• Google update turns your iPhone into a physical account security key

    Google update turns your iPhone into a physical account security key
    Google today updated its iOS Smart Lock app with a feature that essentially replaces a physical security key with your actual phone. Android phones have had this feature for months, but now iPhone owners can also use it. The update notes for the new version of the Smart Lock app read “With this new update, you can now set up your phone’s built-in security key, the best second factor protection for your Google Account.” What this means is that, when you log into your Googl
  • Scientists used stem cells to create a new life-form: Organic robots

    Scientists used stem cells to create a new life-form: Organic robots
    Straight out of the 1990s and the plot of Jurassic Park, a team of scientists have successfully created an entirely new life-form using stem cells derived from frog embryos. The new species is called a xenobot and it’s unlike anything else in nature. The researchers call it a “living robot” because, though it’s made entirely of organic material, it’s not so much grown as “developed.” Joshua Bongard, a researcher from University of Vermont who co-led the
  • Facebook now sends you a notification when you log in to third-party sites

    Facebook now sends you a notification when you log in to third-party sites
    Facebook today revealed a new login feature that actually tells you info you’re volunteering. Considering how much info Facebook both keeps and distributes on its users, I can see this coming in handy for lots of users. The new feature is called, appropriately, Login Notifications, and it sends you an in-app notification and email whenever you log or re-log into a third-party app using your Facebook credentials. The notification informs you clearly what information you’re sharing wi
  • Hide the Pain Harold is the meme of the decade (according to Imgur)

    Hide the Pain Harold is the meme of the decade (according to Imgur)
    Distracted boyfriend, American Chopper yelling scene, Pepe the Frog, woman yelling at a cat — all memorable memes. But which one of those is the meme of the decade? It’s a hotly contested topic, that’s for sure. But according to image sharing platform Imgur, the most impactful meme of the decade is none of those. “We asked Imgurians to decide, once and for all, which meme was their favorite meme from the 2010s,” the company wrote in a blog post. “From 2,000 n
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  • Nicolas Maduro tries to revive failed state-issued cryptocurrency Petro — AGAIN

    Nicolas Maduro tries to revive failed state-issued cryptocurrency Petro — AGAIN
    Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela‘s President, won’t wind up his efforts to get his struggling state-issued cryptocurrency ‘El Petro’ off the ground. Delivering his annual speech to the ruling Constituent Assembly, Maduro decreed that airlines flying from Caracas — the country‘s capital city — must pay for fuel using El Petro. [Read: Nicolas Maduro refuses to give up on Venezuela’s state cryptocurrency El Petro] “I decree the sale of all fuel s
  • Video: We used brain-scanning headbands to have a meditation battle

    Video: We used brain-scanning headbands to have a meditation battle
    Technology’s evolution over the past 20 years has changed a lot of things, but one of the most astonishing has been its impact on information. While we used to get it at a trickle, now it feels like we’re being hit with an ocean. The outcome of this has been increased anxiety, stress, and just a general sense of unease. We weren’t built to deal with this mental load. [Read: Smart locks are cool as fuck — but I’ll never trust them] And what’s technology&r
  • Instagram’s decision to hide photoshopped images is a disservice to art

    Instagram’s decision to hide photoshopped images is a disservice to art
    In a controversial turn of events, Instagram has begun hiding photoshopped images on its platform — even in the case of creative uses. San Francisco-based photographer Toby Harriman was scrolling through his Instagram feed when he suddenly spotted a post flagged for “False Information,” PetaPixel writes. It was a first for him, so he clicked through the warning pop-up, only to find it was simply of photo of a man standing on a rainbow-colored hill. “Independent fact
  • Filipino billionaire denies endorsing Bitcoin ‘scam’

    Filipino billionaire denies endorsing Bitcoin ‘scam’
    The Philippines’ richest man has fervently denied his involvement in a purported Bitcoin trading program that was previously accused of using fake celebrity endorsements. Manuel Villar, whose net worth is estimated to be $6.7 billion, said in a statement that he had “never made any such endorsement nor have I engaged in the said Bitcoin program.” “This is obviously a scam and I ask the public to protect themselves from such unscrupulous act,” he adde
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  • Study: North Korea, China, and Russia top internet censorship charts

    Study: North Korea, China, and Russia top internet censorship charts
    A new study published by Comparitech.com, a site that compares privacy tools, ranks countries on how much they exercise internet censorship. The study says North Korea takes the crown, while China is on the second spot followed by Russia, Iran, and Turkmenistan. The website has taken a total of 10 factors into account: Torrents restricted Torrents banned Pornography restricted Pornography banned Political media restricted Political media heavily censored Social Media restricted Social Medi
  • Here’s how body clock cycles affect our immune system

    Here’s how body clock cycles affect our immune system
    All life on Earth has evolved to cope with a rotating planet which results in the predictable transition between day and night. The details differ between plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals, but the consistent feature is a biological “clock” that allows the organism to anticipate the change and prepare for it. In animals, the central clock that keeps track of night and day is in the brain where it receives light from the retina to keep synchronized with the light or dark. But all
  • This portable wireless Apple Watch charger is on-the-go power for under $17

    This portable wireless Apple Watch charger is on-the-go power for under $17
    The Portable Keychain Apple Watch Charger ($16.99, 43 percent off from TNW Deals) is a perfect on-the-go way of making sure your favorite wrist companion stays up and running in any situation.
  • Bitcoin whale moves ball busting $1.1B for just $83

    Bitcoin whale moves ball busting $1.1B for just $83
    A cryptocurrency whale has moved a mind-boggling $1.1 billion worth of Bitcoin for a measly $83 network fee. The transaction, which took place on January 14, saw the whale move 124,946.6 BTC in exchange for a 0.0096 BTC fee. 124,946 bitcoin were just moved in a transaction. That’s ~$1,100,000,000 transfered for an $80 fee. No government, bank or third party had to verify the transaction, nor could they have stopped it if they wanted to. The true power of bitcoin. 🔥 — Rh
  • How developers will work in 2020

    How developers will work in 2020
    Software development is perpetually in a state of flux. Coders are constantly fighting a battle to keep their skills relevant. Each year brings new methodologies, frameworks, and languages to learn. Within the context of a highly-complex and rapidly changing industry, it’s important to find out which skills, tools, and trends are worthy of your time. Each year, TNW asks the leaders in the software development world for their take. Let’s face it, if anyone’s going to be a fortu
  • Become an in-demand database whiz with this $13 SQL training

    Become an in-demand database whiz with this $13 SQL training
    As one of the top tech skills of 2019, you can learn about the language as well as one of the most well-known database systems with the training in the MySQL and SQL for Beginners course available now ($12.99, over 90 percent off) from TNW Deals.
  • 5G isn’t going to save you from cable broadband anytime soon

    5G isn’t going to save you from cable broadband anytime soon
    Recent proposals by the UK Labour Party to nationalize the country’s cable broadband network prompted debate about the best way to make sure everyone has a fast home internet connection. Traditionally, governments have looked for ways to expand and upgrade their cable networks so that even remote communities have fast access. But with fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology now offering super-fast internet speeds without the need for a fixed-line connection, could we one day do away with
  • Bitcoin sextortionists target Google Nest cameras in latest campaign

    Bitcoin sextortionists target Google Nest cameras in latest campaign
    Bitcoin-hungry criminals are targeting owners of Google Nest home security cameras in their latest sextortion campaign, Computer Weekly reports. Email cybersecurity company Mimecast says the campaign mostly targeted individuals in the US earlier this month. Kiri Addison, Mimecasts’s head of data science overwatch, said this particular campaign was unusual in that criminals were using a more complex methodology to hide the origins of the scam emails in hope of concealing their identity eve
  • Internet partially restored in Kashmir after 165 days — social media still blocked

    Internet partially restored in Kashmir after 165 days —  social media still blocked
    After last week’s Supreme Court judgment ruling indefinite internet shutdowns in India illegal, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have ordered a partial restoration of connectivity today. A notice published by the Home Departement of Jammu and Kashmir suggests broadband services (with mac-Binding) will be provided to select institutions such as hospitals, hotels, and banks. Plus, 2G connectivity for postpaid users will be restored in the valley. However, only ‘white-listed’ sit
  • FBI contacts users of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX as investigation ramps up

    FBI contacts users of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX as investigation ramps up
    The FBI has made contact with victims of the QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency exchange saga, a sign that its ongoing investigation is taking shape, CoinDesk reports. Correspondence published by the outlet reveal that an FBI victim specialist has emailed former QuadrigaCX users, directing them to an online portal they can use to obtain more information. “As a Victim Specialist with the FBI – Albany, I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,&rdq
  • Craig Wright claims he’s received keys to ‘Satoshi’ Bitcoin stash worth $8.6B

    Craig Wright claims he’s received keys to ‘Satoshi’ Bitcoin stash worth $8.6B
    The person holding the private keys to Craig Wright‘s Bitcoin stash, which are at the center of a legal dispute with the Kleiman estate, has allegedly arrived. Court documents shared by CoinDesk and dated January 14 state that a third party has “provided the necessary information and key slice to unlock the encrypted file.” The documents allude to a mysterious figure, known as the bonded courier, who allegedly held the private keys needed to access Wright’s Bitcoin stash
  • Satoshi Nakaboto: ‘Bitcoin shoots up almost 10%!’

    Satoshi Nakaboto: ‘Bitcoin shoots up almost 10%!’
    Our robot colleague Satoshi Nakaboto writes about Bitcoin every fucking day. Welcome to another edition of Bitcoin Today, where I, Satoshi Nakaboto, tell you what’s been going on with Bitcoin in the past 24 hours. As Stephen Hawking used to say: Live, laugh, love! Bitcoin price We closed the day, January 14 2020, at a price of $8,827. That’s a decent 8.43 percent increase in 24 hours, or $686. It was the highest closing price in sixty-four days. We’re still 56 percent below Bi
  • UN experts: Don’t go to North Korean crypto conference (duh)

    UN experts: Don’t go to North Korean crypto conference (duh)
    International sanctions experts from the United Nations are warning people not to attend a cryptocurrency conference in North Korea. The conference, which is allegedly taking place in February, is being flagged as a potential sanctions violation, Reuters reports. Experts have laid out their advice in a confidential report that is to be submitted to the UN Security Council later this month. The UN has been keeping a close eye on the Asian nation and its use of blockchain and cryptocurrency. In N
  • What are neural-symbolic AI methods and why will they dominate 2020?

    What are neural-symbolic AI methods and why will they dominate 2020?
    The recent commercial AI revolution has been largely driven by deep neural networks.   First invented in the 1960s, deep NNs came into their own once fueled by the combination of internet-scale datasets and distributed GPU farms.    But the field of AI is much richer than just this one type of algorithm. Symbolic reasoning algorithms such as artificial logic systems, also pioneered in the ’60s, may be poised to emerge into the spotlight — to some extent perhaps o
  • Jeff Bezos says Amazon will invest $1 billion in small businesses in India

    Jeff Bezos says Amazon will invest $1 billion in small businesses in India
    Amazon’s co-founder, Jeff Bezos, said the company is investing $1 billion to digitize small businesses in India an event in New Delhi. He added the company aims to export goods with $10 billion by 2025 under the ‘Make in India’ program. Just before the Amazon chief began his trip in India, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), started an investigation into anti-competitive practices of Amazon and its Walmart-owned rival Flipkart. During the visit, he will also meet P
  • Microsoft is rolling out its Chromium-based Edge browser today

    Microsoft is rolling out its Chromium-based Edge browser today
    Microsoft is set to begin rolling out its new Chromium engine-based Edge browser to Windows 10 users today. The updated Edge browser brings support for Chrome extensions, user profiles, and faster web browsing. Once the update starts rolling out, all Windows users will eventually have to switch to the updated Edge browsers. According to a blog post by the company, only Business users will have a chance to block this change. In 2018, Microsoft announced its plans to switch to the
  • Say what you will about Epic Game Store exclusives — they work

    Say what you will about Epic Game Store exclusives — they work
    Remember 2019? Yeah, those were the days. I remember it like it was just a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, remember the 2019 Store Wars? And how they were going to ruin In case you were lucky enough to miss the whole Store Wars business (and I’m hoping most of you did, because it was so silly in retrospect): in a nutshell, Epic Games started its own PC gaming storefront that operated in direct opposition to the entrenched Steam. It successfully drew in indie developers by offering a more att
  • Instagram brings DMs to web — over 6 years after they arrived on mobile

    Instagram brings DMs to web — over 6 years after they arrived on mobile
    Starting today, Instagram will be rolling out its Direct messaging system to its desktop site, meaning you can finally keep up with your conversations from your browser. After the feature has been in testing for what seems like forever, it’s good to see confirmation that it is actually on the way. For those of you into your DMs, today we start to test Direct on the desktop web. Now, it’s only a small percentage of people for now — we need to make sure it works well &mdash
  • Elon Musk says Tesla’s early access group will get Full Self Driving ‘soon’

    Elon Musk says Tesla’s early access group will get Full Self Driving ‘soon’
    Elon Musk is tweeting about Full Self Driving again. Soon — Buff Mage (@elonmusk) January 11, 2020 Full Self Driving is an upcoming Tesla feature that currently exists in an unfinished form. According to Musk, the feature will eventually make it possible for a Tesla vehicle to drive itself from an owner’s driveway in the suburbs, onto the highway at high speeds, into the city where there’s traffic, weather, pedestrians, and who-knows-what-else, and into your office parking lot

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