Hackers claim to have stolen PSN credit card info

Security researchers say hackers claiming to have credit card information stolen from Sony's PlayStation Network last week are trying to sell that information on underground Internet forums, but the veracity of the claims could not be confirmed.

Sony warned its more than 70 million customers on Tuesday that their personal information--including customer names, addresses, e-mail addresses, birthdays, network passwords, and user names, as well as online user handles--was obtained illegally by an "unauthorized person." Sony responded to the intrusion, which occurred between April 17 and 19, by temporarily disabling PSN and Qriocity, its subscription music service, and contracting with an outside security firm to investigate the intrusion on its network.

"While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility," a company spokesman wrote Tuesday. Sony said in an FAQ posted today that the credit card data was encrypted and reiterated that it had no evidence the data was stolen.
However, Kevin Stevens, a security expert with Trend Micro, said in a tweet today he had seen discussions on online forums in which the purported hackers were offering to sell a database of 2.2 million Sony customer credit card numbers stolen during the PSN attack.

"Sony was supposedly offered a chance to buy the DB [database] back but didn't," Stevens said, adding that, "No, I have not seen the DB so I can not verify that it is true."

"Supposedly the hackers selling the DB says it has: fname, lnam, address, zip, country, phone, email, password, dob, ccnum, CVV2, exp date," he said, referring. The less obvious acronyms refer to credit card holders' first name, last name, credit card number, and credit card security code.

Internet security blogger Brian Krebs, who noted witnessing similar activity, posted screenshots of the discussion on his Krebs on Security blog.

Neither Stevens nor Krebs said they had seen the actual database, but the information may already be circulating among cybercriminals. Reports began trickling out yesterday from PSN users about recent fraudulent charges on the credit cards they used for the PlayStation service.

An employee of GameFly Media tweeted that a colleague's card was used to buy $1,500 worth of goods at a grocery store in Germany. Meanwhile, a reader of gaming site VGN365 said his bank had informed him of a fraudulent $300 debit card withdrawal this weekend.

And another person reported on video game forum site Neogaf.com $600 in fraudulent withdrawals.


The breach has already prompted a lawsuit and a letter to Sony from Connecticut Sen.

Richard Blumenthal saying he was troubled the company took a week to notify customers of the breach and urging Sony to provide free credit protection services to prevent identity fraud and theft.

Update April 29 at 1:47 p.m. PT The source of the initial tip, Trend Micro's Kevin Stevens, downplayed the significance of the finding today, posting a message on Twitter saying: "This #PSNHack is turning into a bunch of FUD, it really is. I posted up what I saw to warn people, not to incite the masses to create FUD."

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White iPhone finally launching worldwide tomorrow

After a long wait, the white iPhone 4 is finally launching worldwide tomorrow.

"The white iPhone 4 has finally arrived and it's beautiful," Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said today in a statement. "We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we've worked to get every detail right."

Apple first unveiled the white iPhone last June with the announcement of the iPhone 4. Like the black version of the smartphone, the white model comes with a Retina display and a front-facing camera for FaceTime video chatting.

Not long after last June's announcement of the white smartphone, Apple acknowledged that production issues would delay the device's launch to July. Further issues forced the company to push the release to late 2010. Following another admission by Apple that it could not meet its self-imposed deadline, the company promised a spring 2011 launch.

Although Apple did say last July that the alternate color was proving "more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected," the company has never publicly detailed the exact nature of the problems.

And finally, after nearly a year of broken promises, Apple has stuck to a release date.

When CEO Steve Jobs first unveiled the white iPhone 4, the device was only slated to be available to AT&T customers, since Apple had not yet announced its Verizon partnership.

However, Apple noted today that the white iPhone will be available to both AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S. The device will be sold in those carriers' stores, as well as in the Apple Store and other retail outlets.

In addition to the U.S., the white iPhone will be launched tomorrow in the U.K., Canada, Japan, China, and several other countries. The white iPhone will retail for $199 and $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively.

Previous versions of the iPhone had white backs, but the new white iPhone 4 is the first to be fully wrapped in white.

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Report: Next Xbox, Playstation launching in 2014

If you're hoping for the Xbox 720 or the PlayStation 4 to arrive anytime soon, prepare to be disappointed.

Citing "industry sources," video game blog Kotaku reported yesterday that Microsoft and Sony aren't planning to release follow-ups to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 until 2014. One of the blog's sources said that Microsoft hasn't even decided which components its next console will offer when it eventually launches.

If both Microsoft and Sony wait until 2014 to release new machines, it would mark a dramatic shift in the way console makers have structured launch schedules.

Historically, most console companies release new devices an average of every five years. Microsoft, for example, launched the original Xbox in 2001 and followed that up with the Xbox 360 in 2005. Sony's PlayStation 2 launched in 2000 and its follow-up console hit store shelves in 2006. A 2014 launch would leave the Xbox 360 on store shelves for nine years, and the PlayStation 3 for eight years, without a successor in place.

Cashing in on a console until the bitter end is something that Sony has never taken issue with. The company has said on numerous occasions that it follows a "10-year life cycle" for consoles. In fact, the company is still selling thousands of PlayStation 2s every month, even though the PlayStation 3 is available. But this time around, things could be different, since there wouldn't be a newer console in place to help boost sales over the long haul.

Speaking to TechAce last year for a story outlining the death of the five-year console lifecycle, Patrick Seybold, senior director of corporate communications for Sony Computer Entertainment, seemed nonplussed by the shift. He made it clear that Sony has always believed that its consoles can hold up over a 10-year period.

"We at PlayStation have never subscribed to the concept that a console should last only five years," he said. "Both the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 had life cycles of more than 10 years, and PlayStation 3 will as well. The 10-year life cycle is a commitment we've made with every PlayStation consumer to date, and it's part of our philosophy that we provide hardware that will stand the test of time providing that fun experience you get from day one for the next decade."

Microsoft's senior director of Xbox product management, David Hufford, indicated last year at the Consumer Electronics Show that his company is on the same page as Sony. And with the release of Microsoft's motion-gaming peripheral Kinect in November, the company was potentially able to extend the life of its console.

"I think it's important to say that the Xbox 360 is the console of the long future for us," Hufford said before an audience at CES. "There is no need to launch a new console because we're able to give this console new life either with software upgrades or hardware upgrades like Project Natal. The Xbox 360 was designed for a long life, and I don't even know if we're at the midpoint yet."

Such a statement seemingly makes perfect sense to game maker Electronic Arts. Last year, EA CFO Eric Brown said there isn't much room for improvement in the console market and there simply isn't a compelling reason for either Sony or Microsoft to release a new hardware platform in the near future.

"Today we have two of the three consoles that operate in full high-definition and are running games at 60 frames per second," Brown said. "If you step back and say if it's a multibillion capital dollar investment for the next generation, the question I would ask is 'if you were to produce that then what would you display it on?' There's really nothing in terms of broadly available consumer viewing technology other than 1080p flat panel televisions. And so you could upgrade in theory, but you wouldn't get the obvious graphical benefit that we saw really drove the sharp transitions in the prior cycle."

Even so, Microsoft is seemingly looking toward the future. Last month, a job notice was posted on the company's Web site, seeking a hardware engineer for its Interactive Entertainment Business division. The job would require the person to be "responsible for defining and delivering next-generation console architectures from conception through implementation." The notice led some to suspect that this future employee will be working on the next version of the Xbox.

What about the Wii?
Although Kotaku's sources didn't mention the Wii, many industry watchers believe that Nintendo will be launching a successor to its motion console later this year. Nintendo hasn't said a word about what its next console will offer or even when it might hit store shelves.

Not everyone is convinced that a new Wii would even sell all that well if it did hit store shelves in 2011. In an interview with IndustryGamers earlier this year, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said that the chances of the Wii 2 succeeding after a late 2011 launch would be slim. One of the key additions would be HD suppport, which the Xbox 360 and PS3 have had since launch. Pachter sees Nintendo as jumping aboard that train much, much too late.

"I just think Nintendo's blown it; I think by the time they launch [their next console] if it's Christmas 2011, it's two years too late, and for sure one year too late," Pachter said in the interview. "So it's over--I don't think they can ever recover. Wii sales will continue to decline and I think Wii 2 will not sell well."

Sony and Nintendo declined TechAce's request for comment. Microsoft did not immediately respond.

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Uber50: UberSocial Theme form 50 Cent

Welcome to the Gritty Darkside Theme
Exclusive 50 Cent Twitter sound Effects Including:

• G-G-G-G- Gunit
• 50's Guns in Action ( Preview )
• The Classic 50 Cent coin drop

Bonus 50 Cent wallpapers for your BlackBerry Home screen
Chance to get 50 Cent to shout you out on Twitter

Includes gunfire and other sounds that might not be suitable in all locations. Be smart and turn down your volume appropriately--you could be held responsible for people's reactions to the sounds. Laws concerning the use of this software may vary. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of any laws.

"Uber50 has the coolest icons and unique features possible for twitter THERE'S NOTHING BETTER." ~50 Cent
50 Cent remixes the UberSocial you love with the illest theme yet: Uber50. When you download the Uber50 theme you get:

• Custom icons and colors straight from the mind of 50 Cent
• Superfast access to the G-unit Twitterlist list and media portal to make sure you're the first of your friends to get the latest G-Unit news and videos.
• Exclusive artwork as background within UberSocial

Uber50 Deluxe (Coming Soon!) will offer even more rich features from the G-Unit Crew! This includes:

• The exclusive Welcome to the Gritty Darkside theme
• Special sound effects created by 50 Cent himself
• Exclusive artwork that you can use for your BlackBerry

If you love UberSocial and 50 Cent, you need Uber50.

Download Uber50 Here!

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Facebook, Baidu ink deal to create new Web site?

Facebook has signed a deal with search engine Baidu to launch a Chinese Web site, reports out of the country claim.

According to Sohu News (translated page), which cited anonymous sources, the two companies will deliver a new site that is not running on or connected to Facebook.com. The report didn't say how Baidu would come into play, but given that company's reach--it operates the most popular search engine in China--it could help the new site get off the ground quite quickly.

Even so, Facebook's reported move into China would be quite interesting. Currently, the social network, along with Twitter and YouTube, is blocked in China because of the country's censorship regulations.

This isn't the first time that reports have been swirling about the possibility of Facebook jumping into the Chinese market. Back in 2007, reports claimed Facebook was trying to buy Chinese social network, Zhanzuo. The company denied the claim at the time. Later that year, Facebook acquired a Chinese domain name, which due to censorship issues, has not been put into use.

Rumors of this latest deal first started cropping up last week when reports surfaced saying that Facebook was in talks with companies in China. At the time, the social network told Bloomberg that China is very much on its radar but wouldn't confirm any potential deal.

"We are currently studying and learning about China, as part of evaluating any possible approaches that could benefit our users, developers and advertisers," a Facebook spokesperson told Bloomberg last week.

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Gmail Motion BETA

OMG,the greatest thing on earth is now here!!! Introducing the Gmail Motion BETA! Try it NOW! :D

This year, Google has launched Gmail Motion Beta claiming that they have once again revolutionized email with motion sensing. Gmail Motion uses your “computer’s camera and a spacial tracking algorithm’ to detect gestures and react accordingly. Using Gmail Motion Beta, you can open a message by making a motion as if you’re opening an envelope. Point backward with your thumb to reply. Two thumbs replies to all. Lick a stamp and place it down to send a message.

Yep. It’s April Fools’ Day. 

Gmail Motion Beta does not exist. But, given that Google has went out of its way to create a video featuring a paralanguage expert and a movement specialist, it’s worth taking a look at.

Click HERE to Try It Out

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