FTC busts up $275 million credit card scam, sues the folks behind it
The folks down at the Federal Trade Commission are busy helping all of us these days, whether they’re weighing in on patent disputes or forcing firms to help cover your child’s lack of parental supervision. Today, the FTC charged several companies and individuals with participation in an elaborate shell game from 2010 that was really just a $275 million dollar credit card scam. According to a separate, ongoing lawsuit filed by the Commission, a company called I Works did the stealing, but wouldn’t have been able to take $26 million of the total without the aid of the defendants in this new lawsuit.
The unfortunates in question are alleged to have served as the conduit through which all that stolen cash flowed. By providing I Works access to payment networks and multiple accounts, the scheme kept the volume of traffic through those accounts low enough to stay off Visa and MasterCard’s credit monitoring radar. So, while they didn’t actually steal money, they provided the means to do so, and were paid from the illegal proceeds.
Several of the accused have already settled up with the FTC, which resulted in a $1 million judgment against them. The remaining defendants face a much stiffer penalty should they lose in court, as the Commission seeks all of the $26 million they helped steal, plus legal fees. Should you be among the victims, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for restitution — the folks who settled were only able to pay $328,607.78, so the rest of the judgment has been suspended. Still, we salute the effort, Uncle Sam. May this serve as a reminder for all of us to be careful with the plastic until technology delivers us a more secure way to pay. Credit card theft takes many forms.
Filed under: Misc
Source: FTC legal complaint (PDF)
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Beats Pill Mascots and Siri Join Forces in New ‘Apple and Beats’ Video [Mac Blog]
Beats Electronics today posted a new video to its Twitter account, celebrating Apple’s acquisition of the company alongside Beats Music. The short video (via 9to5Mac) features Beats Pill mascots Tina and Mikey excited about the acquisition, with Siri informing the two that Dr. Dre would be having a party to celebrate.
When the two ask Siri for directions to the party, Siri informs them that the party is by invitation only. When pressed further, Siri responds “Sorry, I didn’t get that”, poking fun at virtual assistant’s typical response when it doesn’t work properly.
Earlier today Apple updated its website with a new page celebrating the Beats acquisition, titled “Welcome to the family”.
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Ask Ooloo puts the ‘person’ back in personal assistant
Before Google dominated search, Ask Jeeves depended on a team of humans — yes, humans — to answer your internet queries. Ultimately, search algorithms killed the internet’s favorite butler, but the idea that humans are worthy competition for the software we create didn’t follow him to the grave. Case in point: Ask Ooloo, a digital assistant powered by living, breathing human beings. According to Ooloo’s makers, the PPDA (people-powered digital assistant) is staffed with “real people 24/7″ ready to offer you quick, localized search results with a personal touch. All you have to do is speak your question, as you would with Google Now, Siri or Cortana, and wait for an answer. We put the iOS app to the test, asking it ‘Who invented the Internet?” What it revealed, probably won’t shock you.
And seven minutes later someone named Shefali replied: “Al Gore! Just kidding, check this out!” We were then directed HowStuffWorks for a detailed account of its creation. So no, it’s not nearly as fast as the automated competition, but it does give you a bit of human-generated sass to accompany its answer. When asked the same question, Siri delivered a very dry, though prompt response via Wolfram Alpha. Considering the fate of Jeeves, we can’t say we’re confident in Ooloo’s staying power. But for now, it’s free to download and use via Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Source: App Store, Google Play
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Engadget Daily: Beats joins Apple, HP makes a smartwatch and more!
Today, we mull over James Cameron’s upcoming film, Deepsea Challenge 3D, get a peek of HP’s new smartwatch, watch Apple welcome Beats into the family and maybe order some MacBook decals. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
James Cameron found himself at the bottom of the ocean
On August 8th, you can watch James Cameron pilot his custom-made submersible to Mariana Trench in 3D. Spoiler alert: The movie’s brief clips of deep sea life are incredible, but it sort of feels like an infomercial for the decorated filmmaker.
Apple officially brings Beats into the fold
Just over two months after Dr. Dre claimed to be hip hop’s first billionaire, the $3 billion deal for Beats is finally done. Today Apple welcomed the audio giant into the family, complete with a tweet from Tim Cook.
Apple decal sellers saw a tremendous spike in sales following ‘Stickers’ ad
Apparently Apple’s latest “Stickers” ad was pretty persuasive. Decal vendors are reporting a huge increase in sales since last week. Admit it, You bought some didn’t you?
Take a look at HP’s luxury smartwatch
What you’re looking at is a render of HP’s upcoming iOS- and Android-compatible smartwatch. There are few details about the device other than the involvement of American fashion designer Michael Bastian.
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Freedom: Obama has signed the Act that makes unlocking your phone legal Again
One of the most contentious decisions to be made last year in America was the outlawing of unlocking your phone. If you did, you ran the risk of prison time or a ridiculously large fine. It was a hugely unpopular decision, one that solely benefited carriers, and undermined the very thing that consumers enjoy the most: choice. Well, you will be glad to know that saga is now over after President Obama today signed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, the final piece of the puzzle that now makes it once again legal to unlock your phone without permission from your carrier.
The long journey to undo the damaging law started with petition on the We the People site. The petition quickly garnered over 114,000 responses which required a call to action from the White House, and here we are today. The White House Blog says that today is:
“a win for American consumers, a win for wireless competition, and an example of democracy at its best — bipartisan congressional action in direct response to a call to action from the American people.”
Are you happy that you are once again about to unlock your phone in America? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: The White House Blog via engadget
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Top new Android applications (July 2014)
We’ve seen many applications launched in July and have picked 5 of those for you. You won’t find games on this list though, we’ve already compiled a list of top new games for July a few days ago. Let’s get started (in no particular order)… Commandr Commandr is basically an addition to Google Now, it boosts… Read more »
The post Top new Android applications (July 2014) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Google Photos may be spun off from Google+ as a standalone App
Google Photos is a very cool service; just the other day, I rediscovered how good it was when it prompted me to take a look at a few stories it had prepared from my holidays earlier in the year. A downside to Google Photos, that isn’t really an issue for Android users, is that it cannot be used without a Google+ account, but according to Bloomberg, Google might be getting rid of that requirement and spinning off Google Photos as a standalone app that won’t require Google+ logins.
Google Photos is widely considered the most useful part of Google+, and making it available to more people without Google’s requirements makes a lot of sense. This move could even give Google+ a leg up against its social media rival, Facebook, who’s own photo sharing acquisition, Instagram, enjoys a very healthy portion of the social media market itself. This is yet another change to Google+ in the wake of Vic Gundotra’s departure as head of Google+ as the social media giant tries what it can to make more of an impact in the social media space.
What do you think about Google Photos being separated from Google+? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: Bloomberg via The Verge
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Google Now Launcher now available to all devices with Android 4.1+
The Google Now Launcher has previously been an exclusive party for the Google Nexus and Google Play edition devices to frolic in, but today that changed. Google Now Launcher is now available to download from the Play Store for all devices with Android 4.1 or higher, which by now (according to last month’s distribution) should encompass around 75% of all Android devices. Of course, if you were an eager beaver, you might have already sideloaded the app when it was first release, but for all the people who haven’t tried it yet, you can try the launcher with ease now.
The Google Now Launcher was a very interesting experiment by Google, offering something a bit different than the barebones, stock launcher, with the convenience of Google Now. Of course, it lacks the abilities that many Android users appreciate in other custom launchers, like custom icons and what not, but for casual users who wanted something at least a little functional, the Google Now Launcher was a nice compromise. If you want to try it out, you can find the Play Store link below.
What do you think about Google Now Launcher? Does anyone still use it on a daily basis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TalkAndroid
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Do you like watching German-language TV? Then this post’s for you.
When we, at Engadget, indulge in the occasional use of the German language, it’s usually to fire off Deutschland’s version of our favorite four-letter word (hint: it rhymes with sh-high-zuh!). Instead, we’re rattling off this mouthful: ProSiebenSat.1 Welt. Gesundheit is right.
The German-language TV channel has big news for its US-based fans: a subscription-based streaming service for the web and mobile. Interested parties that can, you know, understand German are welcome to test it free for a week before going all in on those monthly payments of 7.90€ (about $11 USD). It’s pretty much your best bet to catch up on the latest episodes of Der letzte Bulle, Ladykracher and Pastewka, one of which we assume has to be the German equivalent of Keeping up with the Kardashians. Don’t make that face. We’ve all watched it at one time or another. Oh, and Bitteschön.
[Image credit: Peter Bischoff/Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Mobile
Source: ProSiebenSat.1 Welt
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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to come a bit earlier than expected?
We have been hearing rumors about the Galaxy Note 4, and we might see it really soon now. According to The Korea Times, Samsung will reveal the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 few days before the IFA event starts in September. They are reporting that a Samsung’s top-tier local parts suppliers said that the Korean giant is… Read more »
The post Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to come a bit earlier than expected? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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AIVAnet 