Showing posts with label Users. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Users. Show all posts

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Asa Dotzler Recommends Opera For Firefox 3.6 Users Who Don’t Want To Upgrade

Asa Dotzler Recommends Opera For Firefox 3.6 Users Who Don’t Want To Upgrade .download-info .download-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/downloadbutton.gif);}.download-info .more-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/morebutton.gif);}HomeWindowsLinuxSoftwareInternet ExplorerFirefoxChromeOperaEmailContactAdvertiseAsa Dotzler Recommends Opera For Firefox 3.6 Users Who Don’t Want To Upgrade

If you are a Firefox 3.6 user you know by now that support for that branch of the web browser will end on April 24, 2012.  As it stands now, Firefox 3.6.28, released on March 14, is likely the last version of Firefox 3.6. Mozilla will not update the version of the browser again unless a major security or stability issue forces them to.

With Firefox 3.6 out of the picture, Firefox users still using the branch are asked by Mozilla to either update to the current stable version of the browser, which is Firefox 11 at the time of writing, or the Firefox Extended Support Release. The latter has been specifically designed for organizations as a way to lessen the impact of Mozilla’s new rapid release process on the company’s IT department.

What about Firefox users who do not want to upgrade their browser to a newer supported version? Asa Dotzler, product director for the Firefox desktop browser, suggests the following.

Happy to try to answer any questions you have. Oh, and if you’re a Windows 2000 user and you simply cannot upgrade your PC to a more modern Windows version, I’m sure the good folks over at Opera will be happy to help you out. Moving to Opera means you’ll not only get continued security updates, but you’ll also be able to enjoy a modern browser experience.

You may ask yourself why he is only referring to Windows 2000 users in the paragraph above. The reason for him doing so is that Mozilla decided to discontinue support for Windows 2000 starting with the release of Firefox 13 in June 2012.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to announce that our minimum supported Windows version will change from Windows 2000 to Windows XP SP2 in Firefox 13. We never change minimum requirements lightly, but this support change allows us to significantly improve Firefox performance on Windows by using a more modern build system. Windows XP users are advised to update to the latest service pack, and Windows 2000 users should consider upgrading ahead of the June release of Firefox 13.

What he does not take into account is users who do not want to switch to newer versions of the browser despite the fact that they could.

The majority of users sticking with Firefox 3 at the moment are likely not satisfied with     the development of the browser, and not limited by their systems.

It is interesting that Asa Dotzler recommends Opera. Many users would have probably guessed that Chrome was was a more likely candidate, but like Firefox will soon do, Chrome is not supporting any Windows operating system before Windows XP SP2. Users working with Windows XP and newer systems on the other hand can switch to Google Chrome instead, which the majority that do not upgrade the Firefox browser will probably do.

There you have it. If you are still running Firefox 3, you are asked to update the browser to a newer version, or switch to Opera. Which will it be for you?

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Wednesday, 18 April 2012

What do you want to see in “The Windows 8 Power Users Guide”?

I have now begun to write “The Windows 8 Power Users Guide” in anger, having spent a few days having a deep dig into the Consumer Preview of the operating system.  This book, to be published by APress later in the year, is the first commercial version of my own “Power Users Guide” series which began with Windows Vista.  The 170 page Windows 7 Power Users Guide is now free and can be downloaded here.

This new book will be for enthusiasts, IT Pros and business users and I want to make sure that it’s your book all the way through.  So the question I have for you today is, now that the Consumer Preview version of Windows 8 has been released and you’ve all had a chance to either read about it or use it yourself, “What do you want to see in the Windows 8 Power Users Guide?”

Let me know here in the comments what type of book you would like to see.  Do you want me to focus on detailed step by step and how to tutorials or would you like a strong focus on customising the operating using registry and other hacks?  Perhaps you’d like strong information on using Windows 8 as a part of your digital world by making sure that it will integrate and work effectively with all your other operating systems and devices, whether they be from Microsoft or not.

Whatever it is that you want to see in a book for Windows 8 Power Users, and people who aspire to be power users and IT Pros, let me know and I’ll make sure it’s included.  I’ve always been very impressed how tech-savvy and knowledgeable you all are here at gHacks so if anybody’s going to have requests I know they’ll all be great.  With your help we can make sure that The Windows 8 Power Users Guide does more than go Inside Out, has much more than just Secrets and that it certainly isn’t for Dummies!

Thank you all.

demo cover

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. gHacks Editor’s “Windows 7 Power Users Guide” eBook is now FREE [UPDATED]
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What do you want to see in my new Windows 8 books? About the Author:Mike Halsey is a Microsoft MVP for "Windows Expert". He is also the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press and the Windows 7 Power Users Guide, a how-to guide for non-technical Windows users on how to get the best out of Microsoft's new operating system, with step-by-step and quick guides. You can follow Mike on Facebook, Twitter or on his own website The Long ClimbAuthor: Mike Halsey MVP, Tuesday March 6, 2012 -
Tags:book, power users guide, windows 8, windows 8 power users guide

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Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Cookie Controller Gives Firefox Users Control Over Cookies

Cookies have been designed as means to store data on a client’s system. They are used to store session information or preferences for instance, and are nowadays also used for tracking purposes. While there are some attempts to better protect users from tracking, like Mozilla’s Do Not Track preference, cookie handling mostly has remained the same over the years.

If you look at the Firefox browser, you will notice that users can accept or deny first and third party cookies, use exceptions for selected sites, and configure when cookies should be deleted by the browser.

The Firefox add-on Cookie Controller improves the cookie handling in the browser through three status bar icons. Firefox users who install the add-on need to drag and drop some or all of the icons to the status bar, or another location where icons can be placed. The easiest way to do that is to right-click the status bar, select customize from the context menu, and to drag and drop the cookie related icons from the customization window into the browser’s interface.

The first button lets you define cookie permissions for the site you are on currently. You can configure each site to allow or deny cookies, and if cookies are allowed whether they should be stored until the end of the session or until they expire.

You can also list all cookies from that particular domain, and remove DOM and session cookies as well from the context menu. The context menu links to the cookies and exceptions menu of the Firefox browser as well.

firefox cookies permission

The second button displays the number of cookies for the current host and globally, and allows you to browse through the cookies, and to delete cookies individually or in bulk.

The third and final button displays global cookie settings, and allows you to change those global settings with a single click.

The system is actually rather complicated at the beginning, as you need to get your head around the three icons and what they offer in terms of functionality. Once you start to get the hang out of the add-on, you can use it for a number of different asks. From configuring site specific cookie permissions over cleaning specific cookies to quickly changing the global cookie permissions.

Firefox users can download and install Cookie Controller from the official Mozilla Add-ons repository.

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Firefox Cookie Editor
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CS Lite Firefox Cookie Manager About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Saturday February 25, 2012 -
Tags:cookies, firefox add-on

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Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Twitter Makes HTTPS Default For Signed In Users

Twitter users had an option to turn on https for their connections to the popular social messaging site for quite a while. Users who turned the feature on, benefited from encrypted communication with Twitter which blocked snooping and eavesdropping attacks, and recommended when for connections to the site on public (wireless) networks. This was especially useful for Twitter users on the go, but recommended for all users as it should not have any visible negative effects.

Twitter yesterday announced that they enabled HTTPS for all of their signed in users by default. Nothing changes for users who have enabled HTTPS previously in the site preferences. Everyone else will now notice that Twitter will automatically load https://twitter.com/ whenever they visit the website. Users who enter http://twitter.com/ are automatically redirected to the https version of the site.

https twitter com

While all users are now moved to secure https connections, some may experience connectivity issues because of this. Those users can disable the new feature in the settings.

Always use HTTPS is a preference under Account there. You may need to scroll down until you see it on the page. Just remove the checkmark and click on save changes afterwards to disable forced https connections on Twitter. You need to enter your Twitter password for confirmation to save the settings to your account.

twitter https only

Once disabled, you won’t be redirected anymore to https if you want to load the http version of the site. You basically get the choice to load http://twitter.com/ or https://twitter.com/

Twitter is not the first company that moves all of their users to https. We have seen similar moves by companies such as Google or Facebook as well.

You can read the original announcement at the official Twitter blog. (via Techdows)

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HTTPS Everywhere Encrypts Connections, If Possible About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Tuesday February 14, 2012 -
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Sunday, 26 February 2012

A User's Guide on How to Conduct a Blackberry Unlock

Before, cell phone users only had two features in mind when acquiring a phone: voice and text messaging. Those days, however, are gone. Now, most people won't even give such generic mobile devices a second look. Matter of fact, they might be obsolete because smart phones have taken over the market. The Blackberry, to be particular, is one that has a large fan and user base. These products often cost a great deal of money. Hence, carriers in different countries sell them in locked contracts to recoup the investments they have made. If you are among the many users of the Blackberry, you may well be acquainted with the very idea of Blackberry unlock.

The BB (as it is affectionately referred to by loyal users), is one of the most in-demand mobile devices nowadays. Many people are not aware of it, but a Canadian company is in charge of the product's development and production. The name of this firm is Research in Motion (RIM), and its base of operations is in Ontario. Their goods are often significantly costly, and providers take advantage of this by locking the phones to their network. This is the reason a lot of people are searching for a Blackberry unlock code.

Locked Mobile Phones

Mobile devices are "locked" if a specific carrier places in a setting preventing its use in a different network or country. Keep in mind that providers do this to get back their initial investments. These companies increase sales by giving the phone free with one of their plans. You must note, though, that these plans normally last two to three years. BBs will often be marketed this way as it is one of the more costly and popular brands. Fortunately, for those who want to switch networks or use their phones abroad, you can find different Blackberry unlock techniques. A Blackberry unlock code is a wonderful way to get out of a demanding contract.

How to Check if Your Phone is Locked

Those interested to learn about the status of their phones may do so themselves. Most people, however, are scared to do so for fear of legal repercussions. What you should remember is that unlocking your BB is a legal activity. Neither could it void the warranty. It is better, however, if users check with the claim that comes with the phone. You may also call RIM customer service or send an email.

There are two ways to unlock the device. The first is by way of your network provider. The only problem with doing this, however, is the cost could add up. In most cases, doing so can result in the full payment of your phone. Carriers do that because they know from the start that customers will most likely switch to a different network.

The more sensible way to get a Blackberry unlock code is via a trusted online site that offers the service. You simply have to go online to find a business that performs this. Be a smart internet user and look through all your options before choosing. This will save you from any possible scams. After your BB is unlocked, you could move to a different service provider, use your phone abroad, or sell it at a high price.


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Thursday, 23 February 2012

Microsoft’s Guide For Gmail Users To Switch To Hotmail

Microsoft’s Guide For Gmail Users To Switch To Hotmail .download-info .download-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/downloadbutton.gif);}.download-info .more-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/morebutton.gif);} HomeWindowsLinuxSoftwareInternet ExplorerFirefoxChromeOperaEmailContactAdvertiseMicrosoft’s Guide For Gmail Users To Switch To Hotmail

Google recently revealed the plan to merge the privacy policies and terms of service for most of the company’s products. This move gives all Google services direct access to all user data. Google search for instance can take into account what kind of emails a user gets in Gmail to personalize the search results based on that. This even goes further for Android phone users, who may now reveal their favorite restaurants, shops and locations to all other Google services.

A new post by Microsoft employee Dharmesh Mehta on the Inside Windows Live blog highlights core reasons why users might want to switch from Gmail to Hotmail, before explaining the actual steps that migrates their email account to the Hotmail email service.

Hotmail & Facebook work well together. You can update your Facebook status, chat with Facebook friends, view their updates, and comment right from your Hotmail inbox. You can’t do this from Gmail.You can easily share lots of photos and large attachments. Hotmail lets you share hundreds of photos or other files in one message using the integrated online storage from SkyDrive. You can’t do this in Gmail.Hotmail works great with Office. Using the Office Web Apps, Hotmail lets you view and edit Office docs for free right in your inbox. Gmail doesn’t work well with Office.Hotmail lets you get a handle on graymail. With customizable categories and scheduled sweeps, you can quickly clean up things like newsletters, social updates, and daily deals so you only see the mail that really matters to you. Gmail doesn’t have Sweep.

These features alone won’t convince many users to move their email account to Hotmail. Combined with Google’s announcement however they could be enough to get some users to move their accounts.

It needs to be noted though that Gmail offers features that Hotmail does not offer. This includes IMAP support or two step authentication, both of which are not supported by Hotmail.

The guide to switch from Gmail to Hotmail lists three steps.

Create a Hotmail account. If you don’t already have one, you need to create a Hotmail account. The best way to do this is to get a new email address either @hotmail.com or @live.com. Or, if you already have an email address you want to keep using, you can keep using it and sign up here. You don’t have to use our domain.Import your old messages from Gmail. You’ll probably want to keep your old email and contacts so we’ve made it simple to bring them in. TrueSwitch is an easy tool which will import your email and contacts and forward any new email to Hotmail for 90 days. Go to the TrueSwitch site and follow the steps there. When you sign back in to Hotmail, you’ll notice that it’s beginning to import your emails (this could take a few hours if you have a lot of emails to bring over).Connect your Gmail account. This step is optional, but if you want to make sure you receive future messages from Gmail, you can have Hotmail automatically get all new emails that are sent to your old Gmail account. These are the steps to connect your accounts:
a. In your inbox, click Options and then More options.

b. Click Sending/receiving email from other accounts.

c. Click Add an email account.

d. Provide your Gmail account details.

Step 2 and 3 address core issues that users who move mail accounts want resolved before they even start thinking about it. Access to all previous mail messages and the forwarding of messages that are send to the old account are covered in those two steps.

Are you considering moving your Gmail account to another provider?

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Thursday, 16 February 2012

Google Music Users Can Now Download All Songs

One of the issues that many users who tried Google Music experienced was the inability to download music officially to a connected device. And while the service’s app saved some of the songs locally while listing, it did not really provide a comfortable user experience.

Third party programs like Google Music Downloader filled the gap, but many users hoped for a integrated solution as those programs were usually only compatible with a specific browser or device.

Google yesterday made an announcement on Google Plus where they stated that US Android users can now download all songs, including self-uploaded songs and purchased songs, from Google Music to their devices. This improves the service significantly as users can now download music whenever they want. Music can now be downloaded so that you can listen to it on all of your devices, and without the need for an Internet connection. This may be useful if you are on a low-bandwidth plan or want to listen to your music on devices that are not compatible with Google Music.

Google Music web users can simply click on the small menu icon that appears when hovering over a song name or album. A left-click on the icon displays the new download option

download song

Multiple songs can be selected by holding down the Shift key while left-clicking on songs in the listing.

Google’s Music Manager now displays a download tab that leads to two options to download music to the local computer system. Download purchased music downloads only the albums and songs that you have purchased on Google Music, while Export your library exports all songs to the system. Google notes that only users who have uploaded music using the Music Manager will see the download tab in the program.

Songs can only be downloaded two times from the Google Music website. The Music Manager does not have that restriction though.

download google music

The addition of a download option makes Google Music more accessible from a user perspective. Still, Google has a long way to go, especially in the supported countries department (via Caschy)

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Download songs from Bebo About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Friday January 27, 2012 -
Tags:download-music, google music

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Google To Start Tracking Users Across Services

An announcement was posted yesterday on the official Google blog that indicates that changes are being made to Google’s privacy policies and terms of service. What first looks like a reasonable thing to do is in fact something that will keep privacy advocates up at night. Google will merge their privacy policies, of which about 60 are now available, into one main privacy policy. This on first glance is good from a user perspective, as it improves the privacy policy’s accessibility.

Google furthermore has created a main Google Terms of Service file that covers many of their products. This too improves accessibility.

The following paragraphs outlines how Google thinks users will profit from the change

What does this mean in practice? The main change is for users with Google Accounts. Our new Privacy Policy makes clear that, if you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience.

Our recently launched personal search feature is a good example of the cool things Google can do when we combine information across products. Our search box now gives you great answers not just from the web, but your personal stuff too. So if I search for restaurants in Munich, I might see Google+ posts or photos that people have shared with me, or that are in my albums. Today we can also do things like make it easy for you to read a memo from Google Docs right in your Gmail, or add someone from your Gmail contacts to a meeting in Google Calendar.

But there’s so much more that Google can do to help you by sharing more of your information with … well, you. We can make search better—figuring out what you really mean when you type in Apple, Jaguar or Pink. We can provide more relevant ads too. For example, it’s January, but maybe you’re not a gym person, so fitness ads aren’t that useful to you. We can provide reminders that you’re going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day. Or ensure that our spelling suggestions, even for your friends’ names, are accurate because you’ve typed them before. People still have to do way too much heavy lifting, and we want to do a better job of helping them out.

The first thing that you will notice is that Google will share activity information between services come March 1 when the new policies go live. This has an impact on two areas:

Personalization: Up until now only a handful services shared information with each other, Google+ data was for instance used for a personalized search experience. Now all data may be used for that experience.Advertisement: The more Google knows about you, the higher paying ads they can get to be displayed to you.

We already know that Google is reading your emails to serve ads on Gmail. Gmail users who are using other Google services may now see tailored ads pop up on other services as well, or YouTube videos recommended to them based on the emails they read.

It could also link things they do on their phone to searches they make on a desktop PC, or display ads for a popular coffee chain on their phone if Google has picked up that you like to drink coffee in the morning and notice that you are currently on the go with your phone.

Google could use location based information it collects from the Android phone to display ads to you on all other Google services that share the new privacy policy. You went to a clothing store for big people? Then you may see “lose weight” videos on YouTube, or ads on Google search.

Like to visit sex clubs? How about ads for related items on your desktop?

As Owen Williams points out over at Neowin, this could also have business and job related consequences. If you have an Android business phone that you use with an enterprise account, then other users with access to that account may see what you have been up to lately.

What you view at home, while accidentally being logged into your Enterprise Google Apps account could mean you have an awkward conversation with your boss.

There is no opting-out

No opt-out is offered by Google. Users who want to keep their account data separated only have two options: Create a separate Google account for each service they use, or cancel their Google account and move on to another service provider.

It is unlikely that many users will actually close their account as a consequence. Depending on which Google services are used, it could mean lots of work. And lets not forget that you’d need to research the new service’s privacy policies and terms of service as well.

Mitigation may be possible, if users log out of Google whenever possible. This could reduce the number of personalized ads and recommendations that they will see on Google product pages.

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Prevent Google Analytics from tracking your visit About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Wednesday January 25, 2012 -
Tags:Google, privacy policy

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Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Web Hoster Dreamhost Hacked, Asks Users To Change Passwords

After a relatively quite holiday period attacks on popular services on the Internet seem to have picked up again. After the Zappos incident a few days ago, it is now the popular web hoster Dreamhost who noticed unauthorized activity within one of the company’s databases. Dreamhost is not going into further detail but mentions that they do not have evidence that customer login information or passwords have been dumped by the attackers.

The company nevertheless decided to reset all FTP and shell user access passwords for all Dreamhost users. This should not be confused with the account password used to log into the Dreamhost site itself though. Dreamhost customers who are using the same passwords for multiple services should change passwords on all of them to eliminate the possibility of unauthorized access to those accounts.

Dreamhost furthermore notes that users should also be changing email passwords of all Dreamhost managed email addresses as soon as possible.

dreamhost

We have been sending out update emails to every account owner we have, letting them know what happened, and how to proceed from here on out. As a precaution, we advise every user to change all email passwords as well. We are not forcing this change, however, so make sure you take care of that ASAP.

Shell and ftp passwords can be changed in the Manage Users interface which is accessible here. Dreamhost customers need to click on the edit button next to the ftp or shell user to change the log in password for that account.

A company representative noted that neither credit card data nor web panel logins were accessed by the attackers. If you read through all of the 270 or so comments on the Dreamhost blog, you will notice that many customers were quite infuriated about the level of information they received. Web panel access was not available at all times due to users trying to change their passwords, and rumors spread that Dreamhost was storing passwords in plain text (which was later refuted by a Dreamhost employee who stated that they were hashed).

Lets take a look at what Dreamhost customers need to do right now:

Log into the web panel and change FTP, SFTP, MYSQL, Email and other account passwords. Some passwords have been reset automatically by Dreamhost which means that they need to be changed anyway to regain access.Change passwords on other accounts if the same password was used for access.

Passwords with a reasonable length should be safe, but it is nevertheless better to make the changes to be certain that the attackers cannot use successfully decrypted passwords to gain account or service access. A password manager like KeePass can aid in the creation of secure passwords.

Are you a Dreamhost customer? If so, when did you receive notification about the security incident and what did you experience afterwards?

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Improve Firefox Private Browsing With Private Browsing Window Add-on About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Saturday January 21, 2012 -
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Zappos Hacked, Security Email Asks Users To Change Passwords

Zappos yesterday notified all of their employees and customers that a company server has been compromised. The email, accessible online only for visitors from the US, indicates that the attackers may have gotten hold of part or all of the customer account database of Zappos.com. Information that may have been retrieved by the attacker include customer names, email addresses, billing and shipping addresses, phone numbers, the last four digits of the credit card number and encrypted passwords.

Tony Hsie, Zappos’ CEO, notes that the credit card and payment database has not been affected or accessed by the attacker.

While not in immediate danger, customers are asked to change their account passwords at the next possible moment to protect their accounts from unauthorized access. If the attackers managed to dump the account username and password, they have likely started to decrypt the passwords with the help of dictionary lists and brute forcing. The attackers cannot use the information directly on the Zappos site though, as passwords have been reset by the company. Customers are asked to create a new password by “clicking on the “Create a New Password” link in the upper right corner of the web site and follow the steps from there”. It is alternatively possible to open the Password Change page right away on the website which leads to the create a new password page.

zappos

Zappos notes that users should change passwords on other websites if they have used the same password for accounts on those sites. If the attackers manage to decrypt the passwords, they could try to log into email accounts or other popular web services.

We also recommend that you change your password on any other web site where you use the same or a similar password. As always, please remember that Zappos.com will never ask you for personal or account information in an e-mail. Please exercise caution if you receive any emails or phone calls that ask for personal information or direct you to a web site where you are asked to provide personal information.

Resetting more than 24 million customer passwords must have not been an easy decision for the company CEO. Other hacked companies have reacted differently in the past, for instance by only emailing their customers about the breach and asking them in the email to change their account passwords. The better safe than sorry approach seems to be better suited for these kind of situations. What’s your take on the news, and do you think that Zappos made the right move?

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Audit Windows Passwords With Password Security Scanner About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Monday January 16, 2012 -
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Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Facebook Users Can Soon Listen To Music With Their Friends

When I discover a great video or music track on the Internet I often want to share it with friends who I know have a similar taste when it comes to entertainment. What I really like to do is to watch videos together with friends. This works considerably well as we are often using Teamspeak or comparable voice over IP software for communication.

Facebook has just announced that the company will soon enable a feature on the social networking site that allows users to listen to music together on the site. Friends currently listening to music will have a music icon next to their online status in the Facebook sidebar.

Just hover with your mouse over the username and click on the listen with button to listen to the same music your friend is listening to.

facebook listen with music

The music will automatically be synchronized so that you start listening to the music at the same position that your friend is currently at.

Alexander Roche’s blog post at the official Facebook blog even hinted at the possibility that it will be possible to listening to music in groups, with one friend playing the DJ while everyone is listening to the music.

Information about the current session can be displayed in chat, with the possibility that other users join in to make it a group listening experience and chat session.

Music is powered by third party applications that users need to first enable on their accounts before they can listen with others to the same music.

Facebook notes that only “the people you’ve shared your listening activity with can see when you’re listening with a friend”. General privacy related settings for the application can be set under App Settings which for instance allows you limit music information to just yourself or a close group of friends.

app settings

The new feature is currently being rolled out. Official information indicate that it will take a few weeks before every Facebook user can make use of the new feature. This only affects Facebook users who have a music app installed or will install one on the site.

What’s your take on the new feature?

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Delete Facebook Friends In Bulk About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Friday January 13, 2012 -
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