The Block company of entrepreneur Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former head of the social network Twitter (now X), announced the launch of a hardware crypto wallet called Bitkey for storing Bitcoin. Bitkey is shaped like a black hexagon and is complemented by a mobile app and a set of tools for recovering private keys in case you lose your wallet, smartphone, or both devices. According to the creators, Bitcoin is a safe and easy way for people with varying levels of Bitcoin experience to take control of their finances, gain peace of mind and independence from any one organization.

Bitkey works based on a 2 of 3 multi-signature system: the client is given two keys – one of them is in the mobile application, and the second is stored offline in the hardware device. Through the application, you can make Bitcoin transactions from your smartphone, track your balance and manage security settings. The hardware key serves two main purposes: an additional layer of security for co-signing money transfers (based on the limit set by the client) and data recovery if the phone is lost.

The third key resides on the Bitkey server and is used for only two purposes: moving bitcoins for smartphone-only transactions (no hardware device) and recovering the wallet in case you lose your phone, hardware device, or both. Since Bitkey only has access to one key, and not two or three at once, an organization cannot access a client’s funds without the client’s knowledge. Bitkey is currently available for pre-order in 95 countries for $150, with deliveries expected to start in early 2024.

Microsoft has been gradually improving the built-in Notepad app in Windows in recent years, and now it’s finally getting a character counting feature.

In the new test version of Windows 11, the Dev and Canary channels now display the number of characters at the bottom of the Notepad window, much like counting the number of words in a document in Microsoft Word.

The Microsoft Windows Insider testing program team explained in a blog post:

When text is selected, the status bar displays the character count for both the selected text and the entire document. If no text is selected, the character count for the entire document is displayed, so you always have a clear idea of ​​the length of the document.

This is the latest addition in a line of changes to Notepad in 2023: the app recently added a new autosave option that lets you close a document without being confronted with a window prompting you to save every time. Microsoft has also added tabs and dark mode to Notepad.

The team of the popular WhatsApp messenger announced the launch of a new feature for voice messages. Now users have access to voice messages designed for one-time listening.

As the developers note, this feature can be useful in a variety of situations. For example, if you want to dictate credit card details to a friend or are planning a surprise. Like photos and videos for one-time viewing, such voice messages are marked with a special icon that warns that the recording can only be listened to once.

The spread of the innovation has already begun. One-time voice messages will be available to users around the world in the next few days.