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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Pirate Bay Has Been Raided and Taken Down: Here's What We Know

The popular file-sharing service Pirate Bay was taken down today following a raid in Sweden by police who seized servers and computers.

The Pirate Bay portal went down Tuesday morning after Swedish police raided a server room in Stockholm over alleged copyright violations. In addition to its file-sharing section, Pirate Bays forum Suprbay.org was also down.

There were a number of police officers and digital forensics experts there. This took place during the morning and continued until this afternoon. Several servers and computers were seized, but I cannot say exactly how many, Swedish prosecutor Fredrik Ingblad told Radio Sweden.

Pirate Bay may not be the only target. According to TorrentFreak, other sites related to file sharing such as EZTV, Zoink, and Torrage went down today as well, though its not yet known if they were also raided.

Founded in 2003, Pirate Bay has been in the legal crosshairs for years, but has managed to stay afloat despite efforts by governments, anti-piracy groups and the music and film industries to close it down. Todays raid comes after a number of recent events have occurred around the service, putting it in the spotlight once again.

The Timeline of Pirate Bays Recent Troubles

In October, Pirate Bays co-founder, the Swedish national Gottfrid Svartholm, was found guilty in Denmark and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. Although the conviction this time was unrelated to file-sharing, it follows a previous 2009 conviction on copyright violations related to the file-sharing service. Svartholm had been convicted on the copyright charges along with his Pirate Bay co-founders, Fredrik Neij, Peter Sunde, and Swedish telecommunitations owner Carl Lundstrom. While all three had been apprehended, Neij went on the lam, however.

But just last month, Neij was arrested at the Thailand-Laos border on the 2009 conviction.

And last week a French court ordered ISPs in that country to block access to Pirate Bay, as well as any of its mirror sites, from within French territory.

Then days ago Google removed and banned a number of third-party Pirate Bay file-sharing apps from the Google Play store. The apps help users circumvent blocks instated by ISPs to prevent users from accessing Pirate Bay.

Todays raid comes after some of the movie files stolen from Sony Pictures Entertainment in its recent hack became available for download through links at Pirate Bay. Its unknown if the raid and takedown were instigated by the distribution of those Sony files.

Todays raid comes after some of the movie files stolen from Sony Pictures Entertainment in its recent hack became available for download through links at Pirate Bay.

Despite the previous convictions, Pirate Bay has managed to forge ahead without its founders, catering to millions of daily users. Although todays raid is not the firstPirate Bay was also raided in 2006in 2012 its operators bragged that they had moved their operations to the cloud to make the service virtually impervious to police raids. By hosting their operation from multiple cloud hosting providers located in a number of countries, a single police raid would not be able to disrupt their operation. Or so they thought.

Its unclear how long authorities can keep Pirate Bay down this time before it pops up again.

Source: http://www.wired.com/2014/12/pirate-bay-raided-taken-down/

NFL Quarterback Cam Newton Injures Back In Car Crash

A truck driven by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sits near Bank of America Stadium after the quarterback was involved in an accident Tuesday. Skip Foreman/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Skip Foreman/AP

A truck driven by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sits near Bank of America Stadium after the quarterback was involved in an accident Tuesday.

Skip Foreman/AP

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton suffered two fractured in his back Tuesday but escaped without other injury, after a vehicle he was driving crashed around 12:30 p.m. ET. The truck reportedly flipped several times on a bridge in central Charlotte, where Church Street passes over Interstate 277.

"The severity of Newton's injuries was not immediately available but witnesses told Channel 9 that Newton's truck flipped four times," WSOC Channel 9 TV reports.

We'll update as news comes in.

Update at 4:20 p.m. ET: Fractures In QB's Lower Back

Saying that Newton is in "fair condition," the Carolina Panthers have announced that he has "two transverse process fractures in his lower back and no further internal injuries."

The transverse process is a small bone that extends sideways from the spinal column, connecting muscles and ligaments to the spine. Fractures to the bone often take 6 weeks to heal fully.

The Panthers' official staff writer, Max Henson, said in a tweet, "From what I've heard, Newton's back injury is comparable to what Dallas QB Tony Romo suffered."

Romo sustained two transverse process fractures during an Oct. 27 game; he missed one week before returning to the Cowboys' lineup.

Update at 1:50 p.m. ET: Newton Seen Conscious After Wreck

A photo tweeted by The Charlotte Observer shows an alert Newton holding himself upright as he lies on the sidewalk near the accident. In fact, as an emergency worker crouches near him, it seems that he's smiling.

The newspaper reports that the quarterback's injuries are not life-threatening.

Our original post continues:

The wreck occurred just a block away from the Panthers' home stadium. Photos from the scene show a dark-colored truck sitting sideways on the bridge, its cabin roof partially collapsed. It appears that the passenger side of the vehicle may have taken the worst punishment.

An ambulance took Newton, 25, to the hospital after emergency workers placed him on a stretcher.

Photos from local media show that another vehicle, a passenger car, also sustained damage.

The Panthers have issued a statement:

"We are closely monitoring the situation of a car wreck involving Cam Newton. We will have more information at an appropriate time."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/09/369637369/nfl-quarterback-cam-newton-taken-to-hospital-after-car-crash

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

'Hit The Floor' Actress Stephanie Moseley Shot To Death By Husband, Police Say

LAPD homicide detectives said tonight that actress-dancer Stephanie Moseley, who appeared on VH1s cheerleader drama Hit The Floor, was shot to death Monday by her husband, rapper Earl Hayes, in an apparent murder-suicide. She was 30. Police were called to an apartment in the Park La Brea section of Los Angeles about 7:30 AM and heard shots being fired from inside. SWAT officers found both victims dead.

VH1 said Moseley was slated to return for Season 3 of the series, which was renewed in July. Production on the new season has not begun. We are incredibly saddened to hear the news of the passing of Stephanie Moseley, the network said in a statement. VH1 and the entire Hit The Floor family send our thoughts and condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time.

Hayes was close with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. Neither police nor Mayweather have publicly commented on a report by TMZ that the boxer witnessed the shooting while on a video chat with Hayes, who was 36.

A native of Vancouver, Moseley also had recurred on the CW cheerleading comedy Hellcats, played dancers on episodes of Psych and Cold Case and appeared as Jamie Foxxs wife on his 2006 NBC special Jamie Foxx: Unpredictable. She also had small roles in such features as Sparkle, Mirror Mirror, Idlewild and Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 on which she was an associate choreographer and did stunt work on the 2003 Halle Berry movie Catwoman.

She was a backup dancer on Britney Spears and Janet Jackson tours in the mid-2000s and also performed with such artists as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Usher.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call West Bureau Homicide Detectives Scott Masterson or Rolondo Rodriguez at (213) 382-9470 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers: 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Source: http://deadline.com/2014/12/stephanie-moseley-dead-hit-the-floor-actress-1201315933/

Ron Rivera defends Cam Newton's role in scuffle

The Panthers won for the first time in six weeks Sunday, but coach Ron Rivera is spending more time addressing Sundays on-field melee.

With 6:41 left in the first quarter of the Carolinas 41-10 rout of New Orleans, the teams tangled in the end zone after Cam Newton scored on a 2-yard run.

Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton took exception to Newtons Superman celebration, which was done directly in front of Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, and shoved Newton, sparking the incident that resulted in the ejection of Panthers tight end Brandon Williams and a personal foul penalty on Lofton.

"I don't think the intent was to do it in the guy's face," Rivera said in his Monday press conference. The guy just happened to be there. You could say that about any time a guy does a celebration because there's 11 defenders on the field. A guy turns and does whatever they do, that's it.

"The biggest thing is Cam didn't use the ball, he didn't use a prop. He just did his thing. So be it."

Rivera also said Lofton should have hit the showers along with Williams.

"He isn't the one that started it," Rivera said. "If you're going to throw one guy out, you've got to throw the other guy out that started it. Especially because they [officials] saw the guy start it."

Despite the ejection, Rivera liked how his team dealt with the situation.

"Unfortunately, we got a guy thrown out for being a little over-aggressive," Rivera said. "That's unfortunate. But we stood up for ourselves and that's the approach. I appreciate that as far as our guys are concerned. We didn't walk away from anybody. We stood our ground."

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2014-12-09/ron-rivera-defends-cam-newton-fight-panthers-saints-williams-ejection-jordan-lofton

'Hit The Floor' Actress Stephanie Moseley Shot To Death By Husband, Police Say

She was a backup dancer on Britney Spears and Janet Jackson tours in the mid-2000s and also performed with such artists as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Usher.

Source: http://deadline.com/2014/12/stephanie-moseley-dead-hit-the-floor-actress-1201315933/

LA fire looked like the 'apocalypse,' witness says

The scene of the massive apartment tower fire stretching over a city block from along the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles was spectacular, not unlike the opening credits of the burning jungle canopy in Apocalypse Now.

It was so arresting that scores of gawking drivers pulled to the shoulder of the freeway early Monday to snap photos and videos of the monster blaze. Some passed so close to the flames that the heat was felt through car doors and windows.

Kin Isamov, 28, of Silverlake, was headed downtown on the 110 to pick up his girlfriend at an art studio early Monday when he saw that at least half a dozen cars had queued up on the shoulder.

NEWSLETTER: Get essential California coverage

Isamov himself stopped momentarily on the side of the road, threw his blinkers on and got out of his Mazda 6 to take it all in. The California Highway Patrol was arriving on the other side of the 101, telling people to keep moving, he said. At that moment, the southbound 110 had not been closed.

We didnt have a lot of deliberation, we just hopped in the car and drove, Isamov said.

Isamov and his friend were on the 110 Freeway for all of about five minutes, and passed close to the fire for only about 20 seconds. During that time, only about two or three other cars were on the road, Isamov said. So he drove really, really fast, as he filmed on his phone and his awestruck friend screamed expletives. [Warning: Graphic language about 8 seconds into the video.]

You could feel the fire. You drive through it, and you kind of imagine what Armageddon would feel like, Isamov said. You feel like any second the fire is going to get in the car, burn you Its going to be like the apocalypse.

It was so mesmerizing, he added.

Isamov said that he was hoping to grab his girlfriend quickly enough to take another pass though the fiery freeway. But by the time he got back to the 110 on-ramps, all the exits had been sealed off by authorities, he said. He took side streets home.

As I was going through it, I realized the whole apartment complex was set ablaze, he said. That was mind-boggling. The whole thing was on fire, evenly.

Cristobal Gutierrez, 18, was driving home to Bell after a night of showing his 9-year-old brother, Jose, who was half asleep in the back of the car, around Hollywood.

FULL COVERAGE: Downtown L.A. fire

But around 1:40 a.m. Gutierrez let out a holler. As he drove down the 101 Freeway, he could see smoke rising from what he thought was a factory. His brother jolted awake, and as they got closer, they saw that what they thought was a factory was in fact an unfinished apartment building. Soon the smoke would give way to full flames.

My brothers 9 and had never seen a fire before. He was like cool, look at that big fire! My mindset was Oh c**p, I need to get out of here as quickly as possible. You dont know how it can escalate, Gutierrez said. It looked like a little 9/11 scene. Really impressive.

Gutierrez pulled off the shoulder and slowed down for less than a minute so he could shoot some photos and video on his phone. Outside, he said the air smelled like burned wood, and he could feel the heat of the fire through the car.

When the brothers got home after 2 a.m., Jose immediately roused his parents.

We just passed a huge fire, he told them, then borrowed Cristobal's phone to show them.

Follow @MattStevensLAT for Westside coverage and breaking news

Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-downtown-fire-witness-20141208-htmlstory.html

Monday, December 8, 2014

An hour of code can inspire a future of opportunity

Early experiences have the ability to inspire us and shape our future. One early source of inspiration for me was my father, who was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. It was because of him that from a young age, I learned the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). I witnessed firsthand how my fathers pursuit of science opened doors of opportunity. Computer Science Education Week, December 8-14, 2014, offers an opportunity for all of us to ask how we can inspire a new generation.

Microsoft is proud to partner with Code.org, an organization dedicated to expanding participation in computer science, with a series of activities geared toward teachers, students, and parents in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. In particular, we will help Code.org with its grassroots campaign goal for the week to reach 100 million students globally with The Hour of Code, a program that provides a hands-on introduction to computer science. Specifically, our software is available for tutorials and on November 20, we offered a free training to educators throughout Washington, D.C. on how to set up an Hour of Code in their classrooms. Participating in the Hour of Code campaign and other events taking place around the country give a new generation of students the opportunity to experience computer science. This week also presents an opportunity for legislators, teachers, parents, and educators to reflect on the importance of computer science in primary and secondary education.

Computer science education lays the foundation for many high-paying jobs today and those that will be created in the future. Across business sectors and around the country, Americas most innovative companies are facing a national challenge in finding the high-skilled workers they need to compete, particularly in fields like computer science. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that between 2010 and 2020, approximately 60 percent of math and science job openings will be in computing professions. Despite this trend, fewer than 2.4 percent of college students graduate with a degree in Computer Science. To maintain U.S. competitiveness and innovation, it is imperative that our nations young people have access to and pursue the education and skills training needed to adequately prepare for these jobs.

States should also continue efforts to make computer science education count toward high school graduation credit, a goal Microsoft and Code.org have long advocated. Last year, Microsoft deployed a team to work state-by-state on this mission. As a result, ten more states have joined this effort. We celebrate this achievement, but we do so recognizing that only 25 states and the District of Columba have clear, publicly accessible policies allowing rigorous computer science courses to satisfy existing high school graduation requirements for mathematics orscience. Such policies go a long way to expanding the pursuit of computer science. States that count computer science as a core graduation requirement see 50 percent more enrollment in their AP Computer Science courses as well as increased participation from underrepresented minorities. For our nation to succeed and to sustain our global competitiveness, it is time to ensure that U.S. students are prepared to compete for highly technical computer jobs.

In September, we embarked on the third year of Microsoft YouthSpark, announcing the expansion of technology education efforts to help address the rising tide of global youth unemployment. As part of that effort, we are nearly doubling the size of our Technology Education And Literacy in Schools (TEALS) program. TEALS is a grassroots program that recruits, trains, mentors, and places high tech professionals from across the country into high school classes as volunteerteachers. Through the TEALS program, Microsoft will place software engineers as volunteers in 131 high schools across 18 states and the District of Columbia. Fourteen schools in our area now have TEALS classrooms, with three new schools added this year in Northern Virginia.

This Computer Science Education Week, I encourage everyone legislators, students, and teachers alike to take part in the Hour of Code, discover the fun of coding and, more importantly, how it can be a catalyst to create and achieve great things. Everyone starts somewhere. This week offers the opportunity to get your start in computer science. To join us in this effort, please visitcsedweek.org.

Humphries is vice president for U.S. government affairs at Microsoft.

Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/226023-an-hour-of-code-can-inspire-a-future-of-opportunity