Microsoft is finally retiring Internet Explorer in 2022

 Internet Explorer will no longer be supported in June 2022

Microsoft is finally retiring Internet Explorer next year, after more than 25 years. The aging web browser has largely been unused by most consumers for years, but Microsoft is putting the final nail in the Internet Explorer coffin on June 15th, 2022, by retiring it in favor of Microsoft Edge.

“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” says Sean Lyndersay, a Microsoft Edge program manager. “The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.”

While the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) of Windows 10 will still include Internet Explorer next year, all consumer versions will end support of the browser. Microsoft doesn’t make it clear (and we’re checking), but it’s likely that we’ll finally see the end of Internet Explorer being bundled in Windows either in June 2022 or soon after.

Internet Explorer originally launched in 1995

The alternative for most businesses will be Microsoft Edge with IE mode. Microsoft created its IE mode for Edge a couple of years ago, and it has allowed businesses to adopt the new Chromium-based browser for older legacy websites. IE mode supports older ActiveX controls and legacy sites, which are surprisingly still used by many businesses. Microsoft is promising to support this IE mode in Edge until through at least 2029.

The end of Internet Explorer has been a long time coming. Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 11 for the Microsoft Teams web app last year, and it’s planning to cut it off from accessing Microsoft 365 services later this year. Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported for Microsoft’s online services like Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook, and more on August 17th.

Microsoft has also been trying to stop people from using Internet Explorer for more than five years. Microsoft Edge first appeared in 2015, and it kicked off the end of the Internet Explorer brand. Microsoft has since labeled Internet Explorer a “compatibility solution” rather than a browser and encouraged businesses to stop using the aging browser in favor of Edge and its IE mode.

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Microsoft is pushing the Control Panel aside in its latest Windows 11 updates

 One more step to simplifying Windows

Microsoft is finally signaling the end of the legacy Control Panel in Windows 11. The software giant introduced a number of changes in its Settings section of Windows 11 earlier this year, and this month the company has started testing even more ways to replace Control Panel functionality.

In new test versions of Windows 11, Microsoft has moved the advanced network settings into a new page in the Settings app, which includes sharing options for folders, printers, and network discovery options. Some entry points to the network and device settings in Windows 11 also now redirect to the Settings app, instead of forcing you into the Control Panel.

Elsewhere, links to the section of the Control Panel used to uninstall apps now redirect to the Settings app. Even the section for uninstalling Windows Updates is now part of the Settings app, instead of being housed in the Control Panel.

These latest changes are welcome, and come after attempts to move away from the Control Panel in Windows 10. Microsoft originally introduced a separate Settings app in Windows 8, as a way to overhaul its traditional Control Panel. The two have existed alongside each other for legacy support reasons, just like how Microsoft had two browsers (Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge) inside Windows 10.

The Settings app was designed to be a new broom that sweeps clean, but there are still plenty of settings that require you to head into the Control Panel. Windows 10 improved things, and Windows 11 offers an even more modern take on how users control their PC.

Microsoft describes these latest changes as an “ongoing effort to bring over settings from Control Panel into the Settings app.” So it’s clear Microsoft is committed to cleaning this area of Windows up, and eventually making the Control Panel redundant.

Windows 11 has largely been an attempt to modernize and simplify a Windows operating system that has been used the same way for decades. Microsoft didn’t quite go far enough with the Control Panel for the initial release of Windows 11, but in other areas like the taskbar it has simplified things far too much. These monthly changes pave the way for Microsoft to finalize what has felt like an unfinished version of Windows so far.

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Google is turning off the controls for OnHub routers at the end of 2022

 

Google’s insistence on cloud-based controls for its networking products has occasionally caused issues, even though it was supposed to make life with OnHub routers simple. Now it will be a reason pushing anyone still using the OnHub to find a replacement by the end of next year when Google’s apps stop allowing owners to change the settings on their devices. An email went out to users, and a support page revealed the changeover is scheduled for December 19th, 2022 (via Droid-Life).

When it still seemed unusual for Google and Amazon to make their own hardware, Google teamed up with TP-Link and, eventually, Asus to build OnHub routers that made a point of blending in seamlessly with the rest of your house. They had slick mobile apps to simplify setup and controls, plus a style that blended in so people were more likely to place them in a central location, which could improve WiFi coverage.

Google Support:

Before December 19, 2022

Your OnHub router will continue to work as normal, but won’t receive any new software features or security updates. We recommend you upgrade to a new Wi-Fi setup today. A special discount code has been emailed to OnHub users only, for 40% off Nest Wifi on the Google Store. This promotional code is available for a limited time.*

After December 19, 2022

Your OnHub router will still provide a Wi-Fi signal, but you’ll no longer be able to manage it with the Google Home app.

You won’t be able to update things like Wi-Fi network settings, add additional Wifi devices, or run speed tests.

Google Assistant features like “Hey Google, pause my Wi-Fi” will stop working.

OnHub performance can’t be guaranteed.

The idea was that by styling them to fit with interior decorations, people would be more likely to place them in a central location, thereby improving Wi-Fi coverage. They even had slick mobile apps to control them so that you didn’t have to dig through ugly menus, but now those apps are gone, with the settings merged into Google’s Home app.

After the shutdown date, the routers will still work, but you won’t be able to adjust their settings, get any updates, or really do any troubleshooting. For its part, Google is offering owners a 40 percent discount on a Nest Wifi unit, which should knock a fair amount off of pricing that currently starts at $149 for a base unit by itself or $189 for a base and one extender.

For routers that are several years old by now, at least, that doesn’t feel like an unfair offer to get a replacement that we called “even faster and more capable than before.” Still, it doesn’t change the feeling that buying one of these routers means “owning” it only for so long as Google is willing to provide support. How many of your supposedly smart devices will quickly turn into bricks and electronic waste if someone flips a switch on the back end?

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Git vs. SVN: Which version control system is right for you?

 Version control systems are integral to building software. They combine your repository of project files with a history of all your code changes, making it easy to edit and understand your code over time.

The main benefit of using a version control system is that it keeps your team’s workflows organized as they work through various types of releases. With one in place, team members can easily research, track, and undo code. They can work on the same code simultaneously without code conflicts. Plus, the whole team can track who made what changes, when, and why.

But before you implement a version control system into your team’s workflow, you need to figure out which one is right for you. While most options out there have similar benefits, their differences are important.

Git vs. SVN version control systems

With all version control systems, project files sit on a server that you push your files to when you have completed your work on your local machine. However, deciding whether to use a centralized version control system (like SVN) or a distributed version control system (like Git) will affect how you commit changes.

Remember, not all version control systems fit all teams and all needs. A method that works perfectly for one company may be entirely wrong for your team. To determine which system to use, you need to look at how each system works.

What is SVN?

Apache Subversion, also known as Subversion, SVN represents the most popular centralized version control system on the market. With a centralized system, all files and historical data are stored on a central server. Developers can commit their changes directly to that central server repository.

Work is comprised of three parts:

1. Trunk: The trunk is the hub of your current, stable code and product. It only includes tested, unbroken code. This acts as a base where all changes are made from.
2. Branches: Here is where you house new code and features. Using a copy of the trunk code, team members conduct research and development in the branch. Doing so allows each team member to work on the enhanced features without disrupting each other’s progress.
3. Tags: Consider tags a duplicate of a branch at a given point in time. Tags aren’t used during development, but rather during deployment after the branch’s code is finished. Marking your code with tags makes it easy to review and, if necessary, revert your code.

Here’s how this process looks: To create a new feature you first branch the code from the trunk, i.e. take an exact copy of the trunk and place it into a new folder within the branches area. Then you work on your feature. When you’re done, you merge your changes back into the trunk.

The benefit of branching is the ability to make commits into the branch without breaking the trunk. You only merge into the trunk when your code is error-free. This keeps your trunk stable. And users generally appreciate how easy it is to use and understand SVN.

However, working on one central server means there is a single point of failure. If there is an error, it can destroy all builds. Limited offline access is also a frequent point of complaint.

What is Git?

While centralized systems were the version control system of choice for nearly a decade, Git has surpassed them in recent years.

Unlike SVN, Git utilizes multiple repositories: a central repository and a series of local repositories. Local repositories are exact copies of the central repository complete with the entire history of changes.

The Git workflow is similar to SVN, but with an extra step: to create a new feature, you take an exact copy of the central repository to create your local repository on your local machine (you can think of this as your “local trunk”). Then you work on your local repository exactly as you would in SVN by creating new branches, tags, etc. When you’re done, you merge your branches into your local repository (i.e. local trunk). When you’re ready to merge into the central repository, you push your changes from your local repository to the central repository.

Many people prefer Git for version control for a few reasons:

1. It’s faster to commit. Because you commit to the central repository more often in SVN, network traffic slows everyone down. Whereas with Git, you’re working mostly on your local repository and only committing to the central repository every so often.
2. No more single point of failure. With SVN, if the central repository goes down or some code breaks the build, no other developers can commit their code until the repository is fixed. With Git, each developer has their own repository, so it doesn’t matter if the central repository is broken. Developers can continue to commit code locally until the central repository has been fixed, and then they can push their changes.
3. It’s available offline. Unlike SVN, Git can work offline, allowing your team to continue working without losing features if they lose connection.

Teams also opt for Git because it’s open source and cross-platform. That means that support is available for all platforms, multiple sets of technologies, languages, and frameworks. And it’s supported by virtually all operating systems.

There is one con teams find frustrating: the ever-growing complexity of history logs. Because developers take extra steps when merging, history logs of each issue can become dense and difficult to decipher. This can potentially make analyzing your system harder.

Alternatives to Git

Git vs. GitHub

Although similar in name, Git and GitHub offer very different services. While Git allows users to make edits and make changes to and track their repository of code, GitHub is a cloud-based host that allows you to upload and manage Git repositories in an open-source format.

By managing a project in GitHub, all of your team can make edits simultaneously without affecting the trunk. Users can copy the code from GitHub to their local machines to test and make edits. In order to reintegrate a branch back into the trunk, the user must push or pull the changes from their local machine. And, if you’re working on an open-source project, anyone using GitHub, on your team or otherwise, can create branches to make edits on the Git uploaded to the hosting platform. In this way, the code is shareable to others who may be working on similar projects.

Git vs. Perforce

While Git and Perforce offer many of the same benefits, there are still a number of differences that make one better suited than the other depending on the team.

1. Git is decentralized, or distributed. This means that to edit, developers download the source code onto their local machines to work and make edits, while Perforce is centralized, meaning all developers are making edits to one master branch kept on a server and accessible to all team members.
2. Git is focused on code. While both store and track code in trunks and branches, Perforce also stores non-code assets. If developers are working with graphics, binaries, or other elements, Perforce can store these elements just like the code repositories.

So, the more non-code based assets developers are working on and the more geographically sprawled they are, Perforce becomes a better and better option. However, Perforce does not allow for multiple developers to work on the same code and conduct changes all at once.

Git vs. TFS

Like Perforce, TFS (also known as TFVC) is a centralized version control system (CVCS). So there is one version of code stored in a main server that all developers on a team can view and work on at a single point in time. Working on solely a centralized version of the build increases the chances of breaking the trunk with a small error since it can’t be committed and tested on a local machine before reintegrating. It also increases the chance of losing work along the way if your local machine or the central server goes down or has an issue.

Git vs. Mercurial

Git and Mercurial offer largely similar functionality, but with a few key differences. Both Git and Mercurial are decentralized version control systems (DVCS), so both allow multiple developers to be working on the same source code downloaded to their local machines at the same time and reintegrate commits as changes are made and tested.

Unlike Git, however, Mercurial permanently stores each branch into commits, making it impossible to remove or edit past work, making it more likely for the trunk to fail if bugs are pushed to production. For this reason and the enhanced number of options available in Git, more experienced, professional developers with choose Git over Mercurial every time.

In conclusion

Whether your team uses Git, SVN, or another alternative, you’ll benefit from being able to track and review your code for better releases. Just be sure to choose an issue tracking software that supports your choice, so you’re able to properly track that work over time.

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7 Ways to Connect Android Phone to TV

Hey guys, Today in this post I’ll tell you, 7 Ways to Connect Android Phone to TV. Sometime this thought comes in your mind that if you can connect your android phone with your TV and can play music, songs, videos or games on it but many people are not knowing that it can be done so easily. Display of our android phone is much smaller. So that, we aren’t able to enjoy games and videos on it but if we can watch it on the screen of our TV then it will be much more enjoyable than that of watching it on mobile screen. If smart or non smart TV is there at your home then you can connect your android phone with your TV and watch your mobile screen on TV. Connecting android phone to TV is very simple only you should know how to connect it.  

Connect Android Phone To TV

Now the most important thing is that if you have TV in your house then what kind of is smart or non-smart? Because if you have smart TV then you can connect your android phone to TV with wifi without any wire. But if you have a non-smart TV then you have to use the wire to connect them. Means smart TV and non-smart TV have different ways of connecting with android phone. In today’s post, we are going to tell you about the two types of method, which can help you connect with your android phone to TV. After reading this post, you can connect any kind of TV to your android phone. There are many types of way to connecting them.

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Google's New Tool Alerts When You Use Compromised Credentials On Any Site

With so many data breaches happening almost every week, it has become difficult for users to know if their credentials are already in possession of hackers or being circulated freely across the Internet.

Thankfully, Google has a solution.

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Doctor Implanted 6 MicroChips Under His Skin to Unlock Doors and Secure Data

Biohacking could be a next big thing in this smart world.

At the beginning of this month, several dozen employees of Three Square Market (32M) received microchip implants in their hands during a "chip party," allowing them to log into their office computers, open doors, and pay for food and drinks, by simply waving their hands.

But, biohacking is already becoming common in Russia.

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8 Powerful Conference Call Platforms Worth Considering

Conference calling technology has developed dramatically since the days of sitting around a long board meeting table, hoping that the suit on the other end did not hear your little outburst, commenting in a manner that should be saved for happy hour or for your last day.  Technology has people connecting in new, vibrant ways across all  of platforms: social media, email, mobile apps, group video, global teaming and other such innovative ways.  Sort of makes you think for a second, why bother having an office building?

“Hello? Hello!  Can you hear me?  It’s me, your teammate! Can you repeat that?”

Skype’s first appearance in 2003 rang in a new era of doers.  Currently, there are hundreds of ways for teams to communicate, now it is a matter of finding the perfect balance.  Technology is constantly upgraded, allowing us to get fancy; employing new web-based technologies as well as appealing aesthetics, and there is now a modern spin on conference calling services. Here are eight powerful alternatives worth checking out.

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Bitcoin fraud: How investors lost Rs 22,000 crore

It was too good a deal — earn 1% daily interest and double your money in 100 days. Too good to be true, hordes of rich investors in Gujarat realised a year later when the BitConnect platform folded up after pocketing roughly Rs 22,000 crore of their money in Bitcoin.
For many, it was a double whammy after the jolt of demonetisation. In fact, the Bitcoin craze had started in the state as people looked for safe ways to launder their piles of black money after November 2016.
“The transactions were anonymous, it did not require any proof, and best of all, it could be operated from anywhere in the world. A cryptocurrency boom started overnight,” Sunny Vaghela, CTO of an Ahmedabad-based IT firm, told TOI. Surat became the trade’s hub with numerous ‘equity brokers’, who juggled different cryptocurrencies for maximum profit.

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Flipkart Plus to launch on August 15: Features, subscription fee and more

Flipkart is all set to launch Amazon Prime rival in India. Called Flipkart Plus, the loyalty programme will go live this Independence Day (August 15). "On Independence Day, reward yourself with a slew of benefits as Flipkart launches Flipkart Plus, a one-of-a-kind no-fee customer benefits program with a wide range of benefits and rewards. And absolutely no strings attached," says the company on its website. This is Flipkart's second attempt at loyalty programme.
The Flipkart Plus loyalty programme will reportedly offer Flipkart customers a range of benefits and rewards. Here are all the details about Flipkart Plus: features benefits it will offer to customers and more.

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Facebook launches Digital Literacy Library to help young people use the internet responsibly

There are more young people online than ever in our current age of misinformation, and Facebook is developing resources to help youths better navigate the internet in a positive, responsible way. Facebook has launched a Digital Literacy Library in partnership with the Youth and Media team at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. The interactive lessons and videos can be downloaded for free, and they’re meant to be used in the classroom, in after-school programs, or at home.

Created from more than 10 years of academic research and “built in consultation with teens,” the curriculum is divided into five themes: Privacy and Reputation, Identity Exploration, Positive Behavior, Security, and Community Engagement. There are 18 lessons in total, available in English; there are plans to add 45 more languages. Lessons can be divided into three different age groups between 11 and 18, and they cover everything from having healthy relationships online (group activities include discussing scenarios like “over-texting”) to recognizing phishing scams.



The Digital Literacy Library is part of Facebook’s Safety Center as well as a larger effort to provide digital literacy skills to nonprofits, small businesses, and community colleges. Though it feels like a step in the right direction, curiously missing from the lesson plans are any mentions of “fake news.” Facebook has worked on a news literacy campaign with the aim of reducing the spread of false news before. But given the company’s recent announcements admitting to the discovery of “inauthentic” social media campaigns ahead of the midterm elections, it’s strange that the literacy library doesn’t call attention to spotting potential problems on its own platform.

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Google admits to putting old UIDAI helpline number on your phone contact list

Google has admitted that it is to blame for the mysterious appearance of an outdated Aadhaar helpline number in the contact lists of phones, and clarified that it wasn’t an unauthorised breach of the Android devices. The US Internet major added that the issue would be fixed over the next few weeks.

The tech titan said it will "work towards fixing this in an upcoming release of SetUp wizard which will be made available to OEMs over the next few weeks". 

“Our internal review has revealed that in 2014, the then UIDAI helpline number and the 112 distress helpline number were inadvertently coded into the SetUp wizard of the Android release given to OEMs for use in India and has remained there since. Since the numbers get listed on a user’s contact list these get transferred accordingly to the contacts on any new device,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement late Friday.
“We are sorry for any concern that this might have caused, and would like to assure everyone that this is not a situation of an unauthorised access of their Android devices,” the company added.
It said that users can manually delete the number from their devices. “We will work towards fixing this in an upcoming release of SetUp wizard which will be made available to OEMs over the next few weeks,” Google said.

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Facebook has started internal testing of its dating app

Two months after announcing the product at its F8 developer conference, Facebook is testing its dating product internally with employees. Independent app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who regularly uncovers new Facebook features by scouring the source code, found evidence of the product Friday and posted it on Twitter. The company confirmed to The Verge that the product is in testing within the Facebook app but declined to comment further.

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How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Images/Pictures from Android and iOS Devices

Today i got a call from one of the important person of my life Preetveer Singh (a best friend cum brother) being facing a problem of whatsapp recovery as we all know WhatApp is an integral part of our everyday communication, and any lose of data is highly frustrating. Losing your WhatsApp images is like a nightmare. But surprisingly it happens more often than you know, and recovering these deleted WhatsApp photos is not easy unless you have a robust solution like a WhatsApp recovery software.
If you are struggling with data lost, then this article will definitely be a lifesaver. Go through this comprehensive guide to know how to recover deleted WhatsApp photos and other data for iOS and Android devices like a pro.

I have came up with a few solutions for you-

Part 1: How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp images Selectively on iOS Devices

Part 2: How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp images Selectively on Android Devices

Part 3: How to Recover WhatsApp images from Auto-Backup

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Ethereum-Solidity language syntax in Sublime

I personally like Sublime as a text-editor more compared with all other existing text editors (P.S thanks to Vinay Saini who recommended me to go with Sublime).Sublime is my default. Before taking on programming on blockchain, Ethereum’s EVM specifically, one needs some foundation of solidity language which the existing documentations make decent effort to explain. It is always there is add and expanded upon.

Since I personally like to use Sublime, following are the steps to add Solidity language syntax on Sublime text editor.

Step 1: Install Package Controls

Package Control is a package manager for Sublime Text 2, 3. Open Sublime’s console.

| View -> Show Console

import urllib.request,os,hashlib; h = 'df21e130d211cfc94d9b0905775a7c0f' + '1e3d39e33b79698005270310898eea76'; pf = 'Package Control.sublime-package'; ipp = sublime.installed_packages_path(); urllib.request.install_opener( urllib.request.build_opener( urllib.request.ProxyHandler()) ); by = urllib.request.urlopen( 'http://packagecontrol.io/' + pf.replace(' ', '%20')).read(); dh = hashlib.sha256(by).hexdigest(); print('Error validating download (got %s instead of %s), please try manual install' % (dh, h)) if dh != h else open(os.path.join( ipp, pf), 'wb' ).write(by)

Step 2: Restart Sublime and Install Package

Restart Sublime after Package Control installation. Open the Package Control by:

|  Cmd + Shift + P

Type Install and choose:

|   Package Control: Install Package



Wait a few seconds before Sublime gives options of packages to install. Type ‘Ethereum’ and off you go.



Restart Sublime and get cracking.

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What is Blockchain Technology? A Step-by-Step Guide For Beginners

Is blockchain technology the new internet?
The blockchain is an undeniably ingenious invention – the brainchild of a person or group of people known by the pseudonym,  Satoshi Nakamoto. But since then, it has evolved into something greater, and the main question every single person is asking is: What is Blockchain?

By allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the backbone of a new type of internet. Originally devised for the digital currency, Bitcoin, the tech community is now finding other potential uses for the technology.

Bitcoin has been called “digital gold,” and for a good reason. To date, the total value of the currency is close to $9 billion US. And blockchains can make other types of digital value. Like the internet (or your car), you don’t need to know how the blockchain works to use it. However, having a basic knowledge of this new technology shows why it’s considered revolutionary. So, we hope you enjoy this, what is Blockchain guide.

What is Blockchain Technology?
What is Blockchain Technology? A step-by-step guide than anyone can understand
"The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”

Don  Alex Tapscott, authors Blockchain Revolution (2016)

A distributed database

Picture a spreadsheet that is duplicated thousands of times across a network of computers. Then imagine that this network is designed to regularly update this spreadsheet and you have a basic understanding of the blockchain.

Information held on a blockchain exists as a shared — and continually reconciled — database. This is a way of using the network that has obvious benefits. The blockchain database isn’t stored in any single location, meaning the records it keeps are truly public and easily verifiable. No centralized version of this information exists for a hacker to corrupt. Hosted by millions of computers simultaneously, its data is accessible to anyone on the internet.

To go in deeper with the Google spreadsheet analogy, I would like you to read this piece from a blockchain specialist.

Blockchain as Google Docs

“The traditional way of sharing documents with collaboration is to send a Microsoft Word document to another recipient, and ask them to make revisions to it. The problem with that scenario is that you need to wait until receiving a return copy before you can see or make other changes because you are locked out of editing it until the other person is done with it. That’s how databases work today. Two owners can’t be messing with the same record at once.That’s how banks maintain money balances and transfers; they briefly lock access (or decrease the balance) while they make a transfer, then update the other side, then re-open access (or update again).With Google Docs (or Google Sheets), both parties have access to the same document at the same time, and the single version of that document is always visible to both of them. It is like a shared ledger, but it is a shared document. The distributed part comes into play when sharing involves a number of people."

Imagine the number of legal documents that should be used that way. Instead of passing them to each other, losing track of versions, and not being in sync with the other version, why can’t *all* business documents become shared instead of transferred back and forth? So many types of legal contracts would be ideal for that kind of workflow.You don’t need a blockchain to share documents, but the shared documents analogy is a powerful one.”

William Mougayar, Venture advisor, 4x entrepreneur, marketer, strategist and

blockchain specialist

Blockchain Durability and robustness

Blockchain technology is like the internet in that it has a built-in robustness. By storing blocks of information that are identical across its network, the blockchain cannot:

1.Be controlled by any single entity.

2.Has no single point of failure.

Bitcoin was invented in 2008. Since that time, the Bitcoin blockchain has operated without significant disruption. (To date, any of problems associated with Bitcoin have been due to hacking or mismanagement. In other words, these problems come from bad intention and human error, not flaws in the underlying concepts.)

The internet itself has proven to be durable for almost 30 years. It’s a track record that bodes well for blockchain technology as it continues to be developed.

“As revolutionary as it sounds, Blockchain truly is a mechanism to bring everyone to the highest degree of accountability. No more missed transactions, human or machine errors, or even an exchange that was not done with the consent of the parties involved. Above anything else, the most critical area where Blockchain helps is to guarantee the validity of a transaction by recording it not only on a main register but a connected distributed system of registers, all of which are connected through a secure validation mechanism.” 

– Ian Khan, TEDx Speaker | Author | Technology Futurist

Transparent and incorruptible

The blockchain network lives in a state of consensus, one that automatically checks in with itself every ten minutes.  A kind of self-auditing ecosystem of a digital value, the network reconciles every transaction that happens in ten-minute intervals. Each group of these transactions is referred to as a “block”. Two important properties result from this:

1.Transparency

data is embedded within the network as a whole, by definition it is public.

2.It cannot be corrupted

altering any unit of information on the blockchain would mean using a huge amount of computing power to override the entire network.

In theory, this could be possible. In practice, it’s unlikely to happen. Taking control of the system to capture Bitcoins, for instance, would also have the effect of destroying their value.

"Blockchain solves the problem of manipulation. When I speak about it in the West, people say they trust Google, Facebook, or their banks. But the rest of the world doesn’t trust organizations and corporations that much — I mean Africa, India, the Eastern Europe, or Russia. It’s not about the places where people are really rich. Blockchain’s opportunities are the highest in the countries that haven’t reached that level yet.”

Vitalik Buterin, inventor of Ethereum

A network of nodes

A network of so-called computing “nodes” make up the blockchain.

                                                  

Node

(computer connected to the blockchain network using a client that performs the task of validating and relaying transactions) gets a copy of the blockchain, which gets downloaded automatically upon joining the blockchain network.

Together they create a powerful second-level network, a wholly different vision for how the internet can function.

Every node is an “administrator” of the blockchain, and joins the network voluntarily (in this sense, the network is decentralized). However, each one has an incentive for participating in the network: the chance of winning Bitcoins.

Nodes are said to be “mining” Bitcoin, but the term is something of a misnomer. In fact, each one is competing to win Bitcoins by solving computational puzzles. Bitcoin was the raison d’etre of the blockchain as it was originally conceived. It’s now recognized to be only the first of many potential applications of the technology.

There are an estimated 700 Bitcoin-like cryptocurrencies (exchangeable value tokens) already available. As well, a range of other potential adaptations of the original blockchain concept are currently active, or in development.

"Bitcoin has the same character a fax machine had. A single fax machine is a doorstop. The world where everyone has a fax machine is an immensely valuable thing.”

Larry Summers, Former US Secretary of the Treasury

The idea of decentralization

By design, the blockchain is a decentralized technology.

Anything that happens on it is a function of the network as a whole. Some important implications stem from this. By creating a new way to verify transactions aspects of traditional commerce could become unnecessary. Stock market trades become almost simultaneous on the blockchain, for instance — or it could make types of record keeping, like a land registry, fully public. And decentralization is already a reality.

A global network of computers uses blockchain technology to jointly manage the database that records Bitcoin transactions. That is, Bitcoin is managed by its network, and not any one central authority. Decentralization means the network operates on a user-to-user (or peer-to-peer) basis. The forms of mass collaboration this makes possible are just beginning to be investigated.

“I think decentralized networks will be the next huge wave in technology.”

Melanie Swan, author Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy (2015)

Who will use the blockchain?

As web infrastructure, you don’t need to know about the blockchain for it to be useful in your life.

Currently, finance offers the strongest use cases for the technology. International remittances, for instance. The World Bank estimates that over $430 billion US in money transfers were sent in 2015. And at the moment there is a high demand for blockchain developers.

The blockchain potentially cuts out the middleman for these types of transactions.  Personal computing became accessible to the general public with the invention of the Graphical User Interface (GUI), which took the form of a “desktop”. Similarly, the most common GUI devised for the blockchain are the so-called “wallet” applications, which people use to buy things with Bitcoin, and store it along with other cryptocurrencies.

Transactions online are closely connected to the processes of identity verification. It is easy to imagine that wallet apps will transform in the coming years to include other types of identity management.

“Online identity and reputation will be decentralized. We will own the data that belongs to us.”

William Mougayar, author The Business Blockchain: Promise, Practice, and Application of the Next Internet Technology (2016)

The Blockchain & Enhanced security

By storing data across its network, the blockchain eliminates the risks that come with data being held centrally.

Its network lacks centralized points of vulnerability that computer hackers can exploit. Today’s internet has security problems that are familiar to everyone. We all rely on the “username/password” system to protect our identity and assets online. Blockchain security methods use encryption technology.

The basis for this are the so-called public and private “keys”. A “public key” (a long, randomly-generated string of numbers) is a users’ address on the blockchain. Bitcoins sent across the network gets recorded as belonging to that address. The “private key” is like a password that gives its owner access to their Bitcoin or other digital assets. Store your data on the blockchain and it is incorruptible. This is true, although protecting your digital assets will also require safeguarding of your private key by printing it out, creating what’s referred to as a paper wallet.

A second-level network

With blockchain technology, the web gains a new layer of functionality.

Already, users can transact directly with one another — Bitcoin transactions in 2016 averaged over $200,000 US per day. With the added security brought by the blockchain new internet business are on track to unbundle the traditional institutions of finance.

Goldman Sachs believes that blockchain technology holds great potential especially to optimize clearing and settlements, and could represent global savings of up to $6bn per year.

“2017 will be a pivotal year for blockchain tech. Many of the startups in the space will either begin generating revenue – via providing products the market demands/values – or vaporize due to running out of cash. In other words, 2017 should be the year where there is more implementation of products utilizing blockchain tech, and less talk about blockchain tech being the magical pixie dust that can just be sprinkled atop everything. Of course, from a customers viewpoint, this will not be obvious as blockchain tech should dominantly be invisible – even as its features and functionality improve peoples’/business’ lives. I personally am familiar with a number of large-scale blockchain tech use cases that are launching soon/2017. This implementation stage, which 2017 should represent, is a crucial step in the larger adoption of blockchain tech, as it will allow skeptics to see the functionality, rather than just hear of its promise.”

–  George Howard, Associate Professor Brown University, Berklee College of Music and Founder of George Howard Strategic

The Blockchain a New Web 3.0?

The blockchain gives internet users the ability to create value and authenticates digital information. What new business applications will result?

Smart contracts

Distributed ledgers enable the coding of simple contracts that will execute when specified conditions are met. Ethereum is an open source blockchain project that was built specifically to realize this possibility. Still, in its early stages, Ethereum has the potential to leverage the usefulness of blockchains on a truly world-changing scale.

At the technology’s current level of development, smart contracts can be programmed to perform simple functions. For instance, a derivative could be paid out when a financial instrument meets certain benchmark, with the use of blockchain technology and Bitcoin enabling the payout to be automated.

The sharing economy

With companies like Uber and AirBnB flourishing, the sharing economy is already a proven success. Currently, however, users who want to hail a ride-sharing service have to rely on an intermediary like Uber. By enabling peer-to-peer payments, the blockchain opens the door to direct interaction between parties — a truly decentralized sharing economy results.

An early example, OpenBazaar uses the blockchain to create a peer-to-peer eBay. Download the app onto your computing device, and you can transact with OpenBazzar vendors without paying transaction fees. The “no rules” ethos of the protocol means that personal reputation will be even more important to business interactions than it currently is on eBay.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding initiatives like Kickstarter and Gofundme are doing the advance work for the emerging peer-to-peer economy. The popularity of these sites suggests people want to have a direct say in product development. Blockchains take this interest to the next level, potentially creating crowd-sourced venture capital funds.

In 2016, one such experiment, the Ethereum-based DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), raised an astonishing $200 million USD in just over two months. Participants purchased “DAO tokens” allowing them to vote on smart contract venture capital investments (voting power was proportionate to the number of DAO they were holding). A subsequent hack of project funds proved that the project was launched without proper due diligence, with disastrous consequences.  Regardless, the DAO experiment suggests the blockchain has the potential to usher in “a new paradigm of economic cooperation.”

Governance

By making the results fully transparent and publicly accessible, distributed database technology could bring full transparency to elections or any other kind of poll taking. Ethereum-based smart contracts help to automate the process.

The app, Boardroom, enables organizational decision-making to happen on the blockchain. In practice, this means company governance becomes fully transparent and verifiable when managing digital assets, equity or information.

Supply chain auditing

Consumers increasingly want to know that the ethical claims companies make about their products are real. Distributed ledgers provide an easy way to certify that the backstories of the things we buy are genuine. Transparency comes with blockchain-based timestamping of a date and location — on ethical diamonds, for instance — that corresponds to a product number.

The UK-based Provenance offers supply chain auditing for a range of consumer goods. Making use of the Ethereum blockchain, a Provenance pilot project ensures that fish sold in Sushi restaurants in Japan has been sustainably harvested by its suppliers in Indonesia.

File storage

Decentralizing file storage on the internet brings clear benefits. Distributing data throughout the network protects files from getting hacked or lost.

Inter Planetary File System (IPFS) makes it easy to conceptualize how a distributed web might operate. Similar to the way a bittorrent moves data around the internet, IPFS gets rid of the need for centralized client-server relationships (i.e., the current web). An internet made up of completely decentralized websites has the potential to speed up file transfer and streaming times. Such an improvement is not only convenient. It’s a necessary upgrade to the web’s currently overloaded content-delivery systems.

Prediction markets

The crowdsourcing of predictions on event probability is proven to have a high degree of accuracy. Averaging opinions cancels out the unexamined biases that distort judgment. Prediction markets that pay out according to event outcomes are already active. Blockchains are a “wisdom of the crowd” technology that will no doubt find other applications in the years to come.

Still, in Beta, the prediction market application Augur makes share offerings on the outcome of real-world events. Participants can earn money by buying into the correct prediction. The more shares purchased in the correct outcome, the higher the payout will be. With a small commitment of funds (less than a dollar), anyone can ask a question, create a market based on a predicted outcome, and collect half of all transaction fees the market generates.

Protection of intellectual property

As is well known, digital information can be infinitely reproduced — and distributed widely thanks to the internet. This has given web users globally a goldmine of free content. However, copyright holders have not been so lucky, losing control over their intellectual property and suffering financially as a consequence. Smart contracts can protect copyright and automate the sale of creative works online, eliminating the risk of file copying and redistribution.

Mycelia uses the blockchain to create a peer-to-peer music distribution system. Founded by the UK singer-songwriter Imogen Heap, Mycelia enables musicians to sell songs directly to audiences, as well as licence samples to producers and divvy up royalties to songwriters and musicians — all of these functions being automated by smart contracts. The capacity of blockchains to issue payments in fractional cryptocurrency amounts (micropayments) suggests this use case for the blockchain has a strong chance of success.

Internet of Things (IoT)

What is the IoT? The network-controlled management of certain types of electronic devices — for instance, the monitoring of air temperature in a storage facility. Smart contracts make the automation of remote systems management possible. A combination of software, sensors, and the network facilitates an exchange of data between objects and mechanisms. The result increases system efficiency and improves cost monitoring.

The biggest players in manufacturing, tech and telecommunications are all vying for IoT dominance. Think Samsung, IBM and AT&T. A natural extension of existing infrastructure controlled by incumbents, IoT applications will run the gamut from predictive maintenance of mechanical parts to data analytics, and mass-scale automated systems management.

Neighbourhood Microgrids

Blockchain technology enables the buying and selling of the renewable energy generated by neighborhood microgrids. When solar panels make excess energy, Ethereum-based smart contracts automatically redistribute it. Similar types of smart contract automation will have many other applications as the IoT becomes a reality.

Located in Brooklyn, Consensys is one of the foremost companies globally that is developing a range of applications for Ethereum. One project they are partnering on is Transactive Grid, working with the distributed energy outfit, LO3. A prototype project currently up and running uses Ethereum smart contracts to automate the monitoring and redistribution of microgrid energy. This so-called “intelligent grid” is an early example of IoT functionality.

Identity management

There is a definite need for better identity management on the web. The ability to verify your identity is the lynchpin of financial transactions that happen online. However, remedies for the security risks that come with web commerce are imperfect at best. Distributed ledgers offer enhanced methods for proving who you are, along with the possibility to digitize personal documents. Having a secure identity will also be important for online interactions — for instance, in the sharing economy. A good reputation, after all, is the most important condition for conducting transactions online.

Developing digital identity standards is proving to be a highly complex process. Technical challenges aside, a universal online identity solution requires cooperation between private entities and government. Add to that the need to navigate legal systems in different countries and the problem becomes exponentially difficult. E-Commerce on the internet currently relies on the SSL certificate (the little green lock) for secure transactions on the web. Netki is a startup that aspires to create a SSL standard for the blockchain. Having recently announced a $3.5 million seed round, Netki expects a product launch in early 2017.

AML and KYC

Anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) practices have a strong potential for being adapted to the blockchain. Currently, financial institutions must perform a labour intensive multi-step process for each new customer. KYC costs could be reduced through cross-institution client verification, and at the same time increase monitoring and analysis effectiveness.

startup Polycoin has an AML/KYC solution that involves analysing transactions. Those transactions identified as being suspicious are forwarded on to compliance officers. Another startup Tradle is developing an application called Trust in Motion (TiM). Characterized as an “Instagram for KYC”, TiM allows customers to take a snapshot of key documents (passport, utility bill, etc.). Once verified by the bank, this data is cryptographically stored on the blockchain.

Data management

Today, in exchange for their personal data people can use social media platforms like Facebook for free. In future, users will have the ability to manage and sell the data their online activity generates. Because it can be easily distributed in small fractional amounts, Bitcoin — or something like it — will most likely be the currency that gets used for this type of transaction.

The MIT project Enigma understands that user privacy is the key precondition for creating of a personal data marketplace. Enigma uses cryptographic techniques to allow individual data sets to be split between nodes, and at the same time run bulk computations over the data group as a whole. Fragmenting the data also makes Enigma scalable (unlike those blockchain solutions where data gets replicated on every node). A Beta launch is promised within the next six months.

Land title registration

As Publicly-accessible ledgers, blockchains can make all kinds of record-keeping more efficient. Property titles are a case in point. They tend to be susceptible to fraud, as well as costly and labour intensive to administer.

A number of countries are undertaking blockchain-based land registry projects. Honduras was the first government to announce such an initiative in 2015, although the current status of that project is unclear. This year, the Republic of Georgia cemented a deal with the Bitfury Group to develop a blockchain system for property titles. Reportedly, Hernando de Soto, the high profile economist and property rights advocate, will be advising on the project. Most recently, Sweden announced it was experimenting with a blockchain application for property titles.

Stock trading

The potential for added efficiency in share settlement makes a strong use case for blockchains in stock trading. When executed peer-to-peer, trade confirmations become almost instantaneous (as opposed to taking three days for clearance). Potentially, this means intermediaries — such as the clearing house, auditors and custodians — get removed from the process.

Numerous stock and commodities exchanges are prototyping blockchain applications for the services they offer, including the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange), the Deutsche Börse (Frankfurt’s stock exchange) and the JPX (Japan Exchange Group). Most high profile because the acknowledged first mover in the area, is the Nasdaq’s Linq, a platform for private market trading (typically between pre-IPO startups and investors). A partnership with the blockchain tech company Chain, Linq announced the completion of it its first share trade in 2015. More recently, Nasdaq announced the development of a trial blockchain project for proxy voting on the Estonian Stock Market.

“2016 was the year in which blockchain theory achieved general acceptance, but remained in theory, with the big players lingering around the hoop waiting to see who would take the first shot. As the year comes to an end, blockchain technology is tantalizingly close to turning the corner and entering the realm of small-scale commercial ability. Overall, 2017 is going to be the year of the very well-considered and well-funded proof of concept, with a few projects achieving revenue positive status. Venture investment is going to continue to be substantial but less than we saw in 2016 and 2015. I’d predict one or two exits by acquisition.” 

– Judd Bagley  Director of Communications at Overstock.com and Chief Evangelist at t0.com

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