Der ehemalige Microsoft-Chef Steve Ballmer kritisiert seinen Nachfolger. Nach Auffassung von Ballmer sollten alle Windows-Phone-Smartphones in der Lage sein, Android-Apps auszuführen. (Microsoft, Android) 
Month: December 2015
Smartphone: Microsoft arbeitet am Surface Phone
Ein Surface Phone soll kommen – allerdings dauert das noch. Microsoft hat das Surface-Team darauf angesetzt, ein Oberklasse-Smartphone auf Basis von Windows 10 Mobile zu entwickeln. Dabei wird eng mit Intel zusammengearbeitet. (Microsoft, Smartphone)
Ein Surface Phone soll kommen - allerdings dauert das noch. Microsoft hat das Surface-Team darauf angesetzt, ein Oberklasse-Smartphone auf Basis von Windows 10 Mobile zu entwickeln. Dabei wird eng mit Intel zusammengearbeitet. (Microsoft, Smartphone) 
Tinkerbots: Robotersets zum Testen verfügbar
Die lernenden Roboterspielsets für Kinder gibt es jetzt im Handel. Wer sie vor dem Kauf erst einmal ausprobieren will, kann das im Dezember in einem Geschäft in Berlin tun. (Tinkerbots, Roboter) 
Die lernenden Roboterspielsets für Kinder gibt es jetzt im Handel. Wer sie vor dem Kauf erst einmal ausprobieren will, kann das im Dezember in einem Geschäft in Berlin tun. (Tinkerbots, Roboter) Windows 10 Mobile: Neue Preview-Version hat schnelleren Edge-Browser
Microsoft hat eine neue Technical Preview von Windows 10 Mobile veröffentlicht. Den aktuellen Build gibt es sowohl für Fast-Ring- als auch für Slow-Ring-Nutzer. Neben einem beschleunigten Browser enthält er vor allem Fehlerkorrekturen. (Windows 10 Mobile, Smartphone) 
Microsoft hat eine neue Technical Preview von Windows 10 Mobile veröffentlicht. Den aktuellen Build gibt es sowohl für Fast-Ring- als auch für Slow-Ring-Nutzer. Neben einem beschleunigten Browser enthält er vor allem Fehlerkorrekturen. (Windows 10 Mobile, Smartphone) Grafikchip: AMDs Tonga hat ein 384-Bit-Speicherinterface
Und es steckte doch mehr drin: AMD hat bestätigt, dass der Tonga-Grafikchip über ein 384 statt 256 Bit breites Speicherinterface verfügt. Das könnte für Arctic Islands interessant werden, denn bisher fand AMD keine passende Leistungsklasse für den Vollausbau. (Radeon R9, Grafikhardware) 
Und es steckte doch mehr drin: AMD hat bestätigt, dass der Tonga-Grafikchip über ein 384 statt 256 Bit breites Speicherinterface verfügt. Das könnte für Arctic Islands interessant werden, denn bisher fand AMD keine passende Leistungsklasse für den Vollausbau. (Radeon R9, Grafikhardware) Anno 1602: Aufbauen mit Bannern statt Stereotypen
Unser Retro-Blick auf Anno 1602 zeigt, wie es der Überraschungs-Aufbau-Hit aus Österreich geschafft hat die Herzen deutscher Strategen für sich zu gewinnen. (Golem retro_, Computer) 
Unser Retro-Blick auf Anno 1602 zeigt, wie es der Überraschungs-Aufbau-Hit aus Österreich geschafft hat die Herzen deutscher Strategen für sich zu gewinnen. (Golem retro_, Computer) Ross Ulbricht’s top confidante, Variety Jones, arrested in Thailand
“We’re playing with big money with serious people,” VJ, aka Cimon told DPR.
(credit: Aurich Lawson)
The man believed to be Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht’s closest adviser has finally been apprehended.
In a statement published Friday, the FBI said that Roger Thomas Clark, known online as “Variety Jones,” “VJ” and “Cimon,” was arrested in Thailand. The suspect is pending extradition to the United States.
“Clark may have thought residing in Thailand would keep him out of reach of U.S authorities, but our international partnerships have proven him wrong, FBI Assistant Director Diego Rodriguez said in a statement. “We thank our law enforcement partners who have worked with the FBI on this case.”
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PayPal Bans File-Sharing Classic Soulseek… After 14 Years
After banning several of the largest file-hosting sites, PayPal is now taking aim at one of the oldest file-sharing applications around. After 14 years doing business together, the payment processor has just cut off classic P2P tool Soulseek, noting that file-sharing tools require pre-approval, even though the mentioned policy didn’t exist at the time.
Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.
PayPal is widely known for its aggressive stance towards BitTorrent sites, Usenet providers and file-hosting services, and it appears that P2P software is now receiving the same treatment.
Most recently, PayPal took action against Soulseek, a file-sharing network that’s mostly used for sharing music. Soulseek has been around for a decade and a half, when Napster was still in its prime and years before BitTorrent came around.
The Soulseek client that was targeted had been using PayPal to receive donations for 14 years. It never ran into trouble and PayPal even sent personal Christmas cards to the operators, but a few weeks ago things changed.
“PayPal suddenly and unceremoniously decided to end a very friendly working relationship with us that lasted 14 years,” Soulseek’s Roz and Nir Arbel explain.
The San Francisco based Soulseek team tried to get more information on the sudden change of heart, but without much luck.
“We have asked repeatedly for an explanation of this behavior, but we have been stonewalled at every turn, and have received only form emails telling us that we needed to be ‘pre-approved’ for an account,” they explain.
While PayPal doesn’t want to comment in detail, Soulseek appears to be classified under the “file-sharing” category now. These type of sites and services have to adhere to strict rules.
This policy has been in force since 2012 and has resulted in PayPal banning many file-sharing related services.
In the case of Soulseek it would have been hard to ask for pre-approval as they were already a user many years before the policy came into effect.
That said, PayPal has made it clear that Soulseek is not allowed to use their services anymore.
“When we asked what we need to do to be pre-approved, they emailed back and said that they are ‘not granting pre-approval at this time’,” the Soulseek team notes.
Soulseek is not the first company to be banned by PayPal’s rigorous policy, and it won’t be the last. Another service that suffered the same fate recently is the TV-guide Myepisodes.com.
Even though the service doesn’t link to or host any infringing material, it was kicked off due to a “copyright issue” and because wasn’t “pre-approved.”
While PayPal hasn’t commented on the disconnections in public, it seems likely that it took action after complaints from copyright holders or industry groups, who fear that file-sharing related sites and services hurt their revenues.
Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.
Final Fantasy VII Remake gameplay revealed at PlayStation Experience keynote
New camera, dialogue, battle system; other major games revealed at expo keynote.
Final Fantasy VII Remake certainly looks more like a remake than a remaster. (credit: Square Enix)
Last year's inaugural PlayStation Experience closed 2014 with a surprising number of game and product announcements, and Sony appeared ready to double-down on this new end-of-year tradition with a follow-up, fan-focused convention full of playable demos and new products, and its two-hour keynote led off with the big Final Fantasy remaster that Sony announced at this past summer's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Final Fantasy VII Remake—the classic remaster's official name—had a gameplay-trailer reveal that showed less of a remaster and more of a total overhaul. For starters, the new version of FF7 includes a third-person, over-the-shoulder camera as its default viewpoint. That'll certainly show off the new, fully 3D content better than the original version's pre-rendered, top-down environs. The trailer's dialogue was entirely spoken aloud, as well, and its combat showed off an apparent active-battle twist, though it was hard to tell whether players will gain as much active control of Cloud Strife and other characters as the trailer appeared to show, or whether the footage simply looked more dynamic from a new perspective.
Final Fantasy big-wig Tetsuya Nomura took the stage after the presentation, but not with news of a release date or when fans can expect any playable access to the remaster. Instead, he announced that the PC version of Final Fantasy VII had already launched on PlayStation 4 via its online store.
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Steal This Show S01E02: Rebel Librarians & Pirate Academics
Today we bring you the second episode of the Steal This Show podcast, discussing the latest file-sharing and copyright news. In this episode we talk about anti-piracy campaigns and why a group of academics are promoting file-sharing, among other things.
Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.
In this second episode we discuss why pirates have always attracted extra-territorial law enforcement; the UK’s current anti-piracy campaign and the coolest anti-piracy campaigns of all time; and the cases again Libgen, Sci-Hub etc., and why they’re not just immoral, but also doomed to fail.
Finally we talk about a group of academics who are saying that file-sharing should be the future of knowledge creation – and are asking their peers to become peer-to-peers.
Steal This Show (STS) is a TF-supported initiative produced and hosted by Jamie King.
STS aims to release bi-weekly episodes featuring insiders discussing copyright and file-sharing news. It complements our regular reporting by adding more room for opinion, commentary and analysis.
The guests for our news discussions will vary and we’ll aim to introduce voices from different backgrounds and persuasions. In addition to news, STS will also produce features interviewing some of the big innovators and minds, one-on-one.
Host: Jamie King
Guests: Lawrence Liang and Tomislav Medak
Produced by Jamie King
Edited & Mixed by Eric Bouthiller
Original Music by David Triana
Topics being discussed this week:
Custodians.online
Megaupload Programmer Already Freed From U.S. Prison
UK Anti-Piracy ‘Education’ Campaign Launched, Quietly
The Cases Against Sci-Hub and Libgen
Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.