Sony had to dig up old BlackBerrys to function during hack
When Sony Pictures’ computers were hacked on Thanksgiving, its employees were forced to use older technologies to keep things running, according to new reports by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. They relayed details about the hack from one person to another via phone, and they’ve had to haul in old machines to be able to issue physical checks since they couldn’t transfer salaries through bank deposit. Sony’s collection of old BlackBerry company phones suddenly became valuable again, as they can send and receive emails through their own servers, so they were unearthed and dusted off to be used by execs. But these reports don’t only shed light on what happened (and what continues to happen) behind the scenes at Sony, they also give us a glimpse of how the investigation was handled.
Apparently, while the company quickly got in touch with the feds, employees initially thought it was nothing more than an inconvenience they could patch up within a few weeks. Even Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton told NYT that it took 24 to 36 hours for the situation to sink in and “to fully understand this was not something [they] were going to be able to recover from in the next week or two.” Thanksgiving weekend then became a crucial and extremely busy period for the company, as the internal IT team struggled to get Sony’s emails working again.
Meanwhile, the feds and a cybersecurity team from FireEye Inc. set up their own headquarters nearby. They suspected North Korea a week into the investigation and eventually determined that the hackers, the Guardians of Peace, stole log-in credentials from a systems administrator, harvested data from the computers and used malware to delete them all. The WSJ says FireEye’s investigators still aren’t 100 percent sure whether they’ve completely blocked off the hackers from Sony’s systems. But if the company’s network remains secure, it could be up and running again within the next eight weeks.
In addition to illustrating how the company dealt with what turned out to be an extensive security breach, the reports also detail how Lynton acted away from the public eye. Turns out he was already talking to Google when Sony announced that it doesn’t have future release plans for The Interview, which led to a barrage of criticisms (even from the president) for what people conceived as giving in to terrorist demands. He also personally contacted cinema chain bosses in an effort to control any damage he’s done after blaming them for refusing to show the movie.
If you recall, many cinema chains opted not to show The Interview since the GOP threatened everyone who wanted to see it in theaters, telling people to “remember the 11th of September 2001.” Sony, however, ended up releasing it via Google Play, YouTube, PlayStation and Xbox stores and iTunes, and showing it in hundreds of independent theaters in the US.
[Image credit: Marcus Ingram via Getty Images]
New York authorities looking into accepting Apple Pay for parking tickets
New York City authorities are looking into accepting Apple Pay – as well as other gateways – for parking fines, making it easier for those affected by the ten million tickets issued annually ($30 billion in revenue) to conveniently pay up. Should the payment gateway be supported, drivers will be able to use their iPhones to pay fines instantly.
Should the city’s finance department opt to support Apple’s service, an up-to-date system will be able to take advantage of technology available today, as opposed to paying via mail, online (reportedly not mobile friendly) or in person. It’s also hoped the city will be able to cut down on late penalties for unpaid violations.
The idea would be to have the offender scan the ticket barcode, which would download ticket details and initiate payment using Apple Pay. While nothing has been set in stone, it’s interesting to see more ways Apple Pay may be used and would be warmly welcomed by those who’d rather not fork out on fees for using their credit cards on parking fines. Other payment gateways being looked into include PayPal and Bitcoin.
Via: Marketwatch
New York City ponders bitcoin and Apple Pay for parking tickets
New York City wants to make it easier for the recipients of its some 8-to-10 million annual parking tickets to pay their fines. To do so, it’s accepting pitches for payment systems that’d take advantage of mobile tech and things like Apple Pay and bitcoin. New York has an online payment system in place already, but as The Wall Street Journal notes, it doesn’t work via mobile device. There are a handful of guidelines (PDF), however, so don’t go thinking you can get too crazy with your submission. Perhaps most notably, the system would need to support payment of tickets that have been placed but not yet processed (“windshield tickets”), the interface should be aesthetically pleasing and should also come at “no or minimal” cost to the city and its users. What’s more, Gotham officials say that being able to schedule a hearing to dispute an infraction via the app is paramount as well.
The official request for information document is also pretty adamant that the solution be simple, and proposes the ability to take a picture of a ticket or scan its barcode to start the payment process — similar to TicketZen. This is all still very early, but, combined with the Hudson Yards smart-neighborhood project, it shows that New York is very much looking forward and embracing tech to make life easier for its denizens. Interested in helping out? You’ve got until January 15th.
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Mobile
Via: Marketwatch
Source: New York City (PDF)
Gunhouse dev explains journey from PlayStation Vita to Windows Phone in our interview
Last week we took notice of a new offering on the Windows Phone Store called Gunhouse that takes elements from puzzle and tower defense games. This is the first time I’ve seen this style and Necrosoft, the developers of the game, mixed the elements perfectly. Surprisingly, this beautiful and unique title is not available on iOS or Android. The only other system you’ll find it on is the PlayStation Vita, another underdog platform.
Easily track your flights with FlightHero on Windows Phone and Windows 8.1
Tracking your flights on Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new universal app called FlighHero. The app will present you with everything from weather conditions at a given airport to real-time updates on flight tracking information.
Alcatel Onetouch buys Palm trademark; Palm smartphones on the horizon?
There was a time when the Palm brand name was all the rage in the tech space. I actually owned a Palm Pilot, one of the best touch personal organizers of the time, but being 13 years old, the only thing I really cared about organizing was my hair. It was the world’s first look […]
The post Alcatel Onetouch buys Palm trademark; Palm smartphones on the horizon? appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Engadget Daily: ‘The Interview’ aftermath, Samsung’s 360-degree video store, and more!
Interested to learn how The Interview is faring following Sony’s cyberattack catastrophe? Check. What about Sony’s new 360-degree video store called Milk VR? We have that too — just click on the gallery below for all our news highlights from the past 24 hours.
The best iOS party games for New Year’s Eve
If you’re planning to get together with friends and family on New Year’s Eve, why not make it even more fun with some great party games for your iPhone? Here’s a roundup of six fantastic iOS games designed for group fun that will help you make the most out of New Year’s Eve (or whenever you have your next get-together).
Dance Party
You don’t need an Xbox with a Kinect in order to have fun dancing in front of the TV any more: Dance Party features the same mechanics as dancing games for video game consoles — it’s a rhythm game, where you have to mimic movements of the on-screen dancers. The game tracks your moves by using your iOS device’s camera. In-app purchases unlock new songs for you to dance to, with support for up to four players in a group, or five-player turn-based multiplayer.
- Free – Download now
Heads Up!
Just like you may have seen on The Ellen Show or in theme park lines everywhere, Heads Up is a delightful cross between Charades, Celebrities, and a bunch of other guessing games. The idea is simple: Hold the iPhone to your forehead with the screen facing your teammates, and have them give you clues to guess the word. Therein lies the fun, and the challenge: Heads Up comes with a few different challenge packs that will have you acting out like animals, humming your favorite songs and more, but you can buy many more as in-app purchases. “Totally 80s” is my personal jam.
- $0.99 – Download now
Reverse Charades
It’s much like the board game — except on your iOS device. Never mind one person acting out the word for the group to guess: Reverse Charades puts that concept on its head. This time the entire team has to act out the word for one person to guess. Set 30, 60 or 90 second rounds, with lots of card packs you can add through in-app purchases.
- Free – Download now
ShakePop
ShakePop is a modern take on Simon Says: Up to six players follow the device’s commands. “Shake me. Flip me. Don’t move,” and the like — all without making a mistake. The longer you survive, the faster the commands come. You can unlock additional characters with in-app purchases.
- Free – Download now
SketchParty TV
If you’ve ever played Pictionary, you’ll dig SketchParty TV: This game uses an iPad and a TV monitor connected via AirPlay Mirroring and Apple TV to have some pictorial fun. You’ll have five words to draw pictures for in two minutes. The game supports two teams of up to eight players.
- $3.99 – Download now
Spaceteam
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be on the bridge of the Enterprise, now’s your chance. Twist dials, change sliders, and do more — but you also have to shout out instructions to other players, all of whom have to do the same simultaneously. Did I mention that you’re piloting a starship that’s trying to outrun a supernova, asteroids, and wormholes? Fast and furious fun for 2-4 players.
- Free – Download now
What are your picks?
Those are some of my favorites, but I bet you’ve got some that you haul out at parties. Let me know what they are in the comments! Regardless, I hope I’ve given you some ideas for how to liven up a New Year’s Eve party (or a party during any other time of the year).
This week’s sidebar poll: Are you making any Android-related New Year’s resolutions?
Should auld devices be forgot, and never brought to mind?
As we reflect on the past year, it’s also time to start looking ahead. And while there are a lot of predictions about what devices we’ll see in the coming year, about what should or shouldn’t happen with Android services and products over the coming year — they should bring back dark themes — it’s also a time to reflect about our own tech, and the ways that we use it.
While other people may be making resolutions about losing weight, or spending less time on the couch — and those are wonderful resolutions in their own right — now may be the best time to see what, if anything, you’d like to change about your own Android habits. Are there any projects you’ve been putting off — like learning to use Tasker or investigating new apps — or habits you’ve been needing to break — like spending an hour in bed every morning tapping away on your phone? What resolutions could make your life — and your Android devices — better?
Chime in on our poll, and if you’ve got a resolution, feel free to share it in the comments below. Who knows, your resolution might inspire others to get a little more proactive in the new year.
My resolution for 2015 is to try and learn absolutely as much about Android — and other technological platforms — as I can continue to improve my experience and my writing on this site.
Xiaomi Mi5 to possibly have a black edition
It’s been reported that Xiaomi, the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer, is set to release its newest flagship device at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015. There have already been possible Mi5 white edition photos leaked, but today brings us a photo of a possible black edition.
The Xiaomi Mi5 is rumored to be sporting a screen somewhere between 5.5 to 5.7 inches with a 2K HD display. Anything beyond that, like what Snapdragon processor it will be using, is still debated among various sources. Some sources claim it will be the Snapdragon 805, others are saying the 810.
Xiaomi has been featured fairly heavily in the news lately. Yesterday, Talk Android reported that Xiaomi reached $45 billion USD valuation, making it the number tech start-up in the world and surpassing Uber, who is sitting at $40 billion USD. The valuation offers a bit of respite for Xiaomi after just reporting to their shareholders that their net profit for 2014 had only been $56 million USD.
Additionally, Xiaomi has been crushing its competition in emerging markets. It bested Samsung in China for 2014, and just today, it sold out its 40,000 units of Redmi Note 4G smartphones in India in just six seconds.
Source: GizmoChina
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi Mi5 to possibly have a black edition
AIVAnet 