ExtraTorrent Blog

Microsoft was busy covering up an almighty cock-up last night after forgetting to renew its hotmail.co.uk domain name. (December 1999 by the way not October 7th 2007)

Despite being warned that the domain for its popular Web mail service was up for renewal, it seems Microsoft - or whoever had the task of managing its hotmail.co.uk domain - overlooked this vital piece of administration.

Luckily, the domain was snapped up on the same day - October 23. The new owner - a good hearted soul - then proceeded immediately to contact Microsoft, inform the giant of its slip and arrange to hand back the domain.

However, Microsoft didn’t want to know. Despite phone calls and emails - and being fobbed off by Microsoft drones - our man behind this public-spirited deed was completely blanked by the software empire.

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The episode began Christmas Eve when Chaney, a Linux consultant from Nashville, Tenn., was denied access to his Hotmail account.

He learned through Slashdot, an online discussion group, that Microsoft failed to pay the $35 fee to Networks Solutions for the Passport.com Web address, which had expired Dec. 24. The Passport.com site verifies user identification and passwords for access to Hotmail and about 25 other services.

When the domain name lapsed, some users seeking to access their accounts received error messages indicating the domain was unavailable.

Chaney then went to the Network Solutions site and paid the fee with his credit card.

“I didn’t do it to help Microsoft,” he said in an interview this morning. “I did it to help the Hotmail users.”

Microsoft representatives could not be immediately reached for comment.

Chaney said he was surprised to see the amount on the check when he received it via Airborne Express Saturday morning.

“I knew they were sending me a check, but I didn’t know what the amount would be,” he said. “They always just referred to it as ‘the check.’ I didn’t know if it was going to be $35 or $15 or what.”

Chaney said he never intended to cash the check. He put the item up for auction on Sunday, and it will remain open to bidders for another nine days.

Thanks to eh Microsoft for this post

 The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) first banned the game in June, saying it “constantly encourages visceral killing”.

Manufacturers Rockstar Games made changes but censors still had concerns.

Manhunt 2 was the first video game in a decade to be refused classification.

Rockstar submitted a revised version but BBFC director David Cooke said that “we do not consider that these [changes] go far enough to address our concerns about the original version.

“The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient.

Rockstar Games has described the subject matter as “in line with other mainstream entertainment choices for adult consumers”.

The game is to be released in modified form in the US in time for Halloween. (edited down)

Thanks to BBC News for this post

Three different types of viruses attacked computers during the holiday week, Xinhua news agency said.

It is not the first time China’s web users have faced problems recently.

A Pacific earthquake damaged undersea cables earlier this year, slowing down internet lines and forcing many people to start using their old fax machines.

China has more than 130 million internet users - and last week should have been a perfect time for them to catch up with their web surfing.

There was an entire week of national holidays - known as the Golden Week - so most people were off work with plenty of time to spend at home online.

But for some internet users, there were real problems. Nearly one million computers crashed as a result of the viruses.

But in other ways, experts suggest that parts of China’s computer system are working extremely well.

Recently, there have been repeated allegations that the Chinese army has hacked its way into sensitive government systems in the US and Europe.

It is a charge that China has denied.

Thanks to BBC News for this post

I haven’t seen this film myself yet so I cant comment on its quality, but here’s a brief outline on it anyway  

Plot: The first film adaptation of Susan Cooper’s acclaimed “The Dark Is Rising Sequence” tells the story of Will Stanton, a boy whose everyday life is turned upside down when he learns that he is the last of the “Old Ones,” a group of immortal warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of the Dark.

As he uncovers a series of mysterious clues, some dating back to the founding of Britain and others going all the way back to biblical times, Will discovers that with the Dark once again rising, the future of the world rests in his hands.

Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama / Fantasy

Directed by: David Cunningham
Starring: Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, Christopher Eccleston, Alexander Ludwig, Jonathan Jackson, Amelia Warner, Gregory Smith, Emma Lockhart, Gary Entin, Edmond Entin, John Benjamin Hickey, Wendy Crewson

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Download it here

It’s just around the corner and ExtraTorrent.com Blog will be featuring a
review from the original 1976 blockbuster smash!!

Keep a look out - spooky but magic!!

Here’s a HD-DVD version of the 2007 release.

It started when five people agreed to spend one night in a haunted house . . .

What began as an evening of fun a harmless scares in exchange for one million dollars to anyone who stayed the night–and survived–soon turned into a night of terror.

Years later, several more people risk their lives in search of a cursed statue of Baphomet, a relic worth millions that will come at the cost of their souls.

Now, the terror begins when the doomed Return to House on Haunted Hill.

Now this also includes subtitles for several languages, but are optional.

Download it here

This post has also been written for one of my mates who loves these kind of movies, here it goes

Plot: Every man’s worst nightmare comes true in this comedy from the Farrelly Brothers.

Ben Stiller plays a commitment phobe who finally takes the plunge and marries a woman who seems normal.

But immediately after their wedding, she shows her true colors, and they couldn’t be uglier.

While on their honeymoon, he finds another woman (Michelle Monaghan) who may be his true love.

Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance

Directed by: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman, Jerry Stiller

Runtime: 115 Minutes

Download it here

Before you can install this update you do need the full game of Medal of Honor game ‘Airborne’ installed on your computer system.

This update will update your version 1.0 to version 1.1

Find below a list of all fixes and updates eh aren’t we just great … now where’s my coffee.

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 This is one of those films I was wanting to see as it did sound interesting, but sadly I didn’t around to it, here’s a brief outline of the plot.

Plot: The spirit of a semi-dead boy makes good in this WB-network-flavored tale, which is an adaptation of the young-adult novel by Swedish author Mats Wahl.

A privileged and not very well-liked senior in his Seattle high school, brooding poet Nick (Justin Chatwin) winds up fingered for ratting out tough girl Annie (Margarita Levieva) to the cops for a jewelry heist.

Soon his spirit is running loose trying to connect with the people around him, but only animals seem to notice; everyone else just goes about their business.

Meanwhile, his body is lying concealed in a sewer tunnel and Annie is the only one “invisible” enough to understand his pain.

Genre: Drama / Fantasy / Mystery / Thriller

Directed by: David S. Goyer
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva

Runtime: 97 minutes

Download it here