Pornhub visitors wanting to keep their monthly subscription off the credit card bill now have an alternative form of payment — cryptocurrency. More specifically, the biggest porn stash on the internet now accepts Verge Currency payments for all goods provided by the site, including the Pornhub Premium subscription service. The move to cryptocurrency is the site’s solution for the need to remain innovative while protecting privacy.
“Not only is this an exciting announcement for us and the adult entertainment industry, it’s exciting for the crypto space,” Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said in a statement. “History has proven that the adult entertainment industry plays a critical role in adoption for innovative technology. We saw that with VHS, Beta Max, credit card payment icons and, most recently, VR goggles. We expect to see widespread adoption of crypto and blockchain in short order.”
First launched in 2014 as DogecoinDark, Verge Currency aims to bring private payments to businesses and individuals. It’s an open-source platform designed for “everyday use” and supported by community members versus other cryptocurrencies funded by private companies and initial coin offerings. Verge relies on a TOR-based component that hides your IP address while a second I2P component sends data through an encrypted “tunnel” across the network.
What is interesting about this specific cryptocurrency is the Wraith Protocol — a technology that enables users to switch between public and private ledgers on the Verge blockchain. With this feature turned on, the blockchain explorer doesn’t see your transaction, thus it’s not linked to your public address. But if the feature is switched off, the blockchain explorer will see your transactions linked to your public address.
“Verge integrates Tor in its Core, Electrum, and Android wallets, thereby eliminating any single point at which the communicating peers can be determined through network surveillance that relies upon knowing its source and destination,” the Verge Currency site states.
Along with the main Pornhub site, both Brazzers (adult HD videos) and Nutaku (adult gaming) will start accepting Verge Currency as well.
The news follows the site’s move to secure HTTPS connections in March 2017. The site said the switch was due to an ongoing effort to increase confidentiality and privacy for visitors. It was also in response to the repeal of internet privacy rules that previously prevented internet service providers from selling browsing histories.
After that, Pornhub optimized its platform for the visually impaired, such as providing enlarged text, adding keyboard shortcuts, providing customized color contrasts, text descriptions, and more. The company even launched an interactive sex toy portfolio in January combining virtual experiences with adult-oriented fun. These toys not only link to specific videos on Pornhub but also synchronize with each other across the internet. Clearly, Pornhub is trying to stay ahead of the competition.
“Here at Pornhub, we have always strongly valued innovation and privacy,” Price said. “Our acceptance of Verge is an affirmation of our dedication to innovation and privacy. [We] think Verge, with its focus on anonymity, is the best option whether for privacy, convenience or both.”
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.