What is Bitcoin?

The bitcoin logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bitcoin is a what you can call a new type of online currency, a crypt-currency. This crypts-currency was propose in the late 90's by a group known as cypherpunks who mainly discussed about cryptography and security and among them was, for a currency that would be totally anonymous and free from the control of large banks and governments. around the late 2008 this guy named "Satoshi Nakamoto" wrote a rocking paper describing this concept of a a P2P payment system that would use the concept discussed by the early cypherpunks.

If you don't know why some intelligent folks are excited about the Bitcoin concept, you should take the time to understand. Bitcoin is a new form of currency that is accepted worldwide and can never be debased by politicians trying to get re-elected or countries trying to pay off huge debts. In a world in which the value of paper money is constantly ravaged by inflation, that's a very attractive attribute. Also, the world is very much ready for a "global" currency. Bitcoin satisfies that need.

Bitcoins are like cash in that they aren't tied to your identity, and transactions made with Bitcoins are irreversible and untraceable. But they're like credits in a manner that they aren't physical. Bitcoins are a peer to peer system.

What Bitcoin allows you to do is to send money to people, make purchases, just like real cash, only difference is this is online. Bitcoin in most ways behave like hard cash . you can give it to person to person, you can loose it, and destroy it.

Well, Bitcoin address is different from any other address system you may have encountered before, A bitcoin address consists of two addresses the public address and the private address. Like the name suggests the public address is public and can be distributed to any one and every one without any fear. the private address is the one you keep very private and secret and dont even tell that to any one at all. You keep it so secret, that no one can access it.

A bitcoin address is a hash of a public portion of a public/private ECDSA keypair and they looks like this:- 1La9GFB8sNRko99jP2N5AMQYPvmsDoVbKb.


Bitcoin is in its infancy, a free market currency whose price or value is determined by the demand and supply. A multitude of factors could in theory affect Bitcoin prices, nobody in the current scenario can conclude that only a few factors affect Bitcoin, I will try to explain only “a few” that have had a considerable impact on Bitcoin prices recently, many more may be yet to be known.
Like gold prices that fluctuate due to a variety of factors, some of the factors which have been observed till date are listed below:

Media Exposure

The initial growth of the Bitcoin ecosystem and prices was attributed to media articles, familiarizing it to more people. The world’s supply of Bitcoins is essentially fixed, but because people in the media keep talking about it, demand keeps rising. This leads to higher prices—and as prices go up, people who currently hold Bitcoins develop greater and greater expectations for the currency. Today, the excitement around Bitcoin is still confined to a tiny segment of the population — technology aficionados, monetary idealists and speculators. The potential for exposure is large.

Eurozone Crisis

A direct correlation between the Cypress bailout and Bitcoin price was observed. Some of the investors in Europe moved their investments into Bitcoin around the time of the Cypress bailout. This resulted in a huge cash flow into the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Hoarding

Demand crisis: Like any currency, Bitcoin is traded on exchanges, Bitcoin holders hoard their stash, which further reduces supply, which in turn boosts the price and sparks yet more media attention—and the cycle continues till profit selling takes place like in any currency.

Fear of Govt intervention

There is nothing illegal about Bitcoin . Cash is as anonymous and not tied to identity. But could government grow increasingly interested in defending its paper-money monopoly? We've already seen hints of this. But because the market is already huge and global, there will be growing attempts to control it, tax it and regulate it.

Trading Exchange outages

Trading exchanges like MTgox which handles almost 70% of trade have seen trading halted due to DDos's, but such events are seen to be temporary and the a price fall due to a DDos is usually recovered when trading resumes to normal levels, leaving only a temporary effect. Smaller exchanges have been hacked due to insecure design of the sites . The interim crashes could be sharp and scary. The Bitcoin algorithm, system and framework itself is preternaturally sound. As with any new creation, there are glitches and vulnerabilities that still need to be worked out in trading exchanges.

Vendor acceptance

Bitcoins remain very much a niche payment method. In accepting the currency there is a small circle of large Internet companies’ participating in the system. Others include WordPress, which will sell you everything from Web hosting to CSS packages in exchange for Bitcoins. WikiLeaks and 4chan are part of a growing list of online organizations that accept Bitcoin donations. As vendor acceptance improves the value of Bitcoin as a currency improves.

Free market currency

Being in its infancy, Bitcoin will see wild price swings till it becomes established as a currency. The market is still in a price discovery stage and is expected to stabilize at a certain point, where its value and place as currency is usable in daily life.


You can use Bitcoins with people and business that accept Bitcoins. as a new currency there are not many brick and mortar stores that accept Bitcoins, but there are online services that may be purchased with Bitcoin. and like any new currency the growth is slow but then number of people and businesses accepting Bitcoin is increasing exponentially.


The Bitcoin algorithm was presented as a scientific paper and peer reviewed like any other scientific paper, the paper was widely accepted and is the sole fundamental of Bitcoin. The algorithm of Bitcoin has been designed so that it is resistant to quantum computers which have not been built as of yet.

 All currencies are backed by gold or similar assets. Lets look at gold.

What is gold backed by? What decides the value of gold? Demand and supply.
What decides the value of Bitcoin? Demand and Supply.

Like gold the amount of Bitcoins is limited, only 21 million Bitcoins will be ever produced. The value of Bitcoin can be equated to how the value of gold is estimated. So the "fundamental" value of Bitcoin can only be estimated the same way the fundamental value of, gold can be estimated — which is guessing at what someone will be willing to pay for it at some time in the future. The whole premise of Bitcoin is that only a finite amount of it will ever be created. This is in stark contrast to standard currencies, the supply of which is continually increased.

Fiat paper currencies are a relic of a past age. It has proven to be a spectacular failure, giving rise to inflations and unending booms and busts. As technology progresses, markets look for an alternative. A single global digital currency is certainly in our future. Bitcoin is just the most successful example of that so far.
Bitcoin can be easily used for international transfers without paying commissions to third parts like banks and cutting down transaction times for bank wires from days to hours for a Bitcoin transaction.

It is always prudent on your part to view Bitcoins objectively and arrive at its value in your life. In my view, Bitcoin is the Internet, applied to Money. We need to remember that Bitcoin is not a stock, a company, or even a regular commodity. It is a technology. That technology is a payment system that is evolving into a real currency. Right now, its most spectacular use is in transferring funds from one person to another. It's as easy as sending a text message on a phone. We live in a digital age. We need a digital currency.

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Revolutionary LED and Xenon Bulbs!

Today we cannot move a step without electricity. In the field of lighting the two greatest advances in technology has been introduction of xenon and LED bulbs. Compared with other lamps these consume less energy; they are longer lasting and hardly are replacement required. The revolution started with application of xenon gas in electronic gadgets; this came to be extended to be used in bulbs. The light emanating from LED and xenon bulbs are brighter and better when compared with halogen bulbs; the wattage usage is the same.

Worried about where to purchase these bulbs? In the Internet Age you do not have to sweat it out in the markets expending time and energy but sit in the comfort and privacy of your home or office in front of your computer. Click on Headlight Bulbs, LED Bulb, LED Bulbs, LED Car Bulbs, LED Light Bulbs, LED Lighting. An entire global market of these bulbs will open before you. You can choose online, pay online and even track delivery status online.

LED lighting is a watershed in lighting industry. Since the sixties LED bulbs (red) have been in use for scientific calculators. Since then many miles have been covered. Today LED bulbs produce all the colours of our rainbow and are included in nearly all the gadgets we use. LED light is stealing the limelight as it seems that soon it will overtake advantages of CFL or fluorescent bulbs as well as incandescent bulbs. The transformation is from two angles – function and aesthetics. It seems these can be used for myriad other applications. The LED bulbs of today if required can be programmed ahead and changes made just by a touch.

Compared with CFL bulbs, the LED bulbs are more focused, are brighter and as such are suitable for indicating lights in mobile phone chargers. If coated filter cover the LED bulbs then the light can be scattered and softened. Intense research is being carried on about these silicon based LED bulbs, and there are positive indications that the bulbs will become considerably cheaper. These bulbs are friendly to the environment since consumption of energy is reduced. These bulbs unlike the CFLs do not have mercury. They light up and reach peak brightness instantly and as us are ideal for indicators of car brakes; the drivers get quick indications and thus they react faster; it makes the roads safer. This LED lighting can be seen in LCD televisions. They are used to grow indoor plants. The bulbs radiate negligible heat. The light produced by the bulbs is whiter and more spread out than the typical halogen bulbs. This improves night time vision as the light spreads out to cover the entire road. The light emanated by these bulbs during night is the same as daylight and thus it reduces night related fatigue of drivers. The light is aesthetically pleasing. Xenon gas is also used to operate film projectors as well as long arc-lamps. The new bulbs hardly have any drawbacks. So start clicking and happy marketing.

This article has been republished on HackingTag Publishing with the permission of BlogUpon.

Original Article: http://www.blogupon.co.uk/2013/08/revolutionary-led-and-xenon-bulbs.html

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4 Tips in Choosing a Cheap Gaming Laptop

Going through the latest video game offerings, one can’t help but drool over the prospect of finally getting to play them. For PC gamers, this means making sure that your computer’s hardware is powerful enough to handle the required specs of these new games; and upgrading parts which lack the necessary juice. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done for some users. In particular, laptop users don’t have it as easy as desktop users because laptop parts are more difficult (and more expensive) to swap out than desktop parts.

Rather than tinker with laptop replacement parts, many consumers would rather just purchase a gaming laptop from the get-go which can last them for at least a couple of years. Of course, such desktop replacements are rather pricey, and not everyone is loaded enough to afford them.

A good alternative, then, for consumers who lack the funding and technical know-how would be to go with gaming laptops under a budget.

The question is: How will they know exactly which laptops can give the best performance under said budget, and where can they find such bargains?

1. The GPU is the most vital laptop component.

CPUs and GPUs are alike in that they both are laptop parts that crunch numbers and process data to make computers run; the nerve centers of computers, if you will. The difference, though, is that whereas CPUs do “behind-the-scenes” data-crunching to compute overall system performance, GPUs focus exclusively on graphical data. This means that, when processing data for graphics-heavy programs like video games, GPUs actually do the brunt of the work.

Search the net for information regarding video cards. The tail-end releases of the previous generation of GPUs usually work better (and are cheaper) than the early releases of the latest generation of cards, so you may want to start working from there.

2. Look around for the best prices.

Now that you know which laptop component to focus on, the next thing to do is finding out where to get the best deals for these GPUs. Search through every computer store you can go to for price comparisons; sometimes some shops will offer the same computers as much as $50 less.

If they offer mailing lists, sign up for these too to get updated on the special offers and discount sales. Sometimes, they may offer you coupons as well.

3. Buy used laptops.

Barring a flea market in your area that sells second-hand electronics, the best places to look for used stuff is at auctioning websites like eBay. You’ll have to amp up your bargaining skills and your prudence level, though. You’re negotiating for used laptops, after all, and there is no real guarantee that you’ll be getting what you’re paying for. The best thing to do is to search for sellers with a large number of glowing testimonials. Also, make sure to ask all the necessary questions regarding a laptop’s condition, and remember to ask for warranties in case they are offered.

4. Buy refurbished laptops.

Finally, if you’re willing to spend a little more than what you normally would on used laptops, refurbished ones are a great alternative. Websites like CashForLaptops.com are good places to start.

Yes, the items in question are also essentially second-hand laptops, but these have been repaired and restored andcan almost pass for brand new gadgets. They go for significantly cheaper prices than actual hot-off-the-factory-line laptops, and are also offered with 1-2 year warranties to boot.

I’m Colleen Northcutt 22 years old. Writer / Web promoter, and Blogger from Reno, Nevada. I’m an avid PC gamer and I was working for laptopaid.com, She’s writing about technology especially for laptops and notebooks and very passionate, optimistic & dedicated woman who takes up responsibilities with utmost enthusiasm.

This article has been republished on HackingTag Publishing with the permission of BlogUpon.

Original Article: http://www.blogupon.co.uk/2013/08/4-tips-in-choosing-cheap-gaming-laptop.html

BlogUpon is a DMCA-Protected Blog and we respect it. So the article has been re-published here with the permission of blog editor.

How Parents Can Manage Technology Risks

The modern technological world goes on developing with rapid advances. More and more people are becoming worried about their privacy day by day. Statistics in this regard are as follows, according to a recent study by The Pew Internet Project and the Berkman Centre for Internet and Society:

• 81% of parents claim their kids are being tracked by advertisers so often.

• 72% of parents express their concerns about their teens' interactions with strangers. Parents are eager to find out with who their teens are sharing information, and what means they are choosing for this.

• 69% of parents are worried about their teens' reputation. They think posts and other means of online expression will have a negative impact on their teens' reputation if these posts are not chosen carefully or appropriately enough.

• 70% of parents believe damaged reputation will affect their teens' future social activities, such as entering a college, or being hired by employers, etc.

Happily enough, nowadays parents can find modern means of managing technology risks. This refers also to monitoring and controlling teens' private information and activities – there are parents who apply restrictions on their teens' online activities. The sooner parents get down to handling such issues, the better results they will reach and the fewer problems they will face. Statistics in this concern are as follows:

• 59% of parents choose to talk to their teens and inform them about all possible online dangers. Particularly, they try to warn them about future problems concerning inappropriate posts or contents.

• 39% of parents state they have already helped their teens in adjusting online setting so as to prevent privacy violation. 

• 59% of parents claim they have already blocked certain website contents or restricted their teens' online surfing. 

• 42% of parents have searched their teens' name on the internet in order to find out the online information associated with their teens.

Having all these data and statistics at their disposal, parents will get more illustration on these highly important issues. Thus, they will become more apt in managing technology risks in the modern world.

1. Here are some vitally important points that make parents manage modern technology risks:Teens easily embark more on emailing and texting than on their studies. So, parents can become less concerned whether their teens are doing their homework or are just emailing their friends by just monitoring their children's messages and emails, or even call logs. What is more, teens often lose the sense of time and forget about bills. So, parents can use smartphone features allowing them to get notifications on mobile socializing limits or use such apps like Handyortung Software. Besides, parents can install a list of numbers in the target phone, and enable their children to use these numbers in emergency situations, etc. Finally, parents can keep an eye on web contents that attract their teens, and be sure that there is nothing harassing in them.

2. Sometimes, it's so important to find out whether your children aren't lost on their way, or if everything is OK with them on their way home. Happily enough, modern GPS possibilities enable parents to monitor their teens' locations. The only concern is that such applications can also be used by others to find your teens, so it's recommended to turn these apps off as soon as you get the information you need.

3. Teens may also download information that contains cyber dangers. So, parents are recommended to obtain so-called security packages, like NQ Mobile, that will allow them to control all these activities, and make personal information be out of strangers' reach. Besides, such security packages can be helpful while trying to find a lost or stolen mobile device.

Parents – How Should You Play Games with Your Kids?

It's an instinct for kids to play. Game is also a must-have part in children's life. Undoubtedly, there are rules for games. And great game rules can helps kids to develop various abilities. For example, the game of “To Hit My Fingers” can help children to foster their power of observation, attention and judgment. Aside from these, it requires kids to move promptly. During playing a game, children don't have any pressure. They can speak loudly. Of course, this offers a great chance for kids who are afraid of speaking in the public. Their courage gets exercised there. Therefore, parent, do you always play games with your children? Have you already known some key points about playing a game with a kid? Below, some tricks are shared.

Tip 1: pay attention to your words. Since kids cannot exercise like adults, they will meet some difficulties while doing some movements. At this time, parents should guide them by encouraging tone. It’s a no-no to say words like “stupid” to them!

Tip 2: your smile will be great instruction for your children. To make sure your kids can exercise breezily, anybody who guides them should keep sliming to them. Believe it or not, kids will know do’s and don’ts easily from your expression on the face.

Tip 3: tempt, rather than force your children to play a game. When your kids don’t want to join in a certain game, never force them. On the contrary, try to come up with some interesting ways to tempt them. After all, they are the protagonists in the game, right?

Tip 4: bring your child to a group game. Another destination for kids to exercise is to foster their gregariousness. So, it’s unwise to let him/her play separately all the time.

Tip 5: the time for you to play games with children should be fixed. Since parents have too much work to do, you cannot play games with your kids anytime. In this case, to fix some time to play with them can help you to make full use of your time. Besides, your kids will develop a habit to abide by time. They will know they cannot play at any time. Also, they won’t indulge in this case.

Tip 6: game features the same importance with study. Some parents try to persuade their kids not to spend too much time on playing games. But actually speaking, game is another crucial channel for kids to learn. Via games, children will observe qualities of many types of equipment and put what they learn into practice. What’s more, many games can stimulate children’s motility, observation and understanding. So, your attitude for your kids’ games should be hortative, yet not preventable.

Tip 7: the content for a game must be interesting. Kids are different with adults who can do things that are meaningful yet actually painful. For kids, they won’t be attracted by things that are not relaxing or uninteresting. Therefore, the game for children must be interesting. Only in this case will they be concentrated on them!

Tip 8: toys for your kids must be safe. Children are not well-experienced enough. Also, they don’t have great stability. So, as parents, you cannot choose toys that are easy to be bitten for them. Aside from this, toys on which paint is easy to drop or with too long rope should be avoided. At last, move away any item with potential safety hazard.

Katherine from Miccostumes.com is a devotee for game. Impartial reviews about various games, anime and movies are shared on her cosplay blog. You may be interested in paying her a visit?