Month: April 2013

Viber quickly patches Android app, fixes lock screen vulnerability

Viber iconYesterday we reported on a lock screen vulnerability found in the Android version of the Viber app. The company has responded swiftly and has plugged the security hole in an updated version of the app.

In a Twitter post, Viber provided a link to directly download the updated Viber app. The updated version has yet to make its way into the Google Play store but it should appear shortly. Users who wish to download the newest version of the Viber app for Android will have to enable side-loading apps. To enable this, go into the “Settings” app, tap on “Security,” and check the box next to “Unknown sources.”

A member of the Viber team left a comment on our post which said, “We care a lot about our users’ security, and so we see this as a first priority task.” It’s nice to see Viber acting so quickly to patch the security flaw and being transparent about it all.

Check out Viber’s tweet in the source links for the download address.

Source: Viber (Twitter)

Skype And WhatsApp landing on BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry 10 users will soon be able to to install Skype and WhatsApp on their devices. They are arriving just in time for the launch of the BlackBerry Q10, the first device with BlackBerry 10 OS and a physical keyboard. This also coincides with the release of the BlackBerry 10.1 update.

Although the BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system arrived with some big hitting apps like Angry Birds, these two important communication apps were glaring omissions. BlackBerry is promising more big name apps will arrive on BB 10 soon. At the moment, the BlackBerry 10 Skype app is a beta version, while WhatsApp is a stable release.

It is great news that Skype and WhatsApp have come to BlackBerry 10, but will it be enough in the war against Android, iOS and Windows Phone?

Messenger users unable to log into Skype

SkypeMicrosoft is in the process of migrating its Windows Live Messenger users to Skype, but today some users are unable to log in with their Messenger/Microsoft accounts. Skype has acknowledged the problem and says it is investigating.

Update: Skype says the problem should have been solved for the majority of users

We don’t know if this login problem is related to the migration of Messenger accounts, but logins with Skype and Facebook have not been affected.


The closure of Windows Live Messenger has resulted in more comments from our users than any other subject this year: its clear Messenger users are very upset about their service closing.

There are a few apps that you can still use with a Messenger login, although even those will be unusable eventually. Find out more with our full guide to the closure of Windows Live Messenger.

Three new GTA V Trailers coming April 30th

Rockstar has announced that on April 30th it will release three new trailers for Grand Theft Auto V. There will be one for each of the protagonists, Michael, Franklin and Trevor.

We expected this would happen on April 29th, when this week’s Epsilon screensaver apparently expires. Each character has a very different life, so each trailer should show us a unique side of San Andreas.

Michael is a retired, but successful bank robber, who lives in a glamorous house, possibly in Los Santos’s Vinewood. Franklin, with his ‘hustler’ background will likely show us the more dangerous part of Los Santos. Trevor, in stark contrast lives out in a shack in Blaine County, so we should find out more about what there is to see and do out in the countryside of San Andreas.

We’ve waited a long time for a new GTA V trailer, and now three are coming all at once.

[source: Rockstar]

Draw Something 2 now available worldwide

Draw Something 2 is now available worldwide in the App Store for iOS. It’s the sequel to the massive 2012 hit developed by Omgpop, which was then bought by the social games giant Zynga.

Draw Something 2 takes the original idea and adds to it. In an attempt to make it more social, you can now share your drawings with friends in the game, and even follow celebrities who play the game.

There’s a gallery which collects the drawings you’ve done, and you can share any of them by mail, Twitter or Facebook. There’s a shop which allows you to buy more drawing tools, and new game modes.

Continue reading “Draw Something 2 now available worldwide”

Viber for Android leaves lock screens vulnerable [video]

A new lock screen vulnerability has been found for Android users who have the Viber app installed. Viber allows users from every major mobile platform to make free calls, texts, and share photos for free but it’s the Android version that’s causing issues.

The folks over at Bkav Internet Security found a way to bypass the Android lock screen by simply sending two messages to a victim’s handset. The exploit takes advantage of Viber’s pop up messages, which wakes the screen of the victim’s phone. A message alert will pop up where the attacker can bring up the keyboard for a brief second. The final part of the exploit requires an attacker to send a second message and hit the “Back” key on the device, which unlocks the device, allowing full access to the phone’s contents.

Viber is aware of the issue and plans to issue an update over the next week. In the mean time, Viber recommends users disable Pop-up notifications if they want to protect themselves from this exploit.

While this vulnerability is unfortunate, it’s unlikely that your phone will be compromised since it requires an attacker to have physical access to your phone AND have you as a Viber friend.

Check out the video below to check out the exploit in action.

Source: Ars Technica

Apple highlights iTunes’ impact on the music industry for its 10th anniversary

iTunes, Apple’s music player, turned 12 earlier this year but the iTunes Store is turning ten this Sunday, April 28th. Launched in 2003, the iTunes Music Store only had 200,000 songs that sold for $0.99 each. The service ballooned quickly and became the largest destination for digital music sales in the world. While music streaming services like Spotify are all the rage today, there’s no denying that the iTunes Store pioneered digital music distribution.

To celebrate, Apple has created an interactive timeline in the iTunes Store, which can be accessed through the desktop apps or on iOS devices. Users can take a stroll down memory lane to see the major iTunes milestones, including the day Apple abolished DRM from its music store.

iTunes is still very popular today but music streaming services seem to be the way of the future. There have been rumors that Apple is working on a music streaming and subscription service of its own but there are no details about when that will happen. Perhaps we’ll learn more at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June.

a decade of itunesIn the mean time, you can check out the timeline at the source link below.

Source: iTunes

Microsoft will announce the next Xbox on May 21st

xbox-logoMicrosoft just sent out invites to the media for an event about the next generation Xbox. The event will take place on May 21st in Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus.

A website has been set up by Microsoft with a teaser about the event. There’s a countdown as well as information where and how people can stream the announcement live. The live stream will be available on May 21st (10AM PDT) on Xbox.com or on your Xbox 360 console.

Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, the Director of Programming for Xbox Live, wrote on his site that the May 21st event will “mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment.” He goes on to say that Microsoft will “continue the conversation” after the Xbox announcement at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

next xbox event teaser

There are plenty of rumors about the next Xbox but nothing has been confirmed. It’s probably safe to assume that Microsoft will have a ton of first party games like Forza available at launch.

The new Xbox will be up against stiff competition from Sony with its PlayStation 4. Are you more excited about the new Xbox or the PS4?

Source: Microsoft | Major Nelson

Call of Duty: Ghosts leaked by UK retailer, Tesco

In March, we reported on a possible new Call of Duty game named Call of Duty: Ghosts. Today a leaked ad from UK retailer, Tesco, seems to confirm the existence of the game. The box art for both PS3 and Xbox 360 made it onto the website but was quickly pulled.

call of duty ghosts box art ps3We previously speculated that it would be released on the next generation of consoles or PC but the Tesco ad only shows a PS3 and Xbox 360 version with no Windows version in sight. The leaked ad also showed a release day of December 13th, 2013, just in time for the holiday season.

tesco cod leak

While details of the game are still a mystery, the name itself does make sense. Ghost is the name of a character in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, who was betrayed and killed. If the leak in March by Drift0r is to be believed, the game will probably take place somewhere in an apocalyptic future.

Check out Drift0r’s video below. Continue reading “Call of Duty: Ghosts leaked by UK retailer, Tesco”

Sim City Update 2.0 creates more problems for players

Released on Monday, the 2.0 update for SimCity was supposed to fix the top requested bugs and improvements for the controversial always-online game. However, the update has created a whole new list of bugs for players, as compiled by Reddit user Imidazole0.

The list of fixes from developer Maxis has almost been equaled by the list of new bugs found by players. EA Games can at least take heart that plenty of people are still struggling on with the troubled game.

New bugs include trees making siren and car noises, sewage systems overloading, pollution being magnified and cities filling up with taxis.

Continue reading “Sim City Update 2.0 creates more problems for players”