Kozminski Techblog

Are you a lucky owner of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies? Or maybe you are still wondering if the new digital money is worth to invest in? 

If you are a fan of exploring the world then you should definitely know how to turn your digital assets into rest and vacation. As the popularity of cryptocurrencies is growing every day, the travel companies realised that it is profitable to accept crypto payments. Of course, the debit cards connected to cryptocurrency portfolios do exist. However, to avoid extra fees for transactions, it is crucial to know the companies, which accept the cryptocurrency payments directly.

Firstly, it is possible to book the crypto-travel via an online travel agency called Travala. It works similarly to Booking, but accepts payments with crypto.

It is also possible to pay for a flight ticket with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The Latvian airline Air Baltic was the first one to accept payments with Bitcoin in 2014. Now, it accepts also Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Dogecoin and four USD-pegged stablecoins.

Many exclusive hotels like The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts, Sri Panwa Phuket, S Hotels & Resorts, The Chedi Andermatt and The Kessler Collection also accept cryptocurrency bookings. For instance to book a room in The Pavilions all the future guest needs to do is email the hotel reservation team directly and they will send a payment link. Then guests can complete the payment details from their wallets via QR code or wallet number. The hotel accepts payments with 37 different cryptocurrencies. 

Another interesting travel location is the Bitcoin Beach. It is the first sustainable Bitcoin economic ecosystem located on the coast of El Salvador. It helps small local businesses, which would never qualify to accept credit card payments. Travellers can take surfing classes there, eat local cuisine and pay for everything with Bitcoin.

Would you consider paying for your travel with cryptocurrency?

So far, the only way of rating content and giving a personal opinion by users on YouTube was limited to leaving comments and likes (thumb up or thumb down). Now youTube creators are working on new experiment (time reactions) which would allow the recipients sharing emoji while specific moment of the movie. 

Recently, we could observe a few changes in this platform. One of them was hiding the meter which showed the number of negative ratings below movies. The creators introduced the controversial age verification which caused a huge rumor within the users while it become necessary to connect a payment card or attach an identity scan. 

And now they are working on a new function earlier mentioned – the possibility of adding the reactions in a specific moments of movies. Currently, YouTube is testing the functionality on a small group of users in a chosen movies. They are able to use a wide range of emojis. 

How exactly does it work? Below there is attached the announcement given by TeamYouTube:

„If you are looking for a movie can search for it, you can sneak in and search for a search by opening the movie comments for a watch and tapping the panel. The test will show you which moments you assign to other viewers (which will be anonymized – we will show you who sent each user). We test a lot of our reactions and add or enjoy repairs in the mileage!”

To sum up, it is going to be a similar function which already is available on Facebook Live or Twitch. At this point, YouTube is testing emoji responses on a small number of channels, however, depending on the reception, it may expand the area of ​​operation.

Many comments are negative. Users say they were more likely to define whether movie was worth watching by looking at the number of thumbs up and down and that was enough. This way it was clear. There was this percentage division of rating which helped to define if a movie was good or not. What’s more, they are sure this way the platform will slowly start to lose many users. 

And what do you think about this new option? 

Sources:

https://www.benchmark.pl/aktualnosci/youtube-testuje-nowa-funkcje.html

Imagine losing your keychain or wallet… a horror scenario for most of us: paying for new keys, having to block all your credit/-debit cards, applying for a new driver’s license and identification card and much more. Endless amount of work that we try to avoid at all costs. The MNC Apple Inc. came up with the AirTag, a device you can attach to any of your valuable items that you don’t want to get lost. Even if you just misplace your favorite camera, when you turn on the AirTag, you will be able to locate it with your iPhone. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? However, it brings some downsides with it, which can be dramatic in the long term. Anyone can attach it anywhere they like, in other words, in the worst case you can be stalked. Victims realize that an AirTag has been put in their purse or car late as the software notifies the iPhone, which is close to the tag, only hours later. Due to warnings deriving from police departments and media reports, Apple announced new updates to minimize the risk of these incidents.

• First, Apple will introduce a notification that pops-up during the set-up stage which informs its customers that using the AirTag for any other purpose than tracking your own belongings, is illegal.
• Second, Apple stated that it has been actively engaging with law enforcement on any AirTag-related requests it gets, and that it is able to share account data in response to a law enforcement request.
• Furthermore, when iPhone users are near an unfamiliar AirTag, they will receive an alert on their phone and play a louder sound to find the device easier. In addition, the notification will come earlier and not hours later.
• Fourth, your phone will mention “AirTag detected“. Previously, it would state “Unknown accessory detected“ even if it was just AirPods, making iPhone owners worried whether it could be an AirTag or not.
• Lastly, when an unknown AirTag comes into range, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users will be able to utilize the precision-finding function to view both the direction and distance of the unknown AirTag, just as they do with their own AirTag devices.

The idea of an AirTag is good, if, of course, its purpose is not being misused. However, given that many incidents of stalking have been officially reported, Apple has to provide these updates. Considering that the company has not announced when the updated will be available, the question whether an AirTag should currently be bought regarding its safety measures, remains open.  

References:

Booth, C. (2022, February 28). AirTags are as dangerous as the society that surrounds them. TNW | Plugged. https://thenextweb.com/news/apple-airtags-danger-analysis

Perez, S. (2022, February 10). Apple to address AirTag stalking problem with upcoming features. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/10/apple-to-address-airtag-stalking-problem-with-upcoming-features/

$600 million Ronin Blockchain Hacked, Biggest Damage In Crypto World
A couple of days ago, the owner of the Ronin Network, a blockchain network, Working alongside the Ethereum chain and the chain connected to the game, Axie Infinity has reportedly been hacked out of the system by hackers.

• 173,600 ETH
• 25,500,000 USDC
  It is worth $600 million in damage, which is known as the largest hack in the history of the cryptocurrency industry.
  Compared to the damage value of the hack that ever happened in the crypto industry.

Ronin is a blockchain that uses a Proof of Authority transaction verification with nine Node Validators selected by Ronin.
The advantage of Proof of Authority is that with a small number of nodes transactions are confirmed fast. But the con is that as in Ronin’s case hackers hacked up to 5 nodes(55%) and it causes successfully verifying transfers.

The company only realized that it was hacked in the night after one customer failed to withdraw Ethereum from the system.
Currently, the team is working with legal authorities to track down the villain to bring back the stolen money
After the announcement, Ronin’s coin immediately dropped -by 22%…

References :

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-29/hackers-steal-590-million-from-ronin-in-latest-bridge-attack

https://roninblockchain.substack.com/p/community-alert-ronin-validators?s=w&fbclid=IwAR1B87o62P7PE5hm61qp74DyQtAaixfsW0-VeNKVPWQX9TGLjSlrG7DihUQ

Boston Dynamics is a company whose name might sound familiar to many. It is not surprising as they are behind the creation of the often discussed ‘dog robot’. The machine is called Spot and is one of the most known products of the company.

However, Boston Dynamics produces other just as useful machines, like the Stretch robot. As stated on the company’s website, ‘Stretch is a versatile mobile robot for case handling and truck unloading’.

The machine got noticed by the German logistics company DHL and they signed a deal worth $15 million.

What is interesting in this story is not only that the Strech robot is less known than its ‘collegue’ Spot (even though Strech generates more profits for the company) but also how Strech and other similar products can revolutionize many industries. Maybe soon other companies will follow DHL’s lead and start using robots to automate simple tasks. However, the question is: are we ready for this revolution and all the changes it will bring?

Resources:

• https://www.bostondynamics.com/products/stretch
• https://www.bostondynamics.com/products/spot
• https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/26/22902568/boston-dynamics-stretch-robot-logistics-dhl-deal
• https://www.designworldonline.com/what-sensors-are-in-spot-the-robotic-dog/