« First...102030...1,6871,6881,6891,6901,691...1,7001,7101,720...Last »

‘Foreign Policy’ Names Chelsea Manning Top ‘Global Rethinker …

Posted on by

Chelsea Manning / Twitter

BY: Paul CrookstonDecember 4, 2017 3:20 pm

Foreign Policy placed Chelsea Manning on the publication's list of 2017's top "Global reThinkers," declaring her a "living symbol" for whistleblower protection and transgender rights.

Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst who was convicted of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. documents, was sentenced to 35 years in prison until then-President Barack Obama commuted her sentenced in January. Manning wasreleasedin May, after serving seven years in prison.

Foreign Policy saidthat Manning earned its recognition "for forcing the United States to question who is a traitor and who is a hero."

Manning told Foreign Policy that the world is "scary" since she got out of prison, describing how she anticipated many problems she now sees in society because of the Iraq war.

"I came out of prison, and the world is a different place. It's scary out here," she said. "I see how [pervasive] problems I anticipated in Iraq have [found] their way into our society today."

Those problems are "what I was worried about in the first place," she added.

Foreign Policy writer Jenna McLaughlin pointed to Manning's social activism and Twitter exploits to explain her inclusion on the list.

To be a living symbol is to be objectified. So Manning decided to do something about it. Following her release in May, Manning began to align herself with various movements, becoming a public spokesperson for social activism. And she has used her growing social media profile to build a powerful brand. Her jubilant tweets opposing President Donald Trump ("there is more to politics than elections #WeGotThis") and promoting LGBT rights and whistleblower protection reach more than 300,000 followers every day.

Foreign Policy introduced its list of global rethinkers by declaring that all of them, such as Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) and U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, found "amazing ways" to rethink and reshape the world.

This year, Foreign Policy is proud to feature the Global reThinkersthe legislators, technocrats, comedians, advocates, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, presidents, provocateurs, political prisoners, researchers, strategists, and visionarieswho together found amazing ways not just to rethink our strange new world but also to reshape it. They are the doers who defined 2017.

In July, however, Manning criticized her fellow "reThinker" Harris for not being progressive enough, tweeting that she is "more of the same."

Manning has made news this year for her frequent public commentary, but also for her ill-fated turn as a visiting fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She was disinvited after widespread outcry from people such as CIA Director Mike Pompeo, and McLaughlin wrote that Harvard "seemed to bend to pressure from prominent intelligence officials."

McLaughlin also described the excitement of Manning's lifenoting that she plays video games, writes, and readsbut said that she did not want to be caught up in the public eye.

"She also plays video games, writes articles for the New York Times, and reads," McLaughlin wrote. "Still, she says, this new public persona was merely incidental; Manning claims that she had hoped to disappear from view after leaving prison but that media attention on her case has placed her in the spotlight."

See more here:
'Foreign Policy' Names Chelsea Manning Top 'Global Rethinker ...

Edward Snowden: Surveillance Is about Power – YouTube

Posted on by

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden says government surveillance is taking away our privacy AND our security. For his full speech, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWbaU...SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/2dUx6wg

LEARN MORE: Snowden: Democracy Under Surveillance (lecture): To hear more insights from Edward Snowden, check out the full lecture Democracy Under Surveillance: A Conversation with Edward Snowden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWbaU... NSA Surveillance Debate: Cindy Cohn vs Ronald Sievert (debate): Prof. Ronald Sievert of Texas A+M and Cindy Cohn, legal director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation debate government data collection and the tradeoff between privacy, liberty, and security. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ORm4... Hacking the Future (video): Nico Sell, founder of Wickr Foundation, explains why we should change our perception of hackers, from sinister antagonists to invaluable assets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE74U...

TRANSCRIPT:For a full transcript please visit: http://www.learnliberty.org/videos/ed...

LEARN LIBERTY:Your resource for exploring the ideas of a free society. We tackle big questions about what makes a society free or prosperous and how we can improve the world we live in. Watch more at http://www.learnliberty.org/.

More:
Edward Snowden: Surveillance Is about Power - YouTube

Bitcoin hits $13,000: The rally is back, big time – Dec. 6 …

Posted on by

The virtual currency leaped above $13,000 for the first time Wednesday -- only hours after it hit $12,000.

Bitcoin has crashed through a series of milestones in recent weeks despite warnings of a potential bubble. After starting the year below $1,000, it hit $8,000 for the first time in early November and topped $11,000 just last week.

Related: What the heck is going on with bitcoin?

Much of the stunning ascent has been driven by the expectation that big, professional investors are set to start trading it. It's also been propelled by mom-and-pop investors who don't want to miss its meteoric rise.

People are bidding its price higher even though leading figures in finance and economics are telling them to beware.

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz said last week that bitcoin "ought to be outlawed." Criticism has also come from the likes of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon and legendary investor Warren Buffett.

Related: Nobel winner says bitcoin 'ought to be outlawed'

But some financial institutions are helping bring bitcoin more into the mainstream.

Starting next week, investors will be able to trade bitcoin futures via the Chicago Board Options Exchange, which is expected to increase interest from hedge funds and big asset managers.

Futures allow traders to bet on the future price of assets like currencies, metals and agricultural commodities.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is set to follow with a similar move later in December, while New York's Nasdaq wants to list bitcoin futures starting in the middle of next year.

"The fact the CME, CBOE and Nasdaq will now all offer bitcoin products lends additional legitimacy," said Dave Chapman, managing director at Hong Kong's Octagon Strategy, a digital currency exchange.

Bitcoin is one of many cryptocurrencies, virtual "coins" that are "mined" by computers using complex algorithms.

Its recent rise has been far from smooth. After powering past $11,000 last week, it plunged by more than $2,000, providing a stark reminder of its extreme volatility.

Related: Can anything stop bitcoin?

But cryptocurrency industry insiders are unfazed. They predict bitcoin will soar far higher in the coming months.

Arthur Hayes, CEO of Hong Kong's Bitmex, an exchange for trading financial instruments based on bitcoin, told CNNMoney last week that he thinks it could hit $50,000 next year.

Octagon's Chapman is willing to go even further. He believes bitcoin could reach $100,000 before 2018 is out despite a growing number of rival cryptocurrencies that could vie for investors' attention.

Bitcoin is "the most battle hardened and proven cryptocurrency right now," he said. "For now, it's unsurpassable."

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) First published December 6, 2017: 12:52 AM ET

Read the rest here:

Bitcoin hits $13,000: The rally is back, big time - Dec. 6 ...

Harvard withdraws invitation to Chelsea Manning … – POLITICO

Posted on by

The IOP announced Chelsea Manning as a visiting fellow on Wednesday, but the invitation prompted backlash from top national security officials. | AP Photo

CIA Director Mike Pompeo withdraws from speaking slot and former acting CIA Director Michael Morrel quits Harvard post over hiring.

By NOLAN D. MCCASKILL

09/14/2017 05:36 PM EDT

Updated 09/15/2017 06:54 AM EDT

The Harvard University Institute of Politics invitation for Chelsea Manning to serve as a visiting fellow for the 2017-18 academic year was a mistake and is being withdrawn, the dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government said Friday.

I now think that designating Chelsea Manning as a Visiting Fellow was a mistake, for which I accept responsibility, Douglas Elmendorf said in a statement Friday. Therefore, we are withdrawing the invitation to her to serve as a Visiting Fellowand the perceived honor that it implies to some peoplewhile maintaining the invitation for her to spend a day at the Kennedy School and speak in the Forum.

Story Continued Below

The IOP announced Manning as a visiting fellow on Wednesday alongside former Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who would join former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and MSNBC Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

But the invitation to Manning, a transgender woman who was arrested in 2010 for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, prompted backlash from top national security officials. Former acting CIA Director Michael Morell resigned his post Thursday as a senior fellow at Harvards Belfer Center in protest to the invitation to Manning, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo canceled a scheduled speaking appearance at the Kennedy School later Thursday.

In a letter Thursday to Elmendorf, Morell wrote that he cannot be part of an organization that honors a convicted felon and leaker of classified information, Ms. Chelsea Manning, by inviting her to be a Visiting Fellow at the Kennedy Schools Institute of Politics.

In his own letter Thursday to Belfer Centers director of intelligence and defense projects, Pompeo said his conscience and duty to the men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency will not permit me to betray their trust by appearing to support Harvards decision to extend an invitation to an American traitor to become a visiting fellow.

Ms. Manning stands against everything the brave men and women I serve alongside stand for, Pompeo wrote.

Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington.

By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Elmendorf distanced the university from Manning and its cast of visiting fellows overall, noting that while some speakers are controversial, Harvard doesnt endorse or legitimize their words.

He explained that Manning would have been one of 10 visiting fellows this fall and painted the title as a designation for visitors who spend more than a few hours at the School, not as conveying a special honor.

At any point in time, the Kennedy School has hundreds of fellows playing many different roles at the School, Elmendorf said. We invited Chelsea Manning to spend a day at the Kennedy School. Specifically, we invited her to meet with students and others who are interested in talking with her, and then to give remarks in the Forum where the audience would have ample opportunityas with all of our speakersto ask hard questions and challenge what she has said and done. On that basis, we also named Chelsea Manning a Visiting Fellow. We did not intend to honor her in any way or to endorse any of her words or deeds, as we do not honor or endorse any Fellow.

Elmendorf owned up to his mistake and extended an apology to Manning.

I apologize to her and to the many concerned people from whom I have heard today for not recognizing upfront the full implications of our original invitation, he said. This decision now is not intended as a compromise between competing interest groups but as the correct way for the Kennedy School to emphasize its longstanding approach to visiting speakers while recognizing that the title of Visiting Fellow implies a certain recognition.

Former President Barack Obama commuted Mannings 35-year sentence during his last week in office. But Morell and Pompeo noted in their letters that she was found guilty of 17 serious crimes, endangering soldiers and America's national security, but stressed that their positions had nothing to do with Manning being a transgender woman.

It has everything to do with her identity as a traitor to the United States of America and my loyalty to the officers of the CIA, Pompeo said of his decision to cancel his speaking appearance.

Manning tweeted that she was honored to be 1st disinvited trans woman visiting @harvard fellow, adding that they chill marginalized voices under @cia pressure.She lamented that @harvard says @seanspicer & @Clewandowski_ bring something to the table and adding something to the conversation and not me.

Missing out on the latest scoops? Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning in your inbox.

See the original post here:
Harvard withdraws invitation to Chelsea Manning ... - POLITICO

Cryptocurrency Definition | Investopedia

Posted on by

What is a 'Cryptocurrency'

A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. A cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A defining feature of a cryptocurrency, and arguably its most endearing allure, is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, rendering it theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.

The anonymous nature of cryptocurrency transactions makes them well-suited for a host of nefarious activities, such as money laundering and tax evasion.

The first cryptocurrency to capture the public imagination was Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009 by an individual or group known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. As of September 2015, there were over 14.6 million bitcoins in circulation with a total market value of $3.4 billion. Bitcoin's success has spawned a number of competing cryptocurrencies, such as Litecoin, Namecoin and PPCoin.

Cryptocurrencies make it easier to transfer funds between two parties in a transaction; these transfers are facilitated through the use of public and private keys for security purposes. These fund transfers are done with minimal processing fees, allowing users to avoid the steep fees charged by most banks and financial institutions for wire transfers.

Central to the genius of Bitcoin is the block chain it uses to store an online ledger of all the transactions that have ever been conducted using bitcoins, providing a data structure for this ledger that is exposed to a limited threat from hackers and can be copied across all computers running Bitcoin software. Many experts see this block chain as having important uses in technologies, such as online voting and crowdfunding, and major financial institutions such as JP Morgan Chase see potential in cryptocurrencies to lower transaction costs by making payment processing more efficient.

However, because cryptocurrencies are virtual and do not have a central repository, a digital cryptocurrency balance can be wiped out by a computer crash if a backup copy of the holdings does not exist. Since prices are based on supply and demand, the rate at which a cryptocurrency can be exchanged for another currency can fluctuate widely.

Cryptocurrencies are not immune to the threat of hacking. In Bitcoin's short history, the company has been subject to over 40 thefts, including a few that exceeded $1 million in value. Still, many observers look at cryptocurrencies as hope that a currency can exist that preserves value, facilitates exchange, is more transportable than hard metals, and is outside the influence of central banks and governments.

Link:
Cryptocurrency Definition | Investopedia

Origin of Cryptography – tutorialspoint.com

Posted on by

Human being from ages had two inherent needs (a) to communicate and share information and (b) to communicate selectively. These two needs gave rise to the art of coding the messages in such a way that only the intended people could have access to the information. Unauthorized people could not extract any information, even if the scrambled messages fell in their hand.

The art and science of concealing the messages to introduce secrecy in information security is recognized as cryptography.

The word cryptography was coined by combining two Greek words, Krypto meaning hidden and graphene meaning writing.

The art of cryptography is considered to be born along with the art of writing. As civilizations evolved, human beings got organized in tribes, groups, and kingdoms. This led to the emergence of ideas such as power, battles, supremacy, and politics. These ideas further fueled the natural need of people to communicate secretly with selective recipient which in turn ensured the continuous evolution of cryptography as well.

The roots of cryptography are found in Roman and Egyptian civilizations.

The first known evidence of cryptography can be traced to the use of hieroglyph. Some 4000 years ago, the Egyptians used to communicate by messages written in hieroglyph. This code was the secret known only to the scribes who used to transmit messages on behalf of the kings. One such hieroglyph is shown below.

Later, the scholars moved on to using simple mono-alphabetic substitution ciphers during 500 to 600 BC. This involved replacing alphabets of message with other alphabets with some secret rule. This rule became a key to retrieve the message back from the garbled message.

The earlier Roman method of cryptography, popularly known as the Caesar Shift Cipher, relies on shifting the letters of a message by an agreed number (three was a common choice), the recipient of this message would then shift the letters back by the same number and obtain the original message.

Steganography is similar but adds another dimension to Cryptography. In this method, people not only want to protect the secrecy of an information by concealing it, but they also want to make sure any unauthorized person gets no evidence that the information even exists. For example, invisible watermarking.

In steganography, an unintended recipient or an intruder is unaware of the fact that observed data contains hidden information. In cryptography, an intruder is normally aware that data is being communicated, because they can see the coded/scrambled message.

It is during and after the European Renaissance, various Italian and Papal states led the rapid proliferation of cryptographic techniques. Various analysis and attack techniques were researched in this era to break the secret codes.

Improved coding techniques such as Vigenere Coding came into existence in the 15th century, which offered moving letters in the message with a number of variable places instead of moving them the same number of places.

Only after the 19th century, cryptography evolved from the ad hoc approaches to encryption to the more sophisticated art and science of information security.

In the early 20th century, the invention of mechanical and electromechanical machines, such as the Enigma rotor machine, provided more advanced and efficient means of coding the information.

During the period of World War II, both cryptography and cryptanalysis became excessively mathematical.

With the advances taking place in this field, government organizations, military units, and some corporate houses started adopting the applications of cryptography. They used cryptography to guard their secrets from others. Now, the arrival of computers and the Internet has brought effective cryptography within the reach of common people.

Continued here:
Origin of Cryptography - tutorialspoint.com

cryptocurrency – coindesk.com

Posted on by

Central banks might benefit from issuing cryptographic versions of fiat currencies, but the benefits would vary depending on whether theydid so in an advanced or developing economy.

At least that's according toBen Fung from the Central Bank of Canada and Walter Engert from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, both of whompublished a paperthis week discussing the pros and cons for central banks issuing cryptocurrencies.

Notably, the paper ends on the question of whether it's worth it for such institutions to offer cash or central bank digital currency (CBDC), should such demand drop deeply enough, though it ties the query to the idea this would need to come at the expense of cash use.

It reads:

"Is it sufficient for a central bank to supply only reserves to qualified financial institutions? Put differently, is a 'cashless society' a sound outcome?"

The paper goes on to explore six different supposed benefits to a central bank for issuing a digital currency, but largely dismisses all but three: payments for consumers, financial inclusion and stability.

For consumer payments, the authors write that a "CBDC would facilitate transactions that are currently foregone because of frictions that inhibit some types of transactions." In particular, it would reduce friction for online payments and entice smaller merchants to offer services over the internet. In some economies, they also see benefits in reducing costs for retail payments to consumers.

The authors argue that financial inclusion would only really benefit in developing economies, though it cites several other existing solutions around the world (such as Africa's M-PESA system) that seem to be closing the gaps just as well as digital currency could.

"Financial inclusion does not provide a compelling motivation for CBDC in most advanced economies, including Canada," they write.

Lastly, the paper gives mixed results for improved financial stability.

On the one hand, "the financial systems in Canada and other countries feature highly levered banks conducting liquidity and maturity transformation and operating at the core of the payment system," the authors write."It is well known that under some conditions this set-up can be unstable, and in severe cases the stock of inside money can contract, with adverse negative externalities for the economy."

Digital money would give consumers a largely risk-free way to store value without exposure to that risk. On the other hand, the ease of leaving bank deposits for a fiat crypto could accelerate financial turmoil.

The paper represents the views of its writers and does not necessarily reflect that of the Central Bank of Canada.

Canadian money via Shutterstock.

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. Have breaking news or a story tip to send to our journalists? Contact us at news@coindesk.com.

See the article here:
cryptocurrency - coindesk.com

Cryptocurrency Market Cap Rose Over 1,600% in 2017

Posted on by

Everyone is well aware of how the cryptocurrency ecosystem has evolved this year alone. A lot of money has entered the world of Bitcoin and altcoins, although not all of the projects with higher market capitalizations are worth investing in these days. We have seen additional Bitcoin forks explode in value, whereas established altcoins are separating themselves from the useless clutter. Its been an interesting year, and there are still five weeks left.

With so many different cryptocurrencies hitting all-time highs over the past few weeks, it was only a matter of time until new milestones were reached. The cryptocurrency market cap as a whole has also gone up quite spectacularly and now sits comfortably above the US$300 billion mark. That is quite a steep increasefrom earlier this year, to say the very least. On January 1, the total cryptocurrency market cap was just US$18 billion.

Although that seemed like quite a lot of money at the time, no one prepared us for what else the future would bring. More specifically, very few people expected this value to increase by over 1,600% before the year was over. Although a lot of currencieshad been flying under the radar prior to 2017, the explosive growth of Bitcoin and prominent altcoins has really made its mark. Additionally, thevast number of ICOs out there is partially responsible for this surge.

Things started to move up nicely in June ofthis year when the total cryptocurrency market cap surpassed US$100 billion for the very first time. That was a major milestone atthe time, and it tooka while forthe market cap to double from there. That only happened earlier this month when we hit US$200 billion. Four weeks later, the market cap has grown to US$304 billion and continues to climb as we speak. A lot of people are fearful of the impending correction, whenever it may happen.

Bitcoin is the cryptocurrency with the largest market capitalization right now. That is no big surprise, as it remains the worlds leading cryptocurrency first and foremost. Surprisingly, its market cap only increased by 1,100% over the past eleven months. That is remarkable growth, but some people expected a lot more from Bitcoin in this regard. Then again, we are on the cusp of surpassing US$10,000 per BTC, and a lot of altcoins have brought their A-games this year as well. Most ofthe latters values are still mainly speculative and do not necessarily represent the usefulness of a specific currency, mind you.

Perhaps the biggest surpriseof the year is how we now have three different Bitcoin forks competing for the top spot. Bitcoin itself is still in the lead, but Bitcoin Cash has made a strong case for itself in recent weeks. There is also Bitcoin Gold to contend with right now, only making matters even more confusing. For the novice cryptocurrency enthusiast,none of this will make anysense whatsoever. It doesnt make much sense to veteran users either; that much is evident. It will be interesting to see how this situation evolves in the years to come.

With the Bitcoin Dominance Index struggling to stay above 50%, it is evidentthat altcoins will continue to make inroads over the next few months. Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, and Monero have all hit all-time highs this year. However, some of these currencies are still massively undervalued, whereas others are overvalued. How all of this will play out in the future remains to be seen. An interesting few weeks lie ahead, and we cant wait to see what 2018 has in store for cryptocurrency.

Read more here:
Cryptocurrency Market Cap Rose Over 1,600% in 2017

JSEcoin Website Cryptocurrency Mining

Posted on by

Problems We Are Trying To Solve1. Bitcoin consumes more electricity than Cuba2. Webmasters want new ways to monetize their sites3. Cryptocurrency shouldnt be so complicated

easy for everyone

Cyrptocurrencies are traditionally mined by industrial sized server farms setup next to power stations consuming vast amounts of electricity. Our platform saves energy and allows webmasters to monetize their websites by replacing the role of cryptocurrency miners.

Fee free fast transfers utilizing a multi-blockchain core database along with an account ledger we have been able to get the transaction time down to below 30 seconds and scaled it to 50,000 transactions a second in a test suite (the same operating capacity as VISA).

Self-Mining To make cryptocurrency fun, any user can log into their control panel and click a start mining button. A dedicated coin pool is offered so anyone with a web connection can go online and earn their fair share of the digital currency. This pushes the platform past just being for webmasters and app developers

Interesting FactThe cryptography code snippet uses less resources than a video advertisement and is less obtrusive to the user experience

More:
JSEcoin Website Cryptocurrency Mining

Home – Cryptocurrency Brokers

Posted on by

Ethereum Classic is a decentralized, open-source, public, immutable and unstoppable cryptocurrency that is blockchain-based, distributed on a computing platform featuring smart contract functionality. It runs exactly as programmed without any possibility of censorship, downtime, third party interference or fraudEthereum Classic is not a new cryptocurrency but rather a split from an existing cryptocurrency, Ethereum. Just like Bitcoin Cash is a continuation of the original Bitcoin blockchain, Ethereum Classic is a combination of the original Ethereum blockchain with an untampered history that is free from external interference and subjective tampering of transactions.Ethereum platform split or forked into two versions: Ethereum Classic and Ethereum. Prior to the division, the cryptocurrency had been referred to as Ethereum, and after the fork, the two cryptocurrencies were called Ethereum and Ethereum Classic respectively. The old one being Ethereum Classic and the new version, Ethereum. The two cryptocurrencies have different blockchains and are independent of one another. However, they have the very similar features.Ethereum Classic is among the cryptocurrencies that have performed extremely well in the markets in 2017 based on market capitalization. Businesses in the cryptocurrency world seem to be warming towards Ethereum Classic as some cryptocurrency exchange platforms announced late in 2016 that they will integrate Ethereum Classic on their exchange.

Read more:
Home - Cryptocurrency Brokers


« First...102030...1,6871,6881,6891,6901,691...1,7001,7101,720...Last »