Hasta La Gadget!

While the WatchESPN app for iOS got an update that opened up mobile streams for Comcast cable customers back in May, it’s taken until now for Android devices to enjoy the same access. Along with unspecified bug fixes, version 1.6.0 worked on the Nexus 7 and Galaxy S II we tried it on, although we did need to log out and log in again with our account credentials to get the streams working the first time. The video streams we were able to pull in didn’t seem to be quite as high res as those accessed on the iPad however, although all those with the right combination of services and hardware can grab the free app at the source link below and try it out themselves.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software

WatchESPN Android app update finally brings access for Comcast subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast has just done the deed — following a rumor on the matter, it’s launching 305Mbps (down) / 65Mbps (up) Xfinity Platinum internet service in the highly populated Northeast division of the United States. For those who’ve been around a while, you may remember a time where one would weep upon finding out that Verizon’s FiOS simply wasn’t available at a desired location. Now, however, Comcast is doing its darnedest to rival fiber-to-the-home options with blisteringly fast cable service.

In addition to its new flagship tier, the provider is also doubling the speeds of two of its existing internet speed tiers in certain markets at no additional cost. Specifically, Xfinity Blast! customers will now get download speeds of up to 50Mbps (formerly 25 Mbps), and Extreme 50 customers will now receive speeds of up to 105Mbps (formerly 50 Mbps). According to GigaOM, the ultra-desirable Platinum service will ring up at $300 per month, which is a full $90 more than Verizon’s own 300Mbps FiOS option. Of course, this probably means that you’ll hit your monthly cap a heck of a lot faster, but hey — at least you’ll get bragging rights.

Continue reading Comcast doubles broadband speeds ‘in certain markets,’ launches 305Mbps Xfinity Platinum service

Filed under: Internet

Comcast doubles broadband speeds ‘in certain markets,’ launches 305Mbps Xfinity Platinum service originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you want blisteringly fast home internet, the best option is currently Verizon’s FiOS Quantum which gives you a connection capable of speeds of up to 300 Mbps. Not wanting to be outdone, though, Comcast is reported to be preparing its own super-fast home internet which can manage 305 Mbps. More »

Comcast is reported to have shelled out a cool $300 million to own Microsoft’s 50% stake in MSNBC.com, and this bit of news does not come across as a surprise since Comcast Corp. is the parent company of NBC, where this particular bit of purchase would mean that Comcast is now able to assume full control of the news website. This particular deal signals the end of slightly more than one and a half decade’s joint venture between Microsoft and NBCUniversal.

Jennifer Sizemore, editor-in-chief of NBCNews.com, mentioned in a letter, “Today we’re taking on a new name – NBCNews.com. While our name is changing, our commitment is not. The ties are deep, and untangling them will take at least two years.” I wonder whether the quality and experience of the website will change for the better in any way, or will everything remain status quo for the end user?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft Office 365 announced, Microsoft Office 15 Live Blog + Live Video Stream,

Online account security breaches are seemingly commonplace these days — just ask LinkedIn or Sony — and now we can add Yahoo’s name to the list of hacking victims. The company’s confirmed that it had the usernames and passwords of over 400,000 accounts stolen from its servers earlier this week and the data was briefly posted online. The credentials have since been pulled from the web, but it turns out they weren’t just for Yahoo accounts, as Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, Comcast, MSN, SBC Global, Verizon, BellSouth and Live.com login info was also pilfered and placed on display. The good news? Those responsible for the breach said that the deed was done to simply show Yahoo the weaknesses in its software security. To wit:

We hope that the parties responsible for managing the security of this subdomain will take this as a wake-up call, and not as a threat. There have been many security holes exploited in Web servers belonging to Yahoo Inc. that have caused far greater damage than our disclosure. Please do not take them lightly. The subdomain and vulnerable parameters have not been posted to avoid further damage.

In response, Yahoo’s saying that a fix for the vulnerability is in the works, but the investigation is ongoing and its system has yet to be fully secured. In the meantime, the company apologized for the breach and is advising users to change their passwords accordingly. You can read the official party line below.

At Yahoo! we take security very seriously and invest heavily in protective measures to ensure the security of our users and their data across all our products. We confirm that an older file from Yahoo! Contributor Network (previously Associated Content) containing approximately 400,000 Yahoo! and other company users names and passwords was stolen yesterday, July 11. Of these, less than 5% of the Yahoo! accounts had valid passwords. We are fixing the vulnerability that led to the disclosure of this data, changing the passwords of the affected Yahoo! users and notifying the companies whose users accounts may have been compromised. We apologize to affected users. We encourage users to change their passwords on a regular basis and also familiarize themselves with our online safety tips at security.yahoo.com.

Filed under: Internet

Yahoo confirms server breach, over 400k accounts compromised originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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