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Engadget Podcast: Reviewing the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra
We dive into Samsung's new Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra, as well as the Alienware x14.
Netflix is already making a docuseries about the alleged billion-dollar bitcoin launderers
Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather 'Razzlekhan' Morgan were arrested and charged this week.
Alleged crypto launderer Heather Morgan led a second life as the world's worst rapper
Laundering billions in Bitcoin may not even be the worst crime of her life.
Justice Department recovers $3.6 billion in Bitcoin from 2016 Bitfinex hack
The Department of Justice has seized approximately $3.6 billion worth of Bitcoin stolen in the 2016 hack of Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex.
My $200,000 bitcoin odyssey
This was not what I expected to be doing with my October. But there I was, on a flight to Hong Kong, hoping I would be able to retrieve $200,000 worth of bitcoin from a broken laptop. Four years ago, I was living in Hong Kong when a fellow journalist named Mike* and I decided to invest in bitcoin. I bought four while Mike went in for 40; I spent about $2,000 while he put in $15,000. At the time, it seemed super speculative, but over the years, bitcoin surged and Mike seemed downright prescient. I had since relocated to Los Angeles and had been texting Mike about the 2,000 percent rise in our investment. *Name changed for anonymity. Strangely, I wasn't getting much of a response from him. He had 10 times as many bitcoins as I did -- shouldn't he at least have been excited? Finally, when the price of one bitcoin broke $4,000 this summer, I sent him this message: "You do still have those bitcoins right?" That's when he broke it to me: "Maybe not ..." Here's what happened: At some point in 2013, Mike had rightfully become concerned about security. He initially kept his coins in an exchange called LocalBitcoins. Exchanges are commonly used to buy and sell cryptocurrency, but you shouldn't keep your coins there. The most infamous bitcoin scandal to date was when Mt. Gox, an exchange based in Japan, lost 850,000 of its users' bitcoins. Exchanges can also suddenly close, as some did in China this year when the Chinese government suddenly made them illegal. Any serious cryptocurrency investor will tell you that your coins are best kept in "cold storage" (an offline hardware wallet). That's what I'd done with mine, but Mike hadn't gone that far three years ago when he started thinking about security. Instead, he set up a software wallet. It was a good step, but he would soon learn, it was not foolproof.
Hackers steal $63.7 million from Bitcoin exchange
A Hong Kong-based Bitcoin exchange has suspended all transactions after hackers stole a significant sum of the cryptocurrency. Bloomberg is reporting that 119,756 BTC, currently valued at $63.7 million, has been taken from Bitfinex. The news has helped to contribute to a drop in Bitcoin's value, and over the last two days it has fallen by around 13 percent.
Propose to your beloved with this bitcoin engagement ring
Much like the idea that Santa Claus wears red, the notion that you should spend a fortune on a diamond engagement ring is the invention of advertisers. So, since the act is already about ostentatious displays of wealth, why not invest your money in something more useful than a big rock -- like bitcoin? That's the idea behind the bitcoin ring, a 3D-printed piece of jewelry with a QR code that lets anyone with the corresponding app see how much cash you've really got.
Sound Wallet can keep your Bitcoins secure with vinyl-based encryption
If you're anything like us, you've already made millions of dollars on Bitcoin. But how to keep it safe from loved ones, co-workers and other people we don't trust? Sound Wallet promises to keep your private access keys secure as encrypted audio, either on CDs or 7-inch vinyl, presumably just because it can. The system isn't limited to Bitcoin - other less popular brands of cryptocurrency can also benefit from the nostalgia-tinged protection. Your encrypted login key is converted into a sound file less than a minute long, and while it'll sound like white noise to anyone listening, a spectroscope app (yeah, you're going to need your smartphone), will be able to pluck the appropriate information out of the track.
BTC's 9051H Cheetah "pro" keyboard and mouse
We might like it more if Behavior Tech Computer Corp. were in the business of creating devices to assist in BF Skinner inspired experiments, but instead they've just got stuff like this 9051H Cheetah keyboard / mouse combo. The board has that righty-oriented FPS key cluster, backlit keys that change color according to typing speed, comes bundled with that generic looking laser mouse with variable DPI (800, 1300, and 2000) and two programmable buttons. Sorry folks, no listed price or availability.[Via Far East Gizmos]
BTC's 24-inch ZEUS 7000 240MA LCD does HDMI
Sure, picking up a LCD monitor with an HDMI connector isn't impossible, but BTC's ZEUS 7000 240MA sure looks a lot sexier than most of the competition. The 24-inch widescreen display packs HDCP-compliant HDMI / DVI ports, VGA, S/PDIF inputs and outputs, dual five-watt stereo speakers, and picture-in-picture support to boot. Additionally, it boasts a five-millisecond response time, 160-degree viewing angles, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and "1080p support." No word just yet surrounding price or availability, but do click on if you're interested in seeing this gem turned up on its ear.[Via AVing]
