and it just raised $40 million Massdrop is a new kind of Internet retailer. Actually, it's technically not a retailer at all.
The site doesn't have any kind of item on hand to sell you. Instead, it acts as a middleman between manufacturers, enthusiasts, and would-be customers."
the site now has over one million monthly users. To keep up with that demand, Massdrop's employees have ballooned from 14 just over a year ago to 70 today.
El-Hage says that the company's unique relationship with vendors sets it apart from other failed flash sale websites.
#The Apple Pay effect is real n-store mobile payments volume will top $800 billion in 2019 Mobile payments the use of phones to complete transactions in stores instead of cash
Considering that the feature can only be used on the new iphones we think that's indicative of exceptional momentum.
Multiple sources confirm that Google Wallet saw a jump in payment volume following the launch of Apple Pay.
Softcard (formerly Isis), a mobile wallet backed by big wireless carriers including Verizon, also struck a number of new deals that were likely a result of retailers attempting to give their customers an Android-based alternative to Apple Pay.
and why the fledgling mobile payments feature is sure to be a success. Provides a quarterly update on the mobile payments industry including analysis of Softcard, Google Wallet, Currentc, Paypal, and Looppay.
a popular social coding site for programmers, is fighting a days-long cyberattack that reportedly originates in China.
The U s. coding site Github said on Sunday it was deflecting most of the traffic from the cyberattack that had caused intermittent outages.
The attackers paralyzed the site at times by using distributed denial of service, or DDOS, attacks, a technique commonly used to disrupt websites and computer networks,
according to the Wall street journal. They pushed massive amounts of traffic to Github by redirecting overseas users of the popular Chinese search engine Baidu Inc,
according to the Wall street journal. The newspaper said they targeted two Github pages that link to copies of websites banned in China-a Mandarin-language site from the New york times Co and Greatfire. org,
which helps Chinese users circumvent government censorship. A Beijing-based Baidu spokesman said a thorough investigation had determined it was neither a security problem on Baidu's side nor a hacking attack."
"We have notified other security organizations and are working to get to the bottom of this, "the spokesman said.
On its blog, Github said the attack began early on Thursday and involved"every vector we've seen in previous attacks as well as some sophisticated new techniques that use the web browsers of unsuspecting, uninvolved people to flood github. com with high levels of traffic.
Github said it believed the intent of the attack was to convince the company to remove a specific class of content.
#Facebook says drones could help extend internet access around the world A fleet of solar-powered drones could help provide high-speed internet to people around the world who currently live without it,
Facebook says of a project in development. The company's chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer unveiled the plans during a keynote speech on Thursday at the F8 conference in San francisco. The drones,
000 metres, the drones are designed to beam down internet connectivity to regions of the world where wireless internet access is unavailable,
."Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Thursday, paired with a photo of an early prototype drone soaring over Palo alto,
a U k.-based company that Facebook acquired in 2014. Despite Facebook's obvious enthusiasm for the project, it's still in the early stages of development.
The social media giant told the New york times it hopes to have a fleet of 1 000 drones,
but it will probably be years before it becomes a reality. And that's to say nothing of the red tape Facebook would have to manoeuvre to get a fleet of remotely controlled aircraft in the skies around the world.
The Aquila project is part of Facebook's Internet. org initiative, which it says aims to extend internet access to people around the world who live outside of mobile networks."
"Aircraft like these will help connect the whole world, because they can affordably serve the 10 per cent of the world's population that live in remote communities without existing internet infrastructure,
"wrote Zuckerberg g
#India's top court upholds free speech online or via cellphone India's top court affirmed people's right to free speech in cyberspace Tuesday by striking down a provision that had called for imprisoning people who send"offensive"messages by computer or cellphone.
The provision, known as Section 66a of the 2008 Information technology Act, had made sending such messages a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
In its ruling, the Supreme court said the provision was"clearly vague"in not clarifying what should be construed as offensive.
Police arrested a man last year for saying on Facebook that Prime minister Narendra Modi, then still a candidate, would start a holocaust in India
And last week, police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh arrested a teenage student for posting comments on Facebook he attributed to a top state minister.
although his son had filed a police complaint in 2012 against a businessman for allegedly disparaging him in Twitter messages."
"Cyber analysts said the ruling marked a positive step in ensuring that the Internet would be governed by the same norms and laws as newspapers, TV commentary and other forms of communication as India's Internet users increase from today's 100 million online."
however, that there was still more work to be done in guaranteeing the Internet was governed fairly, including a provision that allows the government to block websites without announcing
or explaining its decision to do so. The Supreme court on Tuesday upheld that part of the law."
#The internet is almost out of IP ADDRESSES It turns out even the internet operates within finite dimensions.
The web is about to exhaust its supply of Internet Protocol (IP ADDRESSES. Now, technology companies are scrambling to get onto a new system to route internet traffic to the right place.
IP ADDRESSES are like the internet's phone numbers. Under the web's current system, there are billions of them. 3 billion to be exact.
But as more of us do more and more online, those addresses are being gobbled up. And soon, very soon, that supply will run out."
"The second half of 2015, maybe if we're lucky we could stretch it to early 2016,
"Over time, you'll realize you wont be able to reach half the internet. You won't be able to watch the video you want to watch.
At issue is one of the weirdest quirks of the internet's history. In 1981, as the internet was being built,
volunteers created a system to direct traffic and make sure people landed on the page they were looking for.
They called it IPV4 (though they didn't build versions 1 2 or 3). They made 4. 3 billion IP ADDRESSES to handle all that traffic.
But in 1981, the internet was a mere shadow of what it is today. Now, everything on the internet has an IP ADDRESS:
laptops, mobile phones, tablets, cameras, even coffee makers and thermostats. By 2020, there will be an estimated 50 billion devices online.
And that old system is running out of room. So, a new system was built. The sheer size of IPV6 is staggering.
It has more than 340 undecillion IP ADDRESSES. That's 340 trillion trillion trillion or 340 followed by 36 zeros.
The Wall street journal claims that's enough to assign an IP ADDRESS to every atom On earth. But not everyone is rushing to adapt to the new technology.
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) says the transition to IPV6 has been slow at least in part because the changes are all happening behind the scenes"Nobody really knows about it.
me IPV6 today,'"says Byron Holland, CIRA's president and CEO.""Therefore they're not in any rush to do it.
But really IPV4 as a resource in any meaningful way is exhausted. And you can see that in that there is a secondary market that has sprung up,
the price per IP ADDRESS will only grow. In 2011, Microsoft bought up more than 660,000 IP ADDRESSES from Nortel for $7. 5 million US ($11. 36 each.
At this point, just about everybody is working toward getting their systems IPV6 capable. Rogers said in a statement that it is"in the process of upgrading to be IPV6 capable
and will have more details to share later.""Bell says it can't comment at this time as its transition plans have not yet been announced.
and Telus remains committed to Canada's part in the global transition to IPV6.""You can test your own connection to see
if it's IPV6 enabled or not here u
#India orders clampdown on internet porn websites India has ordered Internet service providers to block access to more than 850 adult websites in
what the government has described as a way to protect social decency. N. N. Kaul, a spokesman for India's department of telecom, said Monday that the government was trying to control easy access to pornography following a directive from the country's top court.
Kaul said that while Internet service providers in India will have to bar access, users may still view the sites through virtual private networks and proxy servers.
He said the move would protect children. The leaked government order dated last Friday, orders Internet service providers to block access to the 857 sites on grounds of morality and decency.
The Supreme court said earlier in July that ordering a ban on adult websites was not its job
but was an issue for the government. That followed an order from the court last year that suggested the government needed to monitor access to pornography.
Not sex,"popular Indian author Chetan Bhagat said on Twitter.""Porn ban is anti-freedom, impractical, not enforceable.
In the past, India has tried to control social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and ask them to take down offensive material.
It had blocked briefly several Twitter accounts in 2012 citing security and law and order fears.
It also blocked access to a homegrown soft-porn website in 2009. Kaul said more websites may be added to the list of those to be blocke e
#Airbus patents plane that could fly from New york to London in 1 hour A rocket-plane that could fly from Vancouver to Tokyo in three hours instead of 10 has been patented by Airbus. The U s. patent for an"ultra-rapid air vehicle
and related method for aerial locomotion"was awarded to Airbus, also known as the European aeronautic defence and space company, in July. Airbus said the plane would be targeted mainly at business travel
TCL uses 978 machines to produce flat screen TV panels. At another TCL plant in Hefei, near Shanghai, steel refrigerator frames are bent into shape before being plucked by a blue Yasakawa robot arm that stacks them in neat rows for further assembly.
along with a Youtube video. The feat was accomplished using a system allowing the brain to bypass the injured spinal cord
The technology would let the government track radio signals used to operate drones within a 5-mile radius
all controlled through an Android phone app. Of course there are elements other than entrepreneurs that might want a mobile ATM to come to them.
and call them on the phone to cut power use during peak power days. For example
Smart thermostat maker Nest uses its internet-connected thermostat to respond to demand response requests on peak demand days.
just like how your smartphone runs on the (very costly) mobile network you don own. Using Sunport does not mean you have to pay for your power twice.
Building and maintaining offshore wind technology is compared expensive with onshore wind projects because of challenges such as transporting equipment and workers to the sites
when it comes to their smart phones. Trinity is very light weight, so you can carry it with you as a reserve battery wherever you are added
Google patents a way for autonomous vehicles to understand hand signals A Google patent has revealed that the firm self-driving cars will be able to detect
Google announced its self-driving cars would be capable of doing this last year, but the latest patent reveals new details about how it would work.
Google algorithms can then decide whether a cyclist is present, and then identify parts of his or her body.
HOW DOES GOOGLE'S AUTONOMOUS CAR WORK? Google's prototype two-seater'bubble'cars have buttons to begin and end the drive,
but no other controls. An onboard computer uses data from sensors, including radar, a laser and cameras,
Under the vision unveiled by Google, passengers might set their destination by typing it into a map
and the ability to self-drive will depend on specifically designed Google road maps tested on the company's current fleet of vehicles.
and will be able to use Google's extended maps service, using GPS technology to locate the vehicle's exact position on an electronic map.
leaving open different possibilities for exactly how Google self-driving cars could work. Google says it begun discussions with most of the world's top automakers in a bid to get self-driving cars on the road by 2020.
In March, a separate patent revealed that Google's self driving car could have airbags both inside and out.
It shows an external airbag system in action that inflates if the car hits a pedestrian or other object.
The head of self-driving cars for Google expects real people to be using them on public roads in two to five years.
and Google would collect data on how they interact with other vehicles and pedestrians. Google is working on sensors to detect road signs and other vehicles,
and software that analyzes all the data. The small, bulbous cars without steering wheels or pedals are being tested at a Google facility in California.
Urmson wouldn't give a date for putting driverless cars on roads en masse saying that the system has to be safe enough to work properly.
He told reporters at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit that Google doesn't know yet how it will make money on the cars.
Google may face state regulatory hurdles depending on where it chooses to test the cars in public.
Under legislation that Google persuaded California lawmakers to pass in 2012, self-driving cars must have a steering wheel and pedals.
As well as asking for money, the demand also features an email address containing one of the show's most famous lines,
'Computer users who see the message are directed then to a website that shows them how to buy Bitcoins to pay the hackers.
A Youtube video is opened in the background featuring a song used in a fictional radio station in the game Grand Theft Auto V.'We believe that the crypto ransomware uses social engineering techniques as a means of infecting victims'
writes Symantec on its blog.''The malware arrives through a malicious zip archive, which uses the name of a major courier firm in its file name.'
Trojan) which when executed, downloads the crypto ransomware onto the victim's computer.''The threat also downloads and opens a legitimate. pdf file to trick users into thinking that the initial zip archive was not a malicious file.'
'There is currently no estimate to how many people have been affected by this particular virus . But the FBI says ransomware such as this is a growing problem.
Ransomware infiltrates a computer after a user clicks on a link or attachment in an email.
when a user visits a website, including well-known ones with good security systems, according to technology consultant Greg Miller of CMIT Solutions of Goshen, New york. Once inside the computer,
The cushioned headset adjusts the volume of your music by tracking how deeply you are sleeping using EEG sensors.
Kokoon has partnered with audio company Onkyo to deliver high definition audio through the Bluetooth headphones,
#Audi, Mercedes and BMW hit back at Google and Appple: Firms buy Nokia's map business in bid to beat tech firms with self driving cars and navigation German carmakers BMW,
Audi and Mercedes, will pay around 2. 5 billion euros ($2. 8 billion) to buy Nokia's maps business,
beating out high-tech rivals for location services seen as key to the future of self-driving cars.
known as HERE, clubbing together to keep the assets away from Internet rivals such as Uber of Silicon valley and China's Baidu and Tencent.
which Nokia will compensate the carmakers, the Finnish company said on Monday. Scroll down for video The transaction is expected to close in early 2016.
their parts suppliers and software rivals like Uber, Google or Apple.''With the joint acquisition of HERE, we want to secure the independence of this central service for all vehicle manufacturers,
which many in the automotive, Internet and logistics industries see as key to their own strategies.'
'There is a risk that the other automakers will be pushed further into the arms of Google, 'said Richard Windsor an independent financial analyst who tracks major tech players.
They are used also in everything from consumer smartphone navigation to local transport services. At a later stage, the carmakers will invite private equity firm General Atlantic to join the consortium as an investor and potential mediator
HERE was created via the $8. 1 billion acquisition of Navteq in 2008 by Nokia which aimed to create consumer map services for mobile phone users
but later switched to focus on carmakers. Nokia is now shedding its maps business as it integrates its purchase of telecom network equipment maker Alcatel Lucent.
The Finnish company, which subsequently wrote down the value of HERE to around 2 billion euros,
Analysts said the 2. 5 billion euros in net proceeds for Nokia was at the low end of market expectations
Shares in Nokia dipped 0. 6 percent to close at 6. 39 euros, underperforming a flat European technology index.
Nokia was advised on the deal by investment bank Evercore and law firm Shearman & Sterling. Law firm Hogan Lovells advised the overall automaker consortium and Daimler specifically.
'It comes just weeks after Google has admitted it's self driving cars are being hit'surprisingly often'by other drivers
'said Google's Chris Urmson. The three Google employees on board complained of minor whiplash, were checked out at a hospital
and cleared to go back to work following the July 1 collision, Google said. The driver of the other car also complained of neck and back pain.
The simulation shows Google's car being rear ended at 17mph at a junction in Mountain view after stopping at a red traffic lightin a blog post
he says the problem has been common.''Our self-driving cars are being hit surprisingly often by other drivers who are distracted and not paying attention to the road.'
'New data released by Google reveals other drivers have hit the firm's cars 14 times since the start of our project in 2009,
It comes as the latest version of Google's self-driving car-a pod-like two-seater that needs no gas pedal
Google says. The technology giant's mission is to have driverless cars available to consumers in the next five years.'
'Google said.''They're ultimately designed to work without a steering wheel or pedals, but during this phase of our project we'll have safety drivers aboard with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal,
And the pod can only drive in areas that have been mapped thoroughly by Google. At first it will likely even have a steering wheel
But Google is lobbying for more flexible regulations. Google will initially build and test 25 pods,
mostly in neighborhoods surrounding its Mountain view headquarters. It will eventually build between 50 and 100,
and will broaden testing to sites that are hillier and rainier. The ultimate goal, says Google cofounder Sergey Brin,
is controlled computer cars that can eliminate human error, which is a factor in an estimated 90 percent of the 1. 2 million road deaths that occur worldwide each year.
Google shocked the auto industry in 2010 with its announcement that it was working on a driverless car.
Brin insists Google doesn't aspire to be a car company, but wants its technology to be adopted by automakers.'
Chris Urmson, who directs Google's self-driving car project, says the slow-moving, friendly looking prototype-his young son thinks it looks like a koala because of the nose-like black laser on the front-is a good bridge between the company's current test fleet of 20 specially outfitted Lexus SUVS
Earlier this week, in response to questions from The Associated press, Google acknowledged 11 minor accidents in the six years it has been testing autonomous cars.
and notes that Google's vehicles have completed more than 1. 7 million miles of testing. He says all but one of the accidents were caused by drivers in other cars;
in the only incident caused by a Google car, a staffer was driving in manual mode.
Urmson says Google needs to do a better job of educating people about self-driving technology and updating them on Google's progress.
and the site will feature a monthly report that will include details of any accidents involving Google cars.
The site will also have a section where people can send feedback when they interact with the cars.
The prototype cars-assembled in suburban Detroit by Roush Industries-have the same array of radars, lasers and cameras as Google's fleet of Lexus SUVS,
the head of software for the self-driving car project, says Google's software has gotten much better over the last year at classifying objects, like trees and mailboxes,
For example, Google's cars will slow down if they sense that a car in the next lane is speeding up to cut in front of them.
And in one recent test, a Google car paused when a cyclist ran a red light.
one of Google's Lexus SUVS seemed momentarily confused when a mail truck partially blocked its path.
Later, during a demonstration drive in Google's parking lot, the prototype-without a wheel or pedal-braked
like the time a Google SUV stopped and waited while a woman in a wheelchair chased a duck with a broom.
Google isn't alone in developing self-driving cars. Mercedes-benz Infiniti and other brands already have advanced driver assistance systems, like lane keeping and adaptive cruise control,
Unlike Google, automakers think self-driving cars will arrive feature-by-feature instead of all at once, giving people plenty of time to adapt to autonomous driving.
says Google's'moon shot'strategy is difficult and riskier than just adding features to existing cars.
Google could make self-driving urban pods for universities or urban centers, for example, or sell its technology to automakers.
oxygen levels and the wearer's body temperature before sending this information to an app on their connected phone.
can be ordered pre on Neuroon's website for $299 (£195) and will be shipped internationally after the initial run is processed.
'The Neuroon website also lets users calculate when they should seek and avoid light during their stay by using their origin location,
#Charge your smartphone in SIX minutes:''Yolk and shell'battery technology could end long waits while devices power up It is a problem almost everyone with a smartphone has faced at some point their device is almost out of battery
and there is not enough time to charge it before heading out for the evening. But a new type of battery made with tiny capsules filled with aluminium could soon mean smartphone users will be able to fully charge their device within six minutes of plugging it in.
The battery also has four times the capacity of current lithium ion batteries and degrades less over time.
researchers have managed to teleport packets of light over 60 miles (100km) of optical fiber. The research could have implications for cryptography,
In 2014, physicists at the University of Geneva teleported the quantum state of a photon to a crystal over 15 miles (25km) of optical fibre.
magnetic coils and the internet to send brain signals between two people. It begun with the first person,
Their opponent sent them a series of questions over the internet in an attempt to guess what they were thinking of.
to a wireless headset linked to the internet, and another person to a similar device in Paris. When the first person merely thought of a greeting such as iao Italian for ello the recipient in France was aware of the thought occurring,
Both Google and Nasa have been developing a quantum computer as part of their artificial intelligence work. However their D-Wave quantum computer needs to be kept at temperatures of around-273°C(-459°F). The latest research by Professor Dzurak and his colleagues,
'The silicon chip in your smartphone or tablet already has around one billion transistors on it, with each transistor less than 100 billionths of a metre in size.'
They have applied their new technique to two super-eruption sites and a pair of very large eruptions and found that it took them no more than 500 years to move from formation to eruption.
protecting whatever is inside from static, electromagnetic pulses, radio waves, and other electromagnetic phenomenon. The material comes amid growing concern over the development of electromagnetic weapons that could knock out computers.
wrote in a blog for International Business times:''Experts agree that an all out cyber attack,
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