The Halvening means that bitcoin mining rewards just dropped by 50 percent
It just became significantly harder to mine Bitcoins. The halving event rolled around yesterday, July 9, and means that the reward for mining just dropped by 50 percent. The cryptocurrency is generated by machines around the world 'mining' for new bitcoins.
Rewards of bitcoins are handed out for giving over computing power to process bitcoin transactions. It's a very, very slow way to make money -- and it just got a whole lot slower. While there were previously 25 bitcoins (around $16,000) available globally to miners every 10 minutes, the figure is now just 12.5 bitcoins. But what does this mean for the digital currency?
Monitor your PC’s RAM use with Memory History Tool
Just about every memory optimizer around claims that freeing up RAM will speed up your PC, but this isn't necessarily true. It all depends on how your RAM is currently being used.
Memory History Tool logs the processes using your RAM and maintains a history of the main memory hogs, helping you understand where your resources are going.
PostGhost, the Twitter verified user tweet archive, is killed by cease and desist order
PostGhost, the website that describes itself as "an archive of public tweets deleted by politicians, celebrities, and other public figures" has been shut down by Twitter. The website was told that its display of deleted tweets was a violation of the Developer Agreement and Policy.
The site was a relative newcomer, having only been active for less than a week. Political tweets archive Politwoops almost met a similar fate, but the distinction with PostGhost is that it was only concerned with tweets from verified users with 10,000 followers or more -- a group that includes politicians, writers, singers, and other celebrities (major and minor).
Bug fixes aplenty in surprise Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14385 release
It might be the weekend, but the code monkeys at Microsoft doesn’t let a small detail like that stand in the way of work. The release of Windows 10 Anniversary Update is now within spitting distance, and the Insider builds are being pushed out thick and fast.
Today Dona Sarkar announced the launch of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14385 for PC and Mobile. As we're so close to launch day, it should come as no surprise that this is a bug fix release -- but there are plenty of them. There are also some extra performance tweaks thrown in for good measure.
Facebook explains live video censorship policies after live-streaming a fatal shooting
It was only a matter of time before Facebook's decision to open up live video to everyone was going to result in controversy. Sure enough, earlier this week, the social network became the medium through which the shooting dead of Philando Castile by a police officer was shared with the world. The graphic video quickly became notorious, but then vanished temporarily.
There were suggestions that Facebook was censoring the footage, but the company said that a technical glitch was to blame. But whether the video was censored, collapsed under the weight of traffic, or did succumb to a problem, the killing of Philando Castile on Facebook Live raises many questions about how the platform is used, and Facebook has responded to the incident with an explanation about its censorship policies.
Microsoft uses BBC Micro Bit and virtual reality to prepare autistic kids for jobs
Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning not all people that meet the classification have identical behaviors. Some of these folks are very functional, while others may struggle more to socialize, or not be able to hold jobs.
According to Microsoft, 85 percent of those with Autism do not hold full-time employment. This is unfortunate, as some of those with the classification are likely falling through the cracks -- capable of work, but not equipped. Luckily, the Windows-maker, in association with CASPA and Dennis Publishing, is aiming to change this with some unlikely tools -- the BBC Micro Bit and HTC Vive virtual reality solution.
Microsoft launches AppSource and Dynamics 365 enterprise apps
Microsoft has introduced new business apps and services aimed to be intuitive, deliver helpful assistance, and improve the lives of their users. The new offerings are called Dynamics 365 and AppSource.
Dynamics 365, available this fall, will unify the current CRM and ERP solutions into a single cloud service, with new apps to better manage specific business functions. Power BI and Cortana Intelligence are also integrated, to offer customers predictive analytics and prescriptive advice. Dynamics 365 will be deeply integrated with Office 365.
Facebook Messenger ups security with end-to-end encryption in 'secret conversations'
Continuing in its relentless drive to take over the world of messaging, Facebook Messenger is gaining end-to-end encryption. To start with, the security feature is only rolling out on a 'limited test basis' but if feedback is positive, it will get a wider airing.
Facebook says that the move comes in response to requests for additional security options to protect discussions about sensitive matters, saying that security and privacy experts have been involved in the implementation of the feature.
Consumer Reports testing reveals Samsung Galaxy S7 Active is a water-resistance FAIL
Quality in manufacturing is something I greatly value. No matter the product, I prefer things that are built to last. Quite frankly, our current disposable goods culture is not only wasteful, but bad for the environment too. It is distressing to think of all the obsolete and broken tech devices in landfills.
Rugged devices are obviously subject to obsolescence, but their durable nature makes them less-likely to break -- arguably making them last longer. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active is a smartphone that is heavily advertised as being rugged and water-resistant, but apparently, those claims are not entirely accurate. The well-respected Consumer Reports has found one big claim to be false.
Yahoo launches Finance, News, MonkeyPet and Weather bots for Facebook Messenger
Facebook introduced support for bots in Messenger a few months back, and it did not take long to see big companies embracing this new opportunity to connect with their customers. Now Yahoo is joining this list with Finance, News, MonkeyPet, and Weather.
Finance, News, and Weather are self-explanatory, but for those wondering why MonkeyPet is also on the list Yahoo says that it is the answer to those of you who have been "longing for a pet monkey". Let's take a look at all four and see what they can do.
[Giveaway] Three ThinCharge iPhone 6/6s battery cases up for grabs, with multiple chances to win
The last thing you want to see on your smartphone is a 'low battery warning' when you’re nowhere in range of a charging point. If you’ve had the foresight to bring a battery pack with you, you can juice up your device on the go, but that does mean remembering to carry a charged pack with you at all times, which is far from convenient.
ThinCharge from ChargeTech is a thin, lightweight battery case for iPhone 6/6s that solves the problem of a low battery entirely. I have one on my iPhone 6s, and it’s saved the day more times than I care to remember.
OnePlus 3 now getting OxygenOS 3.2.1 OTA
This week OnePlus introduced the first update for its OnePlus 3 flagship to add a color-accurate sRGB mode for the display and improve RAM management, among other changes. Within two days, it should have reached all users, but the company pulled it after receiving reports of upgrade issues.
OnePlus says that it has fixed those issues, which are included in the new OxygenOS 3.2.1 OTA update that is now rolling out. That is not all that is new, however, as there are also some "additional improvements" as well. Here is what you need to know.
Microsoft to keep free tag on Windows 10 Mobile upgrades after July 29
Windows 10 is currently available as a free upgrade if you are coming from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, but this offer will not last for long. Just like everyone else, you will have to pay to get Microsoft's latest operating system after July 29. Question is, how does the free upgrade deadline impact Windows 10 Mobile?
While Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile did not launch at the same time, Microsoft positions the two operating systems as sister products. They have a shared core, many features in common, similar UI components, and even the build numbers are now the same as you probably know if you follow Windows Insider builds. So, understandably, there is some confusion over whether would-be Windows 10 Mobile users will have to pay for an upgrade after the Windows 10 deadline passes.
Best Windows apps this week
One-hundred and eighty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 in the past seven days.
Windows 10's Anniversary Update will be released on August 2, 2016. It features an impressive list of changes that includes Store improvements and support for Microsoft Edge extensions.
Our private data is worth less than we think
Brits think their personal data is really, really valuable. There is nothing wrong with that, and private data should be valued highly, and guarded as such. However, once criminals get a hold of such data, they’ll sell it for such a low price you simply won't believe.
According to a new TotallyMoney.com report, based on a poll of 1,000 consumers, we value an email address at £983. In reality, it is being sold for five pence. A similar thing is with the browsing history. Its actual price on the black market is a ridiculous £0.0014. On average, we value it at £934.
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