Skip to main content
A British IT worker has launched a frantic search of a landfill site after realising he accidentally threw away a computer drive holding $7.5 million (5.5 million euros) in the online currency Bitcoin.James Howells, 28, obtained 7,500 Bitcoins in 2009 when the currency was virtually worthless. Its value has since soared, with a single Bitcoin hitting $1,000 for the first time on Tuesday.Howells left the hard drive in a drawer for several years, and threw it away earlier this year without a second thought.To his horror, he then realised what it had contained -- and that he would be a millionaire, if he could only find it.He now faces the prospect of a painstaking hunt through a massive landfill site in his home city of Newport, Wales, he told BBC television on Thursday."When I went to the tip the manager took me up to the current landfill site and when I saw it -- it's about the size of a football field -- my first thought was 'no chance'," he said."The manager explained that things that were sent to landfill three or four months ago could be three to five feet (1.5 metres) deep.
"He confirmed my worst fears when he said that."Large-scale searches of the landfill site -- including those for police evidence -- usually involve up to 20 workers with digging equipment and dogs, he added."The truth is, I haven't got the funds or ability to make that happen at the moment without a definite pay cheque at the end of it," Howells said.He told the BBC he forgot about the Bitcoin stash because he was "distracted by family life and moving house".The hard drive was thrown out between mid-June and August, he believes.He has checked all of his back-up files without success.Launched in 2009 as the invention of a mysterious computer guru who goes by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoins can be exchanged online for real money or used to buy goods and services on the Internet.The currency is not regulated by any government.

Comments

Post a Comment

What do you Think about This Article? Share Your Comments Here

Popular posts from this blog

LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ  reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4. LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for
Post a Comment
Full Story »
Flexible displays are the Future of IT Industry! A part from 4k and smart home appliances, the CES 2013 saw a lot of attention being drawn towards bendable, flexible displays. The elasticised display idea isn’t something new as we have seen hoards of device concepts being crafted around flexible, bendable and even foldable displays. These concept devices give us a futuristic feel, be it a flexible phone to be worn around the wrist or a phone that opens up to turn into a tablet or PSP-like device. But how far is this future? Nokia has been toying with the idea ever since we remember. The technology sounds very fascinating and the possibilities and the extent to which bendable displays could be used are vast and leave us spellbound. However, these have always been concepts and we haven’t seen any device materialise in the real world. There have been several technologies that were conceived in these years and all have been put to their practical use. But the bendable d
Post a Comment
Full Story »

Xarius: Charge Your Mobile From Air

Xarius is a portable energy generator that allows to charge electrical appliances by the use of windpower in areas without electricity. Its lightweight and compact design makes the wind turbine to a perfect companion on backpacking trips with little luggage. It is composed of a foldable three-wing-system and an internal energy generator. The integrated rope makes it easy to adapt to any environment.Hooks are attached to both of its ends to tighten the rope and open the wings at the same time using the resulting tension. For convenient charging the battery is permanently installed, so that the electrical device can be charged inside the tent. The LED on the hook shows the current charge of battery. The pulsating orange indicates that the wind turbine has to recharge. Even at low wind speeds the blades begin to rotate autonomously.
Post a Comment
Full Story »