaged by Samsung, who has teased a big announcement for CES earlier in January.

    (via BGR)

  • Why Didn’t RIM Show This BlackBerry 10 Promo Video?

    RIM’s big BlackBerry developers event has come and gone. We know a few of the new features coming in BlackBerry 10, but we only saw what RIM wanted us to see. What about other features that may have been overlooked, or how RIM is going to market the phone to a wider audience?

    A recently leaked marketing video obtained by Slashgear shows just that as the BlackBerry 10 is poised as being a phone for creation. The ad says that they will put the BlackBerry 10 into the hands of 10 people who will have one day to create something unique with the device. They even suggest that celebrities like Lady Gaga and J.K. Rowling create new songs and short stories using only RIM’s wonder device.

    Check out the ad below:

    I was rather dismissive of BlackBerry 10 when RIM showed off its first features earlier this week. Their public display of affection for developers didn’t help much either. That’s why it’s all the more confusing as to why RIM didn’t show this ad, or at least something similar. It does a way better job of selling BlackBerry 10 than RIM’s own light-on-details videos.

    On a side note, it should be noted that the video also gives us our first look at the BlackBerry 10 N series. We knew that it was going to feature the QWERTY keyboard of its predecessors, but we were still unsure of the exact shape it would take. I sure hope the video is real because the BlackBerry N series is looking really good. The true strength of BlackBerry has always lied in their fantastic QWERTY handsets, and the N series seems to continue that fine tradition.

    We’ll undoubtedly be able to confirm the authenticity of the video and more as we approach the launch of BlackBerry 10 in January. BlackBerry Jam Asia will be going down in November as well. We may learn more at that time.

  • Windows 8 Leaked Onto Various File Sharing Sites

    Windows 8 has gone gold and that means OEMs are starting to get the final version of the operating system. It won’t be going out to consumers until October 26 so manufacturers and developers have a few months to get everything in order and up to speed with the launch version. If you don’t feel like waiting though, a new avenue has been made available thanks to a leak.

    The full version of Windows 8 that was shipped to OEMs on Wednesday has already been leaked onto various file sharing sites. If you’re thinking, “That didn’t take long,” you’re not alone. On the other hand, I’m surprised it took even a day for it to leak. New operating systems and software can sometimes show up days before they even go gold.

    As for the leak itself, it’s obvious that one of the OEM partners who received the OS leaked it. I’m sure Microsoft is conducting their own internal investigation. I would hate to be the OEM partner who hired the guy responsible for the leak.

    So if you decide to track down a copy of this illegal copy of Windows 8, know that you are getting the “N” version of the OS. Thanks to a ruling from the European Union, Microsoft must offer a version of Windows that does not come with Windows Media Player. So if you want to try out the full version of Windows 8, you’re going to have to do so without Windows Media Player.

    If you’re a developer just itching to get into Windows 8, you only have to wait a few more days to get your hands on it legally. Microsoft announced that MSDN developers will be getting their hands on the OS starting August 15. Everybody else is going to have to wait until the actual launch date or however long it takes them to download it via their favorite torrent tracker.

    Since this is a leak and is looked on as being illegal, expect no official support from Microsoft if things go awry. You should also expect Microsoft to do some terrible things to your installation if they find that you’re using a leaked copy. The company is pretty strict when it comes to piracy and shutting down your Microsoft account, which is required for much of Windows 8, would not be beyond their means.

    [h/t: The Verge]

  • LinkedIn Defends Its Password Leak Response

    Over 6.4 million LinkedIn member passwords were leaked to a hash-cracking forum last week, causing LinkedIn members to worry about the site’s security. As the week went on, the scope of the leak grew to encompass both eHarmony and Last.fm. Though LinkedIn Director Vicente Silveira has already outlined LinkedIn’s response to the leak, he took to the LinkedIn Blog again over the weekend to further clarify and explain how the company reacted to the incident. LinkedIn has understandably been receiving some very pointed questions from members, and Silveira uses his latest post to answer them. From the blog post:

    First, it’s important to know that compromised passwords were not published with corresponding email logins. At the time they were initially published, the vast majority of those passwords remained hashed, i.e. encoded, but unfortunately a subset of the passwords was decoded. Again, we are not aware of any member information being published at any time in connection with the list of stolen passwords. The only information published was the passwords themselves.

    Silveira announced that LinkedIn is now working closely with the FBI to catch those responsible for the password therft. He reiterated a point he made in a blog post on Friday, saying that the company has received no reports of any accounts being breached.

    When LinkedIn learned of the leaked passwords, it first sought to confirm that the passwords were actually from its members. Once it had, it immediately began to disable the accounts of those members whose passwords had already been cracked. After that, all member accounts that were part of the leak were disabled. Only after all of that was done were the emails sent out to users explaining how to reset their passwords.

    Silveira stated that an initiative has been underway at LinkedIn to implement greater password security by salting its database of hashed passwords. Evidently, this process had already completed by the time news broke of the leaked passwords. Silveira announced that LinkedIn will be releasing “additional enhancements” in the future.

  • LinkedIn Passwords: Find Out if Yours Was Leaked

    The LinkedIn password leak debacle yesterday made LinkedIn members question the site’s security measures as well as their own password security measures. LinkedIn responded to the issue within hours, disabling the leaked passwords and sending emails explaining the situation to those members affected by the ordeal.

    Though the situation is resolved for the moment, many are still curious as to whether their password was among the over 6.4 million passwords that were leaked to a hash cracking website this week. Though any members affected should have already received an email from LinkedIn, those who want to be extra-sure can check out a site called LeakedIn. The site hashes your password using the same method that the leaked hash used, and then searches for it in the leaked hash dump.

    LeakedIn was created by web designer Chris Shflett and some colleagues, partly to give LinkedIn users some peace of mind, and partly to further chastise LinkedIn for the leak. Sheflett introduced the site in a post on his blog:

    The app hashes your password using JavaScript, so your password never leaves your computer. You can verify this by viewing source, but if you prefer, you can also just provide your hash. We’ll let you know if your password is one of the 6.5 million that were leaked as well as if it has already been cracked.

    Keep in mind that there is no way to know whether the leaked hash was the full range of passwords that were (presumably) stolen from LinkedIn. The safest bet for every LinkedIn member at this point is to change their password, and the password for every service they were using that same password for.

  • LinkedIn Password Leak Confirmed and Remedied

    This morning it was reported that over 6.4 million LinkedIn passwords had been leaked onto the internet and were in the process of being decrypted by hackers. Now, LinkedIn has finally been able to confirm that the leaked hash did indeed contain LinkedIn passwords. Vicente Silveira, director at LinkedIn, made the announcement and outlined LinkedIn’s remedy for the situation in a post over at the LinkedIn Blog. From the post:

    We want to provide you with an update on this morning’s reports of stolen passwords. We can confirm that some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts.

    Silveira stated that LinkedIn members whose passwords have been compromised have had their password invalidated and will not be able to access their accounts until they reset their password. Those members will receive two emails from LinkedIn. The first will outline the steps members must take to reset their passwords, but will not contain any links. This is in keeping with Silveira’s password advice posted earlier today that stated members should never change their password from an email link. The second email will be from LinkedIn customer service, and will explain the situation to members who are unaware of the password leak.

    “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our members,” said Silveira. “We take the security of our members very seriously.”

    This was a fairly quick and decisive response from LinkedIn. The most important piece of advice for users at this point is to change their password for any service that is using the same password they had been using for LinkedIn. Of course, questions still remain about how the passwords were obtained from LinkedIn in the first place.

  • Google Nexus Android Tablet Leaked

    Google Nexus Android Tablet Leaked

    Phone Arena has caught a Nexus Android Tablet in the wild. The rumored tablet is supposedly a collaboration between Asus and Google. So far they have done good to keep it out of the hands of the media, until now. Many think it will be officially revealed at the company developer’s conference June 27.

    The tablet is rumored to have a 7 inch screen and an updated version of Android software to run on. It is expected to cost around $250 dollars, putting it in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy Note and the Kindle Fire.

    You may have noticed at least one oddity about the leaked photos. They appear to have an ear piece slit on the top of the device. It Google really making a tablet phone? Samsung tested these waters by offering the Galaxy note, a device that lands somewhere in between tab and phone, but it will be strange to see a full on tab that doubles as a phone.

    The casing also appears to have a place for a video camera to be placed, so they could be going for the video chat approach. Still, one might be reluctant to carry a phone the size of a tablet around with them all day.

    The anonymous tipster at Phone Arena claims that the device will include a quad core Tegra 3 CPU and will be updated to Android 4.1 OS. Early rumors said that it was going to be outfitted with Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, but the tipster says that is not the case. It will also have a Gig of RAM under the hood.

    [ht: Business Insider]

  • LinkedIn Provides Password Protection Tips

    The news broke early this morning that millions of LinkedIn passwords may have been leaked online. Hackers are currently working to decrypt a hash of over 6.4 million passwords and have, at last count, succeeded in getting upwards of 250,000 of them. Many of the passwords already decrypted were undoubtedly passwords that were not strong to begin with.

    Though LinkedIn has not yet been able to confirm that its security has been breached, it has stated that an investigation is ongoing. In light of this news, the company has decided now might be a good time to refresh its users on the finer points of creating and protecting a good password. Vicente Silveria, director at LinkedIn, has provided some password security tips in a post over at the LinkedIn Blog. From the post:

    While our investigation continues, we thought it would be a good idea to remind our members that one of the best ways to protect your privacy and security online is to craft a strong password, to change it frequently (at least once a quarter or every few months) and to not use the same password on multiple sites. Use this as an opportunity to review all of your account settings on LinkedIn and on other sites too. Remember, no matter what website you’re on, it’s important for you to make sure that you protect your account security and privacy.

    The post also contains specific, common tips for password security such as signing out of accounts on public computers, never changing a password through an email link, and changing passwords every three months. When creating a password, Silveria suggests that users make it longer than 10 characters and fill it with random capitol letters, punctuation, or symbols. He warns against choosing a password out of a dictionary or using the same password for multiple websites.

    You can follow the ongoing developments in the LinkedIn password hacking story here. If the company does admit to a security breach, it will have many questions to answer about its server security measures.

  • LinkedIn Passwords Leaked Online

    LinkedIn Passwords Leaked Online

    [UPDATE 2]
    LinkedIn has confirmed the security breach and invalidated the affected passwords. Users can reset their password to regain access to their accounts. Read the full story.

    [UPDATE]
    LinkedIn has tweeted an update on the situation from their end. They state that they have not been able to confirm a security breach. This could mean that LinkedIn simply hasn’t found any evidence yet, or it could mean that the hackers on the forum were mistaken that the hashes were LinkedIn passwords. More updates will follow.

    LinkedIn
    @LinkedIn     Our team continues to investigate, but at this time, we’re still unable to confirm that any security breach has occurred. Stay tuned here.
    9 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
     Reply  · Retweet  · Favorite

    [ORIGINAL ARTICLE]
    A hacker has leaked a massive 118 Mb hash file that contains the passwords of more than 6.4 million LinkedIn users. The file was posted to a Russian forum and fellow hackers have begun to decrypt the hash.

    The file was first leaked yesterday afternoon, and the first report of passwords being cracked came two hours later. The latest update on the forum, which is currently offline, brings the total number passwords that have been compromised to over 200,000. Weaker passwords are likely the ones that have already been compromised.

    LinkedIn has acknowledged the password theft in a tweet from its official Twitter account:

    LinkedIn
    @LinkedIn     Our team is currently looking into reports of stolen passwords. Stay tuned for more.
    49 minutes ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto
     Reply  · Retweet  · Favorite

    Though 6 million is only a fraction of LinkedIn’s more than 150 million members, it is still disconcerting that the leak has occurred. To LinkedIn’s credit, though, the passwords were hashed, meaning the company was taking reasonable precautions with regards to password security. Server security, on the other hand, is another matter. There is still the question of how the hash file was obtained in the first place.

    We will continue to provide more information on the situation as it develops. There is no way to tell whether your password has been compromised short of searching through the passwords already leaked, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt users to change their password for LinkedIn, and for any other services using the same password.

  • Samsung’s S-Voice Leaked Onto the Web

    Samsung’s S-Voice Leaked Onto the Web

    When the new version of Flipboard was leaked from a preview version of the upcomming Samsung Galaxy S III, the members of the XDA Developers forums were excited, but wondered why Samsung’s exclusive S-Voice software hadn’t been leaked as well. This weekend, the hackers at the XDA Developers forums came through again, leaking S-Voice

    S-Voice is Samsung’s new answer to Apple’s Siri. It was supposed to debut, the same as the new Flipbook, as an exclusive on the company’s highly anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone in less than one month. User Ascarface23, on the XDA Developers forum for Samsung Galaxy S II themes and apps, has posted the .apk for S-Voice, meaning any Android user running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich should potentially be able to use it. Since the software was developed to specifically run on Samsung’s new flagship smartphone only, some users are having difficulty installing it. Throughout the same thread, though, a solution for many different installation issues is found.

    Once users get it installed, though, they might have another hurdle to contend with. Many users who are trying out S-Voice are getting network connection error messages from the program. The fix for this particular issue is to use a root explorer to change the product signature of the phone to mimic the Samsung Galaxy S III. It seems Samsung either doesn’t want their new software to be used yet, or they haven’t implemented the infrastructure for the feature completely. Seeing as the Galaxy S III got over 9 million pre-orders, Samsung will need quite a few servers if it hopes to make a good impression with this product.

    (via XDA Developer’s forums)

  • Leaked Android Version of Flipboard Now Available

    The Android version of the Flipboard app, a stylish, popular newsreader app, was supposed to launch exclusively with Samsung’s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. Holding out for exclusives isn’t exactly the way of things for the Android modding community, though. This morning at the xda developers forums, in the Android Development and Hacking sub-forum for Android apps and games, a user named Valcho posted the .apk file for the Flipboard Android app. How was the exclusive app leaked so early? Quite easily according to Valcho:

    It’s simple, I just had a Galaxy S III lying around and I extracted the .apk using AirDroid. So, there you go.

    The app can be donloaded from the xda link here, then transferred to an Android phone for installation. Alternatively, it can be downloaded directly to an Android phone using the QR code below.

    Flipboard for Android QR code

    To use the app, users will need a Flipboard account. Luckily, user nutmegy at the xda developer forums has figured that part out as well. First, ignore the account login seen when starting the app for the first time, then press the red ribbon in the top-right corner of the app. Press accounts, and sign up for Flipboard.

    Many users on the forums were also requesting Samsung’s S Voice software, but Valcho stated that he or she no longer had to the Galaxy S III phone. S Voice is Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Siri voice command software.

    Go ahead and try out Flipboard for Android and leave a comment below to give other Android users your take on the app.

    (xdadevelopers forum via ubergizmo)

  • Samsung Galaxy III Possibly Leaked [Video]

    Samsung Galaxy III Possibly Leaked [Video]

    A video and pictures have surfaced of what is claimed to be Samsung’s highly-anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone. Vietnamese technology news website Tinhte.vn leaked the information early this morning, but has since removed all evidence of the announcement. It’s a good thing the internet never forgets! Tinhte’s video has been preserved on YouTube and it shows the alleged internal components and screen of the phone.

    The man in the video claims the screen is a Super AMOLED and estimates its size to be 4.6 inches. The case, he admits, is just a shell for the internals of the phone, not the actual final design. That reminds me of news that Apple was doing something similar with its iPhone 5 testing units.

    The video goes through the phone’s configuration menus, listing out its internal components. The device has a 1.4 Ghz quad-core ARM CPU, 1 Gigabyte of RAM, a 2050 mAh battery, an 8 megapixel camera, and NFC support. You can watch the video for yourself below, but remember to take in all of this information while exercising a bit of skepticism. The leak could be a fake, or, more likely, this early prototype might not even be close to what the final version of the phone will be. We will only know for sure when Samsung unveils the phone at its event on May 3rd.

    What do you think? Is this the real deal? Would you want a Galaxy S III over an HTC One X or a Motorola Droid Razr given these specs? Let me know in the comments below.

    (via engadget)

  • Anonymous Leaks Tunisia Prime Minister’s Emails

    In their ever expanding role of revealing corruption and injustice around the world, Anonymous has also set their sights on Tunisia. They are protesting the ruling Ennahda party over their perceived lack of action against conservative Salafi attacks.

    This recent attack was announced via a video on the Anonymous TN Facebook page. Unfortunately, that video is no longer available due to copyright claims from Tunisia Live. According to Reuters, the video contained a message stating that the group had released emails belonging to those in the ruling Ennahda party.

    The emails contain phone numbers, bank transactions and invoices paid during the election campaign in Tunisia last year. One of the higher profile leaks included an email from Tunisia’s Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali. The Tunisian government seems to think the emails are pretty old, but are investigating if the emails from Jebali are from before or after the election.

    While this isn’t as bad as the leaks that hit Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Anonymous claims they have more info that they are withholding for the time being. The group says they will release these emails if the Tunisia government doesn’t “work to the best of [their] ability to avoid Internet censorship and to respect human rights and the freedom of expression.”

    Reuters said this attack from Anonymous comes on the heels of protests from the conservative Salafi Muslim faction in Tunisia. They are attempting to implement Sharia law in the country which culminated in the group attacking the national theater in Tunis which resulted in some actors being injured.

    With the help of Google Translate, you can check out the Anonymous Tunisia Twitter feed where they will be announcing any further ops in their current campaign. You can also check out the Anonymous Tunisia blog (also in French) for more information.

    While the Tunisia op is definitely smaller than previous Anonymous operations, it has the potential to blow up if their threats of releasing more important emails holds true. This one could get really interesting really fast. We’ll keep you updated on any developments.

  • First Windows 8 Build Leaks

    After an impressive return to glory with Windows 7, after the negativity surrounding Vista, Bill Gates Steve Ballmer’s gang doesn’t appear to be resting on their laurels. The apparent goal for the next version of the Windows operating system is to capitalize on the good will Windows 7 generated by keeping with the look and feel the current OS has.

    According to the Windows 8 Center blog, who offers a detailed description of the leak, the version that escaped from the Redmond labs is the first build of the 8 environment and for hackers who are reading, the full build string for the version that leaked is 6.1.7850.0.winmain_win8m1.100922-1508_x86fre_client-enterprise_en-us.iso. While that particular description isn’t very revealing, it’s pretty clear we’re dealing with the Enterprise edition of Windows 8.

    Currently, Windows 7 features the following versions: Home, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Will the Enterprise edition of 8 replace any of these or will it be another version users can upgrade to? Of course, this information can only be answered with speculation, because it’s doubtful the Microsoft developers would be forthcoming about such an important piece of software that isn’t even scheduled for release was just recently schedule for a September reveal and its first public beta. The Windows 8 Center offers some ideas about these upcoming features, but again, this is all speculation:

    As an early build, many of the leaked features we have written about may not be present. As well, several features such as the installation wizard seem to have still maintained the Windows 7 look. This should not come as a surprise since most aesthetic changes occur in the Milestone 3 branch.

    While the information about the initial leak is rather limited, there are some screenshots of it:

     

    Windows 8 Leak

    Windows 8 Leak
    Click for larger images

    Naturally, there’s absolutely nothing about release dates, even from a speculation point of view. Nevertheless, it’s refreshing to see Microsoft improve on something that works instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, er, operating system.

     

  • Firefox 4 Available a Day Prior To Official Release

    Firefox 4 Available a Day Prior To Official Release

    Hot on the heels of the Internet Explorer 9 release, Firefox 4 is officially releasing tomorrow (March 22nd). However, for those who can’t wait another minute, the unofficial download is available. As with things of this nature, WebProNews doesn’t condone unauthorized downloading, and so on and so forth.

    It was discovered that the final release for Firefox 4 was up on their FTP server, which was then subsequently provided to users though numerous websites. Mozilla strongly discourages these direct downloads, as the current location isn’t equipped for massive traffic. So if you feel like being courteous to Mozilla, wait until tomorrow.

    If you visit the index.html file on the FTP server, you’ll be met with the following message:

    Firefox 4 message

    According to the website Fileforum, they’ve already had over 60,000 downloads for Windows since releasing the links on their site. There are also clients for both Linux and Mac.

    It’s been nearly eight months since the original Firefox 4 beta was released publicly. Mozilla has been scrutinized for pushing back their initial release date which was supposed to happen last fall. We’ll all be able to find out either today, or tomorrow, whether or not the wait was worth it.

    The battle for our browser usage has a new chapter, and it will certainly be interesting to see who is able to gain and who will fall back. Though I don’t condone anyone using Mozilla’s FTP server, if you get an early download, feel free to share your thoughts on it below.