Sony woes continue as SOE confirms data breach (update: 24.6 million accounts affected)
May 2, 2011 No Comment
Are you starting to feel bad for Sony yet ? No? Maybe this will change your mind. Sony Online Entertainment has, apparently, been the victim of another breach that has, according to Nikkei.com , resulted in the release of 12,700 credit card numbers — and presumably some other information as well. 4,300 of those credit card numbers are said to be Japanese, but no saying how many are American. Thankfully, data is said to be from 2007, minimizing the number of still-valid credit cards exposed making us wonder if perhaps this wasn’t some sort of backup that was exposed. Regardless, SOE’s online services were taken offline earlier today and, well, now we know why. We’re presently expecting further information from the company but, until then, feel free to continue cowering in the corner and quietly sobbing onto your compromised credit cards. [Warning: subscription required] Update: According to the Wall Street Journal , Sony has also confirmed that the latest attack accessed personal information for a staggering 24.6 million accounts. Such info includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, gender, date of birth, login ID, and hashed passwords. Ruh roh. Sony woes continue as SOE confirms data breach (update: 24.6 million accounts affected) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Screen Grabs: Atrix 4G cameos in Vampire Diaries, Klaus utilizes webtop for evil deeds
May 2, 2011 No Comment
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today’s movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com . If Vampire Diaries holds any sway, the fantasy-drama based in “Mystic Falls, Virginia” suggests that vampire / werewolf hybrids clearly prefer Android superphones. In this screen grab, you’ll find antagonist Klaus keeping tabs on his shape-shifting captive from the comfort of the Atrix 4G ‘s 11.5-inch webtop. Fans of the ethereal series will note we’ve previously caught the troubled character, Jeremy, logging some time with LG’s Quantum , but this marks the first attempt we’ve seen of a Motorola handset playing a supporting role in breaking a witch’s curse. [Thanks, Andrew] Screen Grabs: Atrix 4G cameos in Vampire Diaries, Klaus utilizes webtop for evil deeds originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 19:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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According to his post on I Heart Chaos , Cranberryzero’s next logical step after purchasing a Nintendo 3DS was to head down to Blue Flame Tattoo in Raleigh, NC to have the gaming system’s augmented reality card permanently etched onto his arm. Our reaction lies somewhere between stupefied bewilderment and geeky adoration. Call it paranoia, but we wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing our Miis were always lurking on the underside of our most-prominent appendage. CBZ, as he refers to himself on the blog, was kind enough to share some video of the finished product. Naturally, things are a little shaky, but you try standing on someone’s wrist suspended in mid-air and see how you do. Continue reading Man buys Nintendo 3DS, goes wrist-on with augmented reality tattoo (video) Man buys Nintendo 3DS, goes wrist-on with augmented reality tattoo (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Peugeot EX1 sets new lap record for electric cars at Germany’s Nürburgring circuit
May 2, 2011 No Comment
Some concept cars may just be for show, but not Peugeot’s all-electric EX1. It made its debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and has continued to be fine-tuned by the automaker ever since — work that has now paid off in the form of a new lap record for electric vehicles at Germany’s N
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Disappointed by the lack of support for multiple displays and OpenCL in embedded GPUs these days? Then AMD may have just made your day. It’s just debuted its new “desktop level” Radeon E6760 discrete GPU, which packs both OpenCL support and Eyefinity -enhanced support for no less than six independent displays. AMD also notes that the GPU can be paired with its upcoming Llano APU for some additional graphics and parallel computing power and, while it might not wind up in many consumer devices, the company says it’s ideal for everything from casino games to medical imaging. Head on past the break for the complete press release. Continue reading AMD debuts first embedded GPU with support for OpenCL and six displays AMD debuts first embedded GPU with support for OpenCL and six displays originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 17:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …iOS 4.3.3 rumored to be coming within next two weeks with fix for location tracking issue
May 2, 2011 No Comment
Apple promised last week that it would address the iPhone tracking issue in a software update in the “next few weeks,” and BGR is now reporting that the update is coming within the next two weeks, or “possibly sooner.” What’s more, the site says that it’s actually been sent an early version of the iOS update, and that it does indeed no longer back up the location database to iTunes — the size of the database is also said to be reduced, and it’s apparently deleted altogether when Location Services are turned off. Somewhat notably, BGR says that the update includes some further battery life improvements as well, although it also notes that it hasn’t actually tried it out just yet — it is promising additional details, though. iOS 4.3.3 rumored to be coming within next two weeks with fix for location tracking issue originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 15:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Carriers crack down on Android tethering apps, rain on our mobile hotspot parade
May 2, 2011 No Comment
Well everybody, it looks like the free ride is over: carriers in the US have started to seriously crack down on Android tethering apps. Head on over to the Android Market site and try to install an app that turns your smartphone into a WiFi hotspot — there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be told, “this item is not available on your carrier.” We checked out a number of different tethering options and they were all blocked by T-mobile and AT&T, which isn’t entirely new . Verizon has also joined the party and, while it missed at least one that we spotted, we’re sure they’ll all be gone in short order. Only Sprint has decided against banning such apps… for now. It looks like you might have to finally cough up for that tethering plan you’ve been desperately trying to avoid. Carriers crack down on Android tethering apps, rain on our mobile hotspot parade originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Apache’s new infrared targeting system spots foes when they fire, doesn’t wait for the smoke
May 2, 2011 No Comment
It just keeps getting harder for America’s enemies to hide from the technological marvel that is the modern US military. A new ground fire acquisition system (GFAS), coming to Apache Attack helicopters next spring, uses infrared sensors to detect muzzle flashes from small arms fire and pinpoint enemy positions to within five meters. Before the sound would have a chance to reach current acoustics-based sensors the source of the shot pops up on the targeting computer, is sent back to commanders in the Operations Center, relayed to ground troops, and fed to other aircraft — by the time they’re able to pull the trigger again combatants may already be on the wrong side of a Hellfire missile. The new system will make spotting opposing forces easier and keep pilots as safe as they can be — at least until missions can be flown from the comfort of their couch . Apache’s new infrared targeting system spots foes when they fire, doesn’t wait for the smoke originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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MSI sure is keeping itself busy with all-in-ones these days. The inexpensive Wind Top AE2050 arrived stateside a month ago, and now the company is back with the Wind Top AE2070, a more tricked-out 20-incher. This iteration also has a 1600 x 900 display, but steps up to USB 3.0 and can be upgraded to a 3.1GHz Core i3 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT540M graphics. Other specs include a 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive, two three-watt speakers, a DVD burner, and a 6-in-1 memory card reader. Software-wise, it runs Windows 7 along with the latest version of MSI’s Wind Touch UI on top, which includes Facebook and Twitter buttons in the browser, a dedicated window for viewing photos and video, sticky notes, and weather and time widgets for the desktop. No word yet on pricing or availability, though we assume it’ll be more wallet-friendly than this . Continue reading MSI trots out 20-inch Wind Top AE2070 with USB 3.0, Wind Touch 4 UI MSI trots out 20-inch Wind Top AE2070 with USB 3.0, Wind Touch 4 UI originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 14:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’re still shaking our heads and sighing longingly at the performance of Samsung’s Galaxy S II , a phone that wowed us in Europe but likely won’t be coming to American shores for some time — and who knows what it’ll look like when it does. But don’t get too down, dear reader, because here comes another slice of Samsung and this slab has that same 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display tucked in there. It’s a little less slim, a little less classy, and a little less quick than Sammy’s latest world-conquering wunderphone, but the LTE-equipped Charge is a proper contender in its own right. Read on to see why. Gallery: Samsung Droid Charge Continue reading Droid Charge review Droid Charge review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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