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Emmett Shear

Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to step down

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Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch, will step down after around a decade as the firm’s leader. Shear announced the news in a blog post written on Thursday, declaring he will become involved in the firm as an advisor. Dan Clancy will take up his role as the CEO who has been President of Twitch since 2019.

Emmett Shear
Image Source: shacknews.com

In October 2006 we started working on live video for the internet. That became Twitch. More than 16 years later, I’m now a father and ready to move to my next phase of life,” Shear tweeted.

Source: deccanherald.com

Also Read: Google rolls out AI writing assistant to Gmail and Docs

Emmett Shear was a founding member of Justin.tv which was the diverse live streaming provider that evolved into Twitch. Justin.tv was ultimately overtaken by Twitch which was its spin-off gaming provider, which subsequently became the team’s main objective in 2014. The following year, Amazon paid $970 million for the corporation, which was a steal given Twitch’s large cultural influence today.

In a blog post, Shear described his readiness to move on from the company he’s been intimately involved with for 16 years. “Twitch often feels to me like a child I’ve been raising as well,” Shear said. “And while I will always want to be there if Twitch needs me, at 16 years old it feels to me Twitch is ready to move out of the house and venture alone.”

“Emmett has dedicated 16 years to building Twitch, fostering our mission, and inspiring and empowering all of us to serve this incredible community,” Clancy said. “I’m so grateful for his partnership over the last four years, and for the opportunity to continue this work alongside a team that cares so deeply about our streamers and the larger Twitch community.”

Source: techcrunch.com

Shear’s resignation from the company and enhance Twitch’s president is not entirely unexpected. Clancy had already been closely involved with the everyday activities of the business and served as a public image for a number of the company’s most important conversations.

Also Read: Meta to end news access for Canadians

Clancy wrote a lengthy letter to the Twitch community in September, trying to highlight substantial changes to the platform’s profits distribution with top streamers.

In reply to this condemnation, Twitch released an announcement in September that its top artists would be able to keep 70 percent of revenue for the initial 100,000 USD earned, also with a standard 50 percent share going into effect afterward.

PS5 Pro

Is the PS5 Pro really coming to market in 2024?

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According to a recent report from Tom Henderson at Inside Gaming, Sony is indeed working on the PS5 Pro, a mid-generation PlayStation upgrade that is presently under development.

The PS5 Pro, which is presently under development, is a mid-generation PlayStation upgrade, according to a recent report from Tom Henderson at Inside Gaming.

PS5 Pro
Image Source: global-esports.news

According to the report, Sony will first release a PS5 with a removable disc drive later this year to reduce the cost of the current PS5, and the PS5 Pro is truly a separate device that might instead be released by late 2024. It is rumored that Sony doesn’t intend to release the PS6 before 2028.

Also Read: How to set up Discord on PS5 and PS4?

The PS4 debuted in 2013 for $400, and the PS4 Pro followed three years later for the same price. Sony still offers $400 and $500 PS5 types based on the disc drive, and it is unclear whether there will be different PS5 Pro models or whether all of them will eventually come with this “optional” disc drive model.

Certainly, it wouldn’t be more than $500. There are no specifics provided in this story regarding what will be included in the PS5 Pro upgrade package. Just some information from PlayStation’s Mark Cerny that they might be seeking to improve their ray-tracing abilities, followed by assumptions about better graphics, performance, speed, etc. However, none of that is certain.

It’s difficult to predict whether upgrading to a PS5 Pro will be worthwhile or not in one and a half years. The “Series” identifier of this generation frequently seemed to suggest that additional hardware was on the horizon, though it is unclear whether Microsoft will also issue a mid-generation upgrade.

However, the majority of Xbox hardware rumors have focused on a streaming box that is only designed to play Xbox Game Pass/Cloud Gaming games; it is doubtful that Sony would also make a device of this nature.

Sony recently released the PSVR 2 as its latest significant piece of gear. Although VR enthusiasts gave the technology high praise, it’s not yet clear if the market will accept yet another VR headset given that the industry is still in its infancy and VR-based metaverse plans are fading quickly, even though Sony’s unit isn’t taking that route.

Also Read: Can an Android phone run a PS2 emulator?

The PlayStation 4 was introduced in 2013, and the PlayStation 4 Pro, an improved version, was introduced in 2016. This indicates that there will be a lag of about three years before Sony introduces any alternate console models, such as a Slim or Pro variant.

It’s important to remember, though, that during some generations, supporters had to wait up to four years. (and as little as two years). In 2020, the PlayStation 5 was made available. So, we can anticipate the introduction of the PlayStation 5 Pro in 2023 or 2024. In other words, a new PlayStation 5 from Sony is most likely coming out within the next two years.

Meta

Meta to end news access for Canadians

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Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Corporation told reporters Saturday that if the nation’s Online News Act is enacted in its present form, it will end the accessibility of news and information for Canadians on its portals.

Meta
Image Source: gadgetsnow.com

The bill would require Meta and Google to discuss advertising deals and charge news publishing houses for their information. A Meta spokesperson argued that the proposed legislation was “neither sustainable nor workable,” and expressed concern that it would force them to pay for links or content that they did not post.

Also Read: Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians

The move follows Google’s recent tests on news censorship and both firms’ ongoing expansion of their market share in branding. The Canadian news media industry has called for more regulatory oversight of tech businesses.

The “Online News Act,” or House of Commons bill C-18, which was implemented in April of last year, outlined rules that would require platforms such as Meta as well as Alphabet Inc child company Google to discuss advertising deals as well as charge news publishing houses for their information.

“A legislative framework that compels us to pay for links or content that we do not post, and which are not the reason the vast majority of people use our platforms, is neither sustainable nor workable,” a Meta spokesperson said as a reason to suspend news access in the country.

Source: usnews.com

Meta’s move follows after Google began testing restricted news censorship as a possible reaction to the legislation last month.

The Canadian news media industry has pressed the government regarding more regulatory oversight of tech businesses so as to recover financial losses sustained over the years as technical behemoths such as Google as well as Meta progressively expand their market share in branding.

Pablo Rodriguez, Canadian Heritage Minister, stated in a statement issued on Sunday that it was disheartening to see Facebook stooping to threats rather than cooperating with the Canadian government in good conscience and that the C-18 bill was not related to how Facebook tends to make news media accessible to Canadians.

“All we’re asking Facebook to do is negotiate fair deals with news outlets when they profit from their work,” Rodriguez said. “This is part of a disappointing trend this week that tech giants would rather pull news than pay their fair share.”

Source: usnews.com

The year before, Facebook expressed concern about the legislation as well as warned that it could potentially be pressured to inhibit news-sharing on its platform.

Also Read: Instagram starts testing its age verification tools in more countries

Other nations which have questioned businesses like Facebook and Google to pay news publishing houses for material featured on their portals include New Zealand as well as Australia.

In December, New Zealand Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson said, “It’s not fair that the big digital platforms like Google and Meta get to host and share local news for free. It costs to produce the news and it’s only fair they pay.”

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Silicon Valley Bank

Why Did Silicon Valley Bank Collapse?

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The US Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates and dampen investors’ appetite for risk led to Silicon Valley Bank’s closure and takeover by authorities on Friday.

A bank run was the primary factor in Silicon Valley Bank’s demise. Before customers began to flee the company, the firm was neither insolvent nor even close to being insolvent. However, banking is a business that depends equally on trust and money, and if either of those disappears, the show is over.

Silicon Valley Bank
Image Source: cnn.com

Since last year, the Federal Reserve has been increasing interest rates from their historically low levels in an effort to combat inflation. When the money that is accessible to them becomes pricey because of greater interest rates, investors have less willingness to take risks.

Also Read: Taiwan’s TSMC to recruit 6,000 engineers in 2023

Silicon Valley Bank’s main customers, technology startups, suffered as a result of their investors becoming less risk-tolerant. Some Silicon Valley Bank clients began taking money out to fulfill their liquidity needs as higher interest rates forced the marketplace for initial public offerings to close down for several startups and made private financing more expensive. As a result, Silicon Valley Bank began this week to search for solutions to handle customer withdrawals.

On Wednesday, Silicon Valley Bank liquidated a $21 billion bond portfolio, primarily made up of US Treasury bonds, to pay for the redemptions. Averaging 1.79%, the portfolio’s yield was much lower than the present yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which is around 3.9%.

SVB was compelled to record a $1.8 billion deficit as a result, which it had to make up for by raising capital. To close its financing gap, SVB disclosed on Thursday that it would sell $2.25 billion in common equity and preferred convertible stock. Investors worried that the deposit outflows might force it to seek even more capital, which caused its shares to finish the day’s trading down 60%.

According to Reuters, some SVB clients withdrew their funds from the bank at the suggestion of venture capital companies like Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. The capital raising attempt failed late on Thursday as a result of investors, including General Atlantic, who SVB had queued up for the sale of stocks, becoming alarmed by this.

Also Read: Germany planning to ban Huawei, ZTE from parts of 5G networks

On Friday, SVB rushed to find alternate sources of financing, including by selling a company, But later that day, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) made the announcement that SVB had been shut down and was now in its administration.

The FDIC further stated that it would try to sell SVB’s assets and that future dividend payouts to uninsured depositors might be made.

apple

Apple announces new classical music app

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Apple is introducing an innovative classical streaming service for music. As per Apple, the latest Apple Music Classical app which is based on its 2021 merger with streamer Primephonic based in Amsterdam will provide Apple Music subscribers with availability to ever more than 5 million classical soundtracks, such as the latest updates in high-quality sound, in addition to thousands of playlists, hundreds of exclusive album tracks, and other functionalities such as composer bios and profound dives on major works.

Image Source: violinist.com

Provided its composition in the new Os upgrades rolled out to devs, the facility was rumored to be expected to be completed, but the precise date of the release was unknown.

Also Read: Taiwan’s TSMC to recruit 6,000 engineers in 2023

Even so, whilst the app was revealed today, it is currently only on App Store, accessible by preorder. The App will be launched the following month, on 28 March 2023. Furthermore, at rollout, the app would only enable iOS devices that run iOS 15.4 or later.

The firm’s decision to select classical music fans with a separate app is a distinguishing factor for its Apple Music monthly subscription facility, but it’s a far cry from the functionalities main competitor Spotify introduced this week, which included tech-forward functionalities like AI as well as video-based exploration feeds.

Alternatively, Apple Music Classical will offer a straightforward user interface for interacting with classical works.

To identify and track recordings, consumers will have the ability to browse by songwriter, work, conductor, and even catalog number. These can be started streaming in up to 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Lossless sound quality. In addition, large numbers of audio will indeed be accessible in Apple’s interactive spatial audio.

Users will be able to dig deeper into the recordings and read editorial notations about the artists as well as characterizations of their major works. Renowned composers will be able to purchase high-resolution digital portraits accredited by Apple from painters.

Color palettes as well as artistic citations from the noteworthy classical era were used to create these, and additional ones will be incorporated in the future. Portraits of Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, as well as Johann Sebastian Bach would be accessible from the beginning.

Also Read: Tesla Could Start Making Cars in Mexico Next Year

The facility will also be enhanced by fresh music over time. Apple notes that it has been collaborating with classical musicians and music organizations to provide exclusive material and audio files at release and that this will keep happening going forward. For the time being, users can follow the @appleclassical Twitter account for information and announcements about the app and current music releases.

Discord

How to set up Discord on PS5 and PS4?

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Finally, due to the most recent PS5 system update, users are able to access Discord on PS5.

Even though PlayStation users have had access to linking their PSN and Discord accounts for a while, full connectivity has been a vastly requested feature.

Discord
Image Source: engadget.com

Now that the two platforms are more closely integrated, users can engage in a voice chat using Sony’s top-tier gaming console Although the PS5 console has its own party audio chat feature, you can only use it to communicate with PlayStation platform users.

Also Read: How to Add Bing ChatGPT in Skype?

But with Discord, you can talk to your friends and coworkers even if they’re using a different gaming system, like a PC or Xbox. Here’s how to connect to Discord on PS5.

Launch Discord> Open your profile > Click Connections > Click Add> Then choose PlayStation Network> Log into your PSN account> Verify that your PSN is connected.

You can display your ID on your profile and indicate what you’re playing as your status by choosing your PSN account on the Discord website or app; however, to do so, your PS5 must have the option to “Who can see your online status and what you’re currently playing” set to Anyone under Users and Accounts > Privacy > View and Customize Your Privacy Settings.

Through the Discord app or website, you can join or create a voice channel. Look for the “Transfer to Console” symbol of a controller in front of a phone after opening the voice channel. Choose “Transfer to Playstation” after selecting it.

Select the appropriate PS5 device from the pop-up list of ones your account is connected to, then press Transfer Voice to transfer the chat there. Your PS5 will then receive a notification that you have joined a Discord voice chat. You can open this notification to make any necessary changes to the settings to suit your preferences.

The PS4 does not support Discord voice chat, so you cannot use it there. Although there may be workarounds requiring audio splitters and various devices, this is probably going to be more trouble than it’s worth because of the absence of native support.

You can still connect your accounts to Discord on PS4 to show your PSN ID and the game you are currently playing. On the Discord website or app, select User Preferences > Connections. Select the symbol for the PlayStation Network. The pop-up box can be used to access your PSN account.

Also Read: What’s new in Apple’s iOS 16.4 update for iPhone users?

Your accounts will be connected once you agree to the connection terms. For the options to show your ID and what you’re playing right now next to your Discord account status, go through the same steps as before to the Connections menu and choose PlayStation.

However, you must make sure that under Settings > Account Management > Privacy Settings > Personal Info | Messaging > Online Status and Now Playing is set to Anyone on your PS4 for this feature to work.