iPhone Savior

Snapchat Plans To Make App More Secure After User Data Leaked

 

After several days of awkward silence surrounding data security concerns, social-sharing service Snapchat has responded to allegations of hacking Thursday on the company's blog — promising an update to make its mobile application more secure by allowing users to opt out of providing phone numbers as a way for others to easily locate user names through the app.

The response entitled "Find Friends Abuse", came after hackers identifying themselves as SnapchatDB leaked some 4.6 million Snapchat usernames and phone numbers online on New Years Eve — a breach made possible by vulnerabilities in the service's security. 

“We will be releasing an updated version of the Snapchat application that will allow Snapchatters to opt out of appearing in Find Friends after they have verified their phone number,” the company said in a blog post. “We’re also improving rate limiting and other restrictions to address future attempts to abuse our service.”

The company took aim at the anonymous group of hackers by referring to these self-appointed watchmen as “attackers” in their statement. 

“We acknowledged in a blog post last Friday that it was possible for an attacker to use the functionality of Find Friends to upload a large number of random phone numbers and match them with Snapchat usernames. On New Years Eve, an attacker released a database of partially redacted phone numbers and usernames.” the company said.

Snapchat also announced a way for security firms to report any future vulnerability concerns by emailing [email protected] directly so the company can respond more quickly while making it clear in their statement that “no other information, including Snaps, was leaked or accessed.” 

“Ensure that your security settings are up to scratch on your social media profiles,” Gibson Security told the AP. “Be careful about what data you give away to sites when you sign up — if you don't think a service requires your phone number, don't give it to them.”

To find out if your username was included in the shared list you can use this website created by developer Robbie Trencheny to confirm if your information has been compromised. The site also offers advice on what to do next if you find your data has been compromised.

 

Related: Snapchat Hacked! — 4.6 Million Usernames and Numbers Leaked Online

'Blue Bricks' Lego Wallpaper for iPhone and iPad

 

Last year I featured some cool Lego iPhone wallpapers from visual designer Louie Mantia. His latest release called "Blue Bricks" is one of two fresh Lego images created for iPhone and iPad users.

Louie's latest Lego Brick designs include both Blue and Grey Bricks wallpaper easily downloadable for your desktop and formatted for iPhone 5, 5C and iPad. I use the blue one on my lock screen.

Be sure to also check out his Super Mario Bros. wallpapers along with several other Lego Brick colors he's captured. Did I mention that all of these are free? 

[via Louieland]

Apple To Launch iDangle Wearable Technology

 

Now that the frenzied Holiday shopping season is finally over Apple is set to reimagine hands-free iPhone viewing with iDangle — the company's great leap forward into functional wearable technology. Move over Google Glass it's dangle time.

“This is the Apple at its best,” said analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray. “It’s a total surprise — and it should silence the critics who have been questioning Apple’s ability to innovate under Tim Cook.”

With a clever slogan like “Innovation is staring you in the face.” — there's no doubt that Apple plans to disrupt the use of cumbersome bike mounts and obsolete hand holding with something far more exciting.

iDangle will retail for $199 and be available in range of Apple-esque colors — including champagne. 

[via Scoopertino]

Snapchat Hacked! — 4.6 Million Usernames and Numbers Leaked Online

 

Snapchap app users are waking up to some sobering news Wednesday that information for some 4.6 million accounts have been leaked online through a website SnapchatDB.info. 

Hackers identifying themselves as SnapchatDB took responsibility for the posting of the app's user data — a breach made possible by flaws in the service's security. The rogue hacker website contains a downloadable database with each user’s censored phone, username and region, blurring the last two digits of the listed phone numbers. 

To find out if your username was included in the shared list you can use this website created by developer Robbie Trencheny to confirm if your information has been compromised.

Back on December 27 Snapchat released a statement on the company's blog downplaying the exploit which was brought to their attention by Australia-based Gibson Security — ensuring users that it had implemented some obstacles to make accessing contact numbers "more difficult to do." Snapchat ended the post with "Happy Snapping" — a wish that's not so comforting now on New Years Day.

SnapchatDB hackers shared their motivation for the breach with The Verge, indicating that they gave Snapchat "a specific timeframe in which to fix a security flaw in their product before releasing details to the public" according to the post which confirmed the compromise of user data was not a hoax.

 "Our motivation behind the release was to raise the public awareness around the issue, and also put public pressure on Snapchat to get this exploit fixed," SnapchatDB told The Verge. "Security matters as much as user experience does."

For those unaware of the social-sharing Snapchat app which gained tremendous momentum in 2013 — the app allows users to share "fleeting messages" through photos and short videos that disappear from the screen within 24 hours. Adding phone numbers is optional, aimed at making it easier for others to find you as a Snapchat user.

"We know nothing about SnapchatDB, but it was a matter of time til something like that happened," Gibson Security wrote Wednesday on its Twitter account. "Also the exploit works still with minor fixes."

SnapchatDB told The Verge that "it isn't related to Gibson Security, implying they've only used Gibson's published methods to scrape user data and build a database."

Snapchat has not yet made an official comment on the leak even though hackers have implied they would release the data under "certain circumstances".

"Feel free to contact us to ask for the uncensored database. Under certain circumstances, we may agree to release it." wrote SnapchatDB on their website.

JibJab Year In Review 2014 'You Are History!'

 

Remember when President Obama was signing Executive Orders like Trump was writing hush-money checks to Playboy Models? Is that a YES I hear?

The dangerous minds at JibJab have closed out 2014 with a brilliant Year In Review anime that highlights not only the birth of iPhone 6 but the ebola outbreak, legalizing weed, Jay-Z taking an ass whoopin' from Solange and so much more.

JibJab Year In Review “2014, You Are History!,” gives us all a memorable look back at the twisted magic that made 2014 an epic year to regret. Happy nerd year everybody.