FDA pauses blood donations in 2 Florida counties with unexplained Zika cases

Four cases don’t appear travel- or sex-related, suggesting local mosquito transmission.

Female Aedes aegypti mosquito as she was in the process of obtaining a "blood meal" (credit: US Department of Health and Human Services)

The US Food and Drug Administration requested Wednesday that Florida’s Miami-Dade County and Broward County temporarily stop accepting blood donations after four people in the area inexplicably came down with Zika infections.

The four cases were not immediately explained by travel to an area experiencing an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus, nor from sex with an infected person—the two main ways US residents become infected. This has led some health officials to speculate, though not confirm, that local mosquitoes may be transmitting the virus to residents in those areas.

If local transmission is confirmed, the cases would represent the first homegrown outbreak of Zika in the continental US. It would also suggest that Zika infections, which are linked to birth defects in pregnant women but otherwise mild illnesses in adults, may be spreading undetected among Floridians. Thus residents could conceivably donate blood containing infectious viruses without knowing it.

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Mr. Robot’s attention to detail even extends to campy, 80s horror flicks

Mr. Robot not only tries all its hacks, it makes its background slasher flicks too.

Warning: This piece contains minor spoilers for this week's episode of Mr. Robot, episode four of season two.

Mr. Robot rightfully gains a lot of attention for its obsession with detail. The show employs outside consultants to make sure things like its portrayal of the FBI or the bits of code flashing across the screen adhere as closely to reality as possible. As NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans told Ars ahead of the season two premiere, the show simply “gives viewers the feeling everything is grounded in reality… Because they get the details right, the average viewer—and 80 percent of the viewers may not know the computer stuff—can watch it and it feels right. And when the show has to do something that’s unrealistic, this makes it that much easier to buy it.”

It turns out this granular focus extends beyond the show's depiction of technology, hacking, or any of the related real world news—it includes video too. Last night's episode (S2E4, "init1.asec") opened with a flashback to Elliot Alderson and his sister Darlene watching a digital copy of one of their favorite childhood VHS tapes. Plot-wise, the sequence revealed a minor detail as it flushed out the origin story of the fsociety hacker mask. But that low impact didn't stop show creator Sam Esmail from ensuring this VHS film became fully realized.

Today, USA released the VHS—The Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoisieonline as a sub-10 minute film. Entertainment Weekly reports series staff writer/producer Adam Penn lovingly created this era-appropriate Easter egg, and a quick viewing will ring true for any fan of 1980s b-horror films. For a quick plot synopsis of this NSFW gem:

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Akyumen’s phones and tablets with built-in projectors coming in September

Akyumen’s phones and tablets with built-in projectors coming in September

Sure, Motorola is selling a $300 projector that you can snap onto the back of the company’s Moto Z smartphones. But every now and again we see phones or tablets that have built-in projectors.

A startup called Akyumen seems to be building an entire line of products around the concept. This September company plans to begin selling a 10.1 inch Windows tablet, a 5.5 inch Android phone, and an odd 7 inch phablet that can run both operating systems.

Continue reading Akyumen’s phones and tablets with built-in projectors coming in September at Liliputing.

Akyumen’s phones and tablets with built-in projectors coming in September

Sure, Motorola is selling a $300 projector that you can snap onto the back of the company’s Moto Z smartphones. But every now and again we see phones or tablets that have built-in projectors.

A startup called Akyumen seems to be building an entire line of products around the concept. This September company plans to begin selling a 10.1 inch Windows tablet, a 5.5 inch Android phone, and an odd 7 inch phablet that can run both operating systems.

Continue reading Akyumen’s phones and tablets with built-in projectors coming in September at Liliputing.

Apollo astronauts dying of heart disease at 4-5X the rate of counterparts

Deep-space radiation damages cardiovascular system in mouse-astronaut model.

(credit: NASA)

Deep-space travel takes a toll on the body—and it’s apparently something you can’t moon-walk off.

Apollo astronauts who have ventured out of the protective magnetosphere of mother Earth appear to be dying of cardiovascular disease at a far higher rate than their counterparts—both those that have stayed grounded and those that only flew in the shielding embrace of low-Earth orbit. Though the data is slim—based on only 77 astronauts total—researchers speculate that potent ionizing radiation in deep space may be to blame. That hypothesis was backed up in follow-up mouse studies that provided evidence that similar radiation exposure led to long-lasting damage to the rodents’ blood vessels. All of the data was published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

The study, while not definitive, may add an extra note of caution to the potential hazards of future attempts to fly to Mars and elsewhere in the cosmos.

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Windows 10 Anniversary Update: Cortana wird zur alleinigen Suchfunktion

Mit dem Anniversary Update für Windows 10 wird die bisher optionale Suche durch Cortana ersetzt. Wer die Assistentin dann noch loswerden will, kann das zwar auf Umwegen – dann gibt es aber keine Suchfunktion mehr, zumindest nicht ohne weitere Software. (Cortana, Applikationen)

Mit dem Anniversary Update für Windows 10 wird die bisher optionale Suche durch Cortana ersetzt. Wer die Assistentin dann noch loswerden will, kann das zwar auf Umwegen - dann gibt es aber keine Suchfunktion mehr, zumindest nicht ohne weitere Software. (Cortana, Applikationen)

Quartalsbericht: Amazon schwimmt im Geld

Amazon kann das fünfte Mal in Folge einen Rekordgewinn vorlegen. Die Zeiten, in denen der weltgrößte Internethändler meist einen knappen Gewinn machte oder ein Minus erwirtschaftete, scheinen vorbei zu sein. (Amazon, Web Service)

Amazon kann das fünfte Mal in Folge einen Rekordgewinn vorlegen. Die Zeiten, in denen der weltgrößte Internethändler meist einen knappen Gewinn machte oder ein Minus erwirtschaftete, scheinen vorbei zu sein. (Amazon, Web Service)

Software: Oracle kauft Netsuite für 9,3 Milliarden US-Dollar

Oracle übernimmt den Konkurrenten Netsuite. Oracle-Gründer Larry Ellison ist zugleich mit 40 Prozent größter Aktionär von Netsuite, was Kritiker seine Interessen bei dem Kauf hinterfragen lässt. (Larry Ellison, Oracle)

Oracle übernimmt den Konkurrenten Netsuite. Oracle-Gründer Larry Ellison ist zugleich mit 40 Prozent größter Aktionär von Netsuite, was Kritiker seine Interessen bei dem Kauf hinterfragen lässt. (Larry Ellison, Oracle)

Upcoming TCL 950 could be the flagship phone the Alcatel Idol 4S isn’t (leaks)

Upcoming TCL 950 could be the flagship phone the Alcatel Idol 4S isn’t (leaks)

Alcatel recently launched two new smartphones, the $400 Alcatel Idol 4S and the smaller, cheaper $200 Alcatel Idol 4.

But it looks like the company that produces phones sold under the Alcatel brand has another model on the way, and leaks paint a picture of a phone with a faster processor, more RAM, and a higher resolution camera.

The TCL 950 showed up at the GFXBench website a few months ago, and now it’s made its way to the website of Chinese regulatory agency TENAA.

Continue reading Upcoming TCL 950 could be the flagship phone the Alcatel Idol 4S isn’t (leaks) at Liliputing.

Upcoming TCL 950 could be the flagship phone the Alcatel Idol 4S isn’t (leaks)

Alcatel recently launched two new smartphones, the $400 Alcatel Idol 4S and the smaller, cheaper $200 Alcatel Idol 4.

But it looks like the company that produces phones sold under the Alcatel brand has another model on the way, and leaks paint a picture of a phone with a faster processor, more RAM, and a higher resolution camera.

The TCL 950 showed up at the GFXBench website a few months ago, and now it’s made its way to the website of Chinese regulatory agency TENAA.

Continue reading Upcoming TCL 950 could be the flagship phone the Alcatel Idol 4S isn’t (leaks) at Liliputing.

Report: Apple’s negotiating tactics sunk its long-rumored TV service

Apple asked for too much in exchange for too little, TV executives tell the WSJ.

(credit: Andrew Cunningham)

In the months leading up to the announcement of the new Apple TV box last year, there were multiple reports that said the company was also working on a streaming TV service as a way to entice cord-cutters and "cord-nevers" into its ecosystem. Those reports suggested that the service would include some 25 channels and cost $30 or $40 a month, and it would stream live content as well as offer a Netflix-esque back catalog of shows on demand.

But it never came to pass. When the new Apple TV launched, Apple pushed apps as the future of TV rather than an all-in-one service. A new report from the Wall Street Journal today says that Apple's negotiating tactics were to blame and that the service didn't come to pass in part because Apple was offering too little money and making too many demands.

The report, which it should be noted is sourced mostly from anonymous TV industry executives and not from anyone on Apple's side of the negotiating table, lays most of the blame at the feet of SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue. The executives say he showed up to a meeting with Time Warner late and underdressed ("jeans, tennis shoes with no socks, and a Hawaiian shirt," which to be fair does sound pretty much like the Eddy Cue we see at Apple events) and that his list of requests included on-demand seasons of popular shows and Tivo-esque cloud-based recordings of shows that would allow for ad skipping.

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KickassTorrents’ Alleged Owner Retains Kim Dotcom’s Lawyer

The alleged owner of KickassTorrents has retained lawyer Ira Rothken, who also handles the defense of Kim Dotcom and his indicted Megaupload colleagues. Rothken believes that Vaulin has a strong case against the U.S. Government and hopes to have the Ukrainian released from his Warsaw jail soon, so he can mount a spirited defense.

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

kickasstorrents_500x500Last week Polish law enforcement officers arrested Artem Vaulin, the alleged founder of KickassTorrents.

The arrest resulted in the shutdown of the site, which came as a shock to millions of KAT users and the torrent community at large.

The Polish authorities acted on a criminal complaint from the U.S. Government. In the indictment, the 30-year-old Ukrainian is charged with criminal copyright infringement and money laundering.

These charges are similar to those lodged against Megaupload and Kim Dotcom. With this in mind, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Vaulin has decided to retain the same lawyer.

Ira Rothken confirmed to TorrentFreak that he will lead Vaulin’s defense working in collaboration with local counsel. Besides his familiarity with criminal copyright charges, Rothken also knows the ins and outs of torrent sites, as he previously represented isoHunt in a civil case.

While it’s still early days, Rothken believes that they have strong arguments to have the criminal complaint dismissed.

“We believe the US criminal complaint lacks merit. Torrent sites and trackers are devoid of any content files. If any infringement occurs it happens offsite and leaves Kickasstorrents behind,” Rothken informs TorrentFreak.

“This type of copyright theory is known as secondary copyright infringement and there is no United States criminal statute for secondary copyright infringement – that type of theory is at most a civil liability issue.”

The same arguments are also being raised in the Megaupload case, which is still pending after nearly half a decade.

Rothken and Kim Dotcom (credit)

rothkendotcom

Last December a New Zealand District Court judge ruled that Dotcom and his former Megaupload colleagues can be extradited to the United States. This decision was immediately appealed and a new series of hearings is scheduled to take place in a few weeks.

As noted by ARS, who first reported the news, Vaulin remains in a Warsaw jail pending his extradition request. However, Rothken hopes that the alleged owner of KickassTorrents will be able to fight his extradition outside of jail.

“We are working with local Polish counsel to try to get Artem out of the Warsaw jail so he can assist with his defense,” Rothken tells us.

The KickassTorrents website, meanwhile, is still offline. Although there are numerous mirrors available, it is unlikely that it will come back in the near future.

The KAT “community,” however, has been revived and remains active.

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