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The Beatles Never Broke Up...  

Listen to a couple of the songs and see if you don't want to believe, too. The title of #11 is enough to sell me.

Link via Neatorama.

 Today the UK government threw its weight behind the so-called sharing economy, epitomised by companies such as Airbnb and Zipcar, with the stated aim to make the country “the global centre for the sharing economy” and ensuring it can compete with Silicon Valley. To do this it’s ordered an “independent” review to look into policy and regulation issues and how to… Read More

 Meet the Garmin Vivosmart. It’s a no-nonsense combination of an activity tracker and smartwatch. And that’s why I love the Vivosmart. It’s not flashy, but rather mundane. Utilitarian. It’s purpose-built and rugged but supremely enjoyable. The Garmin Vivosmart is the best fitness-focused activity tracker yet. Read More

 GoPro has a new lineup of Hero cameras, including the next-gen Hero4 with fancy 4K video features and touchscreen back displays, but the introduction of a new entry-level Hero today could be what brings the action camera category to the next level. The Hero is similar to the “White” tier of devices GoPro has sold until now, but it’s especially cut-rate at just $130, and… Read More

The Piano Guys are probably having more fun than anyone else in the classical music business. The group — composed of a pianist, cellist, a videographer, and a music producer — has just released a music video that celebrates nearly 50 years of Batman. The video perfectly matches the group's new "Batman Evolution" composition, which travels through the classic ‘60s TV show, Tim Burton's 1989 take on the Dark Knight, and Christopher Nolan's most recent trilogy.

The result is not just some impressive piano and cello work (the two instruments alone were used to make every sound in the composition), but a music video that displays some incredible attention to detail. Each of the three eras gets its own location, Batmobile, and visual style...

Continue reading…

Without copyright, people in the creative industries would have no incentive to keep on creating. In recent years this kind of statement has been regularly pumped out by entertainment companies in their defense of tougher intellectual property legislation.

Countering, advocates such as Swedish Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge frequently argue that copyright monopolies stifle creativity and hinder innovation.

But what would happen if rather than providing an incentive to create, the existence of copyright meant that no-one would ever need to create anything original online ever again? And if they did, they could be sued for it?

That’s the staggering notion being put forward by Qentis Corporation. The outfit, which claims a base in Russia, says that its business model is to use massive computing power to generate digital intellectual property on a never-seen-before scale and transfer the rights to its partners.

“Our clients are private high net-worth individuals (HNWI), investment funds and corporations that act as pure investors,” Qentis explains.

What Qentis are proposing is the bulk algorithmic creation of content – music, text, images etc – on such a large scale that in a few years its clients will own the rights to just about anything people might care to create and upload.

The worrying claim on the Qentis homepage

“Qentis aims to produce all possible combinations of text (and later on images and sound) and to copyright them,” Qentis’ Michael Marcovici told TorrentFreak.

“Concerning text we try this in chunks of 400 word articles in English, German and Spanish. That would mean that we will hold the copyright to any text produced from now on and that it becomes impossible for anyone to circumvent Qentis when writing a text.”

In terms of graphics, Qentis promotional material states that a subsidiary has already generated 3.23% of “all possible images” in the 1000×800 pixel format.

“We are now generating images at a much faster pace and expect to complete 10 percent of all possible images by the end of 2015. At current projections, we will by 2020 generate every possible image in the 1000×800 pixel resolution,” the company claims.

Of course, ‘creating’ this ‘content’ has a purpose. According to Qentis it effectively seeks to become the biggest copyright troll on the planet. The company says it will identify copyright infringements and help investors to pursue infringers. And, astonishingly, it claims it will free companies from having to rely on people to come up with creative content.

“It is only a matter of time before Qentis becomes the universal single source for all web content, freeing corporations from their expensive dependence on writers, musicians and artists,” says Qentis co-founder Howard Lafarge.

TF spoke with Rick Falkvinge about Qentis’ stated aims and needless to say he’s completely unimpressed.

“Interesting, and complete bullshit,” Rick said.

“They claim to have generated all possible texts in English that are up to 400 words in length, and therefore, any text below that length ‘infringes’. However, having the copyright monopoly on a text is solidly dependent on having had artistic skill gone into generating it. Merely mechanically generating all combinations does not, repeat NOT, reward a copyright monopoly.”

Having spent way more time on the Qentis website than we probably should, (and arriving at the conclusion that they’re either crazy, evil geniuses or masters of parody) we’re still left with an interesting concept.

The fact remains that there are plenty of huge, heavily pro-copyright corporations on the planet today who would happily embark on a Qentis-style operation of copyrighting all content before a human can create it, if indeed such a thing was possible. Rest assured, at that point the ‘artists’ would be a forgotten and inconvenient part of their business models.

“The mere concept that somebody thinks of generating all possible texts and then thinks they can sue humanity for coming up with one of these combinations through actual artistic talent shows how completely screwed up copyright monopoly law is,” Rick concludes.

Since Qentis claims to have come up with the lyrics to Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’ before she did, TF pressed Qentis to give us more examples where their creations have successfully predicted the future. The company couldn’t immediately give us any, but said there were “many more” to be found.

We also asked about the mathematical implications of coming up with every available combination of text in a 400 word article, given there are one million words in the English language alone. How many generated articles would be a ‘miss’ in trying to come up with one ‘hit’?

“About the mathematics, this is mainly about working with n-grams, we don’t work iteratively with misses because that would produce as you mention a LOT of misses, probably only 1 out of few million would be readable,” the company’s Michael Marcovici told us.

“We do not include entities in the text as it does not matter and we concentrate on the structure of the text. Using known or predicted combinations is more economical, the main challenge is storage and not so much generating text.”

For those interested in reading just how bad things could get on the copyright front, given the chance, the fully comprehensive and quite incredible Qentis website can be found here. We’re not sure what their endgame is, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they have a secret underground base.

Everyone is invited to comment below, scholars of copyright and mathematics in particular.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Founded little over a year ago, the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) has quickly grown to become one of the world’s most active anti-piracy operations.

The unit uses a wide range of strategies, from writing to domain registrars and threatening them, to working with advertisers in order to cut off revenues from ‘pirate’ sites.

PIPCU is determined to continue its anti-piracy efforts in the years to come. However, the unit’s head Andy Fyfe also believes that the Government may have to tighten the rules on the Internet, to stop people from breaking the law.

In an interview with PC Pro, Fyfe says he wants to see this topic being debated in the media.

“I’m very interested in having a debate in the media about how much policing of the internet people want. At the moment, there’s almost no regulation and no policing of the internet,” Fyfe says.

PIPCU’s chief believes that the public has to be protected from criminals including pirate site operators who take advantage of their trust. If that doesn’t happen then the Internet may descend into anarchy, he says, suggesting that the Government may have to intervene to prevent this.

“In the end, that might mean that the Internet becomes completely ungovernable, and that no one can dare operate on it at all, no one can dare do their shopping or banking on it. So should there be a certain level of … state inference in the interest of protecting consumers? I’m very keen to raise that as a debate,” Fyfe notes.

The Police chief believes that tighter rules may be needed to prevent people from breaking the law in the future. This could mean that not everyone is allowed to launch a website, but that a license would be required, for example.

“There may well come a time when government decides it’s had enough and it’s not getting enough help from those main companies that control the way we use the internet – they’re not getting enough help from them, so they’re going to start imposing regulations, imposing a code of conduct about the way people may be allowed to operated on the internet,” Fife says.

PIPCU’s head doesn’t detail what the “code of conduct” might look like or how it may be enforced. Perhaps it’s finally time for the Internet passport to be introduced?

We’re keen on having this debate as well, so please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

We love Amazon for its convenience, variety, and prices. We also love tricks and tips that help us save money and reap more benefits when shopping the mega online store. Here are ten of our favorite Amazon tricks.

10. Donate to Charities While You Shop Amazon

Here's an easy way to feel good every time you shop at Amazon: Just start at AmazonSmile and 0.5% of your purchase will automatically be donated by Amazon to the charity of your choice. There's also a Chrome extension that keeps you from forgetting to start from the AmazonSmile page.

9. Use the Best Credit Card for Amazon Purchases

Use a credit card that rewards you for shopping at Amazon, and it's like saving money on all your purchases. I compared three of the best credit cards for Amazon shoppers here (spoiler: I personally use the official Amazon Chase card, but others might be more rewarding).

8. Use Amazon Gift Cards to Use Up Prepaid Debit Card Balances

The problem with prepaid debit cards is often you are left with a balance that's too small to do anything with. The solution: Buy an Amazon gift card with that custom amount. It never expires and it prevents you from wasting the rest of the money on your prepaid card.

My bank also has a debit card transactions requirement (something like 12 transactions a month) to get a higher interest rate. Buying Amazon gift cards helps me meet that requirement without feeling like I'm wasting that money. Don't tell my bank.

7. Get Amazon Prime Video Credit and Two-Day Shipping

Amazon recently started offering Prime members a $1 instant video credit if they choose the No-Rush shipping option (5-7 business days) instead of two-day Prime shipping. There might be a way for you to get both the fast shipping and the video credit.

6. Get a Refund or Your Prime Membership Extended If Your Package Doesn't Ship on Time

Keep on eye on expected package delivery times. If your package isn't delivered at the promised time, you can get either a refund of the shipping costs or, if you're a Prime member, a one-month extension of your membership.

5. Get Amazon Add-on Items Shipped Without the $25 Minimum

Amazon's add-on items are deeply discounted, but they require you to spend at least $25 on other items to have them shipped. Here's the workaround: Add a preorder item to your cart at the same time.

4. Get a Price Drop Refund from Amazon

YMMV, but Amazon may be willing to issue you a refund for the price difference if, within 7 days of delivery, an item shipped and sold by Amazon drops in price. Just another reason to monitor Amazon prices on your purchases (perhaps via CamelCamelCamel or your own Google Docs-based price tracker).

3. Shop the Amazon Outlet Store

Amazon usually has competitive prices on stuff, but there are even bigger discounts in its lesser-known outlet store. Amazon Warehouse Deals offer marked down new and used (refurbished) items that could save you a bunch.

2. Install Awesome Extensions for Amazon

Supercharge your Amazon shopping experience with these browser extensions, so you can track prices, add stuff to your wish list, and browse products more easily.

1. Know the Best and Worst Things to Buy (or "Subscribe and Save") from Amazon

Amazon tends to be cheaper on many types of products but not all of them—clothing, diapers, and batteries, for example could best be bought elsewhere. For Subscribe and Save household items, it might pay to do a comparison yourself between Amazon's discounted subscription prices and your local warehouse club or grocery store. Or you can consult our list of the best things to get from Subscribe and Save.

Bonus: Share Your Prime Membership with Others

This tip doesn't directly help you with your Amazon shopping, but it could help others in your life. Your $99 yearly membership is totally worth it—especially if you share the benefits with others. You can share your two-day shipping with four other "household members"—even if they don't live with or aren't related to you. Split the ~$100 fee with four others, and Prime is even more attractive. (Only the main account holder, however, gets the video streaming and other perks besides the shipping, though.)

Photos by OpenClips, Andrew Mager, Nomadic Lass, we.photography.

A fascinating new scholarly essay collection, The Disney Middle Ages: A Fairy-Tale and Fantasy Past, looks at Disney's portrayal of the middle ages and reflects on how these are inextricably linked to other Disney settings, from Tomorrowland to Frontierland, and how the "Americanized" medieval narrative has played out over the decades.

Read the rest

Yahoo Directory, a site that was once the center of Yahoo's internet dynasty, is being shut down at the end of the year. However, unless you've been using the internet for a couple of decades, you've probably never heard of the site. Let's hop in an internet time machine and set the dial back to 1994, when Jerry Yang and David Filo founded Yahoo. The site, "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web," was little more than a hand-curated list of sites on the internet, sorted by category.

At the time, fast, efficient, and accurate search engines like Google were just a dream — navigating the internet relied on such lists of interesting websites. The site was later named Yahoo (an acronym for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle,"...

Continue reading…

Look out, GoPro, there's a new competitor in town with an old name: Polaroid. The little 1-inch cube action camera from Polaroid, aptly named Cube, is now available for just $99.99, coming in black, blue, and red (with the signature Polaroid rainbow stripe wrapped around the sides).

The Polaroid Cube packs a 1080p video camera (also capable of 6-megapixel stills) behind a 124° wide-angle lens. It contains a battery that's good for 90 minutes of continuous recording and recharges over Micro USB, and videos are recorded onto a microSD card.

What makes the Polaroid Cube really kind of cool, though, is the magnetic mount. For rough-and-tumble situations you'll still want to go with a secure clip that'll clamp things down, but you can also just slap the Cube onto a compatible adapter and know that the strong magnet will hold it there. There's also an utterly adorable monkey stand where you magnetically mount the Cube camera in place of the ape's head. And when things get extra hairy, there's a waterproof case available as well, ensuring that the Cube can go just about anywhere that GoPro goes.

We checked out the Cube back in January at CES 2014 when it was first unveiled, and now, nine months later, it's available. You can grab a Polaroid Cube today off Amazon.com, with shipping due to begin on 1 October.

Most bosses just plain don't want to hear excuses at all, but even still, there are some time you don't get a choice. The Wall Street Journal breaks down the dos and don't for those moments.

Sometimes, things just happen and you can't get your job done properly. The Wall Street Journal looked at a few studies to see what tends to work best. Here are a few types of excuses that people usually prefer hearing:

• Handicap yourself: "My presentation might be a little off today, I'm nursing a sore throat."
• Show empathy: Doing your work much have been incredibly difficult without access to those files.
• Deflect blame: "If only Henry had given me more detailed data, I could have turned in a more thorough report."
• Seek perfection: "I'm almost ready with the report, but I need to refine a few more details."

And what doesn't tend to work that well:

• The lame excuse: "I fell terrible about missing that presentation to the executive committee, but I got stuck in traffic."
• The self-serving story: "How could I have come close to making my quota when nobody is buying real estate. The economy is putrid."
• The devil made me do it: "Please excuse me for blowing up. I'm so passionate about what we're doing here that I got wound up too tight."

So, if you have to make an excuse for messing something up at work, stick with one of the ones that work. It turns out people just don't have that much empathy for you when you're stuck in traffic.

Making Excuses that Actually Work | The Wall Street Journal

Photo by IstoletheTV.

 HotelTonight is moving beyond the same-day hotel bookings that it’s known for. TechCrunch’s Jordan Crook reported earlier this week that this move was in the works, but HotelTonight is confirming the news, and the updated apps offering hotel booking up to seven days in advance are scheduled to go live … now. Read More

US Forestry Service wages war on photography in national parks

The new, stupid ban on "professional" photography violates the First Amendment, the Service admits that there's no actual need for it, and it will undermine the visibility of the national parks at a time when they are under unprecedented threat from developers, the energy sector, and mining. Read the rest

Two-factor authentication is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself against getting your accounts hacked, and you should enable it now if you haven't already. Instead of using a text message, though, Authy is our favorite two-factor app on the block.

When you first enable two-factor authentication on a site like Gmail, LastPass, or Facebook, they will set you up using SMS as your second factor. So the next time you log into Facebook, you'll receive a 6-digit code as a text message whenever you try to log in. However, there are other ways to set up two-factor authentication—most notably, with an app that generates the codes for you.

You may have heard of these apps before, and a lot of the sites you use probably support them. They're handy because you don't have to rely on an incoming SMS message to log in—just open the app, and your codes are there waiting for you. In a lot of cases, they'll even work if you don't have an internet connection. Some of these apps do even more—like automatically log you in if your phone is near your computer. Our favorite, though, is Authy—here's why.

Authy

Platform: Android, iOS, Chrome, OS X
Price: Free
Download Page

Features

• Supports a ton of apps, including all those supported by Google Authenticator: Gmail, LastPass, Evernote, Dropbox, Facebook, and tons more
• Install Authy on multiple devices including your phone, tablet, and PC, and sync your tokens between them
• Backup your accounts to the cloud (optional, turned off by default)
• Get tokens offline or when you don't have good service
• Lock Authy behind a PIN so that even if your phone is stolen, your tokens aren't left out in the open

Where It Excels

When it comes to two-factor authentication apps, most are quite similar and support the same Google Authenticator-enabled services. Two main things set Authy apart: its ability to PIN lock the app (which alone makes it our favorite) and its ability to sync to the cloud and between devices. That means if you don't have your phone nearby, your tablet or PC work just as well. And, before you think installing Authy on a PC is insecure, keep in mind it's really no different than installing Authy on your phone—the goal is to keep your devices out of theives' hands, so that even if they get your passwords, they can't log into your account. It doesn't matter whether that device is a PC or a phone (and in fact, a phone is easier to steal).

Where It Falls Short

Some people may not want to sync their accounts to Authy's servers, since it puts it in the hands of someone else. Authy encrypts everything locally on your phone so they never see it, but some people may prefer not to sync their accounts to Authy's servers. This is hardly a con of the app, though, since this feature comes turned off, and it's completely optional. Even if you don't sync your tokens to the cloud, having the PIN lock and the ability to install Authy on your PC is totally worth picking it over other apps.

Some users have also had some quirkiness with Authy's syncing and it's Bluetooth feature on the Mac, but I haven't experienced these myself.

The Competition

The most obvious competition to Authy is Google Authenticator, the app that started it all. Google Authenticator works great, it's free, it's from a company you know, and it's easy to set up. It is, however, the most basic of the options out there, so you won't get any extra features here—just basic two-factor tokens for tons of accounts.

FreeOTP is similar to Google Authenticator, though with a slightly nicer UI and an open source codebase. If you prefer open source when it comes to security, FreeOTP will do the trick.

Toopher supports every site that Google Authenticator does, but with a few extra features for its partner sites, including LastPass, WordPress, MailChimp, and a few others. When you log in to a Toopher partner—say, LastPass—your phone will get a push notification with details on the account, browser, and computer requesting the login, and you can choose to allow it or deny it—no 6-digit code necessary. You can also choose to bypass two-factor authentication when you're in a trusted location, like home. Toopher says this shouldn't drain battery very much, since location services are only called upon when you get a push notification.

Lastly, you have the option of skipping apps entirely and just using SMS. SMS works fine, but it doesn't work when your phone's offline or doesn't have good service—a problem I've encountered more than a few times. This is also particularly useful when you're traveling. However, SMS will work as long as you have your number—whereas any of the above apps will stop working if you lose your phone or it gets its data wiped.

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Lifehacker's App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.

 BitTorrent says it’s ready to help musicians and other creators start selling digital content. Today the company is announcing a new “paygate” feature for Bundles, which are promotional packages of content shared through BitTorrent by publishers or the artists themselves. Even before officially launching the Bundle platform a year ago, BitTorrent was talking about the… Read More

You might be familiar with the MyScript Calculator, which lets you jot down math problems and solves them on the spot. It's creepy accurate, and now that same technology has been applied to note taking with MyScript Smart Note (for tablets only). It works best if you've got a stylus, but even a finger is accurate enough for this app to figure it out.

There are both write and draw tools in MyScript Smart Note, making it easy to add diagrams and doodles to your notes without the app trying to turn them into letters.

MyScript Smart Note Uses Super-Smart Handwriting Recognition To Make Taking Notes A Breeze was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

 This is where technology shines — RogerVoice is not yet another Uber for X. It will potentially help millions of hard-of-hearing people by letting them make phone calls. Some of them might even make their first phone call through the app. To do this, RogerVoice subtitles phone conversations in real time, so that you can read what the other person is saying. The French startup has been… Read More

The UK is now one of the easiest countries in the world to obtain a website blocking injunction on copyright grounds. While much work had to be done initially, having websites filtered out by the leading ISPs is now a streamlined and largely closed-door practice.

Child protection issues aside, up until now it has been copyright holders leading the charge for websites to be blacked out. Dozens of sites are affected, with the majority of the world’s leading file-sharing portals now inaccessible by regular means. If the parent company of luxury watchmaker Cartier has its way, soon a new and potentially more widespread wave of website blockades will begin.

Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A. owns several well-known luxury brands including Cartier and Mont Blanc. For some time it has been trying to pressure sites offering counterfeits into closing down, but without success. Mirroring the tactics being employed by the studios and recording labels, Richemont has essentially given up on that approach and has decided to take legal action ISPs instead.

In March 2014, Richemont reportedly wrote to the country’s leading ISPs (Sky, TalkTalk, BT, Virgin Meda, EE, Telefonica (O2)) complaining that third party sites were engaged in illegal activity and were displaying pirated logos which infringe on Richemont trademarks.

In May the ISPs responding by telling the company that it had not done enough to have the sites close down, such as contacting their webhosts to have service discontinued. The ISPs also complained that by blocking the websites there was a chance that legitimate trade could be affected. An unfair financial burden for the ISPs was also a probability, particularly given the number of likely copycat requests if the application was successful.

While it appears the ISPs are putting up more of a fight in this case than they did with entertainment company blocking requests, those were actioned under copyright law where injunctions against service providers are catered for. UK trademark law has no such direct provision.

The case, which is now being heard at the High Court, has attracted the attention of the Open Rights Group. ORG says it takes no view on the merits of the case, but has been given permission to intervene in order to raise awareness over the possibility that third party interests could be affected if blocking injunctions are granted.

“As the court is being asked to extend the circumstances in which blocking orders are granted, it’s vital that the wider public interest is taken into account. We hope that our intervention will help ensure that future claimants cannot use blocking orders to restrict legitimate activity or free speech,” says ORG Legal Director Elizabeth Knight.

ORG says its concern is that if Geneva-based Richemont are successful, further applications could be made which are contrary to public interest. These could include blocking sites that use logos to legitimately criticize or parody well known brands

“Court blocking orders may also affect commercial third parties who have no involvement in any alleged infringement – for example law abiding businesses whose products appear on websites alongside those of companies involved in infringing activity,” the group says.

It remains to be seen how smoothly the process pans out, but there could be interesting side effects. Entertainment industry companies and artists also own plenty of trademarks that are often displayed on ‘pirate’ websites. If the trademark route proves a simple one, that could end up being their chosen path for future blocking requests.

Mr Justice Arnold has requested submissions on how third party rights could be affected if injunctions are granted. ORG will ensure he gets the message.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

 Goodreads, the social network for book lovers, has at last seen its first major update since Amazon bought the company last March. This week, Goodreads rolled out a significant redesign on iOS (coming soon to Android) – something regular Goodreads users have wanted for some time. Now, instead of having you land on an outdated, grid-like homescreen when the app is first launched, it… Read More

Neil Gaiman's introduction to A Slip of the Keyboard, a collection of Terry Pratchett's nonfiction essays, exposes a little-known side of the writer than many think of as a "twinkly old elf" -- the rage that is Pratchett's engine, driving him to write deceptively simple stories that decry unfairness and make virtue from bravery. Read the rest

 In March a new social network launched promising the opposite business model to Facebook – i.e. Not selling ads based on user data and instead relying on, perhaps, paid premium features to keep going. Ello then sunk without trace until, in the last 24/48 hrs or so, activity on the site completely blew up. And this is a pretty basic social network with the bare minimum of features. Why?… Read More

Sasha writes, "Since 2010, the detention bed quota - a Congressional mandate that requires the incarceration of 34,000 immigrants in jails and detention centers in the U.S. at any given time - has stolen countless months, days and hours from immigrants and their families and communities; this website is a powerful interactive visual representation of this system, combined with stories of detainees and steps to #EndTheQuota." Read the rest

Stress can be terribly damaging. Although it's normal to get stressed every so often, much of what we worry about doesn't come to pass. This illustration could help keep things in perspective.

"Don't worry, be happy" and "Keep calm and carry on" might seem trite, but actually following this advice isn't easy. Lift Run Bang reminds us that we can make a conscious choice not to create more stressful situations or let things irritate us:

In the end, we all end up in the same place. How we choose to live our life is for the most part, entirely up to us. No, we can't choose our parents, and we don't often get to control certain environments. And life often presents us with situations that we didn't ask for, or were entirely out of our hands. However, we do get to decide how we are going to react to those situations, and how much we decide we are going to let it effect us, and stress us.

Life is indeed a bitch sometimes. There's no getting around that. We do get to decide however, the extent we are going to bitch about it, and act like a bitch about it. That's entirely up to us. Or we can say getting flipped off by a dude in a minivan really isn't a big deal in the grand scheme in life, and simple be on our way.

Of course, we will face real problems and serious issues that we should be concerned about and that will worry us. But for 90% of the other non-issues we worry about, consult the flowchart above.

Stress Control | Lift Run Bang

A few weeks ago the UK Government announced its support for a new anti-piracy plan, the Voluntary Copyright Alert Programme (VCAP).

The Government teamed up with copyright holders and ISPs, who will start sending warning emails to pirating Internet users next year. In addition there will be a broader educational campaign to steer people towards using legal options.

While the campaign is a private initiative the Government has decided to back it financially with several million pounds. However, TorrentFreak has learned that the Government funding wasn’t straightforward and was made outside of the available marketing budget.

Through a Freedom of Information request we obtained an email conversation between the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and music industry group BPI. In the email from May this year IPO’s Ros Lynch explains that there are no regular marketing funds available to support VCAP.

“As part of the process of agreeing Government financial support for the educational element of VCAP we will need to seek a marketing exemption as we are currently not permitted to spend on marketing,” Lynch writes to BPI’s Ian Moss.

To be able to get the exception the Government needs additional information from the entertaining industries, showing that the investment makes sense financially. Or put differently, that the Government will see a good return for their invested taxpayer money.

“Essentially this will require a proper business case which includes hard figures,” Lynch writes.

“For example, what research are you basing your target audiences on? How have you calculated your 5% reduction in infringement? What £ saving does a 5% reduction bring? What overall estimate can you make of the ROI of this campaign e.g. what financial benefit would a £2.2m Government investment bring?”

The above suggests that the BPI is predicting a 5% drop in piracy from the anti-piracy measures. However, in a response to the IPO’s request the industry group writes that even with a lower success rate the Government’s spending will pay off.

In a “Summary Business Case” (pdf) BPI uses the expected VAT increase to convince the Government of the “profitability” of the campaign. It estimates that if 15% of all illegal downloads are lost sales, piracy only has to decline 1% over three years for the Government to recoup their investment.

“The underlying assumptions are based on very good data that has been produced by Ofcom and by a number of academic studies looking at the replacement ratios. It shows that only very small changes in piracy lead to significant returns to Government,” BPI notes.

The music industry group stresses that the calculation only looks at VAT income and that the effects on the wider economy may be even greater. However, the static model they presented should already be good enough to warrant the funding.

“So even from a very simple, static assumption, a small reduction in piracy of between .49% and 1% over the three years would return Government investment of £4m in an education scheme,” BPI writes.

This prediction was apparently good enough for the Government to invest in the new anti-piracy plans beyond the available marketing budget. Even more so, the authorities committed £3.5 million to the campaign, instead of the £2.2 that was discussed in May.

Whether the Government will indeed be able to recoup the taxpayer money through the anti-piracy campaign will be hard to measure, but the plan is going full steam ahead.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

"One man's junk is another man's treasure" is the mantra the internet selling economy was built on. If you have a house full of junk, chances are someone would be willing to pay you money for something. To declutter, try selling something every week.

Most people don't have the time or energy to turn selling things on eBay or Craigslist into a full time job. However, listing one thing a week isn't a huge burden, and it can help keep your house clear of junk. As personal finance blog Budgets Are Sexy explains:

Why just one thing? Because every time I look at my damn basement and see those boxes to donate/ sell/give away, I'm overcome with anxiety and just want to punch my own face for never doing anything about it. Who has 18 hours to go on a Craigslist binge? And who'd want to even do that if they did?

So instead of repeating this stressful cycle over and over and over again, we're gonna take it step by step going forward and kill it all softly. 100 things is overly impossible to accomplish, but just one? Well, that's easier than falling off a log.

Casually selling your junk also has the added benefit of removing the stress of haggling. If you have to sell things to make your income for the month, you'll be pressured to get every penny you can. If you're using the opportunity to clear out your closet and make a little extra scratch, you can get away with making a little less. And the buyer gets a good deal. It's a win-win for everyone.

New Rule: List One Thing a Week on Craigslist! | Budgets Are Sexy via Rockstar Finance

Photo by rochestersnowman.