Technology

The indictment filed today against 12 Russians accused of, among other things, hacking the DNC and undermining Hillary Clintoncampaign also notes that the alleged hackers paid for their nefarious deeds with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This unsavory application of one of techcurrent darlings will almost certainly be wielded against it by opportunists of all stripes.

It is perhaps the most popular and realistic argument against cryptocurrency that it enables anonymous transactions globally and at scale, no exception made for Russian intelligence or ISIS. So the news that a prominent and controversial technology was used to fund state-sponsored cyber attacks will not be passed over by its critics.

You can expect bluster on cable news and some sharp words from lawmakers, who will also probably issue some kind of public denouncement of cryptocurrencies and call for more stringent regulation. Itonly natural: their constituencies will hear that Russians are using bitcoin to hack the election systems and take it at face value. They have to say something.

But this knee-jerk criticism is misguided and hypocritical for several reasons.

First is that itnot as anonymous and mysterious as critics make out. The details in the indictment actually provide an interesting example (far from the first) of the limits of cryptocurrencyability to obscure its users& activities.

The painstaking research of the special investigatorteam revealed the approximate amounts and methods involved, and although there is a veneer of anonymity in that addresses are not inherently tied to identities, it is far from impossible to establish ownership. Not that they didn&t try, as the indictment shows:

The Defendants conspired to launder the equivalent of more than $95,000 through a web of transactions structured to capitalize on the perceived anonymity of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.

They also enlisted the assistance of one or more third-party exchangers who facilitated layers transactions through digital currency exchange platforms providing heightened anonymity.

But the process of laundering, after all, becomes rather difficult when there is an immutable, peer-maintained record of every penny being pushed around. Small slip-ups in the teamoperational security allowed investigators to tie, for example, an email address used to access a given bitcoin wallet with the one used to pay for a VPN.

[U]sing funds in a bitcoin address, the Conspirators purchased a VPN account, which they later used to log into the @Guccifer_2 Twitter account. The remaining funds from that bitcoin address were then used […] to lease a Malaysian server that hosted the dcleaks.com website.

Itlikely that the very same distributed ledger technology that allows for anonymous international payments in the first place also creates an invaluable investigative tool for those savvy enough to take advantage of it. So although bitcoin has its shady side, itfar from perfect secrecy, especially when exposed to the privileges of a federal investigative team.

The second reason the criticism will be hollow is that it doesn&t provide much in the way of new capabilities for those who wish to keep secret their activities online.

There are established methods used by nation-states and garden-variety hackers and criminals alike that minimize or eliminate the possibility of tracking. Money laundering is performed at huge volumes worldwide and there are shady banks, loopholes and puppet organizations peppered across the globe.

Cryptocurrencies are convenient for paying for things online because there are a number of vendors (dwindling, but they exist) that accept it straight, or if one is not available it is reasonably liquid and can be shifted easily. I feel sure that our own intelligence services are making good use of it.

On that note is the third reason this FUD will be risible: If we are going to address the problem of dark money influencing politics, using bitcoin for hacking activities doesn&t even amount to a rounding error and it is cynical prestidigitation that makes it appear more than such.

I won&t belabor the point, because it is surely topmost in many an Americanmind that cash funneled through Super PACs and offshore accounts, backroom deals and stock trades, favors for lobbyists and corporate &donators& and 20 other forms of pay-for-play in Washington are more of a clear and present danger than a handful of Russian operatives ineffectually obscuring peanuts payments for hosting fees and bribes.

Perhaps the administration would prefer scripture: &Why do you see the speck that is in your brothereye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye&

If anything these indictments are evidence only that cryptocurrency is here to stay, usable by you, or me, or an rival nation-state, or our own — just like any other financial instrument.

Moment, the company that brought you the best glass for your mobile device, now gives you DSLR-like controls with their Pro Camera app. Features include full manual adjustment over ISO, shutter speed, white balance, image format and more.

It should be noted that if you don&t have a shiny new device you won&t be able to use the app to its full potential as some of its key features include 3D touch, dual lens control, RAW image format, 120 and 240 fps and 4K resolution.

Moment says the app is for &anyone looking for pro, manual controls on their phone.& Being one of TechCrunchresident image makers, I figured I should take the app out for a spin and pit it against the stock camera app. I enlisted my photogenic friend, Jackie, to be my muse.

Scrolling through the manual settings was very easy and the UI never felt fumbly. The histogram is nice to have and utilizes that iPhone notch well. The app doesn&t have portrait mode, however, which Jackie and I would have loved, because, who doesn&t love that buttery (fake) bokeh — amirite Manipulating the exposure in video mode was equally as easy. The app didn&t have an audio meter or level settings, so folks recording dialog or VO need to plan accordingly. Luckily, our shoot didn&t need it since we were shooting slow-mo.

For a couple extra bucks you can get the same manual controls, audio levels, + RAW with ProCam 5. But if you&re already invested in the Moment Lens ecosystem and primarily shoot photography, the upgrade could be a worthwhile addition.

You can save photos in HEIF, JPG, RAW and TIFF format. For video, you have the option to shoot in 24, 30, 60, 120 and 240 fps in either 720p, 1080p or 4K resolution. Free to try; $2.99 iOS and $1.99 Android to upgrade.

And then there was one.

With the impending closures of Blockbuster locations in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, just one single store will remain in the country,Anchorage Daily News reported yesterday. The two locations in Alaska will officially close their respective doors on July 16, leaving just one location in Bend, Ore.

&…it is sad to say goodbye to our dedicated customers,& Blockbuster Alaska General Manager Kevin Daymude said in a Facebook post announcing the closures. &Both [the district manager] and I have been with the company since 1991 and have had great memories throughout our career. Thank you for sticking by us throughout all these years. I can&t tell you how much it means to us.&

Following the initial closures on the 16th, the locations will reopen on the 17th through the end of August for an inventory sale. But, as for the &Cinderella Man& memorabilia John Oliver gifted the Anchorage locationearlier this summer, Daymude told Anchorage Daily News that it is likely to return to its original owner.

The movie rental chain opened its first store in Dallas in 1985* and swelled to a booming 9,000 locations by 2004. But, with the introduction of streaming services and a general change in consumers& viewing habits, the company has been closing locations in the last decade and announced in 2013 the imminent closing of its remaining locations.

Ithard to say with certainty why Blockbuster has persisted in Alaska over the years despite its relative extinction in the rest of the United States, though some point to spotty and expensive internet connections.

Or maybe itjust the nostalgia. District Manager Kelli Vey told Anchorage Daily News that the stores saw a lot of selfies — but not nearly as many sales.

&I wish they would come in and buy something,& Vey told the paper. &All day long, I joke that I need to put a picture of somebody in the window to photobomb them.&

For those still wishing to pay homage to the late &90s and early 2000s giant, the Bend location is open Friday and Saturday from 10:30 am & 10 pm and Sunday & Thursday from 10:30 am & 9 pm. But maybe this time think about renting a movie after you&ve snapped your picture.

*Updated 2:50 PM ET to correct the date the first Blockbuster opened