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New Zealand ISPs block websites hosting Christchurch shooting video
Internet providers in New Zealand aren't relying solely on companies like Facebook and YouTube to get rid of the Christchurch mass shooter's video. Major ISPs in the country, including Vodafone, Spark and Vocus, are working together to block access at the DNS level to websites that don't quickly respond to video takedown requests. The move quickly cut off access to multiple sites, including 4chan, 8chan (where the shooter was a member), LiveLeak and file transfer site Mega. The block goes away the moment a site complies, and Vodafone told Bleeping Computer that a "number of sites" were unblocked that way.
A New Zealand shooting video hit YouTube every second this weekend
In the 24 hours after the mass shooting in New Zealand on Friday, YouTube raced to remove videos that were uploaded as fast as one per second, reports The Washington Post. While the company will not say how many videos it removed, it joined Facebook, Twitter and Reddit in a desperate attempt to remove graphic footage from the shooter's head-mounted camera.
Facebook pulled over 1.5 million videos of New Zealand shooting
Internet giants have been racing to pull copies of the New Zealand mass shooter's video from their sites, and Facebook is illustrating just how difficult that task has been. Facebook New Zealand's Mia Garlick has revealed that the social network removed 1.5 million attack videos worldwide in the first 24 hours, 1.2 million of which were stopped at the upload stage. This includes versions edited to remove the graphic footage of the shootings, Garlick said, as the company wants to both respect people affected by the murders and the "concerns of local authorities."
Facebook and YouTube rush to remove New Zealand shooting footage
Facebook and YouTube are working to remove "violent footage" of the New Zealand mass shootings. The gunman -- who killed 49 people and injured 20 in shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch -- appeared to livestream his attack to Facebook using a head-mounted GoPro camera. New Zealand Police said they were moving to have the "extremely distressing footage" removed.
Bird's new program lets local operators run their own scooter network
Bird's e-scooters are on their way to Canada, Latin America and New Zealand under a program that allows local business owners to set up their own networks. The company is opening up Bird Platform, which it first announced in November. Operators of the local networks can obtain scooters at cost, allow customers to find the vehicles through the Bird app and take advantage of the company's technology to help manage their business. In exchange, Bird is taking a 20 percent cut of revenue from each ride.
'Timberscrapers' could soon dominate urban skylines
They just don't make 'em like the Sakyamuni Pagoda anymore. Built from wood in 1056 in the Shanxi province of China, the building has remained standing to this day, despite seven earthquakes rattling the region within its first 50 years of existence. Since then, it's held up against a slew of seismic events, even when more-modern structures have failed. Now, thanks to recent advancements in timber technology, modern architects are rediscovering the benefits of working with wood.
Domino's starts delivering pizza by drone, but only in New Zealand
If you measure the future in terms how pizza is delivered, the future is now: Domino's now delivers via autonomous drone. Today, the pizza chain officially launched its drone delivery service in New Zealand. The pizzaria chain has been working with Flirtey on the program for awhile now, but has only just started offering it to a select group of customers.
DayZ creator unveils new studio, RocketWerkz
Dean "Rocket" Hall has accomplished several great feats in his life; alongside creating the popular mod DayZ, which helped kickstart the survival genre of games, and conquering Earth's tallest boss (you may know it as Mount Everest), he can now add "starting his own studio" to his list of achievements. RocketWerkz is the name, and it'll be where Hall makes his games. Hall announced the news via Twitter, telling any prospective "programmers, artists, etc." to email him their information, noting that initial jobs would be on-site in Dunedin, New Zealand. Hall told Eurogamer in June that he wanted to create "a Valve in the South Pacific, if Valve focused on making games and not making Steam." Hall also said that he'll make himself available as work continues on the standalone version of DayZ, even after his departure from former employer Bohemia Interactive. [Image: Dean Hall]
Kim Dotcom will bring the Internet Party to the US in 2015
If, after declaring that he was broke, you thought that Kim Dotcom would go quietly into the night, then you really don't know him. After a successful bail hearing, the Megaupload founder is announcing that he will help launch a version of his Internet Party in the US next year. The political party, which failed to gain a seat in New Zealand's most recent elections, stands on a platform of internet freedom, free university education and the decriminalization of cannabis. According to Dotcom's Twitter account, the party will be "well funded and run by American citizens," with the lad himself just helping out with public relations - interesting, given that he's previously admitted that his personal brand was "poison" to the movement's cause.
Kim Dotcom parts ways with the music service that he helped create
If you're famous for being the most hated man in music, it might be hard to convince musicians that you're on their side. That's the problem facing Baboom, the music streaming service started by Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom. Now, however, the company has parted ways with its infamous creator in the hope of improving relationships with the musicians it needs to recruit. On the surface, the parting is amicable and, after selling his 45 percent ownership stake, Dotcom confessed that his presence was holding the site back, much in the same way that the Internet Party was tainted by association. There's no word on if his self-penned album will remain on Baboom when it fully launches in 2015, so best download it while you've got the chance.
New 3DS reaches Australia, New Zealand in November
When Nintendo first revealed new versions of the 3DS and 3DS XL handhelds last month it was unclear if the device would be released globally or if it would be exclusive to Japan. Thanks to a new Nintendo Direct, we now have an answer. Below the break you'll find what Tom Enoki, managing director of Nintendo Australia, describes as the "first Australian Nintendo Direct" video. The nearly 15-minute clip focuses on a number of upcoming 3DS games - Super Smash Bros. in particular - and also reveals word that the new model will launch in Australia and New Zealand on November 21. The 3DS will bear a price of $220AUD while the 3DS XL is priced at $250AUD. That's great news for people living in those regions, but it also suggests that the new 3DS models may be coming to Europe and North America as well. If nothing else, those regions offer Nintendo far more potential sales than the gaming giant would see by launching exclusively in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. [Image: Nintendo]
Instagram quietly (and slowly) launches Snapchat rival, Bolt
We knew Instagram's effort to nab a bit of Snapchat's thunder was imminent thanks to leaked promo banners, and now, the app has officially arrived... for some. Bolt, the filter-driven photo app's own ephemeral messenger has hit iTunes and Google Play for folks in Singapore, South Africa and New Zealand. The software's claim to fame is speed: instead of having to fiddle through a series of options, tapping a contact's picture both captures and sends a photo -- no further swiping required (tap and hold records video). So long as they're in your favorites list, of course. There's also an undo feature that allows you to retrieve a message in the first few seconds by shaking your phone. While Bolt doesn't require a Facebook or Instagram account, you will have to sign up with your phone number for sorting through your contacts. For now though, most of us have to find solace in just reading about it, since a select few locales are privy to the initial rollout. Instagram's word on that particular strategy is situated after the break.
Vita RPG Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment coming to EU
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a multiplayer Vita game based on an anime in which characters play a massively multiplayer virtual reality game. This, the Inception of gaming, is confirmed now for Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where Bandai Namco's releasing it on the PS Store in July. The Vita RPG's concept certainly won't be unfamiliar to fans of the .hack series, especially how players (not real-life ones!) who die in the VR game also die for realsies outside of it. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment does place more emphasis on romance and building up relationships, as showcased in a trailer for the Japanese version. Namco says SAO fans can expect to bump into characters from the light novels, anime and manga. The game's also been confirmed for North America, although there's no word on a release date beyond "summer 2014." On the plus side, all Western versions come with a free HD version of PSP game SAO: Infinity Moment, which was previously limited to Japan. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Secret's anonymous confession box comes to the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ
Ever wanted to tell the world that you stuck your genitals into a bowl of jam (or vegemite) without compromising your reputation? Secret, the app that lets you anonymously bare your soul to the world has landed in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. While you're likely to see the odd eye-rolling confession of sexual misconduct, Secret was also the venue that first broke the story that Google's Vic Gundotra was leaving the company. At least when you're caught using the app, you can say that you're hunting around for more of the latter, not contributing that time you were seen doing something unspeakable to a toasted sandwich.
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace treks to EU, AUS, NZ next week
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace brings its additions to Europe, Australia and New Zealand on April 30, and that Wednesday due date points towards a PS Store release [Update: GungHo confirmed to Joystiq it's PSN-only]. Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is the updated version of Game Arts' Vita action-RPG, and it brings the game to PS3 for the first time as well as Vita, along with cross-platform play between console and handheld. Monster hunters breaching the new version will find all the DLC from the original bundled in, but in terms of what's new, there are an assortment of fresh bosses, AI companions, skills, and dungeons to master/lose hundreds of hours to. [Image: GungHo Online Entertainment]
Kim Dotcom will celebrate getting his fortune back on the race track
Kim Dotcom's getting his fortune back, and to celebrate, he's throwing a party. The Megaupload founder tweeted this morning that Auckland's High Court will return the cash, vehicles and property that were seized on behalf of the US back in 2012. On hearing the news, Dotcom tweeted that when he gets his stuff back, which should be within the fortnight, he will rent out New Zealand's Taupo race track and invite members of his political party, the Internet Party, over for a track day. We're not sure if it's open to current members only, but we doubt there's any harm in signing up, hell, you might just get a ride in his prized Rolls Royce for your trouble.
First Persona 3 movie heads West with English subs
Aniplex is bringing Persona 3: The Movie #1 - The Spring of Birth on Blu-ray to 50 countries including the US and Canada on May 20. However, it'll only be subtitled in English, so don't expect to hear the dubbed voices that you're familiar with from the PS2 game. Aniplex is releasing both the Collector's Edition and the Standard Edition of the movie, and you can pre-order them now for $80 and $60 respectively - their regular prices are $100 and $75. Both editions include trailers, commercials, and audio commentary in addition to the feature film, but these specifically won't be subtitled. The Collector's Edition adds a soundtrack CD, exclusive box art, stickers, illustration cards and an 48-page booklet that Aniplex is providing a translation for. The Spring of Birth is the first chapter of the movie series based on Persona 3, and it hit Japanese cinemas last year. The second film, A Midsummer Knight's Dream, opens in the country on June 7. [Image: Atlus]
Mercenary Kings faces delays in AU, NZ as it awaits a rating
The PS4 version of pixelated, jauntily animated shooter, Mercenary Kings, has hit a snag in Australia and New Zealand. The game has yet to receive a rating in the region, according to the PlayStation Europe Twitter account, and must be delayed. The delay is indefinite for the time being, with PS Europe promising an update "soon." The rest of the globe should be able to pick up Mercenary Kings from PSN starting today. PlayStation Plus members can nab it for free. The game is also available on PC via Steam.
Kim Dotcom gets into politics with launch of an 'Internet Party' in New Zealand
While he's still considered to be a dangerous internet pirate by the world's law enforcement agencies, Kim Dotcom is using his notoriety to branch off into politics. With the emphatic tagline "this is going to be awesome," the giant German today launched the Internet Party, promising faster and cheaper internet, new high-tech jobs and increased privacy for all New Zealanders. Dotcom hopes to become a prominent political figure ahead of the country's September general election, all the while US authorities fight to extradite him to face piracy charges linked to the now defunct file-sharing service Megaupload. Following the flashy raid on Dotcom's New Zealand mansion in 2012, the internet mogul focused on launching a new cloud storage service, Mega, which is set to go public later this year. By recruiting through the party's website and mobile apps (with a $0.99 membership fee for three years), Dotcom hopes to sign up 500 members in order to register with New Zealand's electoral commission and then gain a 5 percent share in the opinion polls in September's elections. If it doesn't reach the target, Dotcom has said previously that he may close the party and move on.
MGS5: Ground Zeroes delayed a week in Australia, New Zealand
Idle animation Snake. Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is keeping players waiting a bit longer in Australia and New Zealand, where the open-world stealth game won't hit retail shelves for another week. Konami confirmed the new release date of March 27 to NZGamer, and the publisher didn't offer a reason for the delay. It's the second Konami game to receive a downunder delay in a month, after Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 was pushed back by a week in Australia and New Zealand. As NZGamer notes, the downloadable versions of Lords of Shadow 2 weren't affected by what was then a "shipping delay," and while it's not confirmed there's the possibility the same may apply to Ground Zeroes. In other Ground Zeroes news, series creator Hideo Kojima explained this morning the game doesn't feature a Platinum trophy on PS4 because of Sony regulations. Speaking on Twitter, Kojima said, "They won't allow us to have them for [a] non-full price game." [Image: Konami]
