The letters NFT stand for Non-Fungible Token. A Non-Fungible Token is a piece of code on a computer that exists in a fashion similar to that of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Like any object, physical or digital, an NFT is only worth what someone will pay to own it. Unlike most physical objects, an NFT is more of a representation of a product than it is the product itself.
The snack brand Dunkaroos had an idea that's likely a glimpse into the future of pop culture in the metaverse. They're releasing a "'90s-inspired line" of clothing that'll be available both physically and digitally. It'll be both "virtual merch and merch to rock in real life," they say, and it'll be available to those willing to take the plunge for a couple of 10-dollar bills.
An art auction is set to take place in June of 2021 called "Natively Digital: A Curated NFT Sale." This sale will be hosted by Sotheby's, and it'll take place entirely online. Sotheby's started their description of this sale with the following: "NFTs will be considered one of the groundbreaking artistic breakthroughs of the century."
Today the latest version of their digital compact WR series camera line with the WG-70. This is the camera line that Ricoh makes to command the rugged handheld digital camera market, doing so with claims that rival the vast majority of other hobby cameras. The ruggedness of this camera seems almost more important than the media which it's meant to capture - it's tough!
The folks behind FileRoom have an interesting idea for the modern office. They want to take all your paper - all the documents you've got stacked up around the office - and digitize the lot. They want to do some scanning of your paper, and make your paper-filled office into a far more streamlined operation. They want to make clear that they do not want the world to do away with paper altogether - they just want to be an integral (and simple to use) part of the process.
Photoshop has undoubtedly changed expectations of modern beauty, but a new research project could help pull back the tech and help make faked images more honest. The handiwork of two Adobe researchers along with a team from UC Berkeley, the new image forensics tool can spot where Photoshop's Face Aware Liquify feature has been applied.
Today we're taking a look through the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) "Internet Crime Report" for the year 2018. This document shows statistics on crimes reported to the FBI, as well as total crimes committed on the internet in the calendar year 2018. This year saw nearly twice the amount of estimated total financial loss through the year VS 2017, easily the biggest jump since tracking these statistics began.
Purchasing digital copies of usually physical goods is so easy and convenient these days, most of us don’t give a second thought about it. We don’t have to carry books around, deal with fragile DVDs, or fumble around for cartridges whenever we want to switch games. But depending on where you bought said digital content, buying might not exactly mean what you think it means. That was the bitter truth that a Canadian iTunes user learned when Apple quietly removed content he already bought because the items were no longer being sold on its digital content store.
This morning we're having a look at the price of Bitcoin today, why it is the price it's at, and why it's like a stock, only not. News this week has Bitcoin on the fritz, and not only because Bitcoin is not a stock. There's also news that Samsung is about to get in on the game - and when a big brand like Samsung joins, you know things are about to get wild.
Modern life is digital, and a lot of gift-giving is, too. Handing someone a small envelope with a gift card in it is, to most people, a very practical and perfectly acceptable thing. There's an art to giving away digital gifts, though; do it too casually and you risk coming across as uncaring. Deliver it in the wrong way to the wrong person, and you may just confuse and frustrate them...or worse, risk having your gift disappear into a spam or trash folder.
Researchers have built a piece of a rat brain over the past 10 years and this week they're ready to show it off. Partially. What you're seeing here is a photo of a virtual brain slice, part of the Blue Brain Project as hosted at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). This chunk has been created digitally, mapping a section of juvenile rat brain for starters. Eventually the group hopes to show the whole brain - then move on to other animals.
Over a year ago, we heard about the state of Iowa's initiative to develop digital driver’s licenses that could eventually replace the plastic cards used through the US. The digital licenses would feature the same information as the physical versions — photo, address, date of birth, etc. — but be stored on a user's smartphone. Well, Iowa has now announced that it's beginning a test program, known as the Mobile Driver License (mDL), for a number of different situations, but limited to employees of the states' Department of Transportation.