News written by James Delahunty (June, 2014)

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has denied a report from VICE that its website suffered from a denial of service attack last week.

After comedian John Oliver had a rant about the FCC and net neutrality, he urged people to go to the FCC website and provide the regulator with feedback while opinion from the public was being sought. Not long after this, the commenting section on the FCC website became unusable.

VICE ran a report quoting an FCC source saying that it was actually hacked who brought down the commenting system with a denial of service attack.

Later though, an FCC spokesperson reached out to Engadget to deny the initial report. He said that the commission had no evidence of a malicious attack, and that a high volume of traffic caused the collapse. Engadget also noted that the FCC's commenting system is 17 years old.

VICE is sticking by its original report however, saying that a high-level FCC source had described it as a "database denial of service attack."

When you think about it though, given the age of the FCC's commenting system and combining that with thousands people trying to add comments, would that appear to be a denial of service attack if you were unaware of John Oliver's call to arms?

Google is part of a new coalition aimed at cutting advertising revenue to websites that offer copyright infringing content.

The practice of targeting ads on piracy websites is not new. The goal is straight-forward, to make the operation of these websites a non-profitable risk so that many will end up shutting down, or plans to launch new sites will be abandoned. Police in the UK are already targeting ads on piracy websites.

Search giant Google will join another effort in Italy. It will reportedly sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the country, along with music and movie groups, and others in the advertising business.

A committee comprised of signatories will handle complaints from rights holders that highlight advertisements shown on websites offering pirated content.

Source: TorrentFreak

Twitter's useful TweetDeck app is vulnerable to a cross-site-scripting (XSS) flaw that a lot of people have run in to today.

While browsing today, my TweetDeck tab in Google Chrome came to the front by itself with a message simply saying "XSS in TweetDeck". At the same time, my co-worker Jari sent me a link to a tweet that - when combined with TweetDeck - would automatically Re-tweet the message and spread.

Here is a screenshot of the tweet, before it is inevitably taken offline

Nintendo has displayed why it built NFC (near-field communications) chips into the Wii U controller by unveiling its new amiibo toys.

One of the first games compatible with amiibo will be Super Smash Bros 4. By holding the toy to the Wii U gamepad information can be transferred between the two. Customized settings, achievements and more can be carried by players in the amiibo toys.

Other games that will support amiibo toys soon will be Mario Kart 8, Yoshi's Woolly World and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

No details were given on how much these trinkets will cost though, but here's a demonstration of how they work.

Nintendo announced that the Wii U console will claim its first Legend of Zelda title in 2015.

A brief trailer for the next Zelda game was shown at Nintendo's E3 press briefing and is embedded below. The Wii U console could certainly use strong titles as soon as possible to turn around its fortunes.

The open-world format for the Wii U Zelda marks a break with the past for the Zelda series, providing the player with total freedom of movement. Lead character Link is set to appear in other titles due to be released this year too, including Super Smash Bros 4.

Give the trailer a glimpse..

A notable PlayStation 4 exclusive shown off at E3 this year is Bloodborne, being developed by FromSoftware and SCE Japan Studio.

It is being directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls) and is expected to be released sometime in 2015. Screenshots of the game had leaked onto the Internet weeks before E3, but the title wasn't revealed until the press briefing.

Bloodborne is set in the ancient city of Yharnam which is plagued with a strange endemic illness spreading through its population. The player will engage in a struggle to uncover secrets of the dreary city in order to survive.

Check out the trailer.

One title that received a lot of attention at E3 so far is No Man's Sky, being developed by Hello Games.

No Man's Sky is set in a Sci-Fi Universe and will feature a procedurally generated open world, in which players can explore planets, deep oceans, discover life and so on. Environments in new undiscovered worlds will vary from mild to absolutely hostile.

Information gained about new planets, species and so forth can be shared with other players. Of course, there are also battles in space to keep you occupied.

It looks like a very ambitious project and it will be interesting where it goes.

Check out the trailer shown at E3 this year.

Sony's PlayStation Now games rental/streaming service will available in open beta on the PlayStation 4 console from July 31.

The open beta will be available to PS4 owners in the United States and Canada, with the PS3 and PSVita following later. For those who don't own a PlayStation console, PlayStation Now is also coming to selected Sony Smart TVs. As long as you have a DualShock 3 controller, you will be able to use it with selected Smart TVs.

PlayStation Now will feature PlayStation 3 games only at first, but older platforms will be added later.

The first games confirmed to be available include Dead Space 3, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Ultra Street Fighter 4, God of War: Ascension and Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus.

It is being reported that rental costs for PlayStation Now range between $2.99 and $19.99, depending on the term of the rental and other factors.

During Sony's E3 press briefing yesterday, it announced that PlayStation TV is coming this fall to the United States and Canada, priced at $99.

Using PlayStation TV, you can stream PlayStation 4 to another TV in your house and "remote play". It can also be used to play most PS Vita games on a bigger TV screen.

Coupled with PlayStation Now, PlayStation TV will also be able to provide access to PlayStation 3 games, and later on games from other Sony consoles.

It also will provide access to video and music streaming services.

PlayStation TV has been available in Japan since last year.

Mario Maker is coming to the Wii U console, and it lets you edit and play your own Super Mario Bros. levels easily.

At Nintendo's E3 press briefing it showed off gameplay footage of Mario Maker, displaying how easy it is to create complex environments and play them through.

The level editor shown looks like it will be a lot of fun to play with. You seem to be able to switch between "old" and newer graphics too.

Unfortunately this game doesn't come out until next year, however.

Check it out...

Bethesda used E3 to release a teaser for the next DOOM game, which has been in development for some time now.

A beta had previously been announced as on the horizon for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, but was light on details. This new trailer gives us a glimpse of the hellish environment we can expect in the next DOOM, along with enormous beasts with weapons.

That's as far as they are willing to do with details for now though, and we're told to wait until QuakeCon next month for more information.

Check out the trailer...

Sony will release a white PlayStation 4 bundle when Destiny is released on September 9 this year.

The bundle includes a 500GB white PS4, a white DualShock 4 controller, a copy of Destiny and a 30-day subscription vouncher to PlayStation Plus.

Sony didn't reveal how much the bundle would cost at its E3 press briefing yesterday though.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End has been confirmed for 2015, exclusively to PlayStation 4.

It was announced with a trailer at Sony's E3 press briefing today. It follows Nathan Drake, several years after his last adventure, back into the world of thieves.

Drake is travelling the world in pursuit of an historical conspiracy behind a fabled pirate treasure. His greatest adventure will test his physical limits, his resolve, and ultimately what he's willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves.

The Naught Dog-developed title won't be hracing your PS4 until 2015, but here's a trailer to give you something to look forward to.

Sony's E3 press briefing contained many treats, and a new trailer for The Order: 1886 was one of the sweetest.

The trailer showed quite a dark side of Sony's upcoming action adventure title. It is being developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio for exclusive release on the PlayStation 4 (PS4) console.

It is set in an alternative history/reality in which there are half-human, half animal "half breeds" that are being fought off by humans. The humans, however, are in a losing struggle.

No worries, because with the discovery of a mystery liquid called Black Water which boosts longevity significantly, combined with a way-ahead-of-its-time industrial revolution, the tide begins to turn.

In 1886, with humans in control things start to get bad again as the humans fight among themselves too. Take a look at the trailer and see some of the action we can expect.

Dead Island 2 has been officially announced at E3, and it comes with a very entertaining trailer for any zombie action fan.

The trailer isn't quite as wonderful as the original Dead Island trailer was, but it stand on its own merits. It follows a physique conscious jogger as he goes for a run in San Francisco while listening to music.

As music is pumping in his ears, the Zombie apocalypse is happening right behind him and he has absolutely no idea. For fans of zombie movies and games, the trailer is gruesome, bloody and awesome all in one.

Unfortunately for our poor jogger, he must have previously been infected because he transfers into a hideous zombie without breaking stride.. well until he is run over by a van and then has his trainers stolen.

The following Dead Island 2 trailer was shown at the Sony pre-E3 press briefing and confirmed for the PlayStation 4 so far.

I'm looking forward to this one. Let us hope it is better then Riptide.

Ubisoft kicked its press briefing today in the strongest way it could; by exposing us all to the insanity of antagonist Pagan Min.

Far Cry 4 ditches the sweltering Jungle and beach scenes for a fictional country called Kyrat in the snowy Himalayas, which is ruled over by a brutal self-appointed King called Pagan Min.

As you will see in the video (posted below), things get bad very quickly for protagonist Ajay Ghale, who gets caught up in a civil war to overthrow the dictator.

After he witnesses Pagan Min's brutal insanity flare up when he murders one of his own men, he finds himself posing for a selfie with the lunatic before having a bag thrown over his head.

Far Cry 4 is due to be released by around November this year, for PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Pagan Min looks like he will make for a great villain, be sure to check it out, but be warned, it is a scene of fairly brutal violence and the language is colorful.

Enjoy!

Here is some more footage of Ubisoft's racing title, in which you can race across the United States.

It takes 90 minutes to drive from coast to coast of the United States in The Crew, and the game has a 20-hour single player campaign in which you can infiltrate criminal hands, carry out missions in single-player or multiplayer mode and so on.

Multiplayer also lets players create teams to compete online in races and other activities.

It is set to be released on November 11 this year, available on PC and for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.

Like a lot of modern games, it will also have a companion iOS and Android app that allows players to customize vehicles.

Here is the trailer shown at E3.

Players of survival horror video game react during live gameplay, providing entertainment value and a few spine shivers at the same time.

The Evil within is a survival horror video game being developed by Tango Gameworks, a Japanese studio, and published by Bethesda Softworks. It gives a third-person perspective of Detective Sebastian Castellanos as he fights to survive in an evil environment.

Players must scavenge for supplies and use them wisely, as well as learning when to run and when to fight. For fans of horror, this looks promising.

The Evil Within launches in October of this year, for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Today we got a glimspe of new gameplay footage, as well as the reactions of people invited to play them game, providing both entertainment and a few spine shivers.

Check it out.

Microsoft's Xbox team are continuing their outreach to customers by launching a feedback website looking for your thoughts and suggestions.

The website is a single location you can use to add our ideas, suggestions, and feedback so that they will be seen by those who create and maintain Xbox services.

"Of course, your great ideas do take time to develop and deploy to Xbox, but we'll be sure to update entries here when we do announce or release a suggestion from Xbox Feedback," the website reads.

All you need to so is choose a category that best fits your idea from a menu on the right of the page and provide your 2 cents.

The website is located at xbox.uservoice.com

Here's a short video about it.

EA Sports has revealed that FIFA 15 will launch in North America on September 23, followed in Europe on September 25, for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

EA is touting the games new "emotional intelligence" features, in which players have memories and will show emotion based on the context of the match. There are more than 600 new emotional reactions to events in the game, such as bad tackles, bad misses and scoring spectacular goals. They can also get on the ref's back.

Improved commentary is also promised, as well as a dynamic match day experience. Chants and behaviors will be relevant to country or even your club. New bench reactions, side line character animations, 10-man goal celebrations, and more will keep you engaged in the story of the match.

Tactics are also getting a bit of an improvement, with teammates and opponents able to recognize what's happening in the match and adjust their tactics to suit.

The pitch in FIFA 15 can also be scuffed up due to wear and tear.

If you are a PS4 owner or PC gamer, you can download a closed beta now for PS4 and PC, but spots are limited.

To have a shot at getting in on the closed Beta, you need to go and sign-up as soon as possible at the Battlefield Hardline website. It's not clear how long the beta will run for.

For owners of other platforms, like PS3, Xbox 360 or Xbox One, EA will offer some launch day rewards (additional content etc.) if you register on the beta site anyway.

A gameplay video featuring six minutes of multiplayer action on Battlefield Hardline was also released today at E3.

Check that out...

Microsoft has announced that sales of its Xbox 360 consoles have passed 84 million, providing over 100,000 centuries of gameplay

It made the announcement today as it launched a $399 Xbox One without the Kinect peripheral, and unveiled a huge line-up of games at E3.

With more than 84 million consoles sold into retail worldwide, Microsoft says that its aging console has generated $37.7 billion in lifetime game sales.

Xbox 360 gamers have clicked up more than 88 billion hours of gameplay, which is the equivalent of more than 100,000 centuries.

The Redmond-giant also promised to continue supporting the console with new games and apps. Just recently, the Xbox live Gold requirement for entertainment apps was lifted. Soon Xbox 360 will get even more entertainment apps, including HBO Go.

Netflix is set to stop serving customers with error messages that blame their ISP during video streaming problems.

Last week, Netflix and Verizon went toe-to-toe over error messages Netflix was showing to subscribers when they ran into streaming problems. The error messages essentially put the blame for the streaming problems on the ISP of the subscriber.

A screenshot was posted online showing one of the messages identifying Verizon's network as the source of the problem, which resulted in an angry backlash from Verizon and then a cease and desist letter demanding that Netflix stop.

Netflix will indeed stop serving the messages - on June 16.

"As part of this transparency campaign, we started a small scale test in early May that lets consumers know, while they're watching Netflix, that their experience is degraded due to a lack of capacity into their broadband provider's network," writes Netflix' Joris Evers.

"We are testing this across the U.S. wherever there is significant and persistent network congestion This test is scheduled to end on June 16. We will evaluate rolling it out more broadly."

Netflix: Internet Service Providers ARE the problem!

Microsoft's head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, deserves credit for bringing Xbox One back to gaming and putting the focus on the customer.

Microsoft's conference today at E3 was notably different from past Xbox One media events, in that it dedicated all of its time to one very important factor: games. From start to finish, Microsoft's press briefing was filled with games, games and then more games.

When Phil Spencer took over as head of Xbox, he was facing an uphill battle. Microsoft had a $500 next-gen console on the market, while its rival Sony had a more popular console for $100 less. Fans were still annoyed with Microsoft for attempting to include severely limiting DRM functionality in the Xbox One before backing off, and for requiring a regular check-in online to keep gaming.

Requiring Kinect be connected constantly was also a sticking point, and even though Microsoft eventually caved in to consumer demands, plenty of gamers were left wondering what they were thinking in the first place.

The first truly major thing that happened under Spencer was the decision to release a $400 Xbox One without the Kinect peripheral. That decision was received positively for the most part, but even with that, Microsoft seemed to be in a battle to regain the trust of its customers.

A gameplay trailer shown at Microsoft's E3 confernece shows co-op plat (4 players) in Fable Legends, and also how you can become the villain and control the battle from on high.

The video shows four players in co-op working together to defeat enemies, like a giant troll.

A multiplayer beta will be available for Fable Legends this fall, at fablelegends.com.

Check out the video..

A new trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was shown at Microsoft's E3 press conference today.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you play as Geralt of Rivia, one of a dying caste of monster hunters, and embark on an epic journey in a war-ravaged world that will inevitably lead you to confront a foe darker than anything humanity has faced so far--the Wild Hunt.

The next-generation open world role-playing game is one of the most anticipated titles of next-gen so far. It won't be launched until next year, but this trailer is definitely worth a watch if this is your kind of thing.

Check it out...

Microsoft revealed a teaser trailer for a new Phantom Dust for Xbox One, bringing back an original Xbox cult classic.

Phil Spencer had spoken recently about possibly bringing back Phantom Dust due to the original following, and Microsoft also reportedly files a trademark application recently that also hinted at it.

At Microsoft's E3 conference today, a teaser trailer for Phantom Dust was shown, and it was pretty awesome. Of course, there's not much detail outside of what we get in the trailer at this point.

Check it out..

Watch gameplay footage from the upcoming Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, set to be released on November 4 this year for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows PCs.

In this gameplay demo video, shown off at Microsoft's E3 conference today, we can witness the "Induction" campaign level, in which a group of Marines drop into battle in Seoul, South Korea.

Kevin Spacey lends his voice and likeness to Jonathan Irons, founder of private military company Atlas, which is at war with America in an attempt to shift the global balance of power.

The video looks pretty neat. You get the immediate impression that it will at least be better than Ghosts was...

Check it out..

Watch this commented co-op demo for Assassin's Creed: Unity showing how you can play with up to three of your friends.

Ubisoft's Vincent Pontbriand showed off Assassin's Creed: Unity at Microsoft's E3 conference, showcasing the game's four-player co-op abilities.

Unity is set in France at the start of the French Revolution, and it looks absolutely beautiful.

In this demo we follow a brotherhood of assassins as they take on French soldiers, but it is easy to be distacted by the extraordinary detail we're seeing on screen. And of course.. the violence, oh the violence. Nothing beats heads on pikes!

Give it a peak..

Tom Clancy's The Division is one of the most anticipated games at the moment, and this gameplay demo is only going to make the wait more frustrating.

In The Division, gamers will work to restore order after a pandemic destroyed society. You will make your way through the streets of New York to combat opposing factions, armed with advanced gadgets and intent tactical gunplay.

It puts a lot of emphasis on team work and cover, and looks like it will be a very good co-op experience.

The Division really turned some heads last year, and it hasn't lost any of its appeal, even though we do have to wait until next year to get hands on it.

Check out this E3 gameplay demo...

Here is a trailer showing off Forza Horizon 2 shown at E3, and details on the Nürburgring free track update for Forza Motorsport 5.

Forza Horizon 2 will launch on Xbox One on September 30, 2014. Playground Games' Ralph Fulton promised that Horizon 2 will run in 1080p, and feature more cars than ever before.

For fans of the Forza Motorsport, you will be happy to know that the Nürburgring is being added today, and it is available for free.

Check out the pretty cars...

Crackdown is coming back on Xbox One, as Microsoft showed off a trailer packed with destruction at E3.

If you enjoyed the original Crackdown then you'll be delighted to see it back. Phil Spencer said that gamers had been requesting its return for some time, but they wanted to make sure it was done right. To ensure that, the creator of the original Crackdown, David Jones, was tapped to head up development.

The trailer shows a whole new city with apparently destructible environments, including destroying buildings with explosives from the air.

Of course, the trailer is way over the top, but it wouldn't be Crackdown otherwise..

Lara Croft will continue her story into the next generation of gaming in 'Rise of the Tomb Raider'.

The announce trailer shown today at Microsoft's pre-E3 press conference shows Croft in a therapy session, while showing flashbacks of her adventures.

In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Croft is being pursued by a shadow organization intent on killing her for what she knows. "She is pushed to her physical and mental limits as she seeks the truth buried deep within the tombs of an ancient world."

"To unravel the mystery of a Lost City, Lara must use her survival skills and wits, learn to trust new friends, and ultimately accept her destiny as the Tomb Raider."

Check out the trailer...

Master Collection includes Halo: Combat Evolved, a re-mastered Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 4 and new digital series Halo: Nightfall.

Additionally, it also will provide access to the Halo 5: Guardians Beta later this year. It was announced today at Microsoft's pre-E3 conference.

The Master Chief Collection at E3, Xbox and developer 343 Industries recreated one of the most iconic moments in the newly re-mastered Halo 2, with a twist by revealing that what the audience is seeing is a holographic projection that is being watched by a new and pivotal character in the Halo universe: Agent Locke.

The more Locke studies Master Chief, the more the audience gets glimpses of Locke, and the dynamic between the characters is gradually revealed, a dynamic that will play out in the soon to be released Halo 5: Guardians.

It appears Nintendo is targeting gameplay footage of Mario Kart 8 on YouTube to have ads placed on them, generating revenue for the Japanese firm.

Nintendo has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism for using YouTube's built-in content ID systems to identify videos containing footage of its games, and then having advertisements placed on them in order to generate revenue.

At first, YouTube uploaders had any revenue generating potential completely removed for these videos, but Nintendo has responded to criticism by promising an affiliate program that will share revenue.

Still, even with shared revenue, YouTubers can expect a significant difference in any revenue generated for gameplay footage (walkthroughs, tips, tricks, reviews etc.) of Nintendo games compared to what they might expect for titles not developed by the firm.

Of course, Nintendo has a right to monetize the use of its content, as does any developer, but given how valuable a resource videomaking gamers can be these days, it seems foolish to hinder their efforts in any way.

What do you think?


Sources and Recommended Reading:
Nintendo begins Mario Kart 8 YouTube video claims: www.gamernode.com

Nintendo dominated in combined global hardware sales for video games consoles for eight years, but now Nintendo's decline and the early success of the PS4 has pushed Sony ahead.

Nintendo is continuing to feel the pain of consumers' less-then-lukewarm reaction to the Wii U console and the decline of its handhelds. The iconic Japanese gamesmaker witnessed its hardware sales slump 31 percent last year, pushing it into second place. Combining the sales of Wii, Wii U and the 3DS console, Nintendo topped 16.3 million hardware unit sales last year.

By comparison, Sony sold almost 19 million hardware units when you combine the PS4, PS3 and PS Vita tally. In its first day, Sony's PlayStation 4 sold over a million units. That figure swelled to 2.1 million within the first week of December, and before the end of the year sales had reached 4.2 million, far more than enough to dethrone Nintendo.

This is the first time in eight consecutive years - since 2006 - that Nintendo didn't top the charts. The incredible success of Nintendo's DS handhelds combined with its dominance (in terms of units) with the Wii compared to Xbox 360 and PS3 in the year days of the generation, helped the Japanese firm to keep its seat at the top of the table.

Flickr informed users this week that they will no longer be able to use Google and Facebook accounts to login from this month.

Instead Flickr is demanding that its users login using Yahoo, as Facebook and Google sign-ins will be removed soon.

"Over the next few weeks, if you have been logging in with Facebook and Google IDs, you will be prompted to create a Yahoo username and password when you access your Flickr account," wrote Markus Spiering, head of product manager, Flickr.

"If you already have a Yahoo account, you will be reminded and prompted to use those log-in details."

Spiering says that you can expect a streamlined sign-in experience across Flickr and other Yahoo properties, and dedicated service from Yahoo Customer Care.

To change over to a Yahoo account sign in, you can start here.

If a study conducted by Internet porn king Pornhub is any indication, users of Apple's iPhone and iPad view more pornography than users of Android devices.

Pornhub's stats show that on mobile browsers (smartphone browsers), Apple's Safari leads the way with a 38.2 percent share. The Android browser follows with 29.4 percent of the tally.

Google's Chrome mobile browser claims 18 percent, which could mean that Android smartphone users actually watch more porn, but Chrome is available for iOS too so it is unclear. The mobile version of Internet Explorer claimed just a 2.4 percent share, while Opera Mini was just below IE with 2.3 percent.

In the Tablet share however, there's no misrepresenting the results. The Safari browser claims 73 percent of Pornhub use, compared to 7.8 percent for the Android browser. Chrome claimed a 13.6 percent chunk of this pie, while Amazon Silk followed at 4.8 percent and BlackBerry claimed just 0.69 percent.

On the Desktop side of things, Google's Chrome claimed top spot with a 44.4 percent, ahead of Internet Explorer at 23.2 percent. Firefox was in third place with 20.1 percent, ahead of Safari at 7 percent and Opera at 2.6 percent.

Over 38 million people visit Pornhub each day.

A new video has been released showing the Batmobile's transformation ability in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight, dubbed "Battle Mode."

Batman: Arkham Knight was recently 'delayed' until 2015. The next title in the Arkham series picks up after Batman: Arkham City, released in 2011, and features nemesis Scarecrow as he attempts to organize Gotham's criminal elements against Batman.

The feature of the new game getting most attention is the Batmobile. Arkham Knight will be the first game in the series that allows you to drive the Batmobile around Gotham City and use its extensive capabilities for Urban pacification.

Some observers have likened it more to a "tank" considering its explosive power. In this short demo video alone, we're shown a 60mm cannon ('Kinetic energy penetrator'), a Vulcan gun that fires armor-piercing incendiary rounds intended for tanks and aircraft, a missile barrage that can simultaneously target up to six hostiles and a riot suppressor that fires non-lethal rounds.

Wow, that's quite a lot of fire-power for a man who doesn't kill.

One of the spin-offs of the popular Popcorn Time application is adding a free VPN service to anonymize users to avoid copyright infringement allegations.

The original Popcorn Time was like a free Netflix powered by BitTorrent technology. While it was a hit with users right away, it didn't last all that long.

This is the Internet though, so plenty of spin-offs came along and users embraced them. It wasn't long until users started to be identified as sharing copyright infringing material, with some users in Germany being fined.

One of the spin-offs of Popcorn Time is aware of this risk and is taking steps to remedy it. Time4Popcorn is adding a feature that will anonymize users of the application behind a VPN. The VPN will be available to use for free.

This is made possible by the cooperation of VPN provider Kebrum, which claims to have more than enough resources to handle the demand.

"From our experience and the expected usage stats provided by Popcorn Time, we believe that the resources we allocated for Popcorn Time users should be enough in order to give a good and fast download experience. Our servers are prepared to handle the traffic," Kebrum's 'Martin', told TorrentFreak.

Jimmy Fallon, host of The Tonight Show, got a demonstration of Sony's Project Morpheus Virtual Reality system.

Joshua Topolsky of The Verge brought the VR system along for Fallon to test out a demo, and actor Channing Tatum also had a go.

Fallon had also checked out emerging gaming technology in the past as host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, such as Microsoft's Kinect way back when it was known as Project Nadal.

In the Morpheus demo, Fallon has a lot of fun punching the head off of a dummy, and then attempting to attack a dragon. The demo was very limited but it seemed to impress the new host.

Sony is expected to give up more information on Project Morpheus at E3 this year, but is almost certain not to ship any hardware this year.

Here's the demo..

A New Hampshire town absolutely will not pay a ransom to recover files that were encrypted by raonsomware that infected systems at the police department.

Ransomware is a type of malware that attempts to force the victim into handing over a sum of money by holdings systems, or files hostage. Earlier this week, a US-led operation targeted the Cypertolocker ransomware that is estimated to have cost individuals and businesses around $30 million. The malware encrypts files in the background and demands a payment of 1 bitcoin to decrypt them, which could cost up to $600. If a fee isn't paid on time, the files can be destroyed forever.

The malware that infected the police department of Durham, New Hampshire, is not Cryptolocker, but a similar threat known as Cryptowall.

Accordin to Todd Selig, town manager, the infection started when a police officer opened an e-mail attachment that appeared legitimate. Luckily, the police department creates period backups of files and will restore as much as possible.

"Make no mistake, the Town of Durham will be paying no ransom," Selig is quoted by CBS Boston, as saying.

A 20+ minute film released by the Open Rights Group exposes the activities of GCHQ in the United Kingdom, and the government's failure to control it and protect its citizens' privacy

A year on from the first reports of massive surveillance operations around the world, the Open Right's Group has chastised the UK government for doing pretty much nothing at all to protect itself citizens' rights to privacy, or to reign in GCHW.

ORG notes that the UK has fallen five places in the Freedom House world ranking of countries' press freedom, largely related to how it reacted to media reports about GCHQ.

"There has been limited public and political debate in the UK," Ed Paton Williams writes for ORG.

"The issue continues to be conveniently ignored by the UK government and sidelined by most of our mainstream media."

The privacy rights' advocacy group has released a new film that details the spying underway in the UK, and you can watch it below. Alternatively, you can get a torrent for it here.

European Union ministers have agreed that firms located outside the European Union must abide by data protection and privacy rules within the 28-member bloc.

As it stands now, it is very unclear what rules and regulations firms need to abide by within the EU. For example, a German court recently ruled that Facebook was subject to data protection laws within Germany, even though Facebook's headquarter are located in Ireland.

The EU seeks to end this disorder by having one blanket set of data protection laws that applies to all 28 states.

"All companies operating on European soil have to apply the rules," EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said, according to Reuters.

Disclosures of surveillance operations targeting Europeans, mainly by the NSA, has pushed the issue toward the top of the agenda at the EU level, but there are plenty of things that still need to be ironed out before such new rules can come into force.

Sony has released an E3 2014 app that can be used to watch the company's E3 press conference, trailers, view screenshots and do more things.

The app can be download by U.S. users on the PlayStation 4 (PS4) console now, but it's unclear whether it will be available for PS3 too before E3 kicks off. PS4 owners can use it to watch Sony's E3 press conference live and then check out screenshots, trailers and other information from the show floor.

The app also has gold and silver challenges you can complete in the app that will grant you up to 250 Sony Rewards points – these points will be available to unlock until June 24th.

Sony has released an E3 2014 app to view its conference live + trailers, screenshots and more.. http://t.co/ernG5e1asv

— AfterDawn.com (@afterdawn) June 7, 2014

A Romanian man who hacked into the Bush family's e-mails, as well as accounts of celebrities and officials, has been jailed.

Marcel Lazar Lehel was known as "Guccifer" and "Small Fume." He was arrested in January of this year, in Bucharest for a wide range of offenses. Lehel allegedly hacked the e-mail accounts of U.S. president George W. Bush's family, even publishing some of the former president's artwork online.

He also distributed e-mails that were sent to former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell from Corina Cretu, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, which lead to affair speculation.

Along with other targets in the entertainment industry, he also allegedly hacked the private Yahoo e-mail account of Romania's secret service chief George Maior.

It does not appear that the U.S. has filed any request to extradite the alleged hacker as of this time. He could spend up to seven years in prison in Romania.


Sources and Recommended Reading:
Romania sentences hacker 'Guccifer' to jail: www.reuters.com

A report from VICE details how cable companies are funding consumer advocacy groups to argue against net neutrality.

The net neutrality debate is as hot as ever in the United States, igniting passionate defenses of the open Internet from web users and groups, and plenty of lobbying on behalf of cable providers. A report by VICE has highlighted a few groups that are funded by providers, and seem to be taking positions against net neutrality aspects.

Those who support net neutrality have suggested that providers need to be reclassified as "common carriers," a kind of public utility. This reclassification would make it easier for the FCC to impose regulations on them, but the industry is absolutely opposed to this move, even describing it as potentially illegal.

They are joined in opposition by Broadband for America, which wrote the FCC strongly advising it to reject any proposals to reclassify Internet service providers. VICE got hold of a disclosure from the National Cable and Telecom Association (NCTA) - an industry trade group that represents ISPs in the United States - which showed a $2 million donation to Broadband for America. That amounts to 57 percent of Broadband for America's $3.5 million budget.

So this is what the intense Terminator 2 truck chase scene looks like when recreated in Grand Theft Auto V.

Do you remember the T2 truck scene from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, released all the way back in 1991? Of course you do, and if you would be interested in what it might looks like recreated using multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto V, then you're in luck.

"We remade a scene from T-2 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and it took quite some time. It mostly took a lot of time because I wanted to try to make it exact," John Chapman wrote on YouTube.

"Yes I may have missed some small scenes but damn we worked hard on this from the actual setting up, to the directing."

So here's the video..

Netflix has brought its 'Post Play' functionality to Android phones and tablets after it was well received on other platforms.

On the Neflix website, the PS3 and several other devices, Netflix will automatically choose what you may want to watch news and pre-buffer it. In the case of TV shows, it lines up the next episode in the season you are currently viewing. In the case of movies, it will provide three recommendations to try next.

Post Play is now available for Android and tablets. However, with Android phones it will only work for TV shows; you need a tablet for it to work for movies.

To take advantage of Post Play with Android devices, you need an Android phone or tablet running Android 4.0 or newer.

Netflix also promised that it will bring Post Play functionality to Chromecast users soon.

Download the new Netflix Android app from Google Play.

Tetris has celebrated a milestone this week, reaching its 30th anniversary while it is still going strong on new consoles and mobile devices.

The iconic puzzle game was released on June 6, 1984 by creator Alexey Pajitnov, who said this week that he never imagined Tetris would be so successful, and that he still plays it several times a week to this day. Since 1984, it would be difficult to find gaming hardware and computer systems that Tetris was not available for.

It is still going incredibly strong too. In April, The Tetris Company revealed that it had reached over 425 million paid downloads on mobile devices so far. That's PAID downloads, not free-to-play varieties - people really love Tetris.

Ubisoft will be bringing the game to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 soon, in the form of Tetris Ultimate.

What was your favorite Tetris iteration over the years?

Google has released the new Chrome app for Chrome OS, letting Chromebook owners watch films and TV shows from Google Play while not connected to the Internet.

Play's video-on-demand service prompted some limitations for Chromebook owners. If you didn't have a decent Internet connection, then you were essentially out of luck.

With the new Google Play Movies & TV Chrome app for Chrome OS, you can store movies and TV shows from the Google Play service for Offline viewing, so you can use your Chromebook for something useful while travelling.

It also brings an improved Chromecast and local playback experience to anyone watching movies through the Chrome browser, and introduces info cards about actors in scenes.

The Offline viewing feature however, is only for Chrome OS devices.

Google Play Movies & TV: chrome.google.com

Developers located in Switzerland are hoping to lead an effort that will keep popular encryption software TrueCrypt alive.

Recently, the TrueCrypt homepage was changed to recommend that users find alternatives to the popular tool. "WARNING: Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues," the sourceforge project page alerts users, before giving instructions on migrating to alternatives on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Currently, there is no evidence that TrueCrypt is actually insecure, it just appears that its development has ceased, and that the warning is for crypto-problems that could be uncovered later on. That hasn't halted rumors that there may have been a government hand in TrueCrypt's fate however.

Some people are determined to keep the popular crypto-tool alive, which can be used for full disk encryption or encryption within a file container, and even for purposes of hidden operating systems and partitions.

A couple of Swiss developers, Thomas Bruderer and Joseph Doekbrijder, launched a page aimed at continuing the development of TrueCrypt. They put together the whole TrueCrypt Source into a github repository, encouraging users to clone.

The CIA took to Twitter to speak to the social network for the first time today, and it's first tweet was very fitting.

The folks over at Langley probably will receive a lot of negative tweets throughout the life of its account, but that's not a reason to slack on effort. Given the nature of the CIA's work, this is probably the best first tweet the agency could have come up with.

We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.

-- CIA (@CIA) June 6, 2014

A fake Pirate Bay website forces users to download a torrent client they don't need, while pushing other third-party software.

The site, located at PirateBay.com bares the Pirate Bay ship logo, along with a search box and some category filters. It has just a couple of fairly major problems though; the search doesn't actually work and it forces you to download a client you probably don't want or need. The faux pirate tracker was spotted by F-Secure.

Whatever you enter into the search box doesn't matter, as soon as you click search you wind up downloading an installer.

"You must install a torrent client in order to download your files!," a prompt reads.

Toward the end of the page is a disclaimer...

Clicking the search button starts the installation of the Deluge torrent client. This software is open source and enables the user to download torrent files. Additional software may be offered to you via the installation process. All offers are completely optional. Learn more here. This installer is compatible with all Windows operating systems. Deluge is an open source product developed by the Deluge Team, licensed under GNU GPL v3. Source code for Deluge can be found here.

Mexico's trademark body has backed telecoms company iFone in a row over the use of 'iPhone' services by rival providers.

You may recall that Apple had unsuccessfully challenged the "iFone" trademark in Mexico back in 2009, as iFone registered its name in 2003, long before the first generation iPhone was unveiled by Apple.

A dispute still remained however. iFone felt that the use of the term "iPhone" in marketing by rival telecommunications providers was causing confusion among consumers, and that it potentially violated its iFone trademark.

The Mexican Institute for Industrial Property (IMPI) has sided with iFone, finding that America Movil, Telefonica and Iusacell were infringing the brand when they marketed "iPhone" services. Apple has nothing to worry about in this ruling, however.

The three providers now face fines, but have the right to appeal.


Source: Reuters

CyberLink has announced the availability of its award-winning PowerDirector video editing suite on Android and Windows 8 tablets, available as a free download.

The PC version of the PowerDirector has been praised by publications covering the prosumer video editing tools market, and CyberLink had been pressed by customers to release versions for tablet PCs.

PowerDirector Mobile for Android and Windows 8 tablets offers a variety of key features, including:

• Drag-and-drop functionality to quickly import videos, photos and audio, as well as add effects, transitions and text
• The ability to trim, extend, order and split video and audio tracks
• A wide library of video effects, transitions and text titles to choose from
• The ability to easily save your projects on your device to continue editing later
• The ability to export your creations to amazing Full HD
• Built-in tools for immediate sharing to Facebook and YouTube
• Easy access to saved projects which are available right when the app is launched

Google has added all 12 World Cup stadiums to Street View ahead of the tournament, as well as Brazil's iconic painted streets and other locations.

The World Cup is set to kick off next week and if you aren't going to Brazil, you can still check out the stadium facilities and tour through the streets. Google has added all 12 stadiums and the iconic painted streets (Brazilian World Cup tradition) to its Street View service.

Google is also taking the opportunity to highlight other Brazilian resources on Street View, particularly Iguaçu National Park and St. Michael of the Missions.

It also is reminding those going to Brazil that Google services can help them tremendously. With Google Maps transit, the search giant is promising that Brazilians and tourists will be able to make it to the stadium and other destinations routing the best path by transit.

The creator of the addictive Flappy Bird game for smartphones is pursuing developers who have published 'clones' of the simple game.

Flappy Bird was developed by Dong Nguyen (.Gears Studio) of Vietnam, and it became a sensation due to its simplistic, and addictive gameplay on smartphones. Despite being extremely popular, Nguyen pulled the app from mobile app stores, citing its addictive nature.

By pulling the app, Nguyen created a very predictable void in which many other developers have squeezed clones and very similar games hoping to emulate its success. Nguyen is not happy about that, and had said previously that clone-peddlers would be pursued.

That appears to be happening now, with Apple contacting developers on behalf of .Gears Studio, informing them that they may be infringing on the copyright of the Vietnamese studio.

BusinessWeek details one case where a developer is defending an app from this allegation. Duck Run, developed by Todd Moore, was one of the games identified as an infringing game, but Moore has no intention of giving up his app.

The world's largest private video game collection is to be auctioned off, including more than 11,000 games.

Michael Thommason was certified by Guinness World Records as having the largest private collection of video games, confirming a collection of 10,607 titles. Since then, Thommason has added hundreds more games to swell the number to over 11,000.

Now this entire collection - as well as the privilege of having the confirmed largest collection of games - is up for auction at Game Gavel. Bids started at just $1 but have reached $50,000 so far.

In terms of quality, over 2,600 are still factory shrink-wrapped and 8,300 are complete with a box and manual.

Thommason has been involved in the industry for over 25 years, operating seven independent gaming stores in the '90s, and will continue to write for periodicals and publish books, teach classes and occasionally partake in competitive gaming.

He is not giving up the games collection because he wants to, but because family responsibilities demand it.

"I simply have an immediate family and extended family that have needs that need to be addressed," he writes.

In a semi-annual report to Congress, the National Science Foundation (NSF) detailed how a researcher abused NSF-funded supercomputing resources to mine bitcoin.

The report stated that the NSF recommended a government-wide suspending for the researcher. It had received reports describing his activity, in which he used NSF-funded supercomputing resources to mine bitcoin, a clearly unauthorized use.

"The researcher misused over $150,000 in NSF-supported computer usage at two universities to generate bitcoins valued between $8,000 and $10,000," the report states.

When confronted about the misuse, the researcher reportedly tried to pass it off as system tests, but neither University authorized him to carry out tests anyway.

Additionally, the University's involved noted that he accessed the computer systems remotely and even access through a proxy located in Europe, possibly hoping to conceal his identity.


Sources and Recommended Reading:
NSF Office of Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress, March 2014 (page 29): www.nsf.gov (PDF)

(via: PC World)

In an interview with CNBC, Silicon Valley icon and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen claimed NSA leaker Edward Snowden is a textbook traitor.

He made the comment during an interview with CNBC, admitting that he is a distinct minority for criticizing Snowden's actions. "I think most in Silicon Valley would pick the other designation," he said.

Andreessen said that Snowden's revelations have seriously damaged the U.S. tech sector, with a major question mark now hanging over the ability of U.S. firms to sell their products in overseas markets. Other countries have been envious of the U.S. position as leader in the space, he argued, and now Snowden has provided them with an excuse to adopt protectionist policies that favor domestic products under the guise of protecting against surveillance.

"For me obviously he's a traitor," Andreessen said. "If you look up in the encyclopedia 'traitor' there's a picture of Ed Snowden."

Snowden wasn't the only one to be on the receiving end of Andreessen's criticism either, President Obama was also brought up.

"The Snowden reveals keep coming out. The [Obama] administration is letting the NSA out to dry. They're letting the American tech industry out to dry," Anderseen told CNBC in a Squawk Box interview. He had publicly endorsed Obama in the 2008 Presidential elections, but switched allegiance to Mitt Romney in 2012.

Gottfrid Svartholm, co-founder of the notorious Pirate Bay, is in custody in Denmark awaiting trial for allegedly hacking a Danish IT firm, but maintains his innocence.

Svartholm and his legal representation have maintained that he is innocent, and that somebody else carried out the attacks on IT firm CSC. New evidence presented in court might actually back up Svartholm's assertion that the breach was carried out by someone else.

An analysis of the computer Svartholm allegedly used to hack CSC found it was infected with several threats, including trojans that could have provided an attacker with administrative control over his computer without his knowledge.

"This is definite evidence that the computer has been compromised – and that the attacker has gained administrator privileges, no less," claims Svartholm's lawyer Luise Høj, told TorrentFreak.

"For me this is a clear evidence that Gottfrid has been telling the truth all along – and in my opinion it shows that the Danish legal system has big difficulty handling cases which require a certain level of technical insight as regards computers."

Verizon has turned to legal threats against Netflix as the relationship between the two continues to sour.

Yesterday it emerged that Netflix had identified Verizon as the culprit for video streaming problems in error messages shown to subscribers. A shot of one of these error messages was tweeted by Yuri Victor, a Vox journalist, and was immediately picked up by the media.

Verizon didn't take long to respond, accusing Netflix of engaging in a PR stunt that was deliberately misleading, and of using its subscribers as pawns in business negotiations and regulatory matters.

Today the slipping relationship between the pair has gotten even worse as Verizon sent a cease and desist letter to Netflix. The letter was sent to David Hyman, Netflix council, and it demands that Netflix immediately halts providing such notices to subscribers.

It goes on to demand that Netflix provide evidence and documentation to demonstrate that Yuri Victor's below par service from Netflix was caused by congestion on the Verizon network, and that Netflix provide a list of all customers it has displayed the message to. Verizon expects all of this information within five days.

You can read the cease and desist letter at: www.docstoc.com

The first ad released by Beats since its $3 billion takeover by Apple is a star-studded 5-minute montage of footballers 'before the game.'

Honestly, FIFA and other football authorities haven't done as much to help you get pumped up for the World Cup as this ad did. It is rare to see commercials that are all that interesting in the first place, but this just hits the spot perfectly.

It features several stars, including Barcelona and Brazilian ace Neymar, shown as they gear up to the kick off of the biggest sporting event on Earth, which starts next week.

There's really not much else to say about it, just watch it!

Xbox Live's Major Nelson (aka Larry Hryb) has posted downloads for Xbox One controller drivers for Windows PCs.

The drivers will roll out to Windows operating systems as part of regular updates, but if you would rather not wait you can grab them and manually install them on your PC now.

You can use the Xbox One controller with the same games and apps that you might have previously used an Xbox 360 controller for. The drivers will enable the Xbox One controller to be used with any game that featured gamepad support for the Xbox 360 controller.

Download and install the drivers from the links below, and then simply connect your Xbox One controller via a micro USB cable and its game on!

PC Drivers for Xbox One Controller (x86)

PC Drivers for Xbox One Controller (x64)

An OpenSSL Security Advisory has been issued detailing a flaw (CVE-2014-0224) that could be exploited by Man-in-the-Middle attacks between OpenSSL SSL/TLS clients and servers to decrypt or modify traffic.

It involves the use of a specially-crafted handshake to force the use of a weak keying material in OpenSSL SSL/TLS clients and servers, but can only be performed between a vulnerable client and server. In the worst case, this flaw can be exploited by a Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, where a malicious agent can decrypt and/or modify traffic between the client and server.

All OpenSSL clients are vulnerable to this attack, whereas servers are only vulnerable in OpenSSL 1.0.1 and 1.0.2-beta1, therefore it is absolutely necessary that users of OpenSSL servers earlier than v1.0.1 upgrade.

According to the OpenSSL Security Advisory, which detailed this flaw and six other (albeit less severe) issues, the following upgrades are essential.

OpenSSL 0.9.8 SSL/TLS users (client and/or server) should upgrade to 0.9.8za.
OpenSSL 1.0.0 SSL/TLS users (client and/or server) should upgrade to 1.0.0m.
OpenSSL 1.0.1 SSL/TLS users (client and/or server) should upgrade to 1.0.1h.

OpenSSL is crediting KIKUCHI Masashi (Lepidum Co. Ltd.) for discovering and reporting the issue last month.

Microsoft has confirmed previous speculation that developers will be given access to more GPU bandwidth through an SDK update.

Previously, it was speculated that Microsoft's decisions to scale back Kinect (or at least unbundle it) could result in developers being given access to more resources for games. Specifically, it was rumored that Microsoft has ring-fenced around 10 percent of graphics resources specifically for Kinect operations, and that the 10 percent could theoretically be unlocked for developers.

Well, whether it is 10 percent or not, Xbox head Phil Spencer has confirmed that the latest software dev kit update does indeed provide more GPU resources to developers.

June #XboxOne software dev kit gives devs access to more GPU bandwidth. More performance, new tools and flexibility to make games better

-- Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) June 4, 2014

Over the past couple of days, law enforcement has taken further action against the Cryptolocker ransomware.

Europol's European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3) has discovered and shutdown more command & control servers related to the Cryptolocker ransomware in the past couple of days. On Monday, it was announced that a U.S.-led international effort against Cryptolocker and the GOZeuS botnet had significantly disrupted their operations, saving potential victims millions.

Cryptolocker is a nasty piece of work that encrypts personal files on a victim's PC and will not decrypt them until a ransom is paid, typically 1 bitcoin which could cost you around $600. The malware will even destroy files if the user does not pay up on time. It is estimated to have cost consumers and businesses over $30 million since last summer.

The ransomware was often delivered to a victim's PC through the Gameover ZeuS botnet, but it also spread through malicious e-mails.

The effect of the GOZeuS and Cryptolocker take-down

According to Danish security firm Heimdal Security, which was named by the FBI as an important collaborator against Cryptolocker, the number of estimated new infections per day of Cryptolocker has fallen from around 8,000 to close to zero. Of course, it cannot be absolutely sure of the figures but the infection rate has certainly plummeted.

Microsoft's top lawyer maintains that the U.S. Government needs to commit not to hack data centers or communications between them, as well as ending the bulk collection of data.

One year on from the first news reports concerning the NSA's collection of phone and Internet records, showing the true scale of its surveillance activity, and the revelation that it hacked systems outside the U.S. to access data held by Yahoo! and Google, Microsoft is calling on the U.S. government to commit not to target data centers anymore.

Brad Smith, General Counsel & Executive Vice President of Legal & Corporate Affairs at Microsoft, said the United States government needs to tackle the technology trust deficit that it has created. Questions have been raised around the world about how safe data is when it is stored by U.S.-based firms, like Microsoft and Google.

Smith outlined five things the U.S. government needs to do to recover from the damage done in the past year. The five items can be cut down to three issues; the legal framework in which these surveillance programs are carried out, the actual physical collection of data and the level of transparency the government commits to.

Verizon has responded to reports that Netflix is informing subscribers during buffering that its network is 'crowded right now', saying the streaming giant is being deliberately misleading.

We reported earlier that Netflix was essentially identifying Verizon (and reports also suggest AT&T) as the cause of buffering issues that can result in video quality settings being re-adjusted for smoother playback. An image tweeted by Yuri Victor of Vox Media shows how Netflix identified Verizon's network as the problem when it ran into problems with playback.

"The Verizon network is crowded right now," the message informs the likely-irritated viewer. Verizon has responded to the 'PR stunt', saying that Netflix is just shifting blame.

"The source of the problem is almost certainly NOT congestion in Verizon's network. Instead, the problem is most likely congestion on the connection that Netflix has chosen to use to reach Verizon's network," wrote David Young, Vice President, Verizon Federal Regulatory Affairs.

"Of course, Netflix is solely responsible for choosing how their traffic is routed into any ISP's network."

ESET has identified the first form of ransonware for Android that actually encrypts personal files on the device's memory card and won't decrypt them unless a ransom is paid.

Previous forms of ransomware found to affect Android devices typically used lockscreens or other methods (such as making it impossible to launch apps) to force a user into a payment. This one is more insidious because it actually encrypts files on the devices, specifically files with the extensions: jpeg, jpg, png, bmp, gif, pdf, doc, docx, txt, avi, mkv, 3gp, mp4. The image with this article shows files in Total Commander that have been encrypted by the malware.

The app is in Russian and is likely only affecting a very small number of devices in that region. It demands payment in Ukrainian hryvnias (260 UAH, roughly $21, €16) using Ukraine's MoneXy payment service. When it finds its way to an Android device, it prompts the following message in Russian:

WARNING your phone is locked!

The device is locked for viewing and distribution child pornography , zoophilia and other perversions.

To unlock you need to pay 260 UAH.

1. Locate the nearest payment kiosk.

2. Select MoneXy

3. Enter {REDACTED}. Read more...

Microsoft has announced a huge increase to its entertainment app line-up, including HBO Go, Showtime Anytime and a Twitter experience optimized for TV.

In total, the new additions will increase the Xbox catalog by 25 percent, totaling more than 225 apps around the world. Of course, not all of these apps are launching today, but they will role out over the coming months up until the end of the holiday season. Some apps are only available on Xbox One, while plenty will also come to the Xbox 360.

"Xbox fans are spending more time than ever on the console, spending more than five hours a day on Xbox One," said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Devices and Studios at Microsoft.

The Xbox One Twitter app will bee integrated directly into Xbox One's TV experience, letting you see tweets related to programming as you watch it. Additionally, the Twitter experience on Xbox One will be integrated into the TV listings section of OneGuide where you will be able to see the shows that people are tweeting about in real-time.

Ubisoft is investigating yet another technical glitch with its Watch Dogs blockbuster, this time involving gamers reportedly stuck on the loading screen.

Watch Dogs hasn't had an uneventful release on the technical side of things at all. Some PC gamers were locked out of the game completely for a time with uPlay being blamed. It was also blamed for issues Xbox players reported on Xbox Live.

Now Ubisoft is looking into another issue plaguing its customers, which apparently is causing the game to get stuck on the loading screen.

It used its Watch Dogs twitter feed to send the following related tweets.

We're aware some of you are stuck on the loading screen. We're hard at work on isolating the problem to find a fix. (1/2)

-- Watch Dogs (@watchdogsgame) June 3, 2014

If you're encountering that issue, please submit a ticket to http://t.co/HXXJuATnWk to help move forward. Thanks for understanding. (2/2)

-- Watch Dogs (@watchdogsgame) June 3, 2014

Sky has announced that ITV channels have joined its Sky Go line-up in time for the World Cup tournament in Brazil.

Sky Go users will be able to access ITV channel contents from ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Additionally, when ITV Encore launches on June 9 it will be available on Sky Go too.

Sky customers will now be able to catch all the best moments from ITV's coverage of the eagerly-anticipated tournament, whenever and wherever they are.

"Allowing viewers to access our shows across a range of platforms and devices, both at home and on the move, is a key part of our strategy. We're delighted to offer Sky customers the chance to never miss their favourite ITV shows on Sky Go," said Martin Goswami, Director of Pay & Distribution, ITV.

Sky Go has over 3.7 million unique users as of March 2014.

UK's Get Safe Online website collapsed this week under heavy traffic after Brits were urged to visit it and protect themselves from the GOZeuS threat.

After a US-led international effort to significantly disrupt the Gameover ZeuS botnet was reported in the media, the UK's cybercrime cops warned the country that it had around two weeks to clean up infections of the nasty malware before cybercriminals could regain control.

Brits were told to visit the Get Safe Online website, which is partially government-funded and also supported by private firms including PayPal and Microsoft.

However, almost immediately after the news broke, the Stay Safe Online website crashed under heavy demand and was still struggling on Wednesday morning. Chief Exec Tony Neate apologized for the embarrassing downtime, and said the site has since quadrupled its capacity to deal with demand.

"It's important for people to realise that this has been a learning curve for us," Neate said.

"We're looking at what we can do to make sure this won't happen again. We're sorry. I've had no sleep for two days."

According to a new study, film streaming and downloads will overtake physical film sales on Blu-ray and DVD, and will also beat traditional cinema in the U.S. by 2017.

The research was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). It notes that the market for DVDs and Blu-ray discs is declining rather quickly, and that streaming services like Netflix are picking up the slack in terms of revenue generation.

This trend, the study notes, will continue to the point that in 2016 total revenue from "electronic home video" will beat that of physical media. The decline of physical media will continue to drop to $8.7 billion in 2018, down from $12.2 billion.

By 2017, revenue from electronic home video will beat that of traditional cinema in the United States, and will swell to $17 billion the next year.

Still, traditional cinema will certainly not die. The study predicts a 16 percent increase in ticket sales over the next five years.

Eurogamer stumbled upon yet another Easter Egg in UbiSoft's Watch Dogs, this time involving Microsoft's Kinect device which was subject to privacy concerns last year.

When Microsoft first showed off the Xbox One console and started to spill details on how it would work, there was a lot of concern over the need for the bundled Kinect camera to be constantly on. With revelations and NSA spying and GCHQ reportedly even considering the use of Kinect, questions were raised about requiring a camera be constantly switched on when unnecessary.

Of course, Microsoft changed direction eventually and made it possible to use Xbox One without Kinect constantly on, and then went even further by unbundling Kinect from its cheapest Xbox One offering.

Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has been found to have a few Easter Eggs already that you find when hacking infrastructure around the city. In this one, Eurogamer found that you can hack into a "Kinekt" to watch a male gamer undergoing a fit of rage while playing.

The video is embedded below, but do note that it has quite a bit of colorful language in it. You have been warned!

The Xbox One June update is rolling out, bringing with it support for external storage and the ability to use your real name on Xbox Live.

After the update is applied, an Xbox One can support up to two external USB 3.0, 256GB or larger HDDs. Once formatted, you can copy and move games, apps and game add-ons to the external devices. You'll also be able to use the content on an external drive with a different Xbox One, as long as you sign in to Xbox Live for downloaded content, and insert a disc to verify ownership of an installed game.

The June update also brings with it the ability to use your real name on Xbox Live.

Improvements are also made to the SmartGlass app for Xbox One, including the entire OneGuide experience and Universal Remote Control. Now in supported markets you can view all of your TV listings on your SmartGlass device and set and view your favorite channels and app channels on your smart phone, tablet or PC.

With the Universal Remote Control, you can also easily switch channels, set new recordings and select and control recorded content from your DVR.

Hulu will also begin rolling out a free 3-month trial of Hulu Plus for all Xbox Live Gold members in the United States. Members who are not already Hulu Plus subscribers can sign up directly from within the Hulu Plus app and will receive a free 3-month trial of Hulu Plus.

A garage owner in Edinburgh has apologized after a complaint was made to police about a murder prank on Google's Street View.

Mechanic Dan Thompson noticed a Google Street View car was approaching in August 2012, and quickly staged a scene where a colleague stood over him with a pick axe handle as he laid on the ground playing dead. Over a year later the police showed up after a complaint by a member of the public.

"By complete fluke I saw the Google car coming along the road but it had to loop the block so I had one minute to rush back inside the garage and set up the murder scene," he told the BBC.

"We had forgotten about it when the police arrived a year later and we apologised for wasting police time. They found it funny."

Google's Street View has been subject to plenty of pranks in the past, including being flashed by both men and women as the cars passed by.


Source: BBC News
Picture: Sophos Naked Security

Four major music companies have joined Hollywood studios in seeking to have Kim Dotcom's assets frozen while the case against the Megaupload founder proceeds.

Dotcom's assets had been frozen since January 2012 when his home was raided and Megaupload service was shut down. In April this year, a New Zealand court refused to extend the freeze on Dotcom's assets, which include a garage full of luxury cars, millions in cash, and other items taken from the raid of his mansion.

The court's decision has since been appealed by the Crown with a hearing due on July 30, and six major Hollywood studios also want Dotcom's assets to remain frozen while the case against him proceeds.

They are now joined by four record companies - reportedly Warner Music, UMG Recordings, Sony Music and Capitol Records - with papers served on Tuesday seeking to have Dotcom's assets frozen.

The entertainment companies allege that Dotcom facilitated and profited from widescale copyright infringement while running Megaupload, and the United States is seeking to extradite him to face copyright infringement charges.

However, hearings on extradition have been delayed repeatedly while the case remains in court in New Zealand.

Putlocker.bz has lost control of its domain name and so has registered a new domain in Iceland.

The Putlocker streaming site is unauthorized but claims millions of users each month. It is exactly the time of website you would expect the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) in the UK to target, but whether PIPCU is behind this is unknown so far.

Sports streaming site Cricfree also lost its .tv domain name and had to switch to .eu recently. Torrentz.eu also temporarily lost control of its domain due to PIPCU actions.

"We are having an issue with .BZ Registry, so we had to move from putlocker.bz to http://putlocker.is/. IS is the domain name of Iceland – a safe haven for freedom of speech," the site's operator announced, reports TF.

Iceland's domain registry ISNIC had previously stated that it would not proactively suspend a domain name, and that only an Icelandic Court would have the influence to force it to do so.


Source: TorrentFreak

If you run into trouble with Netflix streaming in the United States, Netflix will now let you know exactly who is to blame: your provider!

An image tweeted by Yuri Victor of Vox Media shows how Netflix identified Verizon's network as the problem when it had to adjust video settings for smoother playback. A similar message is reportedly shown when AT&T subscribers run into streaming problems with Netflix.

"The Verizon network is crowded right now," the message informs the likely-irritated viewer.

Netflix wants to be clear with its assertion that Internet Service Providers are the ones responsible for providing adequate bandwidth so that paying subscribers can use services like theirs.

It is currently fighting against proposals that would allow ISPs to offer faster lanes to services like Netflix for a fee, and has already had to agree to pay ISPs to ensure that subscribers have the best experience possible.

Netflix had visibly suffered on Comcast's network recently, and recovered almost immediately after agreeing to pay the service provider. This was highlighted brilliantly by comedian John Oliver in an epic viral rant aimed at the FCC and cable companies in the United States over the weekend.

A healthcare-focused company in Melbourne, Australia is not too happy that Apple has decided to use the name HealthKit in a new API.

Apple unveiled HealthKit for developers to create health and fitness apps for iOS devices that can share data with each other. There's just one problem; there's already a company called HealthKit and they are less than impressed with Apple's borrowing of their name.

"HealthKit is already in use, by us!," a blog post reads.

"Even the way they write it is the same as us. I'm flattered that they like our name so much and that it's a ringing endorsement for our market opportunity (which we already knew). However, as an Apple fan, I feel let down. They didn't feel that they had to do a quick domain search - it would have taken 5 seconds to type www.healthkit.com into their browser and discover us."

The firm also posed a question directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Twitter after Apple's WWDC keynote on Monday.

Feeling annoyed #Apple is using our #HealthKit name for their new health product! @tim_cook r u aware of this? @healthystartups #rockhealth

-- HealthKit (@HealthKit) June 3, 2014

Netflix has confirmed that plug-in-less HD video streaming is available through Safari on Apple's OS X Yosemite.

The streaming giant said that it had been working closely with Apple to implement Premium Video Extensions in the Safari browser, meaning upgrading Mac users can view high-definition video from Netflix in the browser without the need to install additional plug-ins.

HTML5 premium video streaming is made possible with the implementation of Media Source Extensions (MSE) using Apple's optimized video pipeline on OS X, enabling smooth 1080p playback without killing the CPU or draining the battery too fast.

According to Netflix, you can get up to 2 hours longer battery life on a MacBook Air streaming Netflix in 1080p now.

On the content protection side, Apple implemented Encrypted Media Extensions into Safari, which serves as DRM protection for premium video, while the Web Cryptography API enables Netflix to encrypt/decrypt communication between its Javascript application and its back-end servers.

HTML5 plug-in free playback is also already available in Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1, and Netflix hopes to extend to all major browsers on different platforms as soon as possible.

If an Internet Service Provider detects that a customer is running a PC infected with Gameover Zeus, or any comparable threat, should the default action be to quarantine that account until it is cleaned?

According to one security researcher, that's exactly what has to happen. Writing on his blog in the wake of the US-led operation that significantly disrupted the GOZeuS botnet yesterday, Vice President of Security Researchat Trend Micro, Rik Ferguson, argued that we should learn from this and act accordingly.

Internet Service Providers in several countries will be contacting customers who appear to be running an infected PC in order to assist them in cleaning up. Should this be considered part of ISP's long-term strategy against malware, botnets and all kinds of cybergarbage?

Botnets can be used to wreak havoc online. They can be used as part of distributed denial of service attacks, and of course to steal sensitive information from victims and funnel it to the gangs behind the malicious networks. They wouldn't function as well however if ISPs restricted Internet access upon detecting the threat.

Google is expanding its efforts to secure e-mail in transit from snooping by working on an end-to-end encryption extension for Chrome, and adding a section about e-mail security to its transparency report.

According to Google, around 40 to 50 percent of emails sent between Gmail and other email providers aren't encrypted. Google itself has always supported encryption in transit by using Transport Layer Security (TLS) and will encrypt incoming and outgoing e-mail if it can, but its hands are tied when other e-mail providers don't support encryption.

In Google's transparency report, it shows the percentage of email encrypted for the top domains in terms of volume of email to and from Gmail. One notable bad performer is Comcast, with less than 1 percent.

Comedian John Oliver has provided the FCC with a nice headache after imploring viewers to send comments to the FCC on the issue of Net Neutrality, following a rant about the regulator and the telecommunications industry in America.

On his show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the host decided to tackle the debate over Net Neutrality in the United States, and the possible creation of a two-speed system that would see Internet providers being paid fees for "faster lane" access to their paying subscribers.

In a fairly epic ~12 minute rant, Oliver uses his comedic routine to expose the monopolistic nature of cable companies and their cushy relationship with the Federal Communications Commission.

Toward the end of the segment, Oliver peaks with an appeal to "monsters", referring to Internet commenters. He ends it with a call to all viewing to go to the FCC's website and leave comments on "Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet."

His call to arms worked a bit too well, causing "technical difficulties" (FCC's words..) with the commenting system itself. Visiting the comments page shows that over 45,000 have left comments on the issue already, and while the site appears to work now it is still noticeably slow at times.

Games with Gold and Deals with Gold for Xbox One are now available to Xbox Live Gold members, with the first two games available for download now.

As was previously revealed, "Max: The Curse of Brotherhood" and "Halo: Spartan Assault" can now be downloaded from the Xbox Games store for free by Xbox Live Gold members. Through Xbox One Deals with Gold, Crimson Dragon is also available at 50 percent off.

Xbox One will receive a system update in June that will add a new hub for exploring all the benefits available to those with Gold Membership.

Xbox 360 owners can also get their two free Games with Gold titles this month, including Dark Souls and Charlie Murder. Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will also be available this month as a bonus to celebrate the one-year Games with Gold anniversary.

Halo: Spartan Assault


Max: The Curse of Brotherhood

Ubisoft has revealed that Watch Dogs sold-through 4 million copies in just a week, setting a new industry record for the launch of a new franchise.

The publisher had previously said that Watch Dogs provided the best day-one results it had to date, but has now put some figures to it. Watch Dogs launched last week for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and Xbox One.

"With such strong sales momentum and positive feedback from gamers, Watch Dogs has positioned itself as the must-have game of the moment," said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ubisoft

"We're really proud of this achievement, and are confident that the Watch Dogs brand has a promising future."

Watch Dogs follows the story of vigilante Aiden Pearce as he hacks his way around Chicago using the Central Operating System (ctOS). Pearce is seeking justice for the death of his niece following a failed robbery. He uses his smartphone to hack the city's infrastructure and progresses through missions.

The game has received generally positive reviews from critics, although it ran into some technical problems unsurprisingly linked to uPlay on PC.

In a year of delays for high-profile upcoming games, Batman: Arkham Knight is the latest that won't make it onto shelves in 2014.

Batman: Arkham Knight follows The Witcher 3, The Order: 1886, Tom Clancy's The Division, Mad Max and Quantum Break into a strong 2015 line-up for the industry, which also will include Halo 5: Guardians.

It is set to launch on PC and on both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (PS4) consoles, so early adopters will feel more dismay at this latest delay.

Arkham Knight picks up a year after the conclusion of Batman: Arkham City, released in 2011. Batman will have to face up to Scarecrow as he attempts to unite Batman's long list of enemies.

Gamers will be able to utilize the formidable Batmobile in Arkham Knight, which can be summoned to Batman's location around Gotham City, and can easily subdue enemies on foot and in vehicles. It will also be upgradeable as the story progresses.


Source: Joystiq

Pixar will provide its award-winning RenderMan software used in the production of 'Toy Story', 'Wall E', 'Monsters Inc' and more mega-hits free for non-commercial usage.

RenderMan is licensed to other studios for use in making 3D effects for movies. Pixar announced this week that it would cut the cost of its software for commercial use, and that it will provide it for free for non-commercial use too.

"Pixar is announcing that,in conjunction with the upcoming release, free non-commercial licenses of RenderMan will be made available without any functional limitations, watermarking, or time restrictions," the studio announced.

"Non-commercial RenderMan will be freely available for students, institutions, researchers, developers, and for personal use."

Part of Pixar's motivation in this move is increasing competition from rendering software, such as Arnold. This way, Pixar can more easily expand a community of RenderMan users.


Sources and Recommended Reading:
Pixar to give away 'Toy Story' 3D RenderMan software: www.bbc.com/news/
Pixar Animation Studios Announces Monumental Innovations In Film Rendering: renderman.pixar.com

After culling Bitcoin-related apps from its App Store only months ago, Apple is refreshing its policies toward the use of virtual currencies.

Apple had previously removed all apps capable of Bitcoin transfers and managing the virtual currency by February of this year, much to the dismay of those who use cryptocurrencies. By contrast, Google didn't seek to block Bitcoin apps from Google Play, giving Android a bit of a boost.

Now Apple is refreshing its policies for software developers, and will soon publish a list of virtual currencies that it considers to be approved.

This list will undoubtedly include Bitcoin, which has gained wider and wider acceptance. Recently, Dish announced that it could accept payments made in Bitcoin.

Apple's change of heart could see the return of apps like Blockchain, Gliph, CoinJar and Coinbase.


Sources and Recommended Reading:
Apple warms to apps using virtual currencies: www.bbc.com/news/
App Store Review Guidelines: developer.apple.com
Apple removes last Bitcoin wallet app from store: www.afterdawn.com (Feb 6, 2014)

Sony is set to stop shipping PSP consoles to retailers in Japan, following a move made by the company in North America earlier this year.

The PlayStation Portable will also stop shipping to retailers in Europe very soon. Sony hopes that the success of the PSP can continue through the PS Vita era, though it has yet to live up to its predecessor on the market.

In all, Sony sold more than 80 million PSPs worldwide, showing that it can compete with domestic rival Nintendo in the portable space. The PSP will live on in some emerging markets in Latin America and Asia, and Sony isn't halting production.

In Japan, PSP owners can trade in their aging system for a discount on a PS Vita.

It's difficult to believe that it's over ten years since the PSP was first unveiled in Japan, launching then in December of 2004.

The UK's National Crime Agency has said that there is a two week window of opportunity to clean as many Gameover ZeuS infections as possible, before cybercriminals may regain control of the botnet.

As we reported yesterday, a U.S./FBI-led international effort significantly disrupted the operation of the Gameover ZeuS botnet, which uses peer-to-peer communications and encryption to send commands from administrators around the network, and to send sensitive financial information from victims browsing activity back to the bot herders.

This malicious network may have already cost consumers and businesses over $100 million, and for those victims that have not used financial services while infected, the Crptolocker ransomware may have been installed in order to extort money by encrypting personal files until a fee is paid.

You can read about how the Feds and their international equivalents worked with private companies to disrupt the botnet here.

The U.S. has charged a Russian man in connection with the Gameover Zeus botnet, and Cryptolocker ransomware that has cost businesses and consumers millions of dollars.

As we reported, the FBI coordinated with international counterparts in several countries and with private companies to take measures aimed at stifling the operations of the Gameover Zeus botnet and Cryptolocker ransomware.

In addition to those technical actions, the Department of Justice also unsealed criminal charges in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Omaha, Nebraska, against an administrator of the botnet. The administrator is identified as Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, 30, of Anapa, Russian Federation.

(HOW-TO: Here are instructions on how to detect and remove Gameover ZeuS from PCs)

He has been charged with conspiracy, computer hacking, wire fraud, band fraud and money laundering in Pittsburgh. Additionally, he was also charged by criminal complaint in Omaha with conspiracy to commit bank fraud related to his alleged involvement in the operation of a prior variant of Zeus malware known as "Jabber Zeus."

A US-led effort has disrupted the operation of the notorious Gameover Zeus botnet and the Cryptolocker ransomware that has cost businesses and consumers millions.

Gameover Zeus was the latest variant of Trojan.Zbot, designed to steal banking information and other credentials from victims. Instead of using centralized command-and-control servers to control the botnet, Gameover Zues uses a more sophisticated decentralized peer-to-peer system and strong encryption to spread commands around the botnet, and to direct stolen financial information.

(NOTE: The U.S. has also charged as is seeking a Russian man in connection with Gameover Zeus and Cryptolocker)

(HOW-TO: Here are instructions on how to detect and remove Gameover ZeuS from PCs)

The principal purpose of the botnet is to capture banking credentials from infected computers. Those credentials are then used to initiate or re-direct wire transfers to accounts overseas that are controlled by cyber criminals.

Apple unveiled iOS 8 at WWDC today, the latest OS that will drive its iPhone and iPad devices.

iOS brings plenty of new features across its apps, as well as new tools for developers to create new apps for the OS. Among its notable new features are iCloud Photo Library to spread/use your photos and videos more seamlessly across your devices, and the anticipated new Health app that gathers your health and fitness data to one place.

The new Messages app is also more powerful, making it possible to very easily send/receive audio, video and picture messages. Additionally, the new QuickType Keyboard could speed up your messaging significantly. It's predictive typing ability can learn aspects of your personality which it stores encrypted on the device, and that enables you to quickly respond to questions and even construct entire sentences with a few taps.

By understanding the context of your messages, it enables you to give quick answers to queries, for example, if you are asked whether you want to go to dinner or a movie tonight, it will identify "dinner" and "movie" and make it possible to respond with a tap.

Group messaging also became easier to control, making it more simple to add and remove contacts, leave a conversation and use the option to not be disturbed.

Want to watch Apple's WWDC keynote live today and get a glimpse of the future of iOS and OS X, and possibly more? Here's how..

Apple is livestreaming the event itself, but given that this is Apple we are talking about, it has set limitations on how you can watch its live stream. Firstly, you must be using an Apple device, running Safari 4 on OS X 10.6 or later, or if you have an iPod touch, iPad or iPhone you can watch it on Safari on iOS 4.2.

If you have a second- or third-generation Apple TV STB, then you can watch as long as you have v5.0.2 or later. Whether you can watch it on Safari for Windows with QuickTime installed we honestly do not know yet.

Here is Apple's direct link: https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2014/

For Windows users, there may be several secondary streaming options to watch along, although there could be ads or even commentary over the keynote.

One such feed is from "Live Tech Keynotes" on Ustream and it is embedded below, but please remember this is not a feed provided by AfterDawn and we are not responsible for its content.

EVENT IS OVER, STREAM REMOVED

Feel free to post other (NON-SPAM) links to the comments in due course. Enjoy!

Jolla, the Finnish smartphone start-up initiated by ex-Nokia employees, has revealed its FY-2013 figures showing a sizable loss relative to revenue.

Last year's revenue amounted to €3.5 million, while spending (including research & development) was north of €10 million. Jolla revealed an operating loss for 2013 of €8.3 million, over double its turnover for the period.

Jolla's financials also showed that the company received €9.8 million in investments in 2013, while convertible bonds increased by over €1.3 million and bank debt increased by €800,000. At the end of the year, Jolla counted around €300,000 in cash.

The Finnish start-up only started selling its first smartphones in December 2013, so the figures are not much of a surprise.

Initiated by several former Nokia employees, Jolla makes smartphones that run the Sailfish operating system. Sailfish is developed by Jolla in cooperation with the Mer project (based on Intel's MeeGo).

The first Jolla device went on sale in Europe in December 2013, selling for €399. Since then, developers have ported Sailfish to run on Google Nexus 4, and the OS exited beta in February of this year.

According to reports, the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States has grabbed millions of photos from the Internet for use in facial recognition systems.

The report in the New York Times was based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, who is nearing a year in asylum in Russia as he evades U.S. authorities. It claims that the NSA has mined millions of photos from the Internet as part of its facial recognition projects, sourced from social media, e-mail, video chats and even text messages.

Images snapped up from the Internet were then cross-referenced with other databases that included images of airline passengers and even from national identity cards of other countries. The NSA denied that it has access to photos taken for U.S. passports or U.S. driving licenses.

The leaked documents showed that the NSA's facial recognition systems have produced mixed results. Examples were included within that the "Tundra Freeze" (codename) project had turned up several obvious mismatches when trying to identify a young bearded man with dark hair in a photo, and even turned up incorrect results when querying photos of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Some efforts were successful however, including correctly matching a picture of a bald man at a water park to another picture of the same man with hair, and different clothes in a different setting.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Google is set to spend over $1 billion launching 180 satellites into low-Earth orbit to provide Internet access around the world.

Previously, Google had raised more than a few eyebrows a year ago when it announced Project Loon to deliver Internet access in unconnected areas and disaster zones using balloons high up in the atmosphere. Since then, it also bought Titan Aerospace, a company that is building drones that are solar-powered and can provide Internet access from above too.

Google is now preparing to jump above the atmosphere for its cause of delivering Internet access globally. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Google is preparing to launch 180 mini satellites that will orbit the Earth at relatively low altitude and will possibly launch more later.

The report cited sources familiar with the project in setting an expected cost of around $1 billion, though other sources hinted it could swell to $3 billion as the project progresses.

Greg Wyler, founder of O3b Networks, has been identified as the head of the project. O3b Networks has been invested in by Google, and it produces 1500lb satellites. Google's sats though, will reportedly weigh in at 250lb a piece.

Huawei has achieved 10Gbps Wi-Fi service in laboratory trials in Shenzhen, over ten times faster than commercially available Wi-Fi solutions today.

Specifically, the prototype system achieved a record transmission speed of 10.53Gbps on 5GHz frequency bands. Next generation Wi-Fi technology could make these improvements commercially available from 2018 onwards, pending the agreement of global standards requirements and sufficient chipset availability.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WLAN standard plenary meeting held last month saw the election of Dr. Osama Aboul Magd from Huawei as the 802.11ax WLAN standard task group chair, which will focus on the development of the next generation 10Gbps WiFi standard.

Commercial launch of the next generation Wi-Fi standard is planned for 2018.

Faster speeds can be achieved through a combination of new innovative technologies, such as MIMO-OFDA providing improvements in multi-user data rates.

Samsung has launched the Samsung Z Tizen smartphone ahead of the Tizen Developer Conference to be held in San Francisco from Wednesday, June 3.

The Z packs a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display (1280 x 720), a fingerprint censor and will be available in Black and Gold. Under the hood, it houses a 2.3GHz Quad Core application processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal memory which is expandable to 64GB via microSD.

An 8MP camera can be found on the read, and a 2.1MP on the front.

Of course the most notable thing about the device is on the software side. The Samsung Z will be the first commercially available smartphone running the Tizen (v 2.2.1) operating system, which Samsung promises delivers a fast, optimal performance with improved memory management compared to Android.

Tizen boots faster than Android devices (apparently), and also delivers immediate multi-tasking capabilities.