Month: September 2018

A whole bunch of eBay sellers are participating in a promotion that could save you up to $50 this weekend. Just visit the sale page, search or browse for something you want to buy, and apply the coupon code JOYFULFALL at checkout to save 15 percent off the list price… with savings maxing out at […]

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A whole bunch of eBay sellers are participating in a promotion that could save you up to $50 this weekend. Just visit the sale page, search or browse for something you want to buy, and apply the coupon code JOYFULFALL at checkout to save 15 percent off the list price… with savings maxing out at […]

The post Daily Deals (9-21-2018) appeared first on Liliputing.

Enlarge / I don't feel so good. (credit: Getty | Christopher Furlong)

Puppies given a startling amount of antibiotics have spurred a multi-state outbreak of diarrhea-causing bacterial infections that are extensively drug resistant, federal and state health officials report this week.

The finding, published in the September 21 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggests that the dog industry is in serious need of training and obedience classes. The “widespread administration of multiple antibiotic classes” to puppies, including all of the classes commonly used to treat diarrhea infections in humans, is an alarming finding, the officials suggested. They called for fairly simple fixes including better hygiene and animal husbandry practices, as well as veterinary oversight of antibiotic use.

“Implementation of antibiotic stewardship principles and practices in the commercial dog industry is needed,” they concluded bluntly.

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Enlarge / Cody Wilson speaks at the 2015 SXSW Conference for the premiere of the documentary, Deep Web. (credit: Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW)

Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson was arrested at a hotel in Taipei City's Wanhua District at around 6pm local time in Taipei today, according to reports in Taiwanese outlets The Liberty Times (Chinese,  Google Translate) and United Daily News (Chinese, Google Translate).

Authorities had seen Wilson on hotel security monitors earlier in the day, around 3pm local time. They soon sent staff to wait outside the door, and Wilson eventually walked out three hours later. Liberty Times notes Wilson did not have any contraband on him at the time of the arrest, and he appeared calm when approached by authorities. Wilson was arrested for illegally entering Taiwan after the US cancelled his passport (Google Translate).

Taipei police reportedly handed Wilson over to the National Immigration Agency. Though Taiwan lacks an extradition agreement with the US, the NIA told media (Google Translate) they are quickly making arrangements to deport him back to the US. Details about how that will be coordinated were not reported.

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The Lenovo ThinkPad A285 is a business-class compact laptop with a 12.5 inch display and a staring weight of about 2.5 pounds. It’s also powered by an AMD Ryzen Pro processor. After showing up briefly on the Lenovo website in May, the ThinkPad A285 went on sale this week… in Japan. There’s no word on […]

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Enlarge / Once you take aim, behind-the-scenes math takes control.

Turn-based tactics with an action game twist. That’s the simple, potent blend that made the original Valkyria Chronicles so immediately striking back in 2008. Now, two PSP sequels and one ill-conceived pseudo-spin-off later, that formula returns to consoles in Valkyria Chronicles 4. It’s got the same hooks of that original game, including the watercolor-and-pencil graphics and plenty of anime relationships to tease out over 35-ish combat-heavy hours.

In fact, despite being the fourth game in the series, VC4 even returns to the series’ original conflict—a sort of Norse-flavored, alternate history World War II. An evil empire (a fantastical mix of Nazi Germany and the USSR) is invading the “Atlantic Federation” and a plucky crew of volunteers from Gallia (basically fantasy Holland) sign up to bring the fight back to the fascists, big tank in tow.

All of these beats feel so much like that first game that VC4 comes across almost as a soft reboot of the original rather than a side story.

The more things don’t change

Combat and progression have been simplified compared to the previous sequels. Battle begins from an overhead perspective, but shifts to an over-the-shoulder view when you select a unit. From there you can move your units in real-time, limited only by the soldier’s dwindling “Action Points.” While you line up shots as in any over-the-shoulder shooter, a weapon’s precise aim is out of your control. It’s up to the JRPG math behind the scenes—massaged by your reticle placement—to land blows and critical headshots.

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Earlier this year, several major Hollywood studios, Amazon, and Netflix filed a lawsuit against Dragon Media Inc, branding it a supplier of pirate streaming devices.

Under the flag of the newly formed anti-piracy group ACE, the companies accused Dragon of using the Kodi media player in combination with pirate addons. As such, the company facilitates mass copyright infringement, it was argued.

While the lawsuit remains ongoing, the legal pressure prompted Dragon Box to take a good look at its business. With ACE filing lawsuits against several ‘streaming boxes,’ the problem was not going away anytime soon.

“It’s been a tough 9 months for the company and the industry,” the company writes in a Facebook message picked up by Cord Cutters News.

However, Dragon Box is not throwing in the towel. The company will change its business model and promises to continue serving the latest entertainment, albeit at a cost.

“Instead of closing our doors and shutting down all boxes and riding off into the sunset we decided that it was in the best interest of you the customers and the company to change our business model..,” Dragon Box writes.

The company adds that it will continue to try and bring customers “the best legal content we can and add in as many services we can to make Dragon Box the box that beats any competitors out there.”

While the announcement isn’t very concrete, a company representative informs TorrentFreak that they plan to officially announce their “Blend TV” subscription service next week.

This service, which has a similar website design as the box seller, is operated by uMedialink LLC and works on various platforms and devices. However, it does come with a subscription, starting at $39.95 per month for access to 65+ US Channels, including live sports streaming.

While Blend TV is not exactly a household name, its FAQ section notes that it is perfectly legal.

“Absolutely! BlendTV has the required rights and permission’s for the distribution of all our channels and movies on demand,” Blend TV’s website reads.

Dragon Box has also put up their boxes up for sale again. However, these are completely different to the ones that were offered last year. They are configured for easy access to Blend TV, and no longer come with Kodi and infringing add-ons pre-installed.

TorrentFreak spoke to someone familiar with the situation, who explained that this move was inevitable. The company believes that this change is in their own best interests and the interests of their customers.

Dragon Box still believes that online streaming is the future. And they hope that, by partnering with Blend TV, they can continue doing business without legal trouble.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and more. We also have VPN reviews, discounts, offers and coupons.