free market

Spying fears highlight worth of Swiss data centres

"‘Trust’ is the watchword of the expanding Swiss data storage industry as it quietly carves out a highly lucrative global niche. Recent revelations of U.S. intelligence agency spying, coupled with ongoing reports of espionage emanating from China, may have raised public consciousness of the dangers to data but the industry has known about it for years. Some data storage providers have taken security to extremes, housing their servers in ex-military alpine bunkers, such as the aptly-named ‘Fort Knox’ in canton Bern. One company using the bunker, Siag – which labels itself the 'Swiss private bank for digital assets' - refuses to deal with US clients on security grounds." Continue reading →

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Privacy services companies stand up against Big Brother

"Encryption communication services companies are gaining momentum as public trust in US technology companies and social media networks are at an all-time low following explosive revelations by Edward Snowden. 'It’s going crazy. You know a lot of people suspected the US government was spying on Americans. But now we have this confirmation so everybody is contacting us now. We’ve had a huge surge in orders,' said Phil Zimmermann, CEO of Silent Circle, encrypted communications firm. Another company that is bearing the fruits of the NSA’s misfortune is Seecrypt, a mobile application that encrypts information sent over the mobile phone." Continue reading →

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NSA controversy boosts interest in ‘private’ Internet search engines

"While Google’s market share has not seen a noticeable dent, privacy search engines like US-based DuckDuckGo and European-based Ixquick have seen jumps in traffic from users seeking to limit their online tracks. The stored data has become a concern following revelations of a massive surveillance program run by the secretive National Security Agency, with access to data from Google, Yahoo! and other Internet firms. US officials say the information gathered is vital in the fight against global terrorism. The same data and profiles can be used by the search engine to deliver ads and sold to outside marketers as well." Continue reading →

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In-Person Bitcoin Exchanges Are Thriving

"Call it a sign of the times, but something is definitely changing as face-to-face purchases of bitcoin are booming worldwide. In addition to avoiding a sometimes cumbersome registration process with traditional exchangers, in-person bitcoin transactions allow you to meet interesting new people in your area – and discuss bitcoin. Many choices are available with varying degrees of identification required. For the casual traders seeking more privacy, I recommend in-person trading through LocalBitcoins.com, the leading person-to-person matching service for people in various locales to meet and conduct bitcoin business." Continue reading →

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Businesses in Berlin open arms to digital currency Bitcoin

"Cassandra Wintgens ceremoniously affixed the blue sticker with the thick, yellow 'B' to the pane in the front door of her guesthouse-cum-cafe. 'Bitcoin accepted here,' it read. The establishment Lekkerurlaub Notaufnahme, which translates roughly as 'Yummy Holiday Emergency Admission,' thereby became the seventh business in the Graefe neighbourhood of the multicultural Berlin district of Kreuzberg, to accept the digital currency — whether for an overnight stay or a cup of coffee in the cafe. 'I think it’s exciting,' she remarked. 'We don’t need banks for Bitcoins. They just muck us about anyway and don’t do anything for small-scale businesspeople.'" Continue reading →

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Erik Voorhees: financial independence through gold and Bitcoin

"Félix Moreno talks to Erik Voorhees about Bitcoin, gold and the nature of money. They discuss the properties that make good or bad money and how both Bitcoin and precious metals are decentralised (a plus), while fiat money systems are centrally planned. They talk about free speech, property rights and liberty, and the role that money plays in these." Continue reading →

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Google reveals top-secret plan to beam Internet to developing world from balloons at the edge of space

"Google revealed top-secret plans Saturday to send balloons to the edge of space with the lofty aim of bringing Internet to the two-thirds of the global population currently without web access. Scientists from the technology giant released up to 30 helium-filled test balloons flying 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) above Christchurch in New Zealand Saturday, carrying antennae linked to ground base stations. While still in the early stages, Project Loon hopes eventually to launch thousands of balloons to provide Internet to remote parts of the world, allowing the more than four billion people with no access to get online. It could also be used to help after natural disasters." Continue reading →

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America Falls Behind in Creating Rich Entrepreneurs

"The creation myth of American wealth is almost always rooted in the entrepreneur. It's the two kids who start a computer company in their garage or dorm room. Or the former standup comic who creates form-shaping undergarments, or the South African immigrant who creates a new electric car and private space program. But despite the high-profile examples, America may actually be falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to creating entrepreneurial wealth. A new study from Barclays, 'Origins and Legacy: the Changing Order of Wealth Creation,' finds developing countries now lead the U.S. when comes to wealth creation by entrepreneurs." Continue reading →

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A Computerized, Desktop Metal Fabricator for $1,400?

"So, you don’t want plastic guns made on a 3-D printer? You want a metal gun. You don’t care about metal detectors at an airport. You are concerned about gun registration. It looks as though your answer is almost here. Possibly by the end of summer, you will be able to buy a computer-driven desktop metal fabricator. So will a lot of people. Within five years, this technology will be everywhere. This is the wave of the future. We are going back to what we had in 1790: cottage industries. Only the cottages will be factories. This is decentralization on a scale we can barely imagine. Sales taxes? Gone. Tariffs? Gone. Registration? Gone. Buy a blueprint, download it, and DIY." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Computerized, Desktop Metal Fabricator for $1,400?