Uncrowned Guard

According to Business Insider, Meta is testing a new livestreaming platform for influencers called “Super,”. Influencers can earn money, chat with fans, and broadcast using the platform. In exchange for using Super for 30 minutes, Meta reportedly paid influencers between $200 and $3,000. Super is currently being developed by Meta's New Product Experimentation team. It has been in development since late 2020. According to Meta, Super is an experiment being built by New Product Experimentation (NPE) and tested with a limited number of creators. It is currently being tested with a small number of creators. Meta recently reached out to multiple creators, according to Business Insider, asking them to try out the new project. The platform, which looks to have the same functionality as Twitch, is currently being tested with less than 100 creators, including tech influencer Andru Edwards and TikTok star Vienna Skye. Creators keep 100% of the tips and revenue generated through their stream and the livestream platform is operating on a tiered system where users pay to access higher levels of features. According to the report, viewers pay for features included in the stream and can tip the streamer. Although take note that revenue sharing and fees will likely be an ever-changing situation and may differ vastly from this trial. Meta quietly tested the service for about two years, according to Business Insider. Currently, the service is web only and no details seem to exist of mobile apps but it would be safe to assume they will come with time. Meta has begun testing Super prior to Facebook shutting down its live shopping feature on October 1 to focus on Reels. Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

iRobot has signed an agreement with Amazon to sell the company for $61 per share, for an acquisition price of approximately $1.7 billion. According to Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices, iRobot products are popular with customers, and he looks forward to collaborating with iRobot to come up with new ways to improve people's lives. It's not immediately clear how iRobot will be integrated into Amazon following the deal's completion and approval by regulators, but Amazon will maintain Colin Angle as CEO of iRobot. iRobot has been building robotic vacuum cleaners since 2002, and the Roomba is the most well-known one. Because the robot cleaning market is growing increasingly competitive, iRobot recently launched its iRobot OS, a platform powered by AI for its vacuum and mop devices. The iRobot OS will help Roomba products stand out from the competition by providing additional software features and capabilities. View full article

On a recent conference call, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealed that HBO Max will be terminated in the summer of 2023, and be replaced by a new service. Zaslav was much more diplomatic than most would be when describing HBO Max, which regularly has performance and customer issues. He described the app as having a competitive feature set but also having performance and customer issues. Zaslav then announced that Discovery Plus has a more advanced tech stack and will become the foundation of a new service that will combine HBO Max content with Discovery Plus' content and technology. After assuring listeners that the company would not be canceling a flurry of HBO Max-focused products, Zaslav said during the call that he believes the product will be outstanding. This information comes after a week of frustration for users. Early in the week, the company announced that Batgirl would not be released as planned and would be sent to the vault. HBO Max films that were available only on the service were also removed. Things reportedly look grim for HBO Max and its creative development teams as reported by The Wrap. Zaslav attempted to allay those concerns during the call and guaranteed that HBO Max's content was excellent and supported by the corporation as a whole. During the Q&A portion, Zaslav stated that HBO Max had begun to develop into a distinct brand—one especially associated with quality—as a result of the new service. It is unknown what Warner Brothers Discovery will name the newly merged service, but we can anticipate more from Zaslav as he consolidates his company even more in the coming year. Photo by Designecologist

Microsoft Teams has finally been fully optimized to run on Apple SIlicon devices, the companies revealed after a long wait. You can now natively use Teams on any Apple device, including those with Apple's own M-series chips, thanks to the production-grade universal binary version of the video conferencing service. According to a Microsoft blog post, Mac users should see a significant boost in performance, ensuring efficient resource usage and an optimized Teams experience. Multiple, high-resolution monitors will be better supported, allowing for multiple Teams windows. Microsoft, despite having a lot of hardware of its own, says that it is “committed to the Mac.” Beginning soon, macOS devices will receive an automatic upgrade to the latest version of Teams, which will offer better support and optimization across M-series computers. The new Teams app will become publicly available over the course of several months. Apple hardware users will have to continue using the Rosetta 2 translation technology until then. Although effective, Rosetta 2 has a deleterious impact on the performance of any application that requires it. The macOS version of Microsoft Teams is improving. Microsoft is striving to make Teams the best video conferencing suite available and has been releasing several updates to the app for Mac users. Last month, Yammer Communities announced that Viva Engage - a business-focused social media platform that will live inside the Teams app on any device - will grow and evolve. Mac OS users are soon going to be able to experience hybrid working routines to the fullest, and Microsoft wants to be in a good position to support them. View full article

iRobot has signed an agreement with Amazon to sell the company for $61 per share, for an acquisition price of approximately $1.7 billion. According to Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices, iRobot products are popular with customers, and he looks forward to collaborating with iRobot to come up with new ways to improve people's lives. It's not immediately clear how iRobot will be integrated into Amazon following the deal's completion and approval by regulators, but Amazon will maintain Colin Angle as CEO of iRobot. iRobot has been building robotic vacuum cleaners since 2002, and the Roomba is the most well-known one. Because the robot cleaning market is growing increasingly competitive, iRobot recently launched its iRobot OS, a platform powered by AI for its vacuum and mop devices. The iRobot OS will help Roomba products stand out from the competition by providing additional software features and capabilities. Photo by Kindel Media

Ya, will be curious to see how they hold up as all these massive contracts come back around.

Paramount Global announced that its streaming service Paramount+ gained a net addition of 3.7 million subscribers, raising its global count to 43.3 million from 39.6 million last quarter. The company would have added 4.9 million subscribers if not for the elimination of 1.2 million Russian customers as a result of the country's invasion of Ukraine. CEO Bob Bakish has said that the company hopes to reach 100 million Paramount+ users by 2024. In today's earnings call, the firm says that it is “bullish about growth going forward.” The company’s streaming services— Paramount +, Pluto TV, Showtime, Noggin, and BET+— nearly reached 64 million (63.7 million to be precise), up from more than 62.4 million as of Q1 of 2022, reflecting a rise of 1.7 million subscribers. However, it would have risen by 5.2 million global streaming subscribers before the removal of 3.9 million subscribers in Russia. Paramount+ reported a 120% increase in overall subscription revenue to $830 million, up 74% year-over-year. In the U.S., Pluto TV remains the 1 free ad-supported streaming TV service, as global monthly active users increased to almost 70 million. Paramount Global stock fell 3% prior to the open. Unlike Netflix, which lost fewer than anticipated subscriptions in the second quarter—Peacock was laid out flat at 13 million—Paramount+ is charging up that streaming hill. Netflix remains the biggest streaming service, with over 220 million subscribers. HBO Max will release its Q2 results soon, and it currently has over seven million subscribers. Disney+ reported 137.9 million subscribers last quarter. The Walt Disney Company will release its second-quarter earnings next week, on August 10. According to Antenna’s June 2022 Report, Paramount+ captured the greatest number of premium domestic streaming service signups, and gross and net subscriber additions, the corporation reported in its earnings release. Paramount+ subscriber growth was partially spurred by successful international market releases, including the U.K., Ireland, and South Korea. Paramount+ launched in June in South Korea, the U.K., and Ireland, carrying an international batch of seven new pictures. By 2025, the corporation expects to release 150 international originals. The firm also intends to expand into Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland in the second half of 2018. By the end of 2022, Bakish said in the earnings call that Netflix plans to have its subscription video-on-demand services in 60 total markets. Paramount+ will be available on June 22 in the U.K. and Ireland, nearly a year after its initial launch in the U.S. Its seven new international titles were announced on Monday, in addition to its plans to produce 150 international originals by 2025. In addition to writing to the company's shareholders, the CEO & President emphasized how well-positioned the company is to continue to generate value for its shareholders, citing their 'deep and diverse library of valuable IPs, combined with our world-class assets.' Paramount+ saw robust acquisition and engagement thanks to “Halo,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” “Jackass Forever,” “1883,” “The Lost City,” and the UEFA Champions League. Paramount+ listed content coming to the platform, including “Tulsa King,” starring Sylvester Stallone, which will premiere on November 13, as well as NFL football and SEC college football. It's unclear when 'Top Gun: Maverick' will appear on the service, but the studio has remained committed to releasing films from cinemas to streaming within 45 days. View full article

Businesses can use Location Spotlight, a new Twitter feature that's now available to all, to include store hours and addresses, Google Maps with directions, and a quick tap button to connect via phone or Twitter direct messaging. Using the Location Spotlight feature, customers might be able to determine if they have enough time to walk three blocks for coffee before a store closes, saving time and effort. It may be quicker to search for a business on a map app, but if the recent outbreak has taught us anything, it's that the information might not be accurate or current. Businesses had to adjust their hours instantly to comply with local regulations or to protect their employees, so social media became the de facto way to determine whether a business was open or not. On sites like Instagram and Twitter, businesses could connect with their customers quickly and efficiently, whereas Google Maps and Yelp provided less control. The About Module that Twitter introduced last year is now part of Location Spotlight, and it is available worldwide for businesses with professional accounts. Some of these features have been available before, but they were only available for limited users. In addition to Twitter’s existing professional account services, other services are in the works to expand professional accounts. There will soon be a 'Professional Home' feature to track performance, an expanded account spotlight section, and the company will begin running training sessions on how to utilize its platform. View full article

According to the developer, everything is in place for RC1, and he plans to focus on adding more functionality and features. Those upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will undoubtedly appreciate the improved compatibility provided here. Winamp, the classic media player, has just received an initial RC1 (Release Candidate 1) installer, allowing users to download it. Many individuals reminisce about Winamp, a media player from the late 1990s and early 2000s (it was first released in 1997) that allowed users to play MP3 files. Visualizations, interface skins, and other such features were included. Winamp 5.9 RC1 Build 9999 is a revamped version of version 5.8, released in 2018. According to the release notes (as spotted by Ghacks via Bleeping Computer), the release is the result of four years of development since the 5.8 release. There were two dev teams involved, as well as a hiatus period caused by a pandemic. Despite the fact that there aren't a lot of alterations to the end user, migrating the entire project from VS2008 to VS2019 and getting it to build successfully was the hardest and most significant part, according to the devs. According to the developer, everything is ready for the RC1 release, meaning that he can focus on adding more features. Those who have upgraded to Windows 11 will undoubtedly appreciate the enhanced compatibility with this app. Your expectations should be tempered at this point. There's still a lot of work to be done on Winamp, not only because of bolting on features, but also because of ironing out difficulties. Although 'extensive internal testing has already been conducted,' testing will still be necessary, and in fact 'all functions must be tested' (indicting that real-world usage may be limited to this point). The current version is a Release Candidate, a functional preview of the final product that is still far from perfect. Consider that if you want to get on board with Winamp now; it's still some way from the final release version (which will come eventually, of course). There are a variety of known bugs flagged by the developer, but according to user reports, a few antivirus programs identified the Winamp installer as a threat (including Bitdefender, according to user reports). However, these are false positives, and we’re confident the developer agrees. There are some key improvements in this preliminary working release, such as better compatibility with Windows 11, as mentioned. The list of the characteristics that will make this new remastered application distinct from the old Winamp, however, is still pending. Winamp is trying to be a platform that connects fans and artists, an assertion that was made in the previous version of the program. Since the program will apparently be tied to streaming music services in some manner, it must obviously do something different. These are very different times from 25 years ago, when MP3s were first introduced. Beyond a spark of simple nostalgia, we won’t get all that excited until we see these new features rolling out and what they'll deliver for modern music lovers. It’s still far from clear exactly what Winamp will do differently. We believe there will be a long wait before Winamp reveals its new angle, as time always does. According to all accounts, there is still a lot of bug fixing and polishing to be done before then. View full article

Microsoft Teams has finally been fully optimized to run on Apple SIlicon devices, the companies revealed after a long wait. You can now natively use Teams on any Apple device, including those with Apple's own M-series chips, thanks to the production-grade universal binary version of the video conferencing service. According to a Microsoft blog post, Mac users should see a significant boost in performance, ensuring efficient resource usage and an optimized Teams experience. Multiple, high-resolution monitors will be better supported, allowing for multiple Teams windows. Microsoft, despite having a lot of hardware of its own, says that it is “committed to the Mac.” Beginning soon, macOS devices will receive an automatic upgrade to the latest version of Teams, which will offer better support and optimization across M-series computers. The new Teams app will become publicly available over the course of several months. Apple hardware users will have to continue using the Rosetta 2 translation technology until then. Although effective, Rosetta 2 has a deleterious impact on the performance of any application that requires it. The macOS version of Microsoft Teams is improving. Microsoft is striving to make Teams the best video conferencing suite available and has been releasing several updates to the app for Mac users. Last month, Yammer Communities announced that Viva Engage - a business-focused social media platform that will live inside the Teams app on any device - will grow and evolve. Mac OS users are soon going to be able to experience hybrid working routines to the fullest, and Microsoft wants to be in a good position to support them. Image: Farknot Architect - stock.adobe.com Source: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/announcing-microsoft-teams-optimized-for-apple-silicon/ba-p/3589463

Today, Paramount Global announced that its streaming service Paramount+ gained a net addition of 3.7 million subscribers, raising its global count to 43.3 million from 39.6 million last quarter. The company would have added 4.9 million subscribers if not for the elimination of 1.2 million Russian customers as a result of the country's invasion of Ukraine. CEO Bob Bakish has said that the company hopes to reach 100 million Paramount+ users by 2024. In today's earnings call, the firm says that it is “bullish about growth going forward.” The company’s streaming services— Paramount +, Pluto TV, Showtime, Noggin, and BET+— nearly reached 64 million (63.7 million to be precise), up from more than 62.4 million as of Q1 of 2022, reflecting a rise of 1.7 million subscribers. However, it would have risen by 5.2 million global streaming subscribers before the removal of 3.9 million subscribers in Russia. Paramount+ reported a 120% increase in overall subscription revenue to $830 million, up 74% year-over-year. In the U.S., Pluto TV remains the 1 free ad-supported streaming TV service, as global monthly active users increased to almost 70 million. Paramount Global stock fell 3% prior to the open. Unlike Netflix, which lost fewer than anticipated subscriptions in the second quarter—Peacock was laid out flat at 13 million—Paramount+ is charging up that streaming hill. Netflix remains the biggest streaming service, with over 220 million subscribers. HBO Max will release its Q2 results soon, and it currently has over seven million subscribers. Disney+ reported 137.9 million subscribers last quarter. The Walt Disney Company will release its second-quarter earnings next week, on August 10. According to Antenna’s June 2022 Report, Paramount+ captured the greatest number of premium domestic streaming service signups, and gross and net subscriber additions, the corporation reported in its earnings release. Paramount+ subscriber growth was partially spurred by successful international market releases, including the U.K., Ireland, and South Korea. Paramount+ launched in June in South Korea, the U.K., and Ireland, carrying an international batch of seven new pictures. By 2025, the corporation expects to release 150 international originals. The firm also intends to expand into Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland in the second half of 2018. By the end of 2022, Bakish said in the earnings call that Netflix plans to have its subscription video-on-demand services in 60 total markets. Paramount+ will be available on June 22 in the U.K. and Ireland, nearly a year after its initial launch in the U.S. Its seven new international titles were announced on Monday, in addition to its plans to produce 150 international originals by 2025. In addition to writing to the company's shareholders, the CEO & President emphasized how well-positioned the company is to continue to generate value for its shareholders, citing their 'deep and diverse library of valuable IPs, combined with our world-class assets.' Paramount+ saw robust acquisition and engagement thanks to “Halo,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” “Jackass Forever,” “1883,” “The Lost City,” and the UEFA Champions League. Paramount+ listed content coming to the platform, including “Tulsa King,” starring Sylvester Stallone, which will premiere on November 13, as well as NFL football and SEC college football. It's unclear when 'Top Gun: Maverick' will appear on the service, but the studio has remained committed to releasing films from cinemas to streaming within 45 days.

Businesses can use Location Spotlight, a new Twitter feature that's now available to all, to include store hours and addresses, Google Maps with directions, and a quick tap button to connect via phone or Twitter direct messaging. Using the Location Spotlight feature, customers might be able to determine if they have enough time to walk three blocks for coffee before a store closes, saving time and effort. It may be quicker to search for a business on a map app, but if the recent outbreak has taught us anything, it's that the information might not be accurate or current. Businesses had to adjust their hours instantly to comply with local regulations or to protect their employees, so social media became the de facto way to determine whether a business was open or not. On sites like Instagram and Twitter, businesses could connect with their customers quickly and efficiently, whereas Google Maps and Yelp provided less control. The About Module that Twitter introduced last year is now part of Location Spotlight, and it is available worldwide for businesses with professional accounts. Some of these features have been available before, but they were only available for limited users. In addition to Twitter’s existing professional account services, other services are in the works to expand professional accounts. There will soon be a 'Professional Home' feature to track performance, an expanded account spotlight section, and the company will begin running training sessions on how to utilize its platform. Image: itchaznong - stock.adobe.com

Google says it’s dedicated to developing Asian-owned firms' digital abilities. Google has worked with the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) over the past few years to assist Asian-owned small businesses to succeed and has aided more than 20,000 of them. Today, Google is collaborating with an additional 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses to help them develop digital skills to assist them in developing their companies. Google has announced today that they will be adding a new label on Maps and Search that allows people to acknowledge their business as Asian-owned. The new tag is now accessible to businesses in the United States with a verifiable Business Profile on Google. Users will be able to see the attribute on Maps Search once it has been added. Google says it is adding new business attributes to its suite of products that are Black-owned, Latino-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ+-owned. The company says the new label is another way for people to support a variety of businesses. Google informs customers on a help site that self-identification is currently accessible just to retailers in the United States. Customers may filter for businesses using identity attributes. You may add labels to your account by logging into your Merchant Center and clicking the 'Business information" link. You may then find the 'About your business' tab and click the 'Business identity attributes' button to add an identity. You may then click the toggle switch next to the identity you want to include. According to Leanne Luce, a product manager at Google, "It’s our hope the Asian-owned attribute brings people together and provides our communities with much-needed recognition: to help them be seen and thrive,.” Google says it has partnered with the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) for the past few years to help Asian-owned small businesses thrive. In addition, the company has assisted more than 20,000 Asian-owned businesses over the years. Today, Google is assisting an additional 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses to gain digital skills in order to expand their businesses. Image: IB Photography - stock.adobe.com View full article

According to the developer, everything is in place for RC1, and he plans to focus on adding more functionality and features. Those upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will undoubtedly appreciate the improved compatibility provided here. Winamp, the classic media player, has just received an initial RC1 (Release Candidate 1) installer, allowing users to download it. Many individuals reminisce about Winamp, a media player from the late 1990s and early 2000s (it was first released in 1997) that allowed users to play MP3 files. Visualizations, interface skins, and other such features were included. Winamp 5.9 RC1 Build 9999 is a revamped version of version 5.8, released in 2018. According to the release notes (as spotted by Ghacks via Bleeping Computer), the release is the result of four years of development since the 5.8 release. There were two dev teams involved, as well as a hiatus period caused by a pandemic. Despite the fact that there aren't a lot of alterations to the end user, migrating the entire project from VS2008 to VS2019 and getting it to build successfully was the hardest and most significant part, according to the devs. According to the developer, everything is ready for the RC1 release, meaning that he can focus on adding more features. Those who have upgraded to Windows 11 will undoubtedly appreciate the enhanced compatibility with this app. Your expectations should be tempered at this point. There's still a lot of work to be done on Winamp, not only because of bolting on features, but also because of ironing out difficulties. Although 'extensive internal testing has already been conducted,' testing will still be necessary, and in fact 'all functions must be tested' (indicting that real-world usage may be limited to this point). The current version is a Release Candidate, a functional preview of the final product that is still far from perfect. Consider that if you want to get on board with Winamp now; it's still some way from the final release version (which will come eventually, of course). There are a variety of known bugs flagged by the developer, but according to user reports, a few antivirus programs identified the Winamp installer as a threat (including Bitdefender, according to user reports). However, these are false positives, and we’re confident the developer agrees. There are some key improvements in this preliminary working release, such as better compatibility with Windows 11, as mentioned. The list of the characteristics that will make this new remastered application distinct from the old Winamp, however, is still pending. Winamp is trying to be a platform that connects fans and artists, an assertion that was made in the previous version of the program. Since the program will apparently be tied to streaming music services in some manner, it must obviously do something different. These are very different times from 25 years ago, when MP3s were first introduced. Beyond a spark of simple nostalgia, we won’t get all that excited until we see these new features rolling out and what they'll deliver for modern music lovers. It’s still far from clear exactly what Winamp will do differently. We believe there will be a long wait before Winamp reveals its new angle, as time always does. According to all accounts, there is still a lot of bug fixing and polishing to be done before then. Image: Winamp

Google says it’s dedicated to developing Asian-owned firms' digital abilities. Google has worked with the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) over the past few years to assist Asian-owned small businesses to succeed and has aided more than 20,000 of them. Today, Google is collaborating with an additional 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses to help them develop digital skills to assist them in developing their companies. Google has announced today that they will be adding a new label on Maps and Search that allows people to acknowledge their business as Asian-owned. The new tag is now accessible to businesses in the United States with a verifiable Business Profile on Google. Users will be able to see the attribute on Maps Search once it has been added. Google says it is adding new business attributes to its suite of products that are Black-owned, Latino-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ+-owned. The company says the new label is another way for people to support a variety of businesses. Google informs customers on a help site that self-identification is currently accessible just to retailers in the United States. Customers may filter for businesses using identity attributes. You may add labels to your account by logging into your Merchant Center and clicking the 'Business information" link. You may then find the 'About your business' tab and click the 'Business identity attributes' button to add an identity. You may then click the toggle switch next to the identity you want to include. According to Leanne Luce, a product manager at Google, "It’s our hope the Asian-owned attribute brings people together and provides our communities with much-needed recognition: to help them be seen and thrive,.” Google says it has partnered with the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) for the past few years to help Asian-owned small businesses thrive. In addition, the company has assisted more than 20,000 Asian-owned businesses over the years. Today, Google is assisting an additional 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses to gain digital skills in order to expand their businesses. Image: IB Photography - stock.adobe.com

I am surprised by how many here buy physical media anymore. It always seems like a lonely task to buy a movie as even finding the physical movie can present problems now-a-days and getting a device to play it is also not a straight forward task anymore.

I really don't truly dislike any music. I do not like the Country genre itself as it is so diverse that two people can be listening to country and both hate the type of music the other is listening to. Granted, it is broken down in databases and such with sub-genres, but that is rarely a real world experience as most country radio stations seem to wildly swing from rock, pop, and more classic country music.

Until about 2010 we had DSL that mostly could not do anything. Streaming any sort of video required waiting a good 30 minutes for it to buffer and live streaming was basically not a thing. So all the fancy services like WebTV were never a thing for me and most of the people I grew up with.