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Twitter reverses longstanding ban on political advertising

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Twitter, the renowned social media networking site, has officially confirmed that it will loosen up the bans on political advertisements that had been placed in 2019.

Twitter opted to lift the long-standing ban on January 3, enabling numerous political actors as well as elected representatives to resume cause-related promos. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, took over Twitter and implemented numerous policy changes.

Image Source: deccanherald.com

This decision was taken when it was revealed that the firm is already in financial trouble. In 2019, the firm chose to prohibit particular types of Politics ads, justifying that political influence must be “obtained” instead of being “bought”.

Although the social media went back on these wordings on January 3.

On the company’s Twitter Safety account, the move was announced with a tweet that read, “We believe that cause-based advertising can facilitate a public conversation around important topics. Today, we’re relaxing our ad policy for cause-based ads in the US. We also plan to expand the political advertising we permit in the coming weeks.”

Source: republicworld.com

Twitter’s advertising policy will now be aligned with the policies of television as well as other media sources, according to the company.

Making it clear that the move is still at a preliminary stage, the company wrote, “As with all policy changes, we will first ensure that our approach to reviewing and approving content protects people on Twitter. We’ll share more details as this work progresses.”

Source: republicworld.com

As reported by the New York Times, Elon Musk has previously stated that among his goals following Twitter, the takeover is to relax its rules regarding content moderation.

Twitter is going through a financial crisis currently, with reports claiming that the firm is cutting significant costs. Previously, the Tesla CEO’s approach to content moderation has startled several top brands.

Some even stopped spending on Twitter because they were concerned about their ads that they would stand alongside controversial tweets. The big brand’s decision resulted in a significant drop in the company’s revenue.

As per the New York Times, the decision to ease restrictions on political advertisements on the site has the potential to increase revenue. The action will entice numerous political actors to return to the platform, especially as various US politicians begin their campaigns for the presidential elections in 2024.

The social media platform is indeed trying to deal with numerous lawsuits, one of which reveals the firm’s financial condition. Previously this week, it was revealed that the firm is currently being sued for failing to pay its deposit for the San Francisco headquarters, highlighting the company’s difficulties.

Dark Sky

Apple officially shuts down popular iOS weather app ‘Dark Sky’

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The well-known weather application Dark Sky has been officially discontinued by Apple. The Cupertino-based tech giant bought Dark Sky in April 2020. The company removed the weather app from the App Store in September 2020, and all of its users have since been unable to use it.

Dark Sky
Image Source: newsachieve.com

Following its acquisition, Apple quickly discontinued the Wear OS and Android versions of Dark Sky and announced it would no longer accept registrations for Dark Sky’s API, which had given access to the company’s database of weather predictions and historical weather data to third-party app developers.

Later, it announced that the iOS application would be discontinued at the same time as the API service, postponing its closure only until the end of 2022.

The Weather app that comes pre-installed on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices now contains a number of Dark Sky’s features thanks to Apple’s acquisition of the company in 2020. The Dark Sky components have been incorporated into Apple Weather.

For the current location, Apple Weather offers hyperlocal forecasts, notifications, high-resolution radar, hourly weather predictions for the upcoming 10 days, and next-hour precipitation.

Precipitation, quality of air, and temperature are just a few of the overlays that are available for the maps; to switch between them, tap on the bottom button on the top-right side of the map view.

Apple boasts that several of Dark Sky’s capabilities “have been integrated into Apple Weather” in the support guide. The remainder of the support guide is devoted to instructing Dark Sky users on how to use the Apple Weather app’s capabilities and interface.

Apple explains the app’s functionality in detail, including how to utilize the maps, handle notifications, and more. Despite Apple’s assurances, some customers aren’t sure Apple Weather is a good alternative to Dark Sky. Several Dark Sky users claim that Apple Weather still lags behind Dark Sky in a recent Reddit thread.

Recent sources claim that Apple is working on new iPad Pro variants. According to MacRumours, the two new OLED iPad Pro models should start selling within the first quarter of 2024.

The corporation intends to launch the new iPad Mini concurrently with the new iPad Pro models in early 2024, the source added. If that the story is true, Apple will for the first time increase the screen size of iPad Pro models.

It is believed that the company may reduce the bezel size in order to achieve the aforementioned screen size. Apple updated its 11-inch and 12.3-inch iPad Pro models in October 2022 by giving them the most recent M2 CPU.

Since the release of iOS 16, Apple has also made its WeatherKit subscriptions available. The company noted that developers can now access this weather information in apps created for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, tvOS 16, and watchOS 9 using a platform-specific Swift API and for other portals using a REST API.

According to the corporation, developers can use the Account tab in the Apple Developer app to upgrade for additional calls or downgrade at any time.

Luxexcel

Meta buys smart lensmaker Luxexcel to further AR ambitions

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Meta is increasing its investment in the metaverse by acquiring Luxexcel which is a Dutch firm that focuses on 3D-printing corrective lenses for smart glasses. The information was first confirmed by the Dutch newspaper De Tijd via TechCrunch, and Meta has now clarified the acquisition to The Verge.

Luxexcel
Image Source: unboxedmagazine.com

“We’re excited that the Luxexcel team has joined Meta, deepening the existing partnership between the two companies,” Meta says in a statement provided by Ryan Moore, the company’s head of financial communications.

Source: theverge.com

Whilst details of the deal are uncertain, Meta CTO and Head of Reality Labs, Andrew Bosworth disclosed in a blog article previously this month that the firm is spending “about half” of the metaverse-focused team’s operational costs in augmented reality (AR) with the additional half going toward constructing virtual reality products (VR) since it continues to lose billions.

Luxexcel which was established in 2009, claims to be able to incorporate holographic film and projectors into prescription lenses to develop an augmented reality environment.

In 2021, it collaborated with WaveOptics, the firm that supplies the displays for Snap’s Spectacles, to develop a lens equipped with waveguides, or perhaps the transparent display technology required to overlay virtual objects on a real-world environment of the user.

Just as Meta works on its very first set of AR glasses, it is possible that we will not receive a final piece for some time. According to Bosworth, Meta’s AR glasses will necessitate years of upgrades as the company strives to make the device “slimmer, lightweight, efficient, and more effective.”

As per The Verge’s Alex Heath, the first edition of Meta’s AR glasses would be accessible only to developers, similar to Snapchat‘s Spectacles, with two subsequent pairs potentially becoming accessible to customers over several years.

However, Meta is getting closer to its target, as it has added color video passthrough to its expensive latest Quest Pro headset. It also collaborated with Ray-Ban to roll out the Ray-Ban Stories which is a pair of smart glasses that include cameras, speakers, and also microphones, in 2021. The lenses do not include built-in displays, however, this recent venture may be able to help Meta achieve that in the future.

FTX

Bahamas authorities seized $3.5 billion in FTX assets

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The Bahamas’ securities regulator revealed on Thursday that it had on November 12 confiscated $3.5 billion in digital assets belonging to FTX Digital Market. 

FTX
Image Source: businessinsider.com

The watchdog confirmed the exact amount seized from FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary, FTX Digital Markets, in a media release late on Thursday. It also stated that the monies were transferred into its own digital wallets “for safekeeping.” The regulator previously acknowledged that it was in possession of some of FTX’s digital assets, but it did not say how much.

According to the commission, the monies were worth more than $3.5 billion based on market rates at the time of transfer. The transfer happened on November 12, the day following FTX’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the United States. The money is being kept “temporarily,” according to the Bahamian Securities Commission until the Bahamas Supreme Court orders it to be given to clients, creditors, or estate liquidators.

The regulator claimed that it withdrew the money after learning about cyberattacks on the Bahamian unit of FTX from discredited co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Following FTX’s bankruptcy filing, the company was allegedly the subject of a breach that resulted in the theft of $477 million from its cryptocurrency wallets.

The perpetrator’s identity is yet unknown. The Bahamian regulator has come under fire for its part in the demise of FTX and related litigation actions. The commission sought to manage FTX’s bankruptcy procedures in the Bahamas.

The move was opposed by FTX’s American attorneys, who claimed in a filing on November 17 that the regulator worked with Bankman-Fried to get “unauthorized access” to FTX systems in order to transfer digital assets to its own possession. 

The Bahamian regulator responded by calling the allegations “inaccurate” and stating that it moved the funds to safeguard the interests of investors and clients. Bankman-Fried, 30, who was formerly the CEO of FTX, was detained in the Bahamas before being extradited to the US, where he is currently awaiting trial on accusations of fraud, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud the US, and conspiracy to break campaign finance rules.

His parents, who are both Stanford law professors, agreed to sign a $250 million recognizance bond and pledge their California house as security in exchange for his release. According to news sources, two additional friends who had substantial assets also signed. After posting a $250 million bond, he was freed last week.

Michael Lewis, the author of “The Big Short,” has reportedly been visiting him at his parents’ California home. On January 3 in federal court in Manhattan, Bankman-Fried is anticipated to be charged and enter a plea. 

The SEC alleges in its civil complaint, “Bankman-Fried was orchestrating a massive, yearslong fraud, diverting billions of dollars of the trading platform’s customer funds for his own personal benefit and to help grow his crypto empire.”

The announcements made by the Bahamian regulator are favorable for FTX’s clients and creditors, but it is uncertain whether they will receive their money right away since the bankruptcy of FTX is being handled in the United States in accordance with American law while the company is being liquidated in the Bahamas. 

amazon

Amazon planning a standalone app for sports content

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According to a source with firsthand knowledge of the project, Amazon is developing a stand-alone app for streaming sports material, the Information stated on Wednesday. 

Amazon
Image Source: techjuice.pk

Amazon Inc. is planning to create a standalone streaming platform that is exclusively focused on sports after experiencing tremendous success in the video streaming sector.

One of the main draws for cable TV consumers who are switching to streaming platforms in sports. This explains why there is fierce competition among streaming services for the sports streaming market. As more Americans migrate from pay TV memberships to streaming apps, sports continue to be one of the tops draws for live viewing.

The action will probably go hand in hand with Amazon’s efforts to increase its focus on sports content via its Prime Video service, a crucial avenue for luring customers to its e-commerce platform. 

At the moment, sports coverage is covered by an Amazon Prime Video subscription, which costs $14.99 USD each month. According to the source, Amazon would either keep offering the same package price or start charging customers a separate monthly subscription to receive sports content.

The business last year successfully negotiated an 11-year contract for the only media rights to the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football,” which will start in 2023. 

In order to better compete with the leader in sports streaming, Walt Disney Co., Amazon already has the rights to stream events like the National Football League’s Thursday Night Football franchise and Premier League soccer matches in the UK.

A multi-year agreement to exclusively stream the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package of events in the United States was also signed last week by YouTube, a division of Alphabet Inc. 

According to the article, it was unclear when Amazon would launch the sports app or if it would proceed with the plan. To meet growing costs and a decline in demand as individuals and businesses cut down on spending due to inflation anxiety, the corporation has been examining unproductive business segments and has laid off some employees. 

The development of a stand-alone sports app by Amazon suggests that the business is looking to explore new avenues for monetizing its live sports investments.

It wouldn’t be shocking if the firm intended to charge a separate membership price for sports coverage with this separate app given the high costs of streaming rights.

Additionally, Amazon can choose to provide a different subscription tier with access to its sports content.

Since other tech behemoths have also signed sports streaming agreements, Amazon isn’t the only significant corporation seeking to maintain its investment in live sports programming.

In a historic streaming deal last week, Google’s YouTube acquired the NFL Sunday Ticket. The rights to Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games, on the other hand, have been acquired by Apple. 

Walt Disney Co. currently dominates the sports streaming business, but once Amazon enters the space with its resources, we should expect some fierce competition. 

Google Voice

Google Voice will now warn users of suspected spam calls

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Google Voice has to be considered one of the strangest services that the company provides. It’s been in existence forever and has a few deeply devoted users, but somehow it feels like the type of product that’s always on the hit list, threatening to vanish at the whim of Google.

Google Voice
Image Resizer: twistarticle.com

A huge part of that is due to how much of an afterthought Voice is, and while we every now and then see it pick up a brand-new ability or multiple features, it’s nothing short of infuriating to see Google’s Phone app add functionality after feature while Voice is left out. Thankfully, Google is finally catching up, giving Voice the potential to notify users about spam calls.

We can’t really blame you if you can’t recall a moment when Mobile didn’t notify you regarding calls from numbers associated with spam, as the app has done so since the mid of 2016, preceding even the original Pixel phones.

Whilst Google should be intimidated that it has taken this long to introduce these very same features to Voice, we’ve learned to appreciate what we can get from this app.

Google says it is indeed applying the same techniques for Voice as it does for Mobile spam call recognition, so we don’t presume to see a substantial change in false positives/negatives, and, for what it is worth, the current system has performed very well. However, if that fails, people can always manually select a number as not spam, also Voice will recall that preference.

You can send these calls directly to voicemail using the “filter spam” alternative in Voice settings, and even if you don’t, Google will display “Suspected spam caller” to notify you when you receive a call from questionable numbers.

The availability officially starts today and is expected to reach all Voice customers by mid of January, although we’re already seeing spam or unwanted messages in our Voice call logs, back a few weeks.