Apple Releases iTunes 11.2.2 With Podcast Bug Fix

Apple today released iTunes 11.2.2, a minor update to the software that fixes a podcast bug that caused podcast episodes to unexpectedly download after an upgrade. It also includes several stability improvements.

This update fixes a problem where certain podcast episodes may download unexpectedly after upgrading and includes several stability improvements.

This is the third update to iTunes to be released within the last two weeks. iTunes 11.2, which added enhanced Podcasts support, was released on May 15 and iTunes 11.2.1, which fixed a hidden /Users folder bug introduced with iTunes 11.2 was released the day after.

iTunes 11.2.2 can be downloaded using the software update tool in the Mac App Store.

Apple Denies iCloud Hack as Cause of Locked iOS Device Ransom Demands

Earlier this week, a number of iOS and Mac users reported iPhones, iPads, and Macs being remotely locked by hackers who then demanded a ransom for their recovery.


The attacks primarily affected those located in Australia. While there have been many theories about common points of attack, no one theme has emerged. Some users also deny that passwords were shared with other services.

ZDNet reports that Apple has issued an official statement denying that iCloud itself was hacked.

Apple takes security very seriously and iCloud was not compromised during this incident. Impacted users should change their Apple ID password as soon as possible and avoid using the same user name and password for multiple services. Any users who need additional help can contact AppleCare or visit their local Apple Retail Store.

A growing discussion thread on Apple's support forums is following the issue.

JUST BYPASSED A FEW iDEVICES VIA DOULCI SERVER WITH IP: 173.201.243.238 albert.apple.com.

                                  PROOF OF DOULCI SERVER STILL WORKING

AFTER WAITING FOR DOULCI SERVER TO COME ON FOR LIKE 2HRS PLUS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO BYPASS THIS IPHONE 5, TODAY. THE SERVER IS STILL UP AND RUNNING AS AT THE TIME I'M POSTING THIS...

 

THIS THEREFORE IS A PROOF THAT AS AT27TH MAY 2014, DOULCI SERVER WAS STILL UP AND WORKING....

 

Ovites-CLOUD: How to bypass apple icloud activation on iPhone & iPads

Ovites-CLOUD: How to bypass apple icloud activation on iPhone & iPads

How to bypass apple icloud activation on iPhone & iPads

How to bypass apple icloud activation on iPhone & iPads

If you are reading this then you have the same problem which i have faced and sorted out. The problem of the time is the iCloud Activation Lock, (Apple's Trademark). I have found a solution to bypass it and make the iDevice in a state that can be used by their owners or anonymous user. This is the great and effortless method to bypass icloud activation on apple devices.
doulCi Server is a very cool tool that can let you activate your iDevice if it is not locked, however this method can unlock iDevice if it's locked.

How it works?

To bypass apple icloud activation with the help of doulCi Server, you need to edit your "hosts" file which is located under C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc directory if you are using Windows system. If you are Linux or Mac user then "hosts" file is located under /etc directory.

• Edit your hosts file and add this red marked text as show in image below  

95.85.40.69 albert.apple.com

NOTE: If you are unable to activate your device with 95.85.40.69 albert.apple.com  then replace with the following 


188.226.251.76 albert.apple.com

 

 

• On your iDevice follow the activation steps until the message of icloud activation lock appears.

• Open iTunes and Plug your iDevice on the USB port and accept the messages and validate the errors.
• You'll be asked by iTunes to accept unsecured albert in the middle of the process. Just accept that. When you got an error on iTunes, click OK, and finish the activation steps on your device. 
• Finish the activation on your iDevice and re-plug the device again so it can be recognized by iTunes.

Congratulation you have successfully bypassed apple icloud activation.

NOTE: I shall be posting updates for bugs fixes and IP

How to Allow Only Specific Android Apps to Use Internet Data

Unauthorized access to your internet data plan by background apps can be frustrating and it has multiple effects on your device, first it slows down your device as it gets online, secondly it drains your battery juice and thirdly which is the major concern here is it sucks your internet data.
Some android users when on some limited data plans will only want some specific apps to work while others still offline but this is almost impossible as even though you don’t launch some apps it still finds its way online and its so annoying, like some just want to manage their limited data on Whatsapp and BBM only.

To achieve all this

1. You should disable/restrict  background data: this is one major settings which android developers have come up with to help users manage their data. Goto Settings>Data usage click the option key and tick resists background data also there is an option below that where you can turn off background data for individual applications (this is for android 4 and above).
2. Secondly there are a lot of good third party utility apps that works magic in this aspect to control the access various apps have to the Internet.

• LostNet Firewall: This is a great app that helps you manage apps and how they get online. It has options to block an app totally or to allow it have access to the internet only when on WIFI, you can also set geolocation accessibility and doesn’t require root access.
• Android Firewall: This is a folk of the popular application Droidwall that uses iptables to limit data usage and add security to Android but was discontinued, this works great too but root access is required.
• AFWall+ (Android Firewall +): AFWall is another app in that category which tried to replace the discontinued Droidwall . Although no much success story but still does what it suppose to do but not this also requires root access.

With the above I believe android users will find it unseful in controlling the usage of their internet data plans. If you know any good app that does same please comment below so I can add it to the list for others to benefit.

Hackers Remotely Locking Some Macs and iOS Devices in Australia for Ransom

A number of iOS and Mac users in Australia are reporting a growing issue on Apple's support forums (via The Age) in which hackers are locking iPhones, iPads and Macs remotely through iCloud. Compromised devices are also displaying warning messages offering unlocks for money.


A hacker's message on a compromised iMac (via The Age) Member veritylikestea on Apple Support Communities:

i was using my ipad a short while ago when suddenly it locked itself, and was askiwhich I'd never previously set up. I went to check my phone and there was a message on the screen (it's still there) saying that my device(s) had been hacked by 'Oleg Pliss' and he/she/they demanded $100 USD/EUR to return them to me.

Member Sei_L on Apple's forums also reports a similar message:

Same things here, both Ipads got the "hacked by Oleg Pliss" message, both have passcodes. In Western Australia also. I've chatted with Apple Chat and they said "this is very serious." They've set up a phone call back from the correct department (whoever they are) tomorrow morning so we'll see what happens then. We can access the ipads because they both had passcodes but when an app is used, it comes up with GameCentre password request; we didn't put it in.

IT security expert Troy Hunt commented on the specifics of the issue, stating that the hackers are likely using compromised data exposed from recent security breaches to login to iCloud accounts. Hunt also notes that the accounts hacked were likely not using two-step verification, suggesting that a single password would have not had granted access had the feature been turned on.

Apple has yet to officially comment on the issue, although users are encouraged to turn on two-step verification for their Apple ID with directions available on a support page.

EBay customers must reset passwords after major hack

EBay customers must reset passwords after major hack

Hackers quietly broke into eBay two months ago and stole a database full of user information, the online auction site revealed Wednesday

Hackers quietly broke into eBay two months ago and stole a database full of user information, the online auction site revealed Wednesday.

Criminals now have possession of eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500) customer names, account passwords, email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers and birth dates.

The company said the passwords were encrypted and are virtually impossible to be deciphered. Still, as a precaution, eBay is asking everyone to reset their passwords late Wednesday.
The company isn't saying how many of its 148 million active accounts were affected -- or even how many customers had information stored in that database. But an eBay spokeswoman said the hack impacted "a large number of accounts."
Related story: What China's hacker spies were doing
EBay's subsidiary, PayPal, said it was untouched by the data breach. PayPal data, which is sensitive because it includes payment information, is kept on a separate network.

 

See how FBI made global hacker bust

To hack into the eBay database, the cyber attackers managed to get their hands on "a small number" of eBay employee log-in credentials, the company said. They then used that to worm their way into eBay's corporate network. The hackers grabbed the customer database between late February and early March.
It wasn't until two weeks ago that eBay discovered employee credentials had been stolen, the company said. The company then conducted a forensic investigation of its computers and found the extent of the theft.
The company said it hasn't spotted any increase in fraudulent activity on eBay yet.
The good news for eBay customers is that the passwords were encrypted with a technique known as hashing, which turns text into irreversible jumbled code. And they were "salted" with an added random digit or two. Also, eBay's password requirements are ranked slightly better than average by password manager Dashlane. That'll make them even harder to decrypt.
But that's not the point. The real danger here is in the fallout of such a major data breach. Hackers now know where you live. They can call you. Expect to receive fake deals and offers. Beware of getting duped into revealing even more sensitive information, like your bank details or Social Security number.
This is only the latest major data breach compromising people's digital lives. In April, AOL (AOL) announced hackers stole "a significant number" of its 120 million users' email addresses, passwords, contact lists and more.

Apple apps made to run on Android devices

Android and Apple apps have been shown running side-by-side on the same devices thanks to 

software developed by US computer scientists.

The software, called Cider, has been created by postgraduate researchers at Columbia University.
Cider lets Android gadget owners mix and match the Android and iOS apps they load on their phone or tablet.
The research team said Cider was only a prototype and that they had no plans to turn it into a commercial product.
Deep link The six-strong team of researchers said they embarked on the project to create Cider to get around the limitations that smartphone and tablet users are forced to accept.
For instance, they said in an academic paper about Cider that Android users cannot get at apps that call on media in Apple iTunes and iOS gadget owners struggle to use Flash-based content.
Cider would let people use just one gadget to access both, said the researchers.
Getting an application written for one operating system to run on another often involves a technique known as virtualisation.
To avoid the performance problems that virtualisation can introduce, the Columbia researchers adopted a different approach that involves the core or kernel of the Android operating system.
This approach works on the stream of instructions passing through an Android device and alters only those relating to the iOS apps. An additional software helper provides some of the specialised data those apps require to work properly.
A demo video produced by the researchers shows both iOS and Android apps running on a Nexus 7 tablet, though some commentators pointed out that the Apple apps run relatively slowly on the device.
In addition, some Apple apps that call on a phone's camera, GPS system or Bluetooth perform poorly and the researchers are continuing their work on Cider to fix these problems.