Apple Removes Bitcoin Apps From Store

Apple’s mobile application store has so much to offer consumers.  On Wednesday, Apple took the unprecedented step of removing Blockchain, the last app which transmits bitcoins. 

What are Bitcoins?

Bitcoin – the virtual currency which made its tumultuous entrance onto the Internet, is now being traded at $130 after reaching a high value of $260.  The largest Bitcoin trading exchange just dealt with hacking as well as a malware attack in Europe.  This phenomenon is spreading across Europe through Skype.

Bitcoins are virtual currency and set up to be easy to exchange, no transaction fee involved.  What one needs to know about a bitcoin is that it is a unit of measurement, created by developer Satoshi Nakamoto. The currency is traded and controlled by bitcoin users and completely digital. 

Bitcoins have a finite supply and the algorithm powering bitcoin will generate only 21 million.  Networks track and record each and every transaction – the number in use can be seen at the website blockchain.info.  Bitcoin networks and wallets are monitored by the website. The bitcoin phenomenon got too big too fast – first off, bitcoins have no intrinsic value.  People are willing to pay a particular price and these prices fluctuate. This currency has become very popular in countries where the local currency is losing value and governments are threatening restrictions.  Bitcoin is considered a volatile asset and experts are of the opinion that it is showing signs of being in an economic bubble. 

Many people choose not to invest directly in bitcoins but to ‘mine’ them by using their computers to crunch code for the network.  Many of the problems solved by using individual CPU processing power are shared with the network.   More and more people are buying them on an exchange instead of providing their PCs.

Many retailers don’t accept this virtual currency as the transaction is irreversible.  Not only that, if hackers get access to bitcoin wallets and clear out the account, there is nothing much the owner can do. In the 4 years since its introduction, the code underlying bitcoin has never been compromised. 

Why Apple discontinued use of Bitcoins?

The UK based Blockchain announced on its website that Apple said that they would be discontinuing the use of this “wallet” due to unresolved issues.  Blockchain said that the news came as a surprise as there was no indication of any prior issues. 

Apple could not be reached for comment and all indications are that other mobile applications related to Bitcoin like Coinbase and Gliph have been removed from the AppStore. Blockchain is not very happy with Apple’s actions and called it capricious and anti-competitive.

Quite a few retailers who have adopted this virtual currency as an option for payment are wondering about the implications.  Many countries around the world are looking hard at how Bitcoin fits into their legal and regulatory schemes.  Other bitcoin related mobile applications for iOS like tickers are still available but cannot be used to transfer the currency.

In Australia, the desk top app for OSX was still available for download – there are no indications of how long it would be available.  Blockchain said that its application was made available on Apple’s App Store for over two years and had been downloaded over 120,000 times. 

An online petition is being circulated to convince Apple not to withdraw the bitcoin wallets.  By contrast, Google has not placed any restrictions on developers from creating these wallets for use on the Android mobile platform which could take bitcoin users away from Apple. 

Carrie Miller is an author who writes for PC World in his free time is also working as Mobile Application Developer at Zealous System and his contributions appear in the Business, Finance and Software section. 

Google’s Android to Team up with Car Manufacturers

Technology and gizmos have always appealed people in a brilliant way. Most people cannot live without their gadgets even when they are going a few miles by road. They need every bit of entertainment to keep them alive. Taking this concept further, Google has decided to integrate its android app in the car entertainment systems. In talks with car manufacturers for this purpose, the sole aim of the integration is to enhance and optimize the experience of the people inside the car at any given time.

It’s a well-known fact that most people tend to spend most of their time inside the car. During these hours, people don’t really sit without touching their gadgets. Be it to find the location to the nearest restaurant or searching for the best music to play while on the road, people are always fiddling with their gadgets. Considering the safety implications of playing with your phone while driving, Google decided to come up with an integration which will allow people to use the onboard car systems and fiddle around. This can be useful if they wish to talk while they are driving or listen to music, search for maps etc.

Car industry was being targeted for a wide variety of purposes by many segments including entertainment, accessories but, for the first time it has been speculated by technology giants. Car manufacturers relied on traditional mechanisms and have responded to some in-car software systems that were custom made. This has been helpful in commanding using voice and for talking while on the drive. But, it does not really allow you to use any mobile apps. You can communicate while you are driving with any one using this software. But, one really could not highlight on the variety of apps installed in their phones.

If other software had to enhance and optimize the experience, they would need a lot of individual software apps in the first place and plenty of designers working at it. But, given the way Android leads itself as the best app for mobiles, the scenario for android is slightly different. It is innovative, different, creates new stuff all the while and is pounded by low cost testing technology.

There are many developers in the industry who are pro-android and have their hands well-set on this platform. Also the wide variety of apps that android has given to the world has not been given by any other platform thus far making it the most used platform.

It is inexpensive, highly popular and Google supports it. What more would a car manufacturer want. For safety, this integration would ensure all the possible measures have been taken and proper integration occurs. Most of the actions would be performed on voice commands thus giving you a safe and enhanced atmosphere to work in.

You can transform your car into a music world by just swiping the screen a few times. Open to the world of music, entertainment and togetherness with enhanced safety measures with Google Android car integration.

Carrie Miller has been working with Zealous System - A mobile development services provider for around 5 years. She is an android apps developer with a keen eye for machines. Her love for car cannot go hidden. This article talks about how the four wheeled machine will integrate Android to enhance the car driving experience.