The bit that I don't get is how Ethereum will communicate with the outside world.
Example: I bet a friend that Hillary will be the next president. We create an Ethereum app/contract/whatever and fund it with $50 (worth of 'ether') each. When the election rolls around, we want to pay the winner automatically, but how can you do that?
You could have a rule to check some 'official' source on the internet but that data could easily be faked or unavailable. Then what?
If this kind of app is not suited to Etherium, then what are some good examples of Etherium's capabilities?
Example: I bet a friend that Hillary will be the next president. We create an Ethereum app/contract/whatever and fund it with $50 (worth of 'ether') each. When the election rolls around, we want to pay the winner automatically, but how can you do that?
You could have a rule to check some 'official' source on the internet but that data could easily be faked or unavailable. Then what?
If this kind of app is not suited to Etherium, then what are some good examples of Etherium's capabilities?