Experian Hack Compromises T-Mobile Customer Data

T-Mobile LogoIn a letter to consumers, T-Mobile CEO John Legere disclosed that the vendor his company uses to process credit applications has been compromised.

The investigation is ongoing, but what we know right now is that the hacker acquired the records of approximately 15 million people, including new applicants requiring a credit check for service or device financing from September 1, 2013 through September 16, 2015. These records include information such as name, address and birthdate as well as encrypted fields with Social Security number and ID number (such as driver’s license or passport number), and additional information used in T-Mobile’s own credit assessment. Experian has determined that this encryption may have been compromised. We are working with Experian to take protective steps for all of these consumers as quickly as possible.

In responding to this attack, T-Mobile will be offering up two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection through ProtectMyID.com.

We don’t have confirmation on when this attack took place, or how quickly T-Mobile and Experian responded to the issue. Though the data stolen represents approximately two years of records, we can assume that the hackers have not had access for that length of time.

You can read Experian’s official press release here, and John Legere’s full letter to T-Mobile customers below.

Continue reading “Experian Hack Compromises T-Mobile Customer Data”

LG Unveils V10 Premium Android Smartphone

The end of 2015 is shaping up to be a competitive race. Of course we had iPhone launch day, Google’s new Nexi, and we’ll be talking new Windows Phones in about a week, but LG is making sure they don’t go quiet before the holiday buying season.

Before their official keynote, LG published an aggressively stylish video to show off their new aggressively stylish smartphone. The V10 builds on the success of the G4, but mixes in some new technology tweaks and higher quality build materials.

LG V10 premium smartphone Android Somegadgetguy (5)

We’re looking at the same Qualcomm 808 processor, but now paired with an additional gigabyte of RAM. We also keep the same 3000mAh battery, with a removable back and MicroSD card storage expansion.

That’s where the similarities with the G4 end. Everything else gets some kind of tweak. Continue reading “LG Unveils V10 Premium Android Smartphone”

Are Tablets Ready for Productivity? The Promise of What’s to Come…

Yesterday Google unveiled their new Nexus line up, new Chromecasts, and showed off a slew of services. One curious tease towards the end of their keynote revealed their strategy for offering up a new tier of productivity device.

The Pixel C.

Previous “Pixel” products utilized Google’s Chrome OS, but this next entry to the line will run stock Android, the operating system reserved for phones and tablets. Clearly Google is looking to compete with the recently announced iPad Pro, and the focus on productivity is clear. The Pixel’s signature accessory is a magnetic keyboard cover which includes and adjustable hinge.

There’s been a bit of a scramble lately in the tablet market. Sales are generally down. After being the hot item, destined to replace those boring old laptops, even Apple is struggling to grow sales year over year.

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Guest Article: How to Keep Your Smartphone Secure When Using Public WiFi

wifi

Caroline Black from Secure Thoughts shares some tips on how you can better protect your mobile data using public networks.

Public WiFi can be an easy access point for hackers to obtain your personal information. Whether you’re on your tablet, laptop or smartphone, the risks remain the same: some creep could be around the corner or even at the next table spying on your online activities, lurking on your accounts and taking down your login and banking information. It’s likely that there are many personal details stored on your device, whether you know it or not.

Smartphones especially come with risks because you are always logged into one of your accounts (as required by the operating system). It’s also easy to forget to log out on the websites you visit and many users save their passwords for a simpler way to access the pages later on. Anyone who sneaks their way into your smartphone can easily find this information, whether they physically have your device or if they’re hacking into it through an unsecured network.

So how are you able to prevent this from occurring anyways? Avoiding public WiFi is not an option for many smartphone users, especially when they’re on the go. So instead of ditching the public WiFi, consider securing your device. Here’s how you can do just that:

Check Your Accounts

Besides keeping an eye on your account activity on a regular basis, you should avoid saving your passwords on your device. Sometimes your web browser will ask you if you’d like to save your passwords, though you could have also stored them in a memo on your phone. Whichever might be the case, you should never store your passwords on your smartphone. Continue reading “Guest Article: How to Keep Your Smartphone Secure When Using Public WiFi”

Ask Juan: Why do Dark Lines Form on Photos Shot Under Fluorescent Lights?

Got a question from a reader on Twitter over some strange camera performance.

The first time I ran into something similar on my DSLR I had a minor panic attack that my sensor was damaged. While it can be frustrating to deal with, it’s a fairly common issue we face with consumer fluorescent lights.

The light that comes from a bulb is not constant. The electricity we use is AC, or alternating current, and cycles between 50 or 60 times a second. This refresh rate is fast enough that the human eye perceives it as constant. You can also think about film and video, where 24fps and faster frame rates produces fluid movement, even though each individual frame is a still photo. Continue reading “Ask Juan: Why do Dark Lines Form on Photos Shot Under Fluorescent Lights?”

Friday Fun: Web Comic Predicts iPad Keyboard Cover THREE Years Ago

Is this how predictable Apple has become?

We geeks like to joke about Apple being around three years behind the tech curve when it comes to new features, but Joel Watson, the author of web comic Hijinks Ensue, might have just proven our hypothesis.

When the Surface was first launched THREE YEARS AGO, and featured  a new kind of keyboard screen cover, Joel drew this comic:

2012-06-19-surface-tensionOf course, what did Apple reveal during their 2015 keynote for the Ipad Pro? This:

Apple keynote wwdc 2015Screenshot (27)_result

JOEL CORRECTLY PREDICTED THE YEAR APPLE WOULD MAKE THIS! He just missed the actual keynote by a couple months as WWDC was back in June. Say what you will about Nerd-Boy Haterade©, but Apple’s making it pretty easy to poke fun…

Apple iPad Pro: Is it really a Surface Pro Killer?

Tech comparisons often fall into confirmation bias, telling people what they want to hear. Let’s get my personal bias out of the way right now. I’m a big fan of Microsoft’s current strategy of consolidating their operating systems under Windows 10, and making sure you can access all of their services no matter which phone, tablet, or computer you use.

Apple keynote wwdc 2015Screenshot (26)_resultApple made a lot of news yesterday announcing new iPhones, a new Apple TV, Apple Watch updates, and the iPad Pro. It seems pretty clear that Apple has the Surface Pro in their sites, as Microsoft is starting to build a little momentum with their “PC in a Tablet Shell” formula. There was a lot of talk from Apple over how their new tablets and phones were “desktop powerful” devices thanks to new mobile processors.

Pricing, form factor, accessories, even the apps showcased, Apple claims they have the solution for mobile productivity. How does their new iPad Pro compare to the older Surface Pro 3? Let’s take a look.

Continue reading “Apple iPad Pro: Is it really a Surface Pro Killer?”

Apple Unveils the iPhone 6S, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Updates at Special Event

Apple dropped the bomb on a ton of new products during their yearly keynote!

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Apple Watch Updates

Apple Watch will be getting updates for richer notifications, and a new view controlled via the crown to scan through your day called “Third Party Complications.

Future 3rd party apps coming to the Watch, Facebook Messenger will be bringing chat features, and Go Pro will enable live video streaming from their cameras straight to the watch screen to use a wrist mounted screen as the viewfinder.

Apple keynote wwdc 2015Screenshot (8)_resultWe’ll also see more focus on health care apps and fitness tracking. The new Watch OS will provide better tools for the hardware for tracking vitals, and sending health data to physicians.

Lastly new watch bodies and bands are coming. Gold and Rose Gold Apple Watch Sport in aluminum will join new bands for the same price as the current Sport. There will also be a new Product Red Stainless  model where a portion of all sales will go towards fighting HIV/AIDS.

Apple keynote wwdc 2015Screenshot (12)_resultAll new Apple Watch models will start shipping today. The Apple Watch OS2 update will be coming September 16.

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