Messenger: Telegram und Telegram X aus dem App Store verschwunden

Der Messenger Telegram und die Variante Telegram X stehen momentan nicht als Download für iOS-Nutzer zur Verfügung. Möglicherweise handelt es sich um ein simples Versehen des Herstellers. (Telegram, Apple)

Der Messenger Telegram und die Variante Telegram X stehen momentan nicht als Download für iOS-Nutzer zur Verfügung. Möglicherweise handelt es sich um ein simples Versehen des Herstellers. (Telegram, Apple)

Asus Vivobook Fip 14 und 15: Nvidia-Grafikchip passt in Asus’ Budget-Convertible

Die Vivobooks Flip 14 und 15 sind Convertibles für recht wenig Geld. Auf dem Papier bekommen Käufer dafür viel: eine Nvidia-Grafikkarte, einen Kaby-Lake-Refresh-Prozessor und viele Anschlüsse. Einzig der Akku ist etwas klein. (Convertible, Intel)

Die Vivobooks Flip 14 und 15 sind Convertibles für recht wenig Geld. Auf dem Papier bekommen Käufer dafür viel: eine Nvidia-Grafikkarte, einen Kaby-Lake-Refresh-Prozessor und viele Anschlüsse. Einzig der Akku ist etwas klein. (Convertible, Intel)

Despite Protests, ISP Ordered To Hand Over Pirates’ Details to Police

A Swedish ISP has lost its battle to keep the personal identities of some users a secret. Bahnhof, which doesn’t consider piracy a serious offense, previously refused to hand over the details of suspected copyright infringers to the police. Now, however, the Administrative Court in Stockholm has handed down a ruling which will compel it to do so in future.

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

As large ISPs become more closely aligned with the entertainment industries, the days of providers strongly standing up to blocking and disclosure requests appear to be on the decline. For Swedish ISP Bahnhof, however, customer privacy has become a business model.

In recent years the company has been a major opponent of data retention requirement, launched a free VPN to protect its users’ privacy, and put on a determined front against the threat of copyright trolls.

Back in May 2016, Bahnhof reiterated its stance that it doesn’t hand over the personal details of alleged pirates to anyone, not even the police. This, despite the fact that the greatest number of disclosure requests from the authorities relate to copyright infringement.

Bahnhof insisted that European privacy regulations mean that it only has to hand over information to the police if the complaint relates to a serious crime. But that went against a recommendation from the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS).

Now, however, the battle to protect customer privacy has received a significant setback after the Administrative Court in Stockholm found that Swedish provisions on disclosure of subscription data to law enforcement agencies do not contravene EU law.

“PTS asked Bahnhof to provide information on subscribers to law enforcement agencies. Bahnhof appealed against the order, claiming that the Swedish rules on disclosure of subscription information are incompatible with EU law,” the Court said in a statement.

“In support of its view, Bahnhof referred to two rulings of the European Court of Justice. The Administrative Court has held that it is not possible to state that the Swedish rules on law enforcement agencies’ access to subscription data are incompatible with EU law.”

The Court also looked at whether Swedish rules on disclosure of subscriber data meet the requirement of proportionality under EU law. In common with many other copyright-related cases, the Court found that law enforcement’s need to access subscriber data was more important than the individual’s right to privacy.

“In light of this, the Administrative Court has made the assessment that PTS’s decision to impose on Bahnhof a requirement to provide information about subscribers to law enforcement authorities is correct,” the Court adds.

PTS will now be able to instruct Bahnhof to disclose subscriber information in accordance with the provisions of the Electronic Communications Act and the ISP will be required to comply.

But as far as Bahnhof is concerned, the show isn’t over yet.

“We believe the sentence is incorrect, but it is also difficult to take PTS seriously when they can not even interpret the laws behind the decision in a consistent manner. We are of course going to appeal,” the company said in a statement.

To illustrate its point, Bahnhof says that PTS has changed its opinion on the importance of IP addresses in a matter of months. In October 2017, PTS lawyer Staffan Lindmark said he believed that IP addresses are to be regarded as privacy-sensitive data. In January 2018, however, PTS is said to have spoken of the same data in more trivial terms.

“That a supervisory authority pivots so much in its opinions is remarkable,” says Jon Karlung, President of the Bahnhof.

“Bahnhof is not in any way against law enforcement agencies, but we believe that sensitive data should only be released after judicial review and suspected crime.”

Bahnhof says it will save as little data on its customers as it can and IP addresses will be deleted within 24 hours, a practice that has been in place for some time.

In 2016, 27.5% of all disclosure requests sent to Bahnhof were related to online file-sharing, more than any other crime including grooming minors, harassment, sex crimes, forgery, and fraud.

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

Despite Protests, ISP Ordered To Hand Over Pirates’ Details to Police

A Swedish ISP has lost its battle to keep the personal identities of some users a secret. Bahnhof, which doesn’t consider piracy a serious offense, previously refused to hand over the details of suspected copyright infringers to the police. Now, however, the Administrative Court in Stockholm has handed down a ruling which will compel it to do so in future.

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

As large ISPs become more closely aligned with the entertainment industries, the days of providers strongly standing up to blocking and disclosure requests appear to be on the decline. For Swedish ISP Bahnhof, however, customer privacy has become a business model.

In recent years the company has been a major opponent of data retention requirement, launched a free VPN to protect its users’ privacy, and put on a determined front against the threat of copyright trolls.

Back in May 2016, Bahnhof reiterated its stance that it doesn’t hand over the personal details of alleged pirates to anyone, not even the police. This, despite the fact that the greatest number of disclosure requests from the authorities relate to copyright infringement.

Bahnhof insisted that European privacy regulations mean that it only has to hand over information to the police if the complaint relates to a serious crime. But that went against a recommendation from the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS).

Now, however, the battle to protect customer privacy has received a significant setback after the Administrative Court in Stockholm found that Swedish provisions on disclosure of subscription data to law enforcement agencies do not contravene EU law.

“PTS asked Bahnhof to provide information on subscribers to law enforcement agencies. Bahnhof appealed against the order, claiming that the Swedish rules on disclosure of subscription information are incompatible with EU law,” the Court said in a statement.

“In support of its view, Bahnhof referred to two rulings of the European Court of Justice. The Administrative Court has held that it is not possible to state that the Swedish rules on law enforcement agencies’ access to subscription data are incompatible with EU law.”

The Court also looked at whether Swedish rules on disclosure of subscriber data meet the requirement of proportionality under EU law. In common with many other copyright-related cases, the Court found that law enforcement’s need to access subscriber data was more important than the individual’s right to privacy.

“In light of this, the Administrative Court has made the assessment that PTS’s decision to impose on Bahnhof a requirement to provide information about subscribers to law enforcement authorities is correct,” the Court adds.

PTS will now be able to instruct Bahnhof to disclose subscriber information in accordance with the provisions of the Electronic Communications Act and the ISP will be required to comply.

But as far as Bahnhof is concerned, the show isn’t over yet.

“We believe the sentence is incorrect, but it is also difficult to take PTS seriously when they can not even interpret the laws behind the decision in a consistent manner. We are of course going to appeal,” the company said in a statement.

To illustrate its point, Bahnhof says that PTS has changed its opinion on the importance of IP addresses in a matter of months. In October 2017, PTS lawyer Staffan Lindmark said he believed that IP addresses are to be regarded as privacy-sensitive data. In January 2018, however, PTS is said to have spoken of the same data in more trivial terms.

“That a supervisory authority pivots so much in its opinions is remarkable,” says Jon Karlung, President of the Bahnhof.

“Bahnhof is not in any way against law enforcement agencies, but we believe that sensitive data should only be released after judicial review and suspected crime.”

Bahnhof says it will save as little data on its customers as it can and IP addresses will be deleted within 24 hours, a practice that has been in place for some time.

In 2016, 27.5% of all disclosure requests sent to Bahnhof were related to online file-sharing, more than any other crime including grooming minors, harassment, sex crimes, forgery, and fraud.

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

THEC64 Mini: C64-Emulator erscheint am 29. März in Deutschland

Wie angekündigt, kommt der C64-Nachbau THEC64 Mini im Frühjahr 2018 in den deutschen Handel. Ab dem 29. März können Heimcomputer-Fans den kleinen Emulator für 80 Euro kaufen, insgesamt sind 64 Spiele vorinstalliert. (C64, Computer)

Wie angekündigt, kommt der C64-Nachbau THEC64 Mini im Frühjahr 2018 in den deutschen Handel. Ab dem 29. März können Heimcomputer-Fans den kleinen Emulator für 80 Euro kaufen, insgesamt sind 64 Spiele vorinstalliert. (C64, Computer)

Nintendo: Mario Kart Tour rast auf mobile Endgeräte zu

Erst die Arbeit, dann der Spaß: Direkt nach der Präsentation von Geschäftszahlen hat Nintendo ein von Fans lange erhofftes Rennspiel mit Mario für Smartphone angekündigt. Außerdem gibt es neue Informationen zu Nintendo Switch Online – und einen Film. (…

Erst die Arbeit, dann der Spaß: Direkt nach der Präsentation von Geschäftszahlen hat Nintendo ein von Fans lange erhofftes Rennspiel mit Mario für Smartphone angekündigt. Außerdem gibt es neue Informationen zu Nintendo Switch Online - und einen Film. (Mario Kart, Nintendo)

Nintendo confirms Mario Kart Tour for smartphones, Switch Online launch window

Investor call also reaffirmed plans for 3D-animated Super Mario film, other details.

Enlarge / Coming to smartphones by March 2019. Hopefully, we'll see more than this logo screen by then. (credit: Nintendo)

Following a release of Switch sales information earlier on Wednesday, Nintendo closed the day by confirming two major releases coming by the end of the company's current fiscal year: the paid Nintendo Switch Online service, and the first version of Mario Kart for smartphones.

The latter, currently titled Mario Kart Tour, will launch "in the fiscal year ending in March 2019," according to both the company's Wednesday investor call and a brief announcement on Nintendo's social media channels. The only information we have about the game thus far is the logo you can see at the top of this article.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's plans for the paid Switch Online service had already been pegged for some time in 2018, but today's news finally confirms a more specific window—albeit later than fans might have expected—of September 2018. As had already been confirmed, this $20/year service will debut with some form of the company's long-running Virtual Console service. In this form, it will include a selection of games that can be played so long as fans pay for its subscription charge, as opposed to a pay-per-game charge as on older consoles. The investor call hinted to "ways to further heighten the [Switch Online] experience" without clarifying what those might look like, or exactly how the classic-game selection will work (for example, whether it will be an ever-growing or rotating selection).

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Microsoft 2Q18: Trump tax hit turns strong quarter into $6.3B loss

Taxes aside, revenue was up 12 percent, and operating income up 10 percent.

(credit: Julien GONG Min)

Microsoft has posted the results of the second quarter of its 2018 financial year, running up until December 31, 2017. Revenue was $28.9 billion, up 12 percent year-on-year, and operating income was $8.7 billion, a 10 percent increase. Net income was, however, a loss of $6.3 billion, with a loss per share of $0.82. The cause of this was a $13.8 billion tax bill courtesy of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law by Donald Trump late last year. Absent that change, net income would have been $7.5 billion, up 20 percent year-on-year, with earnings per share similarly up 20 percent to $0.96.

The TCJA imposed one-time tax rates of 15.5 percent on foreign-held cash and cash equivalents, and 8 percent on non-cash, as if that foreign money had been repatriated to the US and hence subject to US corporate income tax. Many firms with large foreign-held cash piles are going to be taking big tax hits this quarter as a result; Citibank claimed a $22 billion charge, and Apple is expected to take a hit as big as $38 billion.

Microsoft currently has three reporting segments: Productivity and Business Processes (covering Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, and Dynamics), Intelligent Cloud (including Azure, Windows Server, SQL Server, Visual Studio, and Enterprise Services), and More Personal Computing (covering Windows, hardware, and Xbox, as well as search and advertising).

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