Bit Torrent Site Gets Axed, Owner Forced to Pay £68m to MPAA

Bit Torrent website IsoHunt.com, a popular website that specializes in downloadable content, is being shut down following a court settlement.

 

The site, which was founded in 2003, was extremely popular with users. Some 7.4 million viewers had visited the site within three years of it going live. At its peak, Isohunt received an average of 40 million searches a month.

 

In response to the California court’s ruling, IsoHunt’s founder Gary Fung wrote on his blog that “its sad to see my baby go”.

 

The problems began when a group of major corporations, including Disney, Paramount and 20^th Century Fox, accused the site of copyright infringement. A large portion of IsoHunt’s Torrent files contained copyrighted material, such as movies, TV shows and music albums.

 

The court case has taken more than 7 years to reach its conclusion, but a decision has finally been made.

 

Mr Fung has been ordered to pay $110m (£68m) to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), but since neither he, nor his company has access to funds of this kind, it is estimated that the MPAA will only receive $2-$4m from Fung.

 

It should be noted, however, that IsoHunt did not actually upload any pirated material. According to Mr. Fung, the IsoHunt users were ultimately responsible for what they made available for download, as opposed to the site itself, which merely served as a directory for available content.

 

Nevertheless, MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd was pleased with the Court’s decision, saying, “The successful outcome of this landmark lawsuit will also will help preserve jobs and protect the tens of thousands of businesses in the creative industries, whose hard work and investments are exploited by sites like IsoHunt.”

 

Fung has argued elsewhere that, if the entertainment industry was to fully embrace digital media (for example by lowering prices and offering simultaneous digital releases), it could easily render sites like his obsolete. 

 

The website www.piracydata.org, which is run by a team of researchers from Virginia, US, has suggested that, of the top 10 most pirated movies of the week, half were unavailable for legal download and none were available for streaming, making piracy the only option for viewers wishing to watch these films over the Internet.

 

But how damaging is online piracy to Hollywood’s profit margins? The 2008 James Cameron movie ‘Avatar’, for example, has been listed as ‘the most pirated film of all time’, after being downloaded something like 21million times worldwide. However, the movie still garnered $600m in DVD sales in the US alone, which is not taking rentals into account (which garnered a further $57m, again, just in the US). This indicates that a considerable number of people are downloading the movie as well as buying the DVD/Blu Ray release.

 

Not everyone in the film and television industries is opposed to piracy either. Musician, actor and spoken word performer Henry Rollins has repeatedly stated that he’d “rather be heard than paid” and Vince Gilligan, creator of the popular US TV show ‘Breaking Bad’ has said that piracy helped his show to be successful, by increasing “brand awareness” of his product.

 

In a Q&A session on Reddit, Gary Fung said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful. 10.5 years of IsoHunt has been a long journey by any business definition and forever in Internet start-up time”.

Regardless of the debates, the Isohunt site will likely be completely shut down by the time you read this.

  

SOURCES

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17812247

 

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/avatar-the-most-pirated-movie-ever-1034312

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24580130

 

http://pctechmag.com/2013/10/breaking-bad-creator-says-piracy-helped-the-show-as-piracy-site-isohunt-is-to-shut-down/

Bit Torrent Site Gets Axed, Owner Forced to Pay £68m to MPAA

Get a Motorola 2-pin earpiece for the finest price

We consume a load of time writing about Motorola radios, so we have chosen to do a succession that concentrates on the earpieces that connect to them.

Not only do a quantity of good businesses manufacture top-of-the-range walkie talkies that are both inexpensive and dependable, there are additionally a huge array of 2 way radio earpieces that vary from cheap and cheerful (but nonetheless effective) to the last word in techno badassery (Editor’s Note: not in fact a word).

So, kicking off our new five-part run celebrating 2 way radio earpieces, is the Motorola 2-pin earpiece.

Amazon lists this earpiece at a paltry £17.50, but the Motorola 2-pin earpiece is surprisingly high spec for such a inexpensive device.

Firstly, this is totally versatile, as it fits into any 2 pin Motorola radio. It may not be the most excellent earpiece ever created, but it will match with any number of different Motorola radios. On the other hand, I must declare that the Motorola 2-pin earpiece does need an adaptor block to work with GP320 and GP340 series radios (oh well, you can’t have everything!)

Secondly, the noise quality is excellent; there will be no misunderstandings or poor comms when the Motorola 2-pin earpiece is in use, that’s for sure. For such a cheap device, it actually reproduces noises amazingly clearly.

Thirdly, here are the features. These features are a bit thin on the ground when contrasted with some of the costlier Motorola earpieces, but they continue to enrich the user experience and add to the overall product.

Want examples? Well, the GP300 earpiece is ergonomically made to fit your ear canal comfortably and is effortlessly capable to fit in both the left or the right ear (whatever you happen to favour).

It too has an in-built ‘push to talk’ switch, so you are not reliant on your two way radio’s controls in order to transmit an outgoing signal. It too has a sprung metallic lapel clip that attaches the Motorola gp300 earpiece to what you happen to be dressed in, allowing you to be discreet, as well as to prevent tangling yourself up in wires.

In general, the Motorola 2-pin is a fine radio earpiece. A range of organisations have built better ones and I would not put forward this one if President Obama asks your firm to protect him on his next family skiing trip, but for most intents and tasks, the Motorola gp300 earpiece gets the job done.

In our next episode, we’ll be taking a look at the GP340 earpiece, but for more information on the full range of GP300 earpieces visit earpieceonline.co.uk

Get a Motorola 2-pin earpiece for the finest price

Get a CP040 earpiece for the best price

Previously, we looked at an earpiece purposely designed to use on the Gp 340 2 way radio series. This time, we’ll be looking at the Motorola cp040 earpiece, an affordable and versatile little doohickey that is amazingly exciting, but also does very little to break one’s bank account.

The Motorola cp040 earpiece is a lot like the Motorola gp300 earpiece. It’s small, clever and cheap, but it also represents quite good value for money. EarpieceOnline lists this earpiece for about £11.50, however it’s a reasonably good buy for the price.

We will be direct, everything is pretty basic on that model, however the earpiece performs its function well and certainly will not let anyone down.

The sound quality of this Motorola cp040 earpiece is excellent indeed and also the PTT ‘push to talk’ utility is convenient and easy to use. As usual, the Motorola cp040 earpiece features a sprung clothing clip that attaches simply to most items of gear (you might find it a problem if you’re planning on using it while dressed as the giant Sumo wrestler and competing on ‘Takeshi’s Castle’, but apart from that…).

As on the 300 series, as it only features a two-pin plug, an adaptor block will be necessary to be used with the GP320 and GP340 series of two way radios.

The ergonomic D-shaped earpiece alone is comfortable to wear and typically inconspicuous. It may be easily utilised in either the left or right ear, depending on your personal liking. The CP040 earpiece fits most ear sizes, so unless you happen to be Prince Charles or Martin Clunes (Editor’s Note: or my Uncle Dave), you shouldn’t have too many comfort problems, if any.

There is no Kevlar cable on this one, yet but it definitely is not one of the best model around. However, this isn’t to state the Cp040 2-pin is a bad earpiece, not at all. It just is not the best.

Overall, the Motorola cp040 earpiece is practical, instead of flamboyant. It does its job with no frills (but additionally no temper tantrums). This is a fine, reliable product from the team that excels at selling such products. It also offers enormous value for money, too.

Next episode: We have checked out some of those mid level products available, now its time to find what else is around. We are talking James Bond stuff! (Well, y’know, But if you need to discover more on this earpieces visit earpieceonline.co.uk

Get a CP040 earpiece for the best price

what plays mp3 files

I am a vinyl fan. You’ve never heard of most of my favourite bands, and if you have, you won’t like them. Modern music leaves me extremely cold. I’m a fan of most styles, but the current production methods (lets bury everything under a million layers of random sounds just because we can, then we’ll get rid of all background sound and make everything pitch-perfect and soulless) are lost on me. 

As you can imagine, I came to MP3 rather late. For the longest time I wandered around with a portable CD player in my pocket that skipped if I moved even a step too fast. It ran on batteries that would run out regularly and was, generally, a pain. However, I persevered with it because I’m a compulsive music addict. The rock, blues, folk and reggae tunes I listen to daily are the soundtrack to my life. 

This, then, is how I learned to love portable music (and MP3 is the first truly portable music – believe me, I also once carried a tape player). These days I carry an Apple iPod, an ever-ready library of about 60Gb of music at my fingertips, but I have also used (and worn out) several other MP3 players in my time. 

MP3 isn’t the best way to listen to music. The sound is too ‘scrunched’ (for want to a technical term) At the moment, it is winning on convenience grounds as its space-efficient, cost-effective, easily copied/transferred to other gadgets and can be obtained in just a few minutes. In addition to that (perhaps worryingly if you are a fan of album music) you can purchase only the particular tracks you want at the time. Vinyl is still the best way to really hear a band. But you can’t play a turntable on the train, you can’t take it on holiday with you and you really don’t want to carry a suitcase filled with vinyl anywhere unless you are some sort of DJ and being paid to do so. 

The MP3 is without a doubt the finest development in portable music since the travelling band. But its also really good for alternative music; the mainstream’s brow-beating tactics have rendered a good deal of great music unfashionable, and nobody wants to walk around blasting Celtic Folk or Delta Blues tunes out of a ghetto blaster, do they? Likewise, your favourite band’s foray into soundscapes or clever-dick psychedelia may be awesome, but might not be a hit with the ladies, so to speak, but with MP3, you could be listening to anything and its entirely up to you. Its also good for independent music, bands can cheaply distribute their music (often giving away free songs) which makes starting a band and sharing your music that much simpler. So, to sum up MP3 is a very freeing experience indeed. Just don’t chuck out your turntable!

what plays mp3 files

Why Does One Earphone Commonly Stop Working Before the Other?

There are several causes for the familiar (yet absurdly irritating) occurrence. By and large, however, it’s simply due to that loose wire and can frequently be set by pushing the wire in the direction of the earpiece and, if needs be, affixing it into position with a bit of electrical tape, super glue, or some other adhesive.

Occasionally, if the earpieces have an inline volume wheel, that can be the cause. That one is a little trickier to repair, but you could always try the ‘wire trick’ described above and see if it works. If not, then open the volume wheel and re-solder the wires into place (be warned, this can invalidate most warranties, so if the ‘phones continue to be covered, just send ‘em back and acquire replacements). 

Avoiding stuff like this occouring in the future, it’s recommended to wrap your cables cautiously and avoiding stressing your headphones. No, I don’t mean that you should give Motorhead a break and simply play floaty, soothing New-Agey songs on them, I mean that you shouldn’t have them within your back pocket if you sit down and it’s best to remove them gently out of your ears after use (this will sound obvious, and you’d be surprised how many of us just rip ‘em out).

Another thing to take care for could be the jack, if the cable is fraying/wearing around the jack, then that will also be a problem. Fortunately, like so many everything in life, a bit of electrical strip can really come in useful, just be sure that all of the copper wiring is tightly bound and it should return to standard usage in no time.

From time to time, however, it is simply a sign these earpieces are knackered and no amount of skillful tinkering can mend them. Usually, in these cases, the issue is internal. This unique variant on the problem also catches headphones of any price range, be they Poundland specials or your year old Sennheiser Eargasm headset. I’m reminded of the Shakespeare quote from Hamlet, something about a king and the guts of an beggar, but I can’t be bothered to look the entire thing up right now. You get the purpose I’m attempting to make though, everything dies ultimately, regardless of how much it cost you.

Why Does One Earphone Commonly Stop Working Before the Other?

Get a CP040 earpiece for the best price

Previously, we looked at an earpiece purposely designed to use on the Gp 340 2 way radio series. This time, we’ll be looking at the Motorola cp040 earpiece, an affordable and versatile little doohickey that is amazingly exciting, but also does very little to break one’s bank account.

The Motorola cp040 earpiece is a lot like the Motorola gp300 earpiece. It’s small, clever and cheap, but it also represents quite good value for money. EarpieceOnline lists this earpiece for about £11.50, however it’s a reasonably good buy for the price.

We will be direct, everything is pretty basic on that model, however the earpiece performs its function well and certainly will not let anyone down.

The sound quality of this Motorola cp040 earpiece is excellent indeed and also the PTT ‘push to talk’ utility is convenient and easy to use. As usual, the Motorola cp040 earpiece features a sprung clothing clip that attaches simply to most items of gear (you might find it a problem if you’re planning on using it while dressed as the giant Sumo wrestler and competing on ‘Takeshi’s Castle’, but apart from that…).

As on the 300 series, as it only features a two-pin plug, an adaptor block will be necessary to be used with the GP320 and GP340 series of two way radios.

The ergonomic D-shaped earpiece alone is comfortable to wear and typically inconspicuous. It may be easily utilised in either the left or right ear, depending on your personal liking. The CP040 earpiece fits most ear sizes, so unless you happen to be Prince Charles or Martin Clunes (Editor’s Note: or my Uncle Dave), you shouldn’t have too many comfort problems, if any.

There is no Kevlar cable on this one, yet but it definitely is not one of the best model around. However, this isn’t to state the Cp040 2-pin is a bad earpiece, not at all. It just is not the best.

Overall, the Motorola cp040 earpiece is practical, instead of flamboyant. It does its job with no frills (but additionally no temper tantrums). This is a fine, reliable product from the team that excels at selling such products. It also offers enormous value for money, too.

Next episode: We have checked out some of those mid level products available, now its time to find what else is around. We are talking James Bond stuff! (Well, y’know, But if you need to discover more on this earpieces visit earpieceonline.co.uk

Get a CP040 earpiece for the best price

Can Bluetooth Headsets Cause Cancer

The old adage that ‘mobile phone emissions can cause cancer’ is a commonly held belief that doesn’t actually have a huge amount of evidence behind it. Nevertheless, a lot of people genuinely believe that they can/will develop cancer after extensive use of a mobile phone.

Amazingly, this does little or nothing to deter these very same people from using their phones all the time!

To go to the root causes of this belief, we must first talk about the pioneering work of American ophthalmologist (that’s an eye specialist) Dr. Milton Zaret. Milton was a giant in his field (and was even unintentionally name checked in a 2013 issue of ‘Batman’ – no joke). Among Dr. Zaret’s most notable accomplishments was his research into the damaging effects that microwave emissions have on the Human eye.

In 1973, Milton became the first medical doctor to testify before Congress about the hazards of microwaves. He said,

“There is a clear, present and ever-increasing danger to the entire population of our country from exposure to the entire non-ionizing portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The dangers cannot be overstated because most non-ionizing radiation injuries occur covertly, usually do not become manifest until after latent periods of years, and when they do become manifest, the effects are seldom recognized.”

It seems that there was a lot of political pressure on other researchers to discredit Dr. Zaret and his findings, which resulted in some fairly bad science, but equally in the general notion that Zaret was mistaken. However, his work was never conclusively proved, nor reliably debunked, leaving the case open to interpretation.

Although the emissions that bothered Dr. Zaret (anything from microwave ovens to radar technology) are not exactly the same as mobile phone emissions, the fundamental argument is similar. To date, nobody has been able to prove, or disprove, that mobile phones can cause cancer.

Thus, the debate rages to this day. According to WiseGeek.org,

“Since the invention of cell-phone technology, studies have been conducted to see whether they pose health risks. The concern is sensible, given that cell phones are low-powered microwave emitters, and some microwaves have been shown to pose health risks. Experts and consumers worry that keeping a microwave emitting device close to your head and your brain could put you at risk for brain cancer or other damage. The concern is sometimes greater in regard to Bluetooth headsets, as the device is placed inside your ear and therefore even closer to your brain”.

So, the old argument has now been transferred to Bluetooth Headsets (you are by no means the first person to ask this question). The key point being that the earpiece itself is actually much closer to your brain than a mobile phone. However, naysayers simply consider the level of microwave emission produced by the earpiece to be so low as to render the effects negligible.

Essentially, because the widespread use of mobile phones is a relatively recent phenomenon (although it must be said that the first mobile call was actually placed 41 years ago by Marty Cooper), it is simply too early to tell, one way or the other.

Returning to WiseGeek, their experts say that,

“Because Bluetooth® headsets are such a new feature, it is impossible to get data about long-term effects of consistent exposure. Some people suggest that within twenty years, better studies will be available, as the first generation to grow up using cell phones and head sets will effectively be guinea pigs for long-term effects. If you are truly concerned about the microwave emissions from your cell phone, skip Bluetooth® headsets and simply use the speaker-phone option that is standard on most phones. Although scientific research has not provided clear answers as to whether Bluetooth® headsets can cause cancer, this may be an area where you feel it is better to be safe than sorry”.

In conclusion, it does seem unlikely that your mobile phone can give you cancer. It seems logical enough to assume that we’d all be feeling the effects by now, after nearly two decades of mobile phone use (the second of which actually involved the majority of the population). However, nobody really knows for sure…Dr. Zaret may yet be proven right as the prophet of doom (but, of course, we have to hope not).

SOURCES

http://microwavenews.com/news-center/milton-zaret-early-prophet-microwave-hazards-dies-91

http://m.wisegeek.org/do-bluetooth-headsets-cause-cancer.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22013228

Can Bluetooth Headsets Cause Cancer