09.02.2018 Views

news

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

3 days ago<br />

How to breathe cleaner in London's pollution-filled air<br />

2 days ago<br />

Matt Hancock MP has launched an app. And he wants all your data<br />

3 days ago<br />

Why Dublin is in a good position to attract Brexit-fearing startups<br />

3 days ago<br />

WIRED Recommends: The best gadgets and gear right now<br />

5 days ago<br />

10 items<br />

Taking on Silicon Valley's tech bros: UpVote 22<br />

4 days ago<br />

Monday briefing: Lloyds Bank bans credit card bitcoin purchases<br />

Banks are declining credit card purchases of bitcoin in response to the crytocurrency's<br />

extreme volatility, this weekend'a JAXA rocket launch was smallest to ever put a satellite in<br />

orbit<br />

31 minutes ago<br />

By WIRED<br />

Monday 5 February 2018<br />

iStockphoto//KeremYucel<br />

Thanks for reading WIRED Awake. To make sure that our daily briefing focusses only on<br />

the stories you absolutely have to know about, we're going to concentrate on the five most<br />

important <strong>news</strong> items of the day. We hope you still find the briefing to be an essential part of<br />

your routine.<br />

1. Lloyds Bank bans customers from buying bitcoin with its credit cards<br />

Lloyds Banking Group customers are no longer allowed to buy bitcoin using their credit<br />

cards (BBC News). The restriction – which doesn't apply to debit cards – is in response to a<br />

sharp fall in bitcoin's value (currently at $8,109) and extreme volatility. It affects Lloyds<br />

Bank, Bank of Scotland, Halifax and MBNA customers. In the USA, JPMorgan Chase, Bank<br />

of America. and Citigroup, Capital One and Discover are also declining all credit card<br />

purchases of bitcoin.<br />

2. This weekend'a JAXA rocket launch was smallest to ever put a satellite in orbit<br />

On Saturday, February 3, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully<br />

launched the TRICOM-1R microsatellite, designed to photograph the Earth, into orbit<br />

(Spaceflight Now). The 3kg satellite was aboard an SS-520 sounding rocket, modified for<br />

orbital use. The rocket is now the smallest to have ever carried out a successful space<br />

launch, at 9.5 metres tall and 52cm in diameter.<br />

3. Confused radio frequency radiation rodent study shows no discenable ill-effects<br />

The draft version of a US National Toxicology Program study into whether the radio<br />

frequencies used in mobile phones can cause cancer reveals no statistically significant<br />

carcinogenic effects, but plenty technical problems during the study (Ars Technica). Rats<br />

and mice were exposed to GSM and CDMA radiation at well above normal use levels, but<br />

the mice and female rats showed no statistically significant ill effects after two years. Male<br />

rats proved to be harder to assess, as the control group - which wasn't exposed to any radio<br />

frequency radiation - died at unusually high rates.<br />

4. Smart dildos and vibrators keep getting hacked – but TOR could be the answer to safer<br />

connected sex<br />

Read next<br />

Friday briefing: India to ban cryptocurrency payments

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!