TripAdvisor database hacked – email addresses compromised

by Scott Carmichael on

If you have ever rated something on TripAdvisor, you may be in for a nasty surprise in your inbox in the coming weeks. Last weekend, hackers penetrated the TripAdvisor member database and stole up to 20 million records.

In a statement issued by TripAdvisor on their site, the only information they say was impacted involved email address. TripAdvisor does not store credit card information or other financial data and passwords are said to be secure. As a precaution, it may still be safe to change your TripAdvisor password and anywhere else you used that same password.

The impact from this should be relatively minimal – most people could end up with a bit more spam than usual, but in today’s spam overload world, a couple more V1ag7A! emails won’t really be noticeable.

TripAdvisor claims they identified the vulnerability and shut it down immediately. The full email sent to customers can be found after the jump.


To our travel community:

This past weekend we discovered that an unauthorized third party had stolen part of TripAdvisor’s member email list.

We’ve confirmed the source of the vulnerability and shut it down. We’re taking this incident very seriously and are actively pursuing the matter with law enforcement.

How will this affect you? In many cases, it won’t. Only a portion of all member email addresses were taken, and all member passwords remain secure.

You may receive some unsolicited emails (spam) as a result of this incident. The reason we are going directly to you with this news is that we think it’s the right thing to do. As a TripAdvisor member, I would want to know.

Unfortunately, this sort of data theft is becoming more common across many industries, and we take it extremely seriously.

I’d also like to reassure you that TripAdvisor does not collect members’ credit card or financial information, and we never sell or rent our member list. We will continue to take all appropriate measures to keep your personal information secure at TripAdvisor. I sincerely apologize for this incident and appreciate your membership in our travel community.

Steve Kaufer
Co-founder and CEO

New online tool helps expats explore what life will be like overseas

by McLean Robbins on

HSBC Bank International has today announced the launch of its new interactive Expat Explorer tool, an online resource providing users data from the company’s annual Expat Survey. While we’re not big on sifting through massive amounts of data, the reports available could easily prove useful to people looking to spend extended amounts of time living and working in another country.

One of our favorite features? The three categories, Economics, Experience and Offspring each have easy-to-use dropdown tabs to categorize countries by qualifications that matter to you, including “healthy diet,” “organizing school for my children” and “social life.” Plus, each unique query generates its own link, which can be shared with friends and family and across social media sites, which easily can provide a colorful picture of what life will be like in a new location. Of course, the survey isn’t perfect – from the boxes we checked, we’d be best off living in Bahrain … naturally, the findings are based on 2010 survey data and not current events.

“Considering a move abroad can be a daunting prospect, often involving a huge amount of research,” said Lisa Wood, HBSC Bank International’s head of marketing. “[H]opefully through our new online resource we’ll provide some really useful insights for any potential expats.”

Queensland Tourism’s “Best Job in the World” campaign is back with Million Dollar Memo

by McLean Robbins on

Tourism Queensland – the team behind the successful Best Job in the World campaign – today launched the Million Dollar Memo – a new campaign targeting the global incentive travel market by offering companies and workplaces around the world the opportunity to compete for AUD $1,000,000 worth of travel experiences to Queensland, Australia.

“Great companies are built by the great people within them, so we’d like to reward that hard work by giving one lucky company the chance to win the Ultimate Reward – AUD $1,000,000 worth of Queensland travel experiences for their staff,” said Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes.

“We’ve sent the Million Dollar Memo to thousands of companies and workplaces worldwide, inviting them to showcase their organization to a global audience by telling us why they are the best company in the world and why their employees deserve the AUD $1,000,000 worth of unique travel experiences to Queensland.

To be in the running, entrants need to create an entertaining 60 second video that shows what makes their company great and why they think Queensland is the ultimate reward destination. Video entries can be submitted at www.milliondollarmemo.com.

“It doesn’t matter if you work for a global sporting company, a software giant or a small-town bakery, if you have 3,000 employees or only three – the Million Dollar Memo is open to companies and workplaces around the world,” Hayes said.

The contest runs from March 18 to May 1 and consists of three phases; a Top 50 short-list, a Final 20 list and an Incentive Challenge Event which will see a representative of the final 20 companies traveling to Queensland to compete in person. People will vote for five of the top 50 contenders in a “People’s Choice” category, while the remaining 45 will be chosen by Tourism Queensland.

From the Top 50 short-list, website visitors will vote again for three “wild cards” within the Top 20. Tourism Queensland will select a further 17 entries for the Final 20 list, which will be announced on 6 July.

Those companies fortunate enough to make it to the Final 20 list will get to send a representative to Queensland for an Incentive Challenge Event which will be held in unique locations throughout the state starting on August 23.

The winner will be announced on August 31 and will enjoy the AUD $1,000,000 grand prize of Queensland incentive travel experiences.

TripAlertz wants to send you to outer space … for free

by McLean Robbins on

TripAlertz, whose launch we covered for you earlier this year, is celebrating their official “grand launch” (what do you call an online grand opening, anyway?) with a chance to win an “Epic Journey into Space”!

You can lift-off with Colonel Rick Searfoss (retired), who is one of only seven astronauts with more than 50 flights in rocket-powered vehicles. The winner can even assign the trip, subject to certain restrictions, as a gift to family, friends or a charity.

“Everyone kept telling us that we needed a launch strategy, so we took it literately,” said founder Brendan Murphy.The Epic Journey into Space is offered via a partnership with XCOR Aerospace, builder of the Lynx Suborbital reusable space plane and provider of rocket technology to leading global companies. Lynx pilot, Colonel Searfoss, has flown the Space Shuttle three times, twice as pilot and once as Commander. His first space flight as pilot in 1993 set the record for the longest duration Space Shuttle mission to date. In 1996, he piloted Atlantis to the Russian space station Mir.

The two-seat Lynx Mark I vehicle takes off horizontally from a runway with a powerful ascent reaching over twice the speed of sound (Mach 2+) on its way to the edge of space. The profound blackness of space, the spectacular view of Earth’s curvature, and 1,600 miles of viewing are unforgettable sights while experiencing weightlessness at apogee.

Using TripAlertz’s collective bargaining model, the TripAlertz Epic Journey into Space Package could be purchased for $95,000, yet as more people purchase, the power of collective buying can drive the price lower for everyone.

Those who purchase the package will also receive a personalized high definition DVD recorded by onboard cameras along with other stellar mementos and specialized pre-flight training at a luxury resort in Arizona.

The TripAlertz Epic Journey into Space includes a five-night stay at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa during training and preparation, medical evaluation and screening, a cancellation insurance policy, and of course the Lynx flight itself, which promises to be the greatest ride off Earth. A deposit of $20,000 begins the process of assigning each space tourist to the training and qualification program.

The winner of the Free Epic Journey into Space will be drawn live on broadband-streamed television at the TripAlertz Summer Solstice Party on June 21, 2011. To enter, join the site (click here) you’ll automatically receive one entry. To gain additional entries, refer friends – you’ll get one entry for each person who joins.

You’ll also get one entry for every dollar you spend on TripAlertz.

Also, anyone buying an Orlando package during the initial offer period (March 15 – June 21) will receive two tickets to Kennedy Space Center for free and increase their odds of winning.

Correction: 5:50 PM – Thanks to Blogger Stephen Greenwood for pointing out that they’re technically sending you to “space” and not “outer space.”

Gogo Inflight Internet offers free inflight Twitter access during Spring Break!

by Scott Carmichael on

If you are lucky enough to be flying on one of the U.S. domestic airlines with Gogo Inflight Internet, you are in for a treat this Spring Break season – free Twitter access.

As part of a double promotion, Gogo Inflight Internet is giving away access to the service for a month (till April 14), and is inviting you to enter a contest to win $10,000.

Getting your free Twitter access is simple – when the cabin crew tells you that you are allowed to use electronic devices, connect to the Gogo Inflight Internet signal and follow the instructions on the portal page.

You don’t even have to be inflight to enter the $10,000 contest – just click here and fill in the required fields. You can enter once a day.

Of course, if you need more than Twitter, you can purchase full Internet access inflight or before you board.

Inflight on Twitter? Don’t forget to follow @Gadling and @Gogoinflight!

[Photo: Flickr/JustJohn101]