| You Can Now Stream Video from Pirate Bay Posted: 10 Feb 2016 12:36 PM PST 
The Pirate Bay this week announced a plugin offered by Torrents Time, offering users the ability to stream movies directly from torrent files. Currently in beta, the feature isn't made obvious until users click on a torrent and see the "stream it" link residing between the torrent link and the anonymous download link. This is obviously illegal. Really illegal. The plugin supports Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Apple Safari. Developed for Windows 7 and above, the plugin actually downloads the torrent and shares it with other users, meaning your browser is acting like a torrent client in the background while you watch the latest rip from the movie theaters. Torrents Time says that the plugin features a built-in virtual private network (VPN) so that users can remain anonymous while they're downloading and streaming torrents. The plugin also supports Chromecast, Apple Airplay and DLNA, meaning users can switch from the browser to a big-screen TV that's connected to the same network. Earlier this month, Popcorn Time rolled out Popcorn Time Online, a web version of its popular online video service that allows users to stream movies and TV shows directly to their browser… no downloaded client needed. This version is also based on the Torrents Time plugin, and promises that Popcorn Time users will remain anonymous as they stream video to their desktops and laptops. "Looking at the sad fate of the .io team, we believe that in today's environment, maintaining anonymity will ensure that we will all be here for as long as we want to be," the team said. "By sticking to anonymity, we are not cowards who hide from righteous content monopolies, but content freedom fighters who respect the law but do not trust the law enforcers to play the law fair." This is obviously quite the spin and no matter how it's sliced, it's still illegal. How long Torrents Time remains in use is currently up in the air. VentureBeat obtained a copy of a cease-and-desist letter sent to Torrents Time from anti-piracy group BREIN, which is based in the Netherlands. The group says the streaming tool is illegal because Torrents Time is hosted on servers located in the Netherlands and must abide by the local piracy rules. The group also demands Torrents Time's physical address and the names of those who are distributing the plugin. However, Torrents Time isn't taking the scolding lightly. The team insists that, like BitTorrent, the plugin can be used to stream legal content. The group also points out that the Torrents Time website does not serve up illegal content, nor has any court ever ruled that the plugin breaches copyrights. On that note, the plugin was only released a few days ago, so we'll see. In addition to The Pirate Bay, Kickass Torrents also supposedly plans to support the Torrents Time plugin within the next few days. Online.porntime.ws, Videomax.is, and Torrentproject.se were also named as upcoming supporters. |
| Newegg Daily Deals: MSI GT72S G Tobii Gaming Laptop, Toshiba 4TB HDD, and More! Posted: 10 Feb 2016 10:40 AM PST 
Top Deal: Today's top deal is a little different than usual. It's not actually a product with a discount, but a new product that's really, really unique—it's the MSI GT72S G Tobii-805 Gaming Laptop with Tobii Eye Tracking Technology for $2599 with free shipping (Exclusive Launch at Newegg). This beast of a laptop (17.3-inch display, Intel Core i7-6820HK processor, 32GB RAM, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD, GeForce GTX 980M, and Windows 10) is unique in that you can control games with your eyeballs. Crazy, right? Plus it comes with a few free gifts—backback, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and a mouse pad. Other Deals: Intel Core i7-6700K 8M Skylake Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1151 91W Desktop Processor Intel® HD Graphics 530 for $380 with free shipping (normally $414 - use coupon code: [EMCEGEN22]) Toshiba 4TB 7200 RPM 128MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Desktop Internal Hard Drive Retail Kit for $120 with free shipping (normally $135 - use coupon code: [ESCEGEN25]) Samsung 850 Pro 2.5-inch 1TB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $380 with free shipping (normally $430 - use coupon code: [EMCEGEN23]) Asus X99-A/USB 3.1 LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $230 with $4 shipping (normally $250 - use coupon code: [EMCEGEN26]) |
| AMD Stays Vested in Laptop Market, FreeSync Notebooks Coming Soon Posted: 10 Feb 2016 10:30 AM PST Still a player in laptops  AMD issued a press release today touting an increase in notebook market traction specifically tied to its 6th Generation AMD PRO A-Series mobile processors. The company was short on figures, but did note a strengthened relationship with HP. In particular, AMD pointed to HP's 14-inch ProBook 645 and 15.6-inc ProBook 655 as examples of cost-effective and capable solutions for businesses. "We are pleased to continue strengthening our relationship with HP through the latest HP ProBook design wins," said Jim Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Business Group at AMD. "We've seen positive consumer and commercial response to our 6thGeneration A-Series processors and the recent announcements by HP, along with AMD technology adoption by global companies and the popularity of AMD systems during the holiday season, help confirm the strength of our product." It's sort of a strange press release that amounts to a lot of high-fiving between AMD and HP, though reading between the lines, AMD seems to be saying that it's not conceding the laptop market to Intel. That might not be obvious to casual observers who've only or mostly seen mention of Intel's Skylake architecture in laptops, but even so, AMD isn't waving the white flag. The release wasn't totally absent of numbers, either—AMD points out that global facilities provider ISS recent equipped employees with HP EliteBooks powered by AMD PRO A-Series processors. ISS is home to over half a million employees spread across 77 countries. Security outfit Brink also recently bought into AMD's architecture by equipping its IT staff with HP EliteBook 700 series models. So, uh, take that Intel? The more interesting tidbit was a paragraph at the bottom confirming HP's plans to enable AMD's FreeSync technology in future laptops. Specifically, the HP Envy 15z powered by AMD A-Series processors will support FreeSync, AMD says. They'll be available sometime in the first half of this year, and by the end of the year, HP expects to support FreeSync on all AMD-powered laptops. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| PayPal Aids Netflix in Losing War Against VPN Users Posted: 10 Feb 2016 09:59 AM PST An unwinnable war?  PayPal appears to be helping Netflix in its efforts to stop people from streaming movies and TV shows that aren't supposed to be available to them in their region. What isn't known is whether PayPal's effort is intentional or just coincidentally linked to Netflix. More on that in a moment. Here's the thing—Netflix subscribers have been using VPN services to sidestep Netflix's content restrictions in certain areas. Netflix isn't unaware of this tactic, so for about the past month, it's been stepping up its effort to stop this from happening. According to SlashGear, Netflix has only been partially successful, with just two VPN providers having users report issues accessing Netflix. Those users received a message from Netflix saying that they were using "an unblocker or proxy" and that they should try accessing Netflix after disabling them. Netflix was able to thwart the users' attempts to access restricted content by identifying the IP addresses their VPN providers were using. However, it was a short lived victory for Netflix—within hours, both VPN providers switched over to a new block of IP addresses and their users were once again able to access Netflix unfettered. It's a constant uphill battle for Netflix, though it may have scored an unlikely ally in PayPal. The online payment service recently decided to stop processing payments to UnoTelly, a VPN provider in Canada. Here's why: "Under the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy, PayPal may not be used to send or receive payments for items that infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy, or any other proprietary right under the laws of any jurisdiction," PayPal said. PayPal didn't specifically mention Netflix, and the two may not be in cahoots at all. Be that as it may, Netflix will gladly take the assist, even if it's to fight a futile war. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Oculus Details First Rift Ready PC Bundles, Pre-Orders Start February 16 Posted: 10 Feb 2016 09:18 AM PST Getting a jump start on VR  Oculus has revealed the first batch of officially certified "Oculus Ready" PCs in anticipation of its Rift headset shipping to users at the end of next month. All of the systems unveiled will be available to pre-order on February 16, 2016 (next Tuesday) at a discount of up to $200 off their normal selling prices. Asus, Dell, and Dell's Alienware division are the first out of the gate with Oculus Ready branded systems. They start at $1,499 and come bundled with a Rift headset. If you already pre-ordered a Rift, Oculus will give you a code to purchase an Oculus Ready PC at a discount. Here's a look at the configurations:  The prices you see above are for just the systems—you have to add another $599 to account for the Rift headset. In doing so, the least expensive configuration, a Dell XPS 8900 SE with an Intel Core i5-6400 processor, 8GB of DDR4 memory, Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 graphics card, and 1TB hard drive, jumps to $1,499. Along with the Alienware X51 R3, both are just above the minimum recommended system requirements for the "full Rift experience," which calls for the following: - Nvidia GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or greater
- Intel Core i5-4590 equivalent or greater
- 8GB+ RAM
The Rift also requires Windows 7 SP1 or newer, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI 1.3+ video output supporting a 297MHz clock via a direct output architecture. Of course, "Oculus Ready" is just a marketing certification for vendors selling systems that meet or exceed the required specs—you can build your own PC to run with Rift. If you want to go the pre-built route, the above PCs will be available to pre-order from Best Buy, Amazon,and the Microsoft Store. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Google Updates Gmail with New Security Features Posted: 10 Feb 2016 08:58 AM PST 
In celebration of Safer Internet Day, Google has updated Gmail on the web with two new security features that will be rolling out to users this week. The changes center around Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption and email authentication, aiming to keep users' email safe from hackers. However, the company points out that other services need to take the same steps Google is implementing to ensure the privacy of both the sender and receiver. "Gmail has always supported encryption in transit using TLS, and will automatically encrypt your incoming and outgoing emails if it can," says Google's Product Manager John Rae-Grant. "We support industry-standard authentication to help combat email impersonation. And there are tons of other security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe." The first change focuses on TLS encryption. If the Gmail user is about to send a message or receive a message from someone who uses a service that doesn't support TLS encryption, then they'lll see a broken icon in the message. Why is this a big deal? TLS is a protocol that encrypts messages and delivers them securely. Without TLS, a third party could eavesdrop on the transmission between mail servers and read your private emails. Google admits that TLS encryption isn't a perfect solution, but it's currently good enough to be adopted as the standard for secure email. Back in 2014, Google showed that 65 percent of the messages from Gmail to other providers were encrypted, whereas 50 percent of the incoming messages to Gmail were encrypted. That number has climbed since then, with 82 percent of outgoing email encrypted and 58 percent incoming encrypted. The second Gmail change deals with authentication. If a user receives a message that Google can't authenticate, then it will be branded with a question mark in place of the sender's avatar, corporate logo, or profile photo. Email authentication is important because an email provider can recognize the sender of an incoming message. This authentication data can be used to fight spam and other forms of email abuse, and to verify to source of any received email. "For example, if you receive a message from a big sender (like a financial institution, or a major email provider, like Google, Yahoo or Hotmail) that isn't authenticated, this message is most likely forged and you should be careful about replying to it or opening any attachments," Google states. John Rae-Grant's blog on Tuesday points out that not all email falling under the new security features will be dangerous. However, Gmail users are encouraged to be cautious about emails that can't be authenticated or arrive from a mail server that doesn't support TLS encryption. And as always, don't click on links embedded in suspicious emails. |
| Technolust: Home Necessities and Accessories Posted: 10 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST Crazy speakers, a sucky robot, and a cloud to sleep onSpeakers worthy of the godsOne Devialet Phantom speaker costs $2,000 and supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and optical. It also peaks at 750 watts and has a sound range between 16Hz and 25Hz with a 99dB SPL rating one meter away. That's a lot of volume firepower, and I want two of them for stereo audio. I was literally blown away by them when I got the chance to hear them live at Maximum PC Editor-in-Chief Tuan Nguyen's house. They look extremely crazy up close, with the little spheres inside the 35x25x25cm body pulsating with an almost alien-like movement, but it was the sound that truly blew me away. It was easily the most powerful and amazing sound quality experience that I've ever heard in a home. We played a smattering of songs and I felt like I was at a live concert in front of live instruments. 
So, what would the Devialet Phantoms provide me that I'm not getting now?Right now, I'm using two cheap Dell speakers that I got as hand-me-downs from a decade ago. They get the job done, but won't blow anybody away, let alone an audiophile. The Devialet Phantom would allow me to blow the roof off my place, much to the chagrin of my neighbors. A cloud for my backRight now I'm using a bed from Ikea that I bought several years ago, but I would love to have is a fancy bed. I googled "best bed in the world" and the $7,500 GrandBed by Tempur-Pedic was one of the first beds to pop up. Upon further research, it looks like the bed would indeed be a dream to sleep on. Dubbed "the ultimate sleep experience," the GrandBed Mattress offers dual Tempure-HD Comfort Layers with awesome tailoring and expensive textiles. I'm no mattress expert, but that sounds like a dream come true. 
So, what would the GrandBed by Tempur-Pedic provide me that I'm not getting now?I suffer from a mild case of insomnia and I am sometimes up from the middle of the night until the sun creeps over the horizon. There are probably a number of contributing factors to blame, but I suspect my stiff bed has a lot to do with it. The GrandBed could greatly alleviate my sleep issues, and also help out some budding back pain issues I'm hoping to correct before they become worse. My own Rosie the RobotI've recently looked into getting a Roomba, and must admit I had no idea how expensive they can be! The one that I am eyeing in particular, the iRobot Roomba 980 Vacuum Cleaning Robot, costs a staggering $900! That's one expensive Vacuum cleaner, and for that price, it better suck! While it's too steep for my wallet, a $900 robot that helps clean my room is the stuff of TechnoLusts. 
So, what would the iRobot Roomba 980 Vacuum Cleaning Robot provide me that I'm not getting now?Right now, I have to bust out the heavy vacuum cleaner to clean up the carpet, and if I'm being honest, I haven't been terribly great with that as of late. The Roomba 980 would allow me to be a little lazier, while having a cleaner place at the same time. |
