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Teenager builds browser plugin to show you where politicians get their funding
The murky world of lobby groups bankrolling politicians is garnering more attention, but is there a way to find out which representatives are in the pocket without a lot of tedious research? A 16-year-old programmer has developed a browser plugin that, when you mouse-over the name of a US lawmaker, will serve up a list of which parties have donated to their campaign funds, and the quantities. Greenhouse (geddit?) is currently available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari -- although our lawyers have (probably) asked us to point out that the data is from the 2012 elections, so they may not be entirely up to date.
Bitcoin gets its first big sports sponsorship
Bitcoin is about to hit the big leagues in a very literal sense -- it just got its first major sports sponsorship. BitPay has struck a deal with ESPN Events that will rename one post-season NCAA football game as the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl through 2016. When the Bowl next kicks off, on December 26th, you'll see the digital currency's signature "B" plastered all over TV broadcasts, the field and the inevitable glut of merchandise. It's hard to say if the marketing blitz will translate to greater adoption, but it's well-timed. When Dish, Expedia and Overstock.com have all started taking Bitcoin, anyone who's swayed by the promotion will have at least a few places to spend their virtual cash.
Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange gets approval for US bankruptcy protection
The Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange may still be reeling from the botnet discovery that ruined its business, but it just got a big reprieve. A US court has approved Mt. Gox's Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection, preventing creditors who sued the company from seizing any American assets (including servers) or pressing for evidence. The exchange can also chase down any funds it needs to repay its debts and, if necessary, file lawsuits of its own.
YouTube wunderkind PewDiePie earns over $4 million each year
If you're contemplating a career change, you may want to look into playing video games and shouting into a camera, as doing just that has made Felix Kjellberg a millionaire. Better known by his phonetically troublesome online handle "PewDiePie," Kjellberg has turned online video game streaming into a massively lucrative venture. According to the Wall Street Journal, the PewDiePie brand now attracts more than $4 million each year in ad revenue, thanks to the 27 million subscribers who follow Kjellberg's YouTube channel, where the 24-year-old frequently uploads videos of himself playing (and swearing at) various games. Kjellberg attributes his success not to dumb luck or having capitalized on the streaming games trend at the exact right moment, but to a more personal touch that comes through in his videos. "Unlike many professionally produced shows, I think I've established a much closer contact with my viewers, breaking the wall between the viewer and what's behind the screen," he told the Wall Street Journal. "What I and other YouTubers do is a very different thing, it's almost like hanging around and watching your pal play games." [Image: YouTube/PewDiePie]
US to begin selling off its Silk Road Bitcoin hoard
When the FBI seized Silk Road and the assets of its founder, it inadvertently became the owner of one of the world's largest Bitcoin hoards. Just six months later, the US has decided that it wants to sell the smaller, Silk Road-owned portion of the stash, made up of 30,000 BTC worth around $18 million. The public auction will take place between 6am and 6pm on June 27th, with the funds being broken down into blocks of 3,000 BTC to make it a little more manageable. If, however, you fancied getting in on the action, be advised that you'll have to front a deposit of $200,000 just to be allowed in. Still, if it'll take you a bit longer to scrounge up that level of cash, the US will also look to sell off Ross "Dread Pirate Roberts" Ulbricht's personal Bitcoin fortune -- currently valued at around $87 million -- before his trial begins in November.
Now you can fill your PS4 wallet with PayPal bucks
PS4 owners can now buy games like Towerfall and Octodad: Dadliest Catch by stuffing their wallets full of moola from their PayPal accounts. Those looking to fund their digital purchases in this manner can do so on their PS4 consoles during the checkout process by selecting "Add Funds," then the PayPal option and picking the amount of dough to add to their wallet. Alternatively, players will be able to access the chunk of change in their PayPal accounts via their Sony Entertainment Network accounts, which are tied to their PSN wallets. Similar to the console method, eager buyers simply need to log in, select the "Account" tab, then the "Wallet" section, click "Add funds to Wallet," then follow the instructions to use PayPal as their funding option. PayPal funding, which was added to PS3 in November, is available to PS4 owners in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. [Image: PayPal]
Report: YouTube to acquire Twitch for $1 billion [Update]
YouTube has opted to buy into the streaming video game business by acquiring Twitch for $1 billion, according to Variety. Citing unnamed sources close to the deal, Variety claims the $1 billion figure will change hands in an all-cash deal, with an official announcement and full details arriving soon. As Variety points out, this deal would be the biggest in YouTube's history, nearly approaching the $1.65 billion Google paid for the streaming video giant in 2006. It's unknown how this arrangement will affect Twitch or YouTube going forward, though Variety claims that YouTube is preparing for any pushback U.S. regulators may present once the deal becomes public knowledge. We've attempted to contact Twitch, YouTube and Google for further information, but have yet to hear back. Update: The Wall Street Journal offers a conflicting report, claiming that while YouTube is in talks to acquire Twitch, the negotiations are still "at an early stage, and a deal isn't imminent." Like Variety, the Wall Street Journal cites anonymous sources close to the deal. [Image: Twitch]
Bitcoin bank entices mom and pop with insurance, fraud checks and no fees
If Bitcoin is meant to be an anonymous, decentralized currency that is free of intermediaries and national restrictions, then today's launch of a new Bitcoin bank, called Circle, might seem deeply antithetical. Circle's website does its utmost to look like that of an ordinary financial service, using words like "withdrawing," "depositing" and "digital money," instead of the usual terms about buying and selling Bitcoins. It follows US anti-money laundering rules, requiring users to identify themselves, and it expects you to connect your Bitcoin account to your normal credit card or bank accounts. Crypto-currency purists just aren't going to dig it, but then again Circle claims to offer some serious advantages that are missing from other, more direct approaches to Bitcoin banking.
Thieves beware: future ATMs will spray foam that helps track stolen cash
ATM thieves are increasingly focused on digital heists, but many of these robbers still prefer old-fashioned currency. They may want to think twice about stealing cash in the future, though, as ETH Zurich has developed a chemical defense system that both deters theft and helps track ill-gotten goods. Based loosely on bombardier beetles, which produce acid to spray attackers, the technique creates a defensive surface on an object (say, a cash box) using film layers filled with hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide. Break the surface and you trigger a reaction that covers everything nearby in hot foam -- by itself, enough to ruin the day of any would-be purloiner.
Paym platform for sending and receiving money by mobile number goes live
Paym, a new mobile payment platform that lets you send money to a mate for your share of Friday's curry with only their phone number to hand, is now live in the UK. To use Paym, you'll first need to associate your mobile number with your UK bank account either online or through your bank's mobile app. Once that's done, you can send or receive money (up to £250) from anyone that's also signed up to Paym using nothing but mobile numbers. The process may sound familiar, as Barclay's Pingit app has been capable of the same thing, regardless of which bank you're allied with, since it launched in 2012. The only real difference with Paym is that it's integrated into the systems and apps of other banks, making it a bit more visible, and convenient. Most well-known banks and building societies support Paym at launch, with the only notable exceptions being the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest, which are expected to join up sometime this year, and Nationwide, which'll wait until early 2015 to adopt Paym. Until then, though, anyone with unsupported accounts can still use Pingit, so no excuses as to why you can't contribute towards the cab fare.
Yelp now shows the local businesses that let you pay with Bitcoin
Some online retailers are quick to say whether or not they'll accept Bitcoins, but local shops aren't always so forthcoming -- and community mapping efforts like CoinMap only reveal so much. It might not be hard to find a cryptocurrency-friendly store in the near future, though. Yelp has added a flag that lets business owners identify themselves as Bitcoin-friendly, making it easier to spot places that take virtual cash.
Verizon and Google have spent over $6 million on lobbying in 2014
Two of the biggest names in American communications, Verizon and Google, are also two of the highest spenders in the world of political lobbying. In the last two years alone, the two spent a combined $63 million attempting to sway legislation in their favor, and 2014 is gearing up to be another landmark year in Silicon Valley's profits flowing into Washington: the two are already $6 million deep in 2014, with Comcast and AT&T nipping at their heels. Google leads contributions, with over $3.8 million already spent in 2014.
Why Amazon is right to steer clear of Bitcoin
Amazon has quashed the idea that it would be accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment. "We have considered it," said Tom Taylor, Amazon's head of seller services in an interview with Re/code, "but we're not hearing from customers that it's right for them, and don't have any plans within Amazon to engage Bitcoin." That stance might sound strange, given the company's history of staying ahead of its retail rivals, but there are a number of reasons why it makes sense. Not only is Bitcoin a deeply unstable proposition, despite its growing fame, but it's also becoming clear that Amazon already has e-currency and payment-platform ambitions of its own.
Facebook's making moves to challenge PayPal
After attempts to kickstart its own virtual currency stalled, Facebook may soon get into the business of sending real money between you and your friends. According to The Financial Times, the social network is "only weeks away" from receiving the necessary approval in Ireland to operate its own e-money service. If given the green light, the company could effectively become a financial institution like PayPal (at least in Europe), allowing it to store and send money between millions users all over the continent. Facebook is said to have discussed partnering with at least three London-based firms that offer app-based international money transfers, but has yet to confirm it plans to take responsibility for your funds. With Zuckerberg and co. already facing user trust issues over the social network's use of ads, throwing money into the mix may only complicate matters.
The math and the money of level 90 boosts
For $60, level 90 boosts definitely seem pricey -- costing more than the expansion itself -- but DisRuptive1 on Reddit has taken the time to break down the math on that $60. To do so, he's taken careful measure of the time it's taken him to get a new character to level 90, plus grinding up professions. And though your leveling speed may be better -- or worse -- than his, if you count up the hours of playtime it takes, you can see how a boosted 90 might be worth the pricetag... at least if you really want another alt. The short of it is that boosting from level 1 to level 90 will save you about 84 hours of playtime, while boosting from 60 to 90 and getting max-level professions will save you about 70 hours of playtime. If we take to the goblin philosophy that time is money, than that many hours certainly add up to a chunk of change -- though we'll leave you to do the math on what your own time is worth. So if you've spent enough time with leveling content that none of it is terribly new to you, then maybe spending $60 instead of spending 70 hours time isn't such a bad idea. For all of the nitty gritty details, head over to read DisRuptive1's full post on Reddit.
Mt. Gox exchange faces US lawsuit over Bitcoin losses
Remember how the discovery of a botnet took much of the value out of the Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange, leading it to declare bankruptcy? Yeah, investors aren't happy about that -- and they're now demanding compensation. One of them, Gregory Greene, has filed a lawsuit accusing the exchange of fraud for not doing enough to protect traders from theft. He's pressing for class action status to cover all Bitcoin owners who used Mt. Gox, and he wants the exchange to pay both restitution and damages. It's not yet clear how the company will respond, but it wouldn't be surprising if there are other lawsuits to come. When customers may have lost the equivalent of $480 million in virtual currency, there's a lot more than just hurt feelings at stake.
US Senator asks for a Bitcoin ban, but don't hold your breath
Many will tell you that Bitcoin stands on shaky legal ground. Senator Joe Manchin, however, believes it's outright dangerous -- to the point that he has sent a letter to regulators asking them to ban the digital currency. There's no regulation, he says, and Bitcoin's mix of anonymity and irreversibility is appealing to a shady crowd; the Senator believes that black markets and thieves operate with relative freedom. Manchin also points out that the digital cash is prone to both deflation and surprises that risk creating chaos, such as the recent shutdown of the Mt. Gox exchange. Don't cash out any virtual savings just yet, though. The letter doesn't pay much attention to legitimate commercial uses or those countries where Bitcoin is legal. It also plays up the "disruptive" effect on the economy; as Business Insider notes, the currency's worldwide market cap has never ventured beyond a comparatively small $14.5 billion. Whether or not you believe the new currency is safe, we'd add that the letter doesn't automatically translate to new regulations. Even if officials agree to Manchin's request, it could still be a long while before any Bitcoin ban takes effect. [Image credit: Third Way Think Tank, Flickr]
BlackBerry could turn BBM into a payments platform
BlackBerry's showing off its plans to woo back all of the customers who ditched it during the BB10 transition. In addition to two new handsets, the Canadian outfit is also considering turning BBM into a mobile payments platform in the emerging markets where it still has traction. In a chat with Re/code, enterprise chief John Sims said that BlackBerry is meeting with partners and "exploring the market." It wouldn't be the first time the company has waded into the mobile-money lake either, considering that it teamed up with an Indonesian bank to test BBM-based peer-to-peer fund transfers back in 2012. As long as it'll enable us to split the dinner bill without looking up from our phones, we're up for it.
Square Cash makes bill collecting from your friends less of a hassle
Getting your friends to pay you back for dinner just got a lot easier. Square Cash, the company's super-simple service that lets you pay friends by sending an email, added the ability to request money Thursday. Now you can ask to get paid back by sending an email to your buddy (or reply all to a group of friends) with the amount you need in the subject line and copying request@square.com on the message. When your friends receive the request and tie a debit card to their email, a reply that copies cash@square.com will pay you immediately. If you're waiting for a group to pay you back, you can also track the status of your requested payments, so you know which of your deadbeat friends needs another shake down. Those still waiting to get reimbursed for last weekend's night out can start their own collection service now using an email address, or Square's Android or iOS app.
Congress' new report tells you where Bitcoin is legal
Unfortunately, you can't assume that Bitcoin is legal everywhere you go -- it's safe to use the digital cash in some countries, but it's mostly verboten in others. However, you won't have to travel blind. The US' Law Library of Congress has just published a report (PDF) that outlines Bitcoin's legal status in 40 countries. In short, the currency mostly exists in a gray area. While countries like Germany and Finland have cleared Bitcoin for legal use in some conditions, most nations either haven't regulated it or see it as too risky. Don't leave your physical wallet at home on your next vacation, then.
