Optimus Aux keyboard – New Art Lebedev Creation

Feeling that Optimus Mini Six keyboard is not enough for you to explore? Then you should check out this new series of Optimus keyboard created by the same artist (Art Lebedev). This is the new Optimus Aux Keyboard. Similar with all of the previous keyboards from the same creator, Optimus Aux is coming with OLED […]

Feeling that Optimus Mini Six keyboard is not enough for you to explore? Then you should check out this new series of Optimus keyboard created by the same artist (Art Lebedev). This is the new Optimus Aux Keyboard. Similar with all of the previous keyboards from the same creator, Optimus Aux is coming with OLED […]

Samsung chief avoids arrest in South Korean corruption scandal

The bribery investigation continues, but for now Lee Jae-yong remains free.

Enlarge / Lee Jae-Yong, vice chairman of Samsung, leaves after attending a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court. (credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

On Thursday, South Korean judges denied a request by prosecutors to arrest Lee Jae-yong, the vice chairman of Samsung Group and acting head of the company, over accusations of bribery, embezzlement, and perjury. Lee was accused of giving multimillion-dollar bribes to Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the South Korean President, in exchange for the approval of a 2015 merger between two Samsung Group affiliates, Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T.

The judge said in a statement that the arrest of Lee was not necessary, saying "it is difficult to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of an arrest at the current stage." Lee isn't out of the woods though, and could still face another arrest warrant as the prosecutors gather more evidence. In a statement to Reuters, a Samsung spokesperson said "We appreciate the fact that the merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention."

The accusations against Lee are part of an ongoing corruption scandal that has reached the highest levels of the South Korean government. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has already been impeached, and she is expected to become South Korea's first elected leader to be forced from office early. Two other Samsung executives are also under investigation.

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Android 7.0: Samsung verteilt Nougat-Update für S7-Modelle

Die aktuellen Topsmartphones von Samsung erhalten endlich Android 7.0: Der Hersteller hat mit der Verteilung für das Galaxy S7 und S7 Edge begonnen. Auch die S6-Modelle, das Galaxy Note 5 sowie weitere Geräte sollen in der ersten Jahreshälfte das Update erhalten. (Samsung, Android)

Die aktuellen Topsmartphones von Samsung erhalten endlich Android 7.0: Der Hersteller hat mit der Verteilung für das Galaxy S7 und S7 Edge begonnen. Auch die S6-Modelle, das Galaxy Note 5 sowie weitere Geräte sollen in der ersten Jahreshälfte das Update erhalten. (Samsung, Android)

Vivo V5 Plus smartphone has dual cameras… on the front

Vivo V5 Plus smartphone has dual cameras… on the front

There are a growing number of smartphones with dual camera systems on the back of the phone, allowing you to adjust depth, apply optical zoom effects, or snap special photos in other ways.

But the Vivo V5 Plus is one of the first phones I’m aware of to feature dual cameras on the front.

I guess sometimes you want to snap high-quality selfies. It just seems odd that this phone has only a single camera on the back, which means that many of its photography features are only available for selfies.

Continue reading Vivo V5 Plus smartphone has dual cameras… on the front at Liliputing.

Vivo V5 Plus smartphone has dual cameras… on the front

There are a growing number of smartphones with dual camera systems on the back of the phone, allowing you to adjust depth, apply optical zoom effects, or snap special photos in other ways.

But the Vivo V5 Plus is one of the first phones I’m aware of to feature dual cameras on the front.

I guess sometimes you want to snap high-quality selfies. It just seems odd that this phone has only a single camera on the back, which means that many of its photography features are only available for selfies.

Continue reading Vivo V5 Plus smartphone has dual cameras… on the front at Liliputing.

Netflix is so big that it doesn’t need net neutrality rules anymore

But small video providers still need network neutrality, Netflix says.

(credit: Netflix)

Netflix has long been an outspoken supporter of net neutrality rules, but the streaming video provider says it is now so popular with consumers that it wouldn't be harmed if the rules were repealed.

The potential of reversing net neutrality rules increased the moment Donald Trump became president-elect, as Republicans in the Federal Communications Commission and Congress want to get rid of the rules. But in a letter to shareholders yesterday, Netflix reassured investors that this won't affect the company's financial performance or service quality.

"Weakening of US net neutrality laws, should that occur, is unlikely to materially affect our domestic margins or service quality because we are now popular enough with consumers to keep our relationships with ISPs stable," Netflix wrote.

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Forcepoint: Carbanak nutzt Google-Dienste für Malware-Hosting

Wer seine Malware auf einem Command-und-Control-Server hostet, läuft Gefahr, von Firewall-Regeln erkannt zu werden. Die Carbanak-Gruppe liefert Kommandos daher über Google-Docs aus. (Cybercrime, Virus)

Wer seine Malware auf einem Command-und-Control-Server hostet, läuft Gefahr, von Firewall-Regeln erkannt zu werden. Die Carbanak-Gruppe liefert Kommandos daher über Google-Docs aus. (Cybercrime, Virus)

Theranos’ downfall due to elaborate $4M conspiracy, investor says

Last remaining defender goes to bat for company as more blunders come to light.

Enlarge / Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos CEO. (credit: Getty | CNBC)

It’s been a rough couple of years for Elizabeth Holmes, CEO and founder of the now-floundering blood-testing company Theranos. The biotech company went from a promising golden child of Silicon Valley, at one point valued at $9 billion, to a disgrace that: put patients in harm's way with tens of thousands of inaccurate blood tests; had one of its two diagnostic labs shut down by federal regulators; lost high-profile business partners; and now faces a mountain of lawsuits. Holmes herself has been banned from the blood-testing industry (pending an appeal).

But the failures aren’t due to defects in Holmes’ unproven blood testing technology or from her hard oversell. It’s really due to a vast conspiracy involving a Wall Street Journal reporter, rats at her company, and a Hollywood movie deal worth millions—at least, that's according to long-time Theranos investor and personal friend of Holmes, Tim Draper.

In an interview with AXIOS, the venture capitalist claimed that “Elizabeth is the victim of a witch hunt." And the WSJ reporter who broke the story of the company’s problems, John Carreyrou, has “some strange vendetta” against her.

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32% of All US Adults Watch Pirated Content

Nearly a third of all US adults admit to having downloaded or streamed pirated movies or TV-shows, a new survey from Irdeto has found. Even though many are aware that watching pirated content is not permitted, a large number of pirates are particularly hard to deter.

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

piratekayDespite the availability of many legal services, piracy remains rampant througout the United States.

This is one of the main conclusions of research conducted by anti-piracy firm Irdeto, which works with prominent clients including Twentieth Century Fox and Starz.

Through YouGov, the company conducted a representative survey of over 1,000 respondents which found that 32 percent of all US adults admit to streaming or downloading pirated video content.

These self-confessed pirates are interested in a wide variety of video content. TV-shows and movies that still play in theaters are on the top of the list for many, with 24 percent each, but older movies, live sports and Netflix originals are mentioned as well.

The data further show that the majority of US adults (69%) know that piracy is illegal. Interestingly, this also means that a large chunk of the population believes that they’re doing nothing wrong.

While the major copyright holders often stress that piracy results in massive revenue losses, the pirates themselves are not particularly bothered by this. In fact, 39 percent say that claimed losses don’t impact their download habits.

According to Lawrence Low, Irdeto’s Vice President of Business Development and Sales, piracy does more than just financial damage. It also limits the resources content creators have to make new content, which may ultimately lead to less choice.

“Piracy deters content creators from investing in new content, impacting the creative process and providing consumers with less choice,” Low says.

“It is becoming increasingly important for operators and movie studios to educate consumers on the tactics employed by pirates and to further promote innovative offerings that allow consumers to legally acquire content,” he adds.

This insight is not new of course. Over the past few years, various copyright groups have put a spotlight on legal services, even targeting pirates directly with educational copyright alerts.

However, for now that doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect. Piracy remains rampant, especially among younger people. Previously a similar survey revealed that among millennials, more than two-thirds admit to having downloaded or streamed pirated content.

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

Fabric: Google kauft Twitters App-Werkzeuge mit Milliarden Nutzern

Twitter hat seine Entwicklerwerkzeuge- und App-Plattform Fabric an Google verkauft. Fabric wird damit Teil von Google Firebase, das gleiche Ziele verfolgt wie das Team von Twitter. Apps, die Fabric nutzen, erreichen rund 2,5 Milliarden Mobilgeräte. (Google, Microblogging)

Twitter hat seine Entwicklerwerkzeuge- und App-Plattform Fabric an Google verkauft. Fabric wird damit Teil von Google Firebase, das gleiche Ziele verfolgt wie das Team von Twitter. Apps, die Fabric nutzen, erreichen rund 2,5 Milliarden Mobilgeräte. (Google, Microblogging)

D-Link: Büro-Switch mit PoE-Passthrough – aber wenig Anschlüssen

Stromspeisung über die eigenen Ports – und das ohne ein Extranetzteil: Das soll PoE-Passthrough im D-Link DGS-1100 erreichen. Leider hat er nur wenige Netzwerkbuchsen. (D-Link, VoIP)

Stromspeisung über die eigenen Ports - und das ohne ein Extranetzteil: Das soll PoE-Passthrough im D-Link DGS-1100 erreichen. Leider hat er nur wenige Netzwerkbuchsen. (D-Link, VoIP)