tech news

Netflix Might Be Putting Its Video Games on TVs

Netflix has gradually increased the number of video games it offers, but at the moment, only mobile device users can access them. However, it appears that may soon change as a recent leak indicates that users might soon be able to play games on computers and televisions.

Scott Moser, an iOS developer, claims that the Netflix iOS app contains code that indicates the inclusion of a function that will let users use their iPhones as controllers for video games.

Netflix users will have to make do with the current way for the time being, though, as this has not yet been formally announced. Currently, there are about 55 titles in the Netflix library, but 40 more games will be released over the course of 2023.

Also Read: E3 2023 has been canceled. But Why?

In 2021, the dominant streaming service introduced its gameplay platform for Android, iPhones, and iPads. Due to guidelines established by Apple and Google, mobile users need to download games only from the App Store or from Google Play.

However, because the goal of these games is to improve user engagement and retention, they can only be accessed with an active Netflix subscription and can be started via the Netflix app.

These titles are noticeably missing from the app for TV. It’s unclear how the business plans to set up gaming on TVs or whether users will need to download the video games in order to enjoy them.

But according to Netflix’s VP of game development Mike Verdu, the company is “seriously exploring a cloud gaming offering” and plans to release more than just light-hearted games for television.

Expanding the number of platforms on which games are available may increase their appeal to users. A little over one percent of Netflix subscribers, according to a report from last year, regularly play the company’s games.

There are a number of possible explanations for this, one of which is the likelihood that many subscribers are unaware that they can stream games using the service. A significant portion of players also has no interest in engaging in mobile games.

Expanding the number of gadgets that support Netflix games could be extremely beneficial in both cases. Despite these difficulties, Netflix continues to develop its gaming strategy by acquiring in-house companies to produce exclusive titles and by providing new games to play.

Also Read: Netflix founder Reed Hastings stepping down as co-CEO

Lovers of Netflix’s games will currently just have to wait in anticipation to find out if and when this new feature might be released. Right now, Netflix Games serves more as a fun bonus than as an enticing feature for Netflix.

That might change, though, if more people start playing those games. Corporations like Google have had a difficult time converting players to video game streaming, which continues to be in its infancy.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Apple launches ‘buy now, pay later’ service in the US

Apple became the newest business to join the buy now, pay later trend on Tuesday when it introduced a feature in its digital wallet that enables users to pay for their online purchases in installments.

Customers can now split purchases into four equal payments over the course of six weeks thanks to the new Apple Pay Later feature, with the first payment owing at the time of transaction.

Apple customers can also use the Wallet app to ask for loans that range from $50 to $1,000 with no fees or interest charges in order to carry out online or app-based purchases.

Also Read: Apple announces new classical music app

Based to a company release, the method of payment is currently being made available to a small number of American users, with intentions to make it available to all eligible consumers over the course of the ensuing few months.

The same payment choice is also available through popular services like Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay. However, some economists and pro-consumer activists have expressed worry that these services might lead consumers to incur more debt.

The feature was first hinted at by Apple last year. In the face of high inflation and general economic uncertainty, an increasing number of consumers are turning to buy now, pay later services to extend their budgets. The same payment choice is also available through popular services like Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay.

Also Read: Is Apple working on a secret project to help people with diabetes?

However, some economists and pro-consumer activists have expressed worry that these services might lead consumers to incur more debt.

The latest feature is “designed with users’ financial health in mind,” according to Apple. According to Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, “there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to how people manage their finances. Many people are looking for flexible payment options, which is why we’re excited to provide our users with Apple Pay Later.”

Future loan payments can be monitored and managed in the Wallet app for Apple users. The company claims that any loan registration can be made through the app without having an impact on credit.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Lyft Co-Founders to Resign; David Risher Is Named CEO

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Suhani Jain

As the Transportation Network Service company battles to compete with larger opponent Uber, Lyft Inc. announced on Monday that its founding members Logan Green & John Zimmer would resign as CEO & president, respectively. Instead, council member David Risher will assume those positions.

Prior to joining the board of Lyft in 2021, Risher, a former executive at both Microsoft and Amazon, oversaw the non-profit Worldreader for more than ten years.

A dismal quarterly prediction increased worries that price reductions made to compete with larger rival Uber, which has a stronger price advantage, a global footprint, and a delivery service for food, will compress earnings. This led to a change of leadership at Lyft.

Also Read: Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to step down

David Risher stated service for riders as well as drivers would be their main focus and also, the cost of rides.

“One of the first things we’re very focused on is making sure we are matching Uber on price,” Risher said in an interview.

Expanding the business to food and grocery delivery was not an open option because of what it could do to the rider or the driver experience, he added.
Source: finance.yahoo.com

Over three-quarters of Lyft’s worth was wiped out in 2022, and stocks are dropped approximately 13 percent this year. Uber is now up 24 percent.

During Monday’s after-market trade, Lyft stock increased by nearly 3 percent.

Even with its operations ceasing during the epidemic, the firm, which was created in 2012 and became public in 2019, is still waiting to record an annual profit but it has reduced liabilities over the years.

“Lyft needed to do something … to begin rebuilding investor trust,” Gordon Haskett analyst Robert Mollins said. “We believe today’s announcement means a sale is unlikely – at least in the near-term – as David will likely be given a fair amount of time to improve (or at least attempt to) the company’s competitive and financial position.”
Source: finance.yahoo.com

Also Read: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down after nine years

As the leader of the nonprofit Worldreader, Risher worked to promote children’s reading habits by facilitating the delivery of around 75 million ebooks to 21 million kids.

On April 17, Risher will take over as CEO of Lyft. According to the business, he will receive a $3.25 million transfer fee in addition to a $725,000 yearly wage.

Green, who arrived in the Bay Area at the age of 23 and took a job on Lyft in a 125-square-foot cubicle, will assist as the company’s chairman and Zimmer will be the vice chairman.

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

Twitter Says Parts of Its Source Code Were Leaked Online

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Suhani Jain

According to court documents, portions of the software code that runs Twitter were stolen online, posing the biggest challenge for the social networking platform since Elon Musk’s turbulent $44 billion acquisition of the business late the year before.

According to the documents, on March 24, Twitter served a lawsuit on the website GitHub after discovering that a user going by the name “FreeSpeechEnthusiast” had uploaded unauthorized portions of Twitter’s source code there.

Also Read: Twitter to Begin Culling Legacy Verified Marks From April 1

According to Twitter’s legal representative, the aim of the lawsuit is to locate the person who distributed the code. The paperwork was received by The U.S. District Court, Northern District, California.

The firm told CNBC that GitHub responded to Twitter’s request & erased the code the following day. As per a corporate representative, in the spirit of openness, the business discloses all DMCA takedowns, which happen when something is taken down from a site at the demand of a copyright owner.

Comment requests from Twitter did not right away receive a response.

Musk has already asserted that on March 31 Twitter will make the code used to suggest tweets publicly available. He claimed that he anticipates that people would discover silly problems and that initially disclosing the source code will be very embarrassing.

“Our “algorithm” is overly complex & not fully understood internally. People will discover many silly things, but we’ll patch issues as soon as they’re found! We’re developing a simplified approach to serve more compelling tweets, but it’s still a work in progress. That’ll also be open source. Providing code transparency will be incredibly embarrassing at first, but it should lead to rapid improvement in recommendation quality. Most importantly, we hope to earn your trust.” He said in a tweet.
Source: shrty.rf.gd

“GitHub does not generally comment on decisions to remove content. However, in the interest of transparency, we share every DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyright Act] takedown request publicly,” a GitHub spokesperson told the BBC.
Source: bbc.com

Also Read: Google begins opening access to its ChatGPT competitor Bard

Elon Musk, a billionaire who purchased Twitter last October for $44 billion and afterward took the firm private, faces new difficulties as a result of the leak. Ever since it has descended into disarray as a result of widespread layoffs and the exodus of advertising.

As per documents disclosed in a congressional report, the Federal Trade Commission is looking into Musk’s mass firings at Twitter and attempting to access his private communications as a part of its ongoing investigation into the social networking firm’s privacy as well as cybersecurity practices.

Suhani Jain

Accenture to Cut 19000 Jobs as IT Spending Slows

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Suhani Jain

In the coming 18 months, Accenture PLC will eliminate around 19,000 employees, or 2.5 percent of its staff, as the professional services company strives to reduce expenses and increase operational efficiency in the face of a slowdown in IT spending.

In a statement on Thursday, the firm, which provides IT consulting as well as other business services, stated that the majority of the workers anticipated to be impacted will be in nonbillable corporate functions. To meet its “strategic growth initiatives,” Accenture stated it is currently hiring.

Also Read: Amazon to Cut 9,000 More Jobs, Deepening Biggest Pullback Ever

The corporation stated that it anticipates spending around $1.5 billion on its business optimization plan between the remaining months of the present fiscal year and fiscal 2024, primarily from employee termination.

According to Chief Financial Officer KC McClure, Accenture employs around 738,000 employees worldwide and has grown by 28,000 over the past two quarters. Beyond what it stated in a 10-Q filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), the corporation declined to comment on the cutbacks.

The consultancy business “recognized a chance to pursue more fundamental costs as per The Chief Executive of Accenture Julie Sweet. She added that Accenture has been addressing the issue of accumulating pay escalation through pricing, cost-saving measures, and digitalization.

The IT consultancy firm’s layoffs are associated with a recent wave of job losses as businesses in tech, manufacturing, and some other areas seek to reduce costs in the midst of concern over higher interest rates, ongoing inflation, and other economic issues.

However, until now, large technological businesses such as Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc., & Meta Platforms Inc. mainly shielded IT positions from the massive job cuts.

For the very first time in over two years, the employment market for IT experts fell in January, an indication that as businesses cut spending, IT staffers are receiving the same level of scrutiny as employees in other jobs and industries.

Also Read: Google begins opening access to its ChatGPT competitor Bard

According to Victor Janulaitis, the CEO of consultancy firm Janco Associates Inc., a notable portion of the IT jobs getting eliminated or digitized are in data center operations and telecommunications, while there is still a significant skills deficit in fields such as cybersecurity & software development.

“What we are seeing is still a big demand for IT skills,” said Ray Wang, founder and principal analyst at IT consulting firm Constellation Research Inc. “While Accenture is managing to its shareholders, there are a large number of firms with 20% to 30% attrition that is happy to pick up folks from Accenture.”
Source: wsj.com

Suhani Jain

Twitter to Begin Culling Legacy Verified Marks From April 1

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

Next week, Twitter will start removing the legacy verified marks from user profiles. The company is moving towards a system where only paid subscribers and people who are part of approved organizations have that status.

Since November 2022, Twitter Blue members may also show the blue “verified” checkmark on their profiles. “Legacy verified” accounts on Twitter are those that had already been verified under the prior system. Twitter announced in a tweet on Thursday that the move to eliminate legacy verification will start on April 1.

According to the website, on April 1st, it “will start winding down [its] legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks.” It was always clear that the company wanted to do this.

Also Read: U.S. SEC threatens to sue Coinbase over some crypto products

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, stated that “far too many corrupt legacy Blue’verification’ checkmarks exist” and that the business is going to eliminate them in the upcoming months shortly after Twitter Blue was first introduced in November 2022.

The blue verification mark has become a key component of Twitter’s Twitter Blue subscription service, which Musk initially priced at $8 per month and now touts as the best method to use and advance the service. More paying subscribers, according to Musk, would also help to fix Twitter’s bot issue. According to the company, paying Blue users receive greater priority in searches and replies, which helps combat spam and scams. Additionally, they can edit tweets and get receive much fewer ads.

Just as Twitter Blue subscriptions went global, Twitter made a statement regarding legacy verified users. With this rollout, the service will be available to more people than it was previously. Paying subscribers will also receive a blue tick, have access to 4,000-character tweets, be able to edit their tweets, and benefit from better reply rankings.

If the company wants to reach Musk’s objective of having half of its income come from subscriptions, it must increase the availability of Blue. We’ll just have to see whether or not there are enough customers ready to pay the $8 monthly fee (or $11 if they pay via the iOS app) for its benefits.

Numerous journalists and public personalities are among those designated as verified without the Twitter Blue subscription. During the years that Twitter operated without Musk, this blue tick system assisted in establishing the veracity of assertions and reports emanating from those profiles and elevated Twitter to the status of a reliable news source.

Also Read: Trump returns to YouTube and Facebook after a two-year ban

Musk’s hatred for the old system has frequently been expressed in light of his contempt for journalists, who have frequently been the busiest verified users on Twitter. After largely ignoring journalist inquiries in previous months, Musk this month set the press@twitter.com email account to automatically reply with a poop emoji.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

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