The Pirate Bay, which has been using bandwidth provided to the site by Sweden’s Pirate Party, is no longer in Sweden, according to Torrent Freak. Following threats of legal action from a local anti-piracy group Rights Alliance in its home country, the pirating site packed up and left last week, handing over responsibilities to pirate parties in Norway and Spain. Continue reading The Pirate Bay Moves Out of Sweden Under Legal Threat

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corp., has plans to take on ESPN with a new national cable sports network. FOX Sports 1 is expected to launch in August in the United States, with plans to broadcast football, motor sports, baseball and much more. Murdoch hopes that the all-sports network will be as successful in the U.S. as Sky Sports has proven in the United Kingdom. Continue reading FOX Sports 1 to Launch in August: All-Sports Cable Network

Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) want to put an end to America’s patent troll problem with the newly introduced SHIELD Act, which aims to define patent trolls and distinguish them from honest patent holders. In an effort to discourage those who do nothing more than file patent lawsuits, the bill would create a “loser pays” system for specific types of patent litigants. Continue reading SHIELD Act: Legislation Hopes to Discourage Patent Trolls

Wired reviews Western Digital’s new WD TV Play, describing it as a capable set-top box priced for the money conscious consumer — but only gives the $70 media player a rating of 6 out of 10 (“a solid product with some issues”). The Play will have to work hard to stand out, since it faces stiff competition from the $100 Apple TV and $80 D-Link MovieNite Plus and Roku 2, which all offer 1080p playback and array of streaming services. Continue reading WD TV Play: Affordable Media Player from Western Digital

Massachusetts Institute of Technology grad student Jinha Lee demonstrated a 3D computer interface that allows users to interact with Web pages and documents inside their computer. SpaceTop is a 3D desktop environment that combines a transparent LED display and two motion tracking cameras (one for the user’s hands and the other for his/her eyes) so that users experience the illusion that their hands are actually inside the computer. Continue reading MIT Grad Student Demonstrates the Future of 3D Computing

According to engineer Jim Kor’s vision of the car-manufacturing future, 3D printing will play an important, even dominant role. Kor has engineered the Urbee 2, which could revolutionize parts manufacturing while creating an industry of small-batch automakers hoping to challenge the status quo. Kor’s goal for Urbee is to maximize miles per gallon with lightweight construction based on 3D printing. Continue reading Engineer Imagines Industry Shift Toward 3D Printing Cars

After being in development for about five years, video streaming service HitBliss is finally launching in beta this week. Aimed at users with more time than money, it offers viewers the chance to sit through targeted ads in exchange for virtual funds they can redeem to access new streaming movies and TV shows. The service is launching with content from The CW, Universal, Paramount, Starz Media and the Weinstein Company. Continue reading HitBliss Service Offers Free Streaming if You Watch Ads

As Internet users become more aware of online privacy issues, Internet companies are working to prove that consumer data is safe and under control. Some companies are even trying to gain advantage in the market by promoting themselves as more privacy-friendly than their rivals. Mozilla recently took this approach when it announced it would allow users to disable third-party tracking software. Others have taken similar tacts. Continue reading Industry Responds to Upswing in Online Privacy Concerns

At TED 2013 last week, Danny Hillis, an early Internet user who registered the third domain name ever (Think.com), spoke on the vulnerability of the expanding Internet. While standing on stage for his talk, he held up a one-inch-thick notebook, which listed every person — including name, address and phone number — who had an Internet address in 1982. By his estimates, that book would be 25 miles tall in today’s world. Continue reading Danny Hillis Asks: What Happens if the Internet Goes Down?

At last week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, CNET was impressed with the Asus Padfone Infinity, Asus FonePad, Nokia Lumia 720 and Sony Xperia Z tablet. In selecting its Best of Show award, however, a panel of CNET judges focused on the potentially disruptive category of new mobile operating systems. Mozilla’s Firefox OS and Canonical’s Ubuntu Touch generated the most buzz at MWC. Continue reading CNET Gives MWC Best of Show Award to Ubuntu Touch OS

Engadget writes about its favorite devices and trends to come out of last week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. While there weren’t many debuts of flagship products compared to previous years, some devices still stood out, including the new LG handsets, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, and HTC’s recently launched One smartphone. Regarding wireless products, Engadget calls this year’s MWC one big “NFC love fest.” Continue reading Engadget Review: Best of the Best at Mobile World Congress

Chocolate company Galaxy is offering some classic eye candy for its latest commercial. Production house Framestore used a full CG face replacement technique in order to recreate the late actress Audrey Hepburn to star in the one-minute spot. VFX included extensive pre-shoot facial scanning and a facial action coding system (FACS) to record more than 70 muscle movements and high resolution textures of the CG Hepburn. Continue reading Galaxy and Framestore Recreate Audrey Hepburn for TV Spot

Groupon announced it has begun its search for a new CEO to replace Andrew Mason. Groupon’s stock has fallen more than 75 percent since its IPO, including a 20 percent drop after reporting its fourth-quarter earnings. The company may need to effectively transition from its past as a daily deals company to a future more focused on standing deals, discounted product sales and international business. Continue reading Groupon Changes Business Plans as Search for CEO Begins

It’s a real possibility that Google Glass, the wearable computing device designed to reduce distraction and allow for communicating in a new way, could be in consumers’ hands by the end of the year. It’s the anti-smartphone, writes The Verge, designed to rewire the way we think about and interact with each other and technology. But the question remains: Who would want to wear the device in public? Continue reading Google Glass Gets One Step Closer to Being On Your Head

A new augmented reality e-commerce application for Glasses.com may not only revolutionize how consumers shop for eyeglasses, but could also have a significant impact on online shopping. The iOS app scans multiple angles of your face and uses a QR code (held up to your head) to determine the scale of your face. Then the app can superimpose glasses on images of your face to offer a virtual fitting room experience. Continue reading 3D Virtual Try-On: iPad App Helps You Shop for New Glasses