The Cashless Society? It’s Already Coming

HughPickens.com writes Damon Darlin writes in the NYT that Apple pay is revolutionary but not for the reason you think. It isn’t going to replace the credit card but it’s going to replace the wallet — the actual physical thing crammed with cards, cash, photos and receipts. According to Darlin, when you are out shopping, it’s the wallet, not the credit card, that is the annoyance. It’s bulky. It can be forgotten, or lost. “I’ve learned while traipsing about buying stuff with my ApplePay that I can whittle down wallet items that I need to carry to three”: A single credit card, for places that have not embraced, but soon will, some form of smartphone payment; a driver’s license; and about $20 in cash. Analysts at Forrester Research estimate that over the next five years, US mobile payments will grow to $142 billion, from $3.7 billion this year. “If I were to make a bet, I’d say that 10 years from now the most popular answer from young shoppers about how they make small payments would be: thumbprint. And you’ll get a dull shrug when you ask what a wallet is.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The Cashless Society? It’s Already Coming

Firefox 34 Arrives With Video Chat, Yahoo Search As Default

An anonymous reader writes: Mozilla today launched Firefox 34 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Major additions to the browser include a built-in video chat feature, a revamped search bar, and tab mirroring from Android to Chromecast. This release also makes Yahoo Search the default in North America, in place of Google. Full changelogs: desktop and Android.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Firefox 34 Arrives With Video Chat, Yahoo Search As Default

Scientists Have Finally Sampled the Most Abundant Material On Earth

rossgneumann writes: The most abundant material on Earth didn’t have a name, and, in fact, hadn’t been seen — until now. For the first time ever, scientists have gotten their hands on a sample of bridgmanite, a mineral that is believed to make up more than a third of the volume of the Earth. In a new paper published in Science late last week, Oliver Tschauner of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his team describe bridgmanite for the first time. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Scientists Have Finally Sampled the Most Abundant Material On Earth

Quartz heated at 1,700C looks like something out of Tony Stark’s lab

Chris New took these fascinating loops at GE Global Research lab. Above: ” A tube of almost pure quartz heated to temperatures of around 1, 700 Celsius to create custom laboratory glassware.” Read more…

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Quartz heated at 1,700C looks like something out of Tony Stark’s lab

This New Global Satellite System Is Bringing 3G to the Battlefield

The US military is undergoing a radical change in its communications capabilities. Not only is DARPA’s Persistent Close Air Support cutting response times by nearly 90 percent, but a new satellite-based comm system will soon deliver a 3G smartphone experience to soldiers anywhere on the planet. Read more…

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This New Global Satellite System Is Bringing 3G to the Battlefield

Feds Use 18th Century Law To Force Apple to Unlock Encrypted Phones

The Department of Justice is going to absurd lengths in order to unlock encrypted smartphones. It’s using a law from the 1700s to force Apple and at least one other company to cooperate with law enforcement officials in investigations dealing with locked, encrypted phones. And the courts, so far, are letting it happen. Read more…

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Feds Use 18th Century Law To Force Apple to Unlock Encrypted Phones

First Star War Episode 7 Trailer Released

Midnight Thunder writes: The first trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has been released. (YouTube link.) This is the first real opportunity to get a feeling for whether childhood dreams will be crushed or Disney, with the help of JJ Abrams, will be able to breath new life into the story without making it feel like a merchandising excuse. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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First Star War Episode 7 Trailer Released

iOS 8.2 Has Been Jailbroken Before It’s Even Released

The 8.2 version of iOS is still in beta and unavailable to non-developers, but that hasn’t stopped Chinese-based outfit TaiG from breaking it free from Apple’s shackles (and also jailbreaking 8.1.1, the current release, in the process). Read more…

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iOS 8.2 Has Been Jailbroken Before It’s Even Released

The Best Deal In 4K Monitors Gets Way Better

This Samsung 28″ 4K is the most popular monitor we’ve ever listed. It was an amazing deal when it debuted at a $700 MSRP. It’s $400 right now , with no tax for most and free shipping. Read more…

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The Best Deal In 4K Monitors Gets Way Better

Chart: Which country has the world’s largest army throughout history?

Martin Vargic made a very interesting chart that shows what the world’s largest army was throughout history, from 2500 BC until now. He split up the world into “west” and “east” to show which countries or dynasties or empires were dominating different parts of the world. Read more…

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Chart: Which country has the world’s largest army throughout history?