Bitcoin Cash Definition | Investopedia

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DEFINITION of 'Bitcoin Cash'

Bitcoin cash is a cryptocurrency is a fork of Bitcoin Classic that was created in August 2017. Bitcoin Cash increases the size of blocks, allowing more transactions to be processed.

Since its launch, Bitcoin faced pressure from community members on the topic of scalability. Specifically, that the size of blocks set at 1 megabyte (MB), or a millionbytes, in 2010 would slow down transaction processing times, thus limiting the currencys potential, just as it was gaining in popularity. The block size limit was added to the Bitcoin code in order to prevent spam attacks on the network at a time when the value of a Bitcoins was low. By 2015, the value of Bitcoins had increased substantially and average block size had reached 600 bytes, creating a scenario in which transaction times could run into delays as more blocks reached maximum capacity.

A number of proposals have been made to deal with transaction processing over the years, often focusing on increasing block size. Because the Bitcoin code is not managed by a central authority, changes to the code require buy-in from developers and miners. This consensus-driven approach can lead to proposals taking a long time to finalize. This has resulted in groups creating separateblockchainledgers using new standards, called a fork. Several forks, such as Bitcoin XT and Bitcoin Unlimited, failed to be adopted by a wide audience. Bitcoin Cash, launched in August 2017, is another fork from Bitcoin Classic.

Bitcoin Cash differs from Bitcoin Classic in that it increases the block size from 1 MB to 8 MB. It also removes Segregated Witness (SegWit), a proposed code adjustment designed to free up block space by removing certain parts of the transaction. The goal of Bitcoin Cash is to increase the number of transactions that can be processed, and supporters hope that this change will allow Bitcoin Cash to compete with the volume of transactions that PayPal and Visa can handle by increasing the size of blocks.

Because the computer power required to process larger blocks could price out some smaller miners, critics worry that adopting Bitcoin Cashs approach will lead to power being concentrated in the hands of companies that can afford more and better equipment. Opponents to the fork worry that this will threaten the consensus-driven approach to Bitcoin, as a small number of companies could control Bitcoin and more readily force changes on the community in the future.

A successful hard fork for Bitcoin Cash entails surviving long enough to entice individuals and companies to use and mine the new digital currency if it is able to build substantial interest and reach critical mass. Once this point is reached, however, Bitcoin Cash may find that its success has prompted others to develop their own alternative coins, which would put the same pressure on Bitcoin Cash that it had placed on Bitcoin Classic. Since the issue of scalability tends to be at the forefront of cryptocurrency debates, developers have made increasing block size and improving transaction processing speeds their top focus areas.

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Bitcoin Cash Definition | Investopedia

Safety – How to Use Psychedelics

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The purpose of this site is to provide science-based information about how to safely use psychedelics. Following basic safety precautions dramatically reduces any risks.

Safety with psychedelics is important not just because these are powerful substances but also because creating a safe environment and approach will make treatment much more effective. Crucially, when psychedelics are used in a safe and comfortable setting, it becomes easier for people to relax and open themselves to the experience and gain the most benefit.

The most common psychedelics -- LSD, mushrooms, MDMA -- are far safer to their users and the people around them than drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and many prescription medicines. However, because of prohibition in many countries, there is far less available information and far more uncertainty about the sources and contents of psychedelic substances. Caution is very important.

We recommend psychedelics be taken only when you are in good health (unless you have decided to use it specifically to deal with an illness or in alleviating end of life anxiety). Those with heart problems should avoid psychedelics unless specifically discussed with a doctor. Pregnant women should not take psychedelics.

During a psychedelic experience, the mind/body connection is usually magnified. Any physical pain or discomfort (including something as small as hunger pangs) can affect the nature of the experience. Women should avoid tripping when experiencing menstrual cramps. If a woman typically experiences strong pre-menstrual symptoms (back aches, bloating, moodiness, headaches etc) its advisable to postpone the trip until they have subsided.

Entering a psychedelic journey with a comfortable and healthy body will help you toward a positive and meaningful experience.

For the advanced psychedelic user, a trip to deliberately investigate physical discomfort or pain may prove beneficial in understanding the mind/body connection and creating a deeper connection with your physical body.

Here are the some components of a safe psychedelic experience:

Setup the room that you will be in so that it feels cozy and pleasant. Have a comfortable place to sit or lie down, have pillows and decorations. You may want to have some music to listen to as well (music without words is recommended, as it is less likely to pull your thoughts away).

Keep in mind that going from place to place, being in a public setting, or dealing with logistical matters can be difficult while using psychedelics and can also be a source of anxiety. This is not recommended and can distract your focus.

When in doubt: be very cautious, don't rush, and start small.

Dont take a psychedelic for the first time without someone present who has experience with that substance. Make sure this is someone who you trust to help talk you through any stressful or confusing moments. Having trusted support is incredibly helpful for letting you feel safe and open to the experience. In addition, having someone around to help with practical needs (like getting you a glass of water) will let you focus on the process. Even if you have lots of experience with psychedelics, we recommend having a trusted person present (they don't need to be in the same room, just on hand).

We generally believe that psychedelics are most appropriate for people in their mid-20's and older. We don't know of research that has explored age-associated effects, but anecdotally, older individuals tend to take a more serious and intentional attitude towards psychedelic exploration.

If you have a dissociative psychological disorder, we do not recommend that you use psychedelics. Again, there is not good research on this topic and anecdotal reports are highly contradictory-- some people have had their conditions healed by use of psychedelics, others have found it has made their symptoms worse. We encourage you to err on the side of caution for these types of disorders.

Be sure to very carefully research any potential interactions with other prescription or non-prescription medicines or supplements that you are taking. In particular, anti-depressants, SSRIs, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic medications are not safe to take with psychedelics.

Before using a particular psychedelic for the first time, you may want to gauge your sensitivity to it. Some people are much more sensitive to certain substances than others. One mushroom cap might feel strong for one person and very mild for another.

If it is your first time taking a substance, try to take a very small tester amount (less than 1/10th of a dose) a few days before your planned trip. You may not feel any effects, but you will be able to roughly judge your sensitivity if you do, and you may feel more comfortable when the time comes to take a standard dose.

Several companies make purity testing kits for various substances, including MDMA and LSD. These can be found easily on Amazon.com or with a Google search. If you are uncertain about the purity of a substance, it's always better to test and be safe.

Psychedelics have been misunderstood and misrepresented for decades. That's changing. Please help us share safe, responsible information on using psychedelics by sending this page to friends, and posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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second amendment – POLITICO Magazine

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A fraud on the American public. Thats how former Chief Justice Warren Burger described the idea that the Second Amendment gives an unfettered individual right to a gun. When he spoke these words to PBS in 1990, the rock-ribbed conservative appointed by Richard Nixon was expressing the longtime consensus of historians and judges across the political spectrum.

Twenty-five years later, Burgers view seems as quaint as a powdered wig. Not only is an individual right to a firearm widely accepted, but increasingly states are also passing laws to legalize carrying weapons on streets, in parks, in barseven in churches.

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Many are startled to learn that the U.S. Supreme Court didnt rule that the Second Amendment guarantees an individuals right to own a gun until 2008, when District of Columbia v. Heller struck down the capitals law effectively banning handguns in the home. In fact, every other time the court had ruled previously, it had ruled otherwise. Why such a head-snapping turnaround? Dont look for answers in dusty law books or the arcane reaches of theory.

So how does legal change happen in America? Weve seen some remarkably successful drives in recent yearsthink of the push for marriage equality, or to undo campaign finance laws. Law students might be taught that the court is moved by powerhouse legal arguments or subtle shifts in doctrine. The National Rifle Associations long crusade to bring its interpretation of the Constitution into the mainstream teaches a different lesson: Constitutional change is the product of public argument and political maneuvering. The pro-gun movement may have started with scholarship, but then it targeted public opinion and shifted the organs of government. By the time the issue reached the Supreme Court, the desired new doctrine fell like a ripe apple from a tree.

***

The Second Amendment consists of just one sentence: A well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Today, scholars debate its bizarre comma placement, trying to make sense of the various clauses, and politicians routinely declare themselves to be its strong supporters. But in the grand sweep of American history, this sentence has never been among the most prominent constitutional provisions. In fact, for two centuries it was largely ignored.

The amendment grew out of the political tumult surrounding the drafting of the Constitution, which was done in secret by a group of mostly young men, many of whom had served together in the Continental Army. Having seen the chaos and mob violence that followed the Revolution, these Federalists feared the consequences of a weak central authority. They produced a charter that shifted powerat the time in the hands of the statesto a new national government.

Anti-Federalists opposed this new Constitution. The foes worried, among other things, that the new government would establish a standing army of professional soldiers and would disarm the 13 state militias, made up of part-time citizen-soldiers and revered as bulwarks against tyranny. These militias were the product of a world of civic duty and governmental compulsion utterly alien to us today. Every white man age 16 to 60 was enrolled. He was actually required to ownand bringa musket or other military weapon.

On June 8, 1789, James Madisonan ardent Federalist who had won election to Congress only after agreeing to push for changes to the newly ratified Constitutionproposed 17 amendments on topics ranging from the size of congressional districts to legislative pay to the right to religious freedom. One addressed the well regulated militia and the right to keep and bear arms. We dont really know what he meant by it. At the time, Americans expected to be able to own guns, a legacy of English common law and rights. But the overwhelming use of the phrase bear arms in those days referred to military activities.

There is not a single word about an individuals right to a gun for self-defense or recreation in Madisons notes from the Constitutional Convention. Nor was it mentioned, with a few scattered exceptions, in the records of the ratification debates in the states. Nor did the U.S. House of Representatives discuss the topic as it marked up the Bill of Rights. In fact, the original version passed by the House included a conscientious objector provision. A well regulated militia, it explained, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service in person.

Though state militias eventually dissolved, for two centuries we had guns (plenty!) and we had gun laws in towns and states, governing everything from where gunpowder could be stored to who could carry a weaponand courts overwhelmingly upheld these restrictions. Gun rights and gun control were seen as going hand in hand. Four times between 1876 and 1939, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule that the Second Amendment protected individual gun ownership outside the context of a militia. As the Tennessee Supreme Court put it in 1840, A man in the pursuit of deer, elk, and buffaloes might carry his rifle every day for forty years, and yet it would never be said of him that he had borne arms; much less could it be said that a private citizen bears arms because he has a dirk or pistol concealed under his clothes, or a spear in a cane.

***

Cue the National Rifle Association. We all know of the organizations considerable power over the ballot box and legislation. Bill Clinton groused in 1994 after the Democrats lost their congressional majority, The NRA is the reason the Republicans control the House. Just last year, it managed to foster a successful filibuster of even a modest background-check proposal in the U.S. Senate, despite 90 percent public approval of the measure.

What is less knownand perhaps more significantis its rising sway over constitutional law.

The NRA was founded by a group of Union officers after the Civil War who, perturbed by their troops poor marksmanship, wanted a way to sponsor shooting training and competitions. The group testified in support of the first federal gun law in 1934, which cracked down on the machine guns beloved by Bonnie and Clyde and other bank robbers. When a lawmaker asked whether the proposal violated the Constitution, the NRA witness responded, I have not given it any study from that point of view. The group lobbied quietly against the most stringent regulations, but its principal focus was hunting and sportsmanship: bagging deer, not blocking laws. In the late 1950s, it opened a new headquarters to house its hundreds of employees. Metal letters on the facade spelled out its purpose: firearms safety education, marksmanship training, shooting for recreation.

Michael Waldman is president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. He is the author of The Second Amendment: A Biography.

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second amendment - POLITICO Magazine

Second Amendment to the United States Constitution …

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Created on December 15, 1791, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that establishes the right of citizens to possess firearms for lawful purposes.[a] It says, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."[2]

When America was being colonized by European countries, firearms were very important to colonists.[3] When Europeans came to America, they brought with them the idea of land ownership by an individual.[4] They received this right from their king through land grants.[4] This was completely foreign to Native Americans who considered a particular territory belonged to the tribe.[4] Colonists defended their claims against Native Americans and other Europeans whose kings may have granted them the same lands.[3] They also needed firearms for hunting. In many towns and villages, men were required to own firearms for the defense of the community. Most colonists coming to America in the 17th century had no experience as soldiers.[5] The British kept few soldiers in the colonies, and colonists soon found they needed to establish militias.[5]

Colonies had militia laws that required every able-bodied man to be available for militia duty and to provide his own arms.[5] In 1774 and 1775, the British government, which now had a larger presence, attempted to disarm American colonists. This caused the colonists to form private militias, independent of any control by the governors appointed by the British government.[5] The Minutemen who fought the British Army at the Battles of Lexington and Concord were an independent militia.[5]

After the American Revolutionary War, the framers of the Constitution, like most Americans of the time, distrusted standing (permanent) armies and trusted militias.[5] After the Revolutionary War, Americans trusted state militias to defend the country. The Articles of Confederation, the new nation's first constitution, called for each state to maintain a well-armed militia. Congress could call up the militias to defend the country against any foreign power. However, Congress could only form a standing army if nine of the thirteen states approved. This was one of the weaknesses that led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and a new constitution.

In the 18th century, the word "army" meant mercenaries.[5] Americans distrusted standing armies and were afraid they could be used to take over the country.[6] People still remembered Oliver Cromwell and his military dictatorship in England.[6]

Virginia was one of the first colonies to adopt a state constitution. They included the words: "a well regulated Militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defence of a free State."[3] Other states followed with similar wording in their own constitutions. Pennsylvania declared: "the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the state; and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; And that the military should be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power."[3]

In 1781 the Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation. This recognized that the thirteen original states had the power to govern themselves. They acted collectively to have a congress, but did not provide any money to run it. There was no president and no court system. This confederation of states proved to be a very poor form of central government.

The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from May 25 to September 17, 1787.[7] The purpose of the Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation. But it became clear that many of its members, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, wanted to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington to preside over the Convention. They eventually agreed on agreed on Madison's Virginia Plan and began to make changes. The result was the Constitution of the United States and the present form of government.[7]

The constitution debate at Philadelphia caused two groups to form: the Federalists and the Anti-federalists. The federalists wanted a strong central government. The anti-federalists wanted the state governments to have more power. The vote on the new Constitution was passed on a promise by federalists to support a Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution.[8]

Originally, Congress suggested 12 amendments to the states. However, the states only ratified ten. The Bill of Rights, as the first 10 amendments came to be called, originally applied to the national government rather than to states.[8] Many states already had their own Bill of Rights.[8] The Bill of Rights was ratified and went into effect in 1791.

The Second Amendment was a result of several proposals being combined and simplified into just 27 words.[9] This simplification has caused many debates over gun ownership and individual rights. Historians, judges and others have repeatedly looked for the intended meaning by the 18th century writers of this amendment. [9] Different interpretations of the Second Amendment still cause public debates about firearm regulations and gun control.[9]

In 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard a case called Heller v. District of Columbia. At the time, it was illegal for regular Americans to have a gun in Washington, D.C. To decide whether this was against the Second Amendment, the court looked very closely at capitalization and punctuation in the Amendment to try to figure out exactly what the framers meant.

Judge Laurence H. Silberman wrote the Court's decision.[10] It made the ban on guns by the District of Columbia invalid.[10] The decision was based on the second comma (after the word "state") as proof that the Second Amendment allows individuals the right to carry a gun.[10] This is in addition to state's rights to maintain militias.[10]

The Second Amendment ratified by the States and approved by the Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, said:

The version passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington (but never ratified by the States) said:

On June 25, 2008, the Supreme Court agreed with the Court of Appeals' decision.[2] (In the Supreme Court, the case was called District of Columbia v. Heller.)

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Second Amendment to the United States Constitution ...

Minerva Reefs – Surfer’s Path

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Lat: 23 deg 38S

Long: 178 deg 39W

We are sitting in the middle of the largest contrast any of us have ever experienced. There is no land in sight from horizon to horizon. In fact we had our last sight of land 3 days ago as we sailed away from Tongpatapu, the southernmost port in the kingdom on Tonga. The cabin of Khulula is filled with the sound of wavelets gently lapping against her side, juxtaposed against the muted roar of the Pacific Swell crashing on the reef around us. 3 miles in diameter, Minerva Reef is one of the most remarkable and stunningly beautiful places I have ever seen.

We are 25% of the way to New Zealand, partway through a passage that does not act kindly towards those who dawdle. We had no intention to stop at this place, but are compelled to as gales rage below us (further south). We have 780 miles to go, a mere hop skip and a jump compared to our distance traveled so far (over 6000miles), but this passage demands attention to detail weather and timing details. A daily analysis of the weather systems moving around us, and the careful positioning of our boat in relation to these systems will be the difference between a windy, stormy passage and a cruisy sunny one. Well take the latter, please!

Yesterday morning saw all four of us in the cockpit, watching the distance to Minerva field on the GPS slowly clock down. With nine miles to go, all we could see was deep blue Pacific Ocean. At seven miles to go, we could make out the mast of a boat seemingly sitting among the waves, but with no sail to be seen. At three miles to go we could make out the breakers around the reef and could see a slightly smaller mast next to the original one, also seemingly bobbing up and down on the waves with no sail up. At one mile to go we could see the turquoise center of Minerva Reef, as its associated flat water and perfect sandbank anchorage. The colour of the water was so vivid it looked like it had been Photoshopped.

Approaching a navigational hazard such as Minerva, we are reminded of a realization that we have had on multiple occasions during this voyage. We are WIMPS compared to the seafarers of old. Historically, during the days of wooden ships iron men there were no charts, no weather outlooks, and the sailor were in a boat that does not sail upwind. On many occasions we have adjusted our course in the middle of the night to avoid a reef or shoal, who to us only exists on a paper and electronic chart. We know exactly where we are, and know EXACLTY where the shoal is, as well as how large the shoal is and the best course of action to avoid it. The iron men on those wooden ships would have no idea! Spare a thought for the watch boy, sitting high up in the Crows Nest of a wooden galleon, trying to stay awake on night shift as strains his eyes searching and searching for breakers in the night. If he spots them (assuming no rain, no mist), the captain would have no idea whether it was a small reef, a 50-mile long reef (like Fakarava), or the lee shore of another continent for that matter! Had he come across Minerva Reef, and seen it in time, Captain Cook would not have known whether it was one of hundreds of atolls (like the Tuamotus) or the reality that is is just one of a pair of tiny reefs in the middle of millions of square miles of featureless Pacific Ocean. It is incredible.

We have decided that the seafarers of old were completely and utterly nuts! Here we were, glancing over the bow with trepidation, searching for a reef that we know is directly ahead, and less than 5 miles away! Our GPS gives us our position to within 3 feet, and there is no confusion as to what it what. The historical captain would maybe know his position to within 150 miles, and that is if the sun had been shining recently.

At two miles to go, everything happened at once: We were furling in our headsail (the forwardmost sail on the boat) to slow down and prepare for the transit of the reef pass. In the middle of this job there are sheets and lines (ropes) everywhere, a NZ airforce plane buzzes the atoll and starts demanding that everyone check in over the radio: This is the New Zealand Air Force, please state the name of your vessel, your intended destination, your ETA (if NZ), name of your skipper, number and names of crew, and declare any firearms or pets aboard. Just as other boats started answering, our fishing line got hit by a 30lb yellow fin Tuna WHAM! So here we are, trying to reduce sail, shoot a reef pass in the middle of nowhere, steer the boat, reel in a fantastic Tuna, and answer the call from a large aircraft doing passes just above our head demanding our attention on the VHF radio! Um, sorry for the delay, but we are a LITTLE busy here!! Needless to say, they did not hear a response back from s/v Khulula. All the other boats did check in though, I emailed NZ customs in the evening to file our report!

So, Minerva! Wow, anyone that gets a chance to visit this place should NOT miss out on it. Granted, it is a little out of the way, being 400 miles away from anything with an airport, having no dry land and all that, but IF you find yourself in a sailboat in this area, STOP, it is incredible. With no continents and associated alluvial runoff around, the water is completely absent of fines translation, CRYSTAL CLEAR! Looking over the bow of Khulula, we can see a giant sandbank all around us, 12m down. Sitting in the lagoon in flat water, watching waves explode on the reef around us, with not a scrap of land in sight is an experience none of us will ever forget. Also, as you can imagine, the reef is teeming with life such is the nature of a reef inaccessible to significant amounts of human population.

In the evening we went for a snorkel and scored a wonderful Minerva lobster. Last night we watched an amazing sunset while feasting on Yellow Fin sashimi and garlic steamed lobster tail. We are planning on leaving Minerva tomorrow morning (14th November 2007), and beeline it for NZ. It is time to take the jump. As wonderful as this place is, there are harrowing reminders in the lagoon (in the form of a couple of wrecked sailboats) of the perils of being anchored inside a submerged atoll during a storm. This ocean us unpredictable, and it is prudent to briefly enjoy the wonders of this remote place, and then move on. So, after a weather check in the early am, we begin out 780 mile passage to New Zealand and the end of the 1st year of the OceanGybe expedition. We have a HUGE amount of data to compile, and presentations to prepare, in line with our quest to continue to bring awareness to oceanic garbage.

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Minerva Reefs - Surfer's Path

Ripple Price Forecast: Finally, a Crypto Exchange Built Around XRP

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Ripple News Update
Despite the epic XRP price crash in January, Ripple’s main partner in East Asia—a Japanese financial services provider called SBI Holdings Inc (TYO:8473)—doubled down on its support. It even launched a digital asset exchange: SBI Virtual Currencies.

At first, this doesn’t sound like big Ripple news. One more exchange. Big deal.

But if you take a closer look at the release, you’ll notice two things:

SBI Securities, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, has four million brokerage accounts, making it Japan’s biggest online securities company.
XRP is the first crypto listed on the new.

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Ripple Price Forecast: Finally, a Crypto Exchange Built Around XRP

Litecoin Price Forecast: Why LTC and Other Cryptos Are Plummeting

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Daily Litecoin News Update
Despite all the recent positive news we’ve shared about Litecoin, LTC prices are still struggling to find a bottom. Cryptocurrency markets at large, and not Litecoin, are to blame here. All of the top cryptocurrencies entered the red zone two days ago and have stayed there since.

As we try to make sense of the situation, it becomes glaringly obvious that fickle investors are once again playing into the hands of market fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). Markets seem to be crashing again and there are two seemingly bad pieces of news driving the sell-off. But as you’ll soon find out, neither affects Litecoin’s.

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Litecoin Price Forecast: Why LTC and Other Cryptos Are Plummeting

This Is One of the Best Blockchain Technology Penny Stocks for 2018

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Blockchain Is the Present & Future
Bitcoin. Blockchain. Cryptocurrencies. These are the buzzwords on everyone’s lips today. Investors are going gaga over these purported “get rich quick” investments. While blockchain-based cryptocurrencies have turned out to be the most sought-after investments of our age, there is also a growing interest in cheap blockchain stocks from investors seeking indirect exposure to this space. Read on as I reveal our pick for one of the best blockchain technology penny stocks for 2018.
Why Consider Blockchain Technology Penny Stocks?
When Satoshi Nakamoto first introduced the concept of Bitcoin, it.

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This Is One of the Best Blockchain Technology Penny Stocks for 2018

Ethereum Price Forecast: 3 Causes of This Week’s ETH Price Crash

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Ethereum News Update
Ethereum prices are proving more resilient than BTC or BCH, but that doesn’t mean they are untouched by this week’s crypto market crash. Ethereum too was affected by the tidal wave of pessimism.

As a result, ETH is trading 4.66% lower against the U.S. dollar.

This puts the Ethereum to USD exchange rate near $1,108.36. However, the Ethereum to Bitcoin rate is up 1.94% to 0.10871 BTC, adding a silver lining to this otherwise depressing news.

At first, I looked to see if trading volumes were driving the ETH price crash. They are not. Investors swapped about $4.6 billion worth of ETH in the last 24 hours. It just so happens that no one wanted higher.

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Ethereum Price Forecast: 3 Causes of This Week’s ETH Price Crash

Weiss Ratings Maybe Right On Ethereum But Not for Ripple XRP. Here’s Why

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Weiss Cryptocurrency Ratings
Weiss Ratings was all over the news last week for releasing the world's first cryptocurrency ratings. This adds to the list of many firsts achieved in the cryptocurrency world. However, Weiss Ratings' report has attracted its share of criticism and even cyberattacks since then. The agency says that this is the dawn of a cryptocurrency revolution and the blockchain technology powering Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most other cryptocurrencies could radically transform major aspects of our lives.

So, what went wrong?  

Weiss Ratings' crypto list included the top digital tokens like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Dash, as well as 70 other.

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Weiss Ratings Maybe Right On Ethereum But Not for Ripple XRP. Here’s Why

Litecoin Price Forecast: South Korean E-Commerce Giant Adding LTC Support

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Daily Litecoin News Update
Let me begin with a reminder; today is January 30—the day when South Korea’s new cryptocurrency trading rules take effect. From today onward, anonymous cryptocurrency trading has been completely banned in the country. As expected, cryptocurrency markets are remaining cautious about how the new regulations will play out.

All of the top 20 cryptocurrencies, including Litecoin, are blinking red as investors stay spooked in anticipation.

Nonetheless, we now know for certain that South Korea is no longer banning.

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Litecoin Price Forecast: South Korean E-Commerce Giant Adding LTC Support

Technical Analysis: Why I Would Be Inclined to Consider Stellar Lumens

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Should I Buy Stellar Lumens?
The beginning of 2018 started off on the same note that characterized much—if not all—of 2017. Cryptocurrencies were reaching for the stars as their valuations were ballooning to the stratosphere.

It seemed like this entire sector took a turn for the worse on a dime, and an incredible selloff gripped this market. Cryptocurrency valuations went from around $838.0 billion to $428.0 billion in a span of 10 days. If there was one lesson to be learned by cryptocurrency speculators, it's that, as fast as some of these cryptocurrencies can rise, they can fall just as fast, if not faster.

This selloff has compounded fears that this asset class was.

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Technical Analysis: Why I Would Be Inclined to Consider Stellar Lumens

Ethereum Price Forecast: 1st Institutional Launches Fund for ETH

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Ethereum News Update
Yesterday, I said Ethereum is starting to front-run Bitcoin in terms of institutional support. And what happened the same day? A major pension fund launched a $50.0-million cryptocurrency investment fund—and it is based around Ethereum.

The new fund comes courtesy of OMERS, one of Canada’s biggest pension funds. (Source: “.

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Ethereum Price Forecast: 1st Institutional Launches Fund for ETH

Ripple Price Prediction: CEO Garlinghouse Fires Back at XRP Skeptics

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Ripple News Update
Ripple (XRP) prices kicked off 2018 in the worst way, losing more than 44% in under a month. The sell-off began as a reaction to trouble on the Korean peninsula. But it was made worse by a Bloomberg Businessweek report, which said that Ripple’s corporate partners had no interest in XRP.

Now, however, the dust is settling.

Volatility is easing. Markets are returning to normal. And Ripple is starting to play offense rather than defense.

CEO Brad Garlinghouse took the fight straight to XRP skeptics, beating back the idea that.

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Ripple Price Prediction: CEO Garlinghouse Fires Back at XRP Skeptics

This unique Swedish invention could transform how millions …

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As global warming intensifies, the world is turning to large-scale environmental technologies like electric cars and solar power at breakneck pace.

But so far, innovations that transform resource use inside people's homes have been few and far between.

Swedish upstart Scandinavian Water Technologies, or Swatab, wants to change that: the company's patented filter system helps clean clothes with nothing but cold water.

The idea was born three years ago on a small-town farmyardin southern Sweden, where entrepreneur Per Hansson and his wife Katarina Klfverskjld ran their painting firm.

We had bought a system for cleaning building facades in an environmentally friendly way. Seeing how efficient it was in removing algae and dirt, I realized that the same method could be applied to washing machines, says Hansson.

With a burning passion for molecules and chemistry, Hansson ran with his idea; and only two years after the founding of Swatab, he and his wife had received a Europe-wide patent for their water filtration system.

Water in itself is highly soluble. For example, if you get a blood stain on your clothes, you can remove it with cold water," Hansson explains.

"Our filter makes tap water super clean, and by de-ionising it, we can do away with the last remains of salts and contaminants. This super clean water is not in a balanced chemical state, and to become so again, the water will attach itself to stains and dirt and absorb them.

Swatab's filter system removes the need for laundry detergents and warm water.

Swatabs filter system, Diro, is a closet-sized module that sits between the water pipes and the washing machine. Dirohas cleared extensive testing done by Swedish research institute Swerea IVF as well as the Eropean Union's research center in Sevilla, Spain.

These [tests] show that we can meet the requirements. We have achieved an acceptable cleansing effect according to EU-standards that normally apply on tests involving laundry detergents.

Swatab is now working to prove that its solution can save money and emissions for businesses and consumers alike.

It looks very promising. For every 5 kilograms of laundry, our technology saves one kilogram of carbon emissions, says Hansson, referring to tests done over the past year with MKB, a housing association in Malm that makes six million laundry washes per year.

Swatabs first foreign expansion takes place in the U.K., where the company has garnered interest from several major companies.

However, Hanssons long-term dream is to get Diro into millions of homes. To this end, he and his wife are developing a solution aimed for the consumer markets, due for launch next year.

Recognized as a WWF Climate Solver.

At the annual Cleantech Forum Europe in May in Helsinki, organized by San Francisco-based Cleantech Group, Swatab was among six Nordic companies recognized as a WWF Climate Solver - an annual award "forenterprises that can lead the way to a sustainable economy with zero emissions and energy access to all."

Put together, the winning companies' solutions could reduce global carbon emissions by more than 300 million tons by 2027, according to WWF. That is more than the entire Nordic regions CO2-emissions each year.

Read theoriginal articlein Swedish onVeckans Affrer.

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This unique Swedish invention could transform how millions ...

hedonism ii photo album – Castaways Travel

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Hedonism II Photo Album Negril, Jamaica

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The Era of Quantum Computing Is Here. Outlook: Cloudy …

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A lot of research on the fundamentals of quantum computing has been devoted to error correction. Part of the difficulty stems from another of the key properties of quantum systems: Superpositions can only be sustained as long as you dont measure the qubits value. If you make a measurement, the superposition collapses to a definite value: 1 or 0. So how can you find out if a qubit has an error if you dont know what state it is in?

One ingenious scheme involves looking indirectly, by coupling the qubit to another ancilla qubit that doesnt take part in the calculation but that can be probed without collapsing the state of the main qubit itself. Its complicated to implement, though. Such solutions mean that, to construct a genuine logical qubit on which computation with error correction can be performed, you need many physical qubits.

How many? Quantum theorist Aln Aspuru-Guzik of Harvard University estimates that around 10,000 of todays physical qubits would be needed to make a single logical qubit a totally impractical number. If the qubits get much better, he said, this number could come down to a few thousand or even hundreds. Eisert is less pessimistic, saying that on the order of 800 physical qubits might already be enough, but even so he agrees that the overhead is heavy, and for the moment we need to find ways of coping with error-prone qubits.

An alternative to correcting errors is avoiding them or canceling out their influence: so-called error mitigation. Researchers at IBM, for example, are developing schemes for figuring out mathematically how much error is likely to have been incurred in a computation and then extrapolating the output of a computation to the zero noise limit.

Some researchers think that the problem of error correction will prove intractable and will prevent quantum computers from achieving the grand goals predicted for them. The task of creating quantum error-correcting codes is harder than the task of demonstrating quantum supremacy, said mathematician Gil Kalai of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. And he adds that devices without error correction are computationally very primitive, and primitive-based supremacy is not possible. In other words, youll never do better than classical computers while youve still got errors.

Others believe the problem will be cracked eventually. According to Jay Gambetta, a quantum information scientist at IBMs Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Our recent experiments at IBM have demonstrated the basicelementsof quantum error correction onsmalldevices, paving the way towards larger-scaledevices where qubits canreliablystorequantum informationfor a long period of time inthepresence of noise. Even so, he admits that a universal fault-tolerant quantum computer, which has to use logical qubits, is still along way off. Such developments make Childs cautiously optimistic. Im sure well see improved experimental demonstrations of [error correction], but I think it will be quite a while before we see it used for a real computation, he said.

For the time being, quantum computers are going to be error-prone, and the question is how to live with that. At IBM, researchers are talking about approximate quantum computing as the way the field will look in the near term: finding ways of accommodating the noise.

This calls for algorithms that tolerate errors, getting the correct result despite them. Its a bit like working out the outcome of an election regardless of a few wrongly counted ballot papers. A sufficiently large and high-fidelity quantum computation should have some advantage [over a classical computation] even if it is not fully fault-tolerant, said Gambetta.

One of the most immediate error-tolerant applications seems likely to be of more value to scientists than to the world at large: to simulate stuff at the atomic level. (This, in fact, was the motivation that led Feynman to propose quantum computing in the first place.) The equations of quantum mechanics prescribe a way to calculate the properties such as stability and chemical reactivity of a molecule such as a drug. But they cant be solved classically without making lots of simplifications.

In contrast, the quantum behavior of electrons and atoms, said Childs, is relatively close to the native behavior of a quantum computer. So one could then construct an exact computer model of such a molecule. Many in the community, including me, believe that quantum chemistry and materials science will be one of the first usefulapplications of such devices, said Aspuru-Guzik, who has been at the forefront of efforts to push quantum computing in this direction.

Quantum simulations are proving their worth even on the very small quantum computers available so far. A team of researchers including Aspuru-Guzik has developed an algorithm that they call the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE), which can efficiently find the lowest-energy states of molecules even with noisy qubits. So far it can only handle very small molecules with few electrons, which classical computers can already simulate accurately. But the capabilities are getting better, as Gambetta and coworkers showed last September when they used a 6-qubit device at IBM to calculate the electronic structures of molecules, including lithium hydride and beryllium hydride. The work was a significant leap forward for the quantum regime, according to physical chemist Markus Reiher of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. The use of the VQE for the simulation of small molecules is a great example of the possibility of near-term heuristic algorithms, said Gambetta.

But even for this application, Aspuru-Guzik confesses that logical qubits with error correction will probably be needed before quantum computers truly begin to surpass classical devices. I would be really excited when error-corrected quantum computing begins to become a reality, he said.

If we had more than 200 logical qubits, we could do things in quantum chemistry beyond standard approaches, Reiher adds. And if we had about 5,000 such qubits, then the quantum computer would be transformative in this field.

Despite the challenges of reaching those goals, the fast growth of quantum computers from 5 to 50 qubits in barely more than a year has raised hopes. But we shouldnt get too fixated on these numbers, because they tell only part of the story. What matters is not just or even mainly how many qubits you have, but how good they are, and how efficient your algorithms are.

Any quantum computation has to be completed before decoherence kicks in and scrambles the qubits. Typically, the groups of qubits assembled so far have decoherence times of a few microseconds. The number of logic operations you can carry out during that fleeting moment depends on how quickly the quantum gates can be switched if this time is too slow, it really doesnt matter how many qubits you have at your disposal. The number of gate operations needed for a calculation is called its depth: Low-depth (shallow) algorithms are more feasible than high-depth ones, but the question is whether they can be used to perform useful calculations.

Whats more, not all qubits are equally noisy. In theory it should be possible to make very low-noise qubits from so-called topological electronic states of certain materials, in which the shape of the electron states used for encoding binary information confers a kind of protection against random noise. Researchers at Microsoft, most prominently, are seeking such topological states in exotic quantum materials, but theres no guarantee that theyll be found or will be controllable.

Researchers at IBM have suggested that the power of a quantum computation on a given device be expressed as a number called the quantum volume, which bundles up all the relevant factors: number and connectivity of qubits, depth of algorithm, and other measures of the gate quality, such as noisiness. Its really this quantum volume that characterizes the power of a quantum computation, and Gambetta said that the best way forward right now is to develop quantum-computational hardware that increases the available quantum volume.

This is one reason why the much vaunted notion of quantum supremacy is more slippery than it seems. The image of a 50-qubit (or so) quantum computer outperforming a state-of-the-art supercomputer sounds alluring, but it leaves a lot of questions hanging. Outperforming for which problem? How do you know the quantum computer has got the right answer if you cant check it with a tried-and-tested classical device? And how can you be sure that the classical machine wouldnt do better if you could find the right algorithm?

So quantum supremacy is a concept to handle with care. Some researchers prefer now to talk about quantum advantage, which refers to the speedup that quantum devices offer without making definitive claims about what is best. An aversion to the word supremacy has also arisen because of the racial and political implications.

Whatever you choose to call it, a demonstration that quantum computers can do things beyond current classical means would be psychologically significant for the field. Demonstrating an unambiguous quantum advantage will be an important milestone, said Eisert it would prove that quantum computers really can extend what is technologically possible.

That might still be more of a symbolic gesture than a transformation in useful computing resources. But such things may matter, because if quantum computing is going to succeed, it wont be simply by the likes of IBM and Google suddenly offering their classy new machines for sale. Rather, itll happen through an interactive and perhaps messy collaboration between developers and users, and the skill set will evolve in the latter only if they have sufficient faith that the effort is worth it. This is why both IBM and Google are keen to make their devices available as soon as theyre ready. As well as a 16-qubit IBM Q experience offered to anyone who registers online, IBM now has a 20-qubit version for corporate clients, including JP Morgan Chase, Daimler, Honda, Samsung and the University of Oxford. Not only will that help clients discover whats in it for them; it should create a quantum-literate community of programmers who will devise resources and solve problems beyond what any individual company could muster.

For quantum computing to take traction and blossom, we must enable the world to use and to learn it, said Gambetta. This period is for the world of scientists and industry to focus on getting quantum-ready.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Teaser Trailer [HD] – YouTube

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CD Projekt RED studio released a brand new CG teaser trailer for their upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077.

The trailer shows a woman, who went rampage due to the amount of cybermodifications in her body and the Night City police try to intervene with the help of the elite Psychosquad.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Teaser Trailer [HD] - YouTube

Litecoin Price Prediction: Litecoin Is an “Elite” Coin Ahead of Ripple

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Daily Litecoin News Update
A common ill-founded fear in the crypto investor community is that a coin is losing the race if it drops down from its position on the market capitalization rankings. Concerns like these are absolutely fallacious.

For instance, Litecoin slipping down another spot on the crypto rankings yesterday kept some investors up at night. Lesser-known coins like NEO and Stellar are now sitting above it on the ranks.

What investors must not forget, however, is that Litecoin is an “elite” coin, far superior than these largely.

The post Litecoin Price Prediction: Litecoin Is an “Elite” Coin Ahead of Ripple appeared first on Profit Confidential.

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Litecoin Price Prediction: Litecoin Is an “Elite” Coin Ahead of Ripple

Why Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary read Ayn Rand

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Cuban is also a reader of Rand's work, but favors her 1943 novel "The Fountainhead."

He's read the book, "three complete times, and untold number of little snippets and segments," he tells C-Span in a 2006 interview. "I'll pick it up when I need motivation, but then if I read too far I get too much motivation, and I get too jittery so I have to put it down."

To him, the dedication of the characters to overcome challenges is encouraging.

"Anybody who started a business and built a business knows there's going to be lots of times when you feel beaten down, and you need some motivation, and that's when I turn to that book among others," Cuban continues.

"The Fountainhead" similarly explores topics of "rational selfishness," an ideology that later became known as objectivism. Cuban says he didn't read into the political message of Rand's work but found motivation in her characters.

"I didn't buy into her political philosophy, like 'all government is bad,' and pure libertarianism," Cuban explains on a 2017 episode of "The Jamie Weinstein Show" podcast.

"When you have a protagonist like Howard Roark, that just fired me up," Cuban says about the book, "He was true to himself. And to me, that was the message that I took home."

Don't miss: Mark Cuban: The 3 best tips to save more money in 2018

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Why Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary read Ayn Rand