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Early last year, a group of filmmakers obtained a subpoena that required Reddit to reveal the identities of users who commented on piracy-related topics. The movie companies said they were not planning to go after these people in court but wanted to use their comments as evidence in an ongoing piracy lawsuit against Internet provider RCN. Reddit wasn’t willing to go along with the request, at least not in full. The company objected, arguing that handing over the requested information would violate its users’ right to anonymous speech. Reddit later responded similarly to a second and third subpoena request. The movie companies took these cases to a federal court, asking it to compel Reddit to comply. The court refused to do so, thrice. It’s Not Over Yet The filmmakers are unhappy with these decisions and don’t intend to give up easily. After U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson denied their most recent attempt last month, they moved for a ‘de novo’ review at the California federal court. In their request, the rightsholders cite jurisprudence suggesting that an IP-address is not necessarily ‘unmasking’ personally identifying information. They believe that the Magistrate Judge ignored key arguments and ended up drawing the wrong conclusion. “The Order’s conclusion that an IP address is unmasking information was contrary to law and erroneous,” the movie companies argue. The companies insist that the commenters could prove crucial in their battle against ISP Frontier. A suggestion that there might be other ways to obtain similar evidence is premature, they argue. The movie companies believe that Magistrate Judge Hixson failed to properly weigh the nature of the speech involved. Since the comments allegedly involve ‘illegal’ activity, anonymous speech should not necessarily enjoy protection, they note. “Movants previously pointed out that the comments at issue are boasts of criminal conduct. Accordingly, the speech concerns unlawful activity subject to no First Amendment protection,” the movie companies write. Reddit’s Objections In a replay of moves, Reddit objects to the request for a ‘de novo’ review. They argue that, as the court repeatedly found, the filmmakers have other non-intrusive options to gather evidence against Frontier. This includes seeking evidence from the ISP directly. Reddit further notes that the filmmakers’ argument that IP-addresses do not “identify” users is misguided at best. “Reddit does not require its users to give their real name or addresses, and so the only identifying information Reddit may maintain on its users is their IP address, which is precisely why the Movants here seek the users’ IP addresses. If IP addresses were not identifying, Movants would not be seeking them.” At worst, the argument is disingenuous, Reddit notes. The movie companies previously used a Redditor’s IP-address to obtain the name and address of a subscriber, requesting their torrenting history and more. “[A]fter Reddit provided Movants with IP address data for a single Reddit user last year, the Movants immediately identified that IP address by subpoenaing T-Mobile, and they have been harassing that user with motions practice ever since,” Reddit counters. Illegal Speech? Finally, Reddit addresses the suggestion that the nature of the speech may be unlawful and that it therefore deserves “the lowest” First Amendment protection, or no protection at all. While the nature of speech indeed plays a role, Reddit stresses that its users are merely third-party witnesses in this case, and that no court used lower protection standards in similar circumstances. The second suggestion, that the comments themselves are unlawful and therefore undeserving of First Amendment protection, wasn’t brought up earlier and should therefore be ignored, Reddit says. If the court decides to review it, however, it should be rejected. “[T]he Court can easily reject it anyway as wholly inconsistent with fundamental First Amendment jurisprudence. Free speech in America is not so flimsy that it evaporates at the faintest whisper of illegality,” Reddit writes. It is now up to the court to decide whether the movie companies get the chance to argue their case anew, or if the current decision stands. Whatever the outcome and given the recent history, further appeals or new cases can’t be ruled out. — A copy of the movie companies’ request for a ‘de novo’ determination is available here (pdf) and Reddit’s objections to it can be found here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

How can we be sure that site-blocking really works? Because if it didn’t work, I was informed recently, rightsholders wouldn’t keep filing new site-blocking requests at a record-breaking pace, and then return for even more soon after. While it’s true that demand for site-blocking measures has never been greater, the sarcastic response above alludes to something that doesn’t really work, or at least doesn’t remain effective for very long. Rising piracy rates, broad content availability, and easily circumvented blocking measures may even support that theory. Nevertheless, movie and TV show companies, broadcasters, and sports leagues insist that blocking remains valuable as part of a diverse anti-piracy toolkit. The anti-piracy arena has certainly come a long way. Among other reported blocking successes, early studies concluded that when pirate site domains are subjected to blocking, fewer visits are made to those specific domains. While a fairly obvious conclusion to arrive at years ago when that type of metric was first rolled out, today it’s pretty much meaningless and the supply of domains is endless. Germany Prepares to Take on BuffStreams As a relative newcomer to site-blocking, Germany doesn’t find itself shackled to the past. In the UK, where blocking measures have existed since the start of the last decade, the process is steeped in the traditions of legal scrutiny and judicial oversight. Proponents of site-blocking today prefer something less formal; in Germany, a partnership between copyright holders and ISPs was deemed appropriate. The Clearing Body for Copyright on the Internet (CUII) operates an administrative program; sites suitable for blocking are detailed in reports which are sent for the consideration of an Audit Committee consisting of retired judges familiar with copyright. For a platform to be blocked by Germany’s ISPs, the committee must conclude that the site is structurally infringing, a standard applied in the UK’s first ever site blocking injunction back in 2011. The Audit Committee recently considered a proposal to block BuffStreams, one of the more popular live sports streaming portals boasting millions of visitors each month. BuffStreams Infringed the Exclusive Rights of ***** The Audit Committee’s report notes that the applicant in the blocking matter has legal standing as the “owner of exclusive rights to an ancillary copyright of a broadcasting company.” Since all identifiers have been redacted, including references to the allegedly-infringing TV broadcast, it’s not possible to identify any of the parties involved. What is clear is that considerable effort was expended to make contact with BuffStreams but ultimately, nothing paid off. Audit Committee comments (translated from German) “Based on the user figures determined by the internet service *****, 15.03 million users visited BuffStreams in the period from August 1, 2023 to October 31, including around 500,000 visitors from Germany,” the report adds. Blocking Approved – One More Stage In conclusion, BuffStreams easily met the structurally infringing standard. A 14-day survey period last September found a total of 5,321 links to live broadcasts, reduced to 2,429 when accounting for duplicates. At least 96% of those links were considered unlicensed, leading to the conclusion that BuffStreams is indeed infringing and therefore suitable for blocking (pdf, German). The case will now be referred to the German government’s Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) to confirm that blocking BuffStreams will not violate net neutrality; things haven’t always gone smoothly. Once that hurdle has been passed, ISPs will receive the green light to tamper with their DNS records so that customers in Germany can’t reach the site. At least, those who don’t understand how DNS servers work. DNS Blocking / Backup Domains The CUII website references the domain buffstreams.sx but the Audit Committee’s report mentions only the headline brand BuffStreams, with other domains redacted. With at least a couple of dozen domains and other options at its disposal, BuffStreams seems likely to take any blocking attempts in its stride. Being listed in an Indian ISP blocking order (CS(COMM) 470/2022) in July/August 2022 didn’t end in disaster, neither did its addition to Italy’s blocklist last September (326/23/DDA). At least one confirmed domain has been on Indonesia’s blocklist for several years, and we’re informed that Portugal has blocks in place too – Sites listed for blocking in Germany since 2021 include: s.to, canna.to, nsw2u.com, newalbumreleases.net, bs.to, streamkiste.tv, kinox.to, cine.to, serienjunkies.org, taodung.com, israbox, jokerlivestream, serienfans.org, filmfans.org Members of CUII include: 1&1 AG (telecoms), German Book Traders’ Association, Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI), German Football League (DFL), Freenet DLS (telecoms), German Games Industry Association, Motion Picture Association (MPA), Sky Deutschland, STM (publishers), Telefónica Germany, Telekom Germany, German Film Producers Association (VDF), and Vodafone Germany. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy produced the new full-length from Chicago artists Sima Cunningham and Macie StewartView the full article

Under U.S. law, online service providers must respond to takedown notices and implement a meaningful policy to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers. Many of the large social media platforms stick to these rules but, according to a lawsuit filed by several prominent music companies last year, X is not among them. In a lawsuit filed at a federal court in Nashville last summer, Universal Music, Sony Music, EMI, and others accused X Corp of “breeding” mass copyright infringement. The labels argued that X, formerly Twitter, failed to respond adequately to takedown notices and lacked a proper termination policy. “Twitter fuels its business with countless infringing copies of musical compositions, violating Publishers’ and others’ exclusive rights under copyright law,” the complaint alleged. Elon Musk himself had previously added fuel to the smoldering fire, characterizing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) as a “plague on humanity”. Motion to Dismiss Musk’s company was swift to respond to the allegations with a request for the Court to dismiss all copyright infringement claims. According to X, the record labels failed to show how the company or its employees actively contributed to any piracy that allegedly took place on the platform. After taking in the arguments from both sides, Nashville District Court Judge Aleta Trauger responded to the request as follows. “It does not appear to be disputed, in this litigation, that X/Twitter users sometimes engage in copyright infringement. What is disputed is the extent to which X Corp. has actively encouraged that conduct, if at all,” Judge Trauger writes. The labels alleged three different claims in their complaint: direct copyright infringement, vicarious copyright infringement, and contributory copyright infringement. X asked for all to be dismissed and the Court partially agreed. Direct Infringement: Dismissed The record labels’ direct infringement claim largely relies on the Copyright Act’s “Transmit Clause”, suggesting that X is liable because it directly engages in the public performance of pirated music. This allegation relies heavily on the Aereo case, where the operators of the ‘time-shifting’ service were found to be direct infringers for transmitting over-the-air TV signals to their subscribers. In the present case, X also transmits copyright-infringing material. However, following a lengthy semantic consideration, Judge Trauger concludes that various nuanced meanings can be applied to the term ‘transmission’. For example, if person Y sends a pirated file to person Z, they are transmitting that file. At the same time, their ISPs are also transmitting the file, as are the backbone Internet services, and cable owners. Not all of these parties are necessarily ‘direct’ infringers. Judge Trauger says that Aereo’s exclusive purpose was to transmit copyrighted signals but the same can’t be said for X, which has a multitude of other purposes. As such, the Court doesn’t believe that the “transmit clause” applies here. “As the Supreme Court explained in Aereo, the Transmit Clause was adopted with the specific purpose of ensuring that both the ‘broadcaster’ and the ‘viewer’ of an audiovisual work could, where appropriate, be held liable for direct infringement of the type involved in the transmission of broadcast television through cable systems. “That purpose is consistent with the conclusion that ‘transmission’ refers to the actions of the sender and/or ultimate recipient of a copyright-protected work—not those of the operators of the channels through which that transmission was accomplished,” Judge Trauger adds. The Court stresses that claims against third parties are possible under theories of secondary liability, but not under direct infringement. Therefore, the first claim is dismissed. Vicarious Infringement: Dismissed An example of a secondary liability claim is vicarious copyright infringement. In the complaint, the music companies alleged that X is vicariously liable because it profited from its users’ pirating activities while failing to put an end to them. Judge Trauger doesn’t rule out that X turned a blind eye to piracy, which may or may not have acted as a draw to other pirates. However, to establish vicarious infringement the accused party needs to have some type of formal control over the infringer. That doesn’t apply here, she concludes. “X Corp. undoubtedly had some power over X/Twitter’s users—the way that a company that provides a valued service always has power over the customers who rely on it — but that does not turn customers into even loose equivalents of agents or subordinates,” Judge Trauger writes. As such, the vicarious copyright infringement claim is also dismissed. However, similar ‘piracy-supporting’ allegations can still be brought up as part of the contributory infringement claim. Contributory Infringement: Mixed In analyzing the contributory infringement claim, the Nashville court must consider whether X “induces, causes, or materially contributes to the infringing conduct” of its users. The music companies believe so, as X made it very easy to upload infringing material and monetized pirated content on its platform. However, Judge Trauger notes that these allegations apply to everything on the platform, not just pirated material. “Any feature that makes a service easier for all of its users will, by definition, also make the service easier for bad actors. The plaintiffs have not identified any basis for concluding that X Corp. was obligated to make its service worse for everyone, just to punish the people who misuse it,” Judge Trauger notes. The Court therefore rejects the notion that X is contributorily liable in the general sense. However, there are specific allegations that survive the motion to dismiss. “Particularly striking is the allegation that X Corp. enforces its copyright policies less stringently against individuals willing to pay for its ‘verified’ service,” the Judge writes. “Similarly, if X Corp. engaged in egregious delays in responding to valid takedown notices, or outright ignored some notices that were both facially and actually valid, that could support liability.” Finally, Judge Trauger will also leave the ‘repeat infringer’ allegations intact. If the music companies can effectively prove that X willingly turned a blind eye to pirating users, that could make the company liable. “Again, there is no basis in the law for concluding that the operator of a social media platform will face liability simply because it was less draconian in its enforcement than copyright holders would prefer. “If, however, there was a class of X/Twitter users who were brazenly using the platform as an infringement tool, and X Corp. made the decision to unreasonably withhold enforcement of its own policies against those users, with the foreseeable consequence of ongoing infringement, then X Corp. could plausibly be held contributorily liable.” The Court’s decision is a mixed bag. While X managed to get most claims dismissed, the music companies can still pursue their claim for contributory copyright infringement. While that is yet to be proven in court, millions of dollars in damages are still on the line. — A copy of Judge Trauger’s memorandum, detailing the decision in response to the motion to dismiss, is available here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

“It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious,” says Cave. “Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.”View the full article

A UK advertising watchdog has walked back statements that FKA twigs is depicted as a “stereotypical sexual object” in the fashion campaignView the full article

The Los Angeles jazz luminary made Fearless Movement with André 3000, Thundercat, George Clinton, and moreView the full article

Works on Jackie Shane, Ryley Walker, Swamp Dogg, the Black Keys, and more screen at the Austin festival.View the full article

Taken from Light Verse, Sam Beam’s first official Iron & Wine album in seven yearsView the full article

Snoh Aalegra sings backing vocals on the Toronto artist’s new singleView the full article

“Yung Hearts Bleed Free” draws its influence from Bootsy CollinsView the full article

The French duo is bringing its 1998 classic to life onstageView the full article

Waze, the Google-owned navigation app known for its real-time traffic updates and community-driven insights, is rolling out a suite of new features designed to make your driving experience safer, smoother, and more informed. The suite of features, meant to roll out throughout 2024, ranges from advanced guidance for navigating tricky roundabouts to real-time alerts for upcoming speed limit changes and detailed parking information. This is part of a trend from Waze's attempts to use AI to enhance its safety features like Google Maps. Just recently in November, the company added a feature that warns users of roads with a history of crashes. SEE ALSO: Google Maps: A new time-saving feature is finally here Here's a breakdown of what to expect on the Waze app in the coming weeks and months: 1. Navigating RoundaboutsRoundabouts seem to be a foreign concept many Americans; as such, Waze is introducing a new feature that assist drivers with navigating roundabouts more effectively. Using input provided by locals in your area, the app will provide clear guidance on when to enter, the correct lane to choose, and where to exit roundabouts. This update will arrive some time this year starting with Android users before rolling out to iOS devices later this year. 2. Safety Alerts for First RespondersOne of the more interesting updates from Waze is the inclusion of advance alerts for drivers when emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, are stopped along their route. Credit: Waze This feature aims to improve safety for both drivers and first responders. It's also a warning that you might be stuck on the highway for a long time. This update is available now to both Android and iOS users, but only in select countries at the moment. 3. Speed Limit AlertsThe app will now alert drivers when a speed limit decrease is upcoming along their route. Credit: Waze This is a helpful feature for users hoping to evade tickets due to ill-conceived speed traps along the road. Coming some time this month, this update is being rolled out globally to all Android and iOS users. 4. Local Navigation AlertsUsing the power of its dedicated community of drivers, Waze plans to enhance its hazard alerts to include warnings about sharp curves, speed bumps, and toll booths. Along with speed alerts, this update is rolling out globally this month and is available to all Android and iOS users. 5. Parking InformationIn collaboration with Flash, Waze is expanding its parking features to offer detailed information about parking garages, including cost, coverage, accessibility, valet options, and the availability of EV charging stations. Credit: Waze Users will also be able to reserve parking spaces directly through the app. This feature will be available in the coming weeks for over 30,000 parking garages in the U.S. and Canada, including major cities. 6. Route Information Rolling out for all devices this month, Waze is making it easier for drivers to access information about their favorite routes, including live traffic updates and delays. This feature allows users to compare their preferred routes with alternative ones to make informed decisions about their travel. View the full article

Stockholm’s Rosendal Garden Party will host Refused’s first show in four years and their last festival appearance in their home countryView the full article

Last week, we reported that an Indian dynamic+ court order had taken down movie-web’s demo site, along with several other pirate sites. The injunction, issued by the New Delhi High Court, requires local ISPs to block access to the domains. In addition, domain name registrars are also urged to take action. The reach of this Indian order expands far outside the nation’s borders. Several international domain registrars, including the American company Namecheap, complied with its instructions. Failing to do so, could harm the ability of these companies to operate in India. At the time of our initial coverage, .to domains were a clear outlier. While several of these were registered through Namecheap, they remained online. A possible reason for this is that the .to registry doesn’t support the standard clientHold status code that’s used to suspend domain names. Namecheap For a moment, it seemed that anonymous .to domain names, registered through Namecheap, were a perfect match for pirate sites. However, recent developments show that this is not the case. Over the past few hours, all Namecheap-registered .to domains listed in the Indian court order have also been taken out. This includes several of the world’s largest pirate sites such as Zorox.to, Upmovies.to, and Flixwave.to. Smaller sites, including Sflixz.to and Streamm4u.to suffered the same fate. Instead of using the clientHold status code, Namecheap has updated the nameservers of these domains, changing them to blockedforabuse.pleasecontactsupport.com and dummysecondary.pleasecontactsupport.com. These nameservers are linked to other Namecheap abuse actions. Hollywood Connection TorrentFreak previously reached out to Namecheap requesting a comment on the domain suspensions, but the company hasn’t replied. It seems likely, however, that its actions are a direct response to the Indian court order. All suspended domains are listed in the court order and no other popular .to pirate sites are affected. Interestingly, the High Court action was instigated by American companies including Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. Through the Indian legal system, this eventually came back to the U.S., as Namecheap’s recent actions indicate. Given the recent success, we expect that the movie industry companies will try a similar approach again going forward. This makes it harder for pirate site operators to keep their domains secure. Why Namecheap? Finally, one might wonder why pirate sites would register their domains through an American company to begin with. However, according to a source, the reason for this is fairly straightforward. Namecheap accepts cryptocurrency payments, which offer more anonymity than credit cards and other traditional payment methods. However, Namecheap’s recent actions show that the domains, including .to ones, are not immune to legal action. The problem from an enforcement aspect is that the .to registry doesn’t show through which company the domain was registered; but there are ways to find that out, at least for Namecheap. The suspended sites may eventually make a comeback through new domain names. Upmovies, for one, already appears to have switched to a .net domain. However, Hollywood’s route through the Indian High Court might nonetheless prove to be an effective anti-piracy tool going forward. — A copy of the High Court injunction is available here (pdf). Upmovies, relocated From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

In the tax filing process, there are few tasks that feel as daunting as talking to a human at the Internal Revenue Service. Taxpayers who contact the IRS continue to experience long wait times, according to the 2023 annual report published by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization housed by the IRS. But in some cases, you must reach an agent with a complex question about your filing, or to get more information in order to successfully complete your return. SEE ALSO: Watch out for these common tax scams The good news is that much of what you may need is online, via the IRS' website or its app IRS2Go. The IRS' interactive tax assistant search tool can answer anonymous questions about several tax laws that are specific to your circumstances. The IRS' refund tracker also tells taxpayers what phase their return is in once it's been filed and 24 hours have elapsed. If there's a problem with your refund that requires you to contact the IRS, the refund status checker will let you know to do so. If you can't find the answer to your question via the IRS website or app, you can call the agency directly or visit a local IRS office. Here is a step-by-step guide to doing both: 1. Call the IRS.You can contact the IRS via phone about your personal return by calling 1-800-829-1040. This phone line is staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. According to the IRS, wait times can average four minutes, though some callers may experience longer wait times, particularly on Monday and Tuesday and around the April deadline to file your taxes. (When Mashable called on a recent Wednesday afternoon, the wait time was an estimated 15 to 30 minutes.) In your search for information about how to speak to a human at the IRS, you may encounter websites unaffiliated with the IRS that present a phone tree with detailed directions on which prompts to select. Mashable is not offering similar directions because the phone tree selections may change over time. However, it's crucial to listen closely to each prompt as there are several based on your needs. For example, asking about a refund is a separate prompt from questions related to your personal taxes. The same is true if you have questions about taxes related to health care law. When listening to the selections, be sure you're not multitasking; it'll be easy to miss your prompt or get confused. Also, set aside uninterrupted time and prepare for a longer waiting period. You don't want to go through the trouble of calling and navigating the phone tree only to realize you don't have enough time to wait for an agent. 2. Visit a local IRS office. The IRS has local offices across the country where you can speak directly to an agent. You can find the nearest location to you by searching the IRS' Taxpayer Assistance Center Office Locator tool. The number of offices varies from state to state. In Arkansas, for example, there are three offices, one each in Fayetteville, Jonesboro, and Little Rock. In California, however, there are 28 locations, including a few in the Los Angeles area. Services typically provided at local offices include account inquiries, basic individual tax law assistance, and payment arrangements. Call the location closest to you in advance to schedule an appointment. Be sure you arrive to the appointment prepared with documents, including a current government-issued photo ID, a taxpayer identification number (like a Social Security number), and any tax documents. While an in-person visit to a local IRS office may not be possible for every taxpayer, it may be the right solution for those who can access a location and want to talk face-to-face with someone who can answer their questions. View the full article

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe. With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it. So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 5 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 5 Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, March 5, 2024: AcrossTotally convincedThe answer is sold. Sound during pollen seasonThe answer is achoo. Stack in a kitchen cabinetThe answer is bowls. Greek god of loveThe answer is Eros. Morning moistureThe answer is dew. DownWhat Hans Zimmer contributed to "The Lion King" and "Dune"The answer is score. "Wait, that's crazy!"The answer is ohwow. Cracks up, in textspeakThe answer is lols. Hair arrangementsThe answer is dos. Still under the coversThe answer is abed. View the full article

A bachelor party in the Australian outback takes a turn for the disturbing in the teaser for Jack Clark and Jim Weir's horror thriller Birdeater, which sees a bride-to-be joining her fiancé for a weekend away with his friends. The teaser doesn't give too much away, but there are some strange masks, chanting, and an uneasy vibe that generally feels more like a cult and less like a friendly pre-wedding celebration. Shabana Azeez, Mackenzie Fearnley, Ben Hunter, Jack Bannister, Clementine Anderson, Alfie Gledhill, Harley Wilson, and Caroline McQuade star. Birdeater has its premiere screening at SXSW. A wider release is TBC. View the full article

A coral farm in the Bahamas is proving that the most efficient way to restore coral reefs may be growing them on land. Coral Vita is a reef restoration project which grows corals using microfragmentation — the process of cutting corals into small pieces and positioning them near each other to trigger a natural healing and accelerate the rapid growth of coral tissue. While on the farm, corals are also exposed to managed stress such as water warming or acidification, to help cultivate their resilience — this process is also known as "assisted evolution." Once fully grown, the corals are moved to degraded reef sites in the ocean where their impact is already noticeable. SEE ALSO: NASA tech can help us tell when a coral reef is in trouble "One of the restoration sites in Grand Bahama had 75 percent survivorship of corals after one year," co-founder Sam Teicher tells Mashable. "In the Bahamas, if you have 30-50 percent survivorship after one year, that's considered a good project. So we had one site 75 percent, another site 30 percent, another site 99 percent." During a mass bleaching in the summer of 2023, natural corals in the area were wiped out. But the corals Coral Vita planted, which had been given a resilience boost on the land farm, survived. "There's more work to be done," Teicher says. "But seeing corals that we've grown with these more resilient approaches, surviving is still very encouraging considering the threats we face." Credit: Coral Vita One of the elements that distinguishes Coral Vita from other reef restoration projects is that it is a for-profit organisation, which Teicher says was a conscious choice. "Having previously myself worked for NGOs, and in the policy space in the environmental and climate sectors, and my co founder Gator [Halpern] working in academia and environmental science, we felt like many environmental challenges weren't being solved rapidly or effectively enough by those sectors, despite the best intentions and hard work," he says. "So what if we could create a company that can get entities to pay for restorations instead of a donation here and a grant there, which is how most coral farming projects are funded, which unfortunately limits a lot of the critically needed impact to keep reefs alive." Not dissimilar to the 'polluter pays' principle, Coral Vita asks sectors that benefit from coral reefs, from tourism and food industry, to invest in preserving the endangered ecosystems. "We sell restoration to hotels, developers, governments, insurers, coastal property owners. Anyone who depends on the tourism, coastal protection, fisheries benefits of reefs, can hire Coral Vita to restore the reefs that they depend on," says Teicher. "And then we also use our farms as education centres for local communities, as well as tourism attractions. We have adopted coral campaigns for individuals as well as brands and corporations who can fund restoration from wherever they are in the world if they believe in what we're doing. We also license out our expertise and techniques that we develop to other coral restoration practitioners so that we can generate revenue to fund more work as well as use that expertise to help others deliver better restoration outcomes. So the whole idea is that if we can really catalyze a self sustaining restoration economy, that can eventually lead to planting the millions and billions of corals that are needed to keep reefs alive." Since the 1950s, the world has lost over half of its coral reefs to climate change and ocean pollution and we are on track to lose almost all of our corals by 2050. While Teicher admits that the actions that will have the greatest impact need to come from world leaders, he believes that Coral Vita is an example of what individuals and companies can do, while waiting on the implementation of state and international policies, to ensure coral reefs are still here for future generations. View the full article

If you've ever thought about the first stars after the Big Bang, you might have racked your brain just trying to fathom what they were made of. Given that most of the metals of the universe are thought to have come from exploded dead stars, scientists have rationalized that the firstborn must have been composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, the primitive material that emerged out of the Big Bang. Nice idea. Thing is, no one has seen one of these pure-bred stars yet. But a team using the James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration of NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies, may be onto something. While recently studying galaxy GN-z11, which existed when the 13.8 billion-year-old universe was only about 430 million years old, they found a clump of helium in the halo surrounding it. The new research, accepted for publication by the science journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, could lead to one of the most important discoveries of modern astrophysics. "The fact that we don't see anything else beyond helium suggests that this clump must be fairly pristine," said principal investigator Roberto Maiolino of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, in a statement. SEE ALSO: Spectacular Webb telescope image shows a stellar death like never before By theory, scientists have expected to find clumps like this around massive galaxies from early eras. The thinking is that these pristine pockets of gas could collapse and form so-called Population III star clusters, Maiolino said. The confusingly named Population III stars are the theorized stars that should have been formed in the early universe before metals — an astronomical term for all elements heavier than helium — existed. The stars are thought to be very massive, luminous, and hot. Scientists found evidence for the existence of first-generation stars in the outskirts of GN-z11, an extremely distant galaxy that existed in the early universe. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Brant Robertson / Ben Johnson / Sandro Tacchella / Marcia Rieke / Daniel Eisenstein The reason why they're called "Population III" is because back in the 1940s, stars were divided into two primary categories: those that were rich in metals and those that were poor in metals, according to Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. But even the latter have far more metal content than would have been possible from the primitive gas leftover from the Big Bang. Astronomers eventually began thinking in terms of a yet-to-be-seen third population of stars, made of the pure Big Bang material that had not been processed by previous generations of stars. The cores of stars are considered element factories: They make carbon, for instance, the same chemical on which humans and much of life on Earth are based. Then, through supernova explosions, they spread heavy elements, like calcium found in bones and iron in blood, across interstellar space. This dispersal seeds new generations of stars and planets, but scientists admit they still have much to learn about the early stages of the process. The James Webb Space Telescope was built to study the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration In astronomy, looking farther translates into observing the past because light and other forms of radiation take longer to reach us. Webb was built to study an extremely early period of the cosmos, detecting invisible light at infrared wavelengths. In short, a lot of dust and gas in space obscures the view to extremely distant and inherently dim light sources, but infrared waves can penetrate through the clouds. "The initial goal for this mission was to see the first stars and galaxies," said Eric Smith, Webb's program scientist, in 2022, "not the first light of the universe but to watch the universe turn the lights on for the first time." View the full article

TL;DR: Through March 10, the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K dual-camera drone is on sale for only $71.99 instead of $199.99 with the code ENJOY20. That's a savings of 64%. Whether you're hitting the slopes or walking down an old favorite trail, you might be able to see something special from a new angle. These aren't just static pictures either. Quality quadcopters let you stream directly to your phone or the controller, so you could watch yourself zoom down the double black diamond, but you might get to the bottom a little easier if you record the whole thing and watch it later with the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K Dual-Camera Drone. This outdoor enthusiast's drone is available for only $71.99 with coupon code ENJOY20 until March 10. A drone for nature loversTime to get some air with the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K Dual-Camera Drone. This smart drone could be a fun way to experience the outdoors, and you can capture it all on an advanced dual 4K camera setup. Control your flight with a first-person view streamed directly to the drone's remote. That remote has a max distance of 150 meters, so you get some real room to maneuver. This drone comes equipped with an electronic stabilization system, and it can even lock its altitude and flight position to capture a nice even shot, whether it's watching you snowboard down the slopes or just taking in the sunrise. And if you want to capture a beautiful panorama, just take advantage of the 360-degree flight angle along with optimized waypoint flight. The Ninja Dragons Blade X comes with one rechargeable battery that could give you up to 12 minutes of flight time. Once your time in the sky is up, pack it in by folding up your drone and popping it back into the included carrying case. A new kind of outdoor sports You might have to put away the snowboard soon, but this drone is fun all year round, especially if you want to catch the coolest angles of your outdoor adventures. Until March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, get the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K Dual-Camera Drone for $71.99 with sitewide coupon ENJOY20. StackSocial prices subject to change. Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Dragons Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K dual-camera drone $71.99 at the Mashable Shop $199.99 Save $128.00 with code ENJOY20 Get Deal View the full article

TL;DR: Pay only $31.99 for a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro through March 10 by entering the code ENJOY20 at checkout. That's a savings of 84%. You don't necessarily have to buy a new computer to upgrade your tech arsenal. Sometimes, all it takes is installing a brand-new operating system to boost your productivity and enhance your computer's security. If you happen to have a Windows PC that meets the necessary requirements, consider breathing new life into it by upgrading to Microsoft 11 Pro. Through March 10, the coveted Microsoft 11 Pro license is on sale for $31.99. All you have to do is key in the code ENJOY20 at checkout, which can be used on products sitewide. This OS boasts a bunch of nifty features, including a new-and-improved interface, advanced security, and an elevated gaming experience. Microsoft 11 Pro is great for modern professionals, especially those working in a remote or hybrid setup. For instance, if you're a stickler for security, the OS packs BitLocker device encryption, meaning you can lock your device remotely so no one else can access it and its contents. Windows Information Protection is included, too, allowing you to remotely manage your system to prevent data leaks. Plus, you can also take advantage of biometrics login, Smart App control, advanced antivirus defenses, and more. In terms of usability, enjoy Windows 11 Pro's new interface, which includes snap layouts, seamless redocking, better voice-typing, and a more powerful search experience. It's primed for play, too, thanks to DirectX12 Ultimate, which bolsters the quality of your computer's graphics, resulting in more immersive gaming. You'll have all these and more with a one-time purchase of the license. You can install it on up to two devices, provided that they have 4GB RAM and 40GB of hard drive space. Until March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can grab a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro for only $31.99 with coupon code ENJOY20. StackSocial prices subject to change. Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Lifetime License $31.99 at the Mashable Shop $199.00 Save $167.01 with code ENJOY20 Get Deal View the full article

TL;DR: As of March 5, you can pick up a refurbished MacBook Air (Core i5, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for only $345.99 instead of the original $1,109. That's 68% in savings. When we need to add a computer to our collection — whether it's for a main device or just for traveling purposes — we usually think of buying brand-new. However, new isn't always necessary, depending on your needs. If you are in the market for a smooth-running laptop for everyday tasks, an older refurbished model could support you as well as a new one, but at a lower price point. Such is the case with this refurbished Apple MacBook Air. From the model year 2015, it's been cleaned and inspected to work very well. Since it has a grade "B" refurbished rating, it might have some slight cosmetic blemishes like scuffing or scratching. First, it runs a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB RAM. And while that might not be the latest and greatest, it can easily support multitasking, browsing, streaming, and running productivity apps for work. And you can view it all on the 13.3-inch LED-backlit display. Weighing in at less than three pounds and measuring only 0.68 inches thick, the MacBook Air is designed for maximum portability and convenience. Whether you're working on the go, traveling, or commuting, you can take your MacBook Air with you wherever you roam without feeling super weighed down by a bulky laptop. It has built-in Wi-Fi to easily stay connected with friends, family, and the team. And the Bluetooth is there for connecting accessories. There is even an SD card (SDXC) expansion slot, which newer models don't have. See if an older refurbished laptop would work for you, and you might be able to save some money without giving up the features you need. Get a refurbished 2015 Apple MacBook Air with a plastic case for just $345.99 (reg. $1,109) while it's still on sale. StackSocial prices subject to change. Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished 2015 MacBook Air (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $345.99 $1,109.00 Save $763.01 Get Deal View the full article

TL;DR: As of March 5, lifetime access to Consultio Pro is on sale for only $29.99 instead of $199 — that's a savings of 84%. So, you’ve decided to start your own business, but where do you go from there? The Consultio Pro software gives you access to 50+ AI experts who can help you make informed decisions every step of the way. Take advantage of knowledge from a diverse collective of AI experts in event planning, social media, marketing, fitness, and more. When you have second thoughts, this program makes it feel like you always have someone in your corner. Whether you’re a large corporation or a mom-and-pop shop, Consultio Pro provides data-driven and evidence-based insights. This innovative software allows you to fine-tune your goals, financial stats, and strategies as you go. The high-tech software is constantly evolving and updating its proficiency to ensure you get the most relevant data. Forget waiting for your regular consultant to answer an urgent question, Consultio’s experts reply in real-time, with no appointments needed. This software gives you 24/7 access to expertise that is well ahead of the curve. Copywriters, data analysts, and project managers alike love having Consultio’s AI experts at their disposal. If an issue is keeping you up at night, it’s comforting to know you can chat with "someone" at 3 a.m. should you need to. Stay in the know and give your competition a run for their money. Access your lifetime subscription to Consultio Pro from both desktop and mobile devices. With no maximum number of devices it can be used on, you can sign into your account from work, home, or cell phone anytime. Please note this offer is only available to new users. Get lifetime access to Consultio Pro for $29.99 (reg. $199). StackSocial prices subject to change. Opens in a new window Credit: Plus 8 Group Consultio Pro: Lifetime Access $29.99 at the Mashable Shop $199.00 Save $169.01 Get Deal View the full article

Library Genesis (LibGen) is one of the oldest shadow libraries on the Internet, offering free access to millions of books and academic papers people otherwise have to pay for. The site’s origins reportedly trace back to the Soviet Union’s underground publishing culture ‘samizdat,’ which was used to bypass state censorship in the last century. LibGen launched around 2008 as a digital version of the same concept. In addition to bypassing censorship, it’s widely used to circumvent the paywalls of major international publishing companies, serving as a popular ‘pirate’ site for books and academic works. In recent years, rightsholders have made several attempts to shut the site down. Through court orders, LibGen is now blocked in several countries but taking the operation permanently offline has proven quite the challenge, not least since the identities of its operators are unknown. In 2017, Elsevier won a court case against LibGen and Sci-Hub in a New York federal court, which awarded the publisher $15 million in damages. However, both shadow libraries remained online and continue to operate to this day. Publishers vs. LibGen Hoping for a better outcome, textbook publishers Cengage, Bedford, Macmillan Learning, McGraw Hill, and Pearson Education filed a similar copyright infringement lawsuit against LibGen last year. According to the plaintiffs, LibGen is responsible for “staggering” levels of copyright infringement. Months have passed since the complaint was filed but LibGen’s anonymous operators did not respond. This prompted the textbook publishers to move ahead and request a default judgment in their favor. According to the rightsholders, LibGen distributes at least 20,000 of their copyrighted works without permission. The site is designed to be user-friendly while remaining resilient to enforcement measures. For example, LibGen can easily switch domain names, and relies on censorship-resistant decentralized technologies such as the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), the publishers write. By making textbooks available to students for free, rightsholders are losing revenue, which leads to lower payments for authors and devalues the market as a whole, the publishers complain. $30 Million in Damages With a default judgment, the textbook publishers hope to obtain an injunction that will limit LibGen’s ability to operate. The plaintiffs also request compensation for the damage suffered thus far. The rightsholders propose maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for 200 copyrighted works, arriving at a total damages claim of $30 million. Since this amount represents just a small subset of all infringements, the request is reasonable, the publishers note. “This damages award is a fraction of what it could be if this case were litigated and the full scope of Defendants’ infringement revealed,” the publishers note. In addition to financial compensation, the damages award should also be sufficient to act as a deterrent to others. LibGen has a dedicated following and an eventual order should provide a clear signal to those people too. “Defendants are among the worst offenders in a growing online piracy crisis affecting publishers. Thus, a significant damage award is needed to deter Defendants and others who are engaged in the commission and facilitation of digital piracy,” the publishers write. Compel IPFS Gateways Even if the court grants the damages award, collecting money from LibGen’s unidentified operators will be a challenge. For this reason, the publishers are also asking the court to issue an injunction that will compel others to stop providing services to LibGen. The plaintiffs describe this aspect as “critical” and specifically mention IPFS in the context. IPFS files can be accessed through various means, including dedicated gateways, which are offered by external companies such as Protocol Labs, Pinata Technologies, and Cloudflare. The first two gateway providers have disabled URLs in response to takedown requests, but Cloudflare allegedly failed to take action. “Cloudflare did not disable the gateway URLs in Plaintiffs’ notice, prompting Plaintiffs to send additional notices in September 2023 and January 2024, on which Cloudflare still has not acted, resulting in Libgen users’ continued ability to access the infringing URLs,” the publishers write. Broad ‘Non-party’ Injunction If the court issues a broad injunction that applies to non-party services such as Cloudflare, the plaintiffs believe that will limit the illicit distribution of its copyrighted works. The request isn’t limited to IPFS gateways, of course. The proposed injunction also mentions hosting services, search engines, proxy services, CDNs, donation platforms, browser extensions, social media, payment providers, and advertising services, among others. None of these services should be allowed to “enable, facilitate, permit, assist, solicit, encourage, induce, participate with, or act in concert with” the infringement of the publishers’ copyrighted works. Finally, the proposed injunction would also require domain registries and domain registrars to suspend and hand over all infringing domains to the textbook publishers. This applies to all existing domains, but also new ones that may pop up later. LibGen Troubles? Needless to say, LibGen’s ability to operate will be seriously hampered if the court agrees to issue the proposed order and injunction. It directly puts domain names at risk, especially those that are connected to U.S.-based registrars or registries. While LibGen remains online today, the site appears to have some internal struggles. The person in charge of the site’s coding has reportedly been missing in action for a while, which resulted in broken functionality. For example, there are various upload-related troubles, and searching the database regularly results in errors too. In addition, new torrents were not added regularly for a while. Whether LibGen can solve all these issues is unclear, but the recent legal trouble will only make the site’s future more uncertain. — A copy of the publishers’ proposed order and injunction is available here (pdf) and the associated memorandum can be found here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. 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