technology

Fox Affiliate Explores Bitcoin, A New Trending Form Of Currency

"Bitcoins are all the rage in the techie community and gaining popularity fast. But what is Bitcoin? Professor James Angel explains: 'Bitcoins are a string of numbers…these numbers can be used to make payment.' It's digital currency, existing only online. You get them by 'mining,' or solving complicated math questions and algorithms. Anthony Mongeluzo, president of Pro Computer Services, explains further: 'Anyone could use Bitcoins. Primarily it's used as an online payment system, but it's a universal currency which means it's accepted in most countries.' The currency can be transferred person to person via the Internet, without a bank." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFox Affiliate Explores Bitcoin, A New Trending Form Of Currency

Scientists release test to combat counterfeiting of legendary ‘cat poop’ coffee

"The Asian palm civet eats coffee cherries, the fruit of the coffee plant. They digest the soft fruit and excrete the seeds in their feces, which, according to connoisseurs, gives the coffee a flavor unlike any other in the world. The fact that people will pay exorbitant amounts for real Kopi Luwak has led to a thriving black market in fake Kopi Luwak. Some people sell regular coffee beans and claim they are the famous civet coffee. Others adulterate Kopi Luwak beans with regular coffee beans, hoping drinkers won’t notice the inferior quality. Scientists have developed a test that checks for the unique chemical fingerprint on Kopi Luwak." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScientists release test to combat counterfeiting of legendary ‘cat poop’ coffee

Singapore firm launches in-flight Muslim prayer app

"A Singapore-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they’re 35,000 feet in the air. Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during their journey, as well as the direction of the Muslim holy city of Mecca. Crescentrating, a firm that gives 'halal' or Islam-compliant ratings to hotels and other travel-related establishments, plans to make the free app, called Crescent Trips, available to Android smartphones within months. Spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate and is forecast to reach $192 billion a year by 2020, up from $126 billion in 2011." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSingapore firm launches in-flight Muslim prayer app

Barnes & Noble Slides Toward Bankruptcy

"You may remember You’ve Got Mail (1998). It was a movie about a small bookstore that could not compete with a huge bookstore that was modeled after Barnes & Noble. Technology and capital wiped out the local bookstore. Now Amazon is wiping out Barnes & Noble. Same story: capital and technology. The free market benefits customers. Barnes & Noble is a dinosaur. It looked unstoppable to Hollywood 15 years ago. But the World Wide Web has brought it down. It will not recover. Its Nook reader is a bust. People prefer Kindle. My time is valuable. I don’t like driving. One click is all it takes to get me what I want." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBarnes & Noble Slides Toward Bankruptcy

Facebook won’t reward hacker who exposed security flaw in Zuckerberg’s profile

"Palestinian researcher Khalil Shreateh said on his blog he found a way for Facebook users to circumvent security and modify a user’s timeline. He said he took the unusual step of hacking into Zuckerberg’s profile after being ignored by the Facebook security team. His reward for exposing the flaw was having his Facebook account disabled. Facebook security engineer Matt Jones posted a comment Sunday on a security forum saying 'we fixed this bug on Thursday,' and admitted that 'we should have asked for additional… instructions after his initial report.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFacebook won’t reward hacker who exposed security flaw in Zuckerberg’s profile

Developer warns: Take Twitter “write access” at your own risk

"When the right individual or organization Tweets, it can have the power to move global financial markets and major economies, as well as incite mass chaos – all with a single, well-placed, 140 character missive. We’ve seen as much recently when a single Carl Icahn tweet raised Apple’s market cap by $17 billion and another by a hacked Associated Press Twitter account that caused an estimated $135 billion to evaporate from the S&P 500 Index. In an era when everyone from disgruntled teens to war-minded nations are looking for ways to inflict pain, Twitter is an increasingly attractive target." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDeveloper warns: Take Twitter “write access” at your own risk

Over 50% Of Electric Cars Sold In US Are In 5 Cities

"Here’s the list: Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; New York City; Seattle, Washington; Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia offers a tax credit for electric vehicles that is equal to 20% of the vehicle’s cost, up to a maximum amount of $5,000. California has many charging stations, which might have contributed to its presence in the list above, but it also offers a $2,500 incentive for electric vehicles. New York City has its own EV policies that surely helped stimulate EV adoption a bit, but the fact that it is the largest city in the US (by far) is also surely a factor." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOver 50% Of Electric Cars Sold In US Are In 5 Cities

Tesla Outsold Buick, Fiat, Land Rover, Lincoln, and Mitsubishi in Q1 and Q2

"The state of California has just released its new vehicle sales numbers for the first half of 2013, and the big winner so far is the Tesla Model S, with 0.6% of the overall market share. That may not sound like much, but – in California – it’s more than Buick (0.5%), FIAT (0.5%), Land Rover (0.5%), Lincoln (0.3%), and Mitsubishi (0.3%) did in the same time, with stronger dealer networks, more existing customers, and a lower initial pricetag! Also of note in the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) report, hybrids accounted for just over 7% of overall sales for the first time, up from 6.2% in 2012 and 4.8% in 2011." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTesla Outsold Buick, Fiat, Land Rover, Lincoln, and Mitsubishi in Q1 and Q2

Tesla Motor’s Model S is the safest car ever tested

"Tesla Motor’s fully electric luxury sedan, the Model S, isn’t just the best car ever tested by Consumer Reports. It is also the safest car ever tested by U.S. regulators. The Tesla Model S has earned a 5-star safety rating, both overall and in each individual category, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The car has a Vehicle Safety Score (VSS) of 5.4 stars, a better than perfect score. The car has received glowing reviews, but with a base price of about $70,000 it is too expensive to be enjoyed by most Americans. Tesla hopes to begin selling a cheaper fully electric SUV, the Model X, in 2014." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTesla Motor’s Model S is the safest car ever tested

The Verdict on The World’s Fastest “Train”

"Consider the motivation behind Musk’s Hyperloop: California’s new so-called high-speed rail system, which Musk calls a 'bullet train to nowhere.' Rumored to cost $70 billion, Musk asks why California – one of the world’s largest economies, home of Silicon Valley, and with some of the world’s greatest tech companies – 'would build a bullet train that’s both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world.' Comparing it to the Hyperloop, he says, 'The train would be both slower, more expensive to operate (if unsubsidized) and less safe by two orders of magnitude than flying, so why would anyone use it?'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Verdict on The World’s Fastest “Train”