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Twitter Blue

Twitter Blue to charge $20 Per Month for Blue Tick

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Elon Musk has instructed Twitter employees to start charging more for Twitter Blue, which is the firm’s optional 4.99 USD per month subscription that provides some additional features for authenticated users. Musk has directed that the new Twitter Blue subscription, which also offers verified customers with a blue tick on the social networking platforms, cost approximately 19.99 USD, according to The Verge. The news comes as the “Chief Twit” presses to increase subscription revenue from the microblogging site.

Twitter Blue
Image Source: businesstoday.in

Furthermore, verified consumers will have 90 days to sign up or subscribe to the new plan or their blue checkmark would be removed. Besides that, On Sunday, Twitter staff members who were working on that project were told that they would be fired if the feature was not launched by November 7, according to The Verge.

On Sunday, Elon Musk tweeted, “The whole verification process is being revamped right now.” At present, Twitter Blue is operational in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Source: yourstory.com

Elon Musk dismissed some of Twitter’s top executives last week, after acquiring the social media company for 44 billion USD. These top executives included CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, legal executive Vijaya Gadde and General Counsel Sean Edgett.

According to The New York Times, Musk has “planned to begin laying off workers” at Twitter as soon as on Saturday. Citing people with knowledge of the situation, the report said that some managers were asked to “draw up lists of employees to cut.”

Source: yourstory.com

Along with plans to bring back banned accounts, including that of former United States President, Donald Trump, Elon Musk hosted a poll on Monday to reinstate Vine.

Musk has acted fast to implement changes at Twitter, beginning with changing the homepage for logged-out users. He’s also planning mass layoffs of intermediate managers and developers who haven’t recently made a significant contribution to the code base with the help of Tesla technicians he’s brought in as advisors at Twitter.

Managers are already curating lists of employees to lay off, and the cuts are anticipated to begin this week. Employees tasked with carrying out Musk’s projects since his takeover Thursday evening have been operating late into the night and throughout the weekend.

The Twitter Blue Tick subscription became widely available almost a year ago as a way to see ad-free articles from selected publishers and make other changes to the app, such as changing the colour of the home screen icon.

Advertising stayed the large majority of Twitter’s revenue in the few quarters following its initial public offering. Elon Musk wants account subscriptions for half of the company’s whole revenue.

Paid Subscribers

Apple’s Paid Subscribers Doubled to 900 Million in 3 years

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Apple has about 900 million paid subscribers on its platform, which has more than doubled in just three years, according to company CEO Tim Cook.

paid subscribers
Image Source: business-standard.com

According to the company, paid subscribers are rising exponentially than transacting accounts, so paid account penetration is increasing.

“We have a great subscription business, 900 million paid subs now on the platform and growing very fast. We doubled in 3 years. This is the part that is really interesting to us because we really believe that the engine for services growth is there, foreign exchange is a temporary thing and the fundamentals are very good,” Tim Cook said during the company’s earnings call for the September quarter.

Source: business-standard.com

Services as well set a new high in the September quarter, with 19.2 billion USD in revenue.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, also said that they have reached one more record on their installed base of active devices which is all thanks to a quarterly upgraders’ record and double-digit development in switchers on iPhone, and they also reached the latest revenue record for said quarter throughout nearly every geographic segment.

In terms of silicon supply constraints, he stated that they were not noticeable in the quarter.

He also stated that he wants to admit that we are still living in unprecedented times, from the war in Eastern Europe to the tenacity of Covid-19 and also from environmental disasters all around the world to a growingly difficult economic environment.

Also, he added that, through it all, they have aimed to help their customers navigate the challenges while also providing them with the tools they need to continue driving progress for both their organizations.

Apple iPhone revenue increased 10% year on year to a September quarter record of $42.6 billion, according to the company, as the Indian market perceives bumper iPhone sales led by the new 14 series.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that customer demand was “stronger and more favorable than they anticipated. According to a report, the Apple iPhone 15 Series will have a USB-C charging port and four models with significant feature differences.

“Customers are loving our iPhone 14 line-up. Loaded with camera upgrades for sharper photos, Action Mode for smoother videos and new safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite, iPhone is even more indispensable to our daily lives,” Cook told analysts during the company’s quarterly earnings call late on Thursday.

Source: latestly.com
iCloud web interface

Apple launched its new redesigned iCloud Web Interface

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A new iCloud web interface has been released by Apple for beta testers. Apple has revamped its iCloud website at http://www.icloud.com. Even though the upgrade is still in beta, it is open to all users, so they may go to beta.icloud.com and sign in using their Apple ID account.

iCloud web interface
Image Source: macrumors.com

Users can access their apps and data like images, files, mail, contacts, and more, using iCloud.

Users will be led to the newly designed web-based iCloud interface after successfully logging in with their valid Apple ID credentials. The new interface has apps displayed as customizable tiles that resemble the widgets on an iPhone’s home screen.

All of Apple’s iCloud apps, including Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Photos, Drive, Reminders, Notes Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and Find My, are accessible quickly with this feature. Users can also monitor their iCloud Storage, iCloud Plan, and Data Recovery.

Customization is, of course, the main appeal of the new design. The preview page’s content can all be customized, exactly like the home screen on the iPhone. The redesign allows for customization; thus, a “+” will add objects to the screen display and a “-” would delete a tile already present.

As a result, users can change the tile size to suit their needs by making it smaller or larger. The re-design also makes iCloud+ tools like custom mail domains and Hide My Email easier to access. A “Data Recovery” tool can help users recover bookmarks, calendars, contacts, and iCloud Drive files that have been deleted in the last 30 days.

Although the majority of users won’t use the iCloud web interface as their primary interface, it might be useful for getting data when the user is using a non-Apple device or isn’t logged in. The apps’ user interfaces and functionalities are unchanged. Even though the revamped iCloud preview is still under beta testing, the limited amount of testing felt stable. There is no date for its official launch yet.

Recently Apple also started testing a significant revamp of the iCloud Mail web interface that more closely matched the design changes introduced in macOS Big Sur. With a sleeker UI and thicker icons, the new design resembled the Mail app on the Mac and iPad.

Recently Apple disclosed that it will be raising charges for certain of its services.  Apple TV Plus will now cost two dollars more, and Apple Music will cost one dollar more. This is a risky move on the part of the company, especially given that the pricing of its music streaming service has remained the same since its launch in 2015.

Although many people will probably keep utilizing its services, the pricing shift might have a significant influence on the industry. Spotify recently announced that it will think about raising its subscription fee in the United States, but first, it needs to talk to its label partners.

Apple had quite a busy week with the release of new versions of macOS Ventura, iOS 16.1, iOS 16.2 beta, and iPadOS 16.1. In the past month, Apple launched new iPads, iPhones, Apple 4KTVs, and other products.

Mac Pro

Apple’s new Mac Pro to come with 48 CPU core M2 chip

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According to rumors, the upcoming Mac Pro would feature chip alternatives “that are at least twice or four times as powerful” as the unreleased M2 Max. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple has accelerated testing of the new Mac Pro in anticipation of its expected release next year.

mac pro
Image Source: daijiworld.com

As per Gurman, the “M2 Ultra” and “M2 Extreme” in-house chips, which are newer and more potent, will be used in the machine. The two models include 256GB of memory, 76 and 152 GPU cores, and 24 and 48 CPU cores, respectively. The rumored M2 Max is anticipated to have 12 CPU cores and 38 GPU cores, in contrast to the base M2’s 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.

Gurman also revealed a Mac Pro configuration that Apple is actively testing. The device has 192GB of memory, 24 CPU cores, and 76 GPU cores. It utilizes macOS Ventura 13.3, whose initial release is scheduled for this coming Monday. The $5,999 Mac Pro was last released by Apple in 2019, and it is scheduled for an upgrade soon.

Before Apple introduces the new Mac Pro, there may be an upgrade for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros in addition to a new Mac mini. He claims that the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips will be featured in Apple’s most recent high-end laptops, whereas the Mac mini launch will feature the same M2 silicon as in the 2022 MacBook Air. Gurman also points out that Apple has also tested a Mac mini M2 Pro

This summer saw the debut of the first Apple M2 processor, which compared to the Apple M1 provided up to 35% higher performance in graphics tasks and up to 8% greater efficiency in multi-threaded CPU-focused operations.

With the introduction of the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra chips, Apple expanded the M1 family, and it is anticipated that it will continue to expand the 5nm M2 range in a similar manner. The M1 Ultra, the top model in the Apple M1 line, included a 64-core GPU and a 20-core CPU.

The Apple M2 chip was introduced at WWDC 2022 and has since been incorporated into many of Apple’s product offerings. The new iPad Pro 2022 is the latest edition to the M2-powered family.

Apple’s new iPad Pro comes with an M2 chip along with the world’s most advanced mobile screen, professional camera, Thunderbolt, Face ID, and a four-speaker sound system.  It also has a next-generation Apple Pencil hover experience.

While Apple Silicon has revitalized entry-level desktop Macs, MacBooks, and even iPads, Mac Pros are still limited to Intel architecture (max 24 CPU cores). However, if Gurman’s reporting is right, Apple has a major move planned for the Mac Pro.

Apple’s new Mac Pro is anticipated to launch sometime in the following year, and thanks to the company’s new M2-series CPUs, it may end up becoming the most powerful laptop the company has ever released.

Halloween Terror Event

Overwatch 2 Halloween Terror Event: Complete Details

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Overwatch 2’s Spooky Season has kicked off. Thank goodness, Blizzard didn’t remove one of our favourite events with the Overwatch 2 update. However, some things have changed this year, which will not please everyone. To alleviate some of your concerns: Yes, there are free rewards as well. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Halloween Terror event, including how to get free rewards and spooky new skins.

Halloween Terror event
Image Source: charlieintel.com

The Halloween Terror event began on October 25 and will end on November 9.

Everything New in Overwatch 2’s Halloween Event

Blizzard has eventually and officially announced this year’s Halloween Terror event in a recently posted blog post. For the past six years, all Halloween collectables such as spooky skins and spays have been awarded for completing challenges or made available in event loot boxes. However, now that Overwatch 2 is free to play and features a battle pass system with numerous in-game purchases, the annual event appears to be a little different this year.

The worst-case scenario has occurred. Apart from a few twitch drops, it is nearly impossible to obtain Halloween items without spending actual money. Of course, all previous Halloween-themed items will be available for purchase throughout the event.

This year’s Halloween Terror event includes the following new features:

  • Legendary Executioner Junker Queen Skin
  • New PvE Mode – Junkenstein’s Revenge: Wrath of the Bride.
  • Legendary Witch Kiriko Skin
  • Legendary Cursed Captain Reaper Skin
  • Halloween Themed Collectables

The latest PvE Mode is a 4-player co-op sequel to Junkenstein’s Revenge’s original game mode. kiriko, Sojourn, Ashe and Junker Queen appear to be the playable heroes showing pure female power.

Get Free Halloween Skins

The fact that you can just hardly get anything without going to spend actual cash on Overwatch 2 is something that everyone despises. Legendary skins are extremely costly. The majority of them cost around 1900 or 2000 Overwatch money, which is about 20 USD which is insane, right? Let’s see what the prizes are for Halloween event skins this year.

At the very least, Blizzard added a few Twitch Drops and free stuff for us, so everyone has a chance to receive something for free. Players can obtain the Cursed Captain Reaper Skin free as an apology for the botched launch of Overwatch 2.

We may not receive skins as a reward for completing in-game challenges, but we do receive Twitch Drops! They will be available on all channels streaming Overwatch 2 from October 25 to 6 November at 11:00 a.m.

After two hours of watching your favourite Twitch streamers, you will be guaranteed a Werewolf Winston spray and the iconic Werewolf Winston skin.

Hero Changes and Adjustments

Ashe

Corrected a problem where the ‘Little Red’ skin and emote performed a broken animation.

Bastion

  • Bastion has been reintroduced into Overwatch 2.
  • Fixed a problem with Bastion’s configuration: Artillery, in which an unlimited number of charges could be fired
  • weapon of Bastion should not vanish when using the configuration: Artillery

Junkers Queen

Friendly abilities should no longer deflect or send back jagged blades.

Kiriko

  • The ‘Tanpopo’ skin is now available for purchase and use.
  • Kiriko’s Heroic pose is now readily accessible.
  • Swift Step no longer consistently cleared negative side effects.
  • Kitsune Rush no longer correctly reduces the cooldown of Baptiste’s Immortality Field.

General Bug Fixes

  • Players were generally keeping 30 per cent, on control cards, of the ultimate charge between rounds, which was fixed.
  • Fixed a bug in which checkpoint cards didn’t shift always, to overtime correctly.
  • The ‘vs.’ screen no longer appears in Competitive.
  • It has been resolved that players could not invite other participants to a custom game.
  • Fixed an issue where text chat was unavailable to PC gamepad users.
  • When you use Pause Match in Custom Game, other menu buttons are no longer disabled.
  • Over time Kill Cams were not working properly.
  • In the Push game mode, players should no longer be able to get trapped under TS-1.
  • Fixed an issue where controllers couldn’t scroll.
iPad Ultra

Apple May Launch its Biggest Tablet 16-Inch iPad Ultra, in 2023

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Apple, not long ago, added a new model to its iPad Pro lineup. The new iPad Ultra Pro features Apple’s M2 chip, making it the most powerful iPad by far. Apple may go one step further next year and launch a larger 16-inch display model.

iPad Ultra
Image Source: nextpit.com

Highlights

  • Apple may be developing an iPad with a 16-inch display.
  • It’s presumed to be called the iPad Ultra.
  • The iPad Ultra, Apple’s largest tablet, will be launched next year.

According to reports, Apple is working on a model that could effortlessly be called the iPad Ultra, with the largest screen on an iPad, and plans to release it in 2023.

The upcoming iPad model, according to The Information, “would further blur the line between the iPad and MacBook,” because the tablet would have the same screen size as the company’s largest laptop. While there is no official name for the iPad in development, based on Apple’s new naming convention for large gadgets, it is safe to call it the iPad Ultra.

According to the report, Apple may unveil this iPad in the final quarter of next year, but this timeframe is subject to change.

For quite some time, rumours of a large-screen iPad have begun circulating. Mark Gurman, from Bloomberg, reported last year that Apple was working on a 14- to 15-inch iPad that would be available sometime within the next year or two.

Ross Young, another executive who is a supply chain analyst and has frequently been accurate about Apple-related developments, backed up Gurman’s claim, saying Apple could release a 14.1-inch iPad Pro with a Mini LED panel and ProMotion new technology as sooner as next year.

However, this is the first time we’ve heard of a 16-inch iPad model, which would essentially be a keyboard-less MacBook except if you add the Magic Keyboard. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which not long ago received an upgrade to include Apple’s M2 processor which is the largest iPad in Apple’s lineup.

Apple also released iPadOS 16, which includes features like Stage Manager that help make multitasking, more refined and simple.

In some ways, Apple is gradually transforming the iPad into a laptop that would also function similarly to a MacBook, which is also what users have been requesting. An earlier report suggested that Apple was developing a version of macOS that would only run on the iPadOS. For what it’s worth, it may be a bright spot for iPad users.