Yahoo confirms third party credentials part of security breach, Gmail, AOL and Hotmail users affected

Remember that security breach that hit Yahoo yesterday? Well, it seems that the problem is a lot worse than we first thought. It seems that other email addresses have been pilfered as well – probably because they were the ones used to sign up for Yahoo’s Voice service. Marcus Carey, a researcher at Rapid7, has combed through the data pasted by the group D33Ds and found that there are 106,000 Gmail e-mail addresses, 55,000 Hotmail e-mail addresses and 25,000 AOL e-mail addresses associated with the pilfered Yahoo Voice accounts. Like we said, if you’re a current Yahoo Voice subscriber, it’s extremely important that you change your password immediately, as well as the password that’s associated with the email address you used to sign up for the service. If you’re someone who uses the same password across multiple sites and services, it is imperative that you change your passwords NOW.


Source: New York Times

New Mozilla Firefox mobile browser for Android now available

If you’re not happy with your Android phone’s stock browser, why not dowload and use the new Mozilla Firefox for Android which is now available in the Google Play store? Mozilla claims that their Firefox mobile browser is twice as good as your stock browser based on overall browsing experience.

The new Mozilla Firefox for Android features a streamlined and curvy design with the only visible thing aside from the page itself is the URL and the tabs. If you’re a Firefox user on your desktop, this mobile version supports Firefox Sync so you can take your browsing history, bookmarks, passwords and form data everywhere you go. Just don’t lose your phone ok?

Expect everything to be super smooth and fast when surfing with this Firefox mobile browser. Start up, load times, panning, and zooming will take a significant speed boost according to Mozilla.

Hit the Google Play store to enjoy the mobile browsing goodness brought to you by Mozilla.

Are travel deals the biggest headache in Group Buying?

We’ve seen the explosion of a lot of group buying sites and daily deal sites since 2011 and it has been estimated that total revenues are in excess of Php100 Million a year (and it is still growing). As such, it’s not a surprise that problems and issues tend to crop up more than their usual fair share.

Perhaps, these issues have risen because of the volume of transactions, the impulsive buying habits of consumers towards these deals (higher likelihood of buyer’s remorse?) and the clever wording of the so-called “fine print”.

I noticed though that a lot (or the biggest) of these headaches that group buying sites are experiencing come from travel deals.

Last year, we heard of the story with MetroDeal and their travel package that got screwed up leaving a lot of customers not being able to avail of the vacation package or get a refund for it. This got the attention of DTI and I also heard that a competitor reported them to Facebook which eventually led to the closure of their FB Fan Page and losing more than 500k fans (MetroDeal has since then created a new Fan Page).

Last month another deal site, CleverBuy got into some problems with their travel/vacation package. I am not familiar with the deal or how it went but this email newsletter from the company’s CEO might shed light:

Show Press Release (307 More Words)

 

Oftentimes, the issue mostly stems from over-booking, fluctuating prizes of plane fares that are package along with the deal, and the fine print that usually requires customers to buy vouchers in pairs, upsells them, or include additional hidden charges. 

These travel deals and the travel agencies that offer them could be the next target by the DTI. And, it might soon blow over that customer confidence towards online shopping will degrade instead of improve.

I haven’t really tried getting a vacation package from any of the deal sites before so I don’t have any first-hand experience. If you have any experience before, feel free to chime in at the comments.

Friendster is back, hits online gaming scene

The pioneer in social networking site in the country, Friendster, officially announced its debut into the gaming scene last April 25 at the Museum Café in Ayala Makati. The branding “Friendster living the game,” will be its new slogan as it will now venture into the gaming arena.

The first social networking site in the country introduced last 2002 got acquired by Asia’s leading e-payment and lifestyle provider MOL Global Pte Ltd or simply MOL (Money Online) in 2009. Friendster reported that they still have 100M users worldwide and that 40% of which are from the Philippines, however only 10% are active and mostly are gaming users.

Attended by the people from the tech community, the launch was hosted by co-splay queen Ashley Gosiengfiao. Most of the people from MOL were present including its CEO Ganesh Kumar Bangah and Friendster CEO Mikhail Nikolai Galicia to support and answer questions and inquiry regarding their new gaming platform.

As a follow up to its launch, Friendster will have a gaming event at SM North Edsa Cyberzone today, April 27, called “Friendster FunXtion”,  where you get to experience meeting and engaging new friends to play online games. You’ll get to win exciting prizes from Friendster as well.

“The Philippines has always been one of our biggest markets with a vibrant online community, making the country exceptionally important to us,” said Friendster CEO, Nikolai Galicia. “Therefore it is a joy to roll out Friendster’s inaugural event here, to a community that is continuously growing. We are committed in continually bringing the latest content and giving the most compelling rewards to our users.”

PLDT myDSL Biz upgrades up to 15Mbps, 1.5Mbps committed speed

PLDT just announced its upgrade of their SME Nation’s PLDT MyDSL package. The premium package which provides up to 20 email addresses now boast a speed of up to 15Mbps and this plan will never go down below 1.5Mbps. That’s a guarantee PLDT boldly made.

PLDT once again pushed its accelerator as it upgrades their PLDT MyDSL solution for SMEs. The new package which will be available beginning March 15 is now packed with exciting bundles like a Trend Micro security software, free domain name hosting package, a committed speed and ZyXel Wi-Fi modem router.

PLDT shared that according to their research, 70% of the total labor force in the country are from SMEs, and 99.6% of registered businesses are SMEs which contribute 32% of the country’s GDP. The PLDT myDSL is really designed for entrepreneurs with a maximum of 20 users in its network.

Imagine a fire hose of web information being blown into your computer at breakneck speed. Brace yourself, as PLDT myDSL Biz is now coming to you faster than ever before. The basic service plan will increase from 4 Mbps to 10 Mbps. The premier plan, “Powerpack C”, is going from 10 Mbps to 15 Mbps. All product plans in between consequently get an upgrade, as well.

Besides the upgrade announcement, PLDT myDSL Biz also has a value added service in its security software bundle. This suite includes an anti-virus protection, anti-spyware, an impregnable firewall, and a secure fraud protection – all necessary precautions in the world of doing e-business.

A lock in period of 24 months is mandatory for this subscription.

Ayala Malls reforms its digital program with Ayala Malls 360°

Recently, Ayala Malls launched launches its comprehensive digital program, the Ayala Malls 360°, to bring shopping closer to technology.

With Ayala Malls 360°, it is easier to get all of the malls’ most updated information through an iPhone app, a revamped website and digital directories inside the malls.

Going social

Everyone is sharing on Facebook and Twitter, so Ayala Malls makes it easy for its customers get the most updated information and share their experiences and finds. Like the Ayala Malls Facebook fan page or your favorite Ayala Mall’s fan page and keep abreast on the freshest news on events and promos.

Ayala Malls 360° iPhone app

The Ayala Malls 360° iPhone application lets you navigate throughout the malls with ease and keeps you updated on what is happening. The app also allows users to “check-in” at their favorite Ayala Mall. The Ayala Malls 360° app is already available for the iPhone and will eventually be available for other types of smart phones.

A-Deals.com

The Ayala Malls taking the shopping experience beyond the physical space through www.A-Deals.com, its very own online shopping destination that provides extraordinary discounts, exclusive offers and exciting freebies on shopping, dining and entertainment.

Redesigned website

The Ayala Malls website, www.ayalamalls.com.ph, has been revamped to showcase an easy to navigate and seamless design, making the most sought after information easily accessible. Get the most updated events, search for your favorite stores, stay tuned to lifestyle trends and find important mall information online.

Unilab Link-Up calls for crowd sourcing for a better tomorrow

The world as we know it has achieved greater things over time; things which really started from small ideas. Steve Jobs had a vision of technology’s future and his legacies only proved people’s sense of the possible.

You must be wondering why we would be writing about a leading healthcare provider. As an advocate of programs that give people a voice like how blogs are essentially all about, PTB wants to help Unilab spread the word about a country’s first, web-based crowd sourcing facility called Link-Up. United Laboratories, Inc., or UNILAB is a leading Filipino healthcare and wellness company with its success rooted in the Filipino tradition of working together called Bayanihan. Inspired by this tradition, UNILAB introduces Link-Up to collaborate directly with consumers.

Meeting up with the company’s key people last Monday over a hearty meal at Milky & Sunny in Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig, I found a sincere desire in them to hear what it is that people really need and make it happen. Unilab’s Link-Up innovation does not only encourage ideas for new products, but is also open for ideas that can help them reach wider markets faster and better through the use of technologies we have at hand.

If you have something in mind that you strongly believe can improve lives; may it be something that caters to your health and wellness like a new product, innovative packaging or even a mobile application like a health tracker on your Android phone, Unilab has opened its doors outside of its boundaries to find better solutions for our changing health needs.

Share your idea by registering to their website: http://w.unilabactivehealth.com and it will be evaluated through a 4-level review process. If your idea passes the second review stage by which you will become UNILAB’s Innovation Partner, Unilab shall grant Php5,000 worth of gift pack. Again, your idea will undergo another set of review process and if meets the quality standards of Unilab, you will receive Php50,000 after the commercial launch of your innovation.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a consumer, a supplier, or simply an inspired individual concerned with enriching Filipino communities but lacking the resources – simply put, your ideas count and Unilab’s willing to help you put them into action.

For more info visit Here: pinoytechblog

Google Zeitgeist 2011: Most Searched Terms on Google Philippines

Google recently announced its “Zeitgeist” list for 2011.  The Google Zeitgeist is an annual list that gathers trends and figures for the year based on searches done on google.com.ph.  The list groups the trends by category such as most searched gadgets, most searched games and most searched personalities.

Google Killing Off Wave, Friend Connect and Other Services

It may be a billion dollar company but Google is not all success.  Its most notable failures were in the social networking sphere but it has also been doing some cleaning up recently.  The new services to get the axe from Google are the following:

• Google Bookmarks Lists
• Google Friend Connect
• Google Gears
• Google Search Timeline
• Google Wave
• Knol
• Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C)

Here’s what Google said about its decision to shut down these services.

We’re in the process of shutting a number of products which haven’t had the impact we’d hoped for, integrating others as features into our broader product efforts, and ending several which have shown us a different path forward. Overall, our aim is to build a simpler, more intuitive, truly beautiful Google user experience.

These services will not be shut down immediately but they already have some sort of expiration dates.  Go here if you want more details.

For more info visit Here: http://www.technobaboy.com/2011/11/23/google-killing-wave-friend-connect-other-services/

Facebook Phone in the Works

Facebook is making a “Facebook phone” and it’s codenamed “Buffy”.  This is quite a surprise because Mark Zuckerberg et. al do not have an OS they can call their own. Moreover, Facebook phones are already in the market and they don’t seem to be doing great.  But if there’s one entity that has the real capability of spearheading a Facebook phone project, it should be Facebook itself.

But what’s more surprising really, is that Facebook will be making the phone on the Android platform.  Yes, Mark Zuckerberg will be using something owned by its rival Google to run its phone.  This is not really bad since Android is a very capable OS and is in fact gaining popularity.  It’s also free to use.

Reports say Facebook will be tapping the services of HTC for the phones hardware.  HTC is a solid choice since the company has already dipped its hands in the Facebook phone game with the HTC ChaCha and Salsa.  The Facebook phone will reportedly run a tweaked Android OS and will support HTML5 apps.

Home-grown Kitiwit to take on Facebook

Developed by some pretty talented Filipinos for about a year now, this new social networking site, Kitiwit, wants to carve a niche of its own and separate itself from the usual Facebook crowd.

Met up with reps of Kitiwit to discuss details and how they want to position the site to differentiate it with all other social networking sites.

Of course, it’s hard not to compare it with the current king and queen of SNS but if you look closely, they actually use Twitter API and Facebook Connect for easy access and registration (they even have an FB Fan Page and Twitter account as well so it’s a friendly neighborhood).

Kitiwit focuses on 3 major channels — the social stream, an integrated blogging tool and a built-in classifieds. The site is still in beta but it has incorporated a lot of features from Google+, Facebook, etc.

  

What’s interesting is that they already got a Kitiwit iPhone App rolled out this early and I am told the Android App is coming out in a month or two.

I requested if they could roll out some sort of a brand page (similar to an FB Fan Page or that upcoming Google+ for Businesses) so I can add YugaTech in there and they said it will be out soon.

Virtualization solutions giant VMWare strengthens presence in the Philippines

VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced the opening of an office in the Philippines. Located in Metro Manila, the Philippines office is testament to the strength of VMware’s growth in the Southeast Asia region.

Virtualization and cloud computing adoption is forecasted to grow over the next few years as businesses realize the cost-savings and server consolidation benefits of cloud computing. According to Forrester, cloud computing adoption is strongest in Australia, New Zealand and in the

Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).

Ed Lenta, General Manager for VMware ASEAN

“The significant organic growth that we have witnessed in the Philippines shows that businesses here are driving cloud computing momentum in the country,” said Ed Lenta, General Manager, VMware ASEAN. ”We see desktop virtualization growing in the business process outsourcing sector. We believe that VMware View(tm) is well positioned to help companies virtualize their desktops, and enter the cloud computing era.”

VMware recently partnered with Globe Telecom to bring enterprise-class cloud services to market as part of the VMware vCloud(r) Powered program. “Many organizations are starting to understand how cloud computing can run their businesses more flexibly and efficiently. The opening of a local office in the Philippines is a milestone for VMware toward enabling enterprises of all sizes to solve the problems of IT cost and complexity,” added Lenta.

for more info visit Here!!!

Sulit.com.ph loses sulit.ph in landmark WIPO case

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has handed down the decision regarding the dispute between Sulit.com.ph and the owner of sulit.ph.

I wrote about the domain dispute (UDRP) back in June where the owners of popular classified ads site Sulit.com.ph wants to take control of sulit.ph.

A copy of the resolution was provided by Atty. Rod Vera (counsel to sulit.ph) which details the entire case.

The resolution went down on a technicality, including one very critical point — that the term “sulit” is a generic word and is also being used by a lot of other websites in their domains.

It’s also interesting to note that Sulit.com.ph offered to buy the domain sulit.ph for as much as $2,000 but after negotiations failed, they had to file for UDRP. Read the document above to fully appreciate the decision. 

Are you taking advantage of Smart’s free Facebook access?

We just posted Globe’s Facebook for Every Phone app and their free access to Facebook earlier but it seems that Smart beat them to it. The question is for Smart subscribers, are you taking advantage of this limited trial period of free Facebook access?

Facebook for Every Phone is an application Facebook has in partnership with telcos around the world to bring Facebook to those using feature phones that can install Java applications. This app uses less data than other similar applications or mobile sites, enabling it to be much cheaper for people to use.

For a limited time, Smart is offering free access to Facebook when you have this app installed on your phone. This means you can update status, check news feeds, send FB messages and use other Facebook specific features without getting charged for mobile data consumption. Smart is only offering this free trial until Oct. 14 (already started mid-July).

To receive the download link, people need only to text the keyword FB to 211. This SMS is free of charge. They will then receive a text message containing the download link for the application, which is installed with a single click on the link. 

This article originally appeared at - pinoytechblog

The Interwebs turned 20; and we reminisce!

According to Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the first website was born in August 6, 1991 making it 20 years old yesterday (I missed the bday bash), when I was still in high school and learning how to use Lotus 123 and Sidekick.

In 1996, our access to the college campus internet was limited to something like 20 hours (or was it 40?) per semester so the only thing I was able to do was send out emails via Pine until I found out about Yahoo.

But it wasn’t until sometime in 1999 when I created my first website from scratch — a personal website with a resume which I submitted to trabaho.com. Then there was Geocities, Angelfire and Hypermart. It was actually in Hypermart where the first YugaTech website was started (in 2000 and I think you can still see it in the Web Archive).

I didn’t like chatting but mIRC was hugely popular. I only saw the need for it when we were downloading MP3s.

Ok, it’s now your turn to share how you first met the Interwebs, and contributed to it.

This article originally appeared at - yugatech

MMDA Traffic Navigator FTW!

This article originally appeared at -Been using the MMDA Traffic Monitoring system for several weeks now but have not really blogged about it since I was waiting for an Android App or an iPad App. But, it looks like TV5 and MMDA has already officially launched the service the other night after being on beta for about a month.

If you follow @mmda on Twitter, you know you can actually ask them about traffic situation in certain areas and get answers instantly.

However, it would be nice if you can just pull it up on-demand. That’s what the MMDA Traffic Navigator does. It’s a visual microsite that shows traffic situation along EDSA and C5.

  

The site offers 3 visual interfaces that show live traffic conditions along the major roads in 15-minute intervals (it’s not really live but 15 minutes should be enough). Of the three, I liked the System View the most (there’s the Line Item view and Google Maps View). You can filter the results for Northbound or Southbound traffic as well.

Traffic is rated as Heavy, Moderate or Light with corresponding color codes. Just click on the POI (point of interest and more details will pop up on the screen.)

The microsite is best viewed on a laptop/netbook or tablet (renders very well on the iPad). It’s usable on smaller smartphones since you can always zoom in or out of the map.

Here’s some more improvements that, I think, should be included in future updates.

Get the apps out soon — Android, iOS, Symbian (we’re still a Nokia country) and BlackBerry. I hear they’re doing a beta on the iOS now. An Adobe Air app could be of good use for netbooks and laptops too.

Probably extend the traffic monitor to more areas like Kalayaan, Shaw Boulevard, Katipunan, etc.

I understand MMDA has live cameras along these routes. Maybe a screenshot of the actual traffic in those locations will give commuters more qualitative information on how heavy or light the traffic is.

The site is currently hosted on mmdatraffic.interaksyon.com which is a bit too long to remember or verbally share. A URL shorter or domain (traffic.ph) would do or maybe something like traffic.mmda.gov.ph. I understand this is a joint project with TV5 so they’d want to host it on their domain but a URL redirect can fix that too.

They also should put a disclaimer at the bottom of the website that says “This is where your taxes go”. *jk*

The MMDA Traffic Navigator is a really good start and I’m glad some branches of the government are catching up with the times and employing some really usable online services (we featured the DTI Mapping Project in Bohol earlier).

This article originally appeared at - yugatech

Globe PowerSurf is a mobile internet package for “spot” usage

Globe did a relaunch of their months-old PowerSurf promo days after Smart introduced their ownAlways On promo. Both are different but applies to the same type of people,  those who only do “spot” surfing. Checking mails then logging off. Updating Facebook status once in a while. Checking in using Foursquare.

Does that sound like your mobile surfing habit? It it does then you’d know that you won’t maximize your regular P5 for 15 minutes. Or the P50 for all-day internet. Fortunately, Globe’s PowerSurf is the middle ground.

With Globe PowerSurf15, you can get an hour’s worth of internet valid for one whole day. Meaning you can use a minute to tweet something then disconnect, after 30 minutes, check-in with Foursquare then disconnect. You have 60 minutes to use any time you want spread over a whole day.

Text POWERSURF15 to 8888 to register. Other variants are Globe PowerSurf30 available for P30 for 3 hours valid for 1 day and Globe PowerSurf50 available for P50 for 5 hours of consumable internet surfing valid for 3 days: Text POWERSURF30 or POWERSURF50 to 8888. To check status, text STATUSto 1111.

Of course, if you’re only into Tweeting and updating your Facebook status, a bandwidth-based solution would be more ideal. I hope Globe launches something like Smart’s ALWAYS ON real soon.

This article originally appeared at - pinoytechblog

DTI maps entire Bohol Tourist Site with Galaxy Tabs

DTI-GIZ, under the Private Sector Promotion Program (SMEDSEP), came up with this pretty neat Google Mapping project to map the whole island of Bohol and all of its 700+ tourist sites and tourism-related establishments.

The map was collected using Samsung Galaxy Tab running Open Data Kit (ODK) applications. The Holy Name University (HNU) research department fielded staff/personnel to do the site interviews.

The extensive collection of data included addresses, contact information, photos, facilities and rates. This is like your ultimate travel guide to Bohol. GPS accuracy

is from 5 meters up to 10 meters. You can see the complete mapping project here:bit.ly/boholtourismmap

Pretty good job, IMO. Now can we have the rest of the islands of the Philippines mapped like that too?

This article originally appeared at - yugatech

How my Paypal account got closed down

Barely over a month since my Paypal account was hacked and restored, I once again encountered a disastrous incident — this time, Paypal emailed me saying they have placed the account on Limited Access.

So I logged in to my account to check what it is and got this message:

Jul 20, 2011: Our system detected that multiple PayPal accounts contain registration information similar to yours. Our User Agreement allows PayPal users to have one Personal account and one Premier or Business account. To return your account to regular standing, we will need to confirm some of the information on your account.

In my entire life, I’ve only created this one single account with Paypal and have not made any new ones with the same credentials. This could have been done by someone else and using my personal details.

Then it dawned on me that the hacker that got into my account could be the culprit. You see, after my Paypal account was restored back in June, I activated the 2-step verification with GMail that’s linked to my primary Paypal account. That made access to my email and my Paypal account way more secure.

However, the hacker still attempted to retrieve my Paypal password by activating the “Forgot Password” feature. This probably happened about 4 or 5 times in the last 4 weeks and I thought he/she could do no more harm since my GMail is tightly secured. He/she can waste all the time in the world trying to gain access to my account to no avail.

Then, this incident happened.

I guess, because of all the failed attempts and frustration to get into my account, the hacker decided to force Paypal to limit or close my account.

Since my personal information has already been exposed, the hacker would just register for a new Paypal account using my name, address and some other personal details. The registration process must have been done multiple times which raised a flag into Paypal’s system.

That process also flagged my original account causing it to be set at Limited Access. How easy way that, huh?

So I dutifully contacted @askpaypal for help in resolving this issue and get my account back to normal. They’ve responded quickly but sent me this email:

For the safety and security of the PayPal network, we often review accounts for potential risks. After reviewing your account, we have decided to close it because of security issues.
Money in your PayPal account will be held for 180 days. After 180 days, we’ll email you information on how to receive your funds.
We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Can’t believe that’s how easy it is to get someone’s Paypal acocunt to be closed down.

I sent another message to @askpaypal so that they may be able to turn this around and they said they’re going to call me. Still waiting for that call.

For the meantime, I am without any Paypal account to use. What a bummer.

This article originally appeared at - yugatech