Category: reader

DOJ Hasn’t Actually Found Silk Road Founder’s Bitcoin Yet

Techdirt has an interesting followup on the arrest and indictment of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, in connection to which the FBI seized 26, 000 or so Bitcoins. From the Techdirt piece: “However, in the criminal complaint against Ulbricht, it suggested that his commissions were in the range of $80 million — or about 600, 000 Bitcoins. You might notice the disconnect between the 26, 000 Bitcoins seized and the supposed 600, 000 Ulbright made. It now comes out that those 26, 000 Bitcoins aren’t even Ulbricht’s. Instead, they’re actually from Silk Road’s users. In other words, these were Bitcoins stored with user accounts on Silk Road. Ulbricht’s actual wallet is separate from that, and was apparently encrypted, so it would appear that the FBI does not have them, nor does it have any way of getting at them just yet. And given that some courts have argued you can’t be forced to give up your encryption, as it’s a 5th Amendment violation, those Bitcoins could remain hidden — though, I could see the court ordering him to pay the dollar equivalent in restitution (though still not sure that would force him to decrypt the Bitcoins).” The article also notes that the FBI’s own Bitcoin wallet has been identified, leading to some snarky micropayment messages headed their direction. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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DOJ Hasn’t Actually Found Silk Road Founder’s Bitcoin Yet

Google Is Now Deleting Nine "Pirate" Links Every Second

Groups like the RIAA are putting in millions of DMCA requests to pull “pirate” links off Google, and even though it doesn’t seem to help , the landslide’s not letting up. As of last month, Google was taking down nine pirate links every single second of every single day . Read more…        

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Google Is Now Deleting Nine "Pirate" Links Every Second

Google Is Sneaking Chrome OS Into Windows 8’s "Metro" Mode

It was one thing when Google’s Chrome apps managed to break out of the browser and become real, offline apps, but clearly that is not Google’s real long-term play. A recent update to the developer version of Google Chrome basically runs Chrome OS inside of Windows 8 . Read more…        

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Google Is Sneaking Chrome OS Into Windows 8’s "Metro" Mode

Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida: DualShock 4 will be compatible with Windows for ‘basic functions’

You won’t be using a DualShock 4 on an Xbox come November 15th , but that doesn’t mean it won’t work on any of Microsoft’s platforms. Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida recently confirmed via Twitter that the PS4’s gamepad will be compatible with Windows for “basic functions.” In response to inquiries about said functionality, he specifically pointed out that “the buttons and joysticks will work just fine.” There’s no word on whether the drivers will allow PC games to automatically see it as a DS4 on their own, though; Yoshida replied in the thread further, stating that folks will have to “wait for [a] field report after the launch.” As Joystiq points out, third-party controllers show up as Xbox controllers on Windows thanks to the XInput API — something that’s non-existent in the PS3’s DualShock 3. And with that, we’re left to wait and see what PS4 insights Yoshida will reveal next . Filed under: Gaming , Sony Comments Via: Joystiq Source: Twitter (@yosp)

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Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida: DualShock 4 will be compatible with Windows for ‘basic functions’

Topical cream causes toddlers to go through puberty

It’s one of those unintended consequences of medication that you rarely think about. What happens when parents are using a medical cream, and then they hug their kids? In two recent cases, it caused toddlers to go through early puberty. Read more…        

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Topical cream causes toddlers to go through puberty

Steam Machine Prototypes Use Intel CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs

An anonymous reader writes “Valve has revealed their first Steam Machines prototype details. The first 300 Steam Machine prototypes to ship will use various high-end Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs while running their custom SteamOS Linux distribution. The Intel Haswell CPU + NVIDIA GPU combination should work well on Linux with the binary drivers. Using a range of CPUs/GPUs in the prototypes will allow them to better gauge the performance and effectiveness. Valve also said they will be releasing the CAD design files to their custom living room console enclosure for those who’d like to reproduce them.” Valve is careful to point out that these specs aren’t intended as a standard: “[T]o be clear, this design is not meant to serve the needs of all of the tens of millions of Steam users. It may, however, be the kind of machine that a significant percentage of Steam users would actually want to purchase — those who want plenty of performance in a high-end living room package. Many others would opt for machines that have been more carefully designed to cost less, or to be tiny, or super quiet, and there will be Steam Machines that fit those descriptions.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Steam Machine Prototypes Use Intel CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs

iOS 7’s Most Common Bugs (and How to Fix Them)

No operating system launch is without a few bugs, but it seems like iOS 7 has had more than it’s fair share of blunders. From iMessages not working to lock screen exploits, here are some of the biggest bugs, and how you can fix them. Read more…        

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iOS 7’s Most Common Bugs (and How to Fix Them)

Origin PC drops AMD graphics options due to feedback, support woes

Many gaming PC builders stock both AMD and NVIDIA video hardware to guarantee that they always have the fastest graphics . Not Origin PC , however — it has had enough trouble with AMD that it’s dropping all Radeon GPUs from its lineup. The company tells Engadget that it’s responding to “customer experiences, ” support team demands and problems with both performance and stability. While there are still plenty of vendors that carry Radeon graphics, Origin PC’s move is a blow to AMD’s image; it suggests that the chip designer needs more than just advanced silicon to please gamers. Check out the full statement after the break. Filed under: Desktops , Gaming , Laptops Comments Source: Origin PC

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Origin PC drops AMD graphics options due to feedback, support woes

iOS 7’s Most Common Bugs (and How to Fix Them)

No operating system launch is without a few bugs, but it seems like iOS 7 has had more than it’s fair share of blunders. From iMessages not working to lock screen exploits, here are some of the biggest bugs, and how you can fix them. Read more…        

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iOS 7’s Most Common Bugs (and How to Fix Them)

Ban on most robocalls and text message spam gets stronger this month

New Federal Communications Commission restrictions on telemarketing calls and text messages go into effect Wednesday, October 16. Adopted by the commission last year, the amendment to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) “will require businesses to obtain ‘prior express written consent’ before placing telemarketing calls to mobile phones using an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) or an artificial or prerecorded voice, ” a Bloomberg Law summary explains. “The same regulations will now also require businesses to obtain ‘prior express written consent’ before placing telemarketing calls to residential lines using an artificial or prerecorded voice. As a result, effective Oct. 16, oral consent is not enough.” This new restriction applies to text messages as well. The FCC’s order notes that “text messaging is a form of communication used primarily between telephones and is therefore consistent with the definition of a ‘call.'” Thus, the commission said it “concluded that text messages would be subject to the TCPA.” Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments        

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Ban on most robocalls and text message spam gets stronger this month