Hasta La Gadget!

It has been a long process, but one of LulzSec‘s hackers who went by the name “Recursion” has been sentenced, receiving one year in prison for his part in a cyberattack on Sony Entertainment. After serving his year, the hacker, who’s real name is Cody Kretsinger, will have to perform 1,000 hours of community service and home detention. Kretsinger plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, according to Reuters.

LulzSec is a branch from the more popularly-known Anonymous hacker collective, and has claimed to have initiated quite a few high-profile cyberattacks against private and government websites alike. One such attack was against Sony, who’s website Kretsinger claims to have accessed, gathering information and spreading it to two other LulzSec hackers.

That information was then made public on the group’s Twitter account and on its website, resulting in what prosecutors say was in excess of $600,000 worth of damage to the corporation. Additional members of the hacking group are slated for sentencing, having plead guilty to various related charges earlier this month and back in the summer of 2012.

On April 9, LulzSec members Jake Davis, Mustafa al-Bassam, and Ryan Ackroyd all plead guilty in London to cyberattacks against Sony, in addition to other entities, such as the NHS and News International. Ackroyd, in particular, plead guilty to also plotting cyberattacks against many other websites, among them being 20th Century Fox. Davis and al-Bassam plead guilty to conspiracy to attack law enforcement agencies in both the UK and US. They will be sentenced on May 14.

[via Reuters]

LulzSec hacker “Recursion” sentenced to a year in prison is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

LinkedIn has seen relatively large growth since its launch, and in addition, says that those who use its mobile apps have changed over the last year. Such a change has prompted it to completely redesign its mobile apps, tailoring them for everyday professionals that span a variety of positions. The changes are said to give users easier access to the things they want, including richer content.

The first obvious change users will see is the new design, which is a complete overhaul over the previous design, bringing with it some substantial changes. The stream looks quite a bit similar to what you get when using Facebook’s mobile app, with updates and conversations in a status-like row. Users can like and comment on a post via the stream, rather than going to the content for interaction.

The new stream brings with it content that is even more tailored to the specific user via a new navigation page, which is revealed by swiping the main screen to the right. The navigation page can be personalized the way you want it, making it ideal for your needs and how you use the device. And finally, the updated apps add more support for users who are located outside of the US.

Over time, the number of users who utilize LinkedIn has shifted, with the majority (64-percent) being located somewhere other than the US. Because of this, the redesign has been done in such a way that it is more generalized towards all professionals and how they would use the app in an everday way. Support for more languages has also been implemented, including Norwegian and Dutch for the iPhone and Android apps, as well as Turkish for the Android app.

[via LinkedIn]

LinkedIn rolls out redesigned apps touted for the “everyday professional” is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Leave it to Twitter to make announcements in a way that is, shall we say, atypical in nature. Good Morning America just sent out a tweet stating that Twitter will be making a “BIG” announcement tomorrow morning on the show. Twitter hasn’t made any announcement on its own account, and while we have no idea what they’re going to announce, there are a couple of possibilities.

Of course, Twitter is no stranger to making announcements on a talk show, having done so with its design refresh on The Today Show in 2012, and now apparently following that trend tomorrow on ABC. There’s no mention – not even a hint – about what this BIG announcement could be, but what comes first to mind is Twitter Music, which is all but official.

On April 12, we saw music.twitter.com come alive, confirming what have been long-standing rumors about the impending service. Several celebrities have been bantering about the service, no doubt generating pre-release buzz to get people aware and excited. Such an announcement would be a strong bet for what Twitter has in store tomorrow.

On the other hand, sources have said that Twitter is in talks with Viacom and NBCUniversal about a partnership for offering video content and advertisements on the microblogging service. According to those sources, one or more deals could be revealed by the middle of next month, and while that’s still a few weeks away, it’s possible we’ll be hearing something along this line tomorrow.

[via Twitter]

Twitter to make “big” announcement on Good Morning America tomorrow is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Recent moves by LinkedIn — including its acquisition of Pulse — suggested its eye was towards becoming a center of its users universe for much more than simple networking or job hunting, and its latest mobile updates continue on that path. Updates arriving today on the iOS and Android platforms are redesigned for more “delightful interactions” throughout the app. That means a shift of focus to the news stream, including conversations, updates from your network and of course, advertisements. Check after the break for a quick video demo of the new features or hit the blog for a description — whether it’s enough to overtake Twitter, Facebook or something else for your social dashboard remains to be decided.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: LinkedIn, iTunes, Google Play

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, has filed a request for investigation and complaint for injunctive relief against the 4 major carriers in the United States. In the 16-page document submitted, it complained that the Android phones these carriers sell will rarely, if ever, receive any major updates. While many of us are just annoyed that we don’t get the latest Android updates, the ACLU’s main issue with the infrequent updates is that non-updated devices are more prone to hacks and malware.

According to some recent statistics, 47.6% of all Android devices still run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and only 10% of Android devices run Jelly Bean. Ars Technica states that some devices wait as long as 15 months before they receive an update. The ACLU says that major carriers consistently fail to provide customers with updates to “repair known security vulnerabilities in the software operating on mobile devices.”

According to some recent research by NQ Mobile Security, mobile malware has increased by 163% in 2012. The research also shows that over 32.8 million Android devices are infected by malware, further reinforcing the ACLU’s position. The ACLU states that its a basic requirement for companies to provide security updates for products that they know customers will use to “store sensitive information, such as intimate photographs, e-mail, instant messages, and online banking credentials.”

The ACLU states that these carriers are violating the “provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act barring deceptive and unfair business practices”, because they don’t disclose to customers that the failure of updating a phone’s software puts them at great risk. The ACLU is seeking an order from the FTC that will allow customers to end their 2-year contracts “that cover a phone that’s no longer eligible to receive updates” without any repercussions.

The ACLU is reinforcing what consumers have been complaining about for quite some time. Many users are frustrated by carriers when they have to wait long periods of time for an Android update to hit their devices. Some people don’t see updates at all, and have to update their phones manually through rooting and custom ROMS. To defend its position, Verizon Wireless responded to the ACLU’s complaints and has stated,

“We are known for our rigorous testing protocols which lead the wireless industry, and we thoroughly test every update before delivering it to customers. We work closely with our OEM partners to provide mandatory updates to devices as quickly as possible, giving attention and priority to ensuring a good and secure customer experience.”

[via Ars Technica]

ACLU asks feds to investigate major carriers over infrequent Android updates is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.