Your Tech Story

Suhani Jain

I am a student pursuing my bachelor's in information technology. I have a interest in writing so, I am working a freelance content writer because I enjoy writing. I also write poetries. I believe in the quote by anne frank "paper has more patience than person

Emmett Shear

Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to step down

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.

Google

Google rolls out AI writing assistant to Gmail and Docs

Google has unveiled a set of integrative Functionalities for its Workspace apps, which include Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and Slides.

The latest Google updates incorporate advanced AI techniques to produce, summarize, and enhance text content in Google Docs. This technology is equivalent to the capacity of ChatGPT powered by OpenAI, which is widely used by many people.

Google
Image Source: theverge.com

Additionally, Gmail users can now generate full emails based on their brief main points using this feature. Furthermore, Google Slides now have the capability to create AI-generated visuals, sound, and videos for presentations, similar to the functionalities available in Microsoft Designer, backed by OpenAI’s DALL-E, and Canva, supported by Stable Diffusion.

Also Read: Google expands Gmail client-side encryption to more users

These new updates bring cutting-edge technology to Google’s suite of tools, providing users with improved capabilities and an easier way to create, edit, and present their content.

We’re now making it possible for Workspace users to harness the power of generative AI to create, connect, and collaborate like never before,” writes Johanna Voolich Wright, VP of Product at Google Workspace.

Source: freethink.com

The official statement demonstrates Google’s willingness to overtake opponents in the latest AI race. Ever since the introduction of ChatGPT a year ago and the release of Microsoft’s chatbot-enabled Bing in February, the internet giant has indeed been rushing to release similar AI functionalities.

The tech giant decreed a “code red” in December, instructing employees to add Ai technologies to all of its user products, which are utilized by a billion individuals, within months.

We’re so excited by the potential of generative AI, and the opportunities it will unlock,” Kurian wrote in a blog post.

Source: cnbc.com

But search engine giant Google is getting way ahead of itself. Despite the firm’s announcement of a slew of innovative capabilities, just one of them which is the AI writing software in Docs as well as Gmail will be made accessible to a team of US-based trustworthy testers this month.

Also Read: Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians

This is also the method by which the search engine giant officially confirmed ChatGPT competitor Bard’s presence. Google has confirmed that these and additional features will be made accessible to everyone later this year but doesn’t say when.

Google expands on these potential functions in its press release, “Whether you’re a busy HR professional who needs to create customized job descriptions, or a parent drafting the invitation for your child’s pirate-themed birthday party, Workspace saves you the time and effort of writing that first version. Simply type a topic you’d like to write about, and a draft will instantly be generated for you. With your collaborative Al partner, you can continue to refine and edit, getting more suggestions as needed.”

Source: theverge.com
Meta

Meta to end news access for Canadians

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
apple

Apple announces new classical music app

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.

Tesla

Tesla Could Start Making Cars in Mexico Next Year, Governor Says

Tesla corporation may start manufacturing cars next year in Mexico, with the electric vehicle manufacturer near to receiving final approvals enabling factory development to start in Nuevo Leon, adjacent to the US-Mexico boundary, the governor of the state stated on Monday.

Tesla
Image Source: mexico-now.com

“They are waiting for the final permits … once that’s done, they can start, hopefully, this very month, in March,” Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia said in an interview.

“I think by next year, in 2024, there will be the first autos.”

Source: reuters.com

Also Read: Tesla’s ‘Master Plan’ Fails to Impress Investors: What Went Wrong?

A request for clarification was not promptly returned by the firm.

 Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, officially confirmed the financing the other week, asserting the Austin,  company based in Texas had chosen Mexico to build its next “gigafactory,” with the goal of manufacturing a “next-generation vehicle.” 

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

Mexican officials have stated that the manufacturing company will be the world’s largest for producing electric vehicles, with an investment of 5 billion dollars. 

Garcia stated that future stages of the plant could include the manufacture of parts such as chips & batteries.

“That’s why they bought a very large plot of land,” he added.

Source: reuters.com

According to the city politician, the location in Santa Catarina, close to the state capital of Monterrey, extends so many thousand acres.

Garcia stated that the funding would act as an “anchor” hoping to attract Tesla distributors and that the approval granted after the latter showed concerns about water scarcity, sent a positive signal to other potential investors. to Tesla Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who is the President of Mexico. 

“It’s like a kind of guide, that when they want to come set up here, it’s very important they follow the law,” he said, noting he had sent Lopez Obrador technical memos about the state’s industrial water supply.

“The president, by authorizing and backing Tesla, sent a message to the world that they should come to Mexico.”

Source: reuters.com

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

It is anticipated that by 2025, 20 percent of all emerging world car sales would be electric, increasing to 40 percent by 2030. As per investment bank UBS, nearly all cars worldwide sales will be electric by 2040. According to a Thomson Reuters study, even if all sales of new cars are electric by 2040, half of the cars on the roads will still be fueled by gasoline or diesel.

TSMC

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

TSMC is trying to capitalize on the current trend of technical job cuts, which have resulted in the dismissals of several thousand engineers.

“To support the company’s business growth and technology development, TSMC is planning to recruit more than 6,000 new employees in Taiwan including engineers and production line operators in Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung in 2023,” the chip biz told The Register.

Source: theregister.com
tsmc
Image Source: reuters.com

To maintain the wafers running, the corporation states that it intends to hire up to 6,000 engineers, which is about a 10 percent rise in staff numbers. According to Reuters, TSMC is not only searching for pricey skillsets, but also engineers with degrees varying from a two years degree to a doctoral degree in electrical engineering or software development.

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

The catch is that you may be required to emigrate to Taiwan. The provided local wage is substantially lower compared to what you’d anticipate finding in the United States.

According to TSMC, the average wage for a fresh engineer is expected to be approximately NT$2 million, or around $65,500 per annum, but it’s interesting to note that the living expenses in Taiwan are significantly lower. TMSC is also rapidly expanding in the United States, but it will be some time before the new fabs are operational.

“TSMC is recruiting broadly from both experienced professionals and first-time job seekers with backgrounds in electronics, electrical engineering, optoelectronics, mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, financial, accounting, management, human resources, and related fields to come on board. TSMC is also recruiting production line operators. People with senior high school (inclusive) or above including college graduates are welcome to join. The company is open to hiring foreign engineers.”

Source: theregister.com

The hiring spree emanates as the semiconductor industry in its entirety struggles with a slowing global economy and falling chip demand, especially in distribution channels.

Also Read: Twitter Cuts More Engineering, and Product Jobs to Curb Costs

These market factors have had a significant impact on many chipmakers. Samsung which is TSMC’s main competitor in the foundry industry has seen its sales fall to 3.4 billion USD, a 69 percent drop from the previous year in January, whilst also earnings fell 8 percent to 57.3 billion USD.

In contrast, TSMC has carefully eliminated controversy thus far. TSMC confirmed Q4 revenues of 19.93 billion USD which is a 26.7 percent rise compared to the previous year, whereas others reported operational losses and decreasing revenues.