factory

NEW YORK--Hans Pandeya, the Swedish businessman whose attempts to acquire The Pirate Bay last year collapsed amid controversy, is giving digital media another try.

Pandeya, who attended this week's Digital Music East Forum here, said Thursday he's busy creating a base in Boston for his U.S. operations. Asked whether he was still interested in The Pirate Bay, Pandeya said, "I have a lot of secret plans I'm working on."

As for why he was at a digital music conference, Pandeya would only say that his plans include digital media. Last year, Pandeya, CEO of … Read more

I am sure honest Hollywood agents do exist. It's just that they don't seem to employ the finest PR firms to proselytize their honesty.

This might explain why Oisin Hanrahan, the Irish creator of an iPhone app called SuperAgent, decided that the main character in his game might be a few scruples short of Mother Teresa.

SuperAgent seems to have been well received, a reception that might have led to its being noticed by, well, Hollywood super agents.

According to the Independent, one super agent may have enjoyed a particular interest in this app. His name is Ari … Read more

Factory Audio Converter offers an easy way to convert audio files into just about any imaginable form. With a helpful layout and fast results, this is a great option for frequent song downloaders.

The program's interface is easy to navigate, thanks to an open layout and simple command icons. We felt in control the entire time and never needed to consult the Help file for instructions. We were able to easily pull songs from our personal collection and choose the ones that needed to be converted. The program clearly listed the file conversion types available, including the most common … Read more

Back in April of 2008 BJ (before Justin), motivational speaker James Arthur Ray guest-hosted The 404 Podcast and Jeff, Wilson, and Randall spoke to him about how to grow your own meat--no lie. Anyway, the show left a sour taste in The 404's collective mouth, and more than a year later it turns out that Mr. Ray is a big phony, not unlike Balloon Boy Sr.

Turns out that three people died in Arizona at a spiritual retreat "sweat lodge" organized by the self-appointed guru. It's a very sad story, and our hearts go out to the families of the victims. And James? Shame on you.

Oh, and surprise! The personal information you put up on the Internet is no longer private. According to this Wired Danger Room blog, a branch of the CIA has begun heavily investing in Visible Technologies, a software firm that monitors social media, including blog posts, Internet forums, online videos, radio reports, and so on. Luckily, Facebook is currently immune to such companies due to its closed architecture, but Twitter, Amazon, and YouTube are all fair game.

This report is definitely worth reading, but we're not surprised. Actually, we thought there was already a system set up to spy on our Web activities: it's called GOOGLE, and it's not doing such a great job at keeping our information private. The company is under suspicion of accidentally posting transcribed voice mails from its Google Voice service. Although this issue might actually concern me if my entire voice mail box weren't filled with concerned messages from my mother...

We're doing three Beck's Beer Audio Drafts this week to make up for the one we skipped last Friday due to Wilson's absence, and Wilson's pick for today is Works Progress Administration, a country outfit comprised of some of the most recognizable names in country music, including Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket, Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek, and Benmont Tench from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

The songs of the day are called "Good as Ever" and "Always Have My Love," and although Jeff and I aren't huge fans of the country music genre, we can definitely appreciate the musical talent of this supergroup, and Wilson chimes in to explain the difference between country-pop, country-rock, and a million other sub-genres. The band is currently on a West Coast Tour, so be sure to check out the WPA Web site for more details.

… Read more

commentary Global Gaming Factory X, the little Swedish software company dogged by controversy, is facing another deadline to complete its acquisition of The Pirate Bay.

Hans Pandeya, Global Gaming's much maligned CEO, has said the deal would be completed by Wednesday.

Typically, in anticipation of a big acquisition story, I'll collect background on the companies the night before so I can have a few graphs ready when the deal is announced. The only things I'll collect Tuesday evening is a nice piece of salmon and bottle of white wine.

That is because there's a better chance … Read more

Update: 2:16 p.m.: To include comments made in letter by Hans Pandeya.

A Swedish court has seized control of all assets belonging to Hans Pandeya, the CEO of Global Gaming Factory X and the man who wants to acquire The Pirate Bay.

On Wednesday, the court found that there is enough evidence to show that Pandeya owes Johan Sellstrom, a former business partner in Global Gaming, the equivalent of about $400,000, which includes interest.

The district court in Sweden ruled that the state would take control of Pandeya's assets until enough of them can be sold … Read more

Global Gaming Factory X, the software maker that has claimed it will acquire BitTorrent search site The Pirate Bay, has found a new stock exchange for its shares--a move that can only be described as bewildering.

Mangold Fondkommission, an independent exchange that specializes in the trading of small and medium-size stocks, issued a press release Wednesday, announcing that Global Gaming's shares were available for trade.

Global Gaming was booted off its former stock exchange earlier this month after exchange officials concluded the company provided false information about its ability to purchase The Pirate Bay.

Sweden's Economic Crimes Bureau … Read more

A Swedish stock exchange has banned Global Gaming Factory X from offering its shares there after concluding the company "misled" investors about its ability to purchase The Pirate Bay.

AktieTorget, the Swedish stock market where shares of Global Gaming once traded, said a disciplinary group found the company had "provided false information," displayed "a lack of accountability," and "seriously violated" the exchange's transparency principles.

A report issued by AktieTorget's disciplinary group called into question most of Global Gaming's public statements since June, when the software company and operator of … Read more

Global Gaming Factory X, the software maker and Internet cafe operator that allegedly plans to acquire The Pirate Bay, said three weeks ago that it was close to inking a deal with one of the four major record companies. During the past five days, however, numerous music industry insiders have told CNET News that there's no truth to that claim.

At a press conference Thursday in Stockholm, Global Gaming announced that stockholders--which amounted to one plus company CEO Hans Pandeya--met and agreed to go ahead with the acquisition of the BitTorrent search engine. Much has been written about … Read more