The IRS has loads of legacy IT — but it’s not equipped to replace it

A report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), has criticized the IRS’s decision to close its ‘Technical Retirement Office’. Tasked with “identifying, prioritizing, and executing the updating, replacing, or retiring of legacy systems, the office was retired in order to ‘strategically reduce the information technology footprint across the enterprise’ in 2021, and has not been replaced. This has left the IRS with 107 legacy systems up for retirement, but only two have decommissioning plans in place, the report noted – potentially putting the department at risk of…

Majority of Institutional Investors Held or Increased Bitcoin ETF Positions in Q2

Bitwise reports that U.S.-based institutional investors continue to demonstrate strong support for Bitcoin through spot ETFs, with around 66% either maintaining or increasing their holdings. This trend comes amidst market volatility and declining prices during Q2. Surge in Institutional Filings Bitwise’s chief investment officer, Matt Hougan, highlighted this trend in an August 15 post on X, noting a rise in the number of filings associated with spot Bitcoin ETFs. “The institutions are still coming; total filings are up,” Hougan commented, referring to the 1,924 holder-to-ETF pairings recorded across all Bitcoin…

How to watch Hostage online and from anywhere — Swedish plane hijack thriller

How to watch Hostage  A plane with 400 passengers has been taken over via remote control. There is a bomb on board and the hijackers demands seem impossible to meet. And if that wasn’t enough to pique your interest in Swedish thriller Hostage, the team brought together to resolve it involves a fraught father-son relationship.  Keep reading, as we explain how to watch Hostage online and from wherever you are in the world. Swipe to scroll horizontally Fans of the Walter Presents series of dramas will recognize two of the…

You can stream The Rings of Power for free on Samsung TV Plus ahead of season 2’s debut on Prime Video

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is one of the most spectacular shows on Prime Video – and now you can see the whole season for free without having to subscribe to anything. Between now and August 28, Samsung TV and Samsung Galaxy owners in the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK and Germany can stream the entire season on demand from Samsung TV Plus. That’s over 300 million possible viewers.  That’s significant not just because it’s one of the best Prime Video show, but because it’s the first…

Philips unveils two new curved business monitors — the perfect work from home companions that won’t break the bank (just)

Philips has announced two entries into the best monitor competition as it looks to take on its rivals. We should say up front that both of these monitors – the Philips 34B2U6603CH, from the Philips 6000 line, and the Philips 34B2U5600C, part of the Philips 5000 series – are premium, as most of the best ultrawide monitors tend to be, so anyone seeking out more affordable monitors to work from home should probably look elsewhere.  The 34B2U6603CH and 34B2U5600C both feature a 34-inch, 21:9 ultrawide display, clocking in at a…

The Google Pixel 9 launch proves that RAM is the next great smartphone separator

Like the Samsung Galaxy S24 event before it, the Google Pixel 9 launch was as much a showcase for new software as it was for new hardware. Sure, Google debuted no less than seven new devices (including four new phones) at its Mountain View headquarters in California, but infinitely more stage time was dedicated to the Google Gemini features that are set to run on these devices than to the cameras, displays, or batteries under their respective hoods. Apple, too, will no doubt place Apple Intelligence at the heart of…

Solana ETFs will not see significant demand — Sygnum research head

Solana (SOL) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will not see significant demand among United States investors, Katalin Tischhauser, head of investment research at crypto bank Sygnum, told Cointelegraph. Tischhauser said “miniscule” investor flows into Grayscale Solana Trust (GSOL) — asset manager Grayscale’s private SOL fund — indicate weak demand for SOL investment vehicles among US wealth managers. Assets under management (AUM) for GSOL are less than $70 million, according to Grayscale. By comparison, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) managed almost $30 billion prior to its conversion to an ETF in January, according to…

Many top-level open source projects found leaking GitHub auth tokens

Many top-level open source projects have been found leaking GitHub auth tokens, putting entire projects at risk of data theft and malicious code tampering. Cybersecurity researchers from Unit 42 discovered the mishap and reported it to both GitHub and corresponding project owners – however GitHub said it wouldn’t be addressing the issue, and that the security of auth tokens lies solely with project owners. Unit 42 said it found open source projects from the likes of Google, Microsoft, and AWS, leaking GitHub authentication tokens through GitHub Actions artifacts in CI/CD…

Overcoming spreadsheet limitations in business planning

Spreadsheets, once praised as essential business planning tools are playing an increasingly important role, but face growing scrutiny for their shortcomings and possible risks. While 55% of organizations worldwide still use spreadsheets, such as Excel, for at least half of their business planning, a recent Board International poll found that this dependency has serious disadvantages, including inadequate data governance and quality, a lack of contemporary tools and technology, and hindered teamwork. This article will explore the three main obstacles of static spreadsheets, provide advice on how companies can use Excel…

The best budget Fitbit is now even cheaper after this $20 discount at Amazon

Fitness wearables are popular for all the perks they offer in a slim and affordable package, especially with a wearable as slight as the Fitbit Inspire 3. You can get the Fitbit Inspire 3 on Amazon for $79.95 (was $99.95). The Inspire 3 hasn’t dropped to a price this low in almost five months so it’s a rare opportunity to secure a solid saving on an affordable yet capable fitness tracker. Fitbits are a well-known wearable brand for health-conscious folks for a reason, or even those just trying to get…