Latest Science and Technology

In the past couple of years, phones have been all about the big and bright screen. The size of devices has gradually increased, and while many people, like my colleague Abhimanyu, are asking companies to make smaller phones, there’s no stopping the phone makers. That’s why, earlier this year, when we heard rumors about Moto’s iconic clamshell Razr making comeback as a foldable, we were excited. Last month, a report from CNET said the phone is slotted to launch in November – this month. But, before that, thanks to various leaks last night, we now have our first proper look… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Wx1wMV

I am convinced personal electric vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters are the best way to get around a crowded metropolis like New York City. No vehicle has convinced me more than the Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent X. This $2,500 e-bike is a standout commuter vehicle, checking off a formidable list of features at a price that won’t break the bank, at least relative to other e-bikes with similar features. 28+ mph adjustable top speed? Check. Real-world range of 70 miles for an average rider? Check. Ultra-durable tires? Check. Both smooth pedal assist and throttle operation? Check. A sturdy rear rack, front suspension,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2WzWKOW

Sony today revealed the PlayStation 4 has surpassed two other consoles in sales figures — namely, the Wii and the original PlayStation. It’s now the second-best-selling console of all time. Sony released its quarterly financial report this week, detailing, among other things, its hardware sales. We know the total number of PS4s sold as of the last report was 100 million, and the company sold an additional 2.8 million units this quarter. That brings the total up to 102.8 million PS4s sold over its six-year lifespan. For reference, the Wii sold 101.6 million units, while the PS1 sold 102.5. So… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/320uxlf

The Internet Archive this week announced it was partnering with Wikipedia to link the latter’s book citations to the former’s redoubtable library. In future, when users look up a source on page, they may be able to get a digital copy of the book from the Internet Archive. Both sites collaborated to link 130,000 citations on various articles to 50,000 of the Archive’s digital book repository. When a users clicks on these linked citations, it takes them to a copy of the page on the Archive’s site, where they can see the source directly. The Archive offers a digital lending library… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Wikipedia from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NGiJjd

Aziz ‘Com’ Mirza, a Canadian man living in Dubai, has been arrested by authorities and accused of defrauding investors through a string of get-rich-quick schemes, including real estate-backed cryptocurrency Habibi Coin — once dubbed “the Bitcoin of the Middle East.” According to Gulf News, Mirza, who describes himself as a serial entrepreneur, mentor, influencer, and philanthropist is now in custody at Al Awir jail. Mirza was taken into custody by Bur Dubai Police on October 27. He was arrested after a United Arab Emirates resident claimed they’d lost more than $150,000 in one of his dodgy schemes. Back in April,… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Instagram from The Next Web https://ift.tt/36j42Lg

One of the hottest new topics in tech is 5G, the next generation of cellular network technology. When 4G came along, it was a massive breakthrough and gave birth to services like Instagram and Snapchat, which had been completely unthinkable only a couple of years earlier. Now it’s time for the next generation of innovations.  5G is much faster, more responsive, and more customizable than 4G and is expected to be fundamental to the advancement of new technologies such as IoT, AI, VR, and self-driving cars. To match human-like reflexes, autonomous vehicles need to be able to read their environment… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/321p1z0

What comes to mind when you think of Italy? Pizza, pasta, Ferrari, long white-chalk roads winding their way over rolling Tuscan hills? What about Bitcoin? Because it seems Italians are quite keen on using the cryptocurrency for online payments. According to a recent report by marketing analysis firm SEMRush, Bitcoin is the third most popular method for online payments in Italy. It comes in behind payment processor PayPal and Italian prepaid cash card provider PostePay. It’s important to point out that the study included payments made using Visa debit or MasterCards through PayPal, as PayPal payments. If these weren’t included under PayPal, it’s… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/325NBi2

Despite a significant growth in the number of women working in the tech industry, female representation has stalled over the last decade. Only 18 percent of leadership roles being filled by women, and it turns out the chances of promotion are just as low. In three new diversity reports by Harnham’s Data and Analytics, based on a survey of 3,000 professionals in the UK, the EU, and the US, they found that professionals who are women or ethnic minorities in the data and analytics industry are half as likely to reach a leadership position or hold a director title than… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Wv6U33

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but victims who lost money as a result of Mt. Gox‘s implosion will have to wait even longer to get their refunds. The news comes after the trustee, tasked with refunding users, again decided to extend the submission deadline for claims. In a statement released earlier this week, Nobuaki Kobayashi said a Tokyo District Court had issued an order to extend the deadline until March 31, 2020. Kobayashi announced the deadline extension just one day before the current one, which was agreed in April, expired. When it collapsed in 2014, Mt. Gox… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2qdNO5p

People have a poor track record of preventing global disasters. But for antimicrobial resistance, an unlikely group of allies is making big promises. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/36hKJSJ

It’s a classic Halloween tale. A group of ghost hunters visit a grand old house that is rumoured to be haunted. But after thoroughly exploring, they leave disappointed: there are no ghosts to be seen. Only later, when looking through their photographs of the place do they notice the mysterious apparition on the stairs. It was there all the time. In our new work, published in Nature, we were shocked to discover an apparition of galactic proportions when looking at a familiar galaxy. The finding has huge significance because it demonstrates how chemical elements mix on very large scales around… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2BV4j9l

Eleven years ago today, Satoshi Nakamoto — the person, or persons, responsible for creating Bitcoin — unleashed the cryptocurrency’s white paper into the wild. Published on October 31, 2008, the white paper, officially titled, ‘Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,’ described a novel, immutable, decentralized peer-to-peer network that could track and verify transactions while also preventing double-spending and producing a transparent record for anyone to verify in almost real-time.  Nakamoto began by outlining how e-commerce relied almost exclusively on financial institutions acting as trusted third parties to process payments. Although the system worked well enough for most transactions, it still suffered… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ptzSEy

Microsoft has partnered with a Regional Transport Office in the northern city of Dehradun India to roll out a smartphone-based system for driving license tests. The company’s Harnessing AutoMobiles for Safety (HAMS) uses AI to monitor drivers and their driving. To use the AI, the driver has to place a phone on a holder on the dashboard of the car. The software first checks the face of the driver and position of the camera, and then asks them to begin the test. Once the driving starts, the AI measures, the driver’s gaze, the vehicle’s trajectory, and its distance from objects using front and… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/33753UI

Welcome to CHEAP, our series about things that are good, but most of all, cheap. CHEAP! Gaming will always be there for you. No matter how bad the weather is, how you’re feeling, or whatever else is going on in your life, you can always find some respite in video games. They let you explore new worlds, but, importantly, they also let you smack down a whole load of chumps. And what could possibly be more satisfying than that? The thing is… what if, like me, you really don’t want people to come over to your house? You don’t want… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Playstation from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Wtpc4R

Butterflies are rather like Goldilocks, preferring conditions to be neither too hot nor too cold, but “just right.” Under climate change, the temperature at any given time of summer is, on average, getting warmer, leaving butterflies (and their nocturnal cousins, the moths) with the challenge of how to remain in their optimal temperature window. One of the main ways in which species are achieving this is by changing the time of year at which they are active. Scientists refer to the timing of such lifecycle events as “phenology,” so when an animal or plant starts to do things earlier in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2WrLcgm

Facebook, once an innocent tool to share ‘what’s on your mind’ has increasingly been weaponized by governments to spread disinformation and manipulate elections — something hundreds of the tech giants’ employees outlined in an open letter this week that urged the company to rethink its stance on political ads.    As reported by The New York Times, a Russian-linked Facebook campaign has been found testing new disinformation tactics targeting African countries including Mozambique, Cameroon, Sudan, and Libya. Yesterday, Facebook said in a post that it had removed three “inauthentic” Russian influence networks from the platform that were linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/34icZ5A

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 Marcus Aurelius used to say: Let’s make it rock! Bitcoin Price We closed the day, October 30 2019, at a price of $9,205. That’s a notable 2.30 percent decline in 24 hours, or -$216.72. It was the lowest closing price in four days. We’re still 54 percent below Bitcoin‘s all-time high of $20,089 (December 17 2017). Bitcoin market cap Bitcoin’s market cap ended the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2MZ5B9s

The end of 2019 is on the horizon and the cryptocurrency world hasn’t changed. The Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) is having to warn netizens about cryptocurrency scams. Earlier this week, the FSMA issued another update to its list of known cryptocurrency investment scams that seemingly never stops growing. The suspicious sites list has now swelled to include warnings about 131 websites that are known to dupe unsuspecting victims out of their money. As ever, these scams revolve around the same principle. The websites offer the promise of easy, secure, and lucrative investments that claim to generate high… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2BXn6Rt

If you are still holding on dearly to your iPhone 5 (we salute you), you need to upgrade its software immediately to keep GPS, web, and email working. According to an Apple support page, you’ll need to update your device to iOS 10.3.4 before November 3. This is due to the GPS rollover problem that had started to affect devices from this April. GPS satellites transmit their data in 10-bit format. Every week, that number ticks along. So after every 1,024 weeks – approximately 19.7 years –, the clock resets. Most modern-day devices have an in-built solution for this, so consumers don’t… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: iPhone , iPhone 5 from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2C018xa

WhatsApp has revealed that at least two dozen academics, lawyers, Dalit activists and journalists in India were the target of surveillance by threat operators using security firm NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The revelations, reported by news outlet Indian Express, comes as the Facebook-owned messaging service filed a lawsuit against the Israeli company for helping government spies break into the phones of roughly 1,400 users across four continents in a hacking spree whose targets included diplomats, political dissidents, journalists and senior government officials. “Indian journalists and human rights activists have been the target of surveillance and while I cannot reveal their… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: WhatsApp from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2C09Knr

In March, Mark Zuckerberg shared his grand vision of Facebook’s future that included encrypting all messaging services. It seems that the company is slowly working on making that happen. According to app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, Facebook is testing encrypting video and audio calls over Messenger in Secret mode. However, this doesn’t mean your calls in normal mode will be encrypted. Facebook Messenger is testing Video/Audio calls over Secret Conversation pic.twitter.com/aNgnvtzsBf — Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 31, 2019 Currently, Messenger encrypts messages only in secret conversation mode, and it doesn’t have call functionality. It’s also important to note amongst… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NvrmwV

Security researchers have found a new phishing campaign that leverages fake voicemail messages to trick victims into stealing their Office 365 email credentials. The scam — uncovered by cybersecurity firm McAfee — made use of fraudulent email attachments, which when opened, redirected users to a phishing website that siphoned the login information with an aim to impersonate staff members and gain wider access to internal systems. A number of employees, from middle management to executive level staff employed across different verticals such as services, finance, IT services, retail, and insurance, were targeted in what the researchers call a whaling campaign.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Wrw3M0

This article was originally published on SEXTECHGUIDE, an independent publication that looks at the intersection between sex and technology in a non-explicit, as close to a ‘safe for work’ way as possible – including app reviews, adult VR info, sextech devices, privacy, security issues, and much more. It was founded by ex-TNW European Editor Ben Woods, and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.   From sex sounds and erotic storytelling to adult-themed ASMR and hands-free orgasm hypno-masturbation, amateur audio porn performers may be reaping some attention, but financial rewards are, so far, lacking. For your ears only, SEXTECHGUIDE spoke to various veteran and budding adult… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Py35bY

ING isn’t the only institution that’s expecting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to be a thing quite soon. According to a report conducted by old-school tech firm IBM and the Official Monetary Institutions Forum (OMFIF), we can expect to see fiat-based digital currencies within the next five years. These currencies will exist as “either a complement to or as a substitute for notes and coins.” With that in mind, one struggles to see how these currencies are any different to the digital representations we have in our online bank accounts now. The report states that it’s most likely the first… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: IBM from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NvV6K6

Fake news, Facebook News, Brexit, WhatsApp hacks, and the “enemy of the people.” These are just some of the fast-changing stories that journalists across Europe are striving to cover — oftentimes, finding themselves at the center of that story.  Europe’s newsrooms are facing multiple challenges as they adjust to a more populist environment, greater competition from digital rivals, and continued financial constraints. For the sake of citizens, societies, and world order, journalists and publishers must now navigate an ever more complex landscape to hold power accountable. “Fake news undermines well-informed democratic debate… it also destroys public confidence in media and adds… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/34geQrS

British Cycling (BC), the nation’s governing body of the sport, has just unveiled its new track bike — and its radical design makes me think it’ll be banned at some point. BC today published the first images of the bike that its track team will be riding in the upcoming Tokyo 2020 games. The machine — designed by BC in collaboration with the engineering arm of automotive firm Lotus and bicycle component manufacturer Hope Engineering — features a radical design with forks and frame that flare widely around the front and rear wheels. Presumably, the bike‘s manufacturers have proven this… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2WoDwvx

If humans created an emissions hall of shame, which pollutants would you nominate? Carbon dioxide and methane would probably be fan favorites. But take a moment and consider my dark horse candidate: sulfur dioxide. Unlike its carbon-based counterparts, sulfur dioxide is not considered a major greenhouse gas and doesn’t get as much attention in the media. Instead, it does its dirty work in other ways. Sulfur dioxide is emitted primarily through the burning of fossil fuels from power plants, industry, automobiles, planes, and ships. The sulfur dioxide then finds other atmospheric molecules in the air, combines with them, and forms… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2JwOSII

During our weekly TNW editorial meeting earlier today, I got a call from my father, which is something that doesn’t happen all that often. Especially not during working hours. I texted him back, and he told me I’d been hacked. My heart started pounding. I still get nightmares from that story Wired’s Mat Honan wrote when he got hacked, and lost all his personal data. What if someone read my conversations with my girlfriend? Found embarrassing group convos? Got into my work accounts? Or even worse: got into my banking stuff? I asked my dad what happened, and he started… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/36ndP39

When we watched the first Transformers movie, most of us wanted our toasters and washing machines to turn into cool robots. Now, MIT has developed a set of self-assembling robot blocks that can identify each other. These robots, called M-Blocks 2.0, have a barcode-like system on each face that helps them recognize and communicate with other blocks. Right now, these 16 blocks can perform tasks such as forming a line, following arrows, tracking light, and traversing down a path of arrows. These blocks can travel along other blocks, climb up or down each other, and even jump. Check out their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2pgwX24

Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey, who recently said his company would never get involved with Facebook‘s Libra, has backed a cryptocurrency startup. Dorsey, a longtime Bitcoin advocate, participated in CoinList’s $10 million funding round, alongside several other investors. CoinList, which helps startups raise money through token sales, will use the cash to build CoinList Trade, a new exchange platform, and a cryptocurrency wallet, the Wall Street Journal reports. This is the first time Dorsey invests in CoinList, which closed a Series B in 2018 from backers including Digital Currency Group and Polychain Capital. Several months ago, Dorsey said he… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook , Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Ws1i9U

Welcome to CHEAP, our series about things that are good, but most of all, cheap. CHEAP! When you use your daily $100-$200 earphones, you might think what’s all the fuss about the high-end audio products? That’s at least what I used to think, until I tried some really good earphones and headphones such as the Beyerdynamic Aventho wireless. The only issue is that they might be too bulky for people on the go. That’s where the AKG N5005 comes in, small and snazzy in-ear monitors (IEMs).. That’s where the AKG N5005 comes in. The pair is selling for just $500, down from… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31VfA3T

For decades, scientists have long been obsessed with uncovering biological differences between male and female brains. Dating back to the 1800’s, influential scientists, including Charles Darwin and Gustave Le Bon, believed women were “biologically inferior to men.” Gustave Le Bon, a social psychologist best known for his study of the psychological characteristics of crowds, even went as far to say: “Women represent the most inferior forms of human evolution and are closer to children and savages than to an adult, civilized, man.”  These “antiquated” beliefs didn’t stay in the 18th century. Just last year, an engineer from Google published a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NooQbB

It’s been a couple of weeks since the launch of the Pixel 4. We got our hands on one, and have a full review and video in the pipeline, but we wanted to get some thoughts down before then. In a… different way. This then, is the acrostic review of the Pixel 4. What’s that? Well, when the first letter of each paragraph will form its OWN REVIEW BY THE END OF THE PIECE. See if you can unravel our tricky, brain-rending riddle. Good luck, friends, good luck. I think the first thing that struck me about the Pixel 4 is the design.… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Pw8nVB

Whether you want to write your first novel or screenplay, The Become a Professional Creative Writer Bundle can get you started on the right foot, and it's on sale for only $21 in the TNW Deals Shop.  from The Next Web https://ift.tt/34fcKZe

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), a government-owned entity responsible for nuclear power in the country, has admitted that a cybersecurity attack took place in a nuclear power plant. It said systems of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), located in southern state of Tamil Nadu, were subjected to malware in September. The entity said in a statement that it was notified about the incident by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) on September 4, noting its plant systems had not been affected: The identification of malware in the NPCIL system is correct. The matter was conveyed by CERT-In… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/322mEM1

After seeing its IPO dreams slashed earlier this year, Bitmain Technologies has reportedly re-submitted its US application in secret.  According to a Tencent News report, the cryptocurrency miner manufacturing giant filed its application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with Deutsche Bank as its sponsor. It’s not known how much Bitmain is looking to raise with its IPO, but previous reports suggested that it was seeking to raise approximately $300 million–$500 million with its US offering. The latest figure is a lot lower than the $3 billion it intended on raising when it filed an IPO application in September 2018  to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2qP7M6T

A US power plant that’s more than 100 years old, and is of significant historical value, is being saved from demolition by cryptocurrency. The 110-year old power plant, Old Rainbow, is being allowed to become a cryptocurrency mining farm, after being granted approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Proposal documents submitted to the FERC say the mining machines will be placed in just one part of the building, and there are plans to expand; presumably if the endeavor proves profitable. Cryptocurrency mining operations at Old Rainbow will be staffed and run 24 hours a day, 365 days a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2JvlouA

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 Nikola Tesla used to say: We’re on the highway to hell, so let’s ride! Bitcoin Price We closed the day, October 29 2019, at a price of $9,427. That’s a minor 1.93 percent increase in 24 hours, or $179. It was the highest closing price in one day. We’re still 53 percent below Bitcoin‘s all-time high of $20,089 (December 17 2017). Bitcoin market cap Bitcoin’s… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NjZxra

Amazon is always looking for ways to make you shop more on its site, and its latest move is a rather enticing one. It’s making Amazon Fresh – its $14.99/month grocery shopping and quick delivery service – available to its Prime subscribers in roughly 2,000 US cities for free. That’s a sweet deal for one- and two-hour grocery delivery, which would normally set you back by $180 a year for the subscription. Depending on your location, you can shop from Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods‘ selections of staples. TechCrunch notes that the former is only available in some 20 cities… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Amazon from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2q9otJR

A new kind of Android malware capable of reinstalling itself even after being manually removed has reportedly infected more than 45,000 Android devices over the last six months. The latest findings — disclosed by cybersecurity firm Symantec — come after a similar disclosure by MalwareBytes, which first spotted the malware in the wild in May 2019. Called xHelper, the Trojan — affecting mostly users in India, the US, Russia — has since shot up to the top 10 list of most detected mobile malware, with Symantec observing what it calls “a surge in detections” of the malicious Android malware that can… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android from The Next Web https://ift.tt/330m6aO

WhatsApp just sued Israel-based security company, the NSO Group, in a US federal court for allegedly injecting malware into over 1,400 targets’ phones through the messaging service. The Facebook-owned company accused the NSO Group of installing malware into phones for surveillance. The court filing says the security company wasn’t able to break WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, so it used malicious code to snoop on chat messages. In May, the chat app patched a vulnerability that allowed hackers to install malware through an audio call even if you don’t answer it. At the time, sources told the Financial Times that NSO Group was responsible… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Security , WhatsApp from The Next Web https://ift.tt/36dqhlX

The Facebook-owned messaging company is taking on a notorious malware vendor in what could be an uphill battle. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2otMrPL

While Samsung is busy making folding phones that scratch with a fingernail and Microsoft prepares a dual-screen phone that won’t arrive for another year, LG’s G8X takes a far more pragmatic approach to the latest smartphone trend: just add a second screen to a normal phone via a case. While it may not be as fancy as the competition, it means the G8X can be had for way cheaper than other folding devices. At just $700 for the phone plus screen case bundle(for a limited time), that’s over a thousand bucks cheaper than the $1,980 Galaxy Fold, let alone the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: LG from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2pqnuF9

Microsoft today rolled the first preview of its Xbox Console streaming feature, meaning you can stream games from your Xbox One to your Android device — provided you’re in a very specific group of people. “Preview,” in this case, means its not going to be available to everyone. You must live in the US or UK and be an Xbox Insider in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings (wow, that kind of makes it sound like a cult). You also must own a device running Android 6.0 or higher and a Bluetooth-capable Xbox One controller. They also recommend using one… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android , Xbox , Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31Zold8

If you thought the Galaxy Fold’s initial woes would stop Samsung from continuing to make bendy screens, you’d be wrong. At the Samsung Developer Conference today, the company teased a new device that folds more like the clamshell phones of olds. It’s an intriguing form factor – one that’s already alleged to show up in the rumored Motorola RAZR phone next month. By folding vertically rather than horizontally, the device is able to maintain a more typical smartphone size and aspect ratio when open. This should make the device more familiar to use and provide a more comfortable aspect ratio… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Samsung from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2JzCebL

Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant now all give you ways to opt out of human transcription of your voice snippets. Do it. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/36gvUzG

After first announcing the project last year, Chinese tech giant Tencent has been given the go-ahead by the country’s tax officials to create blockchain-based invoice standards. The invoices will be created as part of a project called  “General Framework of DLT-Based Invoices,” which is also being supported by several other countries including the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, and Brazil, Global Times reports. Tencent will be working with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, and the taxation bureau in Shenzhen (in South China‘s Guangdong Province) to launch the novel invoicing system. “The project shows China‘s industry and market activity in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2PuFjxM

Thank the lord, Apple has finally given AirPods a proper update. So, AirPods Pro, wipe that mucus off your shiny plastic and say hello to the world. If you’re here looking for general information and specs on the new true wireless earbuds, I’d recommend you check out this article. This piece is looking at something different: the clever branding Apple has undertaken with the AirPods Pro. Now, when the second generation of AirPods (colloquially known as AirPods 2) were announced in March of this year, I was disappointed. Yeah, there was an improvement in battery life, a new chip (gotta… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2BT0Vf5

Researchers at Group-IB, a Singapore-based cybersecurity company, have found a data dump of over 1.3 million credit and debit cards from India on a dark web site called Joker’s Stash. As reported first by ZDNet, researchers found the dump on October 28. Group-IB says some cards are being sold at $100, with a total value of the database estimated at over $130 million. According to researchers, this is the single biggest and one of the most valuable database uploads on the dark web. Right now, details of the source or origin of these card details are not known. But researchers… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/34fqyTE

How do you like the following joke from Sumeria in about 1900BC? “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.” Or this classic from Egypt, 1600BC? “How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge the pharaoh to go catch a fish.” If not, maybe try this more modern joke from 1000AD Britain: “What hangs at a man’s thigh and wants to poke the hole that it’s often poked before? Answer: A key.” The chances… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31TXFdV

David Marcus, Facebook’s Libra lead, has defended the technology giant’s ‘cryptocurrency’ project saying “the most meaningful innovations that have changed the lives of millions across the world in a profound way have always been met with damning headlines.”  Marcus was speaking at Money 20/20, an industry conference held in Las Vegas, in a bid to provide some insight into how Libra seeks to improve traditional payment rails by offering a novel, and secure way, of moving money.  To make his point, Marcus resorted to examples including the internet, electricity, mobile phones, and smartphones noting that like them, Libra also has the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31UuF5Y

Ever since the first porn video was uploaded to the internet, the worry of minors stumbling across it has persisted. Surprisingly — as I’m sure you already know — finding porn online is an easy task requiring just a quick Google search. Governments are working to make it one-step harder to access porn online. Yesterday, Australia‘s Department of Home Affairs proposed to start scanning porn viewers’ faces and match them up with government photos to verify their age using its ‘Face Verification Service’ — an image database of Australian citizens that is managed by government agencies. “Home Affairs is developing… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NhKvSM

Halloween is just around the corner and while most celebrations are pretty harmless — drunken costume parties, skeleton decorations, the maiming of innocent pumpkins — there are some people in this world that just take things too far. Zack Roif and Matthew Woodward have unleashed an abomination upon this world: Hellvetica, a disfigured Helvetica with truly torturous kerning. Kerning, which adjusts the spaces between letters based on how they’re shaped, is usually applied to make the text more pleasing. Hellvetica, however, turns it into its anti-thesis by randomizing the spaces between — resulting in nauseating devil script. What makes this… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/36fLCLr

Bitcoin Cash is a household name in the cryptocurrency world. It’s never far from being in the top five cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that old. Bitcoin Cash was created in August 2017. In response to Bitcoin‘s scalability challenges, its blockchain was hard forked to create a new coin, called Bitcoin Cash. Its creators wanted to create a cryptocurrency that acted as close to a digital version of cash as possible. It wanted to reduce the comparatively high transaction fees associated with Bitcoin to make everyday use of cryptocurrency a more achievable… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Ws61s3