Yourmediafix

O2 data breach potentially shares your cellphone number with the world (Updated)

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:31:36 +0000

O2 mobile numbers and web browsing

Security is of the utmost importance to us and we take the protection of our customers’ data extremely seriously.

We have seen the report published this morning suggesting the potential for disclosure of customers’ mobile phone numbers to website owners.

We investigated, identified and fixed it this afternoon. We would like to apologise for the concern we have caused.

Below is a set of Q&As, to answer questions we’ve been receiving. If you have further questions, do leave them in the blog comments and we will do our best to answer as many as possible.

Q: What’s happened with O2 mobile numbers when I browse the internet on my mobile?

A: Every time you browse a website (via mobile or desktop), certain technical information about the machine you are using, is passed to website owners. This happens across the internet, and enables website owners to optimise the site you see. When you browse from an O2 mobile, we add the user’s mobile number to this technical information, but only with certain trusted partners. This is standard industry practice. We share mobile numbers with selected trusted partners for 3 reasons: 1) to manage age verification, which manages access to adult content, 2) to enable third party content partners to bill for premium content such as downloads or ring tones that the customer has purchased 3) to identify customers using O2 services, such as My O2 and Priority Moments. This only happens over 3G and WAP data services, not WiFi.

Q: How long has this been happening?

A: In between the 10th of January and 1400 Wednesday 25th of January, in addition to the usual trusted partners, there has been the potential for disclosure of customers’ mobile phone numbers to further website owners.

Q: Has it been fixed?

A: Yes. It was fixed as of 1400 on Wednesday 25th January 2012.

Q: Which of my information can website owners access?

A: The only information websites had access to is your mobile number, which could not have been linked to any other identifying information we have about customers.

Q: Why did this happen?

A: Technical changes we implemented as part of routine maintenance had the unintended effect of making it possible in certain circumstances for website owners to see the mobile numbers of those browsing their site.

Q: Which customers were affected?

A: It affected customers accessing the internet via their mobile phone on 3G or WAP services, but not WIFI, between 10th of January and 1400 on Wednesday the 25th of January.

Q: Which websites do you normally share my mobile number with?

A: Only where absolutely required by trusted partners who work with us on age verification, premium content billing, such as for downloads, and O2′s own services, have access to these mobile numbers.

Q: The Information Commissioner said he is investigating – what are you doing as part of this?

A: We are in contact with the Information Commissioner’s office, and we will be co-operating fully. We have also contacted OFCOM.

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Ngachie plans spring visits

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:27:36 +0000

Marcel Ngachie

2013 Olney (Md.) Good Counsel linebacker Marcel Ngachie currently holds one offer. Interest is rising quickly, however, for the 5-foot-11, 215-pound prospect.

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California to pay ESA $950,000 over failed game bill

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:24:36 +0000

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jan 26th 2012 10:00AM

The State of California has agreed to reimburse the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) $950,000 in legal fees for fighting Brown v. EMA up to the Supreme Court. The state must have brought in its top negotiators to get the original request for $1.1 million reduced. Including reimbursements for the 2008 case, which the state already paid, California has dished out more than $1,327,000 to ESA.
“Senator Yee and Governor Schwarzenegger wasted more than $1 million in taxpayer funds at a time when Californians could ill afford it,” said Mike Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA. “However we feel strongly that some of these funds should be used to improve services for California’s youth.”

The ESA stated it would donate a portion of the proceeds from the reimbursement to “develop after-school educational programs for underserved communities in Oakland and Sacramento.” The trade association’s new charitable education initiative will begin in the spring and will “harness young peoples’ natural passion for playing and making video games and connect them to the development of critical 21st century job skills.”

States, seriously, stop it.

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Stat Alert: More connected phones than computers in key markets, says Google (updated)

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:21:36 +0000

By James Trew posted Jan 25th 2012 9:56AM There are obvious stats, bizarre ones, and then the good old informative ones. New data from Google revealed by Ad Age, falls into the latter category. According to Goog’s numbers, more people have a mobile internet-capable device than a PC or laptop in the five key markets it tested (US, UK, Germany, France and Japan). In the US, this figure is nearly 10% more, some 76% against 68%. The numbers were taken in September and October last year, which means any impact Christmas may have had won’t be taken into account. The trend away from feature phones towards smartphones is also drilled home, but that won’t be news to many people ’round these parts. No matter how you connect these days, any savvy netizen will tell you: it’s quality, not quantity that counts anyway.

Update: The complete report is now up online and, while smartphone and tablet use is skyrocketing, it doesn’t appear to be eating into PC sales. Check out the more coverage link for all the slides.

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SNK’s new Neo Geo: 20 retro classics in one modern handheld

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:18:36 +0000

We rubbed our eyes a little when they first landed on this fine looking specimen, just to make sure they weren’t deceiving us. But no, this really does appear to be a new handheld Neo Geo. We’ve seen SNK make inspired controllers, bring its catalog to other platforms and even make handhelds before, but nothing like this. The iPhone-esque body and 4.3 inch screen house a D-pad, shoulder and front buttons while hiding 2GB of storage inside — pre-loaded with 20 classic titles (yes Fatal Fury and League Bowling included, and all in English). There’s also an SD slot which we really really hope is for more games, as well as an AV output for some good old big-screen action. Famicon Plaza claims it’s a licensed product not yet in full production, so there’s no whiff of availability just now. When it does finally land, we hope it’s not at a 2012 equivalent of grandad’s $600+ price tag.

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HTC’s UK chief wants to ease off the new-product gas, focus on ‘amazing hardware’

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:15:36 +0000

By James Trew posted Jan 26th 2012 11:20AM If you ever thought remembering HTC’s titanic product line was like trying to recall the Greek alphabet, then it seems you’re not alone. Phil Roberson, head of the firm’s UK operations apparently thinks the display cabinet is getting a little crowded, too, telling Mobile Magazine “We have to get back to focusing on what made us great – amazing hardware.” No surprises that there’s been a tightening of focus after filing disappointing results just earlier this month. There’s already been the odd whisper of new directions for HTC, and this year’s phone roll-out is already under way, but with Roberson suggesting tablets aren’t high on its list of priorities this year, we’re banking on further details of 2012′s product plans at next month’s MWC.

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Versatile Nkemdiche is special

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:12:36 +0000

Robert Nkemdiche is the 247Sports Defensive Player of the Year for the class of 2013. His coach at Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, Mickey Conn, thinks his five-star prospect, the nation’s best for the next recruiting cycle, could have been named the Offensive Player of the Year as well if he would have featured the outstanding junior in his backfield a little bit more.

Robert Nkemdiche rushed for 528 yards and 17 touchdowns in addition to being one of the most dominant high school defensive players in American during the 2011 season.

??Just think back to Mike Ditka using his colorful defensive tackle William “Refridegerator” Perry as a short yardage fullback during the 1986 Chicago Bears run to the SuperBowl, however Conn handed the football off to the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Nkemdiche in more than just goal-line situations.

??This past fall, Nkemdiche was dominant in racking up 59 tackles, 18 sacks and 17 more quarterback pressures from his defensive end and nose tackle positions, but perhaps just as impressive on offense, the nation’s top-ranked junior rushed for 528 yards and 17 touchdowns in helping the Rams finish 15-0 en route to a AAAAA state championship.??

“This ain’t no William Perry,” Conn stated. “This kid is like Herschel Walker or Bo Jackson running the football at 270 pounds. He runs a 4.56. He’s a guy you can give the football to anytime. He could sign to play tailback for anybody in the SEC or Division-I. That’s how good he is.”

??Holding scholarships from every major college football program across the country, Nkemdiche is the one high school player according to Conn, that could possibly jump straight from high school to the NFL and be able to compete.??

“If you walked into the (NFL) locker room, you’d have a hard time picking him out,” Conn said. “He’d fit right in.”??

Conn first saw Nkemdiche when the talented prospect was in eighth grade, and knew he had something “freakish” coming through the pipeline when he watched the young man return a kickoff 80 yards. As a sophomore, along with his older brother Denzel who is now a freshman defensive back at Ole Miss, Nkemdiche was a big part in the Grayson’s run to the state semifinals.

Each year, Conn says Nkemdiche is relentless in working to improve.??

“He’s so fast and he’s so big and physical, and he’s quick,” Conn said. “He plays with a motor. There are a lot of big guys out there that don’t play with a motor, and he has a great motor on him. He flies to the football. He power cleans about 340 pounds. He’s just really explosive, and when he gets his hands on you, it’s over. His hands are so strong, some of the strongest hands I’ve seen.”??

Conn wanted to utilize Nkemdiche on both offense and defense as a sophomore, but didn’t want overwhelm his blue-chipper with learning both schemes. Now he figures wherever Nkemdiche chooses to play his college football, his skills will be utilized in some capacity on both sides of the football.??

“He doesn’t like to talk about recruiting much,” Conn said. “He wants to be a high school kid and just enjoy. Right now his goals are set on winning another state championship and learning how to become a leader as a senior, which is another role he has to learn. He has a lot of options and coaches come in and our nice to him and he’s taking it slow.”

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Agenda NYC

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:09:36 +0000

The blog popped it’s collective trade show cherry at this week’s Agenda NYC trade show, and fuck that noise you may have heard – these shows are in no way “boring.” Met some old friends, made some new ones, saw first-hand some fucking killer new gear, electronics and accessories dropping in 2012… and you know what else happens in New York City, right? Debauchery at it’s finest, folks. Boston will always be my main squeeze but I feel absolutely no guilt in cheating on her with fine-ass NY every so often.

KarmaloopTV was also in the building (duh) and captured some of the madness on video – check it out above, and stay tuned for some exclusive interviews and sneak peeks at some upcoming collections.

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Kinect and Windows Phone combine to create holographic game engine (video)

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:06:36 +0000

If your life is anything like ours, it’s in sore need of more pseudo-holographic helicopters. Fortunately, YouTube user programming4fun has come up with a solution, using Microsoft’s Kinect beta SDK and a Windows Phone handset. The system, pictured above, basically consists of a Kinect and a 3D engine; the former tracks the position of a viewer and automatically adjusts the image projected by the latter, creating the illusion of a 3D landscape. In this case, that landscape happened to feature a holographic helicopter, which could be controlled using a phone’s accelerometer and a Windows Phone 7 app (apparently called HoloController). Watch it in action, after the break.

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Arduino hack gives a second screen to Android phones, isn’t very useful (video)

joojo12 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:02:36 +0000

Who knows why tech tinkerers do what they do. We’re just happy to see those idle hands try the untested. Like this latest Arduino hack from modder Michael of Nootropic Design, who’s seen fit to rig a 16 x 32 LED matrix up to an Android phone for use as a secondary display. The outputted video, downscaled via OpenCV software to an appropriate resolution and 12-bit color, is admittedly unimpressive, as it chugs along at a paltry four frames per second. But that’s not the point of this can-do experiment — it’s all about the possibilities, however blurry and pointless they may be (although, we’re sure Barbara Walters would beg to differ). Ready to see this modjob in motion? Then head on past the break for a brief video demo.

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