Yahoo Agrees to Settlement Following Massive 2013 Data Breach, Including $50M Fund for Victims

The data breach that affected all 3 billion Yahoo accounts beginning in 2013 is getting a bit of closure this week, with a settlement agreement between Yahoo and the Northern District Court of California (via Engadget). In the settlement, Yahoo has agreed to put $50 million into a fund for victims of the breach, provide two years of credit monitoring from AllClear, and a few other benefits for victims. The settlement is still awaiting court approval.

Those users who spent time addressing the damage from the breach, and can show documentation that they were affected, will be able to file a complaint. The filing requires users to prove documented losses of time measured in hours, and victims can be awarded $25 per hour for up to 15 hours at a maximum of $375. If the user does not have proof of lost time, they are eligible for up to five hours of compensation reaching $125. Those who paid for a premium Yahoo email account will be able to request a 25 percent refund.

In September 2016, Yahoo first disclosed a 2014 hack in which “at least” 500 million Yahoo accounts were compromised. In December 2016, Yahoo then disclosed a second major hack that affected more than one billion accounts in August 2013 — the case that this settlement is addressing. Yahoo’s new parent company Verizon then explained in October 2017 that all three billion Yahoo accounts that existed at the time were affected in the 2013 hack.

Information stolen from affected accounts in the 2013 data breach included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, hashed passwords, and both encrypted and unencrypted security questions and answers. Clear text passwords, bank account information, and credit/debit card information were not believed to have been accessed in the attack.

Verizon said in a statement last year, “We proactively work to ensure the safety and security of our users and networks in an evolving landscape of online threats,” further iterating that Yahoo will now “benefit from Verizon’s experience and resources” in the field of privacy and security.

Tag: Yahoo
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Tim Cook: If Data Privacy Isn’t Addressed, the Problem ‘Gets So Large It May Be Impossible to Fix’

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat down for an interview with CNN, where he discussed privacy, the controversial Bloomberg story claiming Apple was hacked via tiny chips embedded in server motherboards, and why he opted to come out as gay.

On privacy law, Cook said that while he’s “not a pro regulation kind of person,” there are instances when the free market doesn’t work and it’s necessary to “take an action.” Privacy, says Cook, is one of the top issues of this century, and if we don’t address it now, “the problem gets so large it may be impossible to fix.

In this case, it’s clear that the amount of things that can be collected about you, without your knowledge, maybe with your consent — although it’s a 70 page legal piece of paper — isn’t reasonable. And these things can be used for such nefarious things. We’ve seen examples of this over the last several years. We think it’s time now to take this thing and put it under control.

Cook went on to say that this is an issue that’s much broader than the tech industry because there are many firms out there collecting data. Privacy law is “critical to every country in the world.”

According to Cook, his position is that the user should be completely in control of their data in a very transparent manner. “Your data is yours,” said Cook.

On the topic of Bloomberg, Cook once again called on the news site to retract its story suggesting the Chinese government planted microchips in the Supermicro servers that it used in its data centers.

I want to be unequivocal on this. That article, the part about Apple, is 100 percent a lie. It is completely inaccurate, there is no truth behind it. We never found a malicious chip in any servers, we never reported something like that to the FBI, the FBI never contacted us about anything like that.

Cook said that the fact that the Apple portion of the article is untrue “casts doubt on the broader story,” and he pointed out that Amazon has also made comments denying the truth of what Bloomberg reported.

My view is they need to retract that article because this is not doing anybody any good to have fake information out there. It doesn’t do them any good, it doesn’t do the cause any good. Cybersecurity is an important topic. A really important topic. We should put all of our energies into protecting the companies, the country, but not chasing a ghost.

On the topic of being gay and the Trump Administration’s plan to introduce narrow definitions for gender at birth that would impact transgender rights, Cook said that he strongly believes everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, a statement he’s repeated time and time again.

Cook said that he himself came out as being gay several years ago to inspire young people who were bullied and mistreated for their sexual orientation.

I was public because I began to receive stories from kids who read something online that I was gay and they were going through being bullied, feeling like their family didn’t love them, being pushed out of their home, very close to suicide, things that really pulled my heart.

And started saying you know, I am a private person and so I’ve kept me to my small circle. And I started thinking that is a selfish thing to do at this point. I need to be bigger than that. I need to do something for them and show them that you can be gay and still go on to do some big jobs in life. That there’s a path there. And that is the reason I did it.

Cook’s interview with CNN followed his appearance at the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, where he spoke passionately on the need for strong data protection laws in the United States.

Cook’s full comments to CNN can be watched across several videos published by the site: on privacy, on Bloomberg, and on being gay.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Tim Cook
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Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 68 With Bug Fixes and Feature Improvements

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced over two years ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 68 includes bug fixes and feature improvements for Web API, WebRTC, Media, CSS, Rendering, JavaScript, Web Inspector, WebDriver, Payment Request, Apple Pay, Web Animations, and WebCrypto.

The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was released to the public in September.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
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Apple Highlights Photos Shot With Portrait Mode and Depth Control on iPhone XS

Apple today highlighted a series of photographs that were captured using the Portrait Mode and Depth Control features of the iPhone XS, sharing the images in an Apple Newsroom article.

Apple focused on images that were shared from users around the world on social networks that include Twitter and Instagram. To find the images, Apple used the #ShotoniPhone hashtag.

Spaziergang bei dem schönen Wetter #Herbst #shotoniphone #ShotOniPhoneXSMax #iPhoneXS #portraitphotography #family #kids pic.twitter.com/WBT1YZRVyU

— heisenberg0512 (@heisenberg05122) October 6, 2018

All of the photos used Portrait Mode and the new Depth Control feature, which is exclusive to the iPhone XS , XS Max, and XR.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Felicia Fang 🌸 (@feliciafang11) on Oct 15, 2018 at 7:32pm PDT

Portrait Mode is designed to blur the background when capturing a subject in the foreground, while Depth Control allows you to adjust the amount of blur in the photograph for a customized look.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashish Parmar (@ashishjparmar) on Oct 4, 2018 at 1:39am PDT

On the iPhone XS , Portrait Mode images with Depth Control can feature any subject, including pets, flowers, food, and more because there are two cameras to pull depth information from.

On the iPhone XR, however, it’s worth noting that Portrait Mode images must include a human subject because the feature does not work unless a face can be detected.

The full range of photos Apple thought were worthy of sharing can be found in the Apple Newsroom article.

Related Roundup: iPhone XSBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now)
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Score a professionally refurbished MacBook Air for less than 300 bucks

MacBooks remain some of the best and most popular laptops on the market, renowned for their sleek aesthetics, excellent build quality, vibrant displays, and intuitive software. Apple hardware can get pretty expensive, though, with brand-new 2018 MacBook models starting at $1,250.

If you’re obsessed with Apple products – and especially if you like to have all of your data synced up to iCloud – then you don’t have to shell out a grand or more on a Mac OS laptop if you go the refurbished route. Now, and for a limited time, you can score a professionally refurbished MacBook Air for less than 300 bucks, saving you more than 50 percent.

This refurbished MacBook Air is a model that’s several years old, but still boasts solid hardware. The laptop runs on an Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz dual-core processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM which work together to deliver plenty of juice for work, web browsing, streaming, and other daily tasks. For ports, you get two high-speed USB 3.0 connections along with a Thunderbolt port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The MacBook Air’s aluminum construction is both lightweight and sturdier than plastic, and the metal housing encloses a 13.3-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1,440 x 900 pixels. This 13-inch size hits the sweet spot for an everyday work laptop: It’s not too small to comfortably use for extended periods, yet it’s still light and compact enough that it’s not a pain to carry around.

The MacBook Air comes loaded out of the box with Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks, which, although not the latest Apple software, is still a fantastic and easy-to-use operating system with a ton of great apps. The keyboard is backlit as well, and the laptop has a built-in mic and 720p HD FaceTime camera. For storage, you get a 64GB solid state drive – not the largest, but faster and more reliable than traditional hard drives while still offering enough room for your files and programs.

This recertified computer normally goes for $600, but iTechDeals currently has the refurbished MacBook Air on sale for more than 50 percent off. This brings the price down to $289 with free shipping, letting you score a MacBook for less than 300 bucks and saving you $311 while stock lasts.

Buy Now

Looking for more great stuff? Find Apple deals and more on our curated deals page, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for regular updates.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best MacBook deals for October 2018
• How to buy a refurbished Mac
• Here are the 10 best laptop deals for October 2018
• The best iPhone deals for October 2018
• Walmart Back to College sale: Save big on computers, TVs, tablets, and more

The best Nokia 7.1 cases to protect your midrange monster

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Nokia 7.1 is a sleek and powerful midrange phone with the Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of onboard storage. It’s good looking too, with a modern, bezel-less design and a glass back panel. It’s also a bargain at just $349.

But all that power, beauty, and value come to nothing if it gives up the ghost thanks to a fall or catastrophic shock. On the downside, the glass body is also a fingerprint magnet, and no-one wants their phone looking like a greasy, smudgy mess. Keep horrific accidents and fingerprints at bay with a protective case, and make sure your phone keeps on rocking well into your second year. Here are the best Nokia 7.1 cases.

Skinomi Dark Wood TechSkin ($16)

If you’re not a fan of the extra bulk a case can add to your phone, but you still want to grab some surface protection, it might be worth considering a skin. A skin will provide good protection against scratches and other sorts of surface damage that could otherwise mar your phone’s style. However, since it’s just a film addition attached to your phone, it won’t do much to protect against drops and other similar hazards. This skin is patterned to look like dark wood, adding a new design to your phone, and it’s made from quality materials. Best of all, it even comes with a free film screen protector so you can keep your display covered too.

Buy it now from:

Skinomi

Avidet Crystal Clear Case ($8)

Clear cases fill a good niche within the case market, providing decent protection without changing the outward look of your device. This case from Avidet is made from flexible but strong TPU, and it’s completely clear, providing a window straight through to your Nokia 7.1’s design. The soft TPU provides additional grip on the device, while also giving some great shock-absorption against minor drops and bumps. It’s thin and light, barely adding any bulk to your phone — but don’t expect it to absorb big hits like a larger case would. If you can’t bear to seal your Nokia 7.1 away behind thick plastic, then this is a great choice — and it’s a good price too.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Kugi Anti-Slip Case ($5)

Looking for something with a bit more protection? This case from Kugi is made from TPU as well, but it’s slightly stiffer than the variant you’ll find on most clear cases. It’s still as protective though, with great shock-absorbency that’s still fairly slim and light. It’s rocking a fairly basic style, but it’s still not a bad looking rugged case. The back panel of the case has been reinforced with extra scratch-resistance, and slashes up the side and along the back should mean that keeping a hold of your device is never a problem. It’s extremely cheap, provides great protection, and doesn’t look too bad either.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Official Nokia Flip Cover ($20)

No-one else knows the Nokia 7.1 like Nokia does, and it’s offering some great cases to complement your new midrange monster. There are a few cases available from Nokia, but we really like the executive style and all-over protection offered by this blue wallet case. It’s made from an outer cover of PU leather, combined with an inner core of hard polycarbonate (PC) that holds your device within the case. The PU leather cover contains a single pocket for spare cards or cash, and flips across the display, or can be folded behind the device when in use. The cover can even be folded to form a handy horizontal stand for watching videos on the go. It looks extremely stylish, and comes at a great price.

Buy it now from:

Amazon Mobile Fun

Sun Van Shockproof Rugged Case ($7)

If you’re looking for a case that’ll take a bit more punishment than most, then you’re probably interested in a case like this one. The style will surely divide opinion, but it’s still a great protective case, with extended bumper corners and non-slip grip. It’s made from tough TPU with a polycarbonate back plate, and this combination provides good shock-absorption with a strong backbone. There’s some additional utility too, thanks to a rotating kickstand that means the phone can be sat in both horizontal and landscape modes. It also comes with a tempered glass screen protector, giving all-around protection. It might not be the best looking case here, but it’s probably the most protective.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

• Nokia 7.1 hands-on review
• Nokia 7.1 vs. Honor 8X vs. Moto G6: Budget phone battle royale
• Nokia 7.1: Absolutely everything you need to know
• Nokia 7.1 Plus leaks show off a gorgeously shiny copper model
• Keep that flagship phone safe with the best iPhone X cases and covers

Should you buy the LG Stylo 4?

Best answer: The LG Stylo 4 is a great midrange phone, but there are some key differences to be aware of between the different models. If you’re buying it to use on T-Mobile or a carrier that uses T-Mobile’s network, buy the T-Mobile version.

Amazon: LG Stylo 4 Prime Exclusive ($250)

T-Mobile: LG Stylo 4 ($250)

Why you should buy the LG Stylo 4

No matter your budget, it’s worth considering the Stylo 4. The Amazon version comes carrier unlocked, and it’ll work on any network in the United States. Both variants use USB-C for charging, meaning you can use the same brick and cable as you would your laptop and other newer gadgets. If you’re heading out for a weekend trip, only needing one power cable to pack is a great way to save space in your bag.

I’ll admit, I’m not a heavy stylus user. But I did enjoy the inclusion of the Stylo 4’s pen, and while this isn’t as advanced as the stylus that comes on the latest Galaxy Note, the basics are covered quite well. Taking the stylus out of the phone will show a small menu with different tools, so you can quickly jot down a memo, capture part of the screen, or bring up a cool virtual magnifying glass.

Performance is also great. With a few exceptions like the camera, I didn’t notice too much of a difference between using this and using my Pixel 2 XL. Apps open reasonably quick, and re-open fast enough from the multitasking screen. I also like most of LG’s software additions, specifically being able to rearrange and automatically hide the software navigation buttons.

Speaking of the camera, it also performs admirably for the price. Daytime shots look great, but it falls apart a bit as the sun goes down. Keep the natural light up, and you’ll have no problem with pics from this camera.

Choose your model carefully

If you’re going to use the Stylo 4 on T-Mobile — or an MVNO like Metro and Mint Mobile that uses T-Mobile’s network — it’s worth considering T-Mobile’s version of the Stylo 4. It has 2GB of RAM instead of 3GB that the Amazon version has, but adds in NFC for Google Pay and — more important to the daily use of the phone — better radio support for T-Mobile’s network.

The extra RAM in the Amazon version is nice for loading and switching between apps, but the better network support will mean faster downloads, your data inside of your apps (your Facebook feed or a YouTube video) being loaded faster, and clearer phone calls.

Stylish stylus

LG Stylo 4 Prime Exclusive

$250 at Amazon

$250 at T-Mobile

A low price for good performance.

Either version of the LG Stylo 4 has almost everything you could want: good performance, a capable stylus, and a low price. The Amazon version has more RAM, while the T-Mobile version has better support for that carrier and NFC for mobile payments.

SanDisk’s microSD cards, flash drives, SSDs, and more are on sale today

Limited time offers!

As part of its daily deals, Amazon has a wide selection of SanDisk storage products on sale with prices starting at just $13. Whether you need a flash drive to keep personal files with you, or a microSD card to add to your phone or tablet, or even a new hard drive for your computer, you’re covered here.

Some of our favorites from the sale include:

• 64GB microSDXC card – $19.99 (Was $43)
• 64GB Ultra Flair Flash Drive – $13.49 (Was $17)
• 2TB My Passport X External Drive – $59.19 (Was $74)
• 480GB SSD Plus Internal Drive – $69.99 (Was $120)
• 256GB Extreme microSD card – $109.99 (Was $180)

There are a bunch of other great deals today that you’ll also want to check out. These prices are gone when the morning comes, so don’t miss out.

See at Amazon

All the games that come with the C64 Mini

Find out what the C64 Mini has in store for you with this full list of games.

The C64 Mini is a killer little retro console that does a fine job of bringing the magic of the Commodore 64 into the modern age. All you have to do is plug it into your TV and you are whisked away to the 80’s when pixels were king and just about any idea could be made into a game.

If you read our review of the C64 Mini but you are still sitting on the fence, perhaps a list of all the awesome and sometimes bizarre games you can play on it will help you decide whether or not the console is for you.

Here are all the games that you get with the price of admission on your C64 Mini.

• AlleyKat
• Anarchy
• Armalyte: Competition Edition
• Avenger
• Battle Valley
• Boulder Dash
• Bounder
• California Games
• Chip’s Challenge
• Confuzion
• Creatures
• Cyberdyne Warrior
• Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine
• Cybernoid II: The Revenge
• Deflektor, Everyone’s A Wally
• Firelord
• Gribbly’s Day Out
• Hawkeye
• Heartland
• Herobotix
• Highway Encounter
• Hunter’s Moon
• Hysteria
• Impossible Mission
• Impossible Mission II
• IO
• Jumpman
• Mega Apocalypse
• Mission A.D
• Monty Mole
• Monty on the Run
• Nebulus
• Netherworld
• Nobby the Aardvark
• Nodes Of Yesod
• Paradroid
• Pitstop II
• Rana Rama
• Robin Of The Wood
• Rubicon
• Skate Crazy
• Skool Daze
• Snare
• Speedball
• Speedball II: Brutal Deluxe
• Spindizzy
• Star Paws
• Steel
• Street Sports Baseball
• Summer Games II
• Super Cycle
• Temple of Apshai Trilogy
• The Arc Of Yesod
• Thing on a Spring
• Thing Bounces Back
• Trailblazer
• Cosmic Causeway: Trailblazer II
• Uchi Mata
• Uridium
• Who Dares Wins II
• Winter Games
• World Games
• Zynaps.

That is a whole boatload of games to get you started on your retro Commodore journey. However, the great news that if you see some of your favorite titles missing from this list, the developers of the C64 built in a method for you to load your own ROMs. For only $80 you can start your journey back in time to the days of the Commodore 64!

$80 at Amazon

What games do you think are missing from this list?

Let us know some of your favorites below!

Nuance Discontinues Dragon Professional Individual for Mac

Nuance this week announced that it is discontinuing Dragon Professional Individual for Mac, effective two days ago on Monday, October 22, 2018. The software is no longer available for purchase, but customers who purchased version 6 of the software and have a perpetual license will be able to keep using Dragon Professional Individual.

As of now, Nuance will no longer provide updates for the software. Customers will still be able to receive telephone support for up to 90 days from the date of activating the software in North America, and up to 180 days from activation in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. They can also visit the Nuance Dragon Knowledgebase for online resources.

Nuances says its reason for discontinuing Dragon Professional Individual for Mac comes from “constantly evaluating its product portfolio to see how we can best meet the needs of our customers and business.” The software allowed Mac users to gain access to powerful dictation and transcription tools with an emphasis on streamlining user workflows, allowing users to dictate reports, spreadsheets, and emails, which Dragon converted to text.

Now, users will be able to buy Dragon Professional Individual for Windows, Dragon Legal Individual for Windows, and Dragon Anywhere for Android and iOS. Dragon Medical for Mac was also discontinued back in August.

Tags: Nuance, Dragon
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