Also, Xbox One expansion incoming, Netflix Likes Facebook, BlackBerry teases something or other, Destiny Planet View, and the ram who hates drones.
Apple Defends Itself After The Fappening
Apple has declared itself blameless in the events surrounding the Fappening, which saw hundreds of nude photos of celebrities leaked online. In a statement regarding its investigation into the incident, Apple declared that, "None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple’s systems including iCloud or Find my iPhone." Instead, This was "a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet."
In other words, this wasn't our fault. Instead, it was the fault of the hackers who stole the images, naturally, but also the celebrities in question who likely didn't "use a strong password and enable two-step verification." Apple is right to point the finger at other parties, but it has to take some of the blame here for developing and maintaining a service in iCloud which has been compromised in some way.
No matter what third-party tools may have been used in this hack, the buck has to stop somewhere. Namely, Cupertino.
Yelp Cleared Of Extorting Businesses
http://youtu.be/QEdXhH97Z7E
Yelp has been cleared of charges it extorted businesses [PDF link] into advertising on the site, with a federal appeals court upholding an earlier decision to exonerate the website. Yelp was hauled into court due to a class-action lawsuit by several small-business owners who alleged the company embarked on a shady campaign designed to try to force the businesses to buy ads.
The allegations included the removal of positive ads when a business declined to buy ads and the offer to hide negative reviews if and when advertising was purchased. Yelp denied all of the claims, and the court decided these incidents constituted, at the most, “hard bargaining.”
Our own investigation into the claims threw up opposing opinions, but as far as the courts are concerned, the jury is no longer out.
Microsoft Expands Xbox One Availability
http://youtu.be/GRk8nC1wFKo
The Xbox One is launching in 28 new countries through September. Almost a year after the Xbox One was originally launched, Microsoft is rolling the games console out to countries such as Japan, India, China, Russia, Belgium, and Sweden. The full list of new countries and the schedule of launches can be seen on Xbox Wire.
Netflix Likes Facebook Recommendations
http://youtu.be/VOBpprQdZTI
Netflix is rolling out a social recommendation feature allowing users to privately suggest content to their friends on Facebook. Netflix subscribers who have connected their Facebook accounts will be able to send an alert to friends after finishing watching a movie or TV show. You could, of course, already message friends about said content, but this automates the process. Using Facebook. Which we all use despite hating doing so.
BlackBerry Tries To Out-Apple Apple
See the bigger picture 09.24.14 – http://t.co/qTeo1ih1Sh pic.twitter.com/FbDIEpomUE
— BlackBerry (@BlackBerry) September 2, 2014
Who needs to witness Apple unveiling the iPhone 6 on September 9 when BlackBerry is unveiling God knows what on September 24? The right answer is "no-one," but we suspect there will be more buzz around the former than the latter. With a tease of, "See The Bigger Picture," it seems likely that the BlackBerry Passport will be the star of the show. And, like us, I bet you're shaking with excitement at the prospect.
Bungie Reveals Destiny Planet View
http://youtu.be/oMpGYh9FZM8
As part of its efforts to build hype for the release of Destiny, Bungie has created a website allowing gamers to explore the locations seen in the game. The three locations happen to be the Moon, Mars, and Venus sometime in the future after they have been populated and then lost to alien invaders. All of which can be explored at street view level thanks to Google's technology. This may be just be a promotional effort, but it's still a lot of fun.
This Ram Hates Drones, And Their Owners
http://youtu.be/pfLCb4ewDDc
And finally, if you want your new drone to remain in one piece, do not fly it too close to a ram. This little fellow doesn't take too kindly to being buzzed, and butts the drone into a bush. He then chases the owner of the drone (droner?) away when he comes to collect his flying eye in the sky.
So, it turns out even animals resent being spied on. The NSA should take note.
Your Views On Today’s Tech News
Does Apple need to accept some of the blame for the celebrity nudes leak? Do you have any personal stories of dealing with Yelp? What do you think BlackBerry will be announcing on September 24?
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.
Image Credit: Ivan Bandura via Flickr