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2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
From bin to bitcoin fame: the R21 billion blunder that made one man a digital legend
Needle in a haystack. That was the challenge James Howells faced when he realised he'd thrown away his hard drive containing the keys to millions in Bitcoins. Image: Facebook We've all made that mistake - throwing something in the trash that should have been kept - but no one's blunder is likely to top that of James Howells. Howells, 39, an IT worker from Newport, Wales, made one of the most expensive mistakes in digital history when he accidentally threw out a desktop hard drive in 2013 containing the private keys to 8,000 Bitcoins, "TechTimes" reports. At the time, Bitcoin was only taking off - but today, Howells' haul is worth around $950 million! In South African rands, that is almost R17 billion! And going by current projections, his lost fortune could exceed a value $8 billion by 2030 - enough to make anyone howl and weep in despair. But not Howells, he launched a decade-long modern-day digital treasure hunt for the keys to his wealth, which ended up in the local landfill. The publication reports that Howells has finally thrown in the towel after his detailed recovery and funding plans to excavate the landfill site were turned down by the local authority because of environmental and legal restrictions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Finding a small hard drive in a municipal dump was never going to be easy, but James Howells thought he had a plan. Image: Pexels He had planned to use AI-powered drones and robotic search systems to delve into the deep layers of trash to find his Bitcoin treasure, offering millions to incentivise its recovery. But this was thwarted by the local authority on the basis that its policy was clear: what you throw away no longer belongs to you; it belongs to the state. "TechTimes" reported that Howells has now officially given up hope of ever retrieving what could have become his generational wealth. And, of course, netizens had a lot to say about his cryptocurrency catastrophe. Chuks Michael Abel was all for the search to continue: "I wouldn't end that search till death do us part." Achille Manzo went a step further, posting on Facebook: "If I was an employee there, I would collect every hard drive I find. Fill one box at a time and sell it sealed to him. As time goes by, you never know, he might find it. At least he knows he has someone on the inside looking for him." And, as usual, there were the jokers, with Keyton Davis posting: "Fun fact - He didn't throw it away, his wife thought he spent too much time on bitcoin and threw it away." Ion Mardari had another theory: "He probably found it and said he gave up, so nobody bothers him."
Int'l Business Times
13-06-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Google Earthquake Detection Comes to Wear OS Watches; Life-Saving Alerts Now on Your Wrist
You'll never know that someday your smartwatch can save you, surprisingly. With regards to safety-related updates, Google is rolling out one of its most important Android features: the earthquake early warning system to Wear OS smartwatches. Initially released in 2020 for Android smartphones, the feature leverages the strength of distributed sensors on mobile devices to identify seismic motion and warn users mere seconds before an earthquake hits. Smartwatch owners will now also be given these life-saving warnings, providing them with an added advantage in safety during natural disasters. How Useful are Google's Earthquake Alerts Google Earthquake Detection Comes to Wear OS Watches; Life-Saving Alerts Google's earthquake detection system uses the accelerometers in Android phones as mini seismometers. When numerous devices shake at the same time, the system estimates the location and magnitude of the quake using crowdsourced information. According to Android Authority, there are two types of alerts depending on how strong the quake was: Be Aware Alert will be activated in response to light shaking. This alert softly comes without overwriting Do Not Disturb or sound options. Take Action Alert is for more serious cases. For more intense quakes with moderate or extreme shaking, a loud alarm and red warning screen are activated even if your phone is set to silent. It also shows safety tips, providing users valuable seconds to seek shelter. Now that these alerts are making their way to Wear OS, smartwatch users can receive real-time notifications. Receiving safety updates is critical even if your phone isn't in your hand. Earthquake Alerts Now on Your Wrist As per Google's June 2025 Google Play services v25.21 update, Android's earthquake-detecting system is being rolled out to Wear OS devices. This will mean that when an earthquake is detected, particularly those with a magnitude of 4.5 or higher, users are alerted via their wrist. The alerts should display: The approximate magnitude of the earthquake The epicenter distance An easy-to-view visual warning interface Though Google has not yet officially announced the rollout, the update notes indicate that it's in the pipeline—either this month as part of the update or further down the line with Wear OS 6. Smart Safety on Smart Devices The typical individual might ignore earthquake warnings until they really do need them, but in that instant, they could be the difference between life and death. Wearables are already a part of everyday life for notifications, health, and activity tracking. Enabling real-time natural disaster alerts is a huge step in mobile emergency preparedness. For residents of earthquake-risk zones like California, Japan, the Philippines, and Turkey, this release provides an effective and easy-to-use means of enhancing response time in the case of a quake. As they always say, earthquakes are unpredictable, so preparation is always the key. Originally published on Tech Times
