IT Executive news

• Solar module prices hit all-time low as inventories pile up

  21-07-2016 23:14
  
  A lack of demand for photovoltaic wafers, cells and modules has lead to an overstock of inventory and the lowest prices in the history of the solar power market, according to a new report.
  The report, from EnergyTrend, a division of market research firm TrendForce, said photovoltaics have encountered a freeze in demand as the industry enters the third quarter of 2016.Lucas MearianSolar panels installed on a rooftop by SolarCity.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click he
  
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• Intel experiments with 3D Xpoint as it ships out SSDs to testers

  21-07-2016 22:14
  
  Intel's groundbreaking 3D Xpoint technology is poised to shake up computer memory and storage with its blazing fast speed and high capacity, but the chipmaker is still trying to figure out the best fits for the technology.3D Xpoint, developed by Intel and Micron, is a new class of memory and storage that can be faster, denser, and more durable than conventional DRAM and flash storage. Intel claims 3D Xpoint is 10 times denser than memory, and the company has shown it to be up to 10 tim
  
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• Facebook takes a step forward with its Net-connectivity plane

  21-07-2016 22:09
  
  Facebook is one step closer to bringing Internet connectivity to remote, underserved areas of the world.
  The company’s Connectivity Labcompleted the first full test of Aquila, a high-altitude, solar-powered, unmanned aircraft that would beam Internet connectivity down to Earth using laser technology. The aircraft would circle an area up to 60 miles in diameter while flying at 60,000 feet.
  Flying for as long as three months, the energy-efficient aircraft is built to use only 5,000 watts &m
  
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• AI expanding in the enterprise (whether or not you know it)

  21-07-2016 21:57
  
  Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are already proliferating in the enterprise. However, many business leaders don't realize they're leveraging technologies that rely on AI, according to a new study by natural language generation (NLG) specialist Narrative Science. Despite the confusion, adoption is imminent.Stuart Frankel, CEO and co-founder of Narrative Science."AI has been around for a long time," says Stuart Frankel, CEO and co-founder of Narrative Science. "While it is super-hot and
  
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• 50% off Vastar Professional Breathalyzer Digital Breath Alcohol Tester - Deal Alert

  21-07-2016 21:54
  
  Vastar breathalyzer is used to measure concentration of the alcohol in human body. With sensitive semi-conductor sensor, it take 5 seconds to show a result that whether you can drive or not after drinking. It will show you high accuracy test result(up to 0.01mg/l), four units of measurement can be converted(%BAC , ‰BAC, mg/l, mg/100ml). To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• 36% off iProp Bean Bag Universal Tablet Stand - Deal Alert

  21-07-2016 21:50
  
  Whether you're watching a movie in bed, browsing on the couch, or playing games on your trip, the iProp bean bag tablet stand gives your arms a rest and holds your tablet comfortably where you need it. Its unique mesh bean bag design conforms to the shape of any surface, from a bench to your own legs, and its non-slip silicone shelf keeps your tablet securely in place without obstructing the screen. It averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 500 customers (read reviews). Amazon ind
  
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• What your users need to know about ransomware [Infographic]

  21-07-2016 21:38
  
  As a security pro, you're well aware of the magnitude of the ransomware problem. But did you know that, according to a November 2015 study from antivirus vendor Bitdefender, "half of victims are willing to pay up to $500 to recover their data."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Firefox sets kill-Flash schedule

  21-07-2016 21:03
  
  Mozilla yesterday said it will follow other browser markers by curtailing use of Flash in Firefox next month.
  The open-source developer added that in 2017 it will dramatically expand the anti-Flash restrictions: Firefox will require users to explicitly approve the use of Flash for any reason by any website.
  As have its rivals, Mozilla cast the limitations (this year) and elimination (next year) as victories for Firefox users, citing improved security, longer battery life on laptops and faster w
  
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• Over 90% off Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course & Certification - Deal Alert

  21-07-2016 20:48
  
  Anyone can point and shoot a camera, but few have what it takes to go pro. For $19.99, you can pick up the Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course & Certification and learn the skills used by industry pros to take beautiful shots and kickstart your photo career.This 22-module photography course comes with instruction from the industry’s best photographers on “down-to-earth” techniques and skills designed to take your photo game to the next level. In addition to professio
  
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• Edward Snowden has developed an iPhone case meant to kill surveillance

  21-07-2016 20:33
  
  National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has come up with a concept iPhone case that could prevent the government from finding your location.Smartphones, while incredibly useful, are also the “perfect tracking device,” Snowden wrote in a co-authored paper that covers his research.Governments can monitor a user’s location through the radio signals from the phone and this can put journalists, activists, and rights workers in danger, he warned.On Thursday, S
  
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• Texas city dives into water monitoring technology

  21-07-2016 20:00
  
  In the city of Cedar Hill, Texas, about 15 miles from Dallas, officials realized that the population was growing and that drought and other factors were bound to drive up water costs for residents and businesses.
  "Texas doesn't have nearly the issues other states have with water resources, but we're not exempt from problems," said Melissa Valadez-Cummings, assistant city manager for Cedar Hill, in a recent interview.
  Many people, incorrectly, have adopted an "unlimited water resource mentality,
  
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• BrandPost: What Do the Latest Stats Reveal About Mobility?

  21-07-2016 19:53
  We recently partnered with industry-leading technology research organization IDG to learn more about today’s top mobility trends and challenges. The feedback we received help illustrate today’s mobility trends. For example, did you know that over 30% of those who responded are likely to consider a managed mobility service to monitor employee mobile devices?Most organizations want to enable their employees to connect from anywhere, anytime, with any device. And whether or not it is a
  
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• BrandPost: Discover Unified Communications as a Service

  21-07-2016 19:46
  Your network can be fairly described as “converged” these days, with voice, Internet, LAN, and WAN services available over a common telecommunications infrastructure. IP-based technology is the key—and that technology is at the root of today’s Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) deployments.Cloud-enabled UC systems represent the next-generation for UC, offering the benefits of work anywhere, connectivity, telepresence, IM, and enhanced collaboration with the flex
  
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• CIOs question value of Microsoft’s LinkedIn buy

  21-07-2016 19:43
  
  CIOs' views of Microsoft’s blockbuster bid to buy LinkedIn runs the gamut from dismay to cautious optimism. Some IT leaders fret that the $26.2 billion deal won't generate demonstrable value for customers while others are applauding what they see as a smart big data play."My immediate response was, 'What the hell are they doing?,' says Brian Long, CIO of aerospace parts supplier Pattonair. Long, who views Microsoft's role in the enterprise as an enabler of Office productivity, is concerned
  
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• BrandPost: Connectivity as a Cloud Service

  21-07-2016 19:42
  In today’s interconnected world, organizations are burdened with the expectation of having extended connectivity; so much so that an outage to Internet or phone systems can have a damaging financial impact. Given that connectivity comes in a variety of cloud services, companies both large and small are able to stay connected within their budgets. The cloud enables network merging with the ability to add on additional services from redundancy to bandwidth depending on the particular n
  
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• Dell patches critical flaws in SonicWALL Global Management System

  21-07-2016 19:41
  
  Dell has patched several critical flaws in its central management system for SonicWALL enterprise security appliances, such as firewalls and VPN gateways.
  If left unfixed, the vulnerabilities allow remote, unauthenticated attackers to gain full control of SonicWALL Global Management System (GMS) deployments and the devices managed through those systems.
  The SonicWALL GMS virtual appliance software has six vulnerabilities, four of which are rated critical, according to researchers from secu
  
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• Chromebook shipments are exploding, but not replacing Windows PCs

  21-07-2016 19:39
  
  Chromebook shipment growth will be in the double digits this year, but the devices are not being used as Windows PC replacements, which is what Google had hoped for.Chromebook shipments will jump by about 18 percent this year compared to 2015, according to Mikako Kitagawa, an analyst at Gartner. It will be one of the few areas of growth in an otherwise slumping PC market.In 2015, Chromebook shipments totaled 6.5 million units, so shipments this year could be in the 7.5 million to 8 million range
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Will the last computer leaving the corporate data center please turn out the light?

  21-07-2016 19:24
  
  Cloud computing is upending the traditional approach to IT in many ways, but here's a heads up to a risk I’ll bet you didn't see coming. Its driven by the fact that we're reaching an inflection point in large enterprise adoption of cloud computing. Big companies like Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola, GE and more are moving their systems into the cloud. This is no longer the toe-in-the-water approach of “let’s try out some development there” or “well OK, we can house
  
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• Twitter needs to stop the harassment

  21-07-2016 19:13
  
  I've been excited about the remake of 1980s classic Ghostbusters since I first learned writer/director Paul Feig was planning a reboot. My excitement tripled when I found out the reboot would have an all-female cast, and went off the charts when casting decisions were announced. Melissa McCarthy! Kate McKinnon! Kristen Wiig! Leslie Jones!I knew, given the rampant misogyny that exists in the film industry on social media everywhere that there would be backlash. Even before the movie was released,
  
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• Tesla wants to end fossil fuel use, make self-driving cars 10X safer

  21-07-2016 19:05
  
  Tesla CEO Elon Musk today posted the second phase of his company's master plan for the future, which includes integrating rooftop solar power with battery storage, expanding auto sales to all markets and making self-driving cars 10 time safer than those driven by humans.
  The new phase of the company's vision comes a decade after his first, which outlined creation of a low-volume vehicle that would "necessarily" be expensive in order to fund future "affordable" vehicles and to provide solar powe
  
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• BrandPost: Five Important Lessons Learned from a Journey to Hadoop

  21-07-2016 18:27
  
  In the first post in this two-part series, I summarized the journey to Hadoop at Dell SecureWorks. In this follow-on post, I will wrap up the story of our Hadoop journey with a look at five key lessons that we learned. Keep these important best practices in mind should you embark on your own Hadoop journey.Lesson 1: Start with the end in mind Our Hadoop journey began with this goal: getting all data flowing into our proprietary system to also flow into our Hadoop cluster. We decided to delay fig
  
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• RIP, VHS players: The last VCRs ever will be made this month

  21-07-2016 17:28
  A company in Japan only recently realized it was time to stop making Video Home System machines—commonly known as VHS.
  Japan-based Funai announced earlier in July that it would cease production of its VHS player, which was sold under various brands worldwide. The company said it decided to cease production due to difficulties in acquiring components, according to Japanese-language Nikkei. The near non-existent market for the ancient home entertainment technology was also a factor.A VH-wha
  
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• Should Apple worry about Microsoft-IBM deal?

  21-07-2016 17:27
  
  When Microsoft inked a deal with IBM last week to develop new business applications for Surface tablets, it felt like a case of deja vu. Details of the partnership closely resemble those agreed to almost exactly two years earlier by Apple and IBM. The difference, experts say, is how Apple and Microsoft are tackling the ‘next phase in enterprise productivity.’
  IBM and Microsoft have been closely aligned on many business deals for decades, making it somewhat surprising that it took so
  
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• HPE's Itanium server refresh should come in mid-2017

  21-07-2016 17:22
  
  Hewlett Packard Enterprise plans to refresh its Itanium server range around the middle of next year, employing Intel's long-promised "Kittson" successor to the current Itanium 9500 series ("Poulson") chips.News of the server update plans comes from Ken Surplice, category manager for mission-critical solutions at HPE's EMEA server division.Surplice told Dutch website Computable that the company is on schedule to refresh its Integrity servers for HP-UX and OpenVMS with Intel's upcoming Kittson Ita
  
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• Who is watching after your agile money? Part II

  21-07-2016 16:31
  
  PART II: Understanding of the investment side of agileAfter half a century in the making, the traditional program and project management theory looks better than ever — well understood, ubiquitously trusted, battle-tested and continuously fine-tuned to perfection. As long as your desired outcome (scope) is well understood, and your constraints (quality, time and cost) are agreed-upon upfront, it will get you to your destination safe and sound. The definition of success is clear and simple
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Apple’s Metal API and World of Warcraft running at 5K resolution

  21-07-2016 16:25
  
  In yesterday’s post I talked about how Apple’s Metal API has made a big difference in my World of Warcraft experience. I’m getting higher frames per second and overall smoother graphics while playing the game.However, I goofed by not discussing the specific resolutions I was running the game at on my 5K iMac. So let me clarify, the numbers I presented yesterday were running at the default 2560 x 1440 resolution.Some folks have been wondering how the game would perform with Meta
  
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• Firefox will start blocking Flash content next month

  21-07-2016 16:17
  
  Following in the footsteps of the other major browser, Firefox is taking steps to drastically reduce Adobe Flash usage in the near future.
  Mozilla recently announced that Firefox will “block certain Flash content that is not essential to the user experience”—in other words, ads and any behind the scenes operations using Flash. Mozilla says that blocking non-essential Flash should reduce crashes and browser hang-ups by as much as 10 percent. The initial blocked content wil
  
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• Linium Expands Financial Services Expertise with Onboarding of Crossbridge

  21-07-2016 15:50 via linium.com
  
  Linium, a world-class provider of business services that empower the entire enterprise, today announced it will onboard Crossbridge, a top-tier financial services consulting firm, to further expand its Linium Blues line of elite services and solutions that launch clients on the path to enterprise modernization.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How CIOs can help board members understand the business value of digital innovation

  21-07-2016 15:30
  
  You wake up in a panic after dreaming your CEO called and said, “You need to be at tomorrow’s 9:00 a.m. board meeting with a presentation to help the board understand the company's digital strategy and, specifically, how we are measuring success.” While relieved when you realize this scenario was just a dream, you’re also aware that at some point in the near future that won’t be the case—and you’ll need to be prepared.Today's digital marketplace is chang
  
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• Still searching for a killer app in Windows 10 Anniversary Update

  21-07-2016 15:17
  
  A couple of days ago, as I was finishing the InfoWorld review of Windows 10 Anniversary Update, a good friend (and astute editor) asked me a very simple question: Where is the killer app in Windows 10?
  After all, if folks are going to go through the pain and bother of upgrading from Windows 7 or 8.1 to Win10 -- and of climbing the learning curve once again -- there has to be a good reason for the effort, right?[ Your one-stop shop for Microsoft knowledge: Everything you need to know about Windo
  
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• How to find where lost productivity hides

  21-07-2016 15:04
  
  Maintaining a productive work environment is all about "developing a modern content process," says Dave White, CTO of Quark Enterprise Solutions, a company focused on delivering content automation services. Every business defines content differently, and each company needs the right technology and services from IT in place in order to maintain and encourage productivity.But that's not typically the case, says White. Businesses typically find themselves losing time and money due to the way they m
  
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• Moto Z: Is this the Droid you’ve been looking for?

  21-07-2016 15:03
  
  The new Moto Z phones are pretty remarkable for some innovative things they can do -- and for something important they left out.
  Motorola is one of the oldest brands in electronics. The company invented car radios (hence "Motor-ola") and was the first company to build cell phone infrastructure and the phones themselves. In the early days, Motorola's phones were flat out the best you could get. Over the years, the company lost its way, with the exception of a few pretty good phones in the last c
  
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• Flaws in Oracle file processing SDKs affect major third-party products

  21-07-2016 14:37
  
  Seventeen high-risk vulnerabilities out of the 276 flaws fixed by Oracle Tuesday affect products from third-party software vendors, including Microsoft.
  The vulnerabilities were found by researchers from Cisco's Talos team and are located in the Oracle Outside In Technology (OIT), a collection of software development kits (SDKs) that can be used to extract, normalize, scrub, convert and view some 600 unstructured file formats.
  These SDKs, which are part of the Oracle Fusion Middleware, are lice
  
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• Like AT&T, Verizon is going virtual for enterprises

  21-07-2016 14:00
  
  If you want to be able to turn network services on and off the same way you do virtual machines, some big carriers are starting to think like you.On Thursday, Verizon announced enterprise services defined and activated through software, a move intended to help both the carrier and its customers save money and respond more quickly to changing needs. It could mean firing up a new carrier Ethernet link to a branch office in minutes instead of months, for example.Verizon’s Virtual Network Serv
  
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• GE Power’s CDO is transforming his company and an industry

  21-07-2016 13:04
  
  After a long career in enterprise software, Ganesh Bell became GE’s first chief digital officer in early 2014. Now, as CDO of GE Power, Bell is leading a transformation of this giant unit of the industrial powerhouse which, in turn, is driving change through the entire power-generation industry.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• How to ensure your A.I. gets good nutrition

  21-07-2016 13:00
  
  Like children, artificial intelligence needs proper parenting to achieve its full potential, and proper parenting starts with a healthy diet — of good data.
  Businesses increasingly acknowledge the potential of A.I. to accelerate decision making, but many have serious concerns about what is happening inside the black box. The quality of any A.I. can only be as good as the data it processes. Of course, “garbage in, garbage out” has long been an analytics refrain, but it’s
  
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• The 5 best budgeting apps for tracking and planning your financial life

  21-07-2016 12:30
  
  For many of us, the word “budget” evokes feelings of dread and deprivation. No wonder only one in three Americans keeps a household budget. That’s unfortunate, because there are now more options than ever for tracking your spending and reaching financial goals.
  We’ve rounded up five of the best. There’s something here for everybody, whether you want a no-hassle way to keep tabs on your in- and outflows, a tool to help maximize your means, or a way to build wealth t
  
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• Review: The new Moto G/G Plus phones add size, features and cost

  21-07-2016 12:00
  
  I've never been quick to switch from a technology that worked for me. Until last January, when I somewhat nervously upgraded to the large-sized Nexus 6P, I was quite satisfied to stick with my aging, 4.7-in. Moto X (yes, the original version).
  So I can very well see why somebody would want to go for the more modestly equipped (and priced) Moto G phones. And they are definitely worth considering. As expected, the latest two models -- the Moto G and the Moto G Plus -- add speed and features to th
  
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• Microsoft reveals big plans for .Net Core

  21-07-2016 12:00
  
  As part of a road map for its open source .Net Core runtime, Microsoft is planning more APIs, an upgrade to the F# language, and expanded processor and Linux support.
  .Net Core, a multi-platform, modular subset of the .Net Framework programming model, was released as a 1.0 version late last month, along with ASP.Net Core 1.0 Web application framework.
  [ Free tools! Get the most out of Windows with 15 open source tools for system admins. | Stay up on key Microsoft technologies with InfoWorld's W
  
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• Exclusive: Oracle to reboot Java EE for the cloud

  21-07-2016 12:00
  
  Oracle’s intentions for the future of Java EE have been cloudy, to say the least.
  Rumored to have put the project on the back burner, Oracle has weathered a storm of complaints over its stewardship of enterprise Java, with two separate organizations considering plans to move Java EE forward without Oracle. Rather than let Java EE wither, Oracle is instead looking to reboot the platform to better accommodate where enterprises are headed, particularly to the cloud, said a high-ranking Oracl
  
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• Petition urges Apple not to release technology for jamming phone cameras

  21-07-2016 08:00
  
  Over 11,000 people have signed a petition asking Apple not to deploy technology that would allow third parties like the police to use it to disable cameras on user phones under certain circumstances.Apple got a patent for this infrared technology in June and bagging a patent does not necessarily mean that the company is going to use the technology in its new devices.But there is considerable anxiety that the technology that appears designed to prevent people from recording copyrighted and prohib
  
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• Southwest Airlines delays flights after computer issues

  21-07-2016 04:10
  
  Southwest Airlines in Dallas, Texas, said Wednesday that performance issues with its technology systems had led to flight delays.The airline said it began experiencing intermittent performance issues in the afternoon with multiple technology systems as a result of an outage. “We are now managing flight delays across our system, with a temporary ground stop in place for those flights that have not left the gate,” it said in a statement.The airline’s website www.southwest.com als
  
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• Intel ships Kaby Lake chips, pointing to PC availability in a few months

  21-07-2016 02:47
  
  Tablets and laptops with Intel's 7th Generation Core chips code-named Kaby Lake should become available in the coming months.Intel is shipping Kaby Lake chips to PC makers now, CEO Brian Krzanich during Intel's earnings call Wednesday. Systems with new processors usually become available a few months after Intel delivers the chips.Kaby Lake will succeed current Core processors named Skylake. The new chip has the underpinnings of Skylake and won't necessarily be smaller in size, but it'll pr
  
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• US seizes domains of KickassTorrents, site's owner arrested

  21-07-2016 00:57
  
  The U.S. has dealt a major blow to KickassTorrents, one of the world’s most popular illegal files-sharing websites.On Wednesday, law enforcement in Poland arrested the alleged owner of the site, 30 year-old Artem Vaulin of Ukraine.He's been charged with criminal copyright infringement, and the U.S. Department of Justice said it was seeking to extradite him to the U.S. The DOJ also seized several domains associated with the service, although the main site appeared to be still runn
  
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