It turns out Dropbox WAS hacked in 2012, Apple faces a Touch Disease class action lawsuit, Amazon brings its Dash Buttons to Europe, Google helps you search in Android apps, and Russia reveals its Guardians.
Dropbox Admits It Was Hacked In 2012
Dropbox was hacked in 2012, with the login credentials of 68 million users stolen. Which explains why Dropbox suddenly and inexplicably forced millions of users to change their passwords last week. This may be an old intrusion, but it still has the capacity to affect anyone reading this.
In 2012, Dropbox was hacked, with 68 million of its 100 million users having their email addresses and passwords stolen. Dropbox maintains all of the passwords were hashed and salted. However, although Dropbox has already acted to safeguard its users, if you use the same password across multiple sites, you should change it immediately just to be on the safe side.
There were initially some doubts as to the veracity of this story, but security expert Troy Hunt has since confirmed the hack did happen. The man behind Haveibeenpwned.com used his and his wife's login credentials to check the truth behind the claims. He then confirmed in a blog post that, "There is no doubt whatsoever that the data breach contains legitimate Dropbox passwords," before (thankfully) concluding that "all but the worst possible password choices are going to remain secure even with the breach now out in the public".
Still, it's always better to be safe than sorry, and in a year when 32 million Twitter passwords were leaked, and 177 million LinkedIn credentials were put up for sale on the Dark Web, please don't take any chances.
[Update: Dropbox has published a blog post in which it claims there is "no indication that Dropbox user accounts have been improperly accessed".]
Join the Touch Disease Class Action
Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over the Touch Disease allegedly affecting thousands of iPhones. People have been complaining of touchscreen issues with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for months, but the complaints have only recently coalesced into an identifiable issue. And now, a few days later, three iPhone users have filed a class action against Apple.
Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania, Todd Cleary of California, and Jun Bai of Delaware are accusing Apple of committing various sins related to fraud and misrepresentation. As a result, they are seeking damages, as well as a commitment to repair or replace all affected handsets. And, as is standard with class actions, everyone affected by the issue is invited to join in.
The complaint alleges:
"Apple has long been aware of the defective iPhones. Yet, notwithstanding its longstanding knowledge of this design defect, Apple routinely has refused to repair the iPhones without charge when the defect manifests. Many other iPhone owners have communicated with Apple's employees and agents to request that Apple remedy and/or address the Touchscreen Defect and/or resultant damage at no expense. Apple has failed and/or refused to do so."
Anyone who believes their iPhone is suffering from Touch Disease should get in contact with McCuneWright LLP, the Californian law firm handling the case. Apple has yet to address the Touch Disease issue in any official capacity.
Amazon Dash Buttons Land In Europe
Amazon Dash Buttons are invading Europe, initially launching them in the U.K., Germany, and Austria. Amazon launched its Dash Buttons, thumb-sized buttons which allow you to order products with just one click, in the U.S. on March 31, 2015, leading many to suspect they were a sophisticated April Fools' Day joke. They weren't, and have actually proven so popular Amazon is expanding their footprint.
Each Amazon Dash Button will cost £4.99 in the U.K., and €4.99 in Germany and Austria. However, the initial cost is refunded the first time you use it, effectively making them free. In the U.S., 150 brands have signed up to the scheme, while in Europe, Amazon is launching with just over 40 brands on board. I'll be honest and admit I still think these are a dumb idea, but obviously not everyone agrees with that assessment.
Android Adds In Apps Search Function
You can now search for information lying dormant in one of the many apps you have installed on your Android handset. This is thanks to Google adding an In Apps search option, which will search through apps for specific contacts, messages, songs, videos, tasks, or notes. To make use of this feature, just open the Google app and find the In Apps tab.
The In Apps search option initially only works with Gmail, Spotify, and YouTube. However, Google will be adding more apps, including Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn, Evernote, and Google Keep, in the future. All searches are conducted entirely on your phone, so it's available whether or not you're connected to the internet.
Russia Has Its Own Superheroes
And finally, despite what Hollywood would have us believe, not all superheroes are American. In fact, one particularly nasty looking bunch of badasses are Russian. They're the Guardians, the Russian answer to Marvel's comic book heroes, with obvious similarities to Guardians of the Galaxy.
A trailer for Guardians has been floating around the web for a while, but now that it has been dubbed in English, we can truly appreciate it. After all, where's the fun in watching a bear-man thing shooting everything in sight unless we can also hear what's being said? OK, that's a bad example because it's awesome regardless. [H/T The Verge]
Your Views on Today’s Tech News
What steps should websites take to prevent these large-scale hacks? Will you be joining the Touch Disease class action against Apple? Do you use Amazon Dash Buttons? Have you got any plans to do so? Will you make use of Android's new In App search tab? Would you pay to watch Guardians with anything other than Monopoly money?
Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.
Tech News Digest is a daily column paring the technology news of the day down into bite-sized chunks that are easy to read and perfect for sharing.
Image Credit: Christiaan Colen via Flickr