Tensions between the US and Iran expected to lead to a Bitcoin surge
When news broke that the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani had been killed in a drone strike ordered by Donald Trump, the value of Bitcoin jumped by 5 percent.
With tensions between Iran and the US now at an all-time high, the price surge is expected to continue. This is the belief of Nigel Green, the CEO and founder of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial services and advisory organizations, who says that the cryptocurrency is increasingly seen as being as safe as gold.
Samsung to reveal completely bezel-free Q950TS 8K QLED TV at CES
CES is about to kick off and we can expect announcements to come thick and fast over the coming days. There are often leaks and rumors ahead of official announcements, but Samsung has revealed details of its Q950TS 8K QLED TV before the event has even started.
The reveal comes courtesy of Samsung's Korean website where we learn that the company's Infinity Screen helps to eliminate the bezel so it is possible to use 99 percent of the screen face. The new 2020 model QLED 8K TV is just 15mm thick, and Samsung has used an AI quantum processor to upscale any footage to 8K.
Samsung to reveal new devices on February 11 -- Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy S11?
Having just announced the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note10 Lite, Samsung is gearing up for another couple of announcements -- possibly the Galaxy S11 and Galaxy Fold 2. There have also been suggestions that one of the announcements could relate to the Galaxy S20.
The company has officially announced that its Galaxy Unpacked event will take place in San Francisco on February 11. Promised are "new, innovative devices that will shape the next decade of mobile experiences".
Electronic Arts is banning some Linux gamers from Battlefield V
Some Linux gamers who are using Wine to play Battlefield V are finding themselves permanently banned from the game.
Player using the DXVK package are falling foul of Electronic Arts' anti-cheat system, seemingly because the DXVK Direct3D DLLs -- used to render 3D scenes in Wine -- are detected, for some reason, as being a cheat tool.
Error codes are coming to Chrome to help get to the bottom of Aw, Snap! messages
When Chrome crashes, a message reading Aw, Snap! appears -- and it's not particularly helpful. Mindful of this, Google is going to introduce error codes to the browser to help users determine what has gone wrong.
The idea is similar to the blue screen of death (BSoD) that will be familiar to many Windows users. It's currently being tested in the Canary build of Chrome 81, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the error codes will appear in the final build of this version number.
XFX leaks full details of AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT graphics card
AMD hasn't yet announced its Radeon RX 5600 XT graphics card, but everything you could possibly want to know about the "the world's most technologically advanced card for 1080p gaming" has leaked.
Electronics firm XFX has -- seemingly inadvertently and without AMD's say-so -- published full details of the graphics card on a page entitled XFX AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB GDDR6 THICC II Pro Staging. Just about the only thing we don't get to know from this highly detailed page is how much the card will cost.
Samsung announces Galaxy S10 Lite and Note10 Lite
Ahead of CES, Samsung has revealed two new additions to its range of Android smartphones. The Galaxy S10 Lite and Note10 Lite are cutdown, cheaper versions of their expensive flagship stablemates.
But while these are not as feature-packed or powerful as the fully fledged Galaxy S10 and Note10, they are pitched as upper mid-range devices. Samsung is making much of the phones' cameras and display -- hardly surprising when the 6.7-inch handsets both feature 32MP units on the front and a trio of cameras on the rear.
Firefox 72 will let users delete data the browser collects about them
As we entered 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) came into force, giving residents of California GDPR-like rights and protection. One of the rights afforded to people by the new law is to request that companies delete their user-specific data.
To comply with CCPA, Mozilla has announced that Firefox 72 -- due for release next week -- will include a new option that enables users to request the deletion of desktop telemetry. Although CCPA is only applicable in California, the new setting will be made available to Firefox users around the world.
Foreign currency specialist Travelex suspends some services after cyber attack
Travelex, the London-based foreign exchange company, has suspended some of its services and taken its UK website offline following a cyber attack that took place on New Year's Eve.
A malware infection caused the company to take the decision to cut the cord on its services. It said that this was merely a "precautionary measure" which was done "in order to protect data". The suspension of services has caused problems for customers around the world and has had a knock-on effect for other companies including Tesco Bank and Asda.
Dell Mobile Connect will soon let you control your iPhone from your laptop
Dell's Mobile Connect software already allows for handy control of Android smartphones from a Windows 10 laptop, and soon the same option will be made available to iPhone users.
The software has been around for a couple of years now, and Dell's planned expansion means that iPhone owners will be able to view their phone's screen on their computer, as well and easily transfer files between devices.
Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi's Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance makes for easier file-sharing
Three smartphone manufactures came together last summer to create a new Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance with the aim of making it easier to share files between devices. Now it's available on selected handsets and is going global.
The alliance is made up of vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi and it was been created to develop what amounts to an Android version of Apple's AirDrop. File transfers are possible without the need for additional apps, and without the need to use mobile data or an internet connection.
Apple says virtualization tools violate DMCA... but Corellium says the company is attacking jailbreaking
Apple has long played a game of cat and mouse with the developers of jailbreak tools, constantly amending the code of its mobile operating systems to prevent people from unlocking their iPhones and iPads.
In an ongoing spat with Corellium -- a company which virtualizes iOS for use by security researchers -- Apple has amended the lawsuit it brought against the company this summer saying the tools it produces infringe on copyright. Corellium has responded with an open letter saying that Apple's line of attack "should give all security researchers, app developers, and jailbreakers reason to be concerned".
JPMorgan to ban third-party fintech platforms from accessing customer passwords
JPMorgan Chase is to enforce stricter security measures, banning third-party fintech apps from accessing customer passwords.
The existing method of data sharing provides -- with permission -- numerous apps with access to customers' bank accounts, but concerns have been voiced about the possible dangers. No timetable has been set out, but the American finance giant intends to use a token-based system that will provide third parties with access to "a narrow range of data in a secure form".
ProtonMail's ProtonCalendar beta is the 'first fully encrypted calendar app'
Privacy and security are the guiding principles of ProtonMail, and now the company is expanding beyond email. The company has launched a beta version of ProtonCalendar, a privacy-focused alternative to Google Calendar.
ProtonMail claims that this is the "first fully encrypted calendar app", and says it offers a viable alternative to the companies (i.e. Google) that "companies snoop on your calendar and use that information to inform their advertising".
Netflix series and a Steam sale give Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a huge boost
Despite being over four years old, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt not only remains popular but is actually more popular than ever on Steam.
Yesterday, over 94,000 players were logged into the game, exceeding the previous record from the launch back in May 2015. There is no doubt that the Netflix Witcher series has helped to boost interest in the game, but Steam also has a huge sale on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- Game of the Year Edition (which includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine expansions), with a massive 70 percent off serving as a huge enticement for newcomers.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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