Month: March 2020

Wer über DHL ein Paket empfängt, soll detailliertere Informationen in der Sendungsverfolgung erhalten. Der Zeitraum der Zustellung wird enger eingegrenzt und direkt vor der Zustellung wird es noch einmal einen Hinweis geben. Zudem ist eine digitale Ankündigung von Briefen geplant. (DHL, Post)

Dreidimensionale Puzzles lösen, Türen knacken, Granaten zurückschleudern: Das alles geht in Half-Life Alyx offenbar recht bequem in der virtuellen Realität. Im Video zeigt Entwickler Valve, welche Fortbewegungsmöglichkeiten es gibt - bei einer wird uns fast schon im Trailer übel. (Half-Life, Steam)

Am PC ist die vierfache 4K-Auflösung schon möglich: Wir haben uns zwei wassergekühlte Titan RTX und ein 8K-Display geschnappt, um die eine Frage zu beantworten: "But can it run Crysis?" Die Antwort lautet: jein. Dank Playstation 5 und Xbox Series X wird 8K dennoch wichtig. Ein Test von Marc Sauter (8K, OLED)

Um seine Autos besser zu vernetzen und ihnen beim autonomen Fahren zu helfen, will der chinesische Autokonzern Geely eigene Satelliten ins All schießen. Er baut dafür die erste private Satellitenfabrik in China. (Satelliten, Navigationssystem)

Der Nt Mini von Analogue kann NES- und Famicom-Spiele dank eines FPGA wie die Originalkonsolen wiedergeben - und erscheint jetzt in einer finalen Version. Diese hat ein eloxiertes Gehäuse mit Gun-Metal-Finish und kommt mit einem neuen Controller von 8bitdo. (Retrogaming, Games)

Was für eine Blamage: Erst nach mehr als 15 Monaten reagiert Google auf Kundenbeschwerden über Bluetooth-Probleme bei smarten Lautsprechern und smarten Displays. Der Fehler soll beseitigt werden. Wie lange das dauert, ist nicht bekannt. (Google Home, Google)

Googles Mutterkonzern Alphabet will die Entwicklung selbstfahrender Autos offenbar nicht mehr alleine finanzieren. Die ausgegliederte Tochterfirma Waymo hat nun eine ganze Reihe an Investoren gefunden. (Waymo, Google)

BMW hat eine seriennahe Konzeptstudie des Elektroautos i4 vorgestellt. Auf den Markt kommt das Auto mit dem futuristischen Innenraum erst 2021. (BMW, Technologie)

Over the past several years the sale of TV devices pre-configured for piracy has become a big deal all around the world.

Largely avoiding the inconvenience of scouring potentially dozens of websites looking for movies and TV shows, automated software tools embedded in these set-top boxes have provided a simple way to access the latest content from the comfort of an armchair.

The software of choice is often the Kodi media player which in itself is entirely legal until modified for piracy purposes with third-party add-ons.

Such devices can be bought online or commonly in the UK, via shops and market traders. This was the business of Londoners Thomas Tewelde and Mohamed Abdou, who sold modified ‘Kodi Boxes’ to the public via a stall at Bovingdon Market in Hemel Hempstead.

Their activities attracted the attention of Hertfordshire Trading Standards officers who carried out a covert purchase operation in July 2017. They found that not only were the set-top devices illegal but also fell short of electrical safety standards.

Earlier this month the men went on trial and after four-day hearing, were found guilty by a jury of offenses under the Serious Crime Act 2007 and Fraud Act 2006. Sentencing took place at St Albans Crown Court last Friday.

“This is not a victimless crime, every legitimate subscriber is a victim,” the judge commented during the hearing, as per the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which assisted with the investigation.

“It may not be possible to calculate loss but it will be significant given the usual charge for services, number of devices, and period over which the enterprise appears to have operated. Another serious factor is that components were unsafe. It is clear that immediate prison sentences are justified for this type of offenses.”

‘Immediate prison sentences’ in this case comes with conditions. While Tewelde and Abdou were handed one year each in prison, the judge suspended those sentences for two years, meaning that if the pair keep out of trouble, they will avoid a stretch behind bars. Nevertheless, both are still required to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and must also pay £1,000 in costs.

Despite the potential for more serious punishment, the sentences were welcomed by the parties involved in the prosecution.

Andrew Butler, Head of Regulatory Services at Hertfordshire County Council, described the sentences as a “great result” for Trading Standards while FACT Chief Executive Kieron Sharp issued the customary warning to others involved in or considering the same line of business.

“This sentence shows that if you are involved in the sale of illicit devices you can receive a criminal conviction for fraud that will have a detrimental effect on your life,” Sharp said.

“We urge consumers to remain mindful of counterfeits and illicit goods being sold at markets as many illicit streaming devices have failed to meet UK safety standards, potentially risking the lives of loved ones if installed in the home.”

The sentencing comes close on the heels of several other pieces of news related to unlicensed streaming and related devices in the UK.

Last week, John Dodds, who was previously sentenced to serve 4.5 years in prison for selling pirate IPTV devices to pubs and clubs, was ordered to pay £520,000 to the public purse. The court warned that failure to comply will mean an additional five years for the man who was convicted in a Premier League-led prosecution.

Also last week, FACT revealed that a man who previously received a 16-month prison sentence relating to the supply of set-top boxes configured to receive Sky and BT Sport broadcasts without a subscription was ordered to hand over £10,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. In his case, non-payment will result in an additional six months in prison.

Last Wednesday, FACT investigators and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) reportedly visited an address in North West England to execute warrants related to a “significant provider of illegal streaming activity.” At this stage, no further information is being made available by FACT or the police so who the target was or indeed the precise nature of the activity remains unclear.

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

Mit zwei mysteriösen Anspielungen auf Half-Life hat das Entwicklerstudio Kojima Productions den Erscheinungstermin der PC-Fassung von Death Stranding bekanntgegeben. (Half-Life, Steam)