Hacker leaks 'Orange is the New Black' Season 5 after Netflix refused to Pay Ransom

 Sunday, April 30, 2017  Swati Khandelwal



After releasing 10 back-to-back episodes of the Season 5 premiere of Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black," a hacking group calling itself The Dark Overlord is threatening to leak a trove of other unreleased TV shows and movies.

The Dark Overlord (TDO) posted links to the first 10 episodes of the upcoming season of "Orange Is the New Black" show to a piracy website after Larson Studios and Netflix failed to fulfill the group's ransom demand.

According to Netflix's website, the season 5 of "Orange Is the New Black" show is scheduled to debut June 9 and supposed to run 13 episodes. But TDO claimed that only the first 10 episodes were available at the time the group gained access to the show.

On Saturday, the group headed on to Twitter and posted links to a Pastebin page, GitHub profile, and the Pirate Bay torrent site sharing Episode 1 of "Orange Is The New Black" season 5 show.

At the time of writing, the Pastebin (web archive) and GitHub links went down, but the Pirate Bay torrent file remained up, and users have downloaded and shared its content.

10 out of 13 "Orange Is The New Black" Season 5 Episodes Leaked Online

Following the release of Episode 1, TDO posted links to Pastebin and a second torrent file, hosted on The Pirate Bay, which includes episodes 2 through 10 of the season 5 of "Orange Is The New Black."

According to the Pastebin post, the group released 10 episodes of the show because Netflix didn't pay a ransom demand.

Here's what the TDO's statement posted on Pastebin (web archive) stated:

"It didn't have to be this way, Netflix. You're going to lose a lot more money in all of this than what our modest offer was. We're quite ashamed to breathe the same air as you. We figured a pragmatic business such as yourselves would see and understand the benefits of cooperating with a reasonable and merciful entity like ourselves. And to the others: there's still time to save yourselves. Our offer(s) are still on the table - for now."

In an interview with the DataBreaches.net, the hacking group revealed it managed to steal "hundreds of GBs [gigabytes] of unreleased and non-public media" from the servers of Larson Studios, an ADR (additional dialogue recorded) studio based in Hollywood in late 2016.

The Dark Overlord Demanded 50 BTC

While the group did not reveal its attack method nor how much ransom it demanded, according to a copy of a contract allegedly signed between TDO and Larson, the hacking group asked for 50 BTC ($70,422) by January 31.

But after the studio stopped responding to the group's email requests in January, TDO turned to Netflix, which also did not pay the ransom either, eventually forcing the group to release the first 10 episodes of season 5 of "Orange Is The New Black" after two months.

Netflix said in a statement that it was "aware of the situation. A production vendor used by several major TV studios had its security compromised, and the appropriate law enforcement authorities are involved."

The Dark Overlord Threatens to Leak More Shows to the Internet

After releasing all the 10 episode of the unreleased show, TDO threatened to leak other unreleased shows and movies from several other studios in its possession.

The Dark Overlord tweeted: "Who is next on the list? FOX, IFC, NAT GEO, and ABC. Oh, what fun we're all going to have. We're not playing games anymore."

The hacking group provided a list of unreleased shows and movies (some are released on their scheduled date) it stole from different studios, which includes:

• A Midsummers Nightmare – TV Movie
• Bill Nye Saves The World – TV Series
• Breakthrough – TV Series
• Brockmire – TV Series
• Bunkd – TV Series
• Celebrity Apprentice (The Apprentice) – TV Series
• Food Fact or Fiction – TV Series
• Hopefuls – TV Series
• Hum – Short
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia – TV Series
• Jason Alexander Project – TV Series
• Liza Koshy Special – YoutubeRed
• Lucha Underground – TV Series
• Lucky Roll – TV Series
• Making History ) – TV Series
• Man Seeking Woman – TV Series
• Max and Shred – TV Series
• Mega Park – TV Series
• NCIS Los Angeles – TV Series
• New Girl – TV Series
• Orange Is The New Black – TV Series
• Portlandia – TV Series
• Steve Harveys Funderdome – TV Series
• Story of God with Morgan Freeman – TV Series
• Superhuman – TV Series
• The Arrangement – TV Series
• The Catch – TV Series
• The Middle – TV Series
• The Stanley Dynamic – TV Series
• The Thundermans – TV Series
• Undeniable with Joe Buck – TV Series
• X Company – TV Series
• Above Suspicion – Film
• Handsome – Film
• Rebel In The Rye – Film
• Win It All – Film
• XXX Return of Xander Cage – Film

The Dark Overlord is a known hacking group that was responsible for cyber attacks on Gorilla Glue and Little Red Door, an Indiana Cancer Services agency. The group also put 655,000 healthcare records lifted from 3 separate data breaches up for sale on the dark web.

Apple’s Eddy Cue talks future of TV; calls them ‘Glorified VCRs’ that need a reinvention

Image: Reuters

By tech2 News Staff /  21 Oct 2016 , 18:07

Apple’s senior VP of software and services Eddy Cue clearly does not like the current state of TV. At Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, in a conversation with HBO CEO Richard Plepler, Cue called TVs nothing more than glorified VCRs.

Pressing on the need to for TVs to be reinvented, Cue said, “You live with a glorified VCR. You’re still setting things to record. There are 900 channels, but there’s nothing to watch.” While Cue acknowledged that there was great stuff to watch, the TV interface is what was making it more difficult, specially when it came to finding content.

“The ways you interface with TV are pretty brain dead,” said Cue. Of course he maintained that Apple TV with its App Store and Siri provide a better solution. He mentioned the example of HBO Now, which has around 1 million subscribers on Apple devices. He said that HBO Now provides a better navigational experience than cable box or satellite.

Cue hinted that Apple and HBO were two companies that were ‘at the beginning’ of their relationship. He suggested that TV will continue to evolve over the years.

Talking on competition from rivals such as Amazon and Netflix, Cue said that Apple was in a very competitive position in both music and video streaming as it hosts these services on its own platform.

Apple isn’t getting all the love in the TV streaming arena from all the major players though, thanks to Cue’s hard nosed tactics. Time Warner, Disney are just some of the TV networks which aren’t bowing down to Apple’s demands.

Amazon Global Store with limited catalogue is useless in its current state

Image Credits: REUTERS

By Rehan Hooda /  17 Oct 2016 , 15:47

Amazon India recently launched “Amazon Global Store” in India after China and Mexico. Amazon global store allows the users to buy products that are not available in India and are available on Amazon in other countries.

Global Store streamlines the process of purchasing goods through proper channels instead of relying on traditional methods as relatives or friends living in the country or passengers that are visiting the country to buy the goods and carry them on their way back.

Amazon Global Store

Issues with workarounds

Even though such methods work without any issue and are considered most reliable for people to procure the goods, there are a lot of limitations that come with such workarounds. These restrictions included the limit on the number of products that you can ask your relatives or passengers to get with them without raising any red flags with the customs department. Global Store provides a legitimate way for users to frequently buy things available on Amazon store outside India, without relying on

Read Early iPhone 7 Reviews, Netflix Fights to End Data Caps

Read early reviews of the new iPhone 7, Netflix fights back against data caps, Instagram lets you block certain words, Sony releases a major PS4 update, and people still queue for days for the new iPhone.

An Early iPhone 7 Reviews Roundup

As you’re no doubt aware by now, Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last week. To the surprise of no one, the company removed the headphone jack, forcing users to either buy an adapter or buy a pair of AirPods, which almost everyone agrees look ridiculous.Everything You Need to Know About the iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus Everything You Need to Know About the iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 PlusNo headphone port, water and dust resistance, and Apple's best camera yet -- this is the iPhone 7.READ MORE

Still, headphone jack or not, the iPhone 7 deserves some thorough reviews, so we have compiled the highlights from the first four reviews to appear online.

Wired calls the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus the “best, fastest, strongest iPhones yet”. It then praises the new A10 processors and 12-megapixel cameras before admitting that Apple’s recent decisions make “for boring hardware”. Wired closes by suggesting that while “the iPhone 7 won’t blow your mind with its design or features … it’s still a fantastic phone”.

The Verge admits that “the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus look more or less exactly like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus from 2014”. It then talks up the new Taptic Engine-enabled Home button, the improved display, and the better speakers. However, the decision to remove the headphone jack disappoints, and The Verge concludes that “you won’t actually be missing out on much if you don’t get an iPhone 7”.

Engadget suggests the “big question here is whether a bunch of relatively unexciting changes add up to greatness”. It then praises the battery, the display, the camera, and the chipset, but mourns the loss of the headphone jack and expresses disappointment at the unchanged aesthetics. Engadget concludes that, “while it’s not thrilling enough to warrant an upgrade from last year’s 6s, the iPhone 7 is nonetheless an excellent smartphone”.

Ars Technica reveals its feeling in its header, suggesting the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are “great annual upgrades with one major catch”. There are no prizes for guessing what the catch is, with the fateful decision to force everyone to go wireless costing Apple dear. Still, there’s praise for the processor, battery, display, camera, and added water-resistance, suggesting Ars Technica believes it ultimately depends what matters most to you as a consumer.

To sum all of that information up, most of the reviews are positive to a point. That point being the removal of the headphone jack. If it wasn’t for that, these reviews would be extolling the virtues of an incremental, if not deathly dull, upgrade to what was already a fine piece of hardware.

Netflix Wants Data Caps to be Illegal

Netflix is fighting for some data caps to be made illegal. According to Gizmodo, the streaming service wants the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to ban all data caps on wired internet connections, and “low” data caps on mobile internet connections. It essentially argues that these are just ways of gouging customers.

In a letter sent to the FCC last week, Netflix states:

“Data caps (especially low data caps) and usage based pricing discourage a consumer’s consumption of broadband and may impede the ability of some households to watch internet television in a manner and amount that they would like.”

So, Netflix’s motives aren’t exactly pure here; the company is primarily looking out for itself and its ability to keep streaming movies and TV shows to its customers. However, in arguing that data caps “do not appear to serve a legitimate purpose,” it’s opening an important debate that needs to be had at a time when everybody is cutting the cord.Everyone Else Is Cutting the Cord, So Why Aren't You? Everyone Else Is Cutting the Cord, So Why Aren't You?I cut the cord back in 2013 and more and more people are following suit, completely ditching their cable service. But not everyone is cutting the cord, and we decided to find out why...READ MORE

Data caps are, at best, pointless, and at worst, a way for ISPs to maintain control over exactly what is travelling through their tubes. Netflix’s business is wholly reliant on consumers being able to watch what they want when they want, so it’s no surprise to see the company taking such a tough stance against data caps.

Instagram Lets You Filter Nasty Words

Instagram is taking a novel approach to tackling online abuse: allowing users to filter out particular words, and block comments which contain them. The photo-sharing app has provided a list of default words it recommends you filter, or you can create your own list of words you consider harmful or offensive.5 Most Effective Ways To Deal With Arrogant Internet Trolls 5 Most Effective Ways To Deal With Arrogant Internet TrollsThe Internet is without doubt a great invention. Unfortunately, no one so far has been able to develop and anti-troll device that will help to make it a more civilized place. You might have come...READ MORE

You can now filter out specific "offensive" words out of your Instagram comments. Goodbye losers

— lil juju (@offlinebabe) September 13, 2016

Instagram’s keyword moderation tool is being provided in addition to, rather than instead of, the existing tools designed to keep Instagram free of spam and abuse. The difference is that while the existing tools allow you to delete, report, and/or block after the event, the keyword moderation tool should prevent you ever seeing the comments in the first place.

All you need to do to enable the filtering is click Options, then Comments, and flick the Hide Inappropriate Comments slider. Underneath this you can add more keywords you deem to be harmful; which may become necessary if trolls quickly cotton on to what words and phrases can bypass the filter unchecked.

The PS4 Gets a New HDR-Friendly Update

Your PlayStation 4 is due to get a major firmware update today (September 13). The PS4 System Software Update 4.00 (codenamed Shingen) refreshes the UI, adds folders, changes to the Quick Menu and Share Menu, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) capabilities, amongst others.

The latter is especially interesting, as it means your existing PS4 will be capable of displaying improved visuals on compatible games, just like the new PS4 Pro. Not all games will look better, but there’s an easy way to determine which PS4 games support HDR.PS4 Pro & PS4 Slim: Are They Worth the Money? PS4 Pro & PS4 Slim: Are They Worth the Money?Sony has announced their new PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim! But are either of them worth the money? Here are all the details you need to know!READ MORE

People Are Queuing for the iPhone 7

And finally, people are already queuing up outside Apple Stores waiting for the iPhone 7 to be released. There have been lines outside flagship stores around the world since Saturday (September 10) even though the iPhone 7 isn’t released until Friday (September 16).

Long lines of people queuing for the latest gadgets are nothing new, of course, having been a thing since the original iPhone was released in 2007. However, it’s now 2016, and you can pre-order the latest iPhone online for delivery in-store or at home. Which means these people are literally allWASTING THEIR TIME!Why You Should Never Queue For New Gadgets [Opinion] Why You Should Never Queue For New Gadgets [Opinion]I personally cannot fathom the mindset of people who queue for the latest gadget on launch day. I've tried, I really have, but I think it's a bizarre choice to queue up for hours or...READ MORE

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

After reading the reviews, will you be buying an iPhone 7? Do you agree with Netflix that data caps should no longer be a thing? Will you be filtering any words from Instagram? Will you be taking advantage of the PS4’s new HDR capabilities? What was the last piece of technology you queued up for?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome. Tech News Digest is a daily column paring the technology news of the day down into bite-sized chunks that are easy to read and perfect for sharing.