One of T-Mobile’s credit card processors, Experian, had a security breach
T-Mobile today released new information about credit card processing company Experian, whom seems to have had a serious security breach going as far back as September 2013.
John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, said that after an investigation, it was revealed that the information over 15 million T-Mobile customers was acquired by a third party between September 1, 2013 and September 16, 2015.
Some of the information compromised includes names, birthdays, and addresses. More heavily encrypted information was also stolen, such as social security numbers and ID numbers found on drivers licenses and passports.
While the hackers can do a lot with a social security number or ID number, there’s not much they can do with names, birthdays, and addresses alone. In most cases, hackers will try and call you and fish for more incriminating information by posing as a government agency and using the information they have for leverage. But again, having social security numbers is a completely different ball game.
That said, anyone can now sign up for two years worth of free credit monitoring and identity resolution through Experian. And if you’ve been with T-Mobile for the past two years and made any purchases via a credit card or went through a credit check, it’d be wise to sign up soon. And as per the norm, if you’re one of the 15 million affected, you should receive a written letter in the mail from Experian itself.
source: T-Mobile
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LG could see increased profits and handset sales in Q4 2015, company says
LG is expecting its handset sales to increase during Q4 2015, largely due to launching new devices. One of those devices that is expected to drive sales is the recently announced LG V10, expected to hit the South Korean market some time this month, with US, China, and other markets to follow.
There’s been much excitement surrounding the LG V10, featuring dual selfie cameras, two screens (think Galaxy S6 Edge), and new camera software that brings out the beauty of stills taken from the rear 16-megapixel camera.
LG mobile division chief Cho Juno at the New York event this morning told press that the company would use its high-end LG V10 along with new and upcoming mid-to-low tier handsets to drive sales and increase market share.
LG will begin selling the V10 in South Korea on October 8, with a LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition launch expected some time this year.
source: Reuters
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Go90, Verizon’s new video streaming service, launches mobile apps
Turn that phone sideways. That’s what Verizon is asking you to do with its new video streaming service called Go90. So, yes, the name comes from the fact that you are turning your phone ninety degrees to start watching television shows, live sports and concerts, and other random videos. And today Go90 launched its mobile apps so you can start enjoying content anywhere at any time.
Content for Go90 will be select programming from Comedy Central, Discovery, ESPN, NFL Network, and Food Network. You’ll be able to watch shows like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Love & Hip Hop, and even college football games. Online series from AwesomenessTV, Elite Daily, Machinima, Nerdist, Tastemade, and Vice will also have a place on G090. This video streaming service will also have original programming that is not available elsewhere. Verizon was able to secure mobile rights for individual shows from the aforementioned networks and studios rather than having to bid on entire slates of programming.
Using Go90 comes at no cost as Verizon is utilizing advertisements to generate revenue.
Notice that Go90 lacks Verizon branding? That’s because the company’s executives felt that would limit the appeal of Go90. People often associate the Verizon brand with its wireless, television, and internet services; therefore, leaving behind those associations can bring new people into Verizon’s reach. It’s also likely why Verizon changed its logo last month.
And don’t expect Verizon to advertise Go90 on television. Big Red is going the route of social media to give Go90 attention.
Source: Verizon
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Samsung Galaxy View tablet appears on GFXBench with 18.5-inch display
Samsung teased the Galaxy View during its IFA 2015 presentation, but we’ve heard very little about it since. Now, the tablet is showing up on the benchmarking service GFXBench, sporting some impressive specs.
The Galaxy View (SM-T670) will feature a massive 18.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display, a 64-bit Octa-core Exynos 7580 processor, a Mali-T720 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2-megapixel front camera, and will feature a rather large 5,700mAh battery, but it still seems small for how large the screen is.ta
Samsung’s new tablet is expected to size in at 451.8mm wide, 275.8mm tall, and 11.9mm thick. The rear camera is listed as not supported, but it should come with a 8MP rear sensor anyway, along with microSD support.
We’re hoping to hear more about this tablet very soon.
source: GFXBench
via: SamMobile
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Imgur adds new functionality to its app in new update, including better GIF support
Imgur in a new update to its native Android app has brought better GIF performance and a whole host of new functionality.
Users who update will get to experience new search features, allowing for much faster searching when looking for new images and GIFs. There’s also been some major design changes to profiles among other changes.
Here’s the full change log, as outlined by Imgur:
- Search functionality inside the app, including searching within GIFs, one of the most popular ways Imgurians use the
- Improved GIF performance which will allow for faster-loading GIFs — and more immediate laughs
- A revamped profile design and streamlined notifications for comments on posts to let users know what other Imgurians are saying
If you haven’t gotten the update yet, be sure to hit the download link below.
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Amazon to stop selling Google’s Chromecast, Apple TV and others come October 29
From Google’s second-generation Chromecast to the recently-announced Apple TV, media streamers have been really improving as of late. Unfortunately you won’t be able to purchase these devices from a certain major online retailer come October 29th, as Amazon has just revealed that it will stop selling Google’s Chromecast and other devices that don’t play nicely with Amazon’s Prime Video service. In an email sent to its marketplace sellers earlier today, Amazon said that starting today, no new listings for these products will be posted and that all existing inventory will be removed on Thursday, October 29th.
Here is Amazon’s official statement on the matter:
Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime. It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion. Roku, XBOX, PlayStation and Fire TV are excellent choices.
Amazon just recently announced its new Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, which of course play nicely with Prime Video. It’s not out of the ordinary for an online retailer to stop selling competitors’ products, but it’s still a shame that a retailer as large as Amazon is choosing to go this route. As of right now, only sales of the Google Chromecast, Apple TV and Nexus Player are affected, though we’re not sure if this change will go into effect for other Android TV devices.
Verizon’s streaming video service, Go90, launches today
As revealed last month, Verizon is throwing its hat into the streaming ring with Go90. This new service is geared toward none other than millennials, delivering free access to live, as well as on-demand content from iOS and Android devices. Inside the application, which is now officially out of beta, Verizon will offer a variety of programming provided by different TV and online networks — including Comedy Central, ESPN, NFL Network, MTV, Univision, Vice and many more. Like TechCrunch points out, what makes Go90 different than services such as Sling TV is its main focus on mobile devices, which is definitely an interesting strategy. If it ends up succeeding, though, don’t be surprised to see Verizon bring it to set-top boxes and other streaming hardware.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: App Store, Google Play
Playdate: Grinding through ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5’
The reviews are in and Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater 5 is… not looking good. When I played the game in Chicago earlier this year, it was fine. There were a few glitches here and there, sure, but it was an early version of the game and that’s to be expected. The game crashed a few times, but it wasn’t anything like I’ve seen in various videos that’ve surfaced online this week. It’s a sad state of affairs that games are releasing this buggy and possibly broken even two years into the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One’s lifecycle. There is light at the end of this tunnel though: You can save yourself some grief by watching Sean Buckley and myself broadcast the game this afternoon instead of buying it for yourself. What’s more, we have four skateboard decks signed by Tony Hawk himself to giveaway! Join us for both starting at 6pm ET / 3pm PT.
You can join us here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage or, if you want to chat, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq and hit the heart button under the video window while you’re there. To enter the contest, head to the Rafflecopter widget below, but don’t forget to read the rules at the bottom of the post. Good luck!
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embed
[We’re streaming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 on Xbox One, through OBS. It’ll assuredly look better on your console at home, but we can’t make any promises for how it plays.]
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. Four (4) winners will each receive one (1) Tony Hawk Full Skull 8.0 skateboard deck (signed by Tony Hawk).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 1st at 8:00PM ET. Good luck!
Experian leaks info from 15 million T-Mobile credit applications
T-Mobile has just revealed that it has been the victim of a major hack that has exposed the personal details, including social security numbers, for approximately 15 million of its customers. CEO John Legere has just posted a letter regarding the hack in which he says that a data breach of credit vendor Experian has revealed the info; T-Mobile uses Experian to process its credit applications. Names, addresses and birth dates for those 15 million customers were revealed to the hackers as well as encrypted data that contained details like social security numbers and drivers license numbers. Unfortunately, Experian believes that the encryption protecting those bits of data was compromised, as well.
Data was compromised between the dates of September 1st, 2013 and September 16th, 2015, so anyone who got a credit check for either a new line of service or a new device during that time could be affected. Legere did point out that bank account or credit card payment information was revealed, and Experian says that the company’s consumer credit database was not affected — it seems this attack was limited to T-Mobile subscribers only.
In his typically direct fashion, Legere said that he was “incredibly angry” about the attack and also noted he would conduct a “thorough review” of T-Mobile’s relationship with Experian, but he was also quick to stress that neither T-Mobile’s network nor its payment systems were attacked here. It seems all the blame goes to Experian in this case.
As is becoming commonplace when a major company gets hit with these increasingly frequent hacks, T-Mobile and Experian are offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity protection services. It’s not clear if T-Mobile is contacting affected customers directly, but the company says anyone concerned they may have been impacted is free to sign up for the credit protection.
.@Jay_Acosta If you are a TMO customer, you will also be notified when you log into https://t.co/hKK4exGaFa
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 1, 2015
Update: the headline for this story has been changed to reflect that not all 15 million affected by this breach are T-Mobile customers; some are people who applied for a T-Mobile account but didn’t actually become customers because of the credit check. John Legere also confirmed on Twitter that affected customers will see a message alerting them they were part of the hack. Experian will also be contacting affected individuals in writing.
[Image credit: Associated Press / Jeff Chiu]
Boost Mobile rewards responsible customers with extra data
Boost Mobile, Sprint’s prepaid service, has announced some new features for their data plans that will result in “Growing Data” for customers who make their payments on time. Boost Mobile customers will now receive an extra 500MB block of data for every third on-time payment they make for up to 18 months. That means customers could end up with an extra 3GB of high-speed data.
Boost Mobile’s data plans start at $35 for 2GB of high speed data, so customers could end up with a 5GB per month plan for the same $35. Keep in mind, with Auto Re-Boost, that price can be cut to only $30. If a customer has the larger $45 plan that starts with 5GB of data, they could end up with an 8GB per month plan for only $45.
In addition to the new “Growing Data” feature on those plans, Boost Mobile is also launching a new, unlimited data plan for $60 per month. That is the same price as Sprint’s unlimited data plan, although they are getting ready to increase the cost for unlimited data to $70 per month starting October 16th.
You can read the full press release below.
Boost Mobile Launches First and Only Plans With “Growing Data” Starting at $30/Month
Make on-time payments and watch your high-speed data grow up to an extra 3GB per month
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), October 01, 2015 – Boost Mobile is rewarding customers with what they want most, more high-speed data without paying more. That’s right! Boost Mobile offers the only data plans that grow without spending a single cent more.
Boost Mobile customers can earn up to 3GB more high-speed data for their monthly plan by making on-time payments. Every third on-time payment earns an extra 500MB of high-speed data. Customers can earn up to 3GB of high-speed data after 18 on-time payments. After 18 on-time payments customers will get a $35 plan with 5GB of high-speed data or a $45 plan with 8GB of high-speed.
“Boost Mobile is always rewarding customers for their loyalty, and the best way to say thank you is by offering plans with growing high-speed data,” said Angela Rittgers, vice president-Boost Mobile. “Our new $35 plan, or $30 with Auto Re-Boost, offers the best value now with 2GB of high-speed data and we’re offering our customers more value by slashing the prices on some of our latest smartphones to as low as $19.99. Now is the best time to be a Boost customer; you can get a premium smartphone at an affordable price and earn extra high-speed data just by paying on time.”
How Growing Data Works
500 MB
Extra
High-Speed
DATA1GB
Extra
High-Speed
DATA1.5GB
Extra
High-Speed
DATA2GB
Extra
High-Speed
DATA2.5GB
Extra
High-Speed
DATA3GB
Extra
High-Speed
DATAAfter three
on-time
paymentsAfter six
on-time
paymentsAfter nine
on-time
paymentsAfter 12
on-time
paymentsAfter 15
on-time
paymentsAfter 18
on-time
paymentsGrowing data is available on the $30 Unlimited with Auto-Re-Boost1, $35 Unlimited and $45 Unlimited plans. Boost Mobile also launched a $60 Unlimited 3G/4G LTE plan that includes unlimited 3G/4G LTE high-speed data. For more information on the new Boost Mobile plans, visit http://www.boostmobile.com/growingdata/.
Price $30 with Auto
Re-Boost$35 $45 $60 Talk & Text Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Data2
Unlimited –
Includes 2GBof
high-speed data
that grows to
5GBUnlimited –
Includes 2GBof
high-speed data
that grows to
5GBUnlimited –
Includes 5GBof
high-speed data
that grows to
8GBUnlimited3G/4G
LTE high-speed
dataIn addition to new plans and for a limited time3 only, new and existing customers can get a 4G LTE smartphone starting at $19.99 (plus tax) at participating Boost Mobile exclusive retail stores and select independent wireless dealer locations nationwide. For the complete list of smartphones and to participating stores, visit http://www.boostmobile.com/in-store-offers/.
About Boost Mobile
Established in 2002, Boost Mobile, part of the Sprint Prepaid Group, redefines value for wireless consumers with more data for less and no long-term commitment to a subscription contract. Operating on the Nationwide Sprint 3G Network for data and the Nationwide Sprint Network for voice services, both reaching more than 281 million people respectively, as well as the nationwide Sprint 4G LTE Network, which reaches more than 280 million people. Its award-winning customer service has been recognized more than eight times. Learn more about Boost Mobile online on Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Twitter.
1Plan increases to $35 without Auto Re-Boost enrollment.
2After plan’s applicable monthly data allotment reached, data speeds reduced to 2G speeds for remainder of plan cycle.
3Offer valid Oct. 1, 2015, to Jan. 3, 2016. Available for new and existing customers at participating dealers, while supplies last (excludes http://www.boostmobile.com and national retailers). Discount applied toward purchase of phone; excludes taxes.
Come comment on this article: Boost Mobile rewards responsible customers with extra data
AIVAnet 