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NelsonG

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  1. TL;DR: Through Jan. 28, you can get a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro for just $24.97 instead of $99.99. That's over 70% in savings on an all-in-one hub for merging, splitting, converting, and scanning PDFs. PDFs are hard to avoid, but good PDF apps aren't nearly as common. You might already have a subscription to a PDF app, but that's like paying a continuous fee just to open a file. A more affordable alternative would be to get an app you only have to pay for once that still lets you convert, merge, cut, and work with PDFs seamlessly. PDF Converter Pro is a PDF app that makes it easy to work with PDFs, and you don't have to pay for it every month. In fact, a lifetime license is on sale for $24.97 through January 28. Convert, Merge, Split, and Protect PDFsFrom your central hub, you can use this app to convert files to and from PDFs quickly. Can't afford to lose the formatting on your Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Text, HTML, PNG, or JPG? Just quickly convert to a PDF and preserve the original layout, including images, text, links, and more. PDF Converter Pro has built-in OCR technology, so you can even extract text from image-based PDF documents. That means all those ancient PDF files that have been scanned and re-scanned can finally be revised. Look out for additional features like PDF merging, splitting, image extraction, compression, unlocking password-protected PDFs, and encrypting PDFs for protection. This app is compatible with Windows 8/10/11 and macOS X 10.8 or later, and it's only available to new users. Get One App for All Your PDFsStop switching between apps just to use a file type that's practically impossible to avoid. You only have until January 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get lifetime access to the PDF Converter Pro for $24.97 (reg. $99.99, with no coupon needed. StackSocial prices subject to change. Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter Pro: Lifetime License $24.97 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal View the full article
  2. TL;DR: Through Jan. 28, pick up a refurbished Apple TV HD streaming device on sale for $69.97 instead of $149. That's a savings of 53%. There's an overwhelming number of choices for streaming sites — choosing the device to use for said streaming sites can also be tough. Your streaming stick or box of choice should ultimately depend on the services you want to use, along with the user experience that is most aligned with your streaming habits. But let's face it. If you're an Apple loyalist and wish to stay within its ecosystem, the Apple TV becomes the most obvious choice. But you don't necessarily have to shell out for a brand-new device. You could stand to save more money if you opt for a refurbished unit, like this new-to-you 4th Gen Apple TV. Through January 28, you can grab it on sale for over 50% off. This Apple TV may be an older unit, but it's capable of delivering stunning 1080p HD resolution. Sure, it may not let you see Jeremy Allen White's pores in 4K when you binge-watch episodes of The Bear, but you're still getting a full high-definition experience. Powering it is an Apple A8 chip that boosts audio, video, and graphic quality, while its Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 feature delivers impeccable surround sound. With 32GB of storage, you have more than enough space for storing apps and content. It also comes with a 1st Generation Siri remote with a touch surface that makes it easy to navigate apps with the swipe of a finger. The built-in microphone can pick up voice commands, too, and the Bluetooth connectivity links up to a keyboard for a quicker searching experience. But if you don't want to bother messing with the remote, there's always AirPlay that allows you to stream and mirror any content from your mobile device to the Apple TV. This refurbished HD Apple TV with Siri Remote normally retails for $149, but through January 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can grab it on sale for only $69.97. StackSocial prices subject to change. Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished Apple TV HD (4th Gen) $69.97 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal View the full article
  3. Despite MPA/ACE having enough investigators to field both teams in a football match, while players argue with an in-house referee in multiple languages, the state of piracy in North Africa and the Middle East presents a considerable challenge. At the time of writing, over 150 deliberately confusing domains and subdomains, linked to around three dozen illicit football streaming sites, are redirecting to the ACE anti-piracy portal. The domains started to redirect on Saturday, still hadn’t finished on Sunday, and may not even be finished now. No Announcement From ACE Just Yet Faced with a risk of sudden domain suspensions, ISP blocking, or domains being penalized in search results due to persistent copyright complaints, it’s common for pirate sites to have a few domains at their disposal. There’s also a growing trend of sites with common ownership operating from dozens of confusingly-similar domains by design. This strategy has the potential to complicate enforcement, including a not-insignificant chance of sites continuing under the guise of different ownership, even when on paper an entire operation has already been shut down. There are signs that some overseas site operators are finding opportunities by generating chaos on the surface, while remaining completely organized behind the scenes. None of this provides immunity from enforcement measures, but confirming compliance becomes more complex. The Football Piracy Ring For the sake of clarity, subdomains and other distractions have been stripped from this sample of domains currently redirecting to the ACE portal. livehd7.club, livekooora.tv, livekoora.io, live-koora-online.tv, live-kooora-tv.com, live-kooora-tv.net, live-koora.tv, kingshoot.club, kingfoot.live, kooora4.us, kooragoal.club, koora4live.club, koora2day.net, kora365.online, kooralive.io, kooora365.live, kora-tv.online, kora-online-tv.com, koraextra.club, koratvonline.net, kora-live.plus, kora-star-tv.live, kora-goal.net One of the above domains, kooora4.us, shows how small changes can help to muddy the waters. The word ‘kura’ is Arabic for ball while ‘koora’ is broadly understood as relating to football; in this case, an extra ‘o’ appears in the mix while other domains contain one or two. SimilarWeb data shows that traffic increased for kooora4.us during October at a time when traffic for a similarly-named domain was in steep decline. Similar behavior can be seen across dozens of similar domains, although not always under common ownership or even in direct response to enforcement measures. Now redirecting to ACE, kooora4.us received 277.6K visits in December 2023, a peak now unlikely to return. Kooragoal.club, another domain that began redirecting over the weekend, also increased its traffic in October before a decline set in the following month. A quarter of kooragoal.club’s traffic came from Egypt, which along with Saudi Arabia and UAE, appears regularly in traffic reports for similar domains. Most also receive traffic from countries including the United States, but the clear focus is North Africa and the Middle East, putting the sites firmly the crosshairs of ACE member, beIN Sport. In November 2022, ACE settled with the operator of a series of websites with similar names, appearance, and functionality, to those that began redirecting this weekend. While their operator agreed to shut them down, ACE acknowledged the existence of additional sites, noting that enforcement actions would continue. Mirrored Fortunes & Those That Can Slip Away At the time of writing, kooragoal.club (above) and kora-goal.net (below, right) are both redirecting to the ACE portal, having generated 1.16 million and 120.5K visits respectively during the period Oct 2023 to Dec 2023. The chart to the right also includes kora-goal.com, which is currently operational and showing progress that closely mirrors the decline of kooragoal.club. Both domains display a shift in fortune in early November before meeting in traffic terms in December, with kora-goal.com taking over as kooragoal.club prepared itself for redirection to ACE. Whether kora-goal.com is destined for new anti-piracy ownership or will go on to further boost its traffic is unclear. Kooralive.io Had Significant Traffic Between October and December 2023, kooralive.io received almost 2.1 million visits, so ACE will be pleased that its growth has already been curtailed. The interesting thing here is that kooralive.io had around 250K visits in October and then, almost if someone had simply flicked a switch, in November its traffic suddenly skyrocketed to around 1.8 million visits. In at least some cases, this was achieved by redirecting traffic from other domains/subdomains operated by the same owner, to other domains/subdomains also owned by the same owner, which then redirected to subdomains on kooralive.io. Similar behavior can be observed on other domains which, unsurprisingly, are also operated by the same owner. Getting Rid of the Roots In addition to the domains listed as redirecting at the start of this article, it remained a question whether other domains with common ownership would also suffer the same fate, even if some had fallen out of use. While ultimately it could prove impossible to weed out every last domain, showing links between the domains was surprisingly straightforward, and as far as we can see (a handful of outliers aside) all currently redirect to ACE. Whether any agreement reached with the operator of the sites has enough teeth to prevent a resurgence is unknown. At least for now, however, the removal of dozens of domains seems significant enough for a quick celebration before getting back to the job, which apparently never ends. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  4. In 1988, then 29-year-old movie director Tim Burton was widely praised for the iconic comedy horror “Beetlejuice”. The movie went on to win an Oscar and Burton’s career was well underway, with “Batman” and “Edward Scissorhands” his next movie projects. More than 35 years after the Beetlejuice debut, a sequel is about to be released. The upcoming “Beetlejuice 2”, brings back old cast members including Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, paired with new stars such as Jenna Ortega. It is scheduled for release in September this year. To warm up fans, distributor Warner Bros. has already released a trailer and teaser, which are widely available online. At the same time, however, an unidentified source has leaked previously unseen material from the film online. In a post on Tumblr, someone using the name ‘polly-p9’ posted an alleged ‘on set’ photo from the upcoming film last November. The post didn’t include any other information but came with tags such as #beetlejuice, #timburton, #leak and #warner bros, an archived copy reveals. The post with part of the image (pixelated by us) The image, which has since been removed, doesn’t give away too much. However. Warner Bros. is clearly alarmed by the leak. The movie studio has a history of cracking down on the unauthorized distribution of leaked material and this is no exception. Warner Bros. Goes to Court Warner Bros. recently requested a DMCA subpoena at a California federal court, requiring Tumblr to share identifying information on the person behind the account. The request includes a declaration from Michael Bentkover, Director of Worldwide Online Enforcement Operations at Warner Bros., explaining the situation. “The purpose for which this subpoena is sought is to obtain the identity of the Tumblr user @polly-p9, who posted infringing content that appeared on the Tumblr account. Specifically, without permission, Tumblr user @polly-p9 posted access to Requester’s unpublished, copyrighted image from its forthcoming theatrical film to the Tumblr account, thus infringing Requester’s copyright.” The declaration doesn’t mention “Beetlejuice 2” directly but an accompanying copy of a takedown request, sent by Warner Bros. to Tumblr, leaves no room for uncertainty. Subpoena Targets Tumblr DMCA subpoenas don’t require a review from a judge and a week after the request was filed, it was signed off by a court clerk. Afterward, the movie studio sent a copy to Tumblr, requesting it to hand over the information. The paperwork requires Tumblr to share information that would make it possible to identify the user who, according to Warner Bros., posted the ‘copyrighted’ image that was taken ‘on set’. “Such information would include, but is not limited to, the individuals’ names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, payment information, account updates and account history,” the subpoena clarifies. The image may be a photo of another image displayed on a laptop or similar device, but we couldn’t verify this independently. While the photo itself isn’t copyrighted, the “Beetlejuice 2” movie is. Tumblr Responds? Warner Bros. stresses that any information obtained will only be used to protect the studio’s copyright interests. What that entails exactly, was not made clear. Tumblr confirmed to us that it received the subpoena and chose not to object. This suggests that, if any usable information was available, it was handed over to Warner Bros., with the affected user also notified. “While we can’t discuss the specifics of the case, we can confirm that we did receive the subpoena in question, and after assessment of the facts available to us, did not file an objection. “If a user account was identified, we will have notified the impacted account holder with more details – including whether or not information was provided,” a Tumblr spokesperson adds. Tumblr, which is owned by WordPress parent company Automattic, further points out that it’s very critical of potential DMCA abuse. As highlighted in the past, it rejects a large percentage of the takedown notices it receives. “As you know, it is our policy to review every bit of legal process we receive. In addition, we are particularly sensitive to abuse of the DMCA to curtail freedom of speech, and we have regularly pushed back on overreaching DMCA takedown demands,” the company notes. What this means for the current situation is unclear. At the time of writing the @polly-p9 account no longer exists. Interestingly, however, the leaked image hasn’t disappeared from the web completely. Leak Still Floats Around A reverse image search shows that copies of the leaked “Beetlejuice 2” image are still available online through various social media platforms. This includes a copy that was posted on Tumblr before Warner Bros. requested its subpoena. These other leaks are not hard to find but Warner Bros. apparently hasn’t taken action in response. A logical explanation could be that the movie studio isn’t overly concerned about the leaked image, but more about the person who leaked it. After all, this person could leak more sensitive information in the future. TorrentFreak requested a comment from Warner Bros. on the motivation behind the subpoena, but the company didn’t immediately reply. If a response comes in later, this article will be updated accordingly. — A copy of the subpoena, issued at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is available here (pdf). The associated declaration from Warner Bros. Director of Worldwide Online Enforcement Operations can be found here (pdf). – Note: the unpixelated film footage used in this article is taken from publicly available movie trailers. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  5. Last week, new data published by piracy tracking firm MUSO and consulting firm Kearney showed that video piracy is growing globally. With over 141 billion annual visits worldwide, there’s a massive audience outside of legal channels. The full report was yet to be made available at the time of our initial report. While that doesn’t change any of the overall conclusions, there are some extra details worth highlighting. Classifying Countries by Piracy Volume and Growth The full report includes a rather insightful graph that ranks countries based on the number of visits to pirate sites per citizen, and how the rate has changed between 2018 and 2023. This allows for an intuitive comparison and highlights where piracy presents the biggest threat. These two data points make it possible to classify countries into four buckets: – Hotspots: Pirate site visits per capita are high and growing – Recovering: Pirate site visits per capita are high but declining – Growth Risk: Pirate site visits per capita are low but growing – Positive Sign: Pirate site visits per capita are low and declining In graph form the results look like this, with the piracy hotspots in the top right quadrant, and the growth risks in the top left. Piracy volume vs. growth rate (large) Canada vs. Brazil Based on the presented data, Canada is classified as one of the piracy hotspots. The country has a relatively high number of pirate site visits per capita (+90) and that number also grew roughly 50% between 2018 and 2023. Other hotspots include Sweden, Hong Kong and Qatar. Meanwhile, Singapore has by far the largest number of pirate site visits per capita, but with a relatively low growth rate compared to the other hotspots. On the other end of the graph (bottom left), we find Japan where the piracy frequency is low and declining. The same also applies to Brazil to a lesser degree, which may be in part the result of the broad and frequent piracy crackdowns in the Latin American country. Growth Risks (including the U.S.) The bottom right of the graph is mostly empty but countries such as New Zealand and Portugal appear to be ‘recovering’. This means that they have relatively high piracy numbers, but those have declined over the past years. Finally, there are the “growth risks”. These include countries where the piracy volume is relatively low, but growing rapidly. This quadrant logically includes countries where broadband access has grown significantly over the past years. India, Nigeria, and Ghana are the top contenders here, all with a growth rate of more than 100%. Interestingly, the United States is also classified as a growth risk. While it has dominated in absolute piracy traffic for years, the number of visits per capita were relatively low. However, the piracy rate is rising in the U.S. too. All in all, the graph provides an easy-to-understand overview of how visits to video pirate sites are developing in various countries. It will be interesting to see how these trends develop over time. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  6. The pop singer was behind countless hits in the 1960s, including “Leader of the Pack”View the full article
  7. Russian media outlets are reporting that the volume of pirated content on the internet doubled between 2022 and 2023. That’s not exactly true, or indeed true at all. The claims are based on data supplied by local telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor. Speaking with Izvestia, the government agency said it blocked or deleted more than a million links to infringing content in 2023, more than double the amount blocked or deleted during the previous year. While 1.1 million links is a notable uplift over the 485,000 reported in 2022, removal or blocking of links to allegedly-infringing content is just that. The infringing content itself, such as movies, TV shows, music, or indeed anything else, remains unaffected. New links to the same content may reappear and face deletion once again; that would increase the number of links being taken down, but in itself wouldn’t show that piracy volumes had increased. Not that a small clarification makes the Russian piracy situation any easier to understand. Western Companies Are to Blame When good content is made available legally, conveniently, and at a fair price, studies have shown that legal sales tend to increase. When content isn’t made available at all in a particular market, whether that content is pirated by one person or 10 million, piracy rates immediately hit 100% for that product. After Western entertainment companies withdrew from the Russian market following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, any new content became impossible to consume legally in Russia. So, by default, any consumption would increase piracy rates for restricted products. When approached by Izvestia to comment on Roscomnadzor’s latest takedown stats, Yuri Zlobin, president of the Russian Shield anti-piracy group, blamed Western companies. Zlobin says that, if Western copyright holders continue to treat Russian consumers poorly, piracy will continue to grow unhindered due to the lack of Western rightsholder enforcement in Russia. If the rightsholders fail to protect their own content, no one else will do it for them, he said. “If Western brands do not want to fight piracy in a particular country, it means that they are actually legalizing piracy of their content,” Zlobin added. Blame the West First, Try to Make Things Fit Later While there’s a chance that Zlobin meant ‘effectively’ rather than ‘actually’ legalizing piracy, lack of enforcement in its own right doesn’t legalize piracy of anything and, to our knowledge, that applies everywhere. That said, enforcement is important; if done in a way that resonates or is simply effective, piracy rates can indeed reduce. However, a fundamental problem appears to undermine claims that Western companies are to blame here. If we accept that pulling out of the Russian market increases piracy of products that are no longer available legally, and accept Zlobin’s comments that Western companies’ failure to enforce their rights increases piracy, that leads to a couple of important questions. If the volume of takedown notices has indeed doubled in a year, and Western companies are to blame for alleged increases in piracy due to the reasons outlined above, who sent all of those notices and for whose content? If Western companies sent the notices, that would be enforcing their rights, contrary to the claim stating otherwise. If the rise in takedown notices was due to non-Western rightsholders protecting their content, how does that relate to Western content becoming unavailable to buy legally? Western Companies Taught Russians to Pirate… Zlobin is obviously right when he says the situation in Russia has deteriorated over the last couple of years. After many, many years of hard work, many consumers were indeed becoming accustomed to obtaining content legally. And yes, the withdrawal from the legal market they championed in Russia means that Western majors have lost those consumers. These arguments are pretty solid, but the next part, not so much. “[Western companies] have actually taught Russian clients to obtain the necessary content for free,” Zlobin said, according to Izvestia. “This is a kind of response to sanctions and incorrect attitude.” So have other market players in Russia drawn similar conclusions? Russian Pirates Like Local Content Too In comments to Izvestia, legal online streaming platform ‘Premier’ appears to confirm that Western companies aren’t responsible for the rise in takedown notices. The company said that since there’s no official party able to submit applications to Roscomnadzor, enforcing their rights in Russia is difficult. However, Western content isn’t the only content in town. “[P]irates not only consume Western content, but also projects of Russian online cinemas, so last year we strengthened the protection of our filmography,” the online cinema told the publication. A representative from START, a local subscription streaming service that’s reportedly showing growth, says enforcement systems are being streamlined to tackle the piracy threat in Russia. “To quickly search for unlicensed content, START has an anti-piracy department that searches for pirated links, protects content, and also conducts reconnaissance using open data,” the company told Izvestia. “We have created our own automated anti-piracy solution, thanks to which up to 80% of links are processed automatically.” The Blame Game This whole debate was launched on the basis that an increase in takedown notices means an actual increase in piracy. Yet, according to two of the people who commented, Western rightsholders aren’t enforcing their rights, including by not filing takedown notices. More information would be useful, but this suggests that non-Western rightsholders not only managed to make up the deficit in takedown notices left behind by Western rightsholders, but then went on to send double that number in a year. Taking this scenario to its logical conclusion, the surge in notices likely relates to non-Western content, content that is both accessible in Russia and legally available to buy. Maybe the real problems lie closer to home. Perhaps it’s always been that way, whoever gets the blame. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  8. San Diego, your premiere dance music festival, CRSSD, is back with another fantastic lineup that is sure to excite residents of California’s southern most metropolis. Tale of Us and Black Coffee are the two main headliners. Tale of Us is especially exciting due to their insane live visuals. Other headliners include legends like Armand van Helden, Joris Voorn and Richie Hawtin. Other beloved artists like Jan Blomqvist, Loco Dice b2b Nic Fanciulli and Mochakk round out the lineup. Taking place at San Diego’s picturesque Waterfront Park along the backdrop of San Diego’s historic Clipper ships and the iconic fountains that festival-goers can frolic through, CRSSD is truly an experiential festival. The curated CRSSD experience extends beyond the music, treating attendees to handpicked food vendors, immersive decor and stage designs, and interactive programming through its CRSSD Lab music-tech lounge and vinyl market. It’s the quintessential electronic music journey in one of the West Coast’s most beautiful urban centers. Get your tickets to CRSSD Spring 2024 Edition here. Check out the official Fall 2023 aftermovie to give you an idea of what CRSSD has to offer. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: CRSSD Announces Spring 2024 Lineup Featuring Tale of Us, Black Coffee, Armand van Helden, Joris Voorn and More View the full article
  9. The Gulf Coast’s premiere music festival is back. Hangout festival has just announced the lineup for its 13th edition taking place on Alabama’s southern coast, a prime spring break destination, May 17-19. This year’s lineup showcases the festival’s commitment to diversity as Zach Bryan, Lana Del Rey and ODESZA will be the headliners. The Chainsmokers will be the main dance headliner; other dance acts featured on the lineup include Alison Wonderland, Dom Dolla, Subtronics, a Chromeo DJ set, Daily Bread and a couple of sick b2bs from Odd Mob x OMNOM and VNSSA b2b Nala. Again, Hangout features more than dance music. Up and coming young pop artists like Dominic Fike and Reneé Rapp are also among the second line artists. Both old and new vanguards of hip-hop are represented with Nelly and NLE Choppa on the lineup. If you’re more inclined toward guitar-based rock, Cage the Elephant, A Day to Remember and All Time Low also round out the lineup. Get your tickets to Hangout Festival here. Check out the 2022 after movie to get an idea of what Hangout Festival has to offer. Full lineup below as well. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Hangout Festival Announces Lineup for 2024 Edition Featuring ODESZA, the Chainsmokers, Alison Wonderland, Dom Dolla and More View the full article
  10. The first couple months of the year are like the offseason for sports. There’s no actual events happening, but there’s all sorts of speculation and waiting for lineups to drop. Although they were early in dropping their Stage 1 lineup, we would be remiss to not mention Sziget Festival taking place in Budapest, Hungary from August 7-12. Featuring Fred Again.., Martin Garrix, Sam Smith and Stormzy as headliners, Sziget is one of the premiere European festivals to visit, not just because of its stellar lineup, which ventures outside the dance music realm, but also because of its magical location on Budapest’s Óbuda Island. Other dance music highlights include Four Tet, Richie Hawtin, Dom Dolla and ARTBAT. For non-EDM fans, two names that stand out on the lineup are former One Direction-er Louis Tomlinson and indie-rock faves Big Thief. Secure your tickets for Sziget here. If you can afford the plane ticket, Sziget is truly one of the best values for any European festival. Check out the after-movie for last year’s edition of Sziget to see what you’re missing out on. Announced lineup is below as well. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Sziget Festival Drops Phase 1 Lineup For 2024 Edition Featuring Fred Again.., Martin Garrix and Sam Smith View the full article
  11. David Stefanowicz, the accomplished producer behind hypernaut, has seamlessly transitioned through diverse musical genres over the past decade, from indie rock to pop punk, establishing a unique presence in the electronic dance music scene. The genesis of his new single “promise” traces back to a transformative moment inspired by Sammy Virji’s DJ Mag set in August 2023. This encounter led Stefanowicz to delve into UK Garage, Bassline, UK Bass, resulting in a creative fusion within his music. Set at 135BPM and crafted in Ableton, “promise” merges Bass House, Tech House, and UK Garage, showcasing a raw and organic creative process. The track quickly gained acclaim among fellow producers, prompting Stefanowicz to submit “promise” to the 2023 EDC Orlando Discovery Project. Winning the contest, judged by Dillion Francis, marked a breakthrough, affirming hypernaut’s intuitive musical direction and solidifying his dream of performing at EDC Orlando. “promise” is not just a track; it symbolizes hypernaut’s growth, promising innovation, resilience, and an exhilarating future in the electronic dance music realm. Listen below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: hypernaut Delivers High Energy Bass House Single “promise” View the full article
  12. Following a milestone sophomore year since the projects 2022 inception, global afro-house collective &friends jumps into the new year with a dynamic collab single with Montreal based producer Del Arte, featuring vocals by Forrest. “Everyday” is a smooth and sultry delivery of poignant piano melodies, soothing vocals from Forrest, alongside a thoughtfully arranged percussive production. Incorporating signature elements of downtempo, amapiano, and organic house, the single is grounding, soulful and contemplative. Igniting a sense of anticipation that sets the stage for a journey of self-discovery, “Everyday” sweeps listeners up in a wave of sonic euphoria. The single’s infectious rhythms create a vibrant, irresistible soundscape that invites listeners to revel in the beauty of the present moment. Brimming with duality, “Everyday” can equally symbolize the difficulties and obstacles that we encounter on a daily basis, and evoke determination to overcome challenges. Sharing on his vocal contribution, Forrest says, “Everyday” came from both a melancholic yet hopeful place. Every day I get tangled in a very social & hectic digital online presence while dualistically striving to excel – working towards a place where I could have a bit more peace, and a bit more balance.” The original production is accompanied by the release of a remix from Morrocco born, Montreal based rising star Lilya Mandre. Having recently signed to &friends inc., the young producer’s style exudes effortless effervescence. Her distinctive flair and emotive energy permeates through her remix of “Everyday” and is sure to continue resonating with listeners as continues her journey with &friends. Most recently, &friends released their full-length remix album celebrating the group’s seminal track “Ode Ireti”. With amplifying global voices, and providing a platform for new and emerging artists as a primary prerogative, the remix album featured 13 remixes from emerging producers around the world, some of whom had never seen their music officially released before. Listen below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: &friends and Del Arte Release Mesmerizing Single “Everyday ft. Forrest” View the full article
  13. The pop singer is heading back to the NBC program for the first time in over a decadeView the full article
  14. In the final days of 2023 as people were preparing to welcome in the new year, yet more pirate domains were being redirected or transferred into the hands of the MPA, presumably as part of a settlement agreement. Among them were uhuseries.com, owlserieshd.com, and ahaseries.com, relatively popular streaming platforms targeting the Thai market. We gave the news a brief mention at the time but since MPA/ACE have certain procedures to follow, the official announcement was published yesterday. It reveals that in addition to the above, several other domains were also rendered inoperable including Iamtheme.com, nunghub.com and aplayer.xyz, described by ACE as a back-end domain that hosted a “vast collection of U.S. and international TV shows and movies” estimated to contain around 78,000 titles. ACE Partners With TrueVisions According to ACE, the Uhuseries.com network of sites had been running since 2019, attracting an average of 1.3 million visitors per month, with most traffic originating in Thailand, the United States and the United Kingdom. “Another successful ACE and TrueVisions collaboration has resulted in the shutdown of two of Thailand’s most notorious illegal streaming services,” said ACE anti-piracy chief, Jan van Voorn. Sompan Charumilinda, Executive Vice Chairman of TrueVisions, expressed gratitude for the invaluable support of Thai law enforcement. “We would like to thank the Economic Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police for their steadfast commitment to protecting intellectual property rights. Thailand can produce and distribute world-class local content, but we must protect content rights if the benefits are to be realized by the creative economy and the country as a whole,” Charumilinda added. Don’t Forget to Mention Malware In the current environment, no anti-piracy press release can be considered complete without an obligatory malware warning and, thankfully, this one didn’t buck the trend. “Piracy sites such as Uhuseries.com and Iamtheme.com put consumers at risk of malware, undermine investment in the Thai content industry, and reduce tax contributions to the local government,” van Voorn added, describing the closures as a “win-win for all.” Despite being all-inclusive, it’s difficult to disagree with that statement. Instant Pirate Site Service ACE says that 27 pirate sites that relied on Iamtheme.com for content and infrastructure are now offline. Given there’s little to suggest that security of operators or users was considered a priority, that might be a good thing. Through ads on various online discussion platforms, people with little relevant experience were encouraged to buy a website template for the equivalent of $225. Once installed, the script would make them a pirate site owner/operator almost instantly. As the image shows, TrueVisions content was available via an API which according to the ads, could be purchased on a subscription basis. The headline price of $225 is therefor less of a bargain than it first appears. However, the most concerning aspect (copyright infringement aside) is the promotion of these scripts to people with little to no relevant experience. A key website selling the scripts offers to install the software on a server for people who don’t know how, but insists that if any changes are made to the script whatsoever, all customer support ends there and then. For someone with no technical skills, that’s a pretty clear invitation to leave everything well alone, including any attempt to apply any security fixes, in the unlikely event any are issued at all. Advertising Eyesore Assuming new pirate site owners aren’t concerned that a third party probably has root access to their server even after installation, it’s time to get the site ready for visitors. The first couple of lines in ads promoting these scripts link two key features; 1) Online movie-watching website script. 2) Responsive Design with VIP membership system. There’s also a section on how to set up advertising to generate more revenue: “Can manage and edit website page details like advertising contact information, member payment notifications, advertising space rates, website information through the web page. There is no need to have knowledge of programming.” Indeed, attempting to change any code means the end of customer support, so having no knowledge is presumably a big plus. However, if all goes to plan with the installation, script buyers could end up with a website looking like the one on the left below. With a more-is-always-better approach towards intrusive, suspect advertising, the finished product on the right shows what can be achieved if site owners are prepared to put in the time and effort. While anything that limits exposure to insecure platforms run by novices should be considered a plus, Thai internet users still appear to have options if they want to launch an insecure template site of their own. Meanwhile, site users in search of the latest movies and TV shows are probably oblivious or at least indifferent to the security situation, despite epilepsy-inducing gambling advertising on the front page telling them everything they need to know. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  15. A member of the Sandwell District collective, Juan Mendez was a prominent force in the Los Angeles techno sceneView the full article
  16. Including concerts with Foo Fighters and a set at Governors Ball Music FestivalView the full article
  17. The post-punk auteur released several beloved albums for Captured Tracks and Sacred BonesView the full article
  18. Emerging electronic pop/rock duo Close To Monday have proven they can do it all, from thrilling four on the floor hits to dystopian, Blade-runner esque tracks that seem to melt your mind in the most beautiful way. Now, they’re back with a new single “First Class” that once again explores a more cinematic approach with tones reminiscent of New Order and Ladytron. The composition explores the theme of a man ensnared in his ambition and thirst for material success, ultimately transforming into a metaphorical monster trapped in the gilded confines of first-class luxury on an airplane. The music pays a perfect compliment, as swirling melodies intertwined with Ann’s mesmerizing vocals take the listener into the atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. The lyrics unravel the tale of a hero entangled in the snares of his own ambitions, with complex, somewhat eerie synth arrangements amplifying the emotional twists and tragic facets of the character. Each note and melody serves as a poignant moment in the unfolding narrative, intentionally placed there by Close to Monday. Promising a new single each month, we can count on hearing plenty more from them this year. For now, check out the single below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Close To Monday Deliver Gripping New Single “First Class” View the full article
  19. Stream new releases from Sleater-Kinney, Green Day, Mary Halvorson, Ana Tijoux, Donato Dozzy, Cowboy Sadness, Packs, and Bolts of MelodyView the full article
  20. In recent years, Hollywood has played close attention to major pirate sites and services with connections to Vietnam. Representing rightsholders, MPA and ACE visited Vietnam last year to discuss piracy-related challenges with local authorities. The focus on Vietnam resulted in some progress. Anti-piracy coalition ACE previously shut down popular video piracy library 2Embed following negotiations with its Hanoi-based operator. Anime piracy giant Zoro.to fell too, although that one continues under new branding, supposedly with a fresh team of operators. It’s clear, however, that Vietnam has Hollywood’s full attention. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is aware of the challenges too, as made clear in the most recent Special 301 Report. “In particular, online piracy, including the use of illicit streaming devices and associated piracy applications to access unauthorized audiovisual content, remains a significant concern,” USTR wrote. Vietnam’s Blocking Efforts While some believe that Vietnam’s copyright enforcement arsenal is below par, the country does have a weapon the U.S. lacks. Site blocking is commonplace and widespread in the south-Asian country. The Vietnamese authorities are actively ordering site-blocking measures of varying degrees. Best known, perhaps, is the government’s crackdown on gambling sites, which are deemed illegal in the country. More recently, however, sites have also been blocked for copyright infringement. A few months ago we highlighted that 1,000 domains were blocked for this reason in just 12 months. Interestingly, many of the larger movie and TV show streaming sites escaped this early wave. Blocking efforts mostly targeted live sports streaming sites, while other categories were left untouched. At least, for the time being. More Pirate Site Blockades Earlier this month, the Vietnamese authorities, in ‘coordination’ with ISPs, appear to have broadened their scope. There are reports of multiple torrent sites being blocked now, which TorrentFreak confirmed with a local resident. Names that are mentioned include anime site NYAA.si, torrent indexers TorrentGalaxy and 1337x, as well as the game release site FitGirl-Repacks. While results may vary between ISPs, our information suggests that a blocking notification isn’t always shown. Sites simply become unreachable, with the DNS for some pointing to 127.0.0.1; effectively null routing the connection attempt. There is no mention of these new blocking efforts in local media that we’re aware of. However, several people are discussing these and other problems on the Vietnamese forum VOZ. “Can anyone download on Fitgirl without having to turn on VPN? Even when I get the 1337x link, it won’t let me download it, it’s completely blocked,” one user writes, with others confirming the problem. In other threads, similar blocking problems are discussed by VOZ users, all fairly recently. Recognized Threat To find out more, we reached out to Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communication, requesting more details on this apparent new blocking wave. Unfortunately, however, we didn’t hear back. Jan van Voorn, head of the anti-piracy group ACE, has experience with Vietnam and informs us that the authorities have blocked quite a few sites over the past several months. Van Voorn further notes that ISPs have a commercial interest in blocking pirate sites and calls on the government to tackle local piracy syndicates “Content is becoming an important business model for the major ISPs in Vietnam. From our numerous meetings with them, it is apparent that they recognize the need to protect that content,” Van Voorn tells us. “It is hoped that the Vietnamese government will also recognize the need to protect both local and international content rather than allow Vietnamese piracy syndicates to enrich themselves from this illegal act.” These syndicates would include Fmovies, according to ACE’s definitions. Interestingly, however, that popular movie streaming site isn’t blocked by Vietnamese ISPs, according to our source. Transparency and Overblocking Unfortunately, there’s not much transparency around the current pirate site blocking efforts in Vietnam. This makes it hard to get confirmation or provide an overview of all the sites that are blocked. The lack of transparency also makes it hard for the public at large to know what’s going on. If a site is inaccessible, without a blocking notice, it remains guesswork whether it’s downtime, technical problems, or an ISP blockade. Needless to say, this also makes it harder to spot overblocking incidents. For the gambling-related blocks, blocking is easier to spot. Visitors will see a banner, such as the one that’s shown below, which includes the following warning. “Participating in gambling is a violation of the law. […] The police will save this access log for collection and processing! All information is sent to the police for investigation.” This is a stark warning that should make prospective gamblers rethink their options. And not just gamblers either. Zooming in on the banner above shows that visitors to the popular GameFAQs website are blocked too. We would like to say that targeting GameFAQs can be classified as overblocking but, then again, that’s a gamble. — Flag image credit. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article
  21. The first collaboration from the two Atlanta rappersView the full article
  22. The Minneapolis punk eccentrics return with their first full-length in six yearsView the full article
  23. Cassandra, Day’s third album, is due out sometime in the springView the full article
  24. The Chemical Brothers have been doing it for almost thirty years, however, their music remains as innovative today as it was in the 90s. Not only did they just release their 10th studio album, they’re still a major draw on the festival circuit as well. Now, one of the legendary electronic duo’s more recent releases gets a fresh remix from a house music veteran. UK House maestro Chris Lake has just released his blistering new remix of “No Reason.” Taking the funk and rhythm of the original as well as the iconic bassline, Chris Lake takes a retro sounding track onto the modern dancefloor. The Chemical Brothers original rendition is a wonderful track, but the Chris Lake remix really makes it feel like a modern dancefloor heater. The Chris Lake remix of the Chemical Brothers’ “No Reason” is out now on Universal. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Chris Lake Drops Incredible Remix of the Chemical Brothers’ “No Reason” View the full article
  25. ALOK, one of the most acclaimed international DJs on the planet, is kicking off 2024 with a massive new collaboration with Bebe Rexha, “Deep in Your Love.” Featuring an incredible throwback sound, combined with Rexha’s iconic vocals, “Deep in Your Love” is a track that is sure to ignite dance floors all year long. Featuring an iconic piano sample, “Deep in Your Love” actually follows the same formula as Bebe Rexha’s most recent collabs with David Guetta, “Blue (I’m Good)” and “One in a Million.” Rexha’s vocals soar over an instantly recognizable dance music track. ALOK seamlessly manages to connect old and new sounds on this one with modern, pulsating bassline laid over ethereal piano notes. “Since meeting Bebe at a show in Romania, it’s been a pleasure working with her on ‘Deep In Your Love’ both online and while she was in Brazil.” ALOK says. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear this danceable, energetic new single and to play it live on dancefloors around the world as we bring in the Spring and Summer seasons!” “Deep In Your Love” is out now on ALOK’s B1 label. Check out his massive performance at Tomorrowland Brasil as well. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: ALOK and Bebe Rexha Team Up for Catchy New Single “Deep In Your Love” View the full article
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