Tag Archives: NFT

News

Pudgy Penguins Is Blurring the Lines Between Digital Assets & Tangible Economic Opportunities

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Pudgy Penguins is the latest hit in the NFT world. It’s closing the gap between digital collection and real-world business. It’s blending the tangible and intangible, making it more accessible and easier to monetize. They’ve created opportunities for NFT holders to get a tangible slice of physical merchandise sales bridging Web3 communities and technologies with the real world.

Pudgy Penguin & NFTs

NFT or Non-Fungible Tokens are digital assets that prove ownership through a publicly viewable ledger called a Blockchain.

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So how does this relate to the Pudgy Penguins? These Pudgy Penguins are 8,888 unique collectable Penguins that are linked to the Ethereum Blockchain. Each Penguin design comes with a unique identifier that is publicly listed in the Ethereum Blockchain and can be traced to the original artist. Using this, the company creates physical merchandise with the designs that are on the blockchain and the artists are paid royalties on their designs.

Backed by MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) and Asia Huddle PLT, these waddling birds are officially making their Malaysian debut. You will start seeing Pudgy Penguins soft toys and collectables in retail stores such as FamilyMart, myNews, Bila Bila Mart, emart24 and CU Malaysia across the country. In conjunction with the launch, there will be a special three-day event called “Pudgy Boleh” which will showcase their journey from digital animations to toys and collectables.

Tangible Economic Opportunities from the Blockchain

Pudgy Penguins looks to unlock more economic opportunities through its Web3 ecosystem. This comes on the heels of a successful foray into the United States which proves that blockchain innovation can be blended into tangible business opportunities.  

With their launch in Malaysia, the company coordinated a special three-day event called “Pudgy Boleh” to showcase their works from digital photos to live cuddly toys.

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Cheryl Law, the Pudgy Penguins Business Development Lead of Asia, sees a great future for the company to grow and have a positive impact on Malaysian Businesses and companies. The sentiment is shared by CEO, Luca Netz. Luca believes that everyone should be able to have a bridge between real life and their digital presence. Using these commodities, everyone can contribute to Malaysians’ economic landscape through inclusivity and art. 

News

Crypto and NFTs outlawed on GTA Online servers

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Cryptocurrencies and NFTs have been banned from the unlikeliest of trading grounds – the role-playing servers of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online.

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Crypto and NFTs now a crime on everyone’s favorite crime simulator. Image source: Rockstar via Kotaku.

New regulations bar trading of crypto, virtual currency and loot boxes

An update on developer Rockstar support page outlined new regulations on their role-playing servers, aligning with publisher Take-Two’s legal enforcement policy. Rockstar specifically mentions enforcement actions against “commercial exploitation”, which include sale of loot boxes or virtual currencies, generation of revenue via corporate sponsorships and use of cryptocurrency and crypto assets e.g. NFTs. This regulation, in line with existing rules for single player mods, will apply to all facets of Grand Theft Auto across all platforms. It will also extend to Rockstar’s other albeit less popular online game, Red Dead online.

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All dealings in hard-earned virtual cash only. Image source: Rockstar

So, what does this new set of rules mean for the game? Rockstar has assured that the existing experience of role-play servers will not be affected, including third party servers. Unlike the typical story-driven missions of a GTA game, the role-playing servers focus more on community-driven experiences. These are living and breathing worlds with all members having their own careers and personal lives. As you would expect in any online world, there is a thriving trading community. Unfortunately, some members have taken to selling some “less than savory” things to the developer’s distaste. These include licensed music and sponsorship deals, in-game currency to the much-maligned loot boxes.

Only recently, an online server started by rapper Lil Durk called “The Trenches” was shutdown by Rockstar for just this reason. As reported by Ars Technica, the role-playing server actively integrated real word gaming brands and a “Trenches Pass” NFT drop to access specific on-server content. Less than 3 months since its launch, the server was instructed to be shutdown by both Rockstar and TakeTwo. This event appeared to be the precursor of the new crackdown on crypto.

Safety of the community and the experience first

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Safety of the community and their bank accounts first. Image source: Steam Workshop

The new regulations also mention enforcement actions against misuse of Rockstar Games trademarks or game intellectual property (IP), importation of these IP or trademarks and interference with online multiplayer and online servers of both GTA and Red Dead. It appears Rockstar and Take-Two intend to safeguard their assets from misuse and the community experience in role-playing servers. The barring of loot boxes and the barely predictable cryptocurrencies and crypto assets safeguard finances too.

However, a final regulation also specifies enforcement actions on “making new games, stories, missions, or maps”. Although not elaborated on, both developer and publisher assure the existence of third-party role-playing servers are not affected. Will there be an impact on server content or community creativity? That remains to be seen.

Sources: Kotaku, ArsTechnica

Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Telegram Goes Blockchain

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Telegram is still one of the most popular messengers in the world alongside WhatsApp and Signal. It is simple to use, you can have access to a single account via multiple smartphones or even PC devices at the same time, and you do not even have to back your data up periodically. Telegram automatically saves your chat via the cloud and allows you to access it instantaneously when you sign into your account from anywhere in the world, as long as you can remember the phone number you signed up with Telegram. WhatsApp only allows you to hold your account on a single device at a time. Your WhatsApp back up data is strictly stored inside your smartphone, Google Drive, or Apple Cloud; even WhatsApp cannot access your data, apparently.

There is a common denominator when it comes to the popular messengers you see across the globe too. For all the major platforms, you need to share your phone number to get an account. Telegram sees that as one point of failure in terms of your privacy and cyber security, so they look to do away with phone number.

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Source: Telegram

Telegram’s more recent updates has done away with just that. Recently Telegram has started auctioning and selling off rare usernames for their new platform based on the TON Blockchain. TON also features their own cryptocurrency, the Toncoins. Buying the unique username allows users to sign up to an anonymous account without ever giving away your phone number. You can even do that yourself on Fragment. You get your verification code on Fragment as well, of course.

You are not getting something as unique as a codename or the regular usernames though. You are getting a bunch of random numbers that resemble a phone number. That unique number will be tied to your Fragment account so any verification that is needed for your Telegram sign ins will go to Fragment. This also eliminates the need for you to sign up and use Telegram via your own phone number to make it even more secure, and more anonymous in some sense.

The new update also brings a whole host of improvements largely aimed to make Telegram more secure and private. Users should already be familiar with self-destruct messages, where users can delete their messages without leaving so much as a trace in their chats. They can set a delete timer for their chats or messages too on the platform. Telegram is now expanding the feature from 2013 and give you more control over your digital footprint.

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You can now automatically delete your messages in all your new chats with any user, regardless of who starts the chat. In some ways, it allows you to keep your inbox tidy by keeping it up to date. In private groups, users who have the authorization can also set timers to their messages to be deleted after some time.

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Telegram also allows you to sort your messages and groups using via Topics. Instead of looking for names or specific chat groups, you can sort your messages on Telegrams like you see forums. Now it is more powerful than before because you can sort out messages from groups with more than 100 members. They also added a new two column mode for the feature for an even more streamlined navigation than before allowing you to quickly go from one topic to another.

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They even updated the anti-spam filter to be even more aggressive than before allowing your chats and groups to be a lot cleaner than before. If you do not feel comfortable giving away your phone number to other people to add you on Telegram, they have included a temporary QR code generator for you to show to others, when you need it. The people adding you will not even get to see your phone number. If you want to know how Telegram uses your smartphone’s storage, there is an even more detailed view of it now on Telegram itself.

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On top of these security updates, Telegram also added a few new features that has to do with emojis. Users of Telegram Premium gets access to new interactive emoji with full screen effects and everything. All Telegram users get access to all the security features that Telegram has introduced so far though, so if you have not spent a single dime on Telegram, you still do not have to. Telegram is available for free on Google’s Play Store and Apple App Store. For more information on Telegram’s update, you can visit their website.

News

NFTs Are Coming to Your LG TVs Soon!

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Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFT in short, has been all the rage these days. Technically, it is no more than a digital asset with a unique digital signature attached to it. That also means that each NFT can be created as unique products of their own thanks to the wonders of a technology we call blockchain. It is the same technology that birthed cryptocurrencies that we know today.

While NFTs in grander schemes of things may not seem like a significant thing, it is a digital artists paradise. The ability to attach unique digital signatures to their creations means that they can create a digital artwork that can only be used by people who own the digital signature. Anyone who has the artwork in their smartphones without the digital signatures are technically thieves or using duplicates. It is kind of like viewing the Mona Lisa in its final resting place in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and a replica of it in Malaysia’s National Museum; they are different things.

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Source: LG

NFT artwork is regarded as the modern art market today. The best part about NFT art is that because they are non-tangible, you can view them and display them anywhere you want them. You can set them to your smartphone’s wallpaper, if you like. Samsung and LG think that you might want them on your TVs.

Samsung announced a few months ago that their TVs will be one way of proudly displaying the NFT that you might have purchased. We think that the Samsung The Frame TV line-up will be the perfect place to properly display your beautifully and uniquely made NFT for times to come. LG also agrees with that and announced that their upcoming and existing TVs with WebOS 5.0 will be an NFT gateway for its users.

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Source: LG

When you update your compatible TVs with WebOS 5.0, you get a new app on the TV interface. The app is called LG Art Lab and it is LGs one stop shop for all things NFT for your TV. You can buy and even sell NFTs on the marketplace. Your bought NFTs can be displayed on your TV as a wallpaper or screen saver. The portal also has a countdown function for new NFTs that are being released or scheduled to be released. The first of which is dropping on the 22nd of September 2022.

Unlike other NFTs though, the LG Art Lab does not operate on top of Ethereum or other popular blockchain technology. In fact, Art lab does not on top of blockchain at all. Instead, the platform is based on Hedera, a hashgraph network. LG claims that the Hedera network is much more efficient than blockchain based networks.

To purchase your NFTs on the Art Lab, you do have to have a an existing Wallypto app. You simply scan a QR code provided by Art Lab for a particular NFT to purchase it with the Wallypto app. You also need to own some USD Coin, a sort of stablecoin that is supposedly pegged to US Dollar.

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Source: LG

The LG Art Lab is still rather new, which means that there may not be too much happening within the marketplace currently. LG says that they are going to be adding NFTs from artists on a monthly basis too. If you are a budding NFT artist, you might be able to sell some of your work on the marketplace too.

There is a caveat though. The LG Art Lab is currently only accessible to U.S. customers. In that case, if you are trying to find the NFT trading platform on your LG TVs in Malaysia, you might not be able to find Art Lab even after you have updated to WebOS 5.0.

Gaming, Lifestyle, News

No FTs in Minecraft – Mojang Studios Takes a Stance on in-game NFTs

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If you have not heard of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), you should really go out from your house and start talking to your friends. It is one of the most ‘in’ things today. Thanks to advancements and creative use in technology, the art scene has been in a completely different high in the modern world. When we say art, we are not completely referring to the traditional art market. NFTs refer to specialized digital art that is uniquely made with their own identifier thanks to blockchain technology.

While NFTs is the hottest trend in the digitally ‘woke’ world today, it is a highly disputed technology. Plenty questions its validity and hype comparing it to the rise and fall of cryptocurrencies. There are also plenty of discussions on whether NFTs should have a place in gaming industry too. The concept of blockchain based gaming is not a new one, as well as NFT assets in games. Games like Axie Infinity is a good example of NFT based gaming that works around the assets itself. There are also games in development that built itself around NFT ownership and trade as well currently.

Not everyone agrees with the presence of NFTs in games though. One of them is Mojang studios, the people behind one of the most successful game franchises we know today, Minecraft. According to a very recent post on Mojang’s Minecraft blog, they have stated that they are not allowing NFTs to be part of the game to protect its users. They also see NFT as a rather exclusive asset that might not align to their policy to ensure that the game is inclusive to all kinds of players.

The idea of NFTs in Minecraft, while seems rather interesting, was not concocted by Mojang themselves. It is an implementation by other NFT based companies to show that they can generate unique collectibles, world files, and skin packs in the Minecraft world. The implementation also allows users to earn NFTs through activities inside and outside of the game itself.

While having unique assets is a noble idea in Minecraft, they say that they do not want to create an environment where scarcity and exclusion becomes a culture within Minecraft. Minecraft also has its own marketplace that allows players to sell their own creations for others to use. Minecraft also allows players to charge for access to their servers. All players have the same level of access to functionalities and available contents throughout the game. NFTs goes completely against that concept, according to Mojang. Therefore, NFTs should not have its place in the Minecraft game at this time.

Mojang is not completely against the idea of blockchain in Minecraft though. Mojang says that they will be paying close attention to how blockchain technology progresses. The idea is to implement blockchain within the game that complies to their concept of inclusivity and other practical use cases in gaming. They also re-iterated that they are not planning to implement blockchain within Minecraft currently.

Lifestyle, News, Social Media

Instagram is Embracing NFTs, You Can Show Your NFTs on Instagram Soon!

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Love it or hate it, NFT is here to stay for a while. If you are not familiar yet, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) really took off in the past year. It started out as something of a trading alternative for artists in the digital space. It also stems from cryptocurrency, which is another completely different and large topic on its own.

The rise of NFTs does pave plenty of ways for artists and content creators to make millions in a matter of minutes, faster than ever before. There are always two sides of the coin though. Some may like the idea of NFT, some opposed it and thinks that NFT is just a fad. Then again, cryptocurrency is not everyone’s cup of tea either.

Instagram seems to be one that hopes that the NFT trend could boost their own popularity though. To be fair, this should not be something new. Instagram has been contemplating on allowing the sharing of NFTs on their platform for a while now. Recently, the thoughts have been put to action as announced by Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri via Twitter and Instagram Reels.

This does not mean that Instagram is going to be a marketplace for NFTs though. It is a mere platform to showcase owned NFTs. According to Adam, there will be additional information provided with NFT postings. Information like who owns the NFT, for example, will be essential and shared with the posts. He also added that NFTs can be posted and shared across the platform without additional fees or costs.

NFTs on Instagram 🎉

This week we’re beginning to test digital collectibles with a handful of US creators and collectors who will be able to share NFTs on Instagram. There will be no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on IG.

See you next week! ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/VuJbMVSBDr

Still, you do want to take Instagram’s stance on NFTs with a pinch of salt though. Adam Mosseri’s post says that they are just beginning the tests with a handful of creators and NFT owners. That also means that not all users might get to share their NFT contents just yet. It could pave a way for Instagram to become one of the NFT marketplaces in the future, depending on how its users receive the feature. For now, it will act like a gallery for NFT placements. If you wish to buy NFTs, you still should head to the appropriate marketplaces to make your purchases or bids.

What do you think about NFTs? Is this the right move for Instagram? Would you share your digital collectible on Instagram? Would you even buy NFTs off Instagram? Comment below!