Technology News Era

De Beers, the world’s leading diamond producer by gem value, has just announced a deal with Alrosa, perhaps the most critical partner in its quest to port the entire diamond industry to the blockchain. In a press release, De Beers revealed Alrosa, the Russian diamond-mining conglomerate, will join its blockchain pilot program, Tracr, designed to test blockchain effect on boosting consumer confidence in the authenticity and quality of diamonds in retail markets. “To provide true traceability, diamonds must be tracked from their point of production,” said De Beers chief executive Bruce Cleaver. “[…] The collective efforts of the world’s two… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2JtvnQ5

Apple, Samsung, Google. Those are the names most Americans think of when considering a new flagship phone, but OnePlus is vying to become the next household name. The with OnePlus 6T, it might just succeed. It’s the company’s best phone yet – yes, despite the missing headphone jack. But because it’ll be accessible to more buyers, it will almost certainly be the company’s most popular phone too. Specs and design aside – we’ll get to that in a second – it’s the first OnePlus device to launch with at least some backing from US carriers. It will be sold directly in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2SvXz8G

OnePlus released its newest flagship, the OnePlus 6T, at an event in New York today. The phone is not a major departure from its predecessor, the OnePlus 6, but it has some interesting upgrades. So what’s new? Under the screen fingerprint sensor OnePlus ditched the rear-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor in favor of under-the-screen fingerprint sensor. A new feature also allows you to assign app shortcuts to the fingerprint sensor. One can keep pressing the fingerprint sensor after the phone unlocks to make a customizable shortcut bar appear. Moving one’s finger to one of the apps opens it. In my week’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2AxLlFV

Skydio’s R1 quadcopter is one of the most interesting gadgets of 2018. I spent some time with a review unit and, even after falling in love with it, I’m still not sure what to call it. Describing the R1 as a “drone” is like calling the iPhone a “rectangle.” Both terms are correct, but neither are really accurate. The R1 is an autonomous robot. No, it’s not fully-autonomous, but if you’re expecting a quadcopter that can fly itself without your help: you will not be disappointed. The R1’s big selling point is that it’s not just self-flying, it’s a “self-flying… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2OYpyje

For many people starting out in the world of cryptocurrencies, extreme price volatility is their biggest concern. After all, some investors have seen a quarter of their Bitcoin stash wiped out within a single day during previous market fluctuations. However, for people in the developing world, national currencies are often even more volatile, with devastating effects. Zimbabwe is one example of a country still struggling to recover ten years on from its peak of hyperinflation. Now, people there are turning to cryptocurrencies as a safer and more reliable means of transacting. The effects of inflation Inflation means that the value… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Pv5Hrx

Bitcoin hasn’t done much recently. Well, except remaining stable. It’s pretty much held its value since the middle of September – an eon in the cryptocurrency world. With no rockets to the moon, the Bitcoin community is a little bored. Luckily for us, boredom is the great instigator of creativity. For one Redditor, I can only imagine the boredom that lead them to reimagine Bitcoin’s marketcap as a sound. Behold, the Bitcoin marketcap sound generator When my friends ask me to describe Bitcoin’s history, I often struggle to truly convey its tumultuous past. Next time anyone asks me that, I’m… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2JpvxaM

With the holidays fast approaching, you can close out your year with elite internet protection with 1, 2, or 3-year PIA subscriptions from TNW Deals, all at up to nearly 70 percent off their regular prices. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Q3WZNZ