Thursday, November 28, 2024
7.3 C
New York
Home Blog Page 51

Missed Out on the Bitcoin Boom? These Other Cryptocurrencies maybe Worthy of Investment

The idea to have a sole internet currency that can be used all over the world was thought up by Satoshi Nakamoto, who released Bitcoin in 2009. Since then, the blockchain-based currency has grown in stature and boomed in price. It was virtually worthless, to begin with, but at its peak was being traded at over $19,000. The question is, will it be adopted on a global scale and one day negate the need for fiat currencies? The problem for Bitcoin is the fact that it has inspired a number of other cryptocurrencies, which are now vying for top spot. Could this be another case of Betamax and VHS where the original is usurped by a newer copy with a similar design?


Litecoin

Litecoin was one of the original forks of the Bitcoin chain, which occurred in 2011. It is technically nearly identical to its forefather but has a much larger supply limit of 84 million LTC to 21 million BTC. It also has a decreased block generation time of 2.5 minutes to Bitcoin’s ten minutes. For these reasons, the currency founded by former Google employee Charlie Lee has been dubbed the silver to bitcoin’s gold.

Because of the size of Litecoin in comparison to Bitcoin, experts believe it should be worth about 25 percent of the value of its predecessor. As it stands, though, the altcoin is only worth around 2 percent of Nakamoto’s currency. This could mean that now is the perfect time to invest in Litecoin because going by this theory it should be worth over $2000 at the time of writing. Between its inception and 2017, Litecoin did very little, remaining virtually worthless and unheard of.

But early last year the coin was added to the world famous cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, and this brought it into the spotlight. In fact, Litecoin was in the top ten rising coins of 2017 with a 5046 percent gain. In mid-December, the coin hit a high of $375, highlighting its potential not just as an alternative to Bitcoin, but as a challenger. With its speedy transaction times, Litecoin has the capacity to be used for day-to-day payments, while Bitcoin has become a great option for moving larger sums of money.

EOS

EOS is a newcomer to the cryptocurrency scene, but people are getting extremely excited about its potential. It’s currently a token on the Ethereum network, but on June 1 will be released as its own open source software. Anyone holding it now needs to register their tokens before that date. According to Betway Casino, Ethereum has been the smarter choice for cryptocurrency enthusiasts to date due to its faster transaction times and smart contracts. But EOS is now being touted as a more advanced alternative to Vitalik Buterin’s coin. In fact, the newer platform is similar to Ethereum in many ways, but it aims to surpass its predecessor by solving the scalability issues and eliminating all fees for users.

Fans of Ethereum will certainly be interested in investing in EOS, as the newer currency has been dubbed the “Ethereum Killer” with some believing that Buterin’s platform could be rendered obsolete. The fact that Ethereum is yet to gain mass adoption could work in the favor of EOS. If the new currency can prove to do all the same things as Ethereum and more, it might boom. The picture is likely to become a lot clearer after it is released properly in June.


OmiseGo

Among some of the most exciting cryptocurrencies on the market is OmiseGo, and it has been backed by Ethereum founder Buterin for success. OMG is a subsidiary of Omise, a leading online payment provider in Southeast Asia. The developers have been working alongside the Ethereum community since it began in 2015, and the coin is designed to combat the scalability issues of Ethereum. It also has a heavy focus on enabling payments and transactions in crypto and fiat currencies.

In a big recent move, OmiseGo has collaborated with two of the top financial institutions in South Korea, Shinhan, and Woori. The huge banks will use OMG’s blockchain platform to execute their transactions. The company has also struck a deal with the government of Thailand to develop a payment and identification system for the country using its blockchain. These steps could pave the way for mass adoption in the near future, and with the currency currently trading around the $18 mark, it could be an ideal time to get involved.

Of course, anyone wanting to invest money into cryptocurrencies should understand that it’s a purely speculative market. There is a chance that none of these coins will ever come into widespread usage and the money people have invested could be lost. There is no denying the potential of these Bitcoin rivals, though, and those HODLing the coins now could reap the rewards later down the line.


More News to Read

Researchers Get Close Up of Bacteria Signaling Using New ‘Movie’ Technique

New research has revealed how bacteria use complex signaling networks in which to adapt to their environment. The study was carried out by John Innes Centre researchers in an attempt to better our understanding of plant and human diseases. To help them develop an advanced analysis method they used data from a previous study involving the plant-growth promoting bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescence. To help with their research the John Innes team put to use data gathered from a number of different microbiological experiments.  In doing so they’ve been able to create a comprehensive ‘signaling map’ for the bacterial protein Hfq.


“Our technique allows us to follow every gene and protein in a bacterial cell, and say how it changes and at what level that change occurs, in response to a given signal input,” says Dr. Jacob Malone, project leader of the research. “We are using the same data sets as previous studies but we have developed a way of integrating the data using mathematics and programming. If you consider the individual elements of a movie: the photography, the soundtrack, and the script; by combining them you get a whole movie – something greater than the sum of the parts.  This is the same principle, only with genetics.”

The team is hopeful the results from the study will change the way bacteria signaling networks are investigated, and that they’ll also advance our knowledge of know bacteria interact with their surroundings and how they instigate infections.


More News to Read

James Webb Space Telescope’s Ready to Observe the Formation of the First Galaxies and Stars of the Universe

Scientists are all set to launch NASA’s James Webb Telescope in a project that will study previously observed sections of the sky in an attempt to better understand the formation of our universe.  Sections of the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field (HUDF) and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) are where the scientists will be focusing their attention during the project.  In order to get a clear image as possible, the scientists will use Webb’s mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) to study HUDF and Webb’s near-infrared camera (NIRCam) to capture a section of GOODS.


“By mixing [the data from] these instruments, we’ll get information about the current star formation rate, but we’ll also get information about the star formation history,” said Hans Ulrik Norgaard-Nielsen, principal investigator for the proposed observations, and an astronomer at the Danish Space Research Institute, Denmark. About 10,000 galaxies can be seen in just a tiny section of the sky in the HUDF image, but they are extremely faint, making them some of the oldest, most visible galaxies in the universe.

Pablo Perez-Gonzalez is one of the co-investigators on the proposed observation, and an astrophysics professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. He confirmed that Webb’s powerful spectrographic instruments will allow scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the initial phases of the formation of supermassive black holes among other things.


With the MIRI being able to observe in an infrared wavelength of between 5 and 28 microns, the researchers aim to look at HUDF in 5.6 microns. According to Perez-Gonzalez the area of HUDF that they’ll observe will be around that of 4,000 galaxies. He also advised that with thanks to Webb, they “will detect around 2,000 to 2,500 galaxies, but in a completely different spectral band, so many galaxies will be quite different from the ones that [Hubble] detected.”

Using the NIRCam the team will study a region of GOODS that are located near the section of HUDF that they’ve observed. “These NIRCam images will be taken in three bands, and they will be the deepest obtained by any guaranteed time observation team,” said Perez-Gonzalez. NIRCam has the ability to observe in infrared wavelength in the range of 0.6 to 5 microns and as explained by Perez-Gonzalez, the researchers will use it to observe a section of GOODS.


More News to Read

Putting Your Bitcoin to Use

Most of us have heard a lot about Bitcoin. It’s an exciting topic, after all, with fortunes being made and lost seemingly overnight. But what most of the articles out there gloss over is that Bitcoin has a practical function.

It was initially meant to be a simple cryptocurrency. And, before it took the world by storm as an investment opportunity, that is what it was – a simple and inexpensive way to make secure payments online.


It took a while for it to gain real traction, but now you have the opportunity to use it for a range of big brand retailers, like NewEgg, Tesla, and Subway. If you want a full list of those who accept the cryptocurrency, check out our infographic.

So, yes, Bitcoin is seen as an investment opportunity, but you can also use it to pay for a wide range of things online. Blow your Bitcoin on your lunch at subway, or save up for that dream trip into space you have always wanted to go on.

That’s right, Richard Branson is also a Bitcoin fan. His company, Virgin Galactic, will allow you to book a seat on the first commercial flight using your bitcoins.


If you are looking for something a little more down to earth to spend your bitcoins on, you can choose to buy a property from Remax instead.

So, it’s completely up to you-you no longer need to hoard your Bitcoin forever. Why not see where you can spend it and indulge in some fun retail therapy?Infographic source


More News to Read

The Rise Of Collaborative Robots In The Robotics Industry

Conventional robots have for long been used in the manufacturing industry until recently, following the innovation of collaborative robots. Automation and the emergence of cobots has had people concerned about job displacements, as researchers and engineers work towards making them more effective. 

While there is so much that technology can do, robots may not be the only thing that businesses need to enhance efficiency and productivity. Human intervention is crucial since their flexibilities and capabilities can never be compared to that of machines. In this case, therefore, technology can be more effective in collaboration with expertise and human intervention. 


Research shows that collaborative robots are fast becoming some of the rapidly thriving divisions of robotics systems. Both middle and small-sized companies are embracing robots in their manufacturing activities to improve flexibility and increase work rate. Additionally, cobots do not require massive investment. The demand for collaborative robots is set to increase exponentially in the coming years and set to experience average progress in global revenue. 

The demand and growth of both commercial and industrial robots are set to decrease as more people embrace cobots within their businesses. The main advantage of cobots is their capability to cooperate with humans without the need to implement security features as is the case with industrial robots. Basically, collaborative defines structures which can share a working environment, cooperate with humans, and still work independently. Cobots can safely come into contact with employees.

Cobot characteristics, among them lightweight have been seen to increase their value, accuracy, and strength while eliminating the series repetition which was previously witnessed with the heavier industrial robots. The manufacturing sector mainly requires cobots to execute various tasks such as quality control, machine tending and light assembly. 

Cobot Benefits To Small & Middle Sized Businesses 

Small and middle-sized businesses operating in the manufacturing industry are projected to increase cobot growth. Many of these businesses are yet to realize the benefits that robotic automation present to their companies such as; general competitiveness, increased growth and enhanced quality. 


Small and middle-sized businesses need adjustable automation solutions which can be adapted promptly and easily in order to meet changing demands. They are in search for structures which can easily be programmed to support different automation tasks. Cobots have been specially designed to cater for all these requirements, and are making businesses more proficient and reactive to market demand. 

Collaborative Robots And Automation

In the past, customization was a major hindrance to automation. Humans were required to perform repetitive and ordinary tasks which neither required reasoning nor intelligence. This took up a lot of time and reduced productivity especially on tasks which genuinely required human input. Today, as many companies embrace cobots, there has been major improvements and growth in the manufacturing industry. What’s more, workers do not need prior programming knowledge to operate them since they are easy to learn. 

There are various types of cobots which come with different specifications. In addition to interacting with humans in a common workspace, companies can use them overnight especially when they want to augment output. With cobots, manufacturing companies can package hundreds of parts in boxes and produce millions of parts annually. No doubt this increased output enables companies to not only compete with other manufacturing companies globally but also helps them sustain a cutthroat price. 

When companies automate tasks with cobots, they give employees an opportunity to handle more intricate duties and save the company many hours annually. Cobots enable employees to remain skillful, enhance stability in manufacturing activities, and give them a chance to compete in the global arena. 


Finally

Unlike in the past when manufacturing was complex, the development of cobots is transforming the industry. With more companies seeking practical and flexible solutions that facilitate automation in a wider variety of applications, more advancements are expected in the coming years and this is bound to increase the demand and use of cobots. 

More News to Read

New Sperm Stem Cell Research Reveals Worrying Results

The development of human sperm stem cells is a complex process.  New research carried out by scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah in collaboration with scientists at University of Utah Health (U of U Health), has shed on that process in the first-ever study of its kind where changes to human sperm cells are characterized as they mature.


By developing human sperm stem cells themselves, the researchers were able to see just how complex this process was compared to what they had previously believed. Through the use of genome analysis tools, they were able to outline the process in which sperm stem cells undergo through their development. “This information yields new insights into how sperm stem cells function and develop under normal circumstances,” said Bradley Cairns, PhD, lead author of the study and senior director of basic science at HCI and professor and chair of oncological sciences at the U of U. “We have built a very important framework we can now use to help us understand what happens when things go wrong, resulting in issues like infertility and cancer in men.”

The study involved scientists taking a closer look at all those genes that turned on or off while undergoing normal development. Cells were then profiled individually using RNA sequencing analysis to determine the gene expression profile in human sperm stem cells.  Results from the study outlined four very distinct phases of sperm stem cell development.  In addition to that, it also revealed transitions in factors that influence various cellular states including transcription factors, cell cycle regulators, and signaling factors.


These results also hold some implications for understanding how certain cancers arise.  The risk of contracting testicular and prostate cancer is higher in men with infertility issues.  “Our study sheds new light on how genes normally function in sperm stem cells,” commented Cairns.  “The next steps will be to use this knowledge to better understand what changes happen when sperm stem cells don’t develop normally and instead convert into cancer cells.”

More News to Read

Benefit the Evolution of the Classic Slot Game in Times of Digitalization

Clubhouse helps you to remember places like Las Vegas and furthermore of different gambling club recreations among which a large portion of these diversions rely upon shot and one such amusement is the gambling club spaces. Space machine is known to nearly everybody around the globe since it is one of the least demanding and most advantageous recreations at betting and increasing your cash.


In spite of the fact that, the odds of winning a big stake are not to a great degree high, there beyond any doubt are other little wins that are won by the mix of different vivid pictures on the reels. While decades back our precursors would not have possessed the capacity to play the amusement without having a gambling club around things have taken a tremendous jump of progression with the approach of the web. Online space amusements are much celebrated among the web shrewd people who favor this charming round of fortunes and receive a considerable measure of rewards of playing on the web, therefore, classic slots games.

Playing any amusement online has gotten the premiums of numerous youthful people off late however when it is a diversion that could likewise win you a few dollars that may premium even more seasoned lovers who wouldn’t fret contributing some time and cash and attempting their fortunes nearby while additionally getting engaged by the energy the online space machine brings to the table.


Additionally, it is an amusement that for the most part should be played with cash when played on its territory based adaptation; be that as it may, online you likewise have the decision to play free spaces diversions. A free online spaces diversion gives you firsthand experience in the event that you appear to be genuinely new to the idea of openings with no loss of your well-deserved money. In addition, once you pick up the certainty to win by chance with a smidgen of amusement strategies and examination you are prepared to play them with your cash. Until the point when then you could utilize space reward to play with which is only reward allocated to you on openings.

Few out of every odd web-based gaming webpage offers you opening reward and some may even change in the quantity of space reward advertised. You could have a comprehensive research done online of the considerable number of sites that offer a free openings reward or essentially tap on correlation sites that give you aggregate data on the same and spare a great deal of your opportunity in the deal, thus. A large portion of the present online opening diversions have cutting-edge illustrations and plans and are pretty easy to understand that even a child can take after.

Simply ensure that you have accessed a lucrative website that offers an alluring opening reward through solid online sources and knows your cutoff points with regards to betting on the web on space machines.


More News to Read

Four Ways Technology is Saving The World

We see a lot of people debating on the fact whether the evolving technology is helping mankind by saving the world or destroying it. The simple answer to this debate depends on how one uses the technology and for what purpose.

According to various surveys taken by tech companies, many people do believe that technology has brought relief in their lives in many ways and is contributing a lot in saving the world. However, a large majority is also against the use of technology.

Today, we have smart gadgets taking over conventional ones that produced a lot of pollution, consumed a lot of energy etc.

We may think that technology is destroying the environment but it’s not entirely true. It depends upon us on what precautions we take to protect our environment and use technology in the right manner.


Here are 4 ways technology is saving the world:

  1. Enhancement In The IT Sector

If we go back into the past, we can see how difficult it was to manage things, implement security, communicate with others etc. However, today, all those things which we thought of to be impossible, have come true.

Today, we have facial recognition software to ensure that unauthorized people can’t have access without consent. This is a crushing blow to hackers who harmed others by hacking into buildings and systems.

The facial recognition system is hard to pass by and is protecting humanity like never before.

Other than that, communication has also come a long way. Gone are the days when one needed to wait for hours to pass a small amount of data to someone far.

Today, we have technology that lets us communicate with anyone no matter how distant. This is a great thing that is actually saving the world. Remember how painful it was to send letters years ago when today you can send a text message instantly and even know if it is read or not.

2. Digitizing Business Matters

Most of the businesses have gone digital. This helps save a lot of paper by sending emails, contracts, online transactions etc digitally. Saving paper means less loss of trees. By saving trees, we are making our environment better.

Smartphone and smart gadgets too are helping communicate easily by saving a lot of time. Before their invention, people used to use posts to deliver messages which not only used fuel and paper but also consumed a lot of time.

All of this has resulted in less need of deforestation which is a great step at saving the world.


3. Monitoring Threats Everytime And Everywhere

We may think that we are living on land but the truth is we are floating in space and the countless number of threats revolve around us in terms of asteroids, gases, black holes, space debris etc.

It is essential to keep monitoring these outer threats and NASA has been doing a perfect job regarding this thanks to the technology we have today.

Apart from that, internal threats are also observed by concerned agencies with the help of monitoring cameras and drones. Moreover, if a person or a group try to inflict damage on a country, they can be apprehended using monitoring advances and use of facial recognition.

By monitoring threats, we are reducing the risks and prolonging earth’s life.

4. Advancements In BioTechnology 

The world and its inhabitants can’t survive without food. With so many diseases spreading at a rapid rate, it is a matter of time that the world goes extinct.

However, we have a biotechnology department to take care of that. There are vaccines for both humans and animals to eliminate viruses and bacteria that can cause harmful diseases and spread a plaque.

We also have fertilizers to protect crops and increase the yield so that food doesn’t run out soon.

The Verdict

These four ways are enough evidence to point out that technology has come a long way and is proving to be an excellent helping hand in saving the world. While some may question its effectiveness and how the use of technology is ruining the environment, but we also have companies like Sompor that are coming up with products that cause no harm to the world, such as sunlight LEDs.


More News to Read

Preventing App Uninstallation

Anyone in the world of app development and marketing knows user retention can be a struggle. This often isn’t a result of an inherent flaw in a product, but rather customer expectations or lack of attention.

The uninstall numbers are actually pretty incredible. On average, apps lose almost 80 percent of daily active users after just three days. This grows to an alarming 95 percent after 90 days. This shows why it’s not good enough to measure success based on installs alone. Here are a few methods for preventing app uninstallation.


Market to the Right People

One way to lower the number of times your app gets uninstalled is to initially market to a stronger user pool. For most apps, it doesn’t make sense to market to a general audience. And even massive apps like Instagram and Spotify want to attract new users through niche marketing techniques. You should take the time to develop marketing campaigns that accurately reflect your app while appealing to specific user niches. This will attract higher quality users as opposed to aiming for quantity. People within these niches will also be more likely to engage with your targeted ads.

Improve User Interface

The user interface and user experience of your app can play a huge role in its uninstall rate. Few people want to interact with an app that doesn’t work well or isn’t visually stimulating. At some point in the past, this might have been acceptable. However, the majority of successful apps today incorporate optimized design and functionality elements. This is simply something that users now expect from their mobile experience. People will just uninstall your app and use another if you can’t cut it on the UI and UX fronts.

Retarget Users

Retargeting users is another way to lower your app uninstall rates. Retargeting entails advertising to people who have already installed your app but need a reminder to re-engage. Since these people have already shown an interest in it, they will be more likely to return than a random mobile user will be to try your app for the first time. This makes retargeting an effective marketing strategy.


In the app world, it’s essential to stay top of mind, even with consumers who have already installed your app. After all, they may have deleted it or forgotten about it since. Dynamic product retargeting is a new form of retargeting that’s especially effective for driving conversions. This strategy shows mobile users personalized ads featuring specific products depending on where they left off in the sales funnel. So, mobile users end up seeing the very products they previously browsed or left in their shopping cart. This strategy is particularly useful in e-commerce and travel app categories.

Fix Bugs Quickly

Do you know that feeling of frustration when you want something to work so badly, but it just won’t? Imagine how your app’s users feel when they can’t use it because of a major bug. They will quickly lose interest in your product and uninstall if you can’t troubleshoot the issue quickly. People barely have the patience to wait for a fully functional app. You can’t expect them to engage with yours if it experiences downtime or glitches.

Identify Uninstall Points

It’s extremely important that you keep an eye on places people stall out while using your app. This might be the sign-up process. It might be during checkout. Or, it could be something completely different. Whatever it is, you need to take note of those specific problem areas. It’s possible that something about those steps is influencing people to uninstall your app. Tweaking certain elements to improve user-friendliness can make these uninstall points a non-factor. This will immediately lower your uninstall rates.

It’s tough to keep people engaged with your app when they have so much choice. Case in point: There are projected to be about five million apps in the App Store by 2020. Consider these tips in order to keep people from uninstalling yours.


More News to Read

Will Mobile Gaming Industry Beat Desktops Gaming?

To say that mobile phones and the idea of mobile gaming have changed the way games are played is an understatement. In the last few years, all signs point to the development and growth of the mobile phone infrastructure, which led to a change in the way gamers perceive and enjoy their games. And this growth is backed by solid data and emerging trends which clearly define the future of the gaming environment.


According to Statista, the heavy use of mobile games helped spur the growth of mobile media use. In 2015 alone, the mobile gaming industry generated $30.1 billion globally in revenues, with Asia as the emerging growth area. Other research firms came up with the same findings and observations, and it is expected that the mobile gaming segment will continue to grow. In fact, it’s now considered as the most lucrative segment in the gaming industry and will represent 42% percent of the market.

This means that from here on, mobile gaming will become a popular platform for players when it comes to playing popular games from poker online, to slots and casino card favorites. This does not mean that desktop will become obsolete; the entry and popularity of mobile phones will simply expand choices, and provide users with options fit for their lifestyle. Also, mobile phones with its mobility still lack in terms of performance and experience when ranged against desktops. To answer the question if mobile will permanently replace the desktop, we need to cover a number of issues and see how mobile and desktop fare.

User experience

When it comes to user experience, the choice on whether to use mobile or desktop depends on personal preferences and lifestyle. But when it comes to flexibility and mobility, there’s no denying the fact that mobile phones are ahead of the game. With the use of mobile phone, you can easily explore popular video games or casino games like slots or free poker while riding the bus or waiting for your turn in the line.

Downloading the apps for games like poker or the latest video games can enhance the user experience, and the process is now streamlined. The only concern now is the storage space- you need to be sure that your mobile phone has a lot of disk space for your preferred games. When mobile phones and desktops are compared, desktops take the advantage with its higher default disk space. This can be addressed by downloading a casino app with a large collection of casino games or by regularly deleting apps and files that are no longer used.


Access to innovative games

Mobile gaming is popular right now among gamers because of the availability of top games, and many of these are known for their innovation. A quick check of the App Store or the Google Play Store will reveal that hundreds of new apps and games are introduced on a regular basis which appeals to a diverse gaming lifestyle.

These apps and games are available in different categories, from an Alternate Reality (AR), Action/Adventure to Casinos like Texas Hold’em. Although there are still games developed for desktop use, the attention is now focused on the mobile segment. Also, many casino games are now streamed on mobile, allowing many to experience casino entertainment through their hand-held mobile.

Efficiency

Through the years, players have depended on desktops when playing their games. Some of the popular video games like ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Sim City’ and ‘Warcraft’ are played on desktops because these platforms are fitted with the right hardware and larger screen (at least 14”) which help project the games in a seamless manner.

The video games are also known to run faster with fewer issues on desktops, which promotes better satisfaction among players. And when the mobile phones were initially introduced in the market, the games were not totally compatible and performance was never smooth. However, with the release of new mobile phones with high processing power and speeds, these games now operate in a seamless manner.

In short, one has to invest in high-end and top-tier mobile phones to enjoy the best video games and to play poker online. For example, one may need to invest in the latest versions of the Samsung, iPhone or Motorola to enjoy the games. The latest software version should be a standard, and it also helps if the phone has a bigger screen with longer battery life. More than the phone, it’s also important to rely on a steady internet connection, preferably 4G. some investments and expenses are required if one wants the same efficiency experienced in desktops.


Our take on the great debate

Both the desktop and mobile phone has its own set of advantages and disadvantages and as a player, you need to know these. For example, if you are a busy professional who is always on the move and wants to get your games fix on a regular basis, the choice is obviously the use of a mobile phone.

If you are at home and wants to fully enjoy the games, using the desktop is the best option. With its wider screen and more steady performance, using the desktop when playing poker or other video games will bring better results. Mobile gaming is definitely getting stronger and will be the choice platform for many, but the desktop will not simply fade into the background.

More News to Read