'Dark Wallet' wants to make Bitcoin even harder to trace

A group of coders has launched a Bitcoin wallet that will make it more difficult to trace transactions using the digital currency.

Dark Wallet is a browser app for bitcoin payments that uses both encryption and CoinJoin technology.

CoinJoin essentially mixes multiple bitcoin transactions, selected at random, as one transfer of funds and conceals the original payers.

A similar technology called Shared Coin was implemented last November in the Bitcoin wallet on Blockchain.info. The site says the feature allows users to route transactions through a shared wallet breaking the chain of transactions.

However, Dark Wallet offers anonymous transactions by default.

Dark Wallet. (Click to enlarge.)

The political orientation of Dark Wallets backers unSystem attracted attention to the app when it was launched on the Indiegogo crowdfunding website, where it raised more than $52,000 last December.

Bitcoin is the next battle ground in the fight against supranational political domination, wrote the backers, including Cody Wilson, known for creating the worlds first 3D-printed gun.

On Twitter, Wilson retweeted a link to a Wired article in which he is quoted as saying about Dark Wallet: Its just money laundering software.

Wilson was not immediately available for comment.

View post:

'Dark Wallet' wants to make Bitcoin even harder to trace

Bitcoin Weekly 2014 April 30: Bloomberg adds Bitcoin to their market index, MIT to produce campus-wide bitcoin …

A day late, but not a bitcoin short, the Bitcoin community is seeing some recognition this week in the financial sector with Bloomberg adding a Bitcoin market index to their professional services. Two MIT students will be giving $100 worth of bitcoins to pupils on campus to start a small bitcoin economy and study spending trends. Mexico just got its first Bitcoin exchange, and a lot of reasons to make use of the virtual currency to provide easier money transfer services.

Read on to see this weeks Dr. Bitcoin and more.

Bloomberg to list Bitcoin market prices

Bloomberg has started providing market prices for Bitcoin to over 32,000+ subscribers to the Bloomberg Professional service.

In a post on Bloombergs official blog the service will pull its market information about Bitcoin from the Coinbase and Kraken exchanges. This is part of a push to start tracking information on virtual currencies, writes Bloomberg, which will be included alongside Bitcoin values. As live Twitter feeds have been integrated into Bloombergs professional trading platform, users will also be able to watch data coming in about other currencies.

To access this information, users need only type the code VCCY on the Bloomberg Professional service.

The fact that Bloomberg only pulls an index from two exchanges when the Bitcoin marketplace contains a multitude of exchanges has brought a sense of wariness to some coverage. For example, The Wall Street Journals coverage carefully mentions that it only cites two exchanges. According to the BitcoinAverage bitcoin price index the three biggest exchanges by volume are Bitstamp, BTC-e, and Bitfinex making up 94.5% of the known market. Kraken represents only 0.04% of the total volume and Coinbase does not publish its volume for buying/selling BTC.

Still, there are many reasons to see Bloomberg listing Bitcoin prices as a source of legitimacy for the currency. Bloomberg itself is in competition with other financial services when it comes to trade and investment and being first-to-market when it comes to indexing pricing may lead others to do the same.

Two MIT students plan a half-million dollar Bitcoin economy

MIT, the birthplace of brilliant minds and innovative technologies, will become the first campus with its own working Bitcoin economy. Two students have raised half a million dollars to distribute $100 worth of bitcoins (about 0.22 BTC) to every MIT student.

See the article here:

Bitcoin Weekly 2014 April 30: Bloomberg adds Bitcoin to their market index, MIT to produce campus-wide bitcoin ...

MIT Goes Bitcoin-Wild

Every incoming MIT undergrad will get a little bit of bitcoin to play around with upon entering the university this fall. The idea is to create a community of virtual currency users who can experiment with the nuances of this new type of economy on a small scale. The project's goal is to spur both academic and entrepreneurial activity in a tech-savvy group of individuals.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Bitcoin Club plans to distribute US$100 worth of bitcoin to each of its 4,528 incoming undergraduates this fall, in an attempt to create an ecosystem for digital currencies at the institution.

Club founder and president Dan Elitzer and sophomore Jeremy Rubin have raised more than $500,000 for the MIT Bitcoin Project from MIT alumni, as well as the Bitcoin community.

Neither Rubin nor Elitzer has any connection to Bitcoin in any way. "Our investment is simply in our time, and belief in the benefits cryptocurrencies could bring to society," Rubin told the E-Commerce Times.

They will work with professors and researchers across MIT to study how students will use the bitcoins they receive. The project will seek to spur academic and entrepreneurial activity within MIT in the field of virtual currency.

"We think Bitcoin and [other] cryptocurrencies have a place on the global stage, and MIT is the institute to show the world what can be done," Rubin said.

"The MIT project will raise the profile of Bitcoin in an already digitally informed MIT student class," Jeffrey Garzik, Bitcoin core developer and open source evangelist at BitPay. "Bitcoin is a natural fit for teenagers who have for years been connecting with their peers via smartphone and tablet."

Although several other cryptocurrencies are available, Bitcoin was selected because "we ... think that the network effects of Bitcoin are critical," Rubin said.

Further, research currently is being conducted on how to augment the features of other current cryptocurrencies into Bitcoin directly, "as they are mostly modifications into the core Bitcoin code, with a few notable exceptions," he pointed out.

Alternate cryptocurrencies "are interesting," BitPay's Garzik remarked. "The barrier to entry is low ... . Many alt-coin creators do not fully understand the technology they are using, and do not treat their software as mission-critical financial software securing millions of dollars."

Read the original:

MIT Goes Bitcoin-Wild

Computer Vision Syndrome Means That Eye Care Is Vital

Computer Vision Syndrome Means That Eye Care Is Vital, Say Health Researchers

Oasis Beauty, New Zealands leading expert in sensitive skin products has developed a natural eye care preparation, Lips & Lashes, to counter the effects of our increasing use of illuminated screen-based technology, which researchers claim is leading to peak levels of computer vision syndrome, with up to 90% of people who use a computer for work suffering from symptoms.

Lips & Lashes creator, Stephanie Evans says: `For more and more of us staring at a computer monitor for hours on end has become a part of our lives. Researchers now know that this reduces the blink rate and so the lubrication of our eyes. Not only that the demands of the light intensity and focussing unnaturally can put a real strain on your eyes and the muscles around them. Researchers have given the name computer vision syndrome (CVS) to the eye problems caused by computer use because it is not one specific eye problem but a range of eyestrain, pain experienced by computer users.

Known for its signature brand Oasis Sun SPF30+, the Canterbury based manufacturer has developed Lips & Lashes a topical cream, which includes: Aloe vera & cucumber provide a soothing action for sensitive and sore eyes. Honey, rosehip oil, calendula oil, apricot kernel oil & vitamin Eall work to moisturise the area around the eyes without weighing the skin down. Arnica reduces inflammation and bruising so it helps with puffiness and dark circles. It also helps promote hair growth and is used in hair preparations at 1-2% so its what we use to grow your eyelashes! Vitamin E lotion is also a well-known way to increase hair growth. Glycerin and hyaluronic acid (HA) are humectants that absorb moisture and swell, filling fine lines and wrinkles. Green tea is a super powerful antioxidant that is a wonderful fighter destroying nasty cell-damaging molecules in our body, known as free radicals. This keeps us looking fabulous for longer!

Research shows computer eye problems are common. Somewhere between 50% and 90% of people who work at a computer screen have at least some symptoms of eye trouble. In addition, children using mobile video games or who use computers at school also can experience eye problems, especially if the lighting and computer position are less than ideal.

Computer vision syndrome is similar to other repetitive stress injuries at work caused by carrying out the same motion repeatedly and gets worse the longer you continue the activity. There's no evidence that computer vision syndrome causes any long-term damage to the eyes. However, regular computer use can be the source of significant discomfort.

Stephanie explains: Using an illuminated screen means that the eyes continuously move backwards and forwards from the screen to other objects such as papers and then back up to type and require a lot of effort from eye muscles. It is much more challenging to your eyes than reading a book or piece of paper, which means that eye care becomes even more important, especially as we get older. The skin around our eyes is the one of the first places to show signs of ageing because its up to 10 times thinner than the skin on our face and is surrounded by constantly moving muscles. The four main areas of concern in this area are under eye dark circles, crows feet, wrinkles and puffiness. Weve developed Lips & Lashes to help reduce these symptoms.

More information can be found at /awww.oasisbeauty.co.nz

About Oasis Beauty Oasis Beauty specialise in multi-purpose products for sensitive skin. Were making it easier, simpler and more affordable for women to take better care of their skin. The products are manufactured in New Zealand from ethical, natural and organic ingredients combined with high vitamin contents.

Oasis Beauty products are available online and through pharmacies, beauticians and health stores nationwide. Oasis Beauty is cruelty-free and supports the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

Read the original:

Computer Vision Syndrome Means That Eye Care Is Vital

Stem cells from teeth can make brain-like cells

University of Adelaide researchers have discovered that stem cells taken from teeth can grow to resemble brain cells, suggesting they could one day be used in the brain as a therapy for stroke.

In the University's Centre for Stem Cell Research, laboratory studies have shown that stem cells from teeth can develop and form complex networks of brain-like cells. Although these cells haven't developed into fully fledged neurons, researchers believe it's just a matter of time and the right conditions for it to happen.

"Stem cells from teeth have great potential to grow into new brain or nerve cells, and this could potentially assist with treatments of brain disorders, such as stroke," says Dr Kylie Ellis, Commercial Development Manager with the University's commercial arm, Adelaide Research & Innovation (ARI).

Dr Ellis conducted this research as part of her Physiology PhD studies at the University, before making the step into commercialisation. The results of her work have been published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy.

"The reality is, treatment options available to the thousands of stroke patients every year are limited," Dr Ellis says. "The primary drug treatment available must be administered within hours of a stroke and many people don't have access within that timeframe, because they often can't seek help for some time after the attack.

"Ultimately, we want to be able to use a patient's own stem cells for tailor-made brain therapy that doesn't have the host rejection issues commonly associated with cell-based therapies. Another advantage is that dental pulp stem cell therapy may provide a treatment option available months or even years after the stroke has occurred," she says.

Dr Ellis and her colleagues, Professors Simon Koblar, David O'Carroll and Stan Gronthos, have been working on a laboratory-based model for actual treatment in humans. As part of this research Dr Ellis found that stem cells derived from teeth developed into cells that closely resembled neurons.

"We can do this by providing an environment for the cells that is as close to a normal brain environment as possible, so that instead of becoming cells for teeth they become brain cells," Dr Ellis says.

"What we developed wasn't identical to normal neurons, but the new cells shared very similar properties to neurons. They also formed complex networks and communicated through simple electrical activity, like you might see between cells in the developing brain."

This work with dental pulp stem cells opens up the potential for modelling many more common brain disorders in the laboratory, which could help in developing new treatments and techniques for patients.

See original here:

Stem cells from teeth can make brain-like cells

Stem cell breakthrough in treating heart attacks

An implanted graft of cardiac cells derived from human stem cells (green) meshed with a monkey's own heart cells (red). Picture: Murry Lab/University of Washington/PA

Stem cell heart repair treatments could be tested on human patients within four years following a ground-breaking study of monkeys.

Scientists successfully restored damaged cardiac muscle in macaque monkeys suffering the after-effects of experimentally induced heart attacks, paving the way to clinical trials.

Researchers injected 1bn immature heart muscle cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into each animals heart.

Over several weeks, the new cells developed, assembled into muscle fibres, and began to beat in correct time. On average, 40% of the damaged heart tissue was regenerated.

It is the first time stem cell therapy for damage caused by heart attacks has been shown to work in a primate.

Lead scientist Prof Charles Murry, director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle, said: Before this study, it was not known if it is possible to produce sufficient numbers of these cells and successfully use them to remuscularise damaged hearts in a large animal whose heart size and physiology is similar to that of the human heart.

He expects the treatment to be ready for clinical trials in human patients within four years.

Heart attack symptoms were triggered in the monkeys by blocking the coronary artery the main artery supplying the heart with blood for 90 minutes.

In humans, the reduced blood flow caused by narrowing of the arteries has a similar effect. Lack of blood flow to the heart damages the heart muscle by depriving it of oxygen.

The rest is here:

Stem cell breakthrough in treating heart attacks

Stem Cells Taken From Teeth Can Make Brain-like Cells

May 1, 2014

Image Caption: This is the distinct neuronal-like appearance of a mouse-derived dental pulp stem cell following the induction process. Credit: Dr. Kylie Ellis, University of Adelaide.

University of Adelaide

University of Adelaide researchers have discovered that stem cells taken from teeth can grow to resemble brain cells, suggesting they could one day be used in the brain as a therapy for stroke.

In the Universitys Centre for Stem Cell Research, laboratory studies have shown that stem cells from teeth can develop and form complex networks of brain-like cells. Although these cells havent developed into fully fledged neurons, researchers believe its just a matter of time and the right conditions for it to happen.

Stem cells from teeth have great potential to grow into new brain or nerve cells, and this could potentially assist with treatments of brain disorders, such as stroke, says Dr Kylie Ellis, Commercial Development Manager with the Universitys commercial arm, Adelaide Research & Innovation (ARI).

Dr Ellis conducted this research as part of her Physiology PhD studies at the University, before making the step into commercialization. The results of her work have been published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy.

The reality is, treatment options available to the thousands of stroke patients every year are limited, Dr Ellis says. The primary drug treatment available must be administered within hours of a stroke and many people dont have access within that timeframe, because they often cant seek help for some time after the attack.

Ultimately, we want to be able to use a patients own stem cells for tailor-made brain therapy that doesnt have the host rejection issues commonly associated with cell-based therapies. Another advantage is that dental pulp stem cell therapy may provide a treatment option available months or even years after the stroke has occurred, she says.

Dr Ellis and her colleagues, Professors Simon Koblar, David OCarroll and Stan Gronthos, have been working on a laboratory-based model for actual treatment in humans. As part of this research Dr Ellis found that stem cells derived from teeth developed into cells that closely resembled neurons.

See the article here:

Stem Cells Taken From Teeth Can Make Brain-like Cells

Gifts for Moms from Gifted Moms: Viva Editions Authors Share Their Own Experiences of Motherhood for Mother's Day

(PRWEB) May 01, 2014

Celebrate all the possibilities and gifts of motherhood this Mother's Day. Viva Editions moms share the secrets to a more inspired life, along with their own stories of motherhood that range from newborn infants to teenagers. From stay-at-home moms trying to make the house a little greener to full-career women, from spiritual seekers to writers and bloggers, these mothers share their experiences along with advice on everything from eco-living to spiritual enlightenment.

All You Need Is Less The Eco-Friendly Guide to Guilt-Free Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity by Madeleine Somerville Top eco-blogger and new parent Madeleine Somerville has gathered completely original ideas on how to save money and the planet, and have fun in the process, in All You Need Is Less.

Lemons and Lavender The Eco Guide to Better Homekeeping by Billee Sharp Bursting with ways to downshift, simplify, preserve resources, and honor the planet, Lemons and Lavender will give readers tools to reclaim a purer, tastier, healthier and less expensive way of life.

Getting to 50/50 How Working Parents Can Have It All by Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober are two working moms who believe that everyone wins when men are full parents and women have full careers. They know that families thrive not in spite of working mothers, but because of them.

Jump-Starting Boys Help Your Reluctant Learner Find Success in School and Life by Pam Withers and Cynthia Gill Filled with reassurance and support, Jump-Starting Boys has heart-warming true stories, take-action checklists and over 200 helpful tips.

Everything I Needed to Know I Learned From My Six-Month-Old Awakening To Unconditional Self-Love in Motherhood by Kuwana Haulsey Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from My Six-Month-Old fuses memoir, spirituality and self-development in a moving tribute to the lessons Kuwana's infant son taught her.

Imperfect Spirituality Extraordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People by Polly Campbell Pulling a raisin out of a two-year-old's nose probably wasn't on Buddha's path to enlightenment, but it was an aha! moment for author Polly Campbell. In Imperfect Spirituality, Campbell shows readers how to integrate those everyday moments with traditional spiritual techniques.

Viva Editions are books that inform, enlighten, and entertain. Viva books open hearts and minds. Viva authors are practical visionaries: people who offer deep wisdom in a hopeful and helpful manner.

Read the original:

Gifts for Moms from Gifted Moms: Viva Editions Authors Share Their Own Experiences of Motherhood for Mother's Day

3 new flight directors selected for International Space Station missions

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Three newNASA flight directors will manage International Space Station operations at Houston-based Johnson Space Center.

Amit Kshatriya, Jeffery Radigan, and Zebulon Scoville, who are all veteran employees at JSC, will lead teams of flight controllers, support personnel, and engineering experts in the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center.They also are involved in cargo and crew vehicle integration with the ISS and developing plans for future exploration missions.

"These new flight directors will help us transition the knowledge and experience gained from our human spaceflight programs into the next period of ISS operations," said chief flight director Norm Knight. "This includes the development of new technologies and techniques for our exploration and commercial endeavors."

Kshatriya, Radigan and Scoville will supervise U.S. commercial cargo spacecraft and American commercial crew transports as they arrive at and depart from the space station. They will also help ensure that crews of the orbiting laboratory have what they need to conduct scientific research and help better prepare NASA for long-duration exploration in deep space as part of the development of the Orion spacecraft and its Space Launch System heavy-lift vehicle.

The three flight directors will also assist crew members as they demonstrate emerging technologies aboard the space station that will help the agency accomplish more significant space exploration goals.

Following completion of training and certification, NASA will have 26 active flight directors supporting the space station, exploration, commercial spaceflights and new technology demonstration initiatives. BeforeKshatriya, Radigan, and Scoville were selected, 83 people had served as flight directors throughout the more than five decades of NASA-led human spaceflight.

Kshatriya started his career at JSC as an instructor for the space station robotics system responsible for training multiple space shuttle and station crews. He is from the Houston area and earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology and a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.

Radigan began his career at JSC as a member of the station flight control team assigned to the electrical power system. He is originally from Ohio, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Ohio State University.

Scoville started his JSC career as both an instructor and flight controller for the Extravehicular Activity operations team and has experience in both space shuttle and space station operations. He is originally from Vermont and earned a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and a master's in astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

Go here to read the rest:

3 new flight directors selected for International Space Station missions

Astronaut Steve Swanson, a CU grad, on space station: Great views, bad food

Swanson compares space to 'being a kid and you find the best playground in the world'

Astronaut Steve Swanson, a University of Colorado graduate now living aboard the international space station, tries to spot Boulder every time the vessel flies by the U.S.

But the space station orbits Earth at roughly 5 miles per second, so even on clear days, he usually whiffs.

"I thought it would be easy," said Swanson, 53, during a video chat with students Wednesday. "You think you'll just look for the mountains, but by the time you take about 10 seconds to process it, you're past."

Donning a CU T-shirt and speaking into a floating microphone, Swanson who earned a bachelor's degree in engineering physics from CU in 1983 met for an hour with an audience of about 50 at CU's Fiske Planetarium, reminiscing about his days in Colorado and fielding questions on everything from gravitational physics to his distaste for space food.

He's been on the space station since March 25 and will assume command of the vessel in September. So far, so good, he said Wednesday.

"It's like being a kid and you find the best playground in the world, and then you get to stay there for five months," he said.

When asked his favorite part of living on the space station, Swanson didn't think twice.

"The best thing you can do is a space walk," he said. "The views are fantastic. The overall experience is just fantastic."

On one walk in particular, he told the audience, "I almost lost my mind with a sense of purpose."

Originally posted here:

Astronaut Steve Swanson, a CU grad, on space station: Great views, bad food

Big bobbleheads of Red Wings players lose heads

Associated Press

Posted on May 1, 2014 at 10:02 AM

Updated today at 10:06 AM

DETROIT (AP) Detroit police are on the lookout for heads belonging to big bobbleheads of Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard and center Pavel Datsyuk.

The head of the roughly 5-foot-tall Howard statue was reported missing around 5 a.m. Thursday from Campus Martius park in downtown.

The Detroit News reports the head from the Datsyuk bobblehead was taken last week.

Police say a group of people was seen taking the Howard head. Investigators plan to review surveillance footage to try to identify suspects.

The bobbleheads were part of an "April in the D" marketing campaign involving Fox Sports Detroit. Greg Hammaren, general manager for Fox Sports Detroit, says they were to be auctioned to support the Boys & Girls Club of America after they were displayed.

Excerpt from:

Big bobbleheads of Red Wings players lose heads

NASA MARS ROVER ANOMALIES SOL 614 " Curiosity Finds Moving Vehicle " – Video


NASA MARS ROVER ANOMALIES SOL 614 " Curiosity Finds Moving Vehicle "
WATCH IN 1080P HD PLEASE !!!! http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00614/opgs/edr/ncam/NLB_451998814EDR_F0311330NCAM00322M_.JPG http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw...

By: TRUTHSEEKER

Excerpt from:

NASA MARS ROVER ANOMALIES SOL 614 " Curiosity Finds Moving Vehicle " - Video