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HF News // Edition 241 // NEW SECTION - WRITE YOUR OWN ARTICLES



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The edition you are currently reading is the 241st edition of the HF News. To read any older editions of the HF News, please go here.



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Groups Galore!
Hack Forums has experienced a busy shuffle in user groups this week, amounting to four changes. Polymath has been sold to zSerity and is named Crypto, specializing in cryptocurrencies; Nightfall has reverted back to Instinct and the gaming focus remains along with its leaders; Fortune has become Pirates (which boasts a fashionable wheat hat in the userbar) and is now run by eCoLoGy with the mission to learn together; and Archive, which is geared towards forum policy and now owned by TommyD but are still searching for group graphics before making the change from Zero.

Viral Dragon Steps Down
Another change in the forum team as Viral Dragon has given up his Staff position for unknown reasons and has now joined the Mentors. We would like to thank Viral for his service on the forum team since June of 2014.

Revised Xbox Products Policies
The rules governing the sale of Xbox and Microsoft gaming products have been made perfectly clear in a new policy by Omniscient. Products including new consoles, Microsoft credit, and Xbox Live Gold codes are now prohibited. The only exceptions to this new policy are modified and/or used consoles. >>Source



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User News
Bans*
Vacations
Closures

Repfucks
Awards
  • Orchid received the Asswipe award.
  • Moeseph received the Award Whore award.
  • trojan donated for the Benefactor award.
  • TommyD received the Flamer award.

* - As of the Monday prior to release.



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Announcement Threads

---Omnicoin Group Auction - Omniscient
---Omniscient talks about his plans to resume the Omnicoin group auction in the near future.

Entertaining Threads

---How many murders are on HF? - SprayPaint
---Do you believe there are murderers on Hack Forums? This user does.

Member Feedback Threads

---1 year+ in depth feedback - Joshz
---The user Joshz gives his feedback regarding Hack Forums in this thread. Check it out!

---1 Year HF Bday Thread + Feedback - Limited Edition
---The user Limited Edition gives his feedback regarding Hack Forums in this thread. Check it out!

Contests & Giveaways

---1.2 btc giveaway! - Young Nino
---How would you like to win 1.2 bitcoins? Enter this contest to test your luck at it!

--- $35 3 WINNERS // AND MENTORSHIP - +One
---Three users have the chance to win $35 in this contest and you could be one of them. Hurry and enter now!



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Interview - zSerity (Click to View)

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Do you enjoy reading the HF News? Do you think others might enjoy reading the HF News? Do you want to show your support for what we do?
Wear our Support Signature and show us you care! Numerous members don't even know we exist, make a change!

Support Signatures (Click to View)



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Leadership Changes
  • Aaron has been removed as leader of Crypto.

Userbar Changes
  • Pirates: [Image: BXFvsmL.png] to [Image: pirates.png]
  • Nightfall to Instinct: [Image: 07PRDt3.png] to [Image: instinct.gif]

Current Open Group Recruitments
Group Related Buy-ins + Informational Threads
Important Group Related Threads


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Members Stock Up for Auction
With the news of the upcoming group auction with Omnicoin, HackForums members have once again begun the process of stocking up on Omnicoin. Rumors have begun to spread about which users have the most Omnicoin, and who will be able to win the auction. Most of the exchanges, totally nearly half a million Omnicoin, have been done on the popular Bittrex exchange.

Click here to check out the exchange and start getting ready for the auction!

Weekly Highlights
New OMC Exclusives

No new exclusives

Click here to start your shop for a chance to be featured in the next edition.



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Site Statistics
  • Total (Click to View)
  • Average (Click to View)

Ban Statistics
  • Last Week's Bans (Click to View)
  • Total Bans (Click to View)

Forum Counts
  • Tab Counts (Click to View)

Membership Counts
  • Groups (Click to View)



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What are your opinions on HF's server updates?


Tick
"I really don't have an opinion on this question, although as long as it's good for HF, it's good for me."

Trivia
"They were long needed and they've brought alot to HF in terms of speed which was missing last time, everybody seems to be satisfied with the updates and Omni himself does too; it was a good decision to change them and hopefully they continue to enhance the loadtime for HF. They provide extra security, uptime, notifications - the benefits that come with the new servers are continuous, here's to a better HackForums!"

Typhoid‎
"96gb ram and 26 cores is huge and should reduce heavy load and we'll see less down time. Hold onto your butts because its going to be good."

Looka
"I really like what Omniscient is doing at the moment. Together with the MyBB update that he is planning I see HF going forward. So yeah I really like that he tries to improve hf."


   
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Moment Launched!
Moment section has officially launched! Read more in that section below to find out how to submit your own articles.

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AdultFriendFinder Database Leaked
The website AdultFriendFinder.com is a commonly used, large 'online hookup site' for people to meet others. Unfortunately, it was recently the target of a string of malicious attacks, one of which may have been successful. A Tai hacker claims to have breached the website's security and stolen the database from AFF and has been selling it on numerous underground websites for approximately $17,000 in BTC. The hacker, who is currently under the pseudonym "ROR[RG]", is also offering his services to breach companies' websites for roughly $170,000 in BTC. As for AFF, there is a kernel of good news in that no finiancial information has yet been known to have been stolen. This means that, though the attackers have names, addresses, and emails, they won't be able to cause financial destruction. Also, though it was not indicated that password information was received, AFF is taking precautionary measures by having everyone update their passwords to ensure they do not get their accounts hijacked. Since this may be considered to be a cyber-terrorist attack, the FBI has been notified and are currently investigating further with FireEye.

Founder of Silk Road Appeals to Emotions
As certainly most of you have already been aware, Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the hugely popular underground, illegal drug marketplace Silk Road, has been convicted of his rimes and faces 20 or more years in federal prison. Ulbricht and 97 friends and family members wrote the Judge personal letters asking to reduce his sentence. Both their letters and photographs have since been posted online in an attempt to coerce the judge to give Ulbricht a 20 year sentence as opposed to life in prison. In one of Ulbricht's letters, he writes:
  • "I’ve had my youth, and I know you must take away my middle years, but please leave me my old age. Please leave a small light at the end of the tunnel, an excuse to stay healthy, an excuse to dream of better days ahead, and a chance to redeem myself in the free world"
Though we don't yet know the ultimate fate of Ulbricht, some crimes that he has done may not be able to be overlooked so easily.



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Android Factory Reset Leaves Private Data
The amount of Android devices that are resold make an effective device wiping mechanism incredibly important. The OS's native wiping function may not be doing the job that it advertises. A paper published by Ross Anderson and Laurent Simon of the University of Cambridge in the U.K. investigate the Android factory reset function. They discovered that the function may have left half a billion Android devices that have been wiped using this method vulnerable to data loss, including logins, personal emails, and personal chats. The two researchers studied 21 Android devices from 4 different vendors running Froyo (2.3) to Gingerbread (4.3). The researchers discovered that even if the disk is encrypted by the user, the flawed reset leaves the encryption key for device susceptible. When the OS deletes a file, it just deletes the file's name from the table of files instead of deleting the data itself or instead of writing over the data. Data is sometimes copied to a different block in the flash memory which leaves a copy of the data that is not deleted. Using Gingerbread (4.3), the researchers said on average, 90% of the data on a device was not properly deleted. >>Source

BlueCross BlueShield Security Breach
On Wednesday CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield announced that hackers had gained access into a database containing sensitive information and that they likely stole sensitive information. BCBS is one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, providing healthcare for nearly one-third of the United States' Population. CareFirst CEO Chet Burrell has assured provides that social security numbers, medical claims, employment, payment cards, and financial information were not stolen in the attack. However, user names, names, birth dates, email addresses, and subscriber identification numbers were breached. The passwords for these accounts remained protected and encrypted on a separate server. Trent Telford, the CEO of data security firm Covata, says that that if a company holds private information about clients, employees, and others, it is their responsibility to encrypt said data to help prevent malicious attacks such as the one that has occurred. >>Source

Sendio Patches Remote Security Bypass
E-mail security vendor Sendio has patched a series of vulnerabilities that allowed people to gain access to their Email Security platform. The vulnerability was originally reported to Sendio by researchers at Core Security Technologies on March 24th. The researchers are also included proof of concept code that triggers the issue. Sendio version 6 was susceptible to the bug, but it was patched in Sendio version 7.2.4. “Two information disclosure issues were found affecting some versions of this software, and can lead to leakage of sensitive information such as user’s session identifiers and/or user’s email messages,” Core Security said. The first vulnerability discloses a session cookie. This issue occurred because ESP's web platform contains the cookie identifier in the URL. This disclosure allows hackers to hijack a user's session, read their emails, and send emails on the users behalf. The servers also had an issue with improperly handling user sessions that lead to sensitive information being disclosed to the wrong user. >>Source



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Korean MMO Blade & Soul Coming to America
The MMO Blade & Soul has been out in Korea since 2012, but many of the game's foreign fans who have wanted to play Blade & Soul in western countries are now in luck. On May 20, publisher NCsoft announced that Blade & Soul will be coming to both North America and Europe this winter. The game has made a name for itself from its focus on martial arts and inspiration from Chinese kung fu stories. The game takes place across four different in-game continents, two of which are locked at the start. Reaching the level 50 cap on the game doesn’t require the player to play any of the extra content past the main storyline, but plenty of side content will still be present, alongside player-versus-player gameplay and multi-player dungeons. NCSoft community director Omeed Dariani has said that they are working to adjust the game to make it less grindy for western players, with comments about how it only takes two or three weeks of regular play to hit level 50. A large amount of additional content has been added to the game’s Korean iteration, with most of that content expected to eventually be made available for western audiences. The game will be free-to-play with no main game content hinging on the purchase of extra content. >>Source

Don’t Starve: Giant Edition Coming to Wii U
It was announced by Klei Entertainment on May 21 that the game Don’t Starve: Giant Edition will be available to purchase for the Wii U through the Nintendo eShop on May 28. The game was first released in 2013 and pits players to survive as long as possible in the wilderness. The Giant Edition has the original game plus its Reign of Giants expansion pack. While the game is being released May 28 on the Wii U, purchases of the game before June 28 will include a bonus gift copy that can be given to others. The Wii U edition of Don’t Starve: Giant Edition will be available in Europe on June 4. A review of the game by the gaming article publisher Polygon can be found here. >>Source

Need for Speed Reboot Coming to Current-Gen Consoles and PC
This fall a fully rebooted version of Need for Speed will be coming to the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC following many teasers by Ghost Games, the developer of the game. This follows the lack of a core Need for Speed title being released in 2014, the first year in a decade that a core Need for Speed title was not released. In an interview with Gamespot, Ghost Games general manager Marcus Nilsson had this to say about the game’s story: "We are taking a very innovative approach to how we tell a story. That's actually probably as much as I can say at this time," says Nilsson. "If you just go back three years with Need for Speed: The Run, there were stories in Need for Speed. Absolutely not the best executed stories. But we had stories. And I think a missing piece from the last games we had has been narrative. I think we can deliver a better game to our fans if we connect to them emotionally through story." The game is also expected to have more online features than past games in the series. >>Source



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Android M May Include Native Fingerprint Authentication
Unlocking your Android device with a PIN code may soon become a thing of the past. The search giant Google has already confirmed that it’s going to unveil Android M (Android 6.0) at its 2015 I/O developer conference next week in San Francisco, and a few reports now claim to have knowledge of one of the major features that are going to be available to Android M users in the near future. According to Ars Technica, Google will introduce native fingerprint authentication for its Android M operating system. This new feature would allow users to log into “supported applications” using a fingerprint instead of a password. Presumably users would also be able to use the same method to unlock a device. >>Source

Google Patents 'Creepy' Internet Toys
The minds behind the world’s most powerful search engine may have come up with a hi-tech cuddly toy. According to a US patent filed by Google’s self-proclaimed mad scientist Richard DeVaul and fellow engineer Daniel Aminzade, the company has designed “an anthropomorphic device, perhaps in the form factor of a doll or toy". The patent outlines a teddy bear-shaped device which will sit in users’ homes, interact with them and get to know their tastes. The doll will switch on the TV when asked, tell the weather forecast and get to know people’s preferences. In theory, Google’s teddy bear could control computers, lights, fridges and CD player through verbal commands – potentially doing away with remote controls. >>Source

Uber's First Self-Driving Car Can Be Found in Pittsburgh
While Uber Technologies Inc., the American international transportation network company, has been quietly setting up shop in Pittsburgh for its new Advanced Technologies Center, the company's test cars that are now hitting the road are a little less obvious. If the words "Uber Advanced Technologies Center" imprinted on the side of the vehicle weren't enough of a giveaway, the giant spinning cameras and sensors attached to the top of the vehicle signals this isn't your average car. The modified Ford branded with “Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center”, was spotted on residential streets by the Pittsburgh Business Times. Uber announced in February that it would open a research centre in Pittsburgh to develop self-driving technology to replace drivers in its taxis. >>Source



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Senate Fail NSA Spying Reform
Over the weekend the Senate voted to reform the current NSA Spying act, voting for the USA Freedom Act to come into place to help against what has become a massive issue but this vote failed. The Senate voted 57 - 42 against the USA Freedom Act which was an act to reform and fight against the current spying but due to its failure and Senator Mitch McConnell's failed attempt to extend the Patriot Act to justify the spying; temporarily, that means the government’s bulk collection of phone records from U.S. telecoms is on hold. The NSA Program was first uncovered by USA Today in 2006 but was recently revealed again by whistleblower Edward Snowden. NSA were allowed to spy on the citizens of America (and possibly more) by using claims of terrorism and harm to nation security as reasoning and therefore collected records of calls in bulk. The program is now in limbo while the Senate and government officials work to pass a bill which either allows or disallows such things. >>Source

Iraqi Forces Lack The Will To Fight
The US has had its say on the current situation in Iraq and the loss of the city Ramadi to Isalmic Forces (IS) with US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter claiming "We can give them training - we obviously can't give them the will to fight". Carter has said to CNN that the Iraqi forces "vastly outnumbered" the IS rebels but instead chose to retreat from the city in what can only be described as a rout. The head of Iraq's defense and security committee said the comments were "unrealistic and baseless". Iraqi government has now deployed Shia militias to the area to try to halt the advance of IS. On Saturday the Shia militia retook Husayba, east of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, with heavy fighting continuing within the area. >>Source

Ireland Vote For Gay Marriage
In a large vote over the weekend, Ireland voted to allow Gay Marriage in its latest referendum and the results came in with overwhelming support to allow gay marriage. More than 62% has voted to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry and it is the first country to allow same-sex marriage through a large country vote. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 20 countries worldwide. The vote allows for several things to now happen: The Republic of Ireland has a written constitution which can only be changed by referendum and Same sex married couples will now have the same rights as a married man and women. In total, 1,201,607 people voted in favour of same-sex marriage, while 734,300 voted against. >>Source

   
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Every week - assuming we get enough submissions - the HF News will feature the best submitted battlestation.
Send iHydra a message by clicking here and including an imgur link of your battlestation!

๖ۣۜAverage's Battlestation
(Click to View)



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Writing Articles for HFNT
Members of Hack Forums can now submit their own articles to HF News. Articles can be about anything: music, op-eds, conspiracy, sports, tech, etc. Below the rules, you will find the format you must use for your articles. You may not customize any part of it to your likings including any visual effects(color, font, etc.). You will write your articles and then submit your article by visiting Pastebin and pasting your entire article with the subject and MyCode/BBCode. Give it a name, make it unlisted, and hit submit. Under the name you gave it, there is a link to a raw paste which you will have to copy and send to iHydra using this link. That's all you have to do. I will reply back approving or denying the submission. If an article is submitted on or before Friday, it will be in the edition coming up. If it is after Friday, it will be added in the next edition.

If you have any questions, contact iHydra or post in this edition for support.

Rules
  1. Must be written in complete sentences with proper grammar;
  2. Subject title should not be too long, I may rename it if need-be;
  3. No image, video, or soundcloud MyCode. Links only;
  4. Must be at least two paragraphs long with at least four sentences in each and no longer than three paragraphs containing a total of 450 words;
  5. No inappropriate language and/or content;
  6. Articles cannot copy the format of Site News, Group News, Notable Threads, User news, and Opinion Central;
  7. No flaming, drama, or offensive words towards any HF members. Rants are allowed though as long as they don't break any other rule;
  8. I have the right to not publish it without disclosing a reason to you or to anyone else.
Format
Code
[b][color=white]SUBJECT_TITLE[/color][/b] - By [i][url=YOUR_PROFILE_URL][color=lightgrey]USERNAME[/color][/url][/i]
YOUR_ARTICLE_HERE






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View Credits (Click to View)

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First I guess?

The new article thing you're implementing seems interesting.
Feels awesome to finally be apart of this!
Damn, is that the real Skyline who got closed a couple of years ago for drama, I think it was?
(May 26, 2015 12:00 AM)FuZiioN Wrote:  Damn, is that the real Skyline who got closed a couple of years ago for drama, I think it was?

Yeah it's the real #Skyline mate.
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Ohhhh I'm next to Vinnie 😊
Gr8 edition.
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Just wanted to point this out for the android security news part, froyo is 2.2, gingerbread is 2.3, honeycomb is 3.0-3.2, Ice cream sandwich is 4.0, jelly bean goes from 4.1 to 4.3, and so on....Wish the news team had more android people. Gingerbread is NOT 4.3
(May 26, 2015 12:07 AM)Ahri Wrote:  Just wanted to point this out for the android security news part, froyo is 2.2, gingerbread is 2.3, honeycomb is 3.0-3.2, Ice cream sandwich is 4.0, jelly bean goes from 4.1 to 4.3, and so on....Wish the news team had more android people. Gingerbread is NOT 4.3

Interesting, even the source states it as Gingerbread = 4.3. You're right tho, Gingerbread is 2.3, not sure what's up with that lol. I'll leave it as is till I figure out what's going on.
[Image: support1.png]
One of the reasons I come on Hackforums is to read the news, which offers a broad range of topics for me to get me in touch with the latest news. Although I know it's not much, it's good enough. Yet again, great job to iHydra and all the other members involved in the news 🤝
Nice edition to read as usual!

Btw is it design or by-mistake?

Vacations have 1 tab space then others and also the (.) .

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(May 26, 2015 01:40 AM)Captain Steve Rogers Wrote:  Nice edition to read as usual!

Btw is it design or by-mistake?

Vacations have 1 tab space then others and also the (.) .

[Image: 34e2a6b8686ea47sef 044d00d06dec218ab.png]
Fixed, there was an error in our canned posts for that section. Thank you.
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Nice edition! Good job guys. :)


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