torrents

Comedian Louis C.K. shuns advice--and DRM--for new video

Louis Szekely, a bold, vulgar, and hilarious comedian better known as Louis C.K., released a new $5 video over the weekend that's totally free of DRM copy-protection restrictions.

The move is one piece of smart marketing, at least for somebody who's got good name recognition. Another smart piece is an IAmA interview on Reddit with Louis C.K. where his message--buy the video and forget the corporate nonsense--is most likely to resonate.

The video, "Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theater," is available worldwide for those who pay five bucks through PayPal, and there'… Read more

Extra features swarm uTorrent, for a price

Two new paid torrent-managing programs have launched today from BitTorrent, Inc., as the 100-million-user base of uTorrent also earned an update.

First announced in July, uTorrent Plus 3.1 (download) debuted with an unexpected counterpart, BitTorrent Plus 8 (download). Both mark the first time that a paid selection of features the company calls "premium" have been added to either client. Accompanying them is the version 3.1 update to uTorrent (download).

People with the free version of uTorrent will be able to play media files directly in the uTorrent interface, thanks to the newly-baked in media player. The … Read more

BitTorrent delivers a tripartite flood of updates

BitTorrent has achieved stability on the Mac with the release today of the newly stable version of its "mainline" client, an update to the stable μTorrent for Mac, and the launch of a new remote management Web interface that's been optimized for iPad users. BitTorrent for Mac (download) and μTorrent for Mac (download) transports the most popular features of those programs from Windows to Mac, including RSS feeds, a scheduler, remote access, and power user controls.

As with the Windows versions, the features are fairly robust. The RSS feeds can be set to automatically grab and start … Read more

μTorrent Plus launches in limited alpha

The company that develops μTorrent announced today that the paid upgrade version of the popular torrent client, called μTorrent Plus, was ready for limited public testing. μTorrent Plus comes with additional value-added features in an attempt to entice fans into upgrading. Originally announced earlier this year, parent company BitTorrent, which also makes the original torrent client BitTorrent, has revealed a bit more about the value-added features that will come in μTorrent Plus.

These include drag-and-drop file conversion for transcoding files and then transferring them to another device, a built-in media player, remote file transfers, and customer support. It also comes … Read more

BitTorrent offers tech to decongest ISPs' networks

LA DEFENSE, France--BitTorrent, a company that's enabled network-crushing levels of file sharing, can be seen as Internet service providers' natural opponent. But the company's chief executive today entered the lion's den with a surprising message:

"I'm actually here to help."

How? In a speech at the Broadband World Forum here, BitTorrent CEO Eric Klinker tried to build enthusiasm for his company's Micro Transport Protocol, or μTP, an open-source technology that's built into the company's client software for sharing files over peer-to-peer connections. μTP increases network efficiency and addresses congestion--the biggest concern … Read more

The 404 911: Where we put our ear to the cloud (podcast)

Welcome to the bigger and beefier 404 Podcast! With Buzz Out Loud going weekly, we're taking the reins and reporting all the daily tech news headlines in addition all the discussion topics, voice mails, and jokes at Wilson's expense you've come to expect from our show.

We're also superexcited to have SoundCloud CEO Alexander Ljung in the studio for the second part of today's episode. SoundCloud.com is a music-streaming service that allows anyone to upload and share music across multiple platforms--blogs, direct links, and even cross-platform properties like Outloud.fm and Headliner.fm.

Alexander tells us all about how the company started with just a few musicians playing songs for one another, then slowly grew into a service with over 5 million active users uploading, playing, and sharing music. We'll also talk to him about SoundCloud's partnership with Facebook announced last week at the company's F8 Developers Conference, and what you can expect from the Web service in the coming months.

Stay tuned after the break for more discussion topics about this weekend's Facebook paid-services hoax, more Facebook privacy flaws, and more!

The 404 Digest for Episode 911

Amazon is set to announce a tablet on Wednesday. Amazon Instant adds FOX movies and TV shows. Netflix gets DreamWorks movies. More Motorola Xoom 2 leaks: Two models? Apple slashes fourth-quarter iPad orders, report says. Yes, Google Drive is coming. For real this time. Hoax! Fake Facebook fees. "Read" in Facebook--it's not a button, so be careful what you click! SoundCloud opens its first U.S. office in San Francisco. Outloud.fm lets you share tracks from SoundCloud. Follow Alexander Ljung on Twitter. Bathroom-break videos of the day: Boston Terrier dog likes his belly tickled and a cat's first day of exercise.

Episode 911 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 907: Where we 'stiL be making bank' (podcast)

The existence of the @Qwikster Twitter account proves that even the biggest dummy with Internet access can accidentally stumble into a squatting payout. Jeff dons his reading glasses today to give a dramatic reading of some of our favorite tweets from Mr. Jason Castillo.

We're also looking forward to Facebook's F8 developers conference on Thursday, during which the company is rumored to announce its hyped-up media streaming platform as part of a "major" profile redesign.

Like it or not, Facebook is pushing more for e-commerce and TechCrunch's Leena Rao thinks we'll see more buttons popping up to give users more specific sentiments like "Listened," "Watched," "Read," and maybe even "Want."

Along with a story about girls not using BitTorrent, we'll also report on a story update from three years ago about Heinz's new "Dip and Squeeze" ketchup packet.

Since everyone consumes ketchup differently, Heinz developed a packet that lets the consumer decide whether to squeeze out all the ketchup, or peel back the lid for dipping. And with three times more ketchup per packet than the old design, it might be a sign that Heinz could care less about this country's fight with obesity.

But at least this country earns the top spot in something. We finish the show with a group groan about our country's dismal Internet speeds. According to an article in "The New York Times" last week, the U.S. dropped to 25th in the global ranking of Internet speeds, just behind Romania and the Czech Republic. It could be worse for New Yorkers, however--the report also blasts Idaho for its 318 Kbps "speeds."

Enjoy today's show, and leave us a voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET--we're running low!

The 404 Digest for Episode 907

Twitter's Qwikster wants money from Netflix. Talk of 'major' redesign of Facebook profiles as F8 nears. Facebook to launch Read, Listened, Watched, and Want buttons. Button fatigue settling in at Facebook. Welcome to your Hungarian Internet. For Idaho and the Internet, life in the slow lane. Old Ketchup packet heads for trash. Girls are not into The Pirate Bay, or BitTorrent. Bathroom break video of the day: Flying lawnmower.

Episode 907 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

uTorrent, possibly BitTorrent Web sites hacked

The Web site that hosts uTorrent was hacked by an unknown person or group early this morning. After initially stating that the "mainline" BitTorrent site had been hacked as well, the company now says that it doesn't think that BitTorrent.com was affected. BitTorrent, the owner of the Web sites and the torrent clients hosted there, reported in a blog post that the breach occurred around 4:20 a.m PT.

According to the blog, the proper executable files for both programs were replaced with "a fake antivirus 'scareware' program" called Security Shield. The company … Read more

BitTorrent TV teased at Euro tech show

Best known for its decentralized file transfer system, BitTorrent (download) has joined with digital television manufacturer Vestel to create the first TV that comes with torrent support baked in, the two companies announced today at IFA in Berlin. Originally announced in January at CES 2011, the BitTorrent Certified televisions will be able to download, play back, and share media, including videos you've shot on your cell phone, high-resolution photos, and BitTorrent's growing library of legally shared media content.

The library of legal content isn't the only aspect of BitTorrent's business that's growing. The company claims … Read more

Facebook bumps up privacy controls

The new iPhone may land on Sprint by mid-October, developers can start submitting apps for Windows Phone 7 "Mango" due out next month, and Facebook has announced new privacy controls.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded: