Welcome to the homepage of popular sports streaming and p2p site Rojadirecta.com . Why all the birdy logos and harsh words about going to prison? Well, it’s a convoluted story, which began when a whole bunch of sports sites — including Rojadirecta — were summarily seized by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, based on “probable cause to believe” they’d been involved in copyright infringement . Awkwardly, the Spanish owners of this particular site had already been cleared of any wrongdoing by courts in Spain, but this counted for nada because their .com URL was American. So, their one hope was to convince a US judge that the seizure violated the First Amendment and should be overturned. This case won support from freedom of speech activists like the Electronic Frontier Foundation , but on Thursday it finally failed. The presiding judge ruled that no rights had been violated, because Rojadirecta could easily set up shop at a non-US address and continue to function. Bad news indeed for the Spaniards — maybe they should move to the UK, where due process takes a whole lot longer . US judge won’t return seized URL to Rojadirecta.com, absolutamente no originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Avada Ke duster ! That’s right Potter fans , magic may not be real (sorry), but if Du.static ever makes it to market, get set to eliminate household dust with the flourish of a wand. Designed by Hongik University’s Won Suk Lee, this 2011 Spring Spark Concept Design winner combines the functionality of a feather duster and air purifier, into a two-in-one, Hershey-kissed silhouette. The standalone unit’s base-mounted induction fan sucks your room’s filth into a fine particle filter, releasing fresh air out its other end, while an LED light keeps track of environmental detritus — signaling red for “polluted” and blue as “pure enough.” Impressive powers of purification aside, we have a feeling its removable electrostatic stick cleaner is going to get more cosplay (and cleaning) mileage. Head to the source now for extra shots of the device in action and while you’re at, petition Dyson for its real-world equivalent. Continue reading Du.static dust-busting concept clears the air, won’t vanquish Voldemort Du.static dust-busting concept clears the air, won’t vanquish Voldemort originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Well, would you look at that? Two of our favorite entertainers, Lucile Ball and the World Wide Web, share a birthday . Of course, the former Mrs. Desi Arnaz would have about 80 years on the old web if she were alive today, but there’s no reason the two can’t get along, right? That’s Google’s stance anyway, as the internet giant’s dedicated its latest doodle to the memory of the fiery ginger comedienne. If you love Lucy as much as we do, hit the source link, grab some popcorn and cozy up to that tiny TV to watch some of her very finest comedic performances. [Thanks, Bedan] Babalu! Google celebrates Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday doodle-style originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It’s that time of the month again, over at Apple. You know, iOS 5 beta refresh time. Just over two weeks ago, the old Apple released its latest build , and now iOS 5 beta 5 is ready for devs to download. We’ve yet to get the dirt on what this version will bring, but we’re downloading it now, and will let you know if any juicy bits float to the top. If you’ve already got it going, let us know what you see in the comments below. Update: Strangely, the beta 5 release notes mention the possibility of multiple iCloud accounts, but we’re not entirely certain how that will work, or whether or not it will make it to the final release. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] iOS 5 beta 5 already ready for your downloading pleasure originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Comcast’s Internet Essentials offers $10 internet access to low-income families
August 6, 2011 No Comment
Earlier this year, when Comcast bought up NBC Universal, the company made a promise to boost broadband access in underserved communities and, with the launch of its new Internet Essentials service, it looks poised to follow through on that commitment. Originally laid out as the Comcast Broadband Opportunity Program, the plan offers internet access for only $10 a month to families with children who qualify for free lunch programs. Taking its commitment even further, the outfit is offering a $150 voucher for the purchase of a computer, access to free digital literacy training, and a Norton Security Suite. Of course there are a couple of requirements — one being that you have to have made good on previous Comcast bills — but we’re hoping this will help the old red, white, and blue climb a couple rungs on the broadband adoption ladder . Full details of the ambitious plan await you in the PR after the break. Continue reading Comcast’s Internet Essentials offers $10 internet access to low-income families Comcast’s Internet Essentials offers $10 internet access to low-income families originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Back in September of last year NVIDIA pledged that the successor to Fermi, Kepler, would arrive in 2011 . Since then, things have been rather quiet on the next-gen GPU front. In fact, rumors have started to circulate that the 28nm-based chip would be pushed back to 2012. Turns out those rumblings aren’t entirely inaccurate. While the latest polygon pushing silicon will start being churned out before it’s time to buy a new calendar, final products won’t start shipping until next year, as a company rep told TechSpot . Kepler’s descendent, Maxwell, is still expected to land sometime in either 2013 or 2014, but there’s plenty of time for that timetable to slide back a bit too. NVIDIA’s Kepler GPU still (kinda, sorta) on scheduled for 2011 debut originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Another day, another phantom budget tablet: today’s unnamed low-cost model is manufactured by Bharat Electronics, out of India. The Bharat slate runs Android 2.2, sports solar charging for back-up power, and sings for only 3000 Rupees, or just shy of $70. No word on processor speed, RAM, or storage, but Hindu Business Line states that the Froyo pads will “allow data to be stored and uploaded in real time to a central server,” suggesting a cloud-based storage system. Availability? None for now, this slate is being sold exclusively to India’s Ministry of Rural Development for use in a poverty survey. Bharat’s Chairman and Managing Director, Ashwani Datt, stated they would have to configure a new version of the slate if they were to offer it to students or consumers. We’ll let you know what we think just as soon as we get our hands on the XO-3 and that other tablet from India. You know, for vaporous comparison. Indian $70 solar slate joins XO-3 and Sakshat in vaporware race originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …WhiteHat Security hacks into Chrome OS, exposes extension vulnerability at Black Hat
August 6, 2011 No Comment
It’s been a rough Black Hat conference for Google. First, FusionX used the company’s homepage to pry into a host of SCADA systems, and now, a pair of experts have discovered a way to hack into Chrome OS . According to WhiteHat security researchers Matt Johansen and Kyle Osborn , one major issue is Google’s vet-free app approval process, which leaves its Chrome Web Store susceptible to malicious extensions. But there are also vulnerabilities within native extensions, like ScratchPad — a note-taking extension that stores data in Google Docs. Using a cross-site scripting injection, Johansen and Osborn were able to steal a user’s contacts and cookies, which could give hackers access to other accounts, including Gmail. Big G quickly patched the hole after WhiteHat uncovered it earlier this year, but researchers told Black Hat’s attendees that they’ve discovered similar vulnerabilities in other extensions, as well. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said, “This conversation is about the Web, not Chrome OS. Chromebooks raise security protections on computing hardware to new levels.” The company went on to say that its laptops can ward off attacks better than most, thanks to “a carefully designed extensions model and the advanced security available through Chrome that many users and experts have embraced.” WhiteHat Security hacks into Chrome OS, exposes extension vulnerability at Black Hat originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Stephen Colbert beat the MLB at its own game. And his reward was assuming control of their official Twitter Feed. It’s only expected that the red-blooded, die-hard American Stephen Colbert is a chest-beating fan of our nation’s pastime. Whether his real-life persona (also confusingly named Stephen Colbert) is similarly a fan is up for interpretation,
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Despite forming a coalition with a bevy of companies , Google’s radical WebM video libertarianism has yet to take the world by storm — unless you’re talking El Goog’s browser or YouTube. Well, Mountain View can breathe a sigh of relief, as Skype — even after being bought by Microsoft — has carried through with its earlier support of the open-source standard, bundling it within last week’s Windows-only update . One-to-one and group video calls between version 5.5 clients now use WebM’s VP8 codec, succeeding its ancestor, On2′s VP7. Hey Redmond, who’s speaking Esperanto now? Skype 5.5 uses VP8 for video chats, keeps the WebM love aflame originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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