Dell’s magnetic wireless webcam might help you forget about that infamous nose cam

Wireless webcam prototype pops out of its base and sticks to anything magnetic.

A small camera is attached directly to a computer monitor.

Enlarge / The webcam can stick onto a screen so you can place it at eye level, or wherever else you'd want. (credit: Scharon Harding)

If you asked me to guess a company revamping webcam positioning, I wouldn't name Dell. That's because I still remember the Dell XPS's infamous up-the-nose webcam, an unfortunately placed shooter that provided an in-nostril view of countless XPS users for years. But Dell wants there to be a different, more positive reason you associate it with funky webcams, and, ironically, the company is all about getting webcams in the most ideal spot possible.

Dell demoed Concept Pari to the press last week (at the same event where it showed off its Concept Luna repairable PC). It's a 1080p webcam that can depart its holster with a simple pluck, to be placed anywhere magnets work. The idea is that the camera will continue to send video to a connected PC through Wi-Fi, even from a couple of feet away. The most obvious use case for Concept Pari is sticking it in directly on your computer's display rather than on its bezel. This makes for a more personal-feeling conversation with your long-distance interlocutors by bringing their view of you to eye level. 

The webcam is placed closer to eye level to make the call feel more like real life.

The webcam is placed closer to eye level to make the call feel more like real life. (credit: Scharon Harding)

"It can be placed directly—anywhere—on compatible displays, in a charging dock, on a stand, or even held in the hand," Dell Technologies' CTO of the Client Solutions Group, Glen Robson, explained in a blog post today.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

IT und Medien: Heise kauft T3N

Vor dem Jahreswechsel kündigt der Heise-Verlag eine große Übernahme an. Die Gruppe kauft die Marke T3N und alle damit verbundenen Produkte. (Wirtschaft)

Vor dem Jahreswechsel kündigt der Heise-Verlag eine große Übernahme an. Die Gruppe kauft die Marke T3N und alle damit verbundenen Produkte. (Wirtschaft)

“The Witcher” Season 2 Premiere Leaks Early on Pirate Sites

Fans of the popular fantasy TV series “The Witcher” had to wait nearly two years for the second season to arrive on Netflix. The official premiere is scheduled for this Friday but, due to an early leak, online pirates already have access to it.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

the witcherThe Witcher is one of Netflix’s undisputed hit series.

The first season, which came out at the end of 2019, was viewed by over 76 million people within a month. That was a record-breaking number at the time.

The series quickly amassed a loyal following eagerly awaiting the second season, a wait that lasted almost two years. This Friday is the big day as all eight episodes of the new season will appear on Netflix.

According to author Andrzej Sapkowski, who wrote the books that inspired the series, producer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich did an excellent job adapting the book for the new season. “I hope for an even more epic season 3,” he said.

With all this anticipation building for Friday, pirates are ruining Netflix’s big day as the season premiere already leaked on various pirate sites a few hours ago. Apparently, the wrong person got their hands on a screener copy and decided to share it with the rest of the world.

The Witcher.S02.EP01.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC.2.0.x264-Telly.mkv

witcherleak

TorrentFreak was able to confirm that the leak is real. There are various releases circulating that differ in quality but these likely all came from the same source. There are no visible watermarks and the episode comes with all the usual Netflix branding and credits.

The “WEB-DL” tag in the release name suggests that the leak comes from an online source. It comes with optional English subtitles, which are likely sourced from Netflix as well.

Subtitles

the witcher subtitles

Netflix has an in-house anti-piracy team that will try to contain the leak before more damage is done. However, removing the leaked copies from the Internet entirely will be an impossible task.

Interestingly, this is not the first high-profile Netflix leak this year. Several movies including Army of Thieves, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, The Power of the Dog and The Guilty came out early on pirate sites.

A few years ago Netflix was pretty cavalier about piracy. At the time, the company used piracy data to determine what shows to add to its library and CEO Reed Hastings said that “Netflix is so much easier than torrenting.”

That last comment still holds, but only if the content is actually available on Netflix of course.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

The Ars Technica 2021 holiday gift guide: Procrastinator’s edition

Not sure what to get those last few people on your list? Let us help.

A collection of products from our last minute holiday gift guide.

Enlarge / A handful of picks from our last-minute gift guide. (credit: Jeff Dunn)

The holiday season is ticking away, and procrastinators are sweating. Do you still need to find the right gift for the last few people on your shopping list? No problem: We've researched and tested countless products and services over the last year to find the gear that's worth your time, so allow us to help you get across the finish line.

We've dug into our Santa bags to round up a handful of last-minute gift ideas below. As we write this, each pick is scheduled to ship in time for Christmas, but that could change as the days roll on, so don't be surprised if you need to visit a physical store to grab something on time. If you're all set with your holiday shopping, meanwhile, congratulations on being responsible—and maybe consider participating in our annual Charity Drive to further your giving spirit.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Read 55 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Symfonisk-Lampen-Lautsprecher im Test: Besserer Sonos-Klang für weniger Geld

Wir sind mit dem neuen Symfonisk-Lampen-Lautsprecher mit Sonos-Technik sehr zufrieden. Ein Nachteil zeigt sich aber im Vergleich zu einem anderen Ikea-Produkt. Ein Test von Ingo Pakalski (Symfonisk, Test)

Wir sind mit dem neuen Symfonisk-Lampen-Lautsprecher mit Sonos-Technik sehr zufrieden. Ein Nachteil zeigt sich aber im Vergleich zu einem anderen Ikea-Produkt. Ein Test von Ingo Pakalski (Symfonisk, Test)