Can someone explain how the Bitcoin Blockchain works?

I’m trying to figure out how the blockchain works and how to read it via blockchain.info website. Is there a laymen way of explaining how the block chain works and how to read the blockchain to trace transactions?

What I know so far is:
the blockchain is just a public ledger of transactions on the bitcoin network.

How automatically to forward bitcoins from one address to another?

I have a bitcoin wallet address (the private key is known by other people). I periodically receive payment on this address (and cannot change it/receive to other address).

I need:
When I receive a payment on it, automatically and immediately (at 0 confirmations, like in BlockChain.info wallet) send/forward them to my new wallet address (the private key is known only by me).

Is this possible and how?

Converting satoshis to bitcoins issue using PHP

I am having PHP calculation problems (I think – i am reasonably new to PHP).

I am using

function convertToBTCFromSatoshi($value){
    $BTC = ($value / 100000000 );
    return (float)$BTC;
}

If $value = 10000 the result is correct of “0.0001”

Yet if $value = 5000 the result is “-5.0E-5”

Any ideas please πŸ™‚

Bitcoin QT error. How can I prevent corruption of database?

So I turn on my computer this morning, and I find Bitcoin QT has quit of its own accord.
I try to turn it back on and I get this message.

“Bitcoin – Error System error: Database corrupted”

Bitcoin QT error

I’m fairly sure Windows 7 restarted itself to install updates. Is this what caused the corruption?

Luckily, I have zero bitcoins, and I’ve reinstalled Bitcoin QT without any problems, but this will stress me out if I want to mine bitcoins while out of town.

Apparently, if the database is corrupted, you may have lost your wallet and all your money!

My question is, is this true, and how can I prevent this error from appearing again? What can cause it? I’ve turned off windows automatic update, so that should mean we’re okay? What happens in a powercut? Wish Bitcoin QT was more robust πŸ™

update Even weirder, I gave the corrupted Bitcoin QT a try and for no reason at all, it started and didn’t give me the error. Really scared of loosing all my money. Can someone explain what’s happening? Thanks a lot guys.

update Nope. Dispite working, it is still corrupted. It gets stuck on 86 weeks forever.

Tried to get in via bitcoind to reindex the database:
rebuild database

Tried uninstalling everything and reeboting my computer and resinstalling bitcoin-qt:

Thought it was working, but the second it got onto 85 weeks remaining:

corrupted

Gentlemen, please help. Logically thinking about it, it must be the same database it’s using, that somehow survived the reinstall. Maybe if someone could point me towards where this database is stored so I can delete it manually?

Brand new computer, 64 bit genuine windows 7. Barely any programs installed. Can’t believe how flaky this open source software is.

Effect of media coverage on the exchange rate?

When mainstream media or some high-profile blogs etc. report about Bitcoin, does it have a direct effect on the exchange rate?

Are there any examples in the past?

Let’s say an author is about to publish an article about Bitcoin in The New York Times. Would it be smart for the author to buy massive amounts of Bitcoin immediately before publishing the article, in the hope that the exchange rate rises?