The value of Bitcoin has taken a tumble on worldwide currency markets after China ordered exchanges to cease trading in the cryptocurrency. What Is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a digital web-based currency that operates without the need for central banks and uses highly secure encryption (a crypto-currency) to regulate the currency units and to verify transfers of funds. Bitcoin uses the ‘Blockchain’ technology. Blockchain is an open and programmable technology that can be used to record transactions for virtually anything of value that can be converted to code and is often referred to as a kind of ‘incorruptible ledger’. There are
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Apple’s on-stage demo of the new iPhone X in front of the world’s media last Tuesday suffered an unexpected glitch as its new face recognition feature didn’t work, and now Apple is offering an explanation of what went wrong. Not Recognised The nearly two-hour on-stage demo of the new phone, by Craig Mr Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering at the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters, failed to hit the right note as it was overshadowed by the failure of the new handset to recognise his face as a means of authentication. Others Moving The Handset Statements by Apple
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In order for the government to cut net migration numbers to the UK post-Brexit, it has been reported that three government departments will be sharing data on citizens so that immigration status checks can be made more easily. Departments It has been reported that the Home Office, HM Revenue & Customs and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will all share data about citizens, thereby enabling checks on immigration status to be made more easily e.g. by employers and public service agencies. The proposals, which are part of a Home Office paper entitled “the Border, Immigration and Citizenship System
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In the wake of the recent, massive Equifax hack, a well-known chatbot developed to overturn parking fines has been modified to help victims file legal claims against Equifax. What Happened? A vulnerability in the Equifax website was reportedly exploited by unknown hackers, leading to the theft of 143 million customer details stolen, 44 million of which may have come from UK customers. What many found most shocking about the hack is that not only was Equifax reported to have known about the attack some 40 days before informing the public that it had happened, but that three senior executives at
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Contrary to concerns that social news platform Reddit would drive abusive user groups to other areas of the site by banning them, research has shown that bans have cut hate speech and bad online behaviour for the longer term. What Happened? Back in 2015, social news platform Reddit was receiving criticism for appearing to do nothing to curb online harassment and bullying that was occurring on the site as user numbers grew. Reddit’s own survey at the time showed that 50% of active users would not recommend the site, due to “hateful or offensive content and community”. This led Reddit
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Sometimes the calculator on your computer can come in very handy, and Cortana in Windows 10 gives you access to a full featured calculator via the search box. Here’s how. With Cortana enabled: Tap the Windows key. Type your calculation into the search box. Cortana displays the result of your calculation at the top of the search results list. The calculator vanishes as soon as you click away.
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An AI algorithm developed by researchers at Stanford University has been able to identify men and women as gay or straight just by studying photographs, with up to 91% accuracy. Why? The study by Stanford’s Michal Kosinski and Yilun Wang used AI to test a theory that sexual orientation stems from exposure to certain hormones before birth, meaning people are born gay, and that female sexual orientation is more fluid. The study also tested the hypothesis that faces contain more information about sexual orientation than can be perceived and interpreted by the human brain, and that a computer AI program
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US Credit Rating Company Equifax was hacked last Friday with 143 million customer details stolen, 44 million of which may have come from UK customers. Largest Hack The hack, which many experts believe is the largest in US history, is thought to have happened after hackers found a way through a vulnerability on the website. Equifax has received criticism for trying to save money on cyber protection at the expense of customer data-protection and had a lawsuit filed against it in Portland, Oregon for allegedly not maintaining adequate technological safeguards. Waited 40 Days What many have found most shocking about
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