Your Tech Story

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Youtube shorts

Can you make money from Youtube shorts?

YouTube creators will soon have the opportunity to monetize their Youtube Shorts videos. This is an important development for YouTube creators who make money from YouTube.

The YPP, Youtube’s formal monetization program, does not include YouTube Shorts. Joining the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) as a Youtube Shorts creator is difficult unless one is releasing long-form videos and hitting the required benchmarks of 1,000 subscriptions and 4,000 watch hours. Additionally, there is no way to monetize short, vertical content with ads.

Youtube shorts
Image Source: variety.com

However, YouTube is altering these criteria. The platform will enable revenue sharing for Shorts advertising as of February 1, 2023. As a result, a creator may now profit from the advertisements that users watch on the Youtube Shorts Feed.

Youtube stated, “from the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45% of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views. We expect the majority of our Shorts Fund recipients to earn more money under this new model, which was built for long-term sustainability.

Read More: YouTube expands shopping features to combat digital ad slowdown

Instead of a fixed fund, we’re doubling down on the revenue-sharing model that has supercharged the creator economy and enabled creators to benefit from the platform’s success.” This is an intriguing approach to rewarding creators and encouraging the entire community to support Shorts.

Creators must first be enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program in order to profit from Shorts monetization. YouTube is adopting new eligibility requirements in order to increase the number of creators with a concentration on shorts who join the Partner Program. By reaching a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days, creators will be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program beginning in early 2023.

With this update, creators will be able to join the Youtube Partner Program even if they don’t make long-form videos. When this move is implemented, YouTube will maintain its current requirements, which are 1k subscribers and 4k watch hours. Last but not least, YouTube claims it will drop the fan funding level in early 2023, enabling creators who are not part of the Partner Program to profit from viewer purchases.

If one wants to immediately generate income from YouTube Shorts the $100 million Shorts Fund is one method to go about it. YouTube vowed to reward producers with a monthly “bonus” coming straight from that fund when it made this announcement in 2021. The actual amount of the bonuses, which can vary from $100-10,000, is determined by how well a creator did with Shorts the previous month.

But starting in 2023, this YouTube Shorts incentive will disappear. As previously announced, starting in the following year, creators will generate money from advertising in the Shorts Feed. The final series of Shorts bonuses will therefore be distributed in February 2023. Here are the prerequisites for obtaining a Shorts bonus until then.

Publish an original YouTube short every 180 days and follow the monetization and community rules on YouTube. Once a creator fulfil these conditions, they are eligible to win a Shorts bonus.

Nintendo Switch Pro

Is the Nintendo Switch Pro worth buying in 2023?

For years, there have been rumors of the Nintendo Switch Pro However, the upgraded Switch sequel has not yet materialized.

A recent Nvidia leak appears to corroborate the Tegra239 SoC’s existence, which is generally thought to power the Switch Pro. But even if all of this turns out to be completely off the mark, an improved version of the Nintendo Switch may be in the works.

Nintendo Switch Pro
Image Source: techstory.in

Early in 2019, rumors began to spread regarding the Nintendo Switch Pro. In a March 2019 article, The Wall Street Journal stated that Nintendo was manufacturing two new Switch models, citing “parts suppliers and software developers for Nintendo.”

The second described a more potent, full HD Switch model targeted at the more hard-core market. The first described a “cheaper option for casual gamers,” which sounds remarkably similar to the Switch Lite. The rumors have continued ever since.

Read More: From a Small Card Company to World’s Largest Video Game Maker

In a recent interview, Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo’s president, added that there won’t be a new Switch in the current fiscal year, which runs through March 2023. However, the Japanese gaming behemoth has backed off from complete denial, firmly denying that work is being done on an improved Switch system.

As per rumors, the new Switch will be able to output 4K video, which gamers have been yearning for and were unhappy not to see in the Switch OLED. In fact, playing through Bowser’s palace in Mario Kart or exploring Hyrule in Breath of the Wild would be immensely more immersive in sharp 4K.

A more powerful CPU and NVIDIA DLSS AI rendering capabilities are rumored to be included in the Switch Pro. According to a leak from Nintendo, the Switch Pro will have power comparable to a PS4 — quite astounding for a portable device. There have been plenty of rumors and fan-made renderings teasing the Nintendo Switch Pro’s potential appearance.

Fans have enjoyed speculating on what the future of the Switch’s design might hold, from a completely different model with a four-cartridge port to a variety of pleasantly vintage suggestions. There have been rumors that a larger display and more ergonomic Joy-Cons are on the way.

The OLED Switch increased the size from 6.2 inches to 7 inches, which was one aspect where it did not fall short. With that in view, it’s possible that the Switch Pro will go much further and provide even more inches of screen space.

The Nintendo Switch currently has a 32GB storage capacity, a 720p LCD display, and a bespoke Nvidia Tegra X1 processor. The Nintendo Switch’s most recent update, which took place in August 2019, increased battery life, bringing it from 6.5 hours to 9 hours of playtime.

Bloomberg stated in March 2021 that a new Nintendo 4K Switch with an OLED display might be released before the holidays. In order to prepare for a Christmas launch, Nintendo reportedly asked the Samsung Display Co. to create seven-inch, 720p OLED displays.

The original Switch release was four years ago, so it seems fitting to upgrade the device now. There haven’t been official signs to date that Nintendo is prepared to introduce the Nintendo Switch Pro or any other next-generation console. However, the rumors suggest the Nintendo Switch Pro might be a good buy when it releases in 2023.

Data Centers

Google and Microsoft announce new pacts to use renewable energy in the data center

Both Microsoft and Google have made fresh commitments to use renewable sources of energy in their data centers, reducing the carbon impact of their IT operations.

data centers
Image Source: business-standard.com

Microsoft and Google have made new commitments to reduce the carbon footprint of their IT operations through the use of renewable sources of energy in their data centers. In order to power its facilities in the UK, Google has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the French utility company Engie for 100 MW of energy produced by the Moray West offshore wind farm.

According to Google, the new agreements would help the business to nearer to its goal of completely running its cloud regions and UK offices on carbon-free energy by 2030. According to Matt Brittin, president of Google EMEA, consumers in the UK and Europe are growing more concerned about energy sources and climate change.

He stated that Google has similar worries and thinks technology will be crucial in resolving the energy crisis by lowering emissions both internally and externally.

Read More: Nvidia and Microsoft Collaborate To Build AI Supercomputers

Microsoft, meanwhile, publicly disclosed PPAs in Ireland that encompass more than 900MW of brand-new renewable power capacity to operate its data centers there. Microsoft did not identify the providers for its renewable power contracts, but other media has named two of them as Statkraft of Norway and Energia Group of Ireland.

The energy is derived from a combination of solar and wind projects. The Redmond powerhouse predicted that by 2025, all of the energy used in its Irish data centers would be renewable and sourced from new initiatives backed by PPAs like these. Microsoft already agreed to a 20-year contract with AES Corporation to operate its data centers in California using renewable energy.

The action follows past agreements by both businesses to purchase US renewable energy. While Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with AES Corporation earlier this year to supply renewable power to its data centers in California from a portfolio of 110MW solar and 55MW four-hour storage projects, Google struck a deal with SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy for 900MW of solar energy for a datacenter in Texas.

Although these initiatives have admirable goals, they won’t necessarily reduce the carbon emissions of these megacorps, particularly if they are growing more quickly than they are acquiring carbon credits or making investments in renewable energy.

For instance, Microsoft acknowledged in its sustainability reports report for 2021 that although its personal CO2 emissions had decreased by around 17% year over year, its carbon emissions had increased due to considerable expansion during the same time. Microsoft stated that in addition to growing its data centers to accommodate customers’ requirements, it has also increased its commitment to decreasing carbon use and assisting in the bigger climate change challenges.

The series of announcements is a boost for the commercial power purchase agreement (PPA) market in Europe, which wind and solar industry organizations claimed last month had experienced a year-over-year decrease during the first three quarters of 2022.

Brussels Office

Twitter Closes Brussels Office As Elon Musk’s Reforms Spread To Europe

As per reports, Twitter’s Brussels office has been closed. According to reports, Twitter’s Brussels office has been closed, which may make it more challenging for it to comply with new European Union rules governing content moderation.

Brussels Office
Image Source: yahoo.com

The office had less than ten employees, but despite its tiny size, the office was crucial because of its connections to the EU. After Musk took over, the Brussels office staff was reduced from six to two. Last Monday, Twitter’s last two remaining public policy executives, Julia Mozer and Dario La Nasa, left the company completely dissolving the Brussels office.

They may have quit the company or been dismissed, but they left after Musk gave his employees an ultimatum, asking employees to work “long hours at a high intensity” or face termination with three months’ worth of severance compensation.

Read More: Elon Musk Blames ‘Activists’ for His Twitter Moderation Council Lie

Mozer and La Nasa were in charge of Twitter’s public policy in Europe. They were in charge of making sure Twitter conforms with both the Digital Services Act and the EU’s disinformation guidelines. More control over how platforms censor material and when tech corporations must remove unlawful content is granted to EU governments as a result of the new law.

The platforms will have to be open about the factors that go into their content moderation choices. If a user’s content is taken down or accessibility to it is restricted, they have the right to appeal the moderation decision. Twitter might face severe penalties if it doesn’t follow the DSA’s regulations.

Regulators have the power to penalize Twitter up to 6% of its annual global revenue or even shut it down completely. Musk has been cautioned by Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for the internal market, that Twitter must adhere to the bloc’s content laws.

Two significant pieces of digital legislation that will establish previously unheard-of criteria for the accountability of digital companies operating in a free and vibrant digital market were adopted by the European Parliament in July of this year. Mass layoffs at Twitter, meanwhile, have already concerned the Commission and prompted Brussels to become more confrontational with Twitter.

The EU vice-president in charge of the disinformation code, Vera Jourova, expressed alarm about the closure of the Brussels office to the Financial Times. She noted, “If you want to effectively detect and take action against disinformation and propaganda, this requires resources. Especially in the context of Russian disinformation warfare, I expect Twitter to fully respect the EU law and honor its commitments.”

Since Musk took over, concerns about increased levels of misinformation on the network have intensified, especially since he made it possible for anybody to get a verified tag for $8. This resulted in trolls posing as Tony Blair, George W. Bush, and other public figures as well as corporations like Nintendo and McDonald’s. Musk has since put the paid verification program on hold, but he’ll probably resume it soon.

While this is going on, several Democratic senators have requested the FTC to investigate if Twitter has broken any consumer protection laws or a consent order with the agency. The latter mandates Twitter to examine new features for any privacy concerns, among other things.

According to a report from earlier this month, Twitter engineers must “self-certify” that they are abiding by FTC guidelines and other regulations. In a recent statement, the FTC stated that it is “tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern.”

AAA PC game

Netflix is working on ‘brand-new’ AAA PC game

According to numerous reports, Netflix may soon develop a brand new AAA PC game.

According to Mobilegamer.biz, Netflix has posted over a dozen job openings for its Los Angeles branch of Netflix Games Studio on its website. Netflix is specifically looking for a game director to engage in “a brand-new AAA PC game.”

AAA PC game
Image Source: tribune.com.pk

Netflix posted job openings at its newly announced Southern California games studio for a game director, art director, and technical director. The platform is seeking a “creative leader of one of Netflix’s first generation of internally developed original games” for the post of game director.

AAA projects are prominent games in the video gaming industry with very huge budgets and production teams. The task of creating an environment, characters, and storyline that is deserving of a Netflix movie or TV series will fall to the game director. There aren’t many details available since it is an unreleased project.

The company noted in its job openings, “We’re looking for a creative and highly-skilled Game Director to help us forge the game direction and creative vision on a brand-new AAA PC game. As Game Director, you will be the creative leader of one of Netflix’s first generation of internally developed original games.

You will provide the vision and direction for the game from the concept phase, through production, launch, and live operations. The right candidate will bring industry-leading craft expertise and attention to detail to generate the vision for a game that is high quality, emotionally resonant, iconic, and full of heart.

Creating a great game that players want to come back to repeatedly is our primary goal – you will be able to create, ship, and run a game without any competing design constraints due to monetization. ”

Netflix has been concentrating on expanding its mobile division up until now. The company now has plans to increase its PC gaming presence with fresh acquisitions after recently acquiring Spry Fox, the developer of Cozy Grove. In November of last year, the streaming juggernaut began making its mobile games available to users of Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Currently, the company has 40 distinct games available. There are many spin-off games themed on well-known Netflix series like Stranger Things, as well as card games, original games, and timeless mobile games like running and racing games. Right now, Netflix’s gaming business model is fairly straightforward.

One can download and play every game in the Netflix game library if they have a Netflix subscription. Additionally, the platform was developing features that would enable users to compete with one another in its mobile games and place themselves on gaming scoreboards in August.

The sum of money that Netflix has already committed to supporting AAA PC games is still unclear. However, it takes a lot of time and resources to create AAA games. Crucible, the initial attempt by Amazon, was infamously unsuccessful. Google closed down Stadia Games & Entertainment before the studio had an opportunity to produce an AAA-level game on Stadia.

Shou Zi Chew

Shou Zi Chew Success Story: From Ex-Facebook Intern to TikTok CEO

Shou Zi Chew is the CEO of TikTok. He was the former CFO of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. He is in charge of the app’s government and public relations, cybersecurity, and legal compliance issues. His effort has helped TikTok achieve one billion downloads globally, inadvertently helping launch the career of many individuals.

Shou Zi Chew
Image Source: gadgets360.com

After working for Goldman Sachs for two years, he joined the then-young investment business DST Global before taking the helm of the Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi.

Early Life

He graduated from University College London with a bachelor’s in economics before enrolling in Harvard Business School to obtain an MBA in 2010. Chew spent two years as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs after graduating from UCL. Chew made the decision to continue his education in 2008.

He was awarded a fellowship to study at the esteemed Harvard Business School. It was a wise decision for him to continue his study. His two-year MBA program at Harvard, which placed a strong emphasis on real-world skills, gave him the expertise he needed to achieve his goals.

Success Story

Chew’s education at UCL served as a launching pad for his career at the prominent investment bank Goldman Sachs. From that point on, the TikTok CEO simply kept moving up the corporate ladder. Chew claimed in a post on the Harvard Alumni website that he worked for a company that “was called Facebook” while he was a student.

Read More: Success Story of Dyslexic Kid becoming Billionaire

Shou Zi Chew had interned at Facebook which was just a startup at that time. He also spent five years working for the Russian IT tycoon Yuri Milner’s investment company DST. While he was working there in 2013, he managed a team that later became an early investor in Bytedance.

In 2015, he was appointed CFO of the Chinese smartphone juggernaut, Xiaomi. Shou Zi Chew assisted in securing significant funding and guided the business throughout its 2018 IPO, which turned out to be one of the biggest tech IPOs in the country. He was also named the president of Xiaomi’s global business in 2019.

He left the CFO position in April 2020, but he continued to serve as the company’s International Business President until March 2021, after which point he completely severed ties with Xiamoi. Shou Zi Chew acknowledged having a history with ByteDance dating back to when he assisted in making investments in the company about ten years ago.

Chew was hired as the CFO of ByteDance in March 2021 After two months, TikTok named Chew as the CEO of the company citing his strong grasp of the business and the industry. Kevin Mayer, the previous CEO, had left the organization just after three months of serving the role due to criticism from politicians regarding the platform’s security issues.

Chew left his position with ByteDance in the latter part of last year to concentrate on TikTok. With more than 1.2 billion monthly active users, TikTok has continued on its path of explosive growth under Chew’s direction.