KickassTorrents Domain Goes Up for Sale

One of the main domains associated with the now-defunct KickassTorrents website has gone up for sale. Registered with the same Costa Rican registry as the site’s main Kat.cr domain, Kickass.cr is available via the SEDO marketplace for a minimum bid of $230.

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

katcommIt’s been two and a half weeks since the shutdown of KickassTorrents, the world’s leading torrent site, but beyond the US criminal complaint and the arrest of its owner, little fresh news has been made available.

In the background, however, the wheels turn.

As revealed last week, Ira Rothken, Kim Dotcom’s lawyer, will be representing KAT founder Artem Vaulin in his battle with US authorities. Rothken sees parallels with the Department of Justice’s battle against Megaupload, so in some respects the cases will compliment each other.

But as Vaulin languishes in a Polish jail, the work of US law enforcement continues. Part of the KickassTorrents complaint supports seizure warrants against several of the site’s domains, as listed below.

kat-domains

KickassTorrents.com has already been seized and currently displays the familiar Homeland Security/Department of Justice seizure banner.

Kastatic.com, a domain utilized for some technical aspects of the site, is also in the hands of the United States government.

Thekat.tv has been taken too and is being directed to the familiar SeizedServers.com. It does not currently display the banner, however.

All three of these domains were under the control of the US-based Verisign registry, which might explain why they were seized so rapidly. That being said, the Tonga-based Kickass.to also fell quickly into US hands, despite the ccTLD being a famous hold-out for all kinds of pirate sites. It too displays the seized banner.

Others are taking longer to process, such as the Philippines-based Kat.ph. That domain hasn’t been used for some time though, despite being involved in earlier legal disputes.

Interestingly, Kat.cr, the site’s main domain, and Kickass.cr, a memorable backup, are both sitting dormant and not yet directing to a seizure banner. The Costa Rican domain registry in control of them is staying tight-lipped over their status, informing TorrentFreak that local legislation forbids them from providing details.

“According to the Republic of Costa Rica Law on Protection of Persons against the use of their Personal Data (Law No. 8968), we are not authorized to provide information of any kind about .cr domains to third parties who are not the owners of the domain,” the registry told TF.

However, we can see from the domains’ WHOIS entries that one of them is sporting an unexpected update.

kickass-cr-sale

Despite all its troubles, somehow Kickass.cr has been put up for sale. Those interested in purchasing the memorable domain are directed to the SEDO marketplace where they are invited to submit an offer. After two bids the price being asked is a ridiculously low $230, but anyone is free to offer as much as they like.

kickass-cr-offer

While someone may be tempted to offer real cash (rather than our Monopoly money), it seems unlikely any sale will go through to completion. Firstly, the US government is determined to get its hands on the domain but separately it also shows some unusual markers in its status which suggest any sale won’t be a smooth one.

kickass-status

In the meantime, many other KickassTorrents-owned domains appear to have been overlooked or are of no interest to the United States. At least a dozen separate domains owned by KAT-related entities remain active. Crucially, however, none point to a useful torrent website.

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

What I learned playing Metacritic’s all-time worst-scoring PC games

Mostly, Ars learned that playing them is a terrible idea. Watch our video instead.

What can we learn from gaming’s failures? I don’t mean the usual, well-documented critical duds like Duke Nukem Forever and Daikatana. I’m talking about the industry’s crater-deep disasters.

To answer this question, I dug up the five lowest-scoring PC games ever registered on Metacritic, which proved to be an interesting list. Interesting, as in the most terrifying growth you’ve ever seen on an elderly person's back. That kind of interesting.

Worse games may exist, surely, but these five received universal disdain and did something to attract people’s attention. Maybe it was because they preyed on post-9/11 tensions or because they were so bad that the developer had to release an official apology.

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Ars asks: How can I bring my ancient car stereo into the modern era?

My 2003 Toyota Prius still has a tape deck! What new head unit do I want?

The 2003 Toyota Prius in question. (credit: Cyrus Farivar)

While I spend most of my time on my bike, my wife and I share a 2003 Toyota Prius. Technologically speaking, this is almost like saying I still own a Treo 650. Sure, it's a modern smartphone, but barely.

When we bought the used Prius in 2012, the previous owner made hay about how he had an aftermarket multi-disc CD changer installed in the trunk. I told him I would never use it, and more than four years later, I've proven myself right. Usually our radio is tuned to KQED (yes, we’re Bay Area public radio nerds), or for longer drives, podcasts.

For those unfamiliar with the Prius, its screen for displaying real-time energy efficiency pales in comparison to more modern cars. In fact, to hook up my iPhone, I have to use a cassette adapter to connect to the stereo and the cigarette lighter for power. (Cars Technica Editor Jonathan Gitlin reminds me that the last car to have a factory cassette deck was in model year 2010!)

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Corsair Lapdog vs. Razer Turret: Which mouse and keyboard wins for couch gaming?

Two different takes on a keyboard and mouse for the living room—and one clear winner.

(video link)

Making a keyboard and mouse for PC gaming in the living room is hard. Just ask the infamous company Phantom Entertainment which—after blowing tens of millions of dollars trying and failing to release a PC-based console—settled on releasing the ergonomic monstrosity that was the Phantom Lapboard instead. Since then, few companies have taken the challenge on. Sure, Valve had a stab at it with its Steam Controller, and while that functions as a good substitute for a keyboard and mouse in certain games, it's not quite the same as tapping away on some WASD keys.

Fortunately, thanks to the buoyant PC gaming scene, there's been a renewed interest in developing a keyboard and mouse that work well on a couch—and as someone who built a gaming PC specifically to use in the living room, only to resort to using an Xbox controller, I was particularly keen to try them out. Enter the Corsair Lapdog "gaming control centre" and Razer Turret, two very different takes on a keyboard and mouse for the lounge.

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Microsoft: 2017 gibt es zwei große Windows-10-Updates

Nach dem Anniversary-Update soll es in diesem Jahr keine größeren Feature-Pakete für Windows 10 mehr geben. Im kommenden Jahr sind dafür gleich zwei Releases mit neuen Funktionen zu erwarten. Noch in diesem Jahr wird aber eine neue Long-Term-Support Version erscheinen. (Windows 10, Microsoft)

Nach dem Anniversary-Update soll es in diesem Jahr keine größeren Feature-Pakete für Windows 10 mehr geben. Im kommenden Jahr sind dafür gleich zwei Releases mit neuen Funktionen zu erwarten. Noch in diesem Jahr wird aber eine neue Long-Term-Support Version erscheinen. (Windows 10, Microsoft)

Ninjavideo Uploader Featured on Interpol’s “Wanted” Criminals List

Half a decade after the U.S. Government took down the popular video piracy site Ninjavideo, one of the key defendants is still at large. The landmark case resulted in several prison sentences and the authorities haven’t given up on catching the last suspect either, who’s now featured on Interpol’s list of wanted criminals.

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

ninjavideoFive years ago, several people connected to the video streaming and download site NinjaVideo were indicted by the U.S. Government on copyright infringement and conspiracy charges.

The landmark case resulted in several convictions, including a 22 month prison sentence for one the site’s founders, the outspoken Hana Beshara.

The convictions date back several years ago. Beshara, who received the longest sentence, served her time and was released last summer. However, that doesn’t mean that the case is closed.

One of the indicted NinjaVideo members, Zoi Mertzanis from Greece, is still at large. Mertzanis, AKA “Tik,” was allegedly one of the most active uploaders on the site.

“Mertzanis supervised most of the European-based uploaders, including directing uploaders to locate specific infringing copyrighted content for the NinjaVideo.net website,” the DoJ wrote in the indictment.

However, despite several successful convictions and plea agreements, the Greek resident still hasn’t been caught.

As a result, the now 40-year-old woman is currently featured on Interpol’s “wanted” list. Interpol issued a so-called “red notice” for the former Ninjavideo uploader, indicating that she’s wanted for extradition.

Mertzanis’ Red Notice listing on Interpol’s wanted site

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According to our knowledge, Mertzanis is the only person associated with a streaming or download site listed on Interpol’s website.

TorrentFreak spoke to someone close to the Ninjavideo case who informed us that Mertzanis’ fugitive status has negative consequences for the convicted co-conspirators who already served their time. Because the case remains open, they are still waiting for the return of several personal items that were seized.

The Ninjavideo case has been one of the most prominent successes of the U.S. Government’s “Operation in Our Sites” campaign. If Mertzanis is caught and extradited, she is facing a prison sentence of at least several months, based on the previous convictions.

The harshest sentence was handed to NinjaVideo founder Hana Beshara, 22 months in prison and a payment of $210,000 in damages to the MPAA. Fellow admin Matthew Smith received 14 months in prison and was ordered to pay back just over $172,000.

Ninjavideo uploader Joshua Evans received 6 months in prison and $26,660 in restitution. Justin Dedemko was not listed as part of the NinjaVideo conspiracy, but was sentenced to 3 months in prison and ordered to repay the MPAA $58,004.

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

Soziale Netzwerke: Deutsche Minister wollen Deutschpflicht und mehr Daten

Beim Thema Terrorbekämpfung und der Integration von Migranten gibt es immer wieder kuriose Vorschläge. Deutsche Landesminister waren mal wieder besonders kreativ. Es geht, natürlich, um Facebook. (Facebook, Soziales Netz)

Beim Thema Terrorbekämpfung und der Integration von Migranten gibt es immer wieder kuriose Vorschläge. Deutsche Landesminister waren mal wieder besonders kreativ. Es geht, natürlich, um Facebook. (Facebook, Soziales Netz)

HTTPS: Mozilla spricht Let’s Encrypt das Vertrauen aus

Let’s Encrypt erreicht einen weiteren Meilenstein: Mozilla wird die freie CA in sein eigenes Root-Programm für Zertifikate aufnehmen. Weitere Browserhersteller sollen folgen. (Let’s Encrypt, Firefox)

Let's Encrypt erreicht einen weiteren Meilenstein: Mozilla wird die freie CA in sein eigenes Root-Programm für Zertifikate aufnehmen. Weitere Browserhersteller sollen folgen. (Let's Encrypt, Firefox)

Lumo Run reviewed: Messing up your form? This running coach can fix that.

You run regularly, but are you running correctly?

Video shot/edited by Jennifer Hahn. (video link)

There's no shortage of devices that track workouts, but a new crop of gadgets that help you make your workouts better is slowly growing. One of the newest is the $99 Lumo Run, which is a scaled-down version of the company's smart clothing. It's a super-small sensor that monitors running, analyzes form in real-time, and provides feedback on how to run better.

In some ways, that might seem limiting: unlike so many activity tracking wearables that are great for people looking to exercise more, Lumo Run doesn't track daily steps, sleep, or nutrition. Devices like Lumo Run are meant to be used during workouts by people who already have an exercise routine and are looking to improve it. The device might not have as wide an audience as a more basic fitness tracker, but once you're in a routine, the Lumo Run may actually be more helpful.

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