Whenever a significant piece of software has a lapse in security, we cannot wait, as a people, to take to the blogs, the boards, and the Twitters to lodge our unofficial, knee-jerk complaints. But as research compiled by SplashData has found, many Internet users are very blasé about security and the protection of their data, and although steps have been put in place by the likes of Google and Microsoft to ensure that our passwords meet an acceptable standard, the most popular choices remain incredibly easy for potential hackers to guess.
When it comes to the online world, pretty much anything is possible, which is why we need to be extremely careful and vigilant when enjoying the spoils that the cyber world offers. Unfortunately not everyone is as ethical or as moral as we would hope, which is why we need to be on the lookout for Internet scams and those trying to take advantage. The latest malicious plan that Internet users need to be aware of is an Apple ID phishing attempt that looks deceptively realistic.
So here's an interesting question, and one that hadn't really crossed our minds until just now. It's a valid question, if you dig deep enough, too. What if Google was a real person? And by real, we mean, a real person with skin and bones, not just a company, or a search engine.
Well here’s a stroke of good news, we're sure you'll agree. According to TechCrunch the once hugely popular and still much loved Winamp media player and Shoutcast streaming service are to live on, even after AOL announced that it was to die late last year. In fact, both did come to the end of their natural days on December 30th, but it seems they will be resurrected thanks to a deal that sees a Belgian firm take ownership of the pair.
Facebook now has almost 1.2 billion users according to Wikipedia, and we all know that Wikipedia is right about everything. With so many users it’s likely that we've all added people over the years that we probably don't know anymore, or have likely fallen out with for some crazy reason that we probably can't even remember. Regardless, just because someone's our friend on Facebook today, it doesn't mean they will be tomorrow.
Google+, the company's often ignored social network is creeping its way into Google's other products left and right, and according to an announcement out of Mountain View, we're soon to see it feature more prominently in our Gmail inboxes.
Snapchat's little security snafu has made quite the splash over the last day or two. The photo-based social messaging service has grown so popular that even mainstream media outlets have been frothing at the mouth about the hack that has seen 4.6 million users have their usernames and mobile phone numbers stolen and subsequently leaked on the Internet. It's certainly not Snapchat's proudest moment.
It's never great to start off the beginning of a new year shrouded in controversy and having to deal with a public relations nightmare, but that's exactly the position which Snapchat finds itself in. The company behind the photo messaging app has confirmed that the app’s user database has indeed been comprised. The news itself is quite daunting, but the situation is further compounded by the fact that the details of more than 4.6 million accounts have been posted online by those who compromised the company's infrastructure.
Instagram, love it or loathe it, is very much the center of many of our lives. It's how people share photos of their kids, their holiday destinations and their family gatherings. Yes, there are plenty of people who post nothing but photos of their breakfasts or are busy taking selfies at funerals, but for every pointless photo on Instagram, we're willing to bet there are two that are magnificent. Just follow Trey Ratcliff's feed and you'll see what we mean.
Christmas is a great time of year for tradition. We all have our little foibles and the chances are that our families have their own little ways of doing things around Christmas. One custom that has become quite large around the world over the last few years is the idea of the Secret Santa.
