Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Pirates Everywhere Inside Hollywood Studios

Ever wonder if the Hollywood entertainment industry holds itself to the same standards it expects from us? Guess what…the biz is rife with in-house pirates. So before they demand Congress to pass borderline unconstitutional laws to stops piracy, they need to look at their own piracy. Love it when we catch hypocrites.

In other stories, the FBI may be investigating Carrier IQ for illegal wiretaps; a report on the hard disk shortage; a look at Microsoft’s newest tool that scans for all bad things on your computer before the system boots up; and much much more. Enjoy! -JRC

Busted: BitTorrent Pirates at Sony, Universal and Fox

After some initial skimming we’ve discovered BitTorrent pirates at nearly every major entertainment industry company in the US, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fox Entertainment and NBC Universal. Busted.

FBI May Be Gathering String on Carrier IQ

A Freedom of Information request asking for the FBI's records and info regarding embattled cellphone software maker Carrier IQ has been rejected. Why would the FBI refuse to say what it knows about the company? It's also possible the FBI is investigating Carrier IQ, which has drawn accusations of violating the Wiretap Act.

How bad is the hard disk shortage?

A report last week from IHS-iSuppli said it's pretty bad--a preview of what Intel said today. That is, the flooding in Thailand will hit PC shipments in the first quarter. iSuppli says the shortfall will be about 3.8 million PCs.

FCC (finally) cracks down on BLARING! TV! ADS!

The US Federal Communications Commission has issued rules requiring television broadcasters and cable and satellite providers to maintain constant volume levels for programs and commercials.

Twitter Trades Simplicity for Sophistication

Twitter's site redesign may cause a bit of consternation among users who already liked what the website had going for it, but the company hopes its base will grow more accepting as they use the new tools -- and that the new interface will encourage holdouts to join.

What’s the Most Secure Web Browser?

A new Google-funded study of browser security by security research firm Accuvant Labs crowned Chrome the champion of security features, and ranked Firefox below Internet Explorer in terms of protection available from web-borne threats. Keep in mind when you read this that Google funded this study.

Speed up Windows 7 and make it more beautiful

These tweaks may not be enough to convince Mac owners to switch from Mac OS X, but they sure do make Windows a lot more fun and eye-catching!

Windows Defender Offline beta tool removes malware before startup

Microsoft has released a new beta tool called Windows Defender Offline that's designed to scan for spyware and viruses prior to Windows startup, which could make it effective against malicious software, like rootkits, that can be difficult to remove while the OS is running. Free, of course.

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