Current Final

Category: Tech

  • YouTube will let doctors apply to be labeled as ‘certified’ to avoid misinformation

    YouTube will let doctors apply to be labeled as ‘certified’ to avoid misinformation

    In an attempt to decrease inaccurate information on the platform, YouTube said Thursday that doctors and other health care providers can apply to have their channels certified. The change will allow viewers to more easily access videos containing “high-quality health information,” YouTube said.

    “This is a big step towards helping people more easily find and connect with content that comes from the extraordinary community of healthcare professionals on YouTube,” it added.

    In addition to physicians and nurses, those in the mental health field and those who offer healthcare information may also apply for the YouTube verification that makes their videos visible to users. “This new step will allow us to expand to include high-quality information from a wider group of healthcare channels,” the company said.

    The National Academy of Medicine estimates that 90 per cent of Americans use social media to look up health-related information.

    Last year, YouTube came under fire for displaying videos that decried the Covid-19 vaccine or went against the World Health Organization’s or the CDC’s recommendations for good health.

    In September 2021, it enacted a prohibition on vaccine-related misinformation in response.

    Additionally, a limited programme was introduced that permitted movies produced by public health departments, hospitals, and governments, among other organisations, to carry labels indicating their authority to consumers.

    This programme is currently being expanded.

    Healthcare providers need to follow best practises for disseminating science-based health information and have an active YouTube channel in order to access the programme, according to the business.

    The San Bruno, California-based company YouTube claims two billion active monthly users.

  • Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

    Musk’s appeal reflects concerns that the platform might turn into a swamp of free-for-all commentary once he acquires it and that numerous people with extreme views could have unlimited access to it. With Musk leading Twitter, there is a chance that many advertisers may decide to abandon the platform.

    Musk guarantees in his note that once he buys Twitter, it wo n’t be free for all. It goes without saying that Twitter cannot devolve into a free-for-all hellhole where anything may be spoken without repercussions.

    “In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all,” he tweeted via a note.

    “Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.”

    In the message, Musk highlighted why he is buying Twitter. He says, “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” he writes. “That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.”

    It’s the exact explanation Musk initially offered when he first announced his attempt to acquire Twitter for about $44 billion in April of this year. He quickly changed his mind, claiming he was no longer interested in purchasing Twitter because, in his opinion, the platform inflates the number of real, active users.

    Twitter disputed the accusations and sued Musk in court. Later, Musk promised to execute the transaction, and the court ordered him to do so by October 28.

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

  • Elon Musk enters Twitter office holding a bathroom sink

    Elon Musk enters Twitter office holding a bathroom sink

    Billionaire Elon Musk entered the Twitter’s San Francisco office on Wednesday with a bathroom sink in his hands, with just a few more days to finalise his acquisition of Twitter and avoid a fresh court hearing.

    “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO tweeted with a video of his entrance.

    Earlier, Musk also changed his bio on Twitter, where he has more than 110 million followers, to “Chief Twit.”

    Musk must finalise the purchase of Twitter by Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or else he will have to consider going to trial once again.

    When Musk attempted to terminate their $44 billion merger deal, Twitter sued him on the grounds that it had been negligent in disclosing information concerning spam and bots on its network, which he claimed would have a materially negative impact. This was refuted by Twitter.

    After Musk said that he would in fact be prepared to purchase Twitter, a judge in the Delaware Chancery Court set the Friday deadline.

    Twitter wants the court to continue to be engaged because it did not trust Musk’s word. The judge ultimately decided to postpone the trial that had been scheduled for last week and gave the parties until the end of this week to reach a settlement; otherwise, she would schedule fresh trial dates for November.

  • YouTube rolls out new design with better features

    YouTube rolls out new design with better features

    A new look, a pinch-to-zoom function, precise seeking, new buttons, ambient mode, and a dark option that is “much darker” are all part of YouTube’s interface update unveiled on Monday.

    The changes will be gradually rolled out to all users.

    Users of iOS and Android devices may zoom in on videos on YouTube using the new pinch-to-zoom function to see additional information. In August, Premium members had access to this functionality as a test.

    Users will be able to quickly locate a certain segment in a video with precise seeking. Users can drag the cursor or slide up on the video to see a row of thumbnails on both desktop and mobile devices. Users can utilise this to locate the precise place in the video they need to revisit.

    The new version of YouTube includes a feature called “ambient mode” that uses “dynamic colour sampling” to match the background colour of the app to the colours in the video being watched. In the official blog post, YouTube’s UX Director Nate Koechley wrote.

    According to what we gather, the new impact is extremely modest and only intended for aesthetics. The idea is to engage the audience and draw attention to our watch page, Koechley continued.

    With YouTube’s dark theme, ambient mode will be accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. Additionally, video playlists will have it available.

    New buttons under videos are among the extra modifications. We will soon see buttons in place of video links in the video description, reducing distractions. Furthermore getting updated and exhibited in a smaller size are the like, share, and subscribe buttons.

  • WhatsApp down: Users facing problems in sending, receiving messages

    WhatsApp down: Users facing problems in sending, receiving messages

    Numerous users are reporting problems with the app’s text-sending and receiving capabilities, which suggests that WhatsApp may be experiencing a glitch.

    The number of people reporting the outage of WhatsApp has sharply increased, according to Downdetector, a company that measures online outages throughout the world.

    With more than 6,000 reports posted online, Downdetector is reporting a significant increase. Users are upset since their messages are not getting through. The app does not indicate delivery status even when the messages are delivered.

    Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, and India, have reported the outage.

    Even Twitter users have expressed worries. In the meantime, the most popular hashtag on social media is “WhatsApp Down.”

    “We’re aware that some people are presently having problems sending messages, and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a spokesman for Meta told media outlets in a statement.

  • Netflix will start charging ‘extra user’ fee for password sharing in early 2023

    Netflix will start charging ‘extra user’ fee for password sharing in early 2023

    Netflix is stepping up its efforts to persuade freeloading subscribers to pay up and will start charging accounts for password sharing early next year. The company will also implement a system that adds costs to your plan for “extra member” subaccounts when people use your membership who are not in your household.

    When confirming the proposal on Tuesday, the corporation did not disclose a pricing for these new payments. However, this programme, which is currently being tried in a few Latin American nations, levies a fee for each additional user equal to around one-quarter the cost of a “regular” Netflix membership.

    According to Popsci, if Netflix continues to operate in this manner, each additional member subaccount in the US would cost between $3.50 and $4.

    Following its biggest subscriber losses ever earlier this year, Netflix, which had previously been rather lenient about password sharing, began experimenting with ways to make shared accounts pay. In addition to the password-sharing fees, Netflix intends to introduce less expensive subscription plans backed by advertising the next month.

    Nearly all of Hollywood’s big media corporations invested billions of dollars in their own streaming businesses as a result of Netflix’s domination in the streaming video market and years of unabated membership growth.

    These streaming wars gave rise to a flurry of new services, including Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Peacock, and Paramount Plus. This deluge of streaming options has complicated the number of services you must use (and, frequently, pay for) in order to watch your preferred shows and movies online.

  • WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, says Mark Zuckerberg

    WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, says Mark Zuckerberg

    Apple iMessage is the target of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s most recent Instagram post. He asserts that WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, is much more private and safe than iMessages.

    He continued by listing capabilities of WhatsApp that are not found in iMessage, such as end-to-end encryption and message disappearance.

    A billboard in New York City for Meta advertising promotes WhatsApp over SMS or iMessage in conjunction with the Instagram post. It provides a side-by-side comparison of WhatsApp’s “Private” bubble with the Green and Blue bubble technique used in iMessage.

     “WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, with end-to-end encryption that works across both iPhones and Android, including group chats. With WhatsApp you can also set all new chats to disappear with the tap of a button. And last year we introduced end-to-end encrypted backups too. All of which iMessage still doesn’t have,” reads the Instagram post shared by Zuckerberg.

    According to The Verge, the privacy ad campaign is a big push for Meta. Spokesperson Vispi Bhopti told the publication that it “will appear on broadcast TV, digital video, outdoor, and social across the United States,” and billboards will be popping up in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

    Over 2 billion people use WhatsApp worldwide. In the US, it is not the default texting app. Meta seeks to increase WhatsApp’s US user base. Recently, Meta has promoted WhatsApp focused on security and privacy.

    Not just Meta, but other tech firms have criticised iMessage from Apple. Apple’s Messages app should support RCS, the SMS replacement, according to Google’s pressure on Apple. A valid criticism of Apple’s privacy-focused iPhone advertising is the reality that iMessage still relies on SMS and cannot be used to securely message people who use Android phones.

  • Sindh police launches ‘Talash’ app to fight street crimes in Karachi

    Sindh police launches ‘Talash’ app to fight street crimes in Karachi

    The Talash (search) app was introduced by Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon on Monday at Central Police Office in an effort to combat street crime in Karachi with the help of contemporary technology.

    According to Express, the regional police head said that the app would be an “effective tool” in the fight against crime at the launch event.

    “This Talash App will be utilised as an effective and best weapon against crimes and in taking action against criminals,” the IGP said.

    The device’s goal was to enhance criminal investigation and eradication, he continued, adding that the Sindh police were using technology more frequently to reduce crime.

    Memon stated that a committee had been established to give investigators modern training, and that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had authorised spending money to strengthen policing by purchasing “world-class technology.”

    The IGP stated that the device’s initial rollout was in Karachi and that it would “very soon” expand to other districts.

    The device, according to Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) (Information Technology) Parvez Ahmed Chandio, is intended to reduce street crimes.

    He claimed that it would guarantee identity checks while on patrol. The DIG continued, “This is transportable technology as it is easy to carry it.”

    Chandio emphasised the device’s key attributes by saying, “Data of Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority) and other institutions can be accessible using this device.

  • Google announces launch of 8gbps internet service

    Google announces launch of 8gbps internet service

    Google Fiber’s unexpected return will result in a significant increase in internet speeds. Google has disclosed that it will offer 5 Gbps and 8 Gbps subscriptions in early 2023.

    Symmetric upload and download rates, a WiFi 6 router, and up to two mesh network extenders will be included in both levels. According to the corporation, the changes should aid in large file transfers while minimising lag and jittering.

    Customers in Kansas City and Utah can test the faster plans as early as November if they sign up to become ‘trusted’ testers. If they qualify, Google will ask how they intend to use the additional bandwidth, according to The Verge.

    This is a significant improvement over Google’s previous-best 2 Gbps service, which was introduced in 2020, and it might make a significant impact if you’re a gamer or rely on cloud computing. If a 150 GB Microsoft Flight Simulator download takes 11 minutes at 2 Gbps, the 8 Gbps plan might reduce that time to under three minutes under perfect conditions.

    It certainly makes ordinary cable internet plans appear costly. Comcast, for example, already provides 6 Gbps service in select regions, but it costs $300 per month on contract and does not yet provide symmetric uploads.

    In any case, the new plans are a statement of intent. Along with the first network additions in five years, the faster speeds indicate that Google is returning to Fiber’s beginnings. That is, it is raising expectations for truly fast internet access while also (to some extent) increasing competition among incumbent providers.

    Of course, this might help Google promote its other services, but you might not mind if it offers telcos an extra incentive to push out ’10G’ and other comparable upgrades sooner than they otherwise would.

  • Apple witnesses highest sales growth in PC segment

    Apple witnesses highest sales growth in PC segment

    Apple MacBooks are increasingly being purchased by more people. Apple’s sales have significantly increased compared to the previous year, despite the fact that it offers the most expensive products in the global tech market.

    This is a blatant example of why customers tolerate the fact that the company sells everything at a heftier price tag but also offers top-notch quality at the same time.

    The PC market experienced a 15 per cent fall in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, and it has now repeated itself, according to market researcher International Data Corporation (IDC).

    In 2022, Lenovo continues to dominate the PC industry, followed by HP and Dell. Apple comes in at number four, while ASUS is positioned at the bottom of the top 5. The only firm on the list to experience a 40 per cent growth over that time was Apple; all the others had a decline.

    The most recent IDC report reveals a further 15 per cent decline in PC shipments. For clarity, servers, tablets, and 2-in-1 convertibles are not considered “PCs” in this research; only desktops, laptops, and workstations are.

    Positively, the overall number of shipments to consumers and distributors was 74.3 million, down from the previous quarter but up from Q1.

    In 2022, it was still difficult to find PC components, which led to price increases and higher Average Selling Prices (ASP) for all computers. However, the ASP decreased in Q2 and Q3, which Linn Huang, research vice president of Devices & Displays at IDC, claims is a sign of “a market in retreat.”