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AfterDawn: News

Former revenge porn king Hunter Moore pleads guilty to ID theft, hacking charges

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Feb 2015 9:04

Former revenge porn king Hunter Moore pleads guilty to ID theft, hacking charges Hunter Moore, once dubbed 'the most hated man on the Internet,' has plead guilty to ID theft and hacking charges and will face up to 10 years in prison.

Moore founded and operated the 'revenge porn' site IsAnyoneUp.com, which in its heyday had nearly 30 million views per month. Moore was arrested last January and has now plead guilty to unauthorized access to a computer, aiding and abetting unauthorized access of a computer, and identity theft.

IAU allowed anyone to post nude and other explicit images of people without their express permission and Moore then posted their Facebook page, full name and usually city of residence next to the pictures to ensure that everyone knew exactly who they were viewing.

At the time the site started, posting the photos was not explicitly illegal (but highly immoral), but there are now 16 states with laws against posting nude photos without permission. However, Moore was also paying another person, Charles Evens, to steal nude photos from victim's email accounts, which is unquestionably illegal. Evens apparently was able to compromise the accounts using social engineering. "Basically, he was impersonating these victims' friends and was able to get confidential information that would allow him to access their accounts," said assistant US attorney Wendy Wu in 2014.

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AfterDawn: News

U.S. Marshals to auction another 50,000 Bitcoins seized from the Silk Road

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Feb 2015 8:37

U.S. Marshals to auction another 50,000 Bitcoins seized from the Silk Road The U.S. Marshals service has announced they will be auctioning off another 50,000 bitcoins seized during the takedown of the original Silk Road underground marketplace.

As of writing, the coins will be worth $11 million, but of course they may not reach market value in an auction setting.

The next auction will take place on March 5th, from 8:00 EST to 14:00 EST, and all bids must come from serious pre-registered participants. To bid, you must be registered by March 2nd, and all winners will be notified on March 6th.

Because very large bidders are hard to come by, the auction will be split into 20 blocks: 10 for 2000 bitcoin and 10 for 3000 bitcoin. The current market value for one bitcoin is $235.

The agency has auctioned off over 100,000 bitcoins seized from the Silk Road and its operator Ross Ulbricht. Ulbricht was recently convicted of a plethora of federal crimes and will serve at least 20 years in prison.

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AfterDawn: News

Hulu wants to better sort your content with new 'Watchlist' feature

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Feb 2015 7:56

Hulu wants to better sort your content with new 'Watchlist' feature Hulu has unveiled 'Watchlist,' a new feature that will replace the current 'Shows you watch,' 'favorites' and 'queue' lists which are never quite as effective as you need them to be.

Watchlist is a new favorites list that will smartly rearrange your content so that shows you like the most are given priority, especially above something you may have queued and then forgotten about.

Reads the blog post: "Watchlist makes it easy to save any episode, clip, movie or show that you'd like to watch later. Simply add it to your Watchlist by clicking the "+" button on PCs, iPhones, and iPads or the "add to Watchlist" button on gaming consoles, connected TVs and set-top boxes and Android devices. When you start watching a new show, future episodes will automatically be added to your Watchlist.

Watchlist dynamically tailors the order of your content to match how you watch TV. Shows that have new episodes or shows you're binging on will be prioritized in the Watchlist order over shows or movies you haven't started yet. Watchlist even learns from you, and gets smarter over time. The more content you watch on Hulu – the more personalized Watchlist will become. For example, if you always watch the latest episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine the moment it's available each week, Watchlist will make sure it's the first thing you see. When you get caught up on that, the next show you're watching will make its way to the front."

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AfterDawn: News

Flip phones make a comeback, in Japan

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Feb 2015 9:15

Flip phones make a comeback, in Japan In what may be a bizarro world, a new report shows that flip phone shipments rose in Japan in 2014 while smartphone sales fell for the second year in a row.

Market research firm MM Research Institue reported that flip phone shipments rose 5.7 percent year-over-year in 2014 to 10.58 million while smartphone shipments fell 5.3 percent to 27.70 million in the same time period.

There could be a very simple answer as to why the old school devices are making a comeback. Japanese consumers pay extremely high smartphone fees and rates, especially compared to other developed nations, while flip phone rates and fees are among the lowest on the planet.

Of course, a flip phone will still allow you to text, make phone calls, access email and most have at least a basic browser, which appears to be good enough for some consumers. Big companies like Panasonic and NEC have pulled out of the smartphone market (which is dominated by Apple and Samsung there also) but continue to make flip phones to stay relevant in the market with 130 million mobile customers.

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AfterDawn: News

BlackBerry Passport, Classic headed to AT&T this week

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Feb 2015 8:42

BlackBerry Passport, Classic headed to AT&T this week BlackBerry has finally found U.S. carrier support for its latest devices, the strange 'Passport' and the 'Classic.'

AT&T will begin selling the two devices starting this week, on February 20th, both with contract and without. Both can also be financed through the AT&T Next program. The carrier says the Passport will sell for $200 with contract or $650 without, guaranteeing no one will purchase it, while the Classic will sell for $50 on contract and $420 without.

Interestingly, the carrier model of the Passport has rounded edges compared to the sharp edged model that is currently sold direct from BlackBerry and on Amazon. The Classic is exactly the same inside and out as current models being sold.

The Passport will be an AT&T exclusive, while the Classic will be temporarily an exclusive before it heads to Verizon later this year.

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AfterDawn: News

Raspberry Pi sells 5 millionth mini computer

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Feb 2015 8:28

Raspberry Pi sells 5 millionth mini computer The Raspberry Pi Foundation has confirmed their latest milestone: 5 million Raspberry Pi units sold.

With the new milestone hit, the bare bones do-it-yourself mini computer has made the Foundation the best-selling UK computer maker ever.

Aimed originally at schools and students who were learning to program, the board has clearly become a minor hit outside of the educational world.

The mini computer sells for just $35 and there are plenty of operating systems around that can be easily run on the computer with just an SD card. The company also just announced a second-generation model with more RAM and a better processor that will be able to run a variant of Windows 10.

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AfterDawn: News

ASUS to move away from Android Wear for upcoming watches

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Feb 2015 11:11

ASUS to move away from Android Wear for upcoming watches According to CEO Jerry Shen, ASUS is actively considering moving away from Android Wear for its upcoming smartwatches in an effort to have better battery life.

Shen did note, however, that at least one model of their second-generation ZenWatch will run Android Wear but all other future devices are up in the air.

"The major concern is about saving power," Shen said. "We will continue to work with Google on Android Wear, and we will have another (smartwatch) that is not based on Android Wear and features a longer battery life."

By running on a MediaTek chip with a different less battery-intensive operating system, ASUS hopes to achieve battery life of up to 7 days. Most current Android Wear devices have two days or less of battery life.

The second-generation ZenWatch is expected in the Q3.

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AfterDawn: News

ASUS comes to the party with the thin, light ZenBook UX305 for just $699

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Feb 2015 10:44

ASUS comes to the party with the thin, light ZenBook UX305 for just $699 Earlier this month, Dell took the ultrabook industry by storm with its 2015 XPS 13, starting at $799 with a nearly bezel-less display and an extremely tiny frame.

ASUS has just unveiled their rival, the ZenBook UX305, the "world's slimmest 13.3-inch ultra" at just 0.48-inch thin.

The device has a 13.3-inch 1080p display with anti-glare, a brand new Intel Core M processor, 10 hours of battery life and a "solid aluminum frame enhanced with diamond-cut highlights." The ultrabook has 8GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, three USB 3.0 ports and an ethernet port.

To go along with its thin frame, the ultra weighs in at 2.6 pounds, in line with the XPS 13 and the MacBook Air.

Most notably, the ultrabook will sell for just $699, undercutting the Dell XPS 13's lowest model by $100 with more RAM and internal storage.

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AfterDawn: News

LG unveils the luxury Watch Urbane smartwatch

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Feb 2015 10:11

LG unveils the luxury Watch Urbane smartwatch Ahead of the upcoming Mobile World Congress, LG has unveiled their latest smartwatch, the Watch Urbane with a sleek metal face and looks that rival those of non-smart watches.

Similar to its predecessor, the G Watch R, the new Urbane has a a 1.3-inch 320x320 P-OLED display at 245 pixels per inch, a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 4GB internal storage, 512MB RAM and a 410mAh battery.

Feature wise, there is a heart rate monitor, a barometer and it's IP67 dust/water resistant but don't take the watch when you go swimming.

The body is now either silver or gold finish, and the bands are stitched leather, giving a high-end look.

"LG Watch Urbane is an important part of our strategy to develop wearable devices that are worn and viewed as everyday accessories, not electronic gadgets,"
Juno Cho, LG CEO and President, said in the press release.

It is unclear when the watch will be released, nor has the company provided a price range but given the specs expect the watch to come in at $299.

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AfterDawn: News

Megaupload coder pleads guilty, admits to illegal downloads of copyright infringing content

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2015 9:34

Megaupload coder pleads guilty, admits to illegal downloads of copyright infringing content The U.S. government has its first conviction of a Megaupload employee, nearly three years after a raid took down the site for good.

Andrus Nomm, a coder for the site living in the Netherlands, plead guilty to criminal copyright infringement, and as part of the plea agreement, Nomm also had to admit that Megaupload stored copyright-infringing content and that he downloaded such files from Mega's servers.

Nomm was one of seven Megaupload employees indicted after the raid, but the first to be convicted. For taking the plea bargain, Nomm will spend one year and one day in prison.

The DOJ says Nomm admitted he was "was aware that copyright-infringing content was stored on the [Megaupload] websites, including copyright protected motion pictures and television programs, some of which contained the 'FBI Anti-Piracy' warning. Nomm also admitted that he personally downloaded copyright-infringing files from the Mega websites. Nomm continued to participate in the Mega Conspiracy."

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom blasted the U.S. legal system, as did his attorney, but says he understood why Nomm took the deal. "The US Justice system: An innocent coder pleads guilty after 3 years of DOJ abuse, with no end in sight, in order to move on with his life," Dotcom said. "I have nothing but compassion and understanding for Andrus Nomm and I hope he will soon be reunited with his son."

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AfterDawn: News

PSA: Steam's Valentine's Day sale still running with sales up to 80 percent off

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2015 6:14

PSA: Steam's Valentine's Day sale still running with sales up to 80 percent off In case you missed it earlier this weekend, Steam's 'Valentine's Day Co-Op Sale" is still going strong, with titles discounted as much as 80 percent.

There are 32 games on sale as of writing, with the sale slated to end on Monday at 10AM Pacific Time.

If you've been meaning to get on some games that are funner in co-op mode, now may be your chance.

Check the full sale here: Steam Co-op Sale!




AfterDawn: News

See President Obama's thoughts on cyber warfare and privacy

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2015 6:05

See President Obama's thoughts on cyber warfare and privacy If you have the time for a longer-form video, Kara Swisher had a great interview with President Barack Obama, and the pair discussed the President's thoughts on privacy, cyber warfare and other tech-related topics.

Obama was in Silicon Valley for the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection.

Here is a full transcript of the President's executive order that came out of the Summit, which will specifically "promote private sector cybersecurity information sharing," meaning if a company is hacked there will be better information sharing with the government without the risk of fines or penalties.

Check out the full interview here:

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AfterDawn: News

'Uptown Funk' making $100,000 per week on Spotify

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2015 5:26

'Uptown Funk' making $100,000 per week on Spotify Despite what Taylor Swift would have you believe, there is money to be made on streaming services like Spotify.

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' hit song 'Uptown Funk' is a certified hit and one of the most popular tracks in the world. According to MBW, the song is making nearly $100,000 per week on Spotify alone thanks to millions of plays.

Since its release on the streaming service on November 10th, 2014, the track has been played 125.9 million times. Spotify estimates $0.007 is paid to rightsholders per play, meaning the song has brought in nearly $900,000 in revenue.

At around 15 million plays per week, the song is bringing in $100k per week, a number shared by Ronson, the record label, the publisher and any co-writers.

As reported previously on Afterdawn, how much the artists get is a subject of debate. If you do not include taxes or platform costs, the labels take 73 percent, songwriters take 16 percent and artists get 11 percent, but it is hard to imagine an artist struggling while getting $11,000 a week from just one platform.

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AfterDawn: News

'Candy Crush' maker King buys 'Battle Nations' maker

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2015 4:41

'Candy Crush' maker King buys 'Battle Nations' maker King Digital, the gaming company behind the hit 'Candy Crush' series, has announced the acquisition of Z2, the maker of 'Metalstorm' and 'Battle Nations.'

The deal is relatively cheap at $45 million upfront with $105 million extra if milestones are met in a certain timeframe.

"Through this acquisition, the company will incorporate a proven team focused on contributing to our diversification into new genres," King wrote in its release. "Z2 will be our first game studio in the United States."

King, which has 1200 employees across 9 gaming studios, will add all 100 Z2 employees. "We look forward to welcoming them to King and joining forces to push this opportunity together," said the studio.

Z2's CEO Lou Fasulo was very excited for the move: "King is predominantly known for their immensely popular puzzle games. Z2 has had great success in casual to mid-core builder, strategy and action games -- this combination extends their capabilities to new game genres."

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AfterDawn: News

Apple working on an electric car to compete with Tesla

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2015 12:28

Apple working on an electric car to compete with Tesla According to the WSJ, Apple is working on an electric car to compete with Tesla and any upcoming competitors in the space.

The report claims that Apple has hundreds of employees secretly working on the project, which is codenamed "Titan."

At least in prototype, the Apple electric car looks like a minivan, which would make sense if the company is aiming the product at families.

If Apple decides to continue with the project, industry watchers believe it could be half a decade before we see an Apple car on the road. The report says Apple CEO Tim Cook approved the project a year ago, and put product design Vice President Steve Zadesky in charge. Zadesky was a former engineer at Ford.

Reportedly, Zadesky was given permission to create a 1000-person team and take whatever employees necessary from different divisions in the country. Right now, the team is researching "robotics, metals and materials consistent with automobile manufacturing." Besides Zadesky, Apple also recently hired Johann Jungwirth, the former CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America.

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