@last

How long ago did the Last.fm security breach happen?

Last.fm's security breach that left user passwords open on a Russian hacker site last week might have shown its ugly face months ago, according to a new report.

Back in May, several Last.fm users took to the company's forums, saying that they had been receiving massive amounts of spam on e-mail addresses they created solely for Last.fm. Soon after, Last.fm customer support manager Matt Knapman said that his company was "investigating this matter urgently, running a security audit, and looking at alternative ways the spamming of Last.fm users might have occurred."… Read more

eHarmony says no other info stolen following password hack

After confirming that member passwords were comprised, eHarmony said today it is continuing to investigate the incident, but it appears no other information was taken.

"While our investigation is ongoing, we have not found any indication that other information was accessed, nor have we received any reports of unauthorized log-ins to member accounts," eHarmony spokeswoman Becky Teraoka wrote in a blog post. "We have also been working with law enforcement authorities in our investigation and have been in touch with one of the other companies affected as well."

The blog post doesn't give specific numbers … Read more

What the password leaks mean to you (FAQ)

Three companies have warned users in the last 24 hours that their customers' passwords appear to be floating around on the Internet, including on a Russian forum where hackers boasted about cracking them. I suspect more companies will follow suit.

Curious about what this all means to you? Read on.

What exactly happened? Earlier this week a file containing what looked like 6.5 million passwords and another with 1.5 million passwords was discovered on a Russian hacker forum on InsidePro.com, which offers password-cracking tools. Someone using the handle "dwdm" had posted the original list and … Read more

Virgin Mobile's no-contract iPhone brings savings -- at a cost

It's time to pony up for prepaid iPhones, avoid password scams and drop that mayor obsession:

The iPhone is coming to Virgin Mobile at the end of June. But you'll have to drop a hefty $650 to get the iPhone 4S, since there's no two-year contract. Plans start at $30 a month. It's cheaper in the long run to go prepaid with this plan instead of spending $200 upfront and paying for a more expensive monthly bill for two years (but you'll be limited with talk minutes). Virgin is on the Sprint network.

If Android … Read more

Last.fm warns users of password leak

Last.fm today urged its users to change their passwords because of a compromise that may be related to a huge password leak involving LinkedIn and eHarmony.

"We are currently investigating the leak of some Last.fm user passwords. This follows recent password leaks on other sites, as well as information posted online," a Last.fm blog post said. "As a precautionary measure, we're asking all our users to change their passwords immediately."

The blog post did not say how many users were affected or how the passwords were leaked. A Last.fm executive did … Read more

Video game violence at E3: Too much, yet still not enough

I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to video game violence. I cut my teeth on Unreal Tournament, and I am a machine with a shotgun in Halo. But the bloody displays at Microsoft's and Sony's press conferences here at E3 left me horrified -- and depressed that an industry with so many challenges chose to offer so little to its existing and potentially new audiences.

Microsoft's Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer was a mano-a mano murder fest (you need to enter your age just to watch it online), featuring multiple headshots that were helpfully slowed down, … Read more

Sony lets games do the talking during press conference

LOS ANGELES--At the company's E3 2012 press conference, Sony let a collection of exclusive software and features do all the talking. Spread across the PlayStation 3 and Vita platforms, there was certainly an impressive display of thrilling -- and most importantly exclusive games that are only available on Sony's machines.

Getting things started was David Cage, the head of developer Quantic Dream, the house behind the PS3 story-driven success, Heavy Rain. Cage announced Beyond: Two Souls, the next title in the genre-redefining resume of games his studio has produced. Adding some star power to Beyond is actress Ellen Page, who plays the lead character in the new title. … Read more

The 404 1,063: Where we get Russ on the regular (podcast)

Russ Frushtick from The Verge's Polygon gaming Zord joins us today for a preview of what's to come at next week's Electronic Gaming Expo.

Jeff and Russ will both be there to cover the show, and while casual gamers may still lament the lack of hardware announcements this year, there are still plenty of highly anticipated games to get their hands on, including "The Last of Us," "The Last Guardian," and the new "Tomb Raider."… Read more

About Last Night: An evening hours app to go with your nightcap

If you're looking for a textbook case of the proverbial apple not falling far from that equally proverbial tree, it would be hard to do better than the experience of the Dodges.

In 2000, Don Dodge was the vice president of product development of Napster. For Dodge, who had left a safe post at AltaVista to join the digital music upstart, it was a roll of the dice. Napster was a renegade outfit that was under siege by the music industry, whose lawyers ultimately forced Napster to shut its doors. But Dodge was following through on a bet on … Read more