bitcoin

NASHUA, N.H. -- Zach Harvey has an ambitious plan to accelerate adoption of the Internet's favorite alternative currency: installing in thousands of bars, restaurants, and grocery stores ATMs that will let you buy Bitcoins anonymously.

It's the opposite of a traditional automated teller that dispenses currency. Instead, these Bitcoin ATMs will accept dollar bills -- using the same validation mechanism as vending machines -- and instantly convert the amount to Bitcoins and deposit the result in your account.

"It's even easier than just using a regular ATM," says Harvey, 33, who demonstrated the device … Read more

WordPress has announced it will begin accepting payment for upgrades via the controversial peer-to-peer currency Bitcoin, a move it promises will break down geographical and corporate boundaries.

While the popular blogging platform is a free service, it does offer paid upgrades such as custom designs and ad-free presentations. However, not everyone has access to those upgrades due to limits on traditional payment networks such as PayPal, which is blocked in more than 60 countries, notes Andy Skelton, code wrangler at WordPress parent Automattic.

"Some are blocked for political reasons, some because of higher fraud rates, and some for other … Read more

Bitcoin exchange BitFloor has shut down operations while it investigates the theft of nearly a quarter million dollars' worth of the virtual currency.

The heist occurred last night when an attacker accessed an unencrypted backup of wallet keys and made off with 24,000 BTC. This led BitFloor founder Roman Shtylman to suspend the exchange's operations. As of this writing, a Bitcoin is worth $10.40, making the heist's haul worth $249,600, according to Bitcoin converter Preev.

Shtylman revealed the break-in today in a Bitcoin Forum post that pleaded for Bitcoin users' help in resurrecting the exchange: … Read more

Bitcoin, the peer-to-peer currency that's been gaining in popularity, appears to be getting ready to take the leap from the digital world to the real world.

Exchange service BitInstant is creating a Bitcoin-funded card that would function as a standard debit/credit card and would be honored where ever MasterCard is accepted, according to the transcript of an interview allegedly conducted wth BitInstant co-founder Charlie Shrem. During the interview, published by Coding in My Sleep, Shrem says the card might launch within the next six to eight weeks.

The cards would be issued by a "major international bank&… Read more

While software piracy may be enticing for some people, its drawbacks, besides theft, not only include running potentially unstable software, but also provide an avenue for malware to wreak havoc on your system and your personal information.

Many times when software packages are offered for free, they are done so by thieves as a lure to spread Trojans and other malware among the systems of unsuspecting people who are trying to get away without paying for software.

This practice is nothing new, and a couple of years ago a Trojan horse called iServices was found embedded in pirated copies of … Read more

Bitcoins aren't just an abstract financial instrument living somewhere in the digital ether anymore. They're now a physical currency capable of taking a ride in your pocket or scratching off your lottery tickets.

The physical Bitcoins, called Casascius Bitcoins and created by a guy in Utah named Mike Caldwell, are made of brass, with gold electroplating on the 25 Bitcoin denomination. And, of course, they're tied to the peer-to-peer, open-source digital currency that's been exchanged on the Internet for a while now.

Each coin has a unique Bitcoin address and a redeemable "private key" under a hologram on the coin. That key can be used to redeem the value of the Bitcoins online, but the hologram sticker leaves a honeycomb mark when peeled back, so you'll know if your Bitcoins have been tampered with.

The coins play a function similar to a gift card or certificate with a magnetic strip or bar code. In other words, it provides a tangible means of carrying around the digital key that contains the actual value. There's just one problem--the physical Bitcoins may well be illegal. … Read more

The otherwise staid and professional Jason Hiner joins us from TechRepublic to discuss important issues like the amazing Yonanna machine, which turns your banana into froyo just like that! Ok, ok, in tech news, a 19-year-old is arrested in the UK, but LulzSec says he's just the IRC moderator. Sounds important to us. Plus, your Facebook and Twitter posts will haunt you for seven years, just like your bad credit card purchases.

It's both a fun game and a sad commentary on the state of our existence! On today's show, the average user is caught in the crossfire of the hacker wars, but dammit, even LulzSec agrees that Sega is off limits. Speaking of which, Donald might have been right about Bitcorn, rather than Bitcoin. Ouch. And how to restore the memories of really, really stoned rats. Poor little rats. --Molly

Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer currency floating around the Web, is now being targeted by two prominent senators.

Democratic Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have written a letter to both Attorney General Eric Holder and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Michele Leonhart expressing their desire for the organizations to take down an online marketplace known as "Silk Road," which allows customers to buy illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and marijuana.

The senators said this about Bitcoin in their letter to the government agencies: