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As someone who has been stung by text message cramming, this practice simply infuriates me. The wireless providers are complicit in these scams by allowing a third party to bill their customers through their service. The idea that AT&T and other providers cannot stop these scams is ridiculous. Somewhat to their credit, Verizon is now suing Jawa over their practices.
Jawa appears to be nothing more than the latest company name used by Jason Hope, who has operated under over 20 corporation names. One of these, CYLON, LLC, was investigated here in Austin by KXAN about a year and a half ago.
Not surprisingly, Jawa is now getting into iPhone, Android, and Facebook applications.
I was bitten by another company called Dadamobile around four years ago. I never signed up for, or opted into, any text message 'service.' I simply started getting texts in the middle of the night that said "Need hot new content 4 UR mob?" then said to text STOP to a short code to unsubscribe. I thought the messages were just text spam and wasn't about to respond to an unsolicited text message. A few Sprint bills later, I noticed a $9.99 charge that had been appearing. Upon calling Sprint, they informed me the company Dadamobile was charging me for a premium text message 'service.' They offered to remove the last three months of charges as a courtesy, which was better than nothing. I also had them put a block on my account preventing third party premium services from being added on. Upon calling Dadamobile, they stated my cell number was entered into a website to receive content from them. They supposedly use a 'double opt-in' procedure in which the first opt-in is the entering of a phone number on their website, and the second opt-in is an affirmative response to their initial text to your phone. I never responded to any of their texts, or received any 'content' from them, yet I was charged for their 'service.' A few Google searches reveal I am by no means alone in my experience with this company.
The person running the text message scams mentioned in the videos above, Jason Hope, strikes me as having narcissistic personality disorder. He has numerous vanity sites that do nothing but state how awesome he is. He has reportedly built the largest home in North America (complete with his own Imax theater and three story nightclub) and dropped half a mil on his housewarming party. How much is this guy making off these monthly charges added to your cell phone bill?
Check your cell phone bills monthly for unusual charges and encourage your friends to do the same. Inform your parents of these scams and make sure they know to read their bills. If your cell phone provider allows you to block third party premium services, by all means take advantage of it now. Avoid Facebook applications as they have access to your profile information which may include your cell phone number. Do not give your cell phone number to websites and make sure your kids aren't either. If you indeed find yourself a victim of these charges, report it to your state attorney general's office.
Many props to Hamid Shojaee at AZ Disrupters for tracking down all this information.
From AZ Disrupters via Dvorak Uncensored.
A newly discovered species of spider living in Madagascar makes the world's longest known web, spanning 25meters.
The spider also makes the largest orb web yet found for any spider, and constructs it out of the most tough biomaterial yet known, say scientists.
Darwin's bark spider, a species new to science, weaves its huge web over flowing rivers, stretching from bank to bank.
It is so big that it can catch 30 or more prey insects at any one time.
Darwin's bark spider weaves what experts call an orb web, the most familiar spider web design.
...
How the spiders spin such a huge web above water, and how they anchor their drag lines on either side of a river, is currently being researched.
Many of the webs showed obvious signs of damage and repair, while others had large open holes, suggesting that the spider maintains each web for several days.
Most orb weaving spiders take down and reconstruct their webs each day.
[via BBC Earth News]
The Steve comes down from Mount Cupertino and gives unto us new idevices. We discuss the new iPod Touch, Nano, Shuffle, iTunes 10, and Apple TV, watching TV over various on demand services, and porn on FaceTime.
Wired magazine says the web is dead, Bill Cosby has an iPhone app, Facebook gets a 'dislike' button (sort of), various video game news, NAB wants an FM radio in every phone, don't cable-ize the internets, and the God Squad gives Geek Squad a run for their money.
dvdchris is on the run from the MPAA; Ted 'series of tubes' Stevens dies in plane crash; ipjunkie and ameron32 get geeky about security; more Android app craziness; Netflix adds more films to streaming, but will you be able to watch them if net neutrality opponents have their way? And somehow, ipjunkie poops on Ted Steven's pipe...
Disney released a new trailer for Tron: Legacy this week at ComicCon. The 3D sequel will be released on December 17.
Tron: Legacy comes 28 years after the original Tron, setting a Hollywood record for the longest gap between movie and sequel. The story revolves around Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the hero from the original. 20 years after Kevin’s sudden disappearance, Sam receives a message from his father to come to the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade, where Sam is then pulled into the digital world that his father visited in the past. Sam discovers that his father has been trapped, and together they must fight their way out of the construct.
Tron: Legacy was filmed in 3D using and will be presented in Digital 3D, IMAX 3D, and RealD 3D when it debuts on December 17.
[via Yahoo movies]
Digital movie locker `UltraViolet' nears launchAP-A group of media and electronics companies will soon start testing a system that will let you watch the movies and TV shows that you buy wherever you are, regardless of formats and other technical hurdles. Like ATMs, your account would follow you, no matter what brand of machine you use.
The group has also come up with a name for the open standard it is creating, which it unveiled Tuesday: UltraViolet.
The standard backed by movie studios including Warner Bros. and technology companies such as Microsoft Corp. represents a challenge to proprietary formats from Apple Inc. and others. Those formats lock buyers of video content to limited numbers of devices, such as the iPad or Apple TV.
Backers of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem hope to kickstart growth of digital purchases of movies and TV shows, now just 4 percent of all sales, by freeing consumers of format concerns.
That would mirror the way that the use of automated teller machines exploded once all banks cooperated in processing transactions, said Mitch Singer, the chief technology officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment and president of the consortium, the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem.
The concept is to create a digital locker that stores tokens that are proofs of purchase of DVDs, Blu-ray discs and video downloads. When a consumer buys a video online or at a store, he can watch it anywhere else, including on any mobile device or TV set without the hassle of copying his personal files.
The UltraViolet brand is meant to evoke the platform's invisible presence, and transcendence across numerous devices.
"It's outside the visible spectrum, but it's all around you and it's ubiquitous," Singer said.
full story
(Reuters) - Comic book superheroine Wonder Woman has traded in her spangled hot pants for urban leggings and upped her street smarts in a 21st century make-over for the 69 year-old character.
J.Michael Straczynski, the new writer for the DC Comics series, told the New York Times he wanted to "toughen her up and give her a modern sensibility" and change the outfit Wonder Woman has been wearing for almost seven decades.
The new costume features dark leggings, a studded denim jacket, spurs on her heeled boots and gloves in a new look designed by Korean-American artist Jim Lee of "X-Men" fame. Gone are the star-studded hip-huggers, undersized bustier and knee length, red go-go boots.
"She was stuck in 1941. And as female friends of mine kept asking, 'how does she fight in that (bustier) thing without all her parts flying out? How does she carry her stuff?," Straczynski told video game and entertainment website IGN.com in an interview.
"So my requests were pretty specific: toughen her look, make it more dynamic, more serious," he added.
Wonder Woman, one of the few female superheroes in a world dominated by Batman and Superhero, has also seen her character given greater depth and more intellect as she debuts the new look in Issue 600, which hits comic book stands on Wednesday.
"Growing up, I always felt that she was a better character than her books...the stories tended toward being a bit precious, and definitely edged into being more about getting her into provocative poses...than really getting into her character," Straczynski said.
"We will be making her stronger, favoring her smarts and her resolve and her resourcefulness, and making the remains of the world she once knew special by incorporating them into a more vital, unpredictable world. We take her very seriously,' he added.
J.Michael Straczynski, the new writer for the DC Comics series, told the New York Times he wanted to "toughen her up and give her a modern sensibility" and change the outfit Wonder Woman has been wearing for almost seven decades.
The new costume features dark leggings, a studded denim jacket, spurs on her heeled boots and gloves in a new look designed by Korean-American artist Jim Lee of "X-Men" fame. Gone are the star-studded hip-huggers, undersized bustier and knee length, red go-go boots.
"She was stuck in 1941. And as female friends of mine kept asking, 'how does she fight in that (bustier) thing without all her parts flying out? How does she carry her stuff?," Straczynski told video game and entertainment website IGN.com in an interview.
"So my requests were pretty specific: toughen her look, make it more dynamic, more serious," he added.
Wonder Woman, one of the few female superheroes in a world dominated by Batman and Superhero, has also seen her character given greater depth and more intellect as she debuts the new look in Issue 600, which hits comic book stands on Wednesday.
"Growing up, I always felt that she was a better character than her books...the stories tended toward being a bit precious, and definitely edged into being more about getting her into provocative poses...than really getting into her character," Straczynski said.
"We will be making her stronger, favoring her smarts and her resolve and her resourcefulness, and making the remains of the world she once knew special by incorporating them into a more vital, unpredictable world. We take her very seriously,' he added.
Famed comic book publisher DC Comics announced today that they are launching a roster of comic books in digital format for the first time, making super-heroic stories from the likes of Batman and Superman available on iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and PlayStation Portable game devices.
DC Comics has partnered with both comiXology and the PlayStation Network and will begin distributing digital versions of their comic books on demand starting today.
Both PSP and Apple device owners will be able to pay for classic titles from DC Comics, Vertigo and WildStorm. Among them: “Batman: Hush,” “Green Lantern: Rebirth,” “Fables: Legends in Exiles” and “Planetary: All Over the World and Other Stories.” In both cases, the digital comics will be priced between 99 cents to $2.99 per issue.
Until today, DC had been an important holdout on the digital publication front, with comic book publishers like Marvel and Dark Horse already offering many of their series through the App Store and PlayStation network.Finally! They have a lot of catching up to do looking at what Marvel already offers for $60 a year. Hopefully they also will offer a yearly subscription instead of this per issue fee.
[via MSNBC]
Reuters - AT&T Inc said on Wednesday some users of Apple's iPad have had personal information exposed via a network security flaw, two months after the tablet computer was launched and smashed sales expectations.
The breach, first reported by the website Gawker, led to the exposure only of email addresses, AT&T said in a statement. The wireless operator has exclusive U.S. rights to carry the iPad and the popular iPhone.
The company apologized and said it will inform any customers who had been impacted by the security breach. AT&T said it learned of the problem on Monday and has since corrected the flaw.
"This issue was escalated to the highest levels of the company and was corrected by Tuesday; and we have essentially turned off the feature that provided the email addresses," spokesman Mark Siegel said in an email statement.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
The iPad, launched in April, has already sold more than 2 million units worldwide. Buzz around the device -- which alongside the iPhone will form a pivotal part of the company's international growth strategy -- helped propel Apple past Microsoft in May to become the world's most valuable technology stock.
...
On Wednesday, Gawker said it was informed of the flaw and given a list of the email addresses by a group of hackers.
Its report said more than 100,000 iPad user accounts may have been compromised. Gawker reported that it obtained a list of email addresses that included celebrities, politicians and chief executives. [via Reuters]
The breach, first reported by the website Gawker, led to the exposure only of email addresses, AT&T said in a statement. The wireless operator has exclusive U.S. rights to carry the iPad and the popular iPhone.
The company apologized and said it will inform any customers who had been impacted by the security breach. AT&T said it learned of the problem on Monday and has since corrected the flaw.
"This issue was escalated to the highest levels of the company and was corrected by Tuesday; and we have essentially turned off the feature that provided the email addresses," spokesman Mark Siegel said in an email statement.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
The iPad, launched in April, has already sold more than 2 million units worldwide. Buzz around the device -- which alongside the iPhone will form a pivotal part of the company's international growth strategy -- helped propel Apple past Microsoft in May to become the world's most valuable technology stock.
...
On Wednesday, Gawker said it was informed of the flaw and given a list of the email addresses by a group of hackers.
Its report said more than 100,000 iPad user accounts may have been compromised. Gawker reported that it obtained a list of email addresses that included celebrities, politicians and chief executives. [via Reuters]
Born May 17, 1936 in Dodge City, Kansas, Hopper was a life-long fixture in Hollywood. His long career included roles in some of the best or most well-known films from each decade of the last half-century. In the '50s he appeared in two of James Dean's three films; as one of the goons, troubling Dean's Jim Stark in 1955's Rebel Without a Cause, then as Jordan Benedict III in Giant. Hopper became friends with Dean, who died in a car accident in September of 1955, as his star was on the rise.
Hopper spent much of the '60s on television, usually playing a nervous, fidgety criminal but Hopper ended the decade with a triumph. He directed and starred in Easy Rider, a film made on a shoestring that became a nation-wide phenomenon and that helped define the hippie generation (at least for people who weren't really of that generation). Hopper played Billy, half of an iconic duo, looking for America with Wyatt (aka Captain America), played by Peter Fonda (who also co-wrote the film). The memorable third act line from Wyatt, "You know Billy, we blew it" would bedevil critics as they hounded both actors for the meaning of the line for the next forty years. Nevertheless the film was nominated for an Academy Award for the script and neither men ever essentially divulged what that line truly meant.
The film made so much money that Hopper was allowed to indulge in his whims and darker demons through the next thirteen years, first directing the bizarre The Last Movie and thereafter cementing his reputation as an erratic, difficult person to be around and to employ.
The '70s included Hopper's underrated turn as Tom Ripley in Wim Wenders's The American Friend and as a photographer-turned-high-priest proselytizing for Marlon Brando's jungle-god Kurtz in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.
Hopper's rumored drug addictions and abusive demeanor while high were part of his mystique until 1983 when a nearly catatonic Hopper was found wandering in the woods in Mexico naked. He entered rehab shortly after which then resulted in a rumored 30-year-dedication to sobriety and another one of his comebacks.
1986 was a particularly kind year to Hopper as Blue Velvet and Hoosiers (and a minor role in River's Edge) put him back on Hollywood's radar. The role in Hooseers, of an alcoholic who struggles to become an assistant basketball coach, earned him an Oscar nomination. But it was his completely creepy turn as Frank Booth, sucking from an air tank in David Lynch's disturbing, great Blue Velvet that stuck with people and gave Pabst Blue Ribbon a reason to celebrate.
The '90s included great roles in John Dahl's noir-western Red Rock West ('93) and Tony Scott's True Romance ('93) and another chance to prove what a true villain looked and felt like in Jan De Bont's Speed.
Hopper was married five times, including a week long marriage to Michelle Phillips in 1970, and, lastly, to Victoria Duffy. Hopper landed in the tabloids again as earlier this month, ailing badly, he filed for divorce from Duffy, citing irreconcilable differences. Rumors swirled that the divorce was in truth prompted by Hopper's oldest daughter, Marin, and was principally inspired by a dispute over Hopper's estate.
Hopper is survived by four children, including Galen, a six-year old whom he had with Duffy.
[via IMDB news]
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