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Friday, May 31, 2019
Biggest Heists in Bitcoin History and How They Were Pulled Off
Bitcoin’s history is rife with hacks and heists, sometimes resulting in six-figure bitcoin losses and businesses going bankrupt, unable to pay their customers back. A new video by Bitcoin.com explores the largest bitcoin heists in history and explains how each one was pulled off.
With cryptocurrencies’ steep rise in value, heists have become increasingly lucrative for hackers. The biggest targets have so far been crypto exchanges with weak security measures. Since a large number of crypto users are still not holding their own private keys, opting to leave their coins on these exchanges, large and frequent heists are inevitable. Blockchain data forensics firm Chainalysis detailed in its January report:
The hacking of exchanges is far and away the most costly type of crypto crime, generating around $1 billion in hacking revenues in 2018 alone.
When considering “exchange thefts, fraud and exit scams,” blockchain security company Ciphertrace estimates that they “may tally more than $1.2 billion in the first quarter [2019] alone.”
As exchanges’ security measures tighten over time, the number of coins hackers are able to steal has been decreasing. As Chainalysis noted, “Crypto crime increased in 2018, but it made up a smaller slice of a much larger market. Indeed, according to our analysis, illicit transactions comprised less than 1% of all economic bitcoin activity in 2018, down from 7% in 2012.”
Biggest Heists and How They Were Pulled Off
The latest installment from Bitcoin.com’s new video series entitled “The 5 Biggest Bitcoin Heists in History – Ranked” examines the top bitcoin heists and a Ponzi scheme, and details how each one was executed. The heyday of cryptocurrency heists started in 2011, quickly peaked over the next two years, and has continued to this day. As described in the video, hackers were able to steal sums as large as 650,000 BTC, 120,000 BTC, and 100,000 BTC — to name a few.
Inevitably featured in the video is the Mt. Gox heist which saw 650,000 bitcoins stolen throughout 2013 by a still-unknown hacker. For years, victims of the hack blamed CEO Mark Karpeles for the theft, but Japanese courts eventually exonerated him of ill intention. Another major hack in Japan hit one of the largest crypto exchanges in the country; Coincheck was hacked last year for about 50,000 BTC worth of cryptocurrencies. The video tells the story of how it re-emerged and became one of the 19 fully registered crypto exchanges in Japan.
The largest Ponzi scheme to date is also featured in the video. Bitcoin Savings and Trust, operated by Trendon Shavers, stole approximately 265,675 BTC from its customers. Another high-profile heist was the 2016 Bitfinex hack, which lost about 120,000 BTC. The video explains what happened there as well.
The Curious Case of Bitcoinica
An interesting series of heists revolved around Bitcoinica, an early bitcoin exchange by a 17-year-old entrepreneur and coder named Zhou Tong. Hackers first exploited a vulnerability in shared online web host Linode and stole over 46,653 BTC from eight different Bitcoin services there in March 2012, including more than 43,000 coins from Bitcoinica.
Before Tong could pay back his customers, the exchange suffered a second attack. In May 2012, hackers managed to empty the exchange’s hot wallet and user funds at its new server host, Rackspace. The thieves got away with a total of 18,547 bitcoins this time, causing the fledgling exchange to shut down. Trouble continued for Bitcoinica, however, as a third heist hit two months later and 40,000 more coins belonging to the exchange and its users stored on Mt. Gox vanished. “A total of around 100,000 bitcoins were stolen before Bitcoinica closed its doors the same year,” the Bitcoin.com video notes.
For more information about the largest hacks in bitcoin history and how they were pulled off, see the video below.
What do you think of these heists? Let us know in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock.
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X-Men: Dark Phoenix: Will It Be as Bad as The Last Stand?
It seems like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been around forever, and you’d be forgiven for thinking so. I mean it has essentially defined an entire generation and has had such a presence in our culture, you really can’t ignore it. We at least get two films a year from them at this point but before we were utterly spoiled with intertextual wet dreams of crossovers and ensemble films, we had the X-Men.
In the early 2000s, they were kind of a big deal. During the era, the genre had yet to earn any sort of prestige till we had seen it fully actualize in 2008’s The Dark Knight but the early X-Men films were the seeds that cultivated that flourishing. The very first X-Men and a personal favourite of mine, X2 dealt with surprisingly complex issues of identity, race politics and idealism. It had enough dazzling action and cast charisma to pull audiences in and social commentary to leave them discussing it for years to come. The future of the franchise seemed bright at the time…and then it happened. I’m talking about the VFX heavy, Sentinel teasing, corny ass romantic, dogshit dumpster fire that is X-Men: The Last Stand.
In a post-Last Stand world, the franchise has arguably gotten better in time, though grave mistakes were made. I’m looking at you X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Nonetheless, things were on the up and up with First Class and Days of Future Past steering the franchise in a brave, new direction. Then, it all started to go south with X-Men: Apocalypse and now I’m starting to wonder and worry. Will X-Men:Dark Phoenix be a fitting end to this saga or will be yet another Last Stand?
Worlds Apart
After the disastrous X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fox went on a course to rectify its mistakes by establishing a whole new series for the X-Men timeline, culminating in some serious retcons in Days of Future Past. Instead of trying to recreate the nostalgia of the previous team, the studio sought to bring about a new generation of mutants for a younger audience. In place of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, we got James McAvoy taking up the role. The magnetic gravitas of Ian McKellen’s Magneto was replaced by a spirited and more human version of the character by way of Michael Fassbender.
In terms of tonality, the old X-Men trilogy in comparison with this new post-First Class one is distinct from one another. The original trilogy, for the most part, is a more grounded affair dealing with government conspiracies, public discrimination and revolution. The post-First Class saga, on the other hand, sees serious departures from the tone established from the previous films. This younger and newer series dealt with far more fantastical and outlandish threats. In First Class, we saw the X-Men literally fight against a cabal of evil mutants trying to trigger thermonuclear annihilation by escalating the Cold War.
Days of Future Past had time travel and shapeshifting androids hellbent on eradicating mutant kind. Then, they kicked it up all the way to 11 with Apocalypse where the X-Men had to fight against a mutant god for the fate of the world. So it’s safe to say in terms of at least tone or circumstances, Dark Phoenix will definitely be nothing like TheLast Stand. Based on the trailer, the film will probably play up the more cosmic and supernatural side of the Phoenix Force than have a mutant uprising using Jean Grey as their champion.
I mean the trailer literally has the team travelling to space and encountering a cosmic being so it’s clear that Dark Phoenix has no intention of recapturing the nostalgia or gritty reality of TheLast Stand. That being said, the cosmetics and aesthetic differences of the film could only be skin deep. No one is complaining about TheLast Stand’s setting or world, the issues have more to do with the plot and character development. In those departments, we’ll have to take a closer look at where The Last Stand went wrong and whether or not this new series is heading down the same path.
The Last Stand’s Legacy
Before we can take a look at Dark Phoenix, I think it’s important to understand where X-Men: The Last Stand missed the mark. We need to talk about Brett Ratner. Before Ratner came upon his directorial post in The Last Stand, the previous two films were helmed by director Bryan Singer who had to establish a very distinct and particular direction of the film’s plot. While X-Men and X2 weren’t perfect, one thing that the films did really well was their ability to inject a level humanity into the wider drama at play. I’d argue that a lot of the heart of the first two films rested on two characters: Wolverine and Charles Xavier.
We’ve seen his evolution in Wolverine from stoic, macho man to leader throughout the course of the two films. Fighting Stryker isn’t merely about stopping the bad guy, it’s also about finding closure about what happened to him during his Weapon X days. Charles Xavier aka Professor X is the heart of the team. Honestly, there was no way we could give every member of the X-Men a time to shine safe for maybe Rogue, Cyclops and Jean Grey. Singer however smartly positioned Charles at the moral and emotional centre of the team. We began to care for the mutants under his care because he did, mostly due to Stewart’s performance. There was a sense of warmth and empathy of the man.
Even villains like Magneto and William Stryker have interesting and complex motivations. Magneto, having been at the receiving end of persecution, wants to ensure that his people never have to feel that way again. There’s a complicated relationship between him and Xavier, hardened out of opposing methods and yet tempered with respect and longing for reconciliation. Stryker who by all means should be the “big bad military man” is also given this treatment.
His hatred for mutants stems from a very personal place. In the past, Stryker had sent his son, Jason to Charles’ school with the hopes that he would find a cure for his mutation. He withdrew him from the program when he realized that Xavier was more concerned with trying to nurture his gifts. Jason became angry and frustrated with his parents and used his ability to create mental illusions to cause his mother to commit suicide. Stryker, in turn, locked him away before using him as a weapon against mutants in X2.
When Brett Ratner came on board, things notably took a turn for the worse. Singer was supposed to do The Last Stand but went on to do Superman Returns instead. Full disclosure, I don’t have a problem with Ratner as a director or as an artist, it’s just that he wasn’t a really great fit for the role. I mean before the film, the director was best known for Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2 which are relatively small productions compared to the instalment of an established franchise. Even after the film, Ratner didn’t gain any more experience as a dramatic director, he did Tower Heist and Rush Hour 3!
The performances in the film were hammy and the lines awkwardly delivered. Jean Grey’s “I don’t wanna fix it” still curls my toes till this day and of course, we got one of the most infamous lines of the whole franchise, “I’m the Juggernaut, bitch!” Last Stand’s attempt to be culturally relevant and appealing to mass audiences robbed it of its social relevance and antagonized its pre-existing fanbase. That being said, the fault doesn’t solely rest on Ratner.
The Last Stand isn’t a movie, it’s actually two movies sawed in half and Frankensteined back together. I’ll elaborate. Recently, veteran writer Simon Kinberg opened up about where he felt Last Stand went wrong. He wanted to play up the cosmic and supernatural side of Jean Grey’s Phoenix Force. He wanted to make the film a live adaptation of the Dark Phoenix Saga as seen in the comics. The studio, however, wanted to keep it more grounded in reality with Magneto fighting against a new cure to be used against mutants. So the two came to a compromise and decided to cram the two arcs into a single film with a little over an hour and a half of screen time, and boy does it show.
At the end of the day, all the majesty and emotional stakes built up over the years were squandered in the name of having big, blockbuster moments. The relatively short runtime had forced the film to sacrifice character development in the name of said moments. The romance between Jean and Logan was rushed and forced which culminated in a death that frankly felt unearned and tacked on for the sake of a dramatic moment.
Charles Xavier the heart of the franchise got unceremoniously disintegrated for no other discernible reason beyond bringing Jean to the point of no return. The film tried to recreate a Stryker-son situation with Warren Worthington III having a mutant son, Angel while at the same time discovering a cure but that goes nowhere. Magneto drops all pretexts and fallout becomes a supervillain with him leading an invasion on a research facility on Alcatraz by pulling apart the Golden Gate Bridge.
X-Men: The Last Stand could have been a great film. It could have been a great film if the studios had opted for a more experienced director. It could have been a great film if either Kinberg and the execs had committed to either one of their visions. Instead, nobody got what they want (maybe except the investors) and now we have a bloated, hollow film. A film that banked on its goodwill and squandered it all in an attempt to shove as many nameless cool looking mutants and big action set pieces on screen. The funny thing is I actually remember having fun with The Last Stand when I first saw it in theatres in 2006 but over time my opinion of it soured from apathy to disappointment. And so we come to that fateful question: Will Dark Phoenix deliver or shall history repeat itself but this time in another timeline?
Dark Phoenix Donning
One thing that Dark Phoenix has going for it is its clear vision of what it’s setting out to be. As stated earlier, Kinberg is committed to his dreams of the adapting Dark Phoenix Saga. So at the very least, Kinberg is passionate about the project and the studio his giving him the autonomy to execute his vision. He even has the original director, Bryan Singer coming back on set. So there should be no compromises with the studio, no shoehorned subplots and no Magneto stealing the spotlight here. This is about one thing and one thing only: Jean Grey. This is about her being possessed by the Phoenix Force and how if she isn’t stopped the world will come to an end. Boom, simple and straight to the point. What could possibly go wrong?
From Cyclops and Jean Grey’s awkward romantic encounter in which she tells him to take off his glasses and kisses him to Magneto again fighting against Charles Xavier to flashbacks of Xavier visiting Jean as a kid to her lifting him off the ground. Again, these are just the comments of some anonymous Redditors, so who’s to say it’s true and even if it was, maybe the reshoots solved the problem.
Another X-Men: Dark Phoenix test screening, and guess what?
I now have talked to 6 people who all went to 3 different test screenings and all of them have told me the screenings were BAD. pic.twitter.com/HC8TT7XiRE
Clearly not seeing that the film was pushed from February 2019 to June, once again facing production problems in response to negative early reviews. This is not good. TheDisInsider editor-in-chief and writer for The Hashtag Show, Skyler Shuler has stated on social media that he’s talked to some of the folks who attended test screenings of the film and again, the reviews are coming up sour. He posted on Twitter “Another X-Men: Dark Phoenix test screening, and guess what? I now have talked to 6 people who all went to 3 different test screenings and all of them have told me the screenings were BAD,” One viewer even said that the film had made him laugh out loud in a scene that was meant to be a serious dramatic moment. Test-screeners have also compared the major deaths in the film to be rather reminiscent of the ones seen in X-Men: Last Stand.
Based on the reactions and comments seen so far, it seems that Dark Phoenix is set to retread the familiar ground it so desperately tried to erase. In fact, some have labelled it as a grimmer and darker version of Last Stand. Great, just what we need. I’m not sure whether it’s Kinberg pushing for these creative decisions or cinematic dementia but a lot of the mistakes that Fox swore off in the finale of the original trilogy seem to have come back and haunt them. None of this is really that surprising seeing that some of the issues found in The Last Stand had already made its way into Apocalypse. An overemphasis on large action set pieces over the development of character arcs, an of out-of-nowhere Dark Phoenix reveal (which doesn’t make sense seeing that she hasn’t even been to space yet) and of course, Magneto fighting against the X-Men.
It seems as much as the Kinberg, Singer and studio have tried to distinguish themselves from the legacy of Last Stand, they just can’t seem to shake that spectre off. Nonetheless, we’ll still be going to theatres to see for ourselves if it’s any good. Perhaps the reshoots and edits have done enough to elevate the film. For now, though, it seems that history will repeat itself and Dark Phoenix is destined to be yet another TheLast Stand, if not worse.
Warner Bros. has closed a deal for the “Twilight” actor to play the Caped Crusader in The Batman.
The choice to make Pattinson the new Caped Crusader has been met with criticism and backlash from fans since early rumours started circulating the internet. However, after playing a sparkling vampire in the Twilight film series, Pattinson has moulded himself into one of the most underrated actors working in Hollywood today. Go check out his performance in The Rover, Lost City of Z and Good Time.
Previously, the likes of Michael Keaton and Heath Ledger also received tremendous backlash from fans upon their respective casting as Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 film and The Joker in Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Both of whom received massive acclaim upon their films’ release.
But if you’re unwilling to put your faith in Robert Pattinson, then at least trust in Matt Reeves. Reeves is a phenomenal helmer who previously worked on the poetic and emotionally poignant Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War For the Planet of the Apes. Reeves definitely sees something in Pattinson.
Reeves has previously mentioned that The Batman will be a neo-noir crime film. This will finally bring to screen an element of Batman from the comics that is yet to be explored in cinema: He’s the world’s greatest detective.
The film will reportedly begin production in the first quarter of 2020 and be released in June 2021.
In just a few more days, Apple will be going to become the centre of attention once again as the company kicks off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose. WWDC is not a place to expect new major products since it is a developer-oriented event even though there is a lingering rumour about a new Mac Pro but that being said, you can usually see a glimpse of Apple’s future direction over there.
As per customary, WWDC-related rumours have started flying around but one part of the report by the consumer technology reporter at Bloomberg, Mark Gurman has certainly caught our attention. According to Mark, Apple will be moving away from iTunes by launching three new apps for the Mac.
These apps come in the form of Music, TV, and Podcasts which already existed on iPhones and iPad. Given the fact that iTunes has been around for more than 18 years, it is rather understandable that long-time Apple user might feel awkward with the move but it looks like a logical move to us since the company itself is going big with individual services such as Apple Music and Apple TV+.
Nevertheless, we are still curious about the steps that Apple will take to migrate these users that are so used to iTunes to the new era. Of course, let’s first see how accurate this report will be once the WWDC keynote takes place at 1:00 AM Malaysian time on 4 June.
Cryptocurrencyalerting.com Will Notify You of Price Movements
With volatility returning to cryptocurrency markets, being regularly updated about price changes is important if you want to be a successful trader. To take advantage of market movements, you need timely alerts and a website called Cryptocurrencyalerting.com can help you get them through various channels.
Cryptocurrency Alerting is a platform that provides you with the opportunity to create multiple customized alerts on market prices, percentage movements and exchange listings. It also offers wallet watch and mempool size monitoring features for some cryptocurrencies.
The website tracks over 5,000 coins and tokens, including bitcoin cash (BCH), and you can be notified when a cryptocurrency you are interested in goes above or below a certain price point. You’ll be able to set the price target in a number of major fiat currencies and stablecoins, as well as BTC and ETH.
Alternatively, you can track percentage price changes and receive alerts when the price of a crypto moves up or down by a certain percent within a predefined time period, which can be from five minutes to 24 hours. This way you won’t miss the next price breakout.
You can choose among 26 digital asset exchanges, including Coinbase, Binance and Kraken, when customizing your price alerts. You can also get notifications when a particular coin has been listed on a platform you are trading on.
Cryptocurrencyalerting allows you to choose from nine different ways to receive your crypto alerts. The platform supports notifications via SMS, email, phone call, push and browser notifications, Telegram, Discord and Slack bots.
To use the automated alerts provided by Cryptocurrencyalerting.com, you need to sign up using a valid email address and create a password for your account. The website accepts cryptocurrency donations to maintain its services.
To stay informed about the current prices of crypto assets, you can also regularly check Bitcoin Markets. The aggregator developed by Bitcoin.com provides real-time data on the prices and valuations of the top 500 digital currencies by market cap. Also, check out our Bitcoin Charts page.
Are you using automated price alerts to keep track of cryptocurrency markets? Tell us in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to third party companies or any of their affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any third party content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Cryptocurrencyalerting.com.
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Google Play Store Now Also Requires App Developers To Disclose Loot Box Odds
Back in December 2017, the Apple App Store made it a requirement that all app developers disclose the odds of getting items. After a whole year and a half, it’s finally the turn of the Google Play Store to have the rule in place.
Android Police reports that Google has made some changes to its Play Store policies. Specifically on the subject of loot boxes, makers of mobile games with such mechanics will have to “clearly disclose the odds of receiving those items in advance of purchase.”
While Google is very late to the party, it’s better late than never. The company’s sudden adoption of the policy may also have something to do with the new bill proposed in the US earlier in the month. The proposed bill is officially known as the Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act.
Under said bill, game makers will not be able to have paid loot box or pay-to-win mechanics in games aimed at minors. In other words, games with loot boxes can only be sold to those aged 18 or above. Effectively, this restricts such games to an Adults Only rating by the ESRB, which also limits their visibility in the US.
Blucon is excited to announce the launch of their transportation card that supports BCH. The system will work by integrating with the EXO-Platform. This allows instant conversion of cryptocurrency into spendable cash. Blucon has leveraged on its existing business relationships between cryptocurrency exchanges and legacy banking institutions to launch this product. Excitement is also building, as Blucon’s listing on Digifinex is set for the 27th of May.
Blucon’s Digifinex listing means that the EXO-Platform will be integrated into an exchange, so Blucon users will be able to instantly convert cryptocurrencies held in their exchange wallets for spendable cash through Blucon’s transportation card.
Currently, Blucon is planning to provide Bitcoin.com with the cryptocurrency-rechargeable prepaid transportation card. The card can only be topped up by cash for the time being. Using cryptocurrencies to top up the prepaid transportation card will be available in 2 months, after the EXO-Platform is fully integrated.
Blucon’s EXO-Platform acts as a medium between financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges. This allows Blucon card users to instantly convert cryptocurrencies into cash through the EXO-Platform.
In other words, Bitcoin Cash holders are now able to pay for transportation using cryptocurrencies in real time, wherever they want. This is a huge step forward for cryptocurrency payments.
Blucon’s payment platform was developed with the B2B2C model in mind. Once the platform is fully functional, the cards will be sent out to Blucon partners like ExShell, Digifinex, Bcoin, The Dash Foundation and Bitcoin.com.
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About Blucon
BLUCON is an innovative blockchain company that builds next generation fintech infrastructure for crypto assets to become spendable as cash at point of sale. Blucon’s grand vision, is to be the first B2B2C payments provider in the blockchain space to allow for seamless transferability between crypto assets and fiat.
Huawei Service Day Commences From Today Until 1 June 2019
If you’re looking to service your Huawei device and keep it at optimal condition, you’ll be happy to know that the brand’s service day is just around the corner. To be precise, the monthly event takes place every first Friday and Saturday of the month; in this case, that’s on 31 May and 1 June.
During these two days, consumers who own any Huawei smartphone on the brand’s official list will be able to enjoy the services offered during the occasion. The first service is a free out-of-warranty labour charge, whereby a consumer need only pay for the cost of a component or replacement parts.
Another service that Huawei will be performing for free is a disinfection service. Simply take your phone to any participating Huawei Experience stores, and they will give your phone a free wipe down.
The last service is a free screen protector application service for selected Huawei smartphone models. To be eligible for the free screen protector, consumers will have to like or comment on the Huawei Facebook post regarding this event.
That’s not all. During the service period, consumers who download the Huawei VIP App will be eligible for a RM100 Huawei Online Official Store voucher with every purchase of replacement parts.
You can find out which Huawei smartphone model are eligible via the brand’s official page for the event. The same page also lists down which Huawei service centres are participating in the event, so you may want to check them out to see if you’ve got a participating outlet within your area.
Hackers Stole Customers' Credit Cards from 103 Checkers and Rally's Restaurants
If you have swiped your payment card at the popular Checkers and Rally's drive-through restaurant chains in past 2-3 years, you should immediately request your bank to block your card and notify it if you notice any suspicious transaction. Checkers, one of the largest drive-through restaurant chains in the United States, disclosed a massive long-running data breach yesterday that affected an
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 Will Be Released On 25 October; First Trailer Is Now Out
Earlier in the week, we heard reports that this year’s Call of Duty will simply be called Modern Warfare. It’s made as a soft reboot of the subseries with the same name. And now we know when the game will be out.
The release date was revealed at the end of the title’s reveal trailer, which reads 25 October. The trailer also prominently features the subseries main character Captain Price. Familiar scenes from the Modern Warfare subseries are also shown, reimagined for the reboot.
This year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will also be a complete experience, unlike the recently released Black Ops 4. The series’ singleplayer campaign makes a return, as well as the traditional multiplayer modes. There will also be multiplayer co-op modes similar to those found in the original Modern Warfare subseries as well.
As mentioned before, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be released on 25 October 2019. It will be available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
ICC World Cup 2019: All Surprising Technologies to be Used in The Cricket Tournament
The ICC World Cup 2019 is about to become one of the most momentous spectacles in the cricketing fraternity in 2019 after the uber-popular IPL 2019 ended a month ago. The ICC World Cup 2019 is being hosted by England while the first match will be played in England between the host nation and South Africa.
Well, watching cricket is enthralling without a doubt but do you know we have been watching cricket like never before thanks to the various technologies introduced over the years. It is now not that a couple of fixed stationed cameras pointing at the field but there are a string of technologies that are in use as of now with the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 is no exemption. No doubt the tournament will be overwhelming and that’s because we have become spectators of various camera techniques and technologies used that we might not know so far. Here’s a list of all the technologies that will be used at the ICC World Cup 2019 tournament that will make the cricket match much more enticing and enjoyable.
Spidercam
Via News18.com
I bet you have seen an intriguing drone-like object hovering on the field without any actual rotors to lift it? Spidercam has become a traditional type of cinematography as it allows the audience to see a never-seen-before bird’s eye view of the field capturing any nick of details. Although it hovers over the field, it does not have any rotors as it is not a drone and basically many times heavier but it attached to cables and a deep network of pulleys and wires that allows it to move around vertically and horizontally on the specified area to get the best look.
Hawk-Eye
Via Hawk-Eye
Hawk-Eye, a technology developed by HawkEye Technologies, utilizes augmented reality to track out the path of the ball in case of LBW. It uses a number of metrics to trace the path of the ball while accounting for spin, speed, and where it hits on the pitch i.e. either in or outside the line of wicket which helps to clear up any confusion later.
It is one of the most common visual representation of any ball or over (6 balls) thrown that predicts the susceptibility of a ball hitting the wicket. It further includes trackers introduces for batsman that enables better decision revivals and one of the commonly used tech today and ICC World Cup 2019 isn’t different.
UltraEdge
Via Scoopminers
Have close attention and you will understand that you have seen UltraEdge in clear sight at least one if you are an avid cricket watcher. It is mainly used when the umpire is either unsure if the ball hit the bat before being caught by the wicketkeeper or it just swings by which is very easy to miss as it could be a bare inches apart to make that difference.
However, UltraEdge which was formerly known as Snick-o-meter uses highly sensitive unidirectional microphones that are fixed at the base of the stumps. These microphones are unidirectional which is pointed in a single direction and have a limited area of capture which means no audience noises are registered and thus, even a slight blow to the bat is recorded without any hassle. In case the decision is disputed, you might have seen how broadcasters use a number of television replays going forward and reverse followed by a grab from the stump that gives a sharp and clear noise if the ball hit the bat meaning the batsman is out. This technique has proven to be effective and no doubt it is included in many cricket tournaments around the globe.
Hot Spot
Via Live Sport World
The next is Hot Spot which is used either in conjunction with UltraEdge technology or when the decision from the latter is either faint or unsure to make a firm decision. Hot Spot uses heat-sensitive infrared cameras that are located at the end of the field across the pitch. It renders a monochromatic visual of the scene where it tracks ball with an obstacle in between and dictates which one hit first in case if there’s any dispute between two obstacles such as a pad or the bat. This can be used in conjunction with the audio cue from UltraEdge to make a firm decision.
Tracker Device
Nowadays, cricketers get personalized and customized gears embedded within their vests that further help by reading the movement of the players. It is also used in the Hawk-Eye as aforementioned.
DRS
Via NDTV Gadgets
Known as the Umpire Decision Review System, the DRS helps the umpire in the process of decision-making. It is used when there is sort kind of confusion or if the umpire either missed or couldn’t conclude the decision. Triggered after a third umpire’s request, DRS employs use of television replays as well as a technology that detects and tracks the path of the ball and use sensitive microphones to catch any noise if it hits or even touches the pad which is a sign of LBW in some cases or if it hits the bat and the wicket keeper catches the ball in which case, the batsman is out.
These are just some of the ultra high-tech technologies and gadgets that are used in cricket matches as well as will be used in the ICC World Cup 2019 as well. The list includes high-resolution stationed cameras across the stadium, lights on the stumps that go off when the bails are off dictating that the player could be out of the game and so on. The ICC World Cup 2019 starts on May 30 with the first match being between England and South Africa so stay tuned.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 May Kill The 3.5mm Audio Jack As Well
Back in March, we first heard rumours of Samsung killing physical buttons for the Galaxy Note 10. Now, sources to Android Police have said that they will not be the only victims of the culling. The increasingly rare 3.5mm audio jack may be on its way out as well.
Samsung has held on to the beloved jack when more and more brands are slowly abandoning it, especially on their higher end products. If the Korean tech giant indeed eliminates the 3.5mm audio jack on the Galaxy Note 10, there’s a chance that it will also be absent in next year’s Galaxy S models.
The source also confirmed existing rumours about the Galaxy Note 10 having two size variants. That said, the report made no mention of the potential specs difference that surfaced with the initial rumours. Also not mentioned is if both sizes will adopt a naming convention unusual to the Galaxy Note line.
Either way, it’s still best to take all of this with a pinch of salt. With the Galaxy Note line traditionally getting announced in August, it won’t be much longer until we hear an official announcement from Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Fit-e 2019 To Be Available In Malaysia for RM 139
Aside from obtaining it through Samsung iChanged program, the new Galaxy Fit-e 2019 fitness tracker can also be obtained as a stand-alone device. For those who not familiar with the Galaxy Fit-e, it is essentially Samsung’s entry-level fitness tracker.
Equipped with a 0.75-inch PMOLED monochrome display, the lightweight fitness wearable comes with automated workout tracking for walking, running, and dynamic workout. Despite its entry-level status, the Galaxy Fit-e is still equipped with a heart rate sensor.
Alongside sleep tracking ability, the Galaxy Fit-e is designed to meet the 5ATM standard which means that it is able to withstand water depth of up to 50 meters for 10 minutes. With its 70mAh battery, the fitness tracker has a typical battery life of up to 7 days or 13 days if under low usages.
Priced at RM 139 in Malaysia, the new Galaxy Fit-e will be made available in Malaysia this June. So, keep a look for it at Samsung Experience Stores and authorized retailers nationwide.
ASUS Reveals Pricing And Availability For ROG And ROG Strix Series Gaming Notebooks With 9th Gen Intel CPUs
Earlier this week, ASUS gave us a glimpse of its entire ROG and ROG Strix series of gaming notebooks a couple of days before Computex 2019. The only thing missing from the equation at the time was the local pricing and availability, that is, until now.
According to ASUS’ new product guide, it looks like the brand will be staggering the availability of each ROG and ROG Strix notebook variants over the month of June. For a start, the ROG Strix G and all its SKUs will be brought in sometime during the middle of June. Pricing for the notebook will start at RM3499 for baseline SKU, while the top-of-the-line SKU will retail for RM5799 upon availability. To recap, this model includes an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and a 17.3-inch Full HD 144Hz display.
Next on the list, both the ROG Strix SCAR III and HERO III will be hitting the shelves of local PC resellers sometime during the end of June. The HERO III will retail for RM6699; ASUS seems to only be bringing in one size which is 15.6-inches, but on the flip side, it will come with a GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a 9th generation Core i7-9750H CPU. Among other things.
The SCAR III, on the other hand, will be available in two SKUs. At RM6999, the first SKU comes with a 17.3-inch Full HD 144Hz display, 16GB DDR4 RAM, a Core i7-9750H, and a GeForce RTX 2060. The second configuration, which comes with a smaller 15.6-inch Full HD display, is pricier at RM7999. However, at that price, the display’s refresh rate is bumped up to 240Hz, and you get a beefier GeForce RTX 2070 instead.
As for the ROG Zephyrus lineup, both the Zephyrus M and Zephyrus S are also coming to Malaysia, and during different periods of June as well. The Zephyrus M will arrive first sometime mid-June and will retail for RM6299. For that price, you get a 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz IPS display, an Intel Core i7-9750H, a single 8GB DDR-2666MHz memory module, 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD, and a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
On the other hand, the Zephyrus S is a little more colourful, as ASUS will be bringing in two sizes for the Zephyrus S – 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch, with two configurations each. Pricing for the 15.6-inch model starts at RM8699 and tops out at RM13999. For the former, you get a GeForce RTX 2070 and a 512GB NVMe SSD, while the more expensive model nets you a GeForce RTX 2080 and double the storage capacity. Regardless of choice, both configurations come with 16GB DDR4 RAM and a panel refresh rate of 240Hz.
The 17.3-inch variant has near identical hardware, except instead of 240Hz, the refresh rate is capped at 144Hz. Pricing starts from RM10999, with the premium variant costing RM15999. Oh, and before we forget, the display on all 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch models will come with NVIDIA’s G-Sync.
Last on the list is the ROG Chimera G703; ASUS’ desktop replacement gaming notebook. At RM19999, it is one of the most expensive gaming notebooks within the brand’s arsenal. And also the most decked out. At that price point, you get a 9th generation Intel Core i9-9980HK CPU, 32GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM, three 512GB NVMe PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 configuration, a 17.3-inch Full HD 144Hz IPS panel with G-Sync, and a GeForce RTX 2080. Regarding its availability, the G703 is already locally available.
Gigabyte Unveils AORUS NVMe M.2 SSD; Made For New PCIe 4.0 Interface
Earlier at Computex 2019, Gigabyte officially launched its new AORUS NVMe PCIe SSD. Specifically, the new AORUS SSD is designed with to be used with the new PCIe 4.0 interface, which launched simultaneously with the launch of AMD’s new 3rd generation Ryzen CPUs and X570 chipset.
Performance-wise, the AORUS NVMe SSD is capable of delivering sequential read and write speeds of 5000MB/s and 4400MB/s, respectively. That is statistically a 40% boost over PCIe 3.0, which is also provided by new Toshiba Bisc4 NAND Flash particles.
Adding to its physical aesthetic, the M.2 module is enveloped with a full body copper heatsink for a more even and uniform dissipation of heat.
The Gigabyte AORUS NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD will be available in 1TB and 2TB storage capacities. There is no local pricing or availability as of yet, but speculations are suggesting that the storage medium won’t be cheap, and that the brand might just release it sometime in July.
Nicholas Hoult in Contention With Robert Pattinson to Play Batman
Two weeks ago, it was reported that Robert Pattinson has all but signed on to play the Caped Crusader in The Batman. We’ve said it many times on this site: Pattinson is a great choice for the character because post-Twilight, he’s morphed into one of the most underrated actors working today (The Rover, Good Time). But because of his work in Twilight, he remains a controversial choice among fans, which only adds another layer of intrigue to the casting, much like Heath Ledger and Michael Keaton did in their time.
However, now it looks like there’s a very real possibility that he might not be cast in the role at all. According to journalist Umberto Gonzalez of The Wrap and Heroic Hollywood, Nicholas Hoult is also one of the front runners to play The Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. In fact, both Pattinson and Hoult are screen testing for the role which will help Reeves and his team finalise their decision.
“BATMAN UPDATE: Robert Pattinson & Nicholas Hoult are screen testing for the role. I suspect they’re screen testing in the Batsuit because Wardrobe Department will need full wardrobe test. Additionally, the film will now start production in Q1 2020.”
BATMAN UPDATE: Robert Pattinson & Nicholas Hoult are screen testing for the role. I suspect they're screen testing in the Batsuit because Wardrobe Department will need full wardrobe test. Additionally, the film will now start production in Q1 2020.pic.twitter.com/eekafrqomL
Nicholas Hoult, who plays “younger” Beast in the X-Men franchise is a talented actor as well and I wouldn’t mind him cast as the titular character. Much like Pattinson, Hoult spends most of his time acting in smaller budget films where he’s given the room to stretch his performing range. He rarely disappoints, even in mediocre movies. However, Hoult’s definitely the much safer, less compelling choice of the two front runners.
We’ve got a long way to go before The Batman hits the big screens. It’s reported that the film will be released in June 2021, which is slightly more than two years away from now. According to Gonzalez, production will begin in the first quarter of 2020.
Samsung iChanged Offers Rebate For Your Old Phones; Alongside Galaxy Fit-e and Galaxy Buds
Samsung Malaysia recently has revealed a new trade-in program called iChanged for its Galaxy S10 devices. Through this program, consumers will not only receive a rebate when they exchange their old phones to purchase either Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, or Galaxy S10+, but they also able to get their hands on either Galaxy Fit-e fitness tracker or Galaxy Buds true wireless earphones.
According to the program’s Terms and Conditions, it is open to selected models from Apple, Vivo, OPPO, and Samsung itself. In total, there are 97 devices that have been listed in the documents and the actual rebate that customers would receive also depends on the condition of their phone.
As for the free gifts, pretty much all the Vivo and OPPO phones as well as Galaxy A, J, and C series that have been selected for this program would receive Galaxy Fit-e. On another hand, iPhone, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy S devices are eligible for Galaxy Buds instead.
Alternatively, consumers can also obtain Galaxy Fit-e for free when they purchase any of the three Galaxy S10 devices outright. For further information, head on to iChanged’s official website.
Captain Marvel: Origin Story in the Movie Was Supposed to Be Different
Captain Marvel is a huge financial success, grossing over $US 1.1 billion at the global box office. The movie received mixed to positive reviews with many calling it a fun filler Marvel movie, while others found it bland and uninteresting. The first Marvel female lead superhero movie was also on the receiving end of trolls who constantly downvoted the film on the user section of Rotten Tomatoes, prompting the popular review site to change their entire system.
The film was of course inspired by its comic book counterpart. However, as with any adaptation, the scriptwriters and director definitely changed up some things in the characters transition to the big screen in order to make it more palatable for the wider audience. In fact, if it were up to comic book writer Kelly Sue Deconnick, the film would have played out much differently. In an interview with io9, she had this to say:
“In the Pursuit of Flight [comic], it was actually supposed to be that she goes back to the moment of the explosion and it’s a time paradox where she’s witnessing her own origin story right? So her origin story in the comics is the machine blows up and she’s there. She’s being held hostage, and Mar-Vell, he picks up her body and is trying to take her out of the cave when the machine explodes, and the power of the explosion transfers his DNA into hers and (claps) she’s superpowered.”
What I wanted to do is have Carol time travel, so she’s in the scene where she’s getting her powers. She’s there with Helen Cobb who’s another pilot hero of hers, and she and Helen are watching the moment. Helen wants those powers, so she intentionally runs into the scene to be caught in the explosion. I wanted Mar-Vell to grab Helen, which would leave Carol needing to go in and rescue her younger self so that when the machine exploded it would transfer Carol’s powers from Carol to Carol, so that she would become the source of her own power. So it was an intentionally feminist reboot.”
In the same interview, Captain Marvel producer Mary Livanos went on to mention that the filmmakers definitely drew huge inspiration from Deconnick’s story beats and ideas.
“And you see the broad strokes of that storyline in Captain Marvel. Helen Cobb, huge inspiration for Wendy Lawson, our update of Walter Lawson who was the male Captain Mar-Vell, but we wanted Carol…that had to be a moment where she made a heroic decision that resulted in her powers. We couldn’t have a male Captain Marvel swoop in, save her. We wanted the source of her power to come from her own decision making.”
While the aforementioned story ideas are exciting, ultimately we’re fine with how the film played out as a whole.
Mojo Vision has unveiled its 14K pixel-per-inch (PPI) display, making the claim that it has developed “the world’s smallest micro display.”
The Vision is a monochrome display that is only visible under a microscope as it measures in at just half a millimetre. The display was revealed at the Augmented World Expo in California.
It features a pixel density 300 times greater than most phone screens and can put 15 pixels in an area that measures the size of a red blood cell.
It utilizes MicroLEDs, which is a technology that has the potential to significantly change the development of future wearables.
“We call it invisible computing. A lot of folks are focusing on MicroLEDs. It’s a good candidate for near-eye solutions. It can be used outdoors. Power is a consideration. And we drive the size of the pixels as low as possible,” Steve Sinclair, vice president of product and marketing at Mojo Vision told VentureBeat.
The technology behind the display is a breakthrough that Mojo Vision hopes will shift the future of computing, according to the company.
B.C. aiming for 10 percent of cars sold by 2025 to be zero emissions
British Columbia passed the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act (ZEVA) yesterday and as a result, 10 percent of all new light-duty cars and trucks sold in the province must be zero emission by 2025.
Reports that the legislation has passed initially came from the CBC.
The province has been pushing for this legislation since November 21st of last year, and then tabled it on April 11th, 2019. Now, on May 29th, 2019, the British Columbia has implemented the legislation.
Speaking of Hydrogen-powered cars, Toyota just announced that the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle goes on sale at 12 Toyota dealerships in the Vancouver area starting in July.
