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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.

pokemon sleep

Is “Pokemon Sleep” finally arriving this summer?

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Pokémon Sleep is eventually making its way to Android in 2023, four years following its initial announcement.

Pokémon Sleep is a game user can enjoy while they sleep, much like one of its sister apps, Pokémon Smile. Falling asleep is as simple as placing one’s phone next to their pillow.

Image Source: gamesradar.com

There are going to be new Pokémon and findings to be made by the time users get up the following morning! In Pokémon Sleep, users take on the role of a professor’s aide and conduct research on how Pokémon to sleep. Users are putting in a lot of effort on a tiny island with Professor Neroli and a massive Snorlax.

Also Read: Why Apex Legends Mobile is shutting down?

Similar to Pokémon Smile, the complete game is played while users sleep, and it’s intended to teach users healthy habits through gameplay.

Children and adults are both encouraged to brush their teeth in Pokémon Smile, and they are rewarded for doing so by catching Pokémon. Users achieve more goals and receive more rewards as they rack up more consecutive days.

They receive benefits for sleeping more and tracking and understanding their sleep patterns as time goes on.

More and more Pokémon will be found resting nearby Snorlax every night when users use the app to go to bed. More Pokémon will gather around Snorlax as you get more rest. Just that easy, really! One of three categories—snoozing, slumbering, or dozing—describes how the Pokémon like to nap. More unusual sleeping patterns will become apparent as users engage more.

A gadget called Pokemon Go Plus+ was also hinted at when Pokemon Sleep was first revealed. The Pokemon Go Plus+ container contains a Pikachu, which is the best part. When users hit the button, the ball will generate sound effects for them, such as a Pikachu version of the Pokemon Center.

As suggested by its name, Pokemon Go Plus+ works with Pokemon Go as well. The way it appears to operate, users can gather items from Pokestops and try to capture Pokemon without even tapping the phone, just like the classic Pokemon Go Plus device.

With the Pokemon Go Plus, users couldn’t use Great or Ultra orbs, but with the Pokemon Go Plus+, one can. A unique Snorlax wearing a night that can be found in Pokemon Go after connecting a Pokemon Plus+. The gadget will cost $54.99 in the United States, but as of now, no international pricing information has been disclosed.

Also Read: When does Hogwarts Legacy come out?

Although it has been hinted that there will be more connections between Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go, these specifics have not yet been made public. While Pokémon GO Plus+ makes its debut on July 14th of 2023, Pokémon Sleep is anticipated to launch in most countries on iOS and Android devices in the summer of 2023.

outlook

Microsoft makes Outlook for Mac free. How to get it?

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Microsoft declared that all Mac users can now download Outlook for free. Previously, using the email client application required a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Mac users can easily add Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo!, or IMAP accounts in Outlook to enjoy the best mail and calendar app on macOS whether they are at home, at work, or in school.

MIcrosoft
Image Source: engadget.com

The Outlook for Mac application completes Outlook for iOS, offering users a dependable, powerful, and consistent experience that extends Outlook’s best-in-class functionality into the beloved Apple environment.

Also Read: How to Add Bing ChatGPT in Skype?

Users can handle numerous accounts, including those from Google, iCloud, Microsoft, Yahoo, IMAP, and more, in a single app with Microsoft Outlook for Mac. Using a personal email account to sign into Outlook gives users access to “enterprise-grade security, with secure sign-on to authenticate and protect your identity,” according to a blog post.

The app has a straightforward user interface, and it lets one view their calendar with an alert or a widget in the Notification Center to keep track of their schedule while using other apps.

Users can resume tasks where they left off between iOS and Mac devices using Apple’s Handoff feature. Microsoft Outlook will introduce Profiles in a later upgrade, linking users’ email accounts to Apple’s Focus experience.

With that, users won’t receive unnecessary alerts at the wrong moment, allowing them to concentrate on that crucial work email without getting sidetracked by personal emails.

The all-accounts view allows users who have multiple accounts to handle all of their inboxes simultaneously without switching between screens. This, according to Microsoft, is a fantastic method to view all incoming messages so you can decide how to respond.

Users can obtain the updated, revamped, free version of Outlook for Mac by downloading it from the Mac App Store. To use the free app, your Mac must run macOS 11 Big Sur or a later version. Expect snappier performance and quicker sync rates with this upgraded version of Outlook because it is optimized for Apple Silicon.

Microsoft made the decision to offer Outlook for Mac free at the same time that it was redesigning the Outlook for Windows application. For almost a year, Microsoft has been testing a new web-based version of Outlook with the intention of fusing the Windows Mail app and Outlook for Windows into a unified email client.

Also Read: Microsoft set to win EU nod on Activision with licensing offer

In essence, the new “One Outlook” app is Outlook.com as a Progressive Web App (PWA). This new client will handle a number of email providers and be free (like Windows Mail), much the same as Outlook for Mac. The company was clear that no updates to Outlook for Mac to a progressive web app are in the works.

A partner product group manager for Outlook named Michael Palermiti claims that the new Outlook for Mac is a native macOS program. Microsoft intends to keep creating and updating world-class native applications for iOS and macOS. Outlook for Mac won’t have any Progressive Web Apps.