ISP Lied to FCC to Block Competitor Funding #1647

February 2, 2023Podcastgeeknews

ISP Lied to FCC to Block Competitor Funding by putting in false data about where they currently offered service and at what speeds, which would have made it hard for a competitor to get expansion funds due to there not being a need to build out an area. Yet this lie is in areas with no ISP services existing at all. Not only are people suffering and unable to get high-speed internet, you now have ISPs lying about where they do have service, making it even harder for consumers to get high-speed service.

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Continue reading ISP Lied to FCC to Block Competitor Funding #1647 →

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Twitter To End Free Access To Its API

February 2, 2023TwitterTwitterJenThorpe

Twitter will discontinue offering free access to the Twitter API starting February 9 and will launch a paid version, the Elon Musk-owned microblogging website said as it looks for more avenues to monetize the platform, TechCrunch reported.

In a series of tweets, the Twitter Developer account said the firm will be ending support for both legacy and v.1.1 and the new v2 of its Twitter APIs. According to TechCrunch, Twitter did not immediately say how much it plans to charge for API usage.

The move follows Twitter abruptly changing the terms of its API in recent weeks that were used by many popular Twitter clients such as Tweetbot and Twitterific. Most third-party Twitter apps have shut down their mobile apps.

“Twitter data are among the world’s most powerful data sets. We’re committed to enabling fast & comprehensive access so you can continue to build with us,” Twitter Dev account said Thursday. “Over the years, hundreds of millions of people have sent over a trillion Tweets, with billions more every week.”

TechCrunch also reported that researchers also use the Twitter API. Twitter’s new announcement might impact research in different areas including hate speech and online abuse. Universities often use Twitter to study human behavior in different regions.

Financial Times reported that Twitter has begun applying for regulatory licenses across the US and designing the software required to introduce payments across the social media platform, as Elon Musk searches for new revenues to turn around the business.

According to Financial Times, these moves to allow payments through the site are a critical part of Musk’s plan to open up fresh revenue streams. Twitter’s $5bn-a-year advertising business has cratered since he bought the platform for $44bn in October, with marketers citing concerns over its management and content moderation.

Financial Times also reported that Musk has said he wants Twitter to offer fintech services such as peer-to-peer transactions, saving accounts and debit cards, as part of a master plan to launch an “everything app” that incorporates messaging, payments and commerce.

Engadget reported that developers will soon have to pay Twitter to be able to use its API. Twitter will launch a “paid basic tier”, but the company has yet to reveal how much it would cost.

If I’m understanding this correctly, at this moment, Twitter is hoping that app developers will choose to pay Twitter … for whatever amount Twitter eventually reveals. I suspect that most developers will choose not to pay for Twitter’s API and will leave the social media site.

If the developers refuse to pay for access to Twitter’s API, Mr. Musk is going to look elsewhere to monetize Twitter. My concern is that he will start charging Twitter users a fee for using the platform.

Netflix Issues Rules Regarding Account Sharing

February 1, 2023NetflixnetflixJenThorpe

Netflix has unveiled its plans to prevent password sharing between people in households outside of an account owner’s primary location, IGN reported.

According to IGN, the FAQ pages for US and UK Netflix subscribers currently highlight the devices that may require verification if they are not associated with the Netflix household or if they attempt to access an account outside the subscriber’s primary location for an extended period of time.

Subscribers who want to share their Netflix account with someone who doesn’t live with them can add an extra member to their account, IGN noted. Members can also transfer a profile from an existing account elsewhere, allowing them to keep their personalized data on another account.

The plan to convert “borrowers” – those who are currently using Netflix accounts that are owned by separate households – to paid subscribers is expected to roll out by the end of March, with the introduction of more account sharing restrictions and extra member fees in more countries.

Gizmodo reported that without any official announcement, Netflix updated its support page to detail how it plans to restrict users from sharing an account with folks outside their immediate household. However, the company made changes to the page after it was initially posted, and it still remains unclear just how upcoming restrictions on password sharing will work.

The Netflix website posted what appears to be the current information about account sharing on its website. There is a post titled “Sharing Your Netflix account”. That information includes:

A Netflix account is for people who live together in a single household.
Sharing Netflix with someone who doesn’t live with you

People who do not live in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix.

It is easy to sign up for Netflix and we offer a variety of plans. As always, members can change plans or cancel at any time.
When a device outside of your household signs in to an account or is used persistently, we may ask you to verify that device using the account is authorized to do so.

Netflix will not automatically charge you if you share your account with someone who doesn’t live with you.

Verifying a device

When someone signs into your account from a device that is not associated with your Netflix household, or if your account is accessed persistently from a location outside of your household, we may ask you to verify that device before it can be used to watch Netflix. We do this to confirm that the device using the account is authorized to do so.

How Netflix detects devices within a household

We use information such as IP addresses, device IDs and account activity from devices signed into the Netflix account.

Productivity Higher when Employees work from Home? #1646

January 30, 2023Podcastgeeknews

A study says employees who do not have to commute devote more time to their jobs than those with higher productivity. It’s a fascinating study and one that makes me wonder if it’s truly true as there are so many variables out there that could affect this.

Continue reading Productivity Higher when Employees work from Home? #1646 →

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AI Bot Passes Business School Exam #1645

January 23, 2023Podcastgeeknews

An AI Bot has passed a business school exam where the professor said he would have given the bot a B or B- on the full exam but that some of the answers were A+ worthy. We are headed towards exciting times which could forever change humanity. The number of AI-type pitches I am getting is at least 1-2 a week.

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OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Sounds Good for Spatial Audio

January 23, 2023InformationAndrew

With only a few weeks to OnePlus‘ Cloud 11 event on 7th February, the company has announced that the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 will support Google’s Spatial Audio. The Buds Pro 2 will be one of the first true wireless earbuds to support the 3D audio standard which positions sound sources in a fixed multi-dimensional space.

OnePlus has worked with Google to implement and enhance spatial audio in the Buds Pro 2, taking the feature first introduced in Android 13. Where this differs from previous 3D audio systems is that the sound source can be fixed in space and will stay fixed, even when moving your head. For example, a sound to your right will move to the centre of the sound stage as you turn to the right. This gives a far more immersive multi-layered experience than with the previous generation of 3D sound.

Technically, OnePlus uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor to track the wearer’s movements and adjust the sound stage as the wearer moves.

As most streaming services and games won’t be delivering Spatial Audio anytime soon, OnePlus has developed a tailor-made up-mixing algorithm that will create multi-dimensional sound from existing apps and music.

Furthermore, considering the compatibility of most audio sources in the market, OnePlus developed a bespoke stereo up-mixing algorithm, creating multi-dimensional sound from mainstream audio and video apps. This will give Buds Pro 2 owners a fantastic experience when listening to their music.

“With Android 13, we added spatial audio functionality with the opportunity for partners to use it within their own devices,” said Erik Kay, VP of Engineering at Android. “With OnePlus integrating this new framework alongside support for Fast Pair and audio switching, we’re looking forward to adding their Buds 2 Pro Series to the Android ecosystem of connected devices that all work better together.”

In addition to Spatial Audio, the Buds Pro 2 will support Android’s Fast Pair and can connect to two Android devices at once, switching swiftly between them without the need to fiddle in Bluetooth settings.

More info as it arrives on OnePlus.

The AI Bot Contest Conclusion #1644

January 19, 2023Podcastgeeknews

The contest concludes. I reveal in the show which of the two posts referenced in the last episode was created by the AI bot. The results are going to surprise you. The two referenced AI services in the show were Jasper.AI and Contents.com, of which I reveal that Contents.com is currently the superior product of the two I have tested. If any other company would like to participate in a future AI contest, feel free to let me know.