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Internet users were cryptojacked 52.7 million times in the first half of 2019

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 10:01 am
Posted In: Around the Web, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


Criminals made a staggering 52.7 million cryptojacking hits during the first six months of the year. According to the latest research from SonicWall, cryptojacking activity rose by 9 percent between January and June 2019 when compared to levels seen in the last six months of 2018. Cryptojacking refers to when a user’s computing power is hijacked by malware to mine cryptocurrency, which is often triggered by code hidden in websites. The research also looked into the correlation between Bitcoin‘s price and criminal activity. The graph above shows that cryptojacking volumes began declining in November and December seemingly mirroring Bitcoin‘s declining…

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Apple denies favoring its own apps in App Store search results

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 9:17 am
Posted In: Around the Web


Apple’s App Store is already a point of antitrust contention, and a new investigation by The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the company’s own mobile apps are often first in App Store search results ahead of competitors. “The company’s apps ranked first in more than 60 percent of basic searches, such as for ‘maps.’ Apple apps that generate revenue through subscriptions or sales, like Music or Books, showed up first in 95 percent of searches related to those apps,” the report said. In categories like books and maps, Apple’s equivalent offerings are less popular than those from Amazon and…

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Using virtual reality could make you a better person in real life

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 8:24 am
Posted In: Around the Web, syndication, virtual reality


If you’ve ever participated in a virtual reality (VR) experience, you might have found yourself navigating the virtual world as an avatar. If you haven’t, you probably recognize the experience from its portrayal in film and on television. Popular media has brought us characters like Jake Sully in Avatar, Wade Watts in Ready Player One, and Danny and Karl in the Black Mirror episode Striking Vipers. In these examples, the character’s virtual alter-ego is physically different from who they are in the real world. The connection between the real person and their virtual avatar is called “embodiment”. If you have…

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New York financial regulator sets up new division to police cryptocurrency businesses

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 8:02 am
Posted In: Around the Web, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


The New York State Department of Financial Services has announced the launch of a new division which will absorb the regulator’s current department that oversees cryptocurrency businesses in the state. In a statement released yesterday, financial services superintendent Linda Lacewell announced the regulator’s new research and innovation division. The new division will be responsible for “keeping pace” with technological developments in banking, insurance, and fintech. In essence, it appears the division will be tasked with assessing new financial technologies and devising suitable regulations. The division will also become home to the regulator’s department that licenses and supervises businesses that deal…

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Netflix launches its $3/month mobile-only subscription in India

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 7:12 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web


At an event in New Delhi, India, today, Netflix launched its new mobile-only subscription tier for users in the country at Rs. 199 ($2.88) per month. The plan is valid for one concurrent stream and will work with Android and iOS tablets. Netflix said consumers will be able to stream content at Standard Definition (SD). Earlier this month, the company had confirmed its plan to launch a mobile-only subscription in India. It had tested this plan in India and Malaysia earlier this year. Developing…

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