Hacker crashes Google Play -- twice

A developer said he was testing a vulnerability. But when Google got the service back up and running, he crashed it again.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

It's an outage you may not notice -- until it holds up the next update to Candy Crush, Plants v. Zombies or Clash of Clans. But developers are furious.

The publishing system known as Google's Developer Console first crashed mid-day Sunday. Many app developers still found themselves blocked from uploading to the Google Play Store on Monday. Some developers noted the issue appeared to be resolved on Monday, but another posted in a Google forum, "problem started again."

Meanwhile, Android users don't have access to new apps and updates. Existing apps are still available for download. Google's (GOOG, Fortune 500) Android software powers nearly 80% of the smartphone market.

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Ibrahim Balic, a Turkish hacker, claimed responsibility for the attack. He said the developer console crashed when he tried to test a vulnerability he discovered.

Balic wrote an app to exploit the flaw, which he expected to fail. But he said he didn't expect it to knock everyone offline as well.

Balic pleaded forgiveness from his online peers.

"I didn't have any malicious aim," he told CNNMoney. "I am so sorry for this damage."

He said the site crashed again when he uploaded the app to Google's publishing system a second time.

"I just wanted to be sure about (the) vulnerability," he said.

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Balic said he notified Google of the issue but has yet to hear back. Google's press office did not immediately return a request for comment from CNN.

By his own account, this isn't Balic's first joust with smartphone app developers. He claimed to be the intruder behind an attempted hack of Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) Developer Center last summer.

Android developers blocked from uploads this week voiced their frustration on Google's site and elsewhere online. They wrote in outage reports from Ireland and Israel to Spain and Russia.

"You really uploaded that thing again?" one posted on Reddit. "Now it will be quite hard to explain that it was accidental..."

But amid the grievances, that poster found space for some advice:

"It's quite something what you did, but I would also get a lawyer to be safe."

First Published: March 17, 2014: 3:26 PM ET

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St. Patrick's Day parade boycotts: 'A watershed moment'

Even without its big beer sponsors, the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade proceeded as scheduled.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

A social media firestorm has erupted as a result, and related stories have received tens of thousands of comments from beer lovers, Irish enthusiasts, and LGBT activists and opponents.

But why are the parades such a hot button issue?

On Friday, Sam Adams (SAM) pulled its sponsorship of Boston's parade. Guinness and Heineken (HEINY) followed by withdrawing sponsorships of New York City's parade. But both of these events have had rules in place for years that prohibit sexual orientation from being displayed -- meaning LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) groups have been unable to march openly.

Related: Guinness pulls out of St. Patrick's Day parade

For the first time, however, companies are realizing that getting on the wrong side of the LGBT community could have a serious impact on their reputation -- and business, said Deena Fidas, director of workplace equality programs at the Human Rights Campaign.

"The St. Patrick's Day parade has become this major watershed moment," Fidas said. "It's largely symbolic, because we're seeing an appetite for getting rid of the last vestiges of discrimination."

Boston and New York City parade organizers -- the Allied War Veterans Council and the NYC Saint Patrick's Day Parade -- could not be reached for comment.

Sam Adams decided to withdraw its support of the parade after a local bar threatened to no longer serve its beer, while gay rights icon Stonewall Inn said it would dump Guinness if the company continued to sponsor the parade.

But the beer giants weren't just worried about a few bars dropping them. They were trying to get ahead of the public outrage that would likely occur if they'd supported the parade, said Fidas.

In a similar decision earlier this year, Walt Disney Co. (DIS, Fortune 500) announced it will stop funding the Boy Scouts of America because of the organization's policy banning gay leaders.

In just the past year, the Supreme Court overturned the 1996 law defining marriage as between a man and a woman -- meaning same-sex married couples are now eligible for more than 1,000 spousal benefits. There are now 17 states where same-sex marriage is legal -- more than double the number in 2012.

As the tide turns, companies are realizing they need to get in line with public opinion or risk the wrath of customers. That's why a record number of U.S. corporations now have nondiscrimination policies in place and offer same-sex benefits, says Fidas. Hundreds of businesses also publicly urged the Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act -- including companies like Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) and Citigroup (C, Fortune 500).

"We've seen more change in the last 12 to 14 months than we ever have in regards to corporations becoming more public in their support of LGBT equality," she said.

Related: Record number of U.S. firms offering same-sex benefits

And while a lot of it is just smart business, firms are also trying to make sure that their public stances reflect their company policies of treating LGBT employees equally.

"They say, 'We wouldn't tolerate any discrimination at our company, so why would we tolerate it somewhere else,'" said Fidas.

Ford (F, Fortune 500) is one of the last major U.S. companies to keep its sponsorship of the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade, but the company was not immediately available for comment. LGBT advocacy group GLAAD said a number of colleges and universities are also still sponsors.

Both the Boston and New York City parades have removed lists of sponsors from their websites.

First Published: March 17, 2014: 2:44 PM ET

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Candy Crush company founder left $1 billion on the table

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In 2003, Rowland co-founded King Media Entertainment, maker of the hugely popular Candy Crush video game. He left the company in 2011, cashing out his stake for just under $3.1 million. But King is now preparing for an initial public offering that will value the company at around $7.6 billion, making Rowland's former stake worth $966 million, according to research firm PrivCo.

Also missing out on the bonanza is former King director Klaus Hommels, PrivCo says. Hommels' former stake in the company, sold for about $3.3 million in 2011, would be worth around $1 billion at King's planned IPO price.

Rowland now heads the educational site Mangahigh.com, while Hommels serves on the board of streaming music service Spotify. The two could not be reached for comment.

Related story: Candy Crush maker files for IPO

King did not respond to a request for comment.

King has surged in value on the strength of the smash hit Candy Crush, which averages around 93 million players each day. The game was released on Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) in April 2012, and smartphone versions were released later that year.

First Published: March 17, 2014: 4:57 PM ET

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Billionaire buys $201 million life insurance policy

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Guinness World Records, which announced the policy, said it is the largest ever issued.

Neither the record keeper nor the issuer would say who is covered by the massive policy.

Dovi Frances, the adviser who arranged the policy, would only say it went to a well-known technology billionaire from California.

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The wealthiest of the wealthy buy life insurance for several reasons.

Primary among them are tax purposes, Frances explained.

A wealthy estate is hit with a hefty tax bill, and there may not be enough cash to cover it, since many millionaires and billionaires hold their wealth in investments, he said.

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The $201 million policy is more complicated than most. It's underwritten by 19 different insurance companies, each with a slice of less than $20 million, he said. If a single lender took the whole policy, Frances said, "they would go into bankruptcy if the insurance policy is called."

And a big plan comes with a big cost. Frances said the price is "in the low single-digit millions."

First Published: March 16, 2014: 5:21 PM ET

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Honda Odyssey recall ties 900,000 minivans to fire risk

The nearly 900,000 minivans include models years 2005 through 2010. Here, the Odyssey is pictured at a dealership in 2010.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The recall includes some Honda Odysseys of model years 2005 through 2010.

The automaker said it expects replacement parts won't be available until the summer, but it can provide customers a temporary repair in the meantime. Honda said it would begin notifying customers in about five weeks.

Honda said it knows of no fires or injuries as a result of the issue, which it described in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: "Prolonged exposure to acidic chemicals and a high temperature environment may cause the cover of the fuel pump strainer to deteriorate prematurely in a manner that can result in cracks in the material."

Fuel can then leak out of the cracks, Honda told NHTSA, "increasing the risk of fire."

Related: Odyssey minivan has a built-in vacuum cleaner

Last year Honda recalled 344,000 Odyssey minivans of model years 2007 and 2008 for a sensor issue that can cause the vehicle to brake on its own.

First Published: March 16, 2014: 12:02 PM ET

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Guinness pulls out of St. Patrick's Day parade

Revelers watch the St. Patrick's Day parade last year.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The beer maker late Sunday announced its decision to drop its sponsorship of Monday's parade in New York City.

Over the weekend, gay rights icon Stonewall Inn had threatened to stop selling Guinness beer if the company continued to sponsor the parade. And LGBT advocacy group GLAAD had planned an anti-Guinness event on Monday.

"We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year's parade," Guinness said in a statement. "As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation."

Parade organizers could not be reached for comment.

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The announcement by Guinness comes days after rival Heineken (HEINY) also pulled out of the New York City parade, and Sam Adams (SAM) announced that it would no longer sponsor the Boston parade for the same reason.

Both parades have policies under which sexual orientation is not allowed to be displayed, meaning marchers are not able to hold signs or wear shirts identifying themselves as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender).

"Today, Guinness sent a strong message to its customers and employees; discrimination should never be celebrated," GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.

The speaker of the New York City Council also congratulated the three beer companies on their decisions.

"I want to commend Guinness, Sam Adams and Heineken for taking a stand on behalf of the LGBT community who should be able to march openly and proudly in the St. Patrick's Day Parade," Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said in a statement.

--CNN's Elizabeth Landers contributed to this report.

First Published: March 16, 2014: 9:03 PM ET

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Heineken and Sam Adams boycott St. Patty's Day parades

Heineken and Sam Adams are withdrawing their sponsorships of St. Patty's Day parades in New York City and Boston.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Sam Adams, owned by Boston Beer Co (SAM), will no longer be sponsoring the parade in Boston on Sunday, while Heineken (HEINY) has pulled its sponsorship from the New York City parade on Monday.

"We believe in equality for all," a Heineken USA spokeswoman said.

Sam Adams said it had tried to convince Boston's parade organizers to modify their rules and allow LGBT groups to march.

Related: Obamacare will cover same-sex spouses

"We were hopeful an agreement could be reached to allow everyone, regardless of orientation, to participate in this parade," the company said in a statement. "However, given the current status of the negotiations, this may not be possible."

The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, which is organizing the parade, said in a statement on its website that it is not opposed to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people, it just doesn't allow sexual orientation to be displayed.

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It said lesbian and gay veterans who had wanted to march as part of an LGBT veterans group could still march in the parade under the condition that they wouldn't identify themselves as gay with signs or t-shirts.

"We invite all to join us to celebrate this historic event, but we must maintain our guidelines to insure the enjoyment and public safety of our spectators," the group stated.

Even the cities' mayors have reservations. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is boycotting the parade, while Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is reportedly trying to convince organizers to change their policy before he makes his final decision.

First Published: March 14, 2014: 6:01 PM ET

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Target details risks from giant data breach

The retailer says the greatest threat from the data breach is to its reputation.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The retailer made the statement in a filing with federal regulators disclosing a host of "material" risks to its business.

The breach compromised credit card numbers and other personal information on tens of millions of customers. Target said it racked up $61 million in expenses in the final months of 2013 because of the hack.

Target (TGT, Fortune 500) said the greatest risk it faces is the negative impact on its reputation "and loss of confidence" of its customers.

Related: Target to invest in chip-based credit cards

As a result of the breach, which could be one of the largest in U.S. retail history, Target is under a number of government investigations and is facing more than 80 lawsuits, the retailer said Friday.

The company experienced weaker than expected U.S. sales after the data breach was discovered in December. At this point, it said it has not been able to determine if it will impact business in the long-term.

First Published: March 14, 2014: 5:59 PM ET

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Weibo: China's Twitter files to go public

Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site, filed for an IPO in the U.S. on Friday.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Beijing-based social media company intends to list on the New York Stock Exchange and is looking to raise $500 million.

Weibo, owned by Sina Corp. (SINA), was profitable for the first time in the last three months of 2013, raking in $3 million. The results were boosted by a 163% surge in ad revenues to $56 million.

Most of the company's revenue comes from ads since it does not charge users, except for VIP memberships.

Weibo has been growing -- active daily users numbered 61.4 million at the end of December, up from 58.9 million in September.

Related: Weibo IPO should be turning points for Sina

It had about 129 million monthly users in December. Weibo has some catching up to do -- by comparison, Twitter (TWTR) averages 241 million monthly users and went public last November.

Friday's regulatory filing did not disclose the number of shares to be sold or the price range for those shares.

First Published: March 14, 2014: 7:06 PM ET

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Microsoft launches cheaper Office 365 'Personal'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Office 365 Personal can be installed on just one PC and one tablet. For those who don't necessarily need the productivity suite on a regular basis, they can opt to pay Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) $7 a month for the service.

Microsoft introduced Office 365 to consumers in January 2013. The subscription service allows customers to get frequent software updates, ensuring that they always have the latest version of Office installed on their computers and tablets.

Sales been promising: Microsoft sold Office 365 to 3.5 million consumers in 2013. But the company admitted a dip in sales during its Q1 earnings report, which was probably a key motivator for the launch of "Personal."

Related: Microsoft wants you to pay $100 a year for Office

But where Office 365 Personal fits into Microsoft's suite of Office products is odd.

For $100 a year -- just $30 a year more than "Personal" -- you can buy the full version of Office 365 Home, which lets you install Office on 5 different computers or tablets. For $140, you can buy a standalone, Internet-free version of Office, which would probably serve most people well for a decade. Or there's the free Outlook Web Apps suite, which lets most consumers create the Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations that they need.

Office 365 Personal gives customers some advanced formatting options, regular updates, the ability to use Office on a tablet, and cloud integration with OneDrive. But does an everyday computer user really need all that?

Many of the features and benefits that Office 365 provides over its competitors are very much worth the premium for businesses and advanced users. But for the type of user its trying to capture with Office 365 Personal - the average user - a $70 a year subscription seems like a tepid incentive.

First Published: March 13, 2014: 3:20 PM ET

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