Posted: 01 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PDT
Bitcoin is making its way from the ether of cyberspace into your physical wallet soon. Well, if you happen live in Canada anyways. As you know Bitcoins are usually stored in the virtual world, but, Bitcoin ATMs will soon be here. The ATM’s are built in the US by Nevada Company Robotcoin and have begun making their way across the vast Canadian landscape with the first Bitcoin ATM having opened for business on October 29.
The co-founder of Vancouver-based Bitcoin trading company Bitcoiniacs, Mitchell Demeter and two colleagues paid $18,500 (approx £11,469) each, for five ATMs they plan to set up throughout the country. Demeter and his partners envisioned setting up Bitcoin exchanges across Canada but upon learning of the ATMs, decided to opt for the simpler, automated service.
To get your hands on some Bitcoins, it is a requirement to have a biometric scan of your palm. This is to prevent hefty transactions and to keep in line with Canada’s strict anti-money laundering laws. The ATM machine will then trade your Canadian currency on the country’s VirtEx exchange and then tops up your online wallet with Bitcoins, or, if you so desire, reverse the transaction. Demeter doesn’t seem all too sure about how the Canadian government feels towards the machines but has complied with all the rules and so far, hasn’t received any slaps on the wrist from regulators.
It’s unclear if Robotcoin ATMs will become widespread anywhere else. Taking into consideration countries such as the United States having strict regulations with the growing internet currency. This means for now, the rest of the world will have to continue to trade on the internet for their virtual currency.
[Images via coindesk & ottawacitizen]
SOURCE: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/bitcoin-atms-ready-to-go-in-canada-only-for-now-1194298
The post Bitcoin ATMs Go Live In Canada appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PDT
Let’s admit it; we live in a pretty cool world with all of the technology currently available at our fingertips. Whatever we want to do, the technology most likely exists (or will soon exist) to allow us to do it. Take the folks at Neurowear for example. They are a company from Tokyo, and they have created what is being dubbed as the Neurocam. The Neurocam is an advanced camera system that is attached to a specialized headset. Doesn’t sound all that impressive to you yet? Just wait.
What’s So Special About this Camera System?
The Neurocam doesn’t just record videos of your whole day so you can replay it later. What it does instead is almost hard to believe; it reads your brainwaves. When it senses you getting excited about something, it switches on the video camera and records whatever you are looking at. Whenever you look at anything, the Neurocam gives it a numerical value somewhere between 1 and 100. If the value reaches 60 or above, watch out – because you are recording. Those recordings are stored so you can easily view them later.
There is also a manual mode that you can use with the Neorocam that will record things no matter your emotions.
As pictured above, the Neurocam is currently using an iPhone attached to the headset, but the designers are looking to replace the phone with something smaller down the road. This seems like a good idea, because an iPhone might feel a little bit heavy after wearing it around on your head all day.
The Wave of the Future?
The Neurocam may help pave the way for the day when our thoughts and emotions control our world more than our hands do. Indeed, this is part of Nuerowear’s hope. They can see the day when our emotions will control our televisions, our stereos, and more.
Feel free to check out a video of the Neurocam in action below.
[Image via mashable]
The post Neurocam Records Whatever Excites You appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 01 Nov 2013 04:00 AM PDT
Ingram Micro has acquired the cloud logistics and supply chain management SaaS provider Shipwire, which is based in Palo Alto. The price of this acquisition has not been disclosed. Shipwire has established itself as one of the foremost cloud logistics platforms for e-commerce companies and retailers. The company also provides shipping and developer tools. Ingram Micro, on the other hand, is well-known for providing logistics and supply chain technology for the business market.
Currently, Shipwire had received $15 million in venture capital. Back in 2011, the company had received a strategic investment from Newell Rubbermaid (the company behind the Calphalon, Rubbermaid and Goody brands) and eBay. The existing investor is Meakem Becker Venture Capital and they have also participated in the round. The company has been a noted leader in the emerging market, but the company decided it would be better not to stand on solo ground.
VP of Marketing ad Business Nate Gilmore said, “Ingram is a powerhouse that we complement very well and allow us to ramp services and scale for our customers faster than we think we could have done with an IPO…We’re coming at the market from the smaller/mid space, they know the enterprise space well.”
The investment from eBay was a huge shot in the arm for Shipwire and is a model example of the value the company has for Ingram Micro. Online selling is one-click for the buyer but for the seller it is a complex undertaking that, in reality, is all about logistics. Online sellers need to be cognitive all of the time of the location of the product that they are selling. This is complicated by the manner in which products are often marketed and sold. Retailers will sell through multiple channels, but to get the product sold, the retailer must offer the channel the best rate possible.
Through the Shipwire SaaS platform customers can get on-demand access to warehouses located in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. This allows merchants to access inventories closer to buyers so that they can cut the shipping costs and subsequently the delivery times. Ingram Micro has lacked the SaaS capability that Shipwire provides. It does offer software but not the on-demand SaaS capabilities that it will acquire with Shipwire.
The cloud logistics and SaaS supply chain market does have numerous competitors. The most dominate being Amazon, but there are a host of others companies such as Trade Gecko and Shipstation, which themselves offer a comparable service.
[Image via: ocregister]
The post Ingram Micro Buys Shipwire appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 01 Nov 2013 03:00 AM PDT
Dell users have been complaining that the Latitude 6430u Ultrabook smells of cat urine. Those affected by the issue have been advised to return the laptop so it can receive replacement parts.
Dell engineers have said that it is not caused by biological contamination and does not pose a health hazard.
Complaints about the high-end business laptop started to surface back in June. One user complained on Dell’s hardware support forum by saying: “A few weeks ago I got a new Lattitude 6430u for work. The machine is great, but it smells as if it was assembled near a tomcat’s litter box. It is truly awful!”
Another user said: “I thought for sure one of my cats sprayed it, but there was something faulty with it so I had it replaced. The next one had the same exact issue. It’s embarrassing taking it to clients because it smells so bad.”
“The Smell Is Not Related To Cat Urine”
Initially Dell support technicians were advising users to clean the air vents with compressed air but when this failed to work the complaints continued to come in. One customer suggested the smell could be caused by the use of a particular polymer in the production process and asked whether this could be a health hazard.
After an investigation it was found that the odour was not hazardous but did relate to the manufacturing process.
“The smell is not related to cat urine or any other type of biological contaminant, nor is it a health hazard,” Dell support technician SteveB said.
“If you order an E6430u now, it will not have the issue,” he continued.
Let us know if you have had this smelly problem with a Dell laptop.
[Image via cultofmac]
The post Dell Users Complain Ultrabook Smells Of Cat Urine appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 01 Nov 2013 02:00 AM PDT
Who doesn’t want to get the opportunity to be Batman, even if it’s only through a video game console? Batman Arkham Origins was released on October 25, 2013 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and as a PC game. Being released behind such big hits as Arkham Asylum and Arkham City left Arkham Origins with big shoes to fill. So just how does it stack up to the previous entries in the Arkham catalog in terms of the storyline and the gameplay?
Arkham Origins
First things first. There were 2 major changes with Arkham Origins. First, Rocksteady, who developed both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City did not develop Arkham Origins. It was Warner Bros who developed Arkham Origins. As a result of this, gamers are certain to notice some subtle differences throughout the game. Second, and perhaps more disappointing to hard-core fans is the fact that the voices of Batman and the Joker (originally voiced by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill) have been replaced with other voice actors. The other actors do a credible job, of course, but it’s just not the same.
The storyline of Arkham Origins finds a young Batman 5 years before the events that happened in Arkham Asylum. A rich criminal puts a large bounty on Batman’s head and 8 different assassins line up to try and collect that bounty. Sounds interesting, right? It also happens on Christmas Eve in Gotham which adds to the tension.
As far as the gameplay goes, Arkham Origins is much the same as its 2 predecessors. Combat and travelling around the city will feel immediately familiar. Unique in Origins, however, is the ability for Batman to call his Batwing to help him quickly travel around Gotham.
What’s the Verdict?
Many reviewers are finding that this Batman installment feels a little too…familiar. The fighting is the same (with the exception of the shock gloves which pretty much allow Batman to win any fight), grappling around the environment is essentially the same, and the overall gameplay is the same. Batman still uses his gadgets, he still solves puzzles, and he still has to go into CSI mode to look for evidence.
Indeed, it seems it is not as groundbreaking of a game as its 2 forerunners. Is it a bad game? No. Is it the best Batman game available? No. Will it still sell a ton of copies? You bet. Should you check it out for yourself? Of course. As stated at the beginning of the post – who doesn’t want to be Batman for a while?
[Image via cinemablend]
The post Batman Arkham Origins is Available…But Does it Deliver? appeared first on TechBeat.
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Friday 1 November 2013
Bitcoin ATMs Go Live In Canada
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