Headline August 13, 2016/ ''' *DIGITAL dot DANCERS* '''

''' *DIGITAL dot DANCERS* '''

BITCOIN WORTH $72 MILLION STOLEN from Bitfinex: About 120,000 units of digital currency worth about:

US$ 72 million was stolen from the exchange platform Bitfinex in Hong Kong.

Bitfinex is the world's largest  dollar-based exchange for bitcoin, and is known in the digital currency community for having deep liquidity in the U.S. dollar/bitcoin currency pair.

Zane Tackett, Director of Community & Product Development for Bitfinex, told Reuters recently that  119,756   bitcoin had been stolen from users accounts and that the exchange had not yet decided how to address the customer losses. ''The bitcoin was stolen from users segregated wallets,'' he said.

The company said it had reported the theft to law enforcement and was cooperating with top blockchain analytic companies to track the stolen coins.

Bitfinex has tied-up Palo Alto based  BitGo, which uses multiple signature security to store user deposits online, allowing faster withdrawls. ''Our investigation has found no evidence of a breach to any BitGo servers,.'' BitGo said in a Tweet.

''With user funds secured using multi-signature technology in partnership with BitGo, a lot more is at stake for the backbone of the bitcoin industry, with its stalwarts and prided tech under fire.'' said Charles Hayter, chief executive and founder of digital currency website CryptoCompare.

Bitfinex suspended trading on Tuesday last. after it discovered the breach. It said on its website that it was investigating and cooperating with the authorities.

In 2014, Tokyo-based exchange Mit Gox collapsed, losing about $500 million worth of customers  Bitcoins in a hacking attack.

Apple announces Bug Bounty: Apple announced the company will pay for vulnerabilities found in certain aspects of iOS and iCloud.

Set for launch in September, the invitation only program will offer  $25,000 to $200,000  within  5 years , but could be much lower. The program will be open to researchers who have previously made valuable vulnerability disclosures to Apple.

However, Apple said it would not turn away new researchers if they provide ''useful'' disclosures. 

The announcement came during a presentation by Apple's head of security engineering and architecture, at the Black Hat security research conference in Las Vegas.

The program is limited to five bug categories  -the most valuable category is worth up to  $200,000  for vulnerabilities that compromises the secure boot firmware components.

To be eligible, researchers will need to provide a  proof-of-concept on that latest iOS and hardware 

Updated Google Maps Highlight Areas of Interest: Google has updated Google Maps making some visual changes to the service for desktop, Android, and  iOS as well as introducing addition to help make it easier for users to get to where they want to go.

Google has removed any information that it believes isn't absolutely necessary, such as road traffic outlines, enabling users to what they need more easily.

The typography of street names, points of interest, transit stations and more has also been improved to make them easier to spot on the map. 

The new Maps has also changed the color scheme to help users differentiate more easily between man-made or natural features, and quickly locate important places such as hospitals, schools or highways.    

Scientists Develop Quick Destructing Battery to Power 'Transient Devices': Iowa state scientists have developed a working battery that dissolves and disperses in water. Credit : Ashley Christopherson.

Self-destructing electronic devices could keep military secrets out of enemy hands. Or they could save patients the pain of removing of a medical device. Also, they could allow environmental sensors to wash away in the rain.

Making such devices possible is the goal of a relatively new field of study called  ''transient electronics''  

These transient devices could perform a variety of functions until exposure to light, heat or liquid trigger their destruction.

New Metamaterial for Robots: Metamaterials are a class of material engineered to product properties that don't occur naturally. Currently metamaterials are used to make electromagnetic and vibration absorbers and high performance sensors.

The  Kirigami  metamaterial can also be produced using off the shelf thermoplastic or thermoset composite  materials, and different sensing and electronic systems can be embedded to obtain a fully integrated smart shape-changing structure.

In the future, this Kirigami metamaterials could be used in robotics, morphing structures for airframe and space applications, microwave and smart antennas.

With respectful dedication to the Scientists, Students, Professors and Teachers of the World. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and !E-WOW!  -the Ecosystem 2011:

     

''' DigiHonours '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless