Bitcoin is worth more than ever, but it’s losing clout

To say that Bitcoin has had a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. Between regulatory hurdles, heists and its all-too-common use in online crime, it’s sometimes a surprise the cryptocurrency has survived. However, it’s faring well — so well, in fact, that the value of a coin just topped $2,000 US for the first time. While it’s mostly a symbolic milestone, it reflects confidence stemming from regulation (particularly in big Bitcoin markets like China and Japan) and a rapid rise that saw its value soar hundreds of dollars in a matter of weeks.

With that said, you might not want to get too comfy if you’ve amassed a fortune. As our TechCrunch pals observe, Bitcoin’s share of the cryptocurrency market has plunged sharply in the past few months. Where it regularly dominated the market with about an 80 percent share, it’s down to just 47 percent in a matter of months. Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin and others have all seen surges that have whittled away Bitcoin’s control.

It’s not certain just why that is. There is a concern that Bitcoin’s scaling is causing problems by slowing down transactions — people may just want to explore alternatives that won’t bog down so easily. The rapid rise in Bitcoin’s value casts doubt on that, though, as you’d expect its worth to tank. If scaling is a problem at all, it hasn’t spooked users yet. It may just be a matter of the market growing up, or of speculators hedging their bets by pouring money into more than one digital currency. You wouldn’t want to panic if you’ve already committed to Bitcoin, but nor should you assume that it’ll always be the format of choice.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: CoinDesk

Switzerland votes for an end to nuclear power

Countries like the UK might still embrace nuclear power, but Switzerland is headed in the opposite direction. The country has voted in favor of an energy plan that will eventually eliminate any use of nuclear power, shifting its efforts toward renewable sources like solar and wind. While there’s no timetable for the nuclear shutdown, which was chosen through a binding referendum. However, efforts should get underway in January 2018 — you may hear more details by then.

Those opposing the plan argued that it would raise costs while reducing access to reliable power. They were also concerned that the large areas needed for solar panels and wind farms would tarnish the pristine Swiss landscape.

This isn’t going to have a tremendous impact on the environment or local safety… certainly not in the near term, given that decommissioning a nuclear reactor can take decades. Nonetheless, it does reflect a change in attitudes. The Swiss government first proposed the idea in 2011 as a response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but the ensuing years have also seen a change in attitude toward renewable energy. Where it used to be a relatively expensive and rare, it’s now affordable enough that it’s quickly becoming the primary choice. Switzerland not only has a reason to ditch nuclear power, it can do so knowing that eco-friendly replacements for its reactors are entirely realistic.

Source: BBC

Final Cut Pro X vs. Adobe Premiere Pro: Which video editor should you be using?

There are many polarizing debates in the world of technology and video editing, and software is no exception. Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro are some of the most popular tools for the job and therefore both have their diehard fans. But if you want to make an objective decision about which to use yourself, what are some factors you should consider?

Render time is often something that people will bring up when it comes to video editing features – after all, it’s often the biggest time sink when it comes to making online video. However, while optimizations make Final Cut Pro X the likely choice for those who want the least amount of downtime, it’s not the only feature worth considering.

Final Cut Pro X

Adobe Premiere Pro is a much more open piece of software. It runs on a variety of hardware and is available for those running Windows and Mac machines. Because of that, collaboration is far easier, as you can send files to others to edit without checking if they’re running Apple hardware first. It also has Team Project files, which make the entire process of co-developing a video far simpler.

While Final Cut Pro X doesn’t have quite such a team-focus to its editing suite, its user interface is arguably easier to use, reducing multiple-click commands to fewer or even single clicks. It’s cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and, thanks to its optimizations for Apple hardware, it’s a little kinder on battery life, too.

In terms of its usability, you’re going to find people who like it, and those who really don’t. Final Cut Pro X uses a magnetic, single-track timeline. When combined with some of the software’s additional features, like auditions, it’s pretty neat, but a lot of people prefer the classic, multi-track timeline.

That’s something Adobe Premiere Pro has, and it makes it feel more familiar to anyone who’s used other video editing tools, and arguably gives it deeper functionality through a more overt layering system. You can have various video clips on their own tracks, with sound effects and music in their own sections. It’s more organized, and gives you plenty of visual cues, so that you know where everything is at all times.

Adobe Premiere

Premiere’s wider compatibility may mean that it loses out in the rendering race, but it also leads to it supporting more formats. It works with all sorts of different audio and video filetypes and a variety of codecs. It can export to a number of different formats too, which makes it a little more versatile than its Apple-produced counterpart.

That compatibility extends to other software, letting editors easily pull clips into other Adobe software – such as After Effects – to add something to the video that just isn’t possible within the editing software. Better yet, if you update the clips that you’re using within another program that’s also part of Adobe’s suite, it will automatically update that in your video’s timeline.

Final Cut Pro X does a pretty good job of letting you tweak things like color from within the software through plugins, but it’s hard to beat the options offered by Premiere in that respect. It has a number of color grading choices built right into the base software.

Conclusion

Even in the world of video editing tools, there is a lot to consider when it comes to which one will be right for you. But that’s perhaps the most important takeaway here: pick the one that’s best for the job you want it to do.

It’s unlikely that there will ever be a definitive editing tool that is the best option for everyone, as there is no way the developers can account for every nuanced difference between users. However, it seems safe to say that while Final Cut Pro X does have a better UI and faster rendering times, it loses out on some of the compatibility and support offered by Premiere.

The long and short of it is that working in large, collaborative groups on any hardware will likely steer you towards Adobe’s software suite, while solo projects for those with existing Apple hardware, may be better on Final Cut Pro X.

Israeli court says emojis can signal your intent

The emojis you send are always open to interpretation, and when the person reading them is a judge, there could be tangible consequences. A court in Israel, for instance, has ordered a couple to pay $2,200 for using emojis that “convey great optimism” in a text they sent to landlord Yaniv Dahan. The couple contacted Dahan regarding a classified ad he posted online promoting his property. They used a bunch of festive icons that the landlord said led him to believe they wanted to rent his home.

[Image credit: Room 404]

The text translates to:

“Good morning 😊 Interested in the house 💃🏻👯‍✌️☄️… Just need to discuss the details… When’s a good time for you?”

Dahan removed his post after he received the text and proceeded to negotiate with the couple. After a few back and forths, though, the couple stopped responding. The last text they sent promised to send him the changes they wanted to his apartment contract. While the landlord eventually found another renter, he took them to small claims court for misleading him with their emoji use. Part of the judge’s ruling reads:

“The [emoji laden] text message sent by Defendant 2 on June 5, 2016, was accompanied by quite a few symbols, as mentioned. These included a “smiley,” a bottle of champagne, dancing figures and more. These icons convey great optimism. Although this message did not constitute a binding contract between the parties, this message naturally led to the Plaintiff’s great reliance on the defendants’ desire to rent his apartment.

As a result, the Plaintiff removed his online ad about renting his apartment. Even towards the end of the negotiations, in the same text messages sent at the end of July, Defendant 2 used “smiley” symbols. These symbols, which convey to the other side that everything is in order, were misleading, since at that time the defendants already had great doubts as to their desire to rent the apartment.”

Remember this case next time you decide to use💃🏻 in your texts.

Via: TheNextWeb

Source: Room404

Sorry, you can’t plant enough trees to offset fossil fuels

Ever planted a tree to feel better about your environmental footprint? It’s a good idea, but it might not have as much of an effect as you’d hope. A simulation-based study has determined that it would be utterly unrealistic to plant enough trees to offset humanity’s CO2 emissions as they are — the plantations would need to be so big that they’d “eliminate most natural ecosystems” or cut into food production. Even under the reductions from the Paris Climate Agreement, you’d still have to replace natural ecosystems on an area more than a third the size of the world’s forests. The most viable option involving trees would require both “ambitious” emissions reductions and improvements to both nurturing the plants as well as capturing their CO2.

This doesn’t mean humanity is doomed, provided the predictive model is reasonably accurate in the first place. However, it does reinforce the idea that lowering emissions involves more than a single solution like planting greenery. Any real answer to human-made climate change is going to involve a complex set of answers.

For the researchers, this involves both reducing fossil fuel consumption and implementing multiple techniques for removing CO2. You could make more efficient use of available land by eliminating food waste, as an example. Reforestation is still wise, to be clear, but it’s just one piece in a larger puzzle that can include everything from smarter farming to solar power.

Via: Reddit

Source: Potsdam Institute, AGU Publications

The world’s largest wind turbines are now spinning in Liverpool, England

Why it matters to you

As we head towards a greener future, wind energy could play a crucial role, especially with giant wind turbines taller than a skyscraper.

New turbines off the coast of Liverpool are seriously putting the “power” in wind power. Now that Danish company Dong Energy has put the finishing touches on 32 turbines in Liverpool Bay, the biggest and most powerful wind turbines in the world have started spinning, generating more and more clean energy.

Each of the enormous turbines are skyscraper-sized, measuring over 640 feet, with 262-foot-long blades capable of generating 8 megawatts of power. That means that with a single revolution of these turbines’ blades, enough electricity is produced to power a house for 29 hours. Indeed, this is the first time that 8MW turbines have been applied for commercial purposes, but with efficiency like this, it seems like it may not be the last.

The new turbines are actually an extension of a previously built wind farm that first came into existence more than a decade ago. But apparently, these 32 turbines have more than twice the capacity of their predecessors. Dong Energy hopes that these latest offerings will herald a new future for offshore wind power, one that the Guardian describes as “bigger, better and, most importantly, cheaper.”

The U.K. has become an ideal environment for wind farms given the government’s subsidies, amiable regulations, and history at sea. As it stands, wind turbines in the U.K. have a total capacity of 5.3GW, which represents enough energy to power 4.3 million homes. Already, eight more projects are underway, which promise to add another 50 percent to that capacity again.

“This and other projects have been crucial for driving costs down for the whole industry,” said Benjamin Sykes, the country manager for Dong Energy UK, of the latest project.

Indeed, the company thinks this is just the beginning for wind energy, with turbines as powerful as 13MW or 15MW possible in the near future (for reference, most turbines in the U.K. right now are somewhere between just 3 and 3.6MW).

LeEco CEO steps down but stays in charge

To put it mildly, LeEco has had its fair share of trouble lately. It ran low on cash due to aggressive growth, backed out of its Vizio takeover and threw its weight behind Faraday Future’s electric cars despite some overly ambitious plans. Clearly, the company is stretching itself too thin — and CEO Jia Yueting knows it. He’s stepping down from the CEO role at his publicly listed company (Leshi Internet Information & Technology Corp) in the name of focus. He’ll devote his attention to aspects like “core product innovation,” “strategic planning” and his chairman role at Leshi. In other words, he won’t split his attention like he did before.

Former Lenovo exec Liang Jun is taking over the CEO position. Not that Jia is complaining, mind you — publicly, at least, he’s happy. He claims that this gives the public company will be “vastly improved” by getting its first truly full-time CEO, and that it opens the door to a “stronger team” that can better manage the books.

It’s important to note that LeEco and its associated brands are still Jia’s baby. He remains the chairman at Leshi, and he’s still CEO of the privately listed company that serves as Leshi’s parent. There’s also the question of how voluntary this is. However much pressure he’s facing from within his own ranks, it also looks like this is in response to inroads by one of the company’s largest shareholders (Sunac China Holdings). Jia may be ceding some control in order to get funding.

No matter the reasons, this could bode well for LeEco and its many, many products. Extra cash will keep the company humming along, of course, but it’s also Jia’s acknowledgment that he can’t do everything. Instead of distracting himself with every facet of day-to-day business, he can spend more time planning device strategy. This won’t guarantee that you’ll like LeEco’s future phones or TVs, but you at least can’t blame it on a CEO whose mind is elsewhere.

Richard Lai contributed to this report.

Via: Reuters

Source: Shenzhen Stock Exchange (PDF)

Drones and AI help stop poaching in Africa

Several organizations are already using drones to fight poaching, but the Lindbergh Foundation is taking it one step further. The environmental non-profit has joined forces with Neurala in order to use the company’s deep learning neural network AI to boost the capabilities of the drones in its Air Shepherd program. Neurala taught its technology what elephants, rhinos and poachers look like, so it can accurately pinpoint and mark them in videos. It will now put the AI to work sifting through all the footage the foundation’s drones beam back in real time, including infrared footage taken at night.

The AI’s job is to pore over these videos and quickly identify the presence of poachers to prevent them from even reaching the animals’ herds. It’s the perfect addition to the Air Shepherd program that aims to use cutting edge software and drones to stop poaching in Africa.

Neurala CEO Max Versace said in a statement:

“This is a terrific example of how AI technology can be a vital force for good. We’re thrilled to be working with the Lindbergh Foundation in this unique partnership, contributing our deep learning software to such a worthwhile cause and doing our part to preserve endangered species.”

It’ll be interesting to see how effective the program’s drone-AI system is in the future. For now, you can watch the video below to see how Neurala’s technology identifies objects of interest.

Source: Neurala

How to spend $1 million per week on your next vacation and be on Cloud 9

Why it matters to you

Have you ever fantasized how you’d spend $1 million in one week? This is one extravagant option.

If you have reached the age where you can dip into your trust fund capital, or you’ve won the lottery, or maybe cashed in after your tech company IPO lock-up period, we found a way you can spend some of the money. CRN Yachts launched the 74-meter superyacht Cloud 9 earlier this year, according to Boat International, and she’s already listed for charter.

The near-243-foot yacht has a steel full displacement hull, an aluminum superstructure, and teak decks. Cloud 9 was built at CRN’s Ancona, Italy, shipyard. Rome’s Zuccon International Project designed the exterior and the London-based firm Winch Design was responsible for the interiors. She was launched during a ceremony in January.

The buyer is happy the result of the collaboration. The new owner told Boat International, “She’s beautiful. For me it is a very proud day, and for my family and my mother. It takes a lot of energy, passion and commitment to build something so magnificent.”

Cloud 9 is almost 243 feet long and just over 42 feet wide at her widest part. She is powered by two Catepillar 3516C diesel engines with a total of 5,360 horsepower.

Maximum speed is 16.5 knots and she cruises at 15 knots, which means Cloud 9 can go a bit faster than most boats her size (there aren’t too many). Her most economical cruising speed is 12 knots.

Cloud 9 has a 6,000 nautical mile range at 12 knots with her 250,000-liter fuel tanks topped off. That’s 6,904 land miles and 66,044 U.S. gallons of fuel. So put it this way, Cloud 9 can travel the distance from New York to Los Angeles, back to New York, and south to Key Largo, Florida, without refueling.

Cloud 9 has five decks plus a sundeck. When she’s chartered, as many as 12 guests are accommodated in one master suite, one VIP suite, four doubles, and two double/twin staterooms. There is also space for 22 crew members.

The vessel has a custom made limousine tender so getting to and from Cloud 9 will be classy. Onboard is a large beach club aft, a 12-meter (39-foot) pool, a gym, a deck Jacuzzi, and a side-loading garage for her impressive selection of water toys.

The toy list may be excessive, but hey, if you’re going to drop $1 million for the week, excess is expected. The inventory includes two Waverunners, two kayaks, a waterslide, a fly board, wake surf, wake skate, Seabobs, stand up paddleboards, wakeboards, water skis, kneeboards, and snorkeling and fishing equipment. On the chance that you might have the limo (oops, the tender) scoot you into town, there are four 18-inch folding bicycles.

Cloud 9 is available for charter in the Mediterranean from YachtCharterFleet. The weekly charter fee ranges from $970,000 to $993,500, depending on the season, plus expenses.

Expenses will likely put you over the $1 million mark, so be sure to inquire what they cover in advance. At a minimum, there’s probably a daily fuel and basic meal allowance including wine, in which case you’d pay for booze and any excess over the allowances. Or, the full cost of food, drink, and fuel may be on you. You also may be responsible for dockage and mooring fees, which can run in the tens of thousands.

Is your MacBook charger dead? Check these solutions before buying a new one

We like to think of our chargers as simple, dependable devices — which is why it’s so annoying when they fail to charge our devices properly, even when plugged in and connected. When you face the deep disappointment that comes with a MacBook that refuses to charge, it’s time to find out what’s wrong and pinpoint an appropriate solution. That’s where we can help you out! The steps below should help you to ascertain what’s going on, and what you need to do to get your Apple laptop back on track.

Make sure it’s the charger that’s malfunctioning

When first encountering charger woes, make sure it’s the charger that’s the problem. Switch to a different outlet that you know works, and check the LED indicators on your charger — many Mac chargers have some form of these — to see if there’s a response. You don’t want to get worried over a bad outlet.

If you get no response, consider borrowing the same kind of charger from a friend (if possible), or head to an Apple Authorized Service Provider and ask if you can test your unit. If your MacBook turns on and starts charging with a different cable, your charger is likely the culprit. If your MacBook still fails to respond, you probably have a problem with the battery or other hardware, and it’s time to take a different approach.

This is also the perfect time to check on compatibility. Apple’s MacBook lineup has evolved over the years, as have the chargers accompanying each generation. Each iteration of power adapter utilizes a different wattage, and though you can use a higher wattage adapter than is specified for your MacBook, going with one with less wattage can lead to operating issues. If you bought a charger or a used-refurbished Mac online, and your charger doesn’t seem to be working the first time you connect it with your machine, it’s a good idea to make sure you have a compatible charger type.

Apple has more information on just what chargers work with what MacBooks, and how you can get an additional adapter, if necessary. We’ve also included the four major connection types below.

Barrel-type connector
“T”-style MageSafe connector
“L”-style MagSafe connector
MagSafe 2 connector

Clean it up

Okay, you’ve narrowed the problem down to the charger, which should be working but isn’t. Take a look at all the ports and connectors, and check for dirt. A layer of dust or grime may have built up, thus preventing the charger from making a proper electrical connection. Get a cloth or cotton swab and clean away any dirt you see. Also, beware of invisible, sticky layers that may be the real problem. You can also use a quick spritz of cleaner or water, but make sure to dry the charger thoroughly before trying to use it again.

Check for physical damage

It should go without saying that a common cause of charger failure is physical damage. There are two types of damage that you should search for if you’re worried your charger may have gotten a little beat up.

Prong and blade damage: Examine all prongs, blades, and other types of metal tips that your charger may use. If a prong or blade is loose or missing, this could be the problem. It also makes electrical fires more likely, so stop using your charger and get a replacement ASAP.

Strain relief: Strain relief refers to the head of the charger — which plugs into the MacBook — slowly coming disconnected through wear and tear. This is less of a problem with chargers that have the aforementioned “L”-style or other MagSafe connectors, but it does happen with older connectors. If the LED indicator lights seem to switch on and off based on the angle of the charger, you could have a problem. Examine the end of the connector for signs of cable damage, exposed wires, or wear on the insulating covering. If you see evident signs of damage, it’s time to consider replacing your charger.

Make sure your charger isn’t overheating

If your adapter (the large, boxy part of your charger) has been buried under blankets, sat out in the hot sun, or otherwise left in an area with high temperatures, it could be overheating. Adapters are very sensitive to heat, and Apple built them with automatic shut off functions if they start getting too hot — which, of course, means that your MacBook will never get charged if you keep charging in a hot place. Make sure your adapter is always in the shade and well ventilated.

Check for line noise

Alternating currents move in cycles, but between the distance electricity must travel and the electromagnetic interference of nearby devices, these cycles can get exposed to some serious distortion — that is, until the electricity essentially breaks down into a format your laptop battery simply can’t use. Check to see if you have a line noise problem by unplugging your charger and letting it rest for 60 seconds or so. Then, plug it back in and see if it works.

If the charger seems fine again, you probably had a problem with ground noise building up until your adapter shuts down automatically, which allows it to protect itself. Try using your computer away from other appliances, especially refrigerators and fluorescent lights, which are notorious for causing line noise troubles. Your adapter’s “over voltage protection” feature is merely a safety preoccupation, but it is one intended to increase the lifespan of your device.

Reset your battery and settings

Still can’t figure out what’s wrong? There’s one last thing you should try before taking your computer to a licensed professional, but it’s actually related to your computer’s settings instead of the adapter. Even if it appears as though your charger is the problem, we suggest trying the two steps below before moving on, because they can solve a lot of hidden problems in your MacBook.

Reset your battery. This is easy on older MacBooks. Take out the battery, let it sit for a minute or so, and then put it back in. Unfortunately, you can’t remove the battery using the same method on newer MacBooks, so you’ll have to skip to the next skip.

Reset your computer’s PRAM and SMC. These are internal settings that govern how your MacBook manages power, volume, and other basic settings. If these settings start malfunctioning, it can cause serious issues. Check out our guide on how to quickly reset PRAM and SMC on your Mac for more information.