Month: June 2016

Breitbandmessung: Kaum Anschlüsse über 50 MBit/s in Deutschland

Laut der Breitbandmessung der Bundesnetzagentur sieht es mit hohen Datenraten in Deutschland weiter schlecht aus. Mehr Nutzer sollten an der Umfrage teilnehmen, wünscht sich die Behörde. So werden Werbeversprechen mit der Wirklichkeit verglichen. (Bundesnetzagentur, Handy)

Laut der Breitbandmessung der Bundesnetzagentur sieht es mit hohen Datenraten in Deutschland weiter schlecht aus. Mehr Nutzer sollten an der Umfrage teilnehmen, wünscht sich die Behörde. So werden Werbeversprechen mit der Wirklichkeit verglichen. (Bundesnetzagentur, Handy)

In “an unusual move,” US government asks to join key EU Facebook privacy case

Decision likely underlines pivotal importance of the case for transatlantic data flows.

(credit: europe-vs-facebook)

The US government has asked to be joined as a party in the Irish High Court case between the Austrian privacy activist and lawyer Max Schrems, and the social network Facebook. In a press release, Schrems called this "an unusual move."

He told Ars that there are no documents relating to the "amicus curiae"—friend of the court—request yet. "The US government simply appeared via a barrister at the first (administrative) hearing today," he said. "They will be able to file the documents until the 22nd."

Schrems speculated that the US government has made this move because it wanted to defend its surveillance laws before the European Courts. "I think this move will be very interesting," he told Ars. "The US has previously maintained that we all misunderstood US surveillance."

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IT-Probleme in Berlin: Stell dir vor es ist Wahl – und es gibt keine Wahllisten

Softwareprobleme gefährdeten die Durchführung der Abgeordnetenhauswahl in der deutschen Hauptstadt akut – sagt die Landeswahlleiterin. Der Hersteller der Software widerspricht, schuld seien die 74 verschiedenen IT-Dienststellen Berlins. (Berlin, Internet)

Softwareprobleme gefährdeten die Durchführung der Abgeordnetenhauswahl in der deutschen Hauptstadt akut - sagt die Landeswahlleiterin. Der Hersteller der Software widerspricht, schuld seien die 74 verschiedenen IT-Dienststellen Berlins. (Berlin, Internet)

$399 OSVR virtual reality headset dev kit launches in July

$399 OSVR virtual reality headset dev kit launches in July

The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive virtual reality systems started shipping recently, but virtual reality is still in its infancy, and some games or VR experiences that work with one headset may not work with another.

So it’s interesting to see another option called the Open Source Virtual Reality project, or OSVR. An early launched in 2015, and now the OSVR team has unveiled a new model called the HDK2 (hacker development kit 2) which is coming in July for $399.

Continue reading $399 OSVR virtual reality headset dev kit launches in July at Liliputing.

$399 OSVR virtual reality headset dev kit launches in July

The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive virtual reality systems started shipping recently, but virtual reality is still in its infancy, and some games or VR experiences that work with one headset may not work with another.

So it’s interesting to see another option called the Open Source Virtual Reality project, or OSVR. An early launched in 2015, and now the OSVR team has unveiled a new model called the HDK2 (hacker development kit 2) which is coming in July for $399.

Continue reading $399 OSVR virtual reality headset dev kit launches in July at Liliputing.

Walgreens ditches Theranos amid voided tests and possible federal sanctions

Nation’s largest drug store chain says the blood tests are not good for customers.

Theranos CEO and founder Elizabeth Holmes. (credit: Max Morse for TechCrunch)

After months of visible discomfort, Walgreens Co. officially ended their partnership with blood testing company, Theranos.

In a news release issued late Sunday, Walgreens announced the company had informed Theranos that it was calling off its nearly three-year-long relationship. Walgreens will close all 40 Theranos Wellness Centers in its drug stores “effective immediately.”  The announcement comes after Theranos voided or corrected tens of thousands of tests and faces possible federal sanctions for repeated failures at one of its labs.

“In light of the voiding of a number of test results, and as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has rejected Theranos’ plan of correction and considers sanctions, we have carefully considered our relationship with Theranos and believe it is in our customers’ best interests to terminate our partnership,” Brad Fluegel, Walgreens Senior Vice President, said in the news release.

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Liveblog in progress: All the games at the pre-E3 PC Gaming Show 2016

Enough with the consoles… it’s time for E3 to focus on the PC gamers again.

A gaming PC.

View Liveblog
2016-06-13T13:30:00-05:00

As part of this year's E3 festivities, PC Gamer is once again hosting a night of press announcements devoted solely to PC gaming. Ars will be on hand to liveblog the event starting at 11:30am PDT (2:30pm EDT, 7:30pm UK time) on Monday, June 13.

Last year's first ever PC Gaming Show was a long-winded lineup of PC developers chatting awkwardly on stage about newly announced games. This year's show promises to be shorter and snappier, but it should still pack in plenty of announcements from the likes of Microsoft, Oculus, AMD, Nexon, Square Enix, Sega, and more.

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Moto Z smartphone’s first MotoMods priced between $80 and $299

Moto Z smartphone’s first MotoMods priced between $80 and $299

One of the most intriguing features of Motorola’s new Moto Z line of smartphones is their support for snap-on modules that extend the functionality of the phones.

Called MotoMods, these modules can add extra battery power, high-quality speakers, and even digital projectors to your phone. But if the prices for the first few MotoMods are anything to go by, these accessories won’t be cheap.

Verizon has started showing prices for a few MotoMods, and they range from $79.99 to $299.

Continue reading Moto Z smartphone’s first MotoMods priced between $80 and $299 at Liliputing.

Moto Z smartphone’s first MotoMods priced between $80 and $299

One of the most intriguing features of Motorola’s new Moto Z line of smartphones is their support for snap-on modules that extend the functionality of the phones.

Called MotoMods, these modules can add extra battery power, high-quality speakers, and even digital projectors to your phone. But if the prices for the first few MotoMods are anything to go by, these accessories won’t be cheap.

Verizon has started showing prices for a few MotoMods, and they range from $79.99 to $299.

Continue reading Moto Z smartphone’s first MotoMods priced between $80 and $299 at Liliputing.

Liveblog: VR and some games at Sony’s pre-E3 2016 press conference (9p ET)

PlayStation 4K, PlayStation VR, and oh yeah, maybe some games, too.

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2016-06-13T20:00:00-05:00

Before E3 starts properly on Tuesday, Sony will unveil its plans for the show at a press conference from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. Ars will be on hand to liveblog the event at 6pm PDT (9pm EDT; 2am Tuesday UK time) on Monday, June 13.

The big rumors surrounding Sony ahead of E3 this year have all swirled around an expected "PlayStation 4K" mid-cycle update for the PlayStation 4 hardware. Sony confirmed those reports just days ago but said the hardware wouldn't be ready to be shown at E3.

That leaves the upcoming PlayStation VR headset as the sole likely hardware focus for the press conference. This is the final E3 before Sony finally releases its PlayStation VR hardware to the masses, so expect an intense push to show off the potential of living room VR. There will probably be showcases for some of the software that will launch alongside it this October.

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Steal This Show S01E11: ‘Is Pirate Party The Private Party?’

Today we bring you the next episode of the Steal This Show podcast, a special featuring Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge. Should the Pirate Party really be called the Private Party?

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

rick1In this special episode Rick Falkvinge, founder of The Pirate Party

Rick talks about the origins of the party, its relationship to The Pirate Bay and Pirate Bureau, his experience of taking it to the European Parliament, and the party’s relation to questions of privacy and surveillance looming ever larger in today’s society.

Should the Pirate Party really be called the Private Party? No, says Rick, it’s evolving into the natural home of citizens’ rights for digital freedom – and that’s just fine for pirates.

—

Steal This Show 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 great innovators and minds.

Host: Jamie King

Guest: Rick Falkvinge.

Produced by Jamie King
Edited & Mixed by Eric Bouthiller
Original Music by David Triana
Web Production by Siraje Amarniss

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

Liveblog in progress: Microsoft’s pre-E3 2016 press conference

Expect new hardware, Xbox platform features, and gaming exclusives.

View Liveblog
2016-06-13T11:30:00-05:00

Before E3 starts properly on Tuesday, Microsoft will unveil its plans for the show at a press conference from Los Angeles' Galen Center. Ars will be on hand to liveblog the event at 9:30am PDT (12:30pm EDT, 5:30pm UK time) on Monday, June 13.

The big buzz surrounding Microsoft at this year's E3 concerns persistent rumors of a mid-cycle refresh for the Xbox hardware. Reports suggest that Microsoft could be planning a more powerful, VR-capable Xbox One for release next year as well as a smaller, cheaper version of the current system for later this year.

We also expect more details about Microsoft's effort to bring the Xbox One and Windows platforms closer together, both for gaming and more generalized apps. After an intriguing demo of Minecraft on Microsoft's HoloLens at last year's E3, don't be surprised if we hear more about the company's augmented reality gaming plans this year.

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