Friday 28 April 2017

The best way to use free movie Apps on a Windows PC

The market is saturated with so many movie apps, making it difficult to know which one to use. Some are payable while others are free. However, the hardest task is when you have apps and you can’t use them on your PC due to a few issues that may stand in between. You don’t have to wait until it gets to that point.
Here are a few tips on how you can use your app like a pro.

Compatibility

Before you install Showbox for PC, you have to ensure that the app you select is compatible with the Windows you are using. Although most of the apps that can operate on Windows 7, 8, and 10 respectively, there are those that don’t accept Windows 7. Therefore, you must be careful and see that the instructions indicate you can use the Windows you have on your PC.

Connectivity

You will be doing de-service to your app of choice if you will install it and you don’t have good internet connection. For you to stream live a movie, you need fast internet. It does not matter the type of app you install, if you don’t have quality internet, it’s all in vain. You will never get your movie fantasies where they should be if your connection is questionable. To stream a movie you need the internet that will load faster and easy.

Space

Another important way of using your movie app is by ensuring that your PC has good space. This is because there are times when you will want to download movies and TV shows. You cannot fully enjoy the downloaded movies if you don’t have the space to store them. In some cases, you may need to delete some of your favorite movies to get in a new collection.  Therefore, when you are planning on getting an app for your PC, ensure to find an extra storage space just in case your PC is small. Getting a separate hard disk would come in handy.

Quality

Quality is also very critical. You don’t want to waste time downloading a movie that is of poor quality. Therefore, before you installing a movie app on your device, view the quality options that it supports. Noting the difference will help you find the best app for your PC. Also, having a high-quality app helps you stream even movies with low resolution and still appear as the best standard.

Conclusion

Movie apps are meant to entertain you. When you get the right one for your PC, automatically you will enjoy the pleasure that comes with the entertainment industry.  Feel as if you are part of the family by ensuring you find the best movies in the market. With the help of the app, it’s possible to stay ahead of the crowd and become the movie teller. If your app gives you the privilege of streaming, ensure you use it to the max. Look for movies and TV Series that will keep you entertained for a long time.

Friday 21 April 2017

                       What is bitcoin? How does it work?

In the simplest form, Bitcoins can be described as a “Peer to Peer Electronic cash system.” Bitcoins can be used as a method of payment for numerous goods and services and for simple transactions like purchasing vouchers, paying bills, etc. In different jurisdictions, Bitcoins are treated as a property, currency, virtual asset, good, security or commodity for the purpose of trading on a stock exchange or commodity exchange.
Essentially Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, i.e., it operates on the principles of cryptography to manage the creation of Bitcoins and securing the transactions. Cryptocurrencies are managed by private parties, without the need for a government authority to monitor the currency system. The currency has been designed in a way that the number of total units of Bitcoins in circulation will always be limited. Going by the pace at which Bitcoins are being minted, the last unit will be mined around the year 2140.
Also Read: What Is The Difference Between Deep Web, Darknet, And Dark Web?
The cryptocurrencies essentially work on the Blockchain system. A Blockchain is a public ledger of Bitcoins that is designed to record all the transactions. The chronological order of Blockchain is enforced with cryptography and each new ledger update creates newly minted Bitcoins. This is designed in a way that Bitcoin wallets can calculate their total balance and new transactions can be verified. The integrity and the chronological order of the block chain are enforced with cryptography.
bitcoin working
Image: Pinterest
The buyer and seller can enter into transactions by using their Bitcoin wallets that are secured by a secret piece of data called, a “Private key.” The key is used to authorise the transactions by the owner of the wallet, and cannot be normally tempered by anyone, once it is issued.  The transactions are performed by adding the Bitcoin wallets on an exchange, acting as a facilitator for sale and purchase of Bitcoins. All transactions are displayed between the users and usually begin to be confirmed by the network through a process called “Mining.” It is essentially the process of creating new Bitcoins out of the total Bitcoins that are designed to be “Mined” using computers. The transactions transfer the value between the users and get recorded in the Blockchain, ensuring that each transaction is valid.

Is Bitcoin legal money?

The legality of Bitcoins is controversial, while some jurisdictions have express laws and regulations to deal with Bitcoins, others still fall in gray areas. As per a recent bill in Japan, Bitcoins and other virtual currencies have been given legal recognition and are accepted as a mode of payment. While in China, trading in Bitcoins come under the regulatory restrictions imposed by People’s Bank of China.
In the U.S.A, different states have adopted varying approaches to Bitcoins. Recently a U.S Magistrate in the state of New York ruled that Bitcoins are not money, while a contradictory stance was taken by a judge in Manhattan, who ruled that bitcoins are acceptable means of payment. The Internal Revenue Service in the United States, defines bitcoin as property rather than currency for tax purposes. The U.S. Treasury, by contrast, classifies bitcoin as a decentralised virtual currency.
In Russia, reportedly, Bitcoins may soon be regulated in a bid to tackle money laundering, though, in the past, Russia has expressed its displeasure with Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. In India, as of now, no regulations have been framed by either Reserve Bank of India or Securities and Exchange Board of India, the two contenders, for the purpose of drafting regulations pertaining to Bitcoins and acting as a watchdog.
In India, who ultimately acts as a regulatory authority can only be decided based on whether the government decides to treat Bitcoins as “Currency” or “Security/Commodity.” As per current Indian laws, “Currency” can only be issued by the government but the residuary powers in this regard lie with the Reserve Bank of India which can notify “Bitcoins” as currency.  After the demonetization drive in India, the demand for Bitcoin has more than doubled in less than two months. The Indian government has reportedly set up an inter-disciplinary committee to regulate the Bitcoins amidst the apprehensions that the black money hoarders may have invested into Bitcoins.

Bitcoin trends in 2017

Bitcoins are extremely volatile in nature. While the future trends for Bitcoins can’t be predicted with utmost certainty, as per a report published on Forbes, the market is set to show strong waves in the favor of cryptocurrencies, as predicted by a crypto market intelligence startup. As per the latest position, The 24-hour average rate of exchange across USD Bitcoin markets is US$1184.87, the 7-day average is US$1204.85, and the 30-day average is US$1080.26 confirming only the volatility of Bitcoins.
There are possibilities that some countries may introduce an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) to make Bitcoin Trading easier and accessible. While a similar application to create an ETF has been rejected by The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the chances of other countries adopting it are not bleak. Currently, sale and purchase of Bitcoins is a multi-step process. Creating an ETF would make it possible for the investors to buy Bitcoins through the stock market.
Further, In the future Blockchains, the underlying technology to Bitcoins may bring revolution in the music industry.  Cryptography could transform the music industry by using Blockchain ledgers. As per reports, an attempt is being made to bring music distribution under the cryptography. This can be done by adding the music to blockchain and letting the users distribute the music by paying a sum. This can also bring down music piracy.
To sum up the discussion, it can be said that while Bitcoins may not replace the “Fiat Currency” anytime soon, but there has been a phenomenal growth in the acceptance of cryptocurrencies around the world. While the investors may still be reluctant to invest in Bitcoins, given the high risks associated with it, the demand for Bitcoins has grown manifold. In the end, it could be argued that a good legal and regulatory framework for Bitcoins would help the investors decide the viability of Bitcoins in the long run.

snapchat ratings drop from ‘four stars’ to ‘one star’ on App store after CEO remark row

Soon after news broke about alleged derogatory comments against Indians by the CEO of Snapchat Evan Spiegel, a storm brew on Twitter and that storm has now culminated in the rating of Snapchat spiraling to hit rock bottom.

A lone Star

According to information available from the App store, the customer ratings of the current version of Snapchat has fallen to a “single star” from around 6,099 ratings overall and for all version of the app has fallen to “one and a half star” based on 9,527 ratings as of Sunday morning. These figures aren’t real time and may change even while you’re reading this.
This backlash comes after Anthony Pompliano , a former employee of the company said that the CEO of Snapchat had mentioned to him that “the app is only for rich people. I don’t want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain”. We’re not sure about poor countries, but Indians seem to have taken this bitterly With some users writing, “Poor India & Spain need better than Snapchat”, “Good bye, My Snapchat Account and Snap Inc. You’ll be product of gone by era and derision”, and “Poor Evan Spiegel”.

Twitter Storm

When negative news about your company becomes a talking point on social media, its never good news. When your company starts trending on Twitter for negative news, it’s significantly worse. Snapchat must’ve realized this when the hashtag #boycottsnapchat became a top trend.  One user even reported the app for hurtful content leaving a comment “Dear @snapchatsupport, flagged you for hateful content. #boycottsnapchat”. Some of the more popular tweets on the topic being :
“I haven’t seen any Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians etc Tweets yet. Thanks @Snapchat for Uniting us,” a user tweeted.
“I was addicted to @Snapchat but I love my country more than this app. Let’s see how you earn without Indians. @evanspiegel #boycottsnapchat,” another user wrote on twitter.

Mistake Acknowledged

Snapchat has since seemed to have realized the hurt the statements have caused and have released a statement brushing off the comments as untrue. The Hindustan Times quoted the company as saying, “This is ridiculous. Obviously Snapchat is for everyone! It’s available worldwide to download for free.”
If the Spiegel did genuinely think that, he might have missed a very crucial detail. India, is one of the biggest phone markets in the world. Mobile phone subscribers in India are already in 100 millions with a majority of these users accessing the internet through the smartphones. Some reports have predicted the number of users accessing internet through smartphones in India to hit 730 million by the turn of the decade. A majority of Indian citizens, are teenagers and young adults, that makes the potential mobile users in the country over 350 million – close to the entire population of the United States. Ignoring such a major market might turn out to be suicidal for a company that relies completely on mobile use.
We cannot be sure if these are the actual views of the Snapchat CEO or not, but the damage has definitely been done.

This Is What Software Engineers Are Paid Around The Globe

A marketplace for jobs – Hired – recently revealed details of its findings from its data science team. The core focus of this study, was to analyse why San Francisco is becoming harder and harder to afford for software engineers even though they are paid more than their peers in other major cities. San Francisco has grown into the main global hub for software development and therefore the destination of many an aspiring software engineer of our time.
From around 280,000 interview requests and job offers provided by more than 5,000 companies to 45,000 job seekers on Hired’s platform, the study has computed the average pay for a software engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area to be in the proximity of $134,000. That takes it to the top spot in cities with Seattle a close second at $126,000. Other major tech hubs – Boston, Austin, L.A., New York, and Washington, D.C – clock in the range of $110,000 – 120,000.
A higher pay equals richer people, or so the old belief goes. On the contrary, the much higher rent and general expenses in the city, go hand in hand with the higher pay packages. According to Hired’s lead data scientist, Jessica Kirkpatrick, once you factor in the cost of living, San Francisco becomes one of the lowest paying cities for software engineers. Based on her analysis, she says that a $110,000 that an Austin engineer makes is the rough equivalent of being paid $198,000 in the Bay Area.The differentiate coming down to the living expenses. The same holds true for other cities, $107,000 – the average in Melbourne, translates to  the equivalent of $150,000 in San Francisco.
In fact, Hired says it’s seeing a “huge percentage of our candidates” in other markets that are attracting and hiring relocation candidates. In Austin, says Kirkpatrick, 60 percent of job offers are being extended to and filled by people outside of Texas.
On a side note, it should be noted that most candidates who are willing to move into a different city for a job usually get paid higher, irrespective of the location.
Pay Biases
The study explores a range of data including the pay of data scientists and product managers across 16 cities & the changes in the pay scales over the years. One area of interest however, is the section of the study focusing on the potential impact of biases on pay scales & hiring practices. For this part of the study, Hired has been collecting data for about a year from willing candidates. They gathered demographic data to understand how one’s identity might impact the compensation they receive from their respective organizations.
Bias  – sadly – is not a new concept. In a survey by another job site, 1 in 4 respondents working in the technology sector admitted to having been at the receiving end of discrimination owing to their race, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation. Roughly 29 percent of female respondents said they experienced discrimination, compared with 21 percent of men. Meanwhile, 32 percent of Asian and nonwhite employees said they were discriminated against, compared with 22 percent of white employees.
Hired’s research has shown that discrimination has been extended beyond day-to-day working into the pay scales as well. As an example, as per their data, a black software engineer with certain level of experience might earn $115,000 while a white software developer with the same qualifications and experience might get around $125,000 in the same role. It further shows a discrimination against Latino and Asian engineers too with them respectively earning $120,000 and $122,500 on average.
This also applies with respect to age. Younger candidates often tend to get paid lesser compared to older candidates with a software engineer’s highest salary coming in at around age 45, after which it tends to head down hill.
Specifically, on Hired’s platform, job candidates aged 25 to 30 years make $102,000 on average, whereas 45-year-olds make $140,000. But candidates between the ages 50 and 60 see their salary knocked down to $130,000 per year.
“Part of that could be that [older employees]were trained and specialize in older technologies,” says Kirkpatrick. “But even looking at candidates going out for similar job titles, we’re still seeing these same trends” of tech workers beyond the age of 45 paying a price for, well, aging.
There might be a silver lining however. With companies waking up to the power of diversity, black candidates appear to be in a greater demand than white candidates at the moment, even though the salaries still tend to be lower. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to apply to Latinos & Asians.