diff -Nur calibre-2.9.0.orig/src/calibre/gui2/update.py calibre-2.9.0/src/calibre/gui2/update.py

--- calibre-2.9.0.orig/src/calibre/gui2/update.py	2014-11-08 21:43:22.888681538 -0700

+++ calibre-2.9.0/src/calibre/gui2/update.py	2014-11-08 21:45:27.363383815 -0700

@@ -63,20 +63,6 @@

         while not self.shutdown_event.is_set():

             calibre_update_version = NO_CALIBRE_UPDATE

             plugins_update_found = 0

-            try:

-                version = get_newest_version()

-                if version[:2] > numeric_version[:2]:

-                    calibre_update_version = version

-            except Exception as e:

-                prints('Failed to check for calibre update:', as_unicode(e))

-            try:

-                update_plugins = get_plugin_updates_available(raise_error=True)

-                if update_plugins is not None:

-                    plugins_update_found = len(update_plugins)

-            except Exception as e:

-                prints('Failed to check for plugin update:', as_unicode(e))

-            if calibre_update_version != NO_CALIBRE_UPDATE or plugins_update_found > 0:

-                self.signal.update_found.emit(calibre_update_version, plugins_update_found)

             self.shutdown_event.wait(self.INTERVAL)

     def shutdown(self):