Instagram acquired by Facebook for $1 billion

Facebook has acquired the photo sharing social media mobile app, Instagram, for $1 billion. Earlier this month Instagram had released an Android version of their app for the first time after being in the iOS ecosystem for about 2 years. TechCrunch has written in details about the acquisition here.

Instagram for Android available now after 2 years in iOS

After being available on iOS for nearly 2 years now, the Instagram app is now available also for Android. Read more here.

Megaupload shut down by US officials

Megaupload, one of the internet's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down by officials in the US. More here at the BBC.

Raspberry Pi, credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale

The smallest Linux PCs, Raspberry Pi went on sale. The Model A and Model B will be priced at $25 and $35 respectively. More here at Engadget.

Megaupload file-sharing site shut down

Megaupload, one of the internet's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down by officials in the US. Federal prosecutors have accused it of costing copyright holders more than $500m (£320m) in lost revenue. The firm says it was diligent in responding to complaints about pirated material.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-16642369

Further reading:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure_of_Megaupload

World's Thinnest Ultrabook: Acer Aspire S5

Acer announced the world's thinnest Ultrabook, the Aspire S5, an ultra-slim device that measures only 15 mm at the maximal point. More here at Engadget.

The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin

In 2008, an enigmatic person or group named Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the concept of bitcoin, a digital currency, in a research paper. Bitcoin resolved the double-spending problem and eliminated the need for a central clearinghouse by using a public ledger called the "block chain." Early adopters embraced bitcoin, and it gained popularity outside the cryptography community. However, Nakamoto's true identity remains a mystery, and he disappeared after the currency's initial launch, leaving the project to grow independently. Bitcoin's decentralized nature made it immune to government and banking oversight, appealing to those seeking a secure and independent form of currency.

This article by Benjamin Wallace on Wired takes a pretty deep dive into the story of Bitcoin, its origin, timeline and how it works.