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Why Music Publishers are suing Twitter?

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On Wednesday, 17 music publishers filed a lawsuit against Twitter in federal court in Nashville, Tennessee. They claimed that by allowing users to upload music without a license, the company was complicit in thousands of copyright violations.

The lawsuit claimed that “numerous infringing copies of musical compositions” are used on Twitter to increase user engagement.

Twitter
Image Source: engadget.com

For claimed violations of nearly 1,700 copyrights, members of the National Music Publishers’ Association, including Sony Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, and Universal Music Publishing Group, are suing for more than $250 million in damages.

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Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October, the long-standing violation, according to the lawsuit, has gotten worse, since other significant platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube have legitimate music licenses from the publishers.

According to the NMPA President David Israelite, Twitter “stands alone as the largest social media platform that has completely refused to license the millions of songs on its service.” The lawsuit includes Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, the Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, and Rihanna among the artists it represents.

The lawsuit claimed that Twitter “routinely ignores” repeat infringers who send out messages containing illegal music. The publishers claimed that Twitter encourages user infringement, giving it an “unfair advantage” over platforms that purchase music licenses by raising engagement and ad revenues.

He slammed Twitter for consistently failing to take action against individuals who repeatedly violate the terms of service by tweeting lyrics from unlicensed songs.

The claim made by the music publishers is that Twitter actively promotes user infringement, using it to raise user engagement, boost advertising revenue, and obtain an unfair competitive advantage over other platforms that pay for music licenses.

The publishers said that, since Musk took over, “Twitter’s internal affairs regarding matters pertaining to this case are in disarray,” pointing out significant staff reductions to the company’s legal and trust and safety departments.

In general, music publishers and copyright holders can take legal action against various platforms, including social media platforms like Twitter, if they believe that their copyrighted music is being used without proper authorization or licensing.

This could involve users on the platform sharing copyrighted music without permission or platforms allowing the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material.

Music publishers typically hold the rights to the songs and compositions created by songwriters and composers. They rely on licensing agreements and copyright protection to ensure that they are compensated for the use of their copyrighted material.

If they believe that Twitter or its users are infringing on these rights, they may choose to take legal action to protect their interests and seek damages.

Gigacasting

Why are other automakers chasing Tesla’s ‘Gigacasting’?

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Toyota Motor announced this week that it is going to employ a technology powered by Tesla called “Gigacasting” as an element of a plan to increase the efficiency and reduce the price of potential electric vehicles (EVs).

Toyota is not the only company imitating Tesla’s innovation.

Gigacasting
Image Source: reuters.com

Here’s an overview of Gigacasting along with how the invention is pushing car companies to compete with Tesla:

Tesla has implemented the Giga Press which is an aluminium die-casting device, in its facilities in the United States, China along with Germany. The home-sized machines can create aluminium components that are much larger than anything previously used in the auto industry.

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An average vehicle body is made up of over one hundred separately pressed metal pieces that have been soldered together.

According to experts, Tesla’s industry-leading economic viability has been attributed to fewer components, cheaper costs, and a streamlined manufacturing facility.

Tesla claims that by using just one part in the back of the Model Y, its most popular model, it was able to reduce associated costs by 40 per cent.

Tesla purchases its presses from IDRA in Italy which is a division of LK Industries since 2008 in China.

According to an AlixPartners estimate, the overall market for aluminium die-casting was over 73 billion USD last year and is expected to reach a value of $126 billion by 2032.

Along with Toyota, other automakers employing the technology include Hyundai Motor, General Motors, and also, Volvo Cars, Polestar along with Zeekr, all of which are subsidiaries of China’s Geely.

For the multifunctional van that it sells in China, Zeekr has begun using enormous aluminium die casts, while the company has stated that it would also use the approach for other kinds of vehicles.

Volvo stated last year that it will spend over 900 million dollars to renovate its facility close to Gothenburg in Sweden so that it would feature mega press technology.

Only the Model 3 as well as the Model Y represent the majority of Tesla’s revenues. It is simpler to justifiably invest in innovative manufacturing methods when there are high sales volumes on just two platforms. That benefit also applies to other Electric vehicle startups.

Experts have stated that it can be difficult for traditional automobile manufacturers to decide whether they should invest hundreds of millions of bucks in new casting technologies because they have more complex product lines and production machinery that has previously been amortised.

solid-state batteries

How could solid-state batteries improve next-gen EVs?

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Small electrical gadgets like pacemakers and smartwatches have utilized solid-state batteries. The development of EV battery mass production has been slower than expected.

Toyota claimed to have solved a solid-state battery durability problem, clearing the door for manufacturing, which it anticipates will start in 2027–2028.

solid-state batteries
Image Source: timeslive.co.za

·Solid-state batteries offer higher energy density compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. This means they can store more energy per unit volume or weight, enabling EVs to have longer driving ranges on a single charge.

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This improved energy density is particularly advantageous for electric vehicles where maximizing range is a critical factor. Solid-state batteries are considered safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

The absence of liquid electrolytes eliminates the risk of leakage, thermal runaway, and fire hazards associated with traditional battery chemistries. This makes solid-state batteries more stable and less prone to accidents, increasing the overall safety of EVs.

These batteries have the potential to support significantly faster charging speeds. Their unique structure and advanced materials allow for improved ion conductivity, reducing charging times compared to lithium-ion batteries. Rapid charging capabilities are crucial for the widespread adoption of EVs by addressing one of the primary concerns of consumers—long charging times.

They exhibit improved cycle life, meaning they can withstand a greater number of charge and discharge cycles before experiencing degradation. This extended lifespan translates into longer-lasting EV batteries that require less frequent replacement, reducing costs and environmental impact.

Solid-state batteries perform better across a wide range of temperatures, including extremely cold or hot conditions. They are less affected by temperature fluctuations, allowing EVs equipped with solid-state batteries to maintain their performance and range in challenging weather conditions.

They offer greater design flexibility due to their solid and flexible nature. They can be made thinner, lighter, and molded into various shapes, allowing for more creative integration into different vehicle designs.

This flexibility could lead to improved space utilization, increased cargo capacity, or even the integration of batteries into structural components, optimizing the overall vehicle design.

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Solid-state battery cells for EVs have been manufactured in prototype form by automakers and technology companies, but mass production has not yet been scaled up. It is challenging to create a solid electrolyte that is chemically inert, stable, and nevertheless an effective ion conductor between the electrodes.

In addition, they are hard to make and expensive to crack. As a result, liquid lithium-ion batteries are much less expensive than solid-state batteries.

Toyota withheld projected expenses for its new solid-state battery electric vehicle (EV) or the additional investment required to increase manufacturing.

Robinhood

Why did Robinhood Markets remove three crypto tokens?

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Days after the U.S. securities regulator launched a crackdown against the major exchanges in the sector, Robinhood Markets said on Friday that it is withdrawing three cryptocurrency tokens from its platform.

On June 27, the online brokerage said that customers will no longer be able to trade Solana, Cardano, or Polygon using Robinhood.

Robinhood
Image Source: reuters.com

The move by Robinhood was made in response to the SEC classifying these tokens as securities in its lawsuit against Binance and another complaint it filed the next day against Coinbase. It is clear that the SEC’s legal action is already having an impact on the cryptocurrency market.

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The operation of Binance.US and CEO Changpeng Zhao are the targets of the SEC’s lawsuit, which was filed on Monday. It makes 13 allegations against Binance, including that it engaged in a “web of deception,” fraudulently inflated trading volumes, misappropriated user cash, and claimed fake independence of the US corporation while actually being in control of it.

Meanwhile, the US branch of Binance has chosen to stop accepting deposits in dollars. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is stepping up its campaign of repression against the bitcoin industry as these actions are being taken.

Binance.US, regarded as Binance’s independent partner, announced on Twitter on Thursday that its partner banks were getting ready to stop providing access to dollar withdrawal routes by June 13. After the SEC requested an asset freeze via a court order, the decision was made. Customers can withdraw their money till Tuesday.

Solana is a high-performance blockchain platform designed to provide fast and scalable solutions for decentralized applications. It utilizes a unique combination of technologies, including a proof-of-history (PoH) consensus mechanism and a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm.

Solana aims to address the scalability limitations faced by other blockchain platforms, offering high throughput and low transaction fees. It has gained attention for its potential in supporting various applications, including decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Cardano is a blockchain platform that emphasizes security, scalability, and sustainability. It uses a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism called Ouroboros, which aims to provide a secure and energy-efficient network.

Cardano is developed with a strong focus on academic research and aims to offer a robust infrastructure for decentralized applications and smart contracts. The platform aims to provide scalability through its layered architecture, with plans to introduce additional layers for governance and sidechains.

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Polygon is a layer 2 scaling solution for the Ethereum blockchain. It aims to address the scalability issues of Ethereum by providing a framework for building and connecting scalable and interoperable blockchain networks.

Polygon utilizes various technologies, including sidechains, Plasma, and a PoS consensus mechanism, to enable faster and cheaper transactions while leveraging Ethereum’s security.

It offers developers the flexibility to create dApps with Ethereum compatibility while benefiting from the scalability and low fees provided by the Polygon network.

Meta

Is Meta testing Reels on Quest?

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On its Quest headset, Meta is testing a means for users to watch Reels. CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a video on Meta’s broadcast channel showcasing how a Reel will appear in virtual reality.

It appears that you can browse through Reels in a window that opens against your virtual background, much like when you open other apps on the OS.

Meta
Image Source: bizzbuzz.news

It’s unclear whether Reels will be included in Meta’s Instagram app for the Quest or whether users will be able to test it out. The Verge contacted Meta for comment, but they didn’t react right away.

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In any case, adding Reels to Quest is an indication that Meta is prepared to integrate its systems and apps more tightly. Additionally, it makes an announcement just a week after Meta unveiled the $499 Quest 3 and days after Apple unveiled the $3,499 Vision Pro.

During the WWDC23 event, Apple demonstrated the Vision Pro Mixed Reality headset. The $3499 headset’s transparent visor and several cameras for motion and vision tracking enable it to offer Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality content.

Apple is actively promoting its platforms, apps, and services on the Visio Pro. On the day that Vision Pro launches, content from Disney+ and its affiliated content producers will be available.

Zuckerberg responded to the Vision Pro by claiming Apple’s vision for the device isn’t the one he wants, noting that Apple primarily focused on solitary activities during its presentation. According to Zuckerburg, “Our vision for the metaverse and presence is fundamentally social. It’s about people interacting in new ways and feeling closer in new ways.”

Quest 3, the next-generation virtual and mixed-reality headgear, was unveiled by Zuckerberg last week and will be available later this year. The 128GB headgear starts at $499.99, and customers will also have the option of adding more storage.

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It has a newer Snapdragon chipset, which offers graphics performance that is more than twice as fast as Quest 2’s Snapdragon GPU from the same generation. According to the business, “On Quest 3, our best-in-class Meta Reality technology lets you seamlessly blend your real world with the virtual one.”

Meta is motivated by the creation of a unified ecosystem, to put it simply. Although social media networks like Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, and others exist, Meta would work to maintain the Quest ecosystem’s social nature by encouraging user interaction.

Lucy Guo

From Dreamer to Achiever: The Unforgettable Journey of Lucy Guo

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At age 25, Alexandr Wang maintains the record of becoming the youngest self-made billionaire all over the globe. His start-up, Scale AI, which he founded together with someone in 2016, accounts for the majority of his “one billion dollar” worth of assets. The tech firm has currently a 7.3 billion USD market worth. Wang has caused impacts in the IT industry, but he’s not the only one. Lucy Guo, the previous co-founder, also seems to be receiving well-deserved praise.

Lucy Guo
Image Source: tuko.co.ke

She was recently ranked second after Kylie Jenner in Forbes’ list of the wealthiest self-made women under 40, having a probable market worth of 440 million USD. Rihanna, Huda Kattan, Maria Sharapova, & Taylor Swift are among the other celebrities on the list.

Also Read: Alexandr Wang: From MIT Dropout to youngest billionaire

Guo picked up programming while she was in the second grade, as per a New York Post feature. Guo, whose parents both work as electrical engineers, did not have parents who would push them to go after their passions. Since it’s challenging for women to succeed in the industry, her mother in particular discouraged her from going into technology.

The 27-year-old tech genius seemed unfazed, though. Guo ultimately enrolled in Carnegie Mellon’s computer science program but left early to go after a Thiel Fellowship, which was created by Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal.

As per the fellowship’s website, it “gives US$100,000 to young people who want to build new things instead of sitting in a classroom”.

Source: scmp.com

Lucy Guo credits her early acquaintance with tech due to her growing up in Silicon Valley.

She started building websites in the sixth grade after learning how to program, and by the time she was a senior in high school, she was bringing in five figures through online marketing and advertisements.  She produced consumer online and mobile applications as a part-time developer, such as FriendSwipe, AccessURL, & Pokecrew.

She was working at Quora prior to co-founding Scale AI, and she then became Snapchat’s first female creator.

In 2018, the same year Wang and Guo were named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, Guo quit Scale AI. She still has a six percent ownership position in the business.

She helped establish the business firm Backend Capital in 2019 in its earliest stages, as reported by Forbes. She started the tech startup, Moment this April. The moment is supported, according to its website, by Antifund, a venture capital company established by Geoffrey Woo along with Jake Paul.