Tech Digest daily roundup: Sharing Netflix passwords may be illegal, UK authorities claim
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Users of online streaming platforms Netflix may be breaking the law by sharing its account with other households, a government agency has said. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) said password sharing could constitute “secondary copyright infringement”. In guidance published this week, the IPO said: “Pasting internet images on social media without permission, or accessing movies, TV shows or live sporting events through Kodi boxes, hacked Fire Sticks or apps without paying a subscription is a breach of copyright and you could be committing a crime.” The guidance had previously included a reference to password sharing, but the agency quickly removed it. Independent
The Guardian newspaper has come under a suspected ransomware attack. It said there had been a “severe incident” affecting its IT systems in the past 24 hours, with “behind the scenes” disruptions. The company said it continued to publish globally on its website – one of the most visited news sites in the world – and was “confident” it could still print the physical paper. Staff have been told not to enter the office and to work from home. In a statement, the Guardian said: “Our technology teams have been working to deal with all aspects of this incident, with the vast majority of our staff able to work from home as we did during the pandemic. BBC
Even the faithful Android phone users must admit that Apple TV+ delivers great content. While you’re unlikely to see anyone swapping their Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for an iPhone 14 Pro Max anytime soon, I’m sure they won’t be able to resist adding the Apple TV app, if it comes for Android. According to Twitter tipsters ShrimpApplePro, Apple TV from Android is currently in internal beta testing, so it could land with us in early 2023. They also suggest that an update to the already existing Apple Music app is also coming, which has turned out to be a popular transition to Android. T3.com
The Federal Trade Commission isn’t the only body trying to stop the Activision Blizzard acquisition in the US, as gamers file their own lawsuit. If you’re sick of hearing about Microsoft’s attempt to buy Activision Blizzard, we’re afraid the problem isn’t going away and will rumble on for most of next year as well, and maybe beyond. Most members of the public in the UK … are in favor of the deal, but EU and US regulators appear to be much more skeptical, to the point where Federal Trade Commission (FTC) planned a lawsuit to block it. Now, a group of ordinary American citizens is attempting something similar, with a private antitrust action in California that claims the acquisition will create a monopoly. Subway
Google improved Use the OS amazing when it partnered with Samsung. It seems that the company wants to further improve Wear OS. It has acquired KoruLab, a Finland-based company that has expertise in creating user interfaces for smartwatches (and low-power devices such as wearables and IoTs) that run smoothly even with limited resources and use extremely low power. Commenting on the matter, Country Manager for Google Finland, Antti Järvinen, said, “today’s announcement strengthens Google’s commitment to Finland and takes our Wear OS platform forward using Koru’s unique expertise in low-power user interfaces.“Co-mobile
Sam Bankman-Fried has been extradited to the United States from the Bahamas as he faces criminal charges related to the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. That’s what the authorities in the Bahamas said FTX the founder had waived his right to challenge extradition and Bankman-Fried was witnessed leaving a Nassau magistrate court in a dark SUV. According to Reuters, a flight carrying the former CEO left the Bahamas from a private airport at Nassau’s airport. Bankman-Fried is due to land at Westchester County Airport in New York and is likely to appear before a US judge later Thursday. Sky News
