Author: kumbhorg

In the wake of Coldcard’s catastrophic entropy bug, self-custody advocates and experts have begun recommending a new standard, multi-vendor multisignature wallets, an approach that looks to minimize —among other threats— dependency on any single hardware wallet manufacturer. The Coldcard entropy bug that went undiscovered since at least 2021 has taught a hard lesson to the Bitcoin self-custody advocates and users. No matter how legitimate or competent a wallet provider might seem, how well recommended and reputable, a major bug may be possible. As a result, Bitcoiners are questioning old recommendations and assumptions, including many declaring the ‘death of single sig’…

King Charles paid his respects to Dolly Parton a day after her passing during the Changing of the Guard ceremony. (Image – Instagram) Soon after Dolly Parton’s nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, announced her passing, thousands of tributes poured in for the singer. Tributes poured in from fans and netizens celebrating her talent, as well as from fellow celebrities and close industry friends reminiscing about fond memories. A day after her passing, King Charles also paid his respects to the country music icon.King Charles’s heartfelt tribute to Dolly PartonTaking to the royal family’s Instagram account, a day after…

Ben Foster fears World Cup hydration breaks could eventually be trialled in the Champions League/ Image: AP One of the most controversial features introduced at the 2026 World Cup could have a life beyond the tournament, with former England goalkeeper Ben Foster fearing that what began as a tournament measure could eventually become part of the regular club football landscape.Hydration breaks proved hugely unpopular with sections of supporters during the World Cup, with the three-minute stoppages midway through each half disrupting the flow of matches and prompting questions over whether football was becoming too fragmented. Foster now believes the Premier…

The University of Cincinnati is also considering programmes in information technology and professional studies. (University of Cincinnati photo) For decades, a four-year bachelor’s degree has been the standard in the US. That model is changing now as more colleges introduce three-year degree programmes that require fewer credits.As of this spring, colleges in 26 US states offered at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor’s degree, according to an analysis by the nonprofit research group RAND. By May, 119 such programmes had been publicly announced.The new programmes allow students to complete a bachelor’s degree with as few as 90 credit hours, compared with…

Rayls launched Rayls Sovereign, an open-source, EVM-compatible blockchain platform for banks, financial market infrastructures and regulated institutions.Institutions get their own private blockchain environment, retaining control over sensitive data, security and governance.Rayls has launched an open-source blockchain platform aimed at solving a persistent problem for banks moving assets onchain: how to keep sensitive financial activity private without becoming isolated from public blockchain markets.The platform, called Rayls Sovereign, gives banks, financial market infrastructures and other regulated institutions their own EVM-compatible blockchain environment. Institutions retain control over infrastructure, data and governance while maintaining connections to permissioned networks and public chains.Rayls unveiled the system…

Gold price (XAU/USD) falls to near $4,610 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The precious metal retreats from a three-month high as US inflation data came largely in line with expectations, increasing expectations of a Federal Reserve (Fed) interest-rate hike next month. Data released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on Wednesday showed that the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index inflation remained unchanged at 3.7% YoY in July. This figure came in hotter than the market expectation of 3.6%. Meanwhile, the core PCE Price Index, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, held steady at 3.3%, in line with the…

We’ve fea­tured Egyp­tol­o­gist Ilona Regul­s­ki here on Open Cul­ture a few times before. Once, she explained how to read ancient Egypt­ian hiero­glyphs; anoth­er time, she told us what the Roset­ta Stone actu­al­ly says. It was, per­haps, inevitable that she would cross paths with Rob Watts, cre­ator of the YouTube chan­nel Rob­Words, whose videos we often post. When he made the jour­ney to Berlin’s Neues Muse­um, and specif­i­cal­ly to its Egypt­ian Muse­um, Regul­s­ki was the expert he sought out to tell him — and us — all about how hiero­glyphs, lit­er­al­ly “sacred carv­ings,” actu­al­ly make words. Faced with a stone chis­eled full…

Samba was sedated, taken to an emergency clinic and given antivenom, but her heart stopped hours laterA black jaguar and jaguar at Project Survival’s Cat HavenCredit: Dale Anderson/ Project Survival’s Cat HavenNEED TO KNOWSamba, a black jaguar, was born at Project Survival’s Cat Haven and lived to be 14 or 15 years oldHer death marks the second snake bite incident involving a big cat at the nonprofit this yearStaff have relocated 14 snakes from the sanctuary this year to protect the cats without harming the reptilesA black jaguar that was housed at a California big cat nonprofit has died due…

A wave of what is known uninspiringly as ​“hopecore” is sweeping through theatres. At surface level these films inspire hope, turning often apocalyptic worlds on their head – Project Hail Mary, Mickey 17, Disclosure Day, to name a few. If you dig a little deeper, you usually only find some half-baked ideas about how being nice to one another would solve all the world’s ills. This week, it’s Ridley Scott’s turn to add to this growing vibe shift with The Dog Stars. The year is 2035 and a virus has wiped out most of humanity, leaving only a few gruff countrymen – (Josh Brolin…

The June 2026 AIER Business Conditions Monthly (BCM) shows a pronounced improvement in forward-looking conditions, while measures of current and trailing activity remained considerably more subdued. The Leading Indicator surged to 88 from 54 in May, with gains extending across consumer expectations, financial markets, housing, retail activity, transportation, and capital-goods orders. The Roughly Coincident Indicator held at 58, suggesting that current economic activity continued to expand, but without the breadth evident in the leading data. The Lagging Indicator recovered to 58 from 33, reversing much of May’s deterioration as several credit, labor-market, inventory, and construction measures improved. AIER Business Conditions…