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Offline over the weekend? Read all the tech news you missed right here

Mar03
by on March 3, 2014 at 10:08 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Roundups

Coffee7 520x245 Offline over the weekend? Read all the tech news you missed right here

With all the excitement of last week, you can be forgiven for wanting to take a day or two to recuperate – to maybe spend time relaxing with your friends and family. Or on your own, whichever is more relaxing for you.

And while that’s perfectly acceptable at weekends, it’s Monday again now and there’s plenty that you missed while you weren’t paying attention. So, make a coffee and spend 10 minutes catching up with all our coverage from the last two days.

News from The Next Web:

Good reads:

From beyond The Next Web:

 

Featured Image Credit – Shutterstock

 

 

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Kickstarter passes $1 billion in pledges, with more than half pledged in the last 12 months

Mar03
by on March 3, 2014 at 9:42 am
Posted In: Around the Web, crowdfunding, Insider

Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has passed $1 billion in pledges nearly four years after it made its debut on April 28, 2009. More than half of the $1 billion was pledged in the last 12 months alone, a testimony to the rising popularity of crowdfunding.

Screen shot 2014 03 03 at PM 05.29.12 730x321 Kickstarter passes $1 billion in pledges, with more than half pledged in the last 12 months

In total, 5.7 million people from 224 countries and territories contributed to the $1 billion amount. The US comes in tops, chalking up $663 million worth of pledges in total, while the UK follows with $54 million.

In the meantime, about 1.7 million people have backed more than one project on Kickstarter, while 15,932 people have backed more than 50 projects — in total, $619 million has been pledged by returning backers.

Read – The past, present and future of crowdfunding

➤ One Billion Dollars [Kickstarter]

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Troubled exchange Mt. Gox confirms loss of 750,000 Bitcoins, blames a ‘bug in the Bitcoin system’

Mar03
by on March 3, 2014 at 8:56 am
Posted In: Around the Web, bitcoin, Insider

474757453 520x245 Troubled exchange Mt. Gox confirms loss of 750,000 Bitcoins, blames a bug in the Bitcoin system

Troubled Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, once the largest of its kind, filed for bankruptcy protection last week. Today, the exchange released a statement that confirms approximately 750,000 Bitcoins deposited by users and about 100,000 Bitcoins belong to Mt. Gox had disappeared in February.

This acknowledgment comes after a document claimed to be leaked out of Mt. Gox was circulating within the Bitcoin community last week, which suggested 750,000 Bitcoins had been lost.

In an update to its financial situation published on its site, Mt. Gox notes that the discrepancy between the amount of cash held in financial institutions and the amount deposited from Mt. Gox’s users come in at about 2.8 billion yen ($27.6 million) — though the exact amount of missing deposit funds and the total amount of Bitcoins that disappeared still can’t be fully confirmed as of now.

Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles says that there was a “high probability” that the Bitcoins had been stolen due to the abuse of a bug in the Bitcoin system. “At the start of February 2014, illegal access through the abuse of a bug in the Bitcoin system resulted in an increase in incomplete Bitcoin transfer transactions and we discovered that there was a possibility that Bitcoins had been illicitly moved through the abuse of this bug,” he says.

In the statement, Karpeles acknowledges the problem could have stemmed from a variety of causes including hacking by third parties. ”We have asked an expert to look at the possibility of a criminal complaint and undertake proper procedures,” he says.

Mt. Gox’s sudden shutdown and subsequent filing for bankruptcy protection have dealt a heavy blow to the Bitcoin industry. Pre-empting such a response, the heads of six of the world’s biggest Bitcoin exchanges earlier penned a letter in response to reports of Mt. Gox’s impending insolvency, in a bid to reassure Bitcoin investors.

Mt. Gox says that ”all efforts will now be made to restore the business and recover damages to repay debts to creditors.” As it needs to continue its business to increase repayments to its creditors, the company has opted for bankruptcy protection — or what is known as civil rehabilitation in Japan.

“Rebuilding MtGox Co., Ltd under the supervision of the court in a legally organized procedure while giving proper explanations will not be for the sole benefit of the company but for that of the whole Bitcoin community,” Karpeles says.

➤ Statement on Mt. Gox site

Headline image via Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

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India’s Karbonn is set to release smartphones that run both Windows Phone and Android

Mar03
by on March 3, 2014 at 8:22 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, India, Windows Phone

Karbonnmobiless logo 2013 07 23 23 32 730x208 Indias Karbonn is set to release smartphones that run both Windows Phone and Android

Indian phone manufacturer Karbonn Mobiles is planning to release dual-OS devices by June, which will run both Windows Phone and Android, the Times of India reports.

Karbonn reached a deal with Microsoft recently, company chairman Sudhir Hasija told the Times of India. ”Microsoft has eased the regulations and is opening up its platform for other players. We signed the agreement two days ago and will launch a range of Windows phones in about three months,” he says.

Since last year, Microsoft has reportedly been open to the idea of dual-booting smartphones, in a bid to beef up its market share and challenge Android and iOS. It also seems like Microsoft is warming up to the idea of embracing more solidarity with Google’s Android OS. Last month, Nokia — whose device business Microsoft is in the process of acquiring – unveiled the Nokia X family of devices that run an operating system based on Android.

➤ Karbonn to launch Android-cum-Windows smartphones [Times of India]

Thumbnail image via Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images

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