Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Wednesday, 2 November 2022

After “Paid Blue Tick,” Elon Musk is planning to make DMs or Direct Messaging on Twitter a paid feature

The firestorm that Elon Musk’s decision to make Twitter Blue Tick for verified accounts had started, had not even begun to slow down when a new rumour about another key feature being placed behind a paywall started to rile people up even more.

After “Paid Blue Tick,” Elon Musk is planning to make DMs or Direct Messaging on Twitter a paid feature

Apparently, Elon Musk and Twitter are planning to make DMs a paid feature. Jane Manchun Wong, a security researcher and blogger has revealed in a tweet that soon, Twitter is working on “Paid DMs.”

Wong has a proven track record of reporting about the latest developments in platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, which have turned out to be true. Furthermore, her expertise and experience as a front-end developer and security researcher, have helped her amass a sizeable online following.

Just earlier today, Elon Musk had doubled down on his announcement of making verified account holders with Twitter Blue Tick pay $8 a month for the service, along with a bunch of other features. As was the case with Tesla, Musk has started placing some previously free features behind a paywall.

Musk’s idea to place DMs behind a paywall actually makes sense if we take his vision of making Twitter a bot-free, scam/spam accountless platform. However, it seems that with each and every decision that he is taking, he seems to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

There is no doubt that restricting DMs in a certain context will make Twitter a better and a much safer place. The kind of vile and revolting messages that many women who are active and vocal on social media platforms is truly horrifying.


At the same time, seeing a feature that was free and a cornerstone of a particular social media platform, go behind a paywall and being made into a premium feature is not just saddening, but alarming as well. 

Twitter is going the direction that LinkedIn went years ago.

As of now, there is little to no detail available as to how Twitter plans to make “Paid DMs” work. Having said that, there is speculation that this might become a feature that will be accessible to people with Twitter Blue Tick verified profiles, or people who have subscribed to Twitter Blue. It is also not clear whether Twitter charge users for every message they send, like SMS, or will it be a one time payment that will last users a lifetime. 

Either way, it will be very interesting to see how Elon Musk deals with the furore that such a decision is bound to make.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/GbLMjlB

Keep Complaining: Elon Musk doubles down on charging $8 a month for verified Twitter Blue Tick

After facing a lot of backlash for his decision to charge a fee of $20 from users who want to have a verified profile on Twitter and have the much coveted Twitter Blue Tick next to their names, Elon Musk finally decided to put a price tag of $8 on the feature. 

Keep Complaining_ Elon Musk doubles down on charging $8 a month for verified Twitter Blue Tick

However, after several users of the platform continued with their protests, Elon Musk has now doubled down on his decision to charge $8 for Twitter Blue Tick and a bunch of other features.

Several users have pointed out that it makes no sense for users to pay for a service that was previously free. Furthermore, people’s tweets and responses seem to indicate that most Twitter users aren’t confident that Musk’s plan to get rid of spam/scam accounts by charging verified accounts will actually work.

Clearly, people are not impressed with Musk’s idea of charging users any amount for their verified Twitter Blue Tick. The thing is though, Musk isn’t charging the $8 fee just for the Twitter Blue Tick but for a series of other features as well, and most of these features add some sort of value.

Bypassing paywalls, for instance, will allow users to access exclusive content from certain publications that Twitter will partner with. Users would normally have to pay separately if they want to consume such content. Twitter of course needs to pay those publishers for the content that users will consume.

Furthermore, users will also get a ton of different features some of which will be exclusive to Twitter Blue Tick holders. Moreover, Musk is not charging anyone a fee just to be on the platform. The fee is only for people who wish to have a verified badge, and have access to a set of niche features.

However, the biggest difference that Twitter’s new model will make is for the creators on the platform. By charging a relatively small fee from a select number of users who are very regular and serious regarding the platform, Twitter will be able to help these users back by rewarding creators for their content.

If Musk’s record with Tesla is anything to go by, this won’t be the first time when a common feature is put behind a paid subscription. It will be interesting to see, what Musk does next with Twitter, and what other feature he plans to put up behind a paywall.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/35FqPiB

Old Vine, New Twitter: What’s the short-form video app that Elon Musk wants to revive?

New Twitter owner Elon Musk has a new vision for Twitter. Among the changes he wants to bring to the microblogging platform is reviving Vine, the short-form video app, which came much before TikTok and Instagram reels.

According to reports, Musk has asked engineers at Twitter to look at the old Vine code and assess if it could be brought back.

On 31 October, the “Chief Twit” also posted a yes/no poll asking his followers, “Bring back Vine?” More than four million people voted and 69.6 per cent said yes.



What is Vine?

Vine was among the first short video platform apps that became popular in 2013. It was created by Dom Hoffman, Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll. It allowed users to make six-second video clips, which played on a loop. It is a predecessor to TikTok and Instagram reels and is said to be an inspiration for short-format, videos which are a big hit on social media today.

Also read: Explained: Elon Musk’s ‘pay for Twitter blue tick’ row

What happened to Vine?

Vine was acquired by Twitter in 2012 and was made public a year later. It was growing in popularity with an active user base of more than 200 million people.

But Facebook played a big role in killing Vine. It blocked the video app’s access to Facebook data, a decision which was personally approved by Mark Zuckerberg, according to leaked documents. Facebook cut off Vine’s access to its feature that allowed users to find and add their Facebook friends on the video platform. With this restriction, Vine suffered a setback. This gave a boost to Instagram and TikTok.

In October 2016, Twitter announced that it was ending Vine – users were no longer able to upload new content. However, they were able to access old videos. Two months on, the Vine website was shut down and released its successor, “Vine Camera” as an app update on iOS and Android. However, it did not catch on. In 2017, Twitter released an archive of all Vine videos but that too was taken down in 2019.

Also read: Twitter blue tick for $8: What new features will users get

Why does Musk want to revive Vine?

By reviving Vine, Musk wants to take to TikTok. According to a report in Axios, the new Twitter owner has asked engineers to work on a Vine reboot by the end of the year. Twitter engineers have been asked to look at the video app’s old code base, which has not been updated since the shutdown.

Musk is looking at bringing back Vine keeping its revenue potential in mind. TikTok, which is banned in India, is the world’s most popular and top-grossing app. TikTok’s global app along with its Chinese version Douyin on iOS together retained the position as the top-grossing non-game app across the App Store and Google Play combined, with approximately $914.4 million in consumer spending in the third quarter of 2022. In September, the app generated $2.5 million every day on Android and iPhone devices, excluding the iPad, globally.

Twitter has introduced new video features since 2016, but reviving Vine could give video creators a platform that sits somewhat apart from general Twitter discourse, according to Axios. A couple of weeks ago, Twitter started showing short-video formats via a new Suggested Videos section. It is the popular vertical scroll design that other platforms now have.

Apart from the poll on Vine, which was well-received, Musk asked, “What could we do to make it better?” He was responding to popular YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, who said that competing with TikTok would be “hilarious”

Reviving Vine aligns with Musk’s goal of transforming Twitter into a “super app” similar to China’s WeChat. However, the timeline may not be practical.

Is a Vine reboot possible?

Vine’s code has not been updated since it shut down six years ago. A source told Axios that “it needs a lot of work”.

Bringing back the video app in the next two months will not be easy. Sara Beykpour, a former employee who worked at Vine, said the original software may be outdated. “This code is 6+ years old. Some of it is 10+. You don’t want to look there. If you want to revive Vine, you should start over,” she wrote on Twitter.

In September, Vine’s founder Rus Yusupov said that the app did not work because it did not have the right features at the time and failed to monetise.

According to a blog on Engadget, Vine will find it difficult to compete with TikTok and YouTube Shorts. “So much of TikTok’s success is a result of its “For You” algorithm which always seems to know what videos will keep you glued to the app. Vine never had anything comparable, and many of its most prolific creators have moved on to other platforms,” it says.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending NewsCricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/JKE6ocV

After taking over Twitter, Elon Musk plans to revive Vine, may take on TikTok with Logan Paul by his side

Remember Vine, the short-lived video-sharing platform that made the short-video format of content go viral? Well, it seems that Elon Musk is planning to revive the old platform and give it a second lease on life.

After taking over Twitter, Elon Musk plans to revive Vine, may take on TikTok with Logan Paul by his side

Before there was TikTok and the countless knockoffs that it spawned before there was Musically, Instagram Shorts, or YouTube Shorts, Vine was the go-to app for quirky, and zany vertically shot short-form content. The difference between a platform like TikTok and Vine is that Vine was actually loved by the people, albeit for a short period of time.

Many of the most popular content creators of today actually came to the public limelight, thanks to Vine. Today, we know musicians like Shawn Mendes and video creators like Logan Paul, because of Vines. 

Short and snackable video content was synonymous with Vine. Indian content creators like Bhuvan Bam, owe their success and popularity to Vine – hence the name, ‘BB Ki Vines’. 

Twitter bought Vine back in 2012, just 5 months after the platform launched and became an overnight sensation. However, in 2016, Twitter pulled the shutter down on Vine, taking it off the market completely, mainly because of growing competition. It was a decision that surprised many, mainly because of how popular Vine was, in spite of the rising competition. There was also the fact that TikTok, one of Vine’s main competitors was paying Vine’s top creators to sign exclusive, multi-million dollar deals with them.

Taking to Twitter, Musk put up a poll, asking users whether he should revive Vine as a platform. Not only did a vast majority of the people respond with a resounding yes, but some of the biggest content creators on the internet like Mr Beast, also supported the idea. 

Musk hasn’t confirmed whether or not he will bring back the platform that gave us some of the most celebrated social media influencers and creators. However, there are other rumours which suggest that he is already working on reviving the platform.

After taking over Twitter, Elon Musk plans to revive Vine, may take on TikTok with Logan Paul by his side (1)

Evidently, Musk has already approached Logan Paul to run the platform and head the creative division. As per a few rumours, Musk and Paul are set to sign a $1 billion deal soon.

The situation right now is very conducive for Musk to revive a short-form video platform like Vine. Short videos have only exploded as a content form ever since Vine went out of the market, with TikTok having a major chunk of the market right now. However, because of the way content is moderated on TikTok and because of the platform’s proximity to the Chinese government, people usually distrust TikTok. And no matter how hard YouTube and Instagram try, people don’t want to see these platforms dabbling with short-form content. Instagram in particular has often drawn flack for imitating features from TikTok.

If Musk indeed relaunches Vine, irrespective of who leads it or who manages the platform, he will have struck gold for sure.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/TyOzc2t

Twitter Blue Tick for $8: What new features will users get now that Elon Musk has dropped the price

Elon Musk had earlier announced that he will allow users buy to a verified badge, or the Twitter Blue Tick, for a fee of $20 a month. However, after users several prominent users of Twitter who already had their accounts verified and had Twitter Blue Ticks pointed out that they would leave the platform if they were forced to pay for their verified badges, Musk announced that he would drop the price down to $8 a month.

Twitter Blue Tick for $8_ What features will Twitter users get now that Elon Musk has dropped the price

For Elon Musk, the verified user programme is particularly important as one of his goals is to make Twitter a platform that is dominated by spam accounts and bots. He believes for that to happen, the current verified accounts programme or Twitter Blue Ticks needs to be overhauled.

While posting on Twitter about his decision to price Twitter Blue Ticks at $8 a month, Elon Musk also revealed that the price for the verified badge will be based on the purchasing power parity or PPP of the country where the user is from. Basically, someone who is based in the United States of America or any developed country, will have to pay $8 a month. However, if a verified user is based out of an underdeveloped or developing country like Zimbabwe or India, where $8 a month is actually a lot, the pricing will be lower.

Elon Musk is not just offering a blue tick next to your name in your profile for the $8 a month or so that he is going to charge. Rather, Twitter’s “new and temporary CEO” and “Complaint Hotline Operator” is offering much more.

According to Musk, people with the verified badge or the Twitter Blue Tick will be given priority in replies, mentions & searches, which will be essential to beat spam/scam accounts. This means that a person who has a verified account and is a public figure, will be given some preferential treatment so that impostors with a similar name and profile picture are not able to spam their way into mentions. People who are legitimate public figures will have the option to add a secondary tag to indicate that they indeed are public figures, a feature that is already in use by some politicians, actors and athletes.

Users with verified profiles and the Twitter Blue Tick will also get access to some niche features, such as the ability to post long video & audio content. They will also be shown about half as many ads as compared to a non-paying user, without Twitter Blue Tick.

Furthermore, Twitter will be partnering up with a few publishing houses and allow users with Twitter Blue Tick to access content that is hidden behind a paywall. The focus will mainly be towards articles for the time being, but in the future, this will be expanded to audio and video content as well.

The biggest change, however, will be for content creators on Twitter. By charging $8 a month for Twitter’s Blue Tick privileges, the platform will be able to reward content creators who create content for the platform. This means like Instagram and YouTube, Twitter too is likely to become a platform for creators who post a wide variety of content.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/qmgbhoj

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD monitor review: A simple, value-oriented workhorse of a display for professionals

Pros:
– 4K resolution in a 27-inch display means sharper image
– Image quality and colour reproduction
– Pantone Validated pre-factory colour calibrations
– Price when compared to similar monitors
– Solid selection of ports
– Adjustment options including height and swivel options
– USB-C with power delivery and HVM support

Cons:
– The OSD design looks antiquated
– Buttons instead of a joystick to control the OSD
– Plastic used in some places
– Lacks HDR
– Peak brightness of 350 nits

Rating: 3.75/5

Price: Rs 45,900/- (Can often be found for less on e-commerce platforms)

Serious content creators will know that more than anything, a good, high-resolution monitor that reproduces colour accurately, is paramount. This is exactly what the ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColorPro monitor promises to do, and manages to deliver. There aren’t many bells and whistles that would make this the go-to monitor for regular consumers who are into gaming or into a ton of content consumption. Instead, this one is strictly for the pros. 

Having said that, professional equipment, especially monitors can cost an arm and a leg. Therefore, it was actually refreshing to see a monitor from a reputable brand that serves up-and-coming content creators, without being too heavy on the pocket. 

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Lead

We spent a good few weeks putting the ViewSonic VP2756-4K under the ringer, and here’s what we found.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColorPro Review: The design and built
Like most professional monitors, the design of the ViewSonic VP2756-4K is rather plain and simple. You get a monitor with a flat and relatively thin display. The display itself measures at about 27-inch diagonally and has an aspect ratio of 16:9.

The plastic housing seems robust enough and decent enough to the touch – it isn’t creaky or flimsy, which shows ViewSonic did not cut corners even on a product that could be selling for twice what they are charging for this. 

The monitor comes with a base stand and a leg, both of which seem to have metal frames and are covered in plastic. The stand uses plastic which looks premium, thanks to its matte finish. The base plate has a portion which comes in a glossy finish, and a portion that has a matte finish.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Base Stand

The stand, which screws onto the monitor, is very practical. It offers height adjustment, and also allows the monitor to be tilted, and rotated on its axis in such a way that the monitor can be used vertically as well. The stand also allows for some neat cable management, which is an added bonus. Moreover, the orientation of the image or the video input changes automatically as you swivel the display.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Stand

The only complaint that we have about the design, is the use of stand-alone buttons on the front chin on the right of the monitor. The design of the button as well as the placement looks antiquated. We reckon a lot of people would have preferred a clickable joystick on the rear. Although we have to agree, the buttons are very tactile and have their uses in a professional setting.

As for the bezels themselves, they are relatively thin, like most premium monitors. Only the bottom, chin bezel is thick, but nothing that would be off-putting or jarring in day-to-day usage.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColorPro Review: The inputs
The ViewSonic VP2756-4K comes with a ton of options when it comes to connectivity. You get two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, one Type-C USB port that supports 60W power delivery as well as DisplayPort Alt mode, a USB Type B port that acts as a USB Host, and two USB 3.2 ports. That’s a pretty generous offering in our opinion. 

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Ports

We particularly like the inclusion of the USB-C port. Using just that, you can connect your laptop to the monitor to not just get a display signal, but to charge it as well. Furthermore, the two USB 3.2 ports make the monitor a hub in itself, which means you can connect other peripherals to your laptop, through the monitor.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColorPro Review: The panel
As is the case with all premium monitors, it is the panel which scores the most points. The ViewSonic VP2756-4K gets a 27-inch, 10-bit (8-bit + A-FRC) 4K panel, which is crisp and sharp and shows images and videos in great detail. The resolution of the panel may seem to be overkill, but trust us, when you’re pixel-peeping, the resolution does come in handy. At this size, the pixels are pretty much indistinguishable from one another.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Colours

Because the ViewSonic VP2756-4K uses an IPS panel, it is great for colour reproduction and has great viewing angles. As for colours, ViewSonic claims the monitor has Delta E<2 for colour accuracy. You also get 100 per cent coverage of the sRGB & Rec. 709 colour space which makes it great for colour grading your photos as well as videos for professional use. In terms of the DCI-P3 colour space, you get 80 per cent coverage, which although not ideal, is pretty good.

The panel supports a ton of View Modes which have been tailored for specific applications and use cases, such as editing photos, videos and working on CAD. As this is a monitor targeted to professionals who work in the image and video fields, it is Pantone validated and comes pre-calibrated from the factory, so it can deliver excellent colour accuracy and visual experience straight out of the box.

The panel has a 60hz refresh rate, which means that although it isn’t the best option for gaming, you’ll still be able to enjoy single-player games, especially if they have a ton of cinematic content. Games like FarCry 6  & Shadow of The Tomb Raider look especially spectacular when you see all those gorgeous details and textures that have been coded into the game. You do get some options to lower the input lag, but they don’t really make that big a difference.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Details in the image

Content consumption of the monitor is again, an enjoyable experience. It has a maximum brightness of 350 nits, which is far from HDR, but way better than your average monitor. 

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColorPro Review: Additional features
The ViewSonic VP2756-4K comes with a ton of little features that make this the monitor that creative professionals should be looking at. The monitor also rotates the OSD, in case users want to mount or use the monitor vertically. 

And although you get old-school buttons instead of a joystick to control the OSD, they are dynamic or contextual in nature, which means their functions change based on the menu you are in. This makes navigation a lot easier. As for the menu itself, ViewSonic lets you play around a lot and really fine-tune the settings and make minute adjustments to the image.  

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review OSD Controls

You also get the option to tweak the colour settings in ViewSonic’s vDisplayManager. And, if you’re into KVMs and are looking for an option to hook up a single monitor to two different devices, and switch between them without having to plug and replug all your accessories, the ViewSonic VP2756-4K gives you that option.

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColorPro Review: The verdict
The ViewSonic VP2756-4K is a very solid monitor, especially if you are mainly looking for a monitor for productivity-related tasks. It has great colour accuracy and reproduces colours really well – what it lacks in bells, it makes up for them in plain capabilities and functionalities. For the price, it offers features and functionalities that most of its competitors don’t. 

Sure, you don’t get a lot of brightness out of the panel, but not once did we complain about an image or a video feed being too dark. Furthermore, the adjustments it allows users to make to an image, more than makes up for it. 

ViewSonic VP2756-4K UHD ColourPro Review Vertical Orientation

The built-in stand is more than enough for anyone who plans to use the monitor, but the inclusion of a standard 100X100 VESA mount just sweetens the deal more. The inclusion of the USB-C port with 60W power delivery is another major point for the ViewSonic VP2756-4K.

All in all, if you value colour accuracy and image quality over having a high refresh rate, then you won’t regret going for the ViewSonic VP2756-4K, especially if you’re a professional who cannot compromise on quality.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/5nNFWvK

Tuesday, 1 November 2022

China has yet another uncontrollable, falling rocket reentering the Earth's atmosphere

This week, the Chinese space program successfully launched the final piece of their own version of the Tiangong space station. The 23-ton module called Mengtian will provide pressurized volume for scientific experiments and is the final large living area to be added to the Tiangong Space Station.

China has yet another uncontrollable, falling rocket reentering the Earth's atmosphere

China has constructed its modular space station, which is similar in form and function to the International Space Station, but smaller, on time and with very few issues. China was forced to build their own space station after the US government banned NASA from working with their Chinese counterparts back in 2011.

To launch the main modules of Tiangong, China had to use a modified version of its powerful Long March 5B rocket. And as part of the overall mission profile, the vehicle’s massive core stage reenters Earth’s atmosphere in an uncontrollable manner.

During a normal launch, a rocket’s large first stage will provide the majority of thrust during the first minutes of launch and then drop away before reaching an orbital velocity, falling back into an ocean harmlessly. 

A smaller second stage then takes over and pushes the rocket’s payload into orbit. However, the modified version of the Long March 5B has no upper stage. Rather, it consists of a core stage with four strap-on boosters.

This isn’t the first time that a major portion of a Chinese space rocket has fallen back to the Earth in an uncontrollable manner. In July this year, a Chinese rocket fell back to Earth on Saturday over the Indian Ocean. Back then, the rocket’s entire main-core stage which fell back to the Earth weighed 22.5 tons.

While uncontrolled re-entry of certain components of a rocket isn’t exactly new, and happens very commonly, typically, rocket upper stages and other used space hardware is disposed of by aiming for the remote Point Nemo, in the Pacific Ocean. That will not happen in this case.

On the three previous launches by the Chinese space agency where they have used a similar rocket, back in 2020, 2021, and 2022, large chunks of debris damaged villages in the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, fell into the Indian Ocean, and landed near villages in Borneo, respectively. Fortunately, no one has yet been injured by this falling debris.

China has largely refused to acknowledge the problem created by this rocket. The commentator on Monday’s launch broadcast by China Central Television, which is owned by the Chinese state, went so far as to say that the core stage would completely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere on reentry. However, engineers and other experts from other space agencies believe that certainly, that will not be the case.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/m8Rs6BG

Samsung plans to sell over 270 million devices in 2023, push foldable devices like the Z Fold and Z Flip hard

Samsung has projected that by the end of this year, they will have sold about 260 million units of smartphones across their different series. For 2023, they are hoping that they will be selling over 270 million units, most of which will be from their premium series.

Samsung plans to sell over 270 million devices in 2023, push foldable devices like the Z Fold and Z Flip hard

The South Korean tech giant had its best in terms of sales back in 2017, when they had sold over 320 million smartphones across different ranges. In order to get back to those sort of numbers in the future, Samsung will be pushing hard on their foldable smartphones. If some reports are to be believed, they will also be launching more budget-friendly versions of their Z Fold and Z Flip series. Samsung believes that it can help it grow its profitability rather than sheer sales volumes overall.

Getting back to the magical mark of 300 million plus units sold will certainly not be an easy task as more and more smartphone manufacturers are offering premium-level features for a fraction of the price that legacy brands like Samsung provide. Moreover, as compared to 2017, Samsung has much stiffer competition from brands like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, who have captured a significant chunk of the market where Samsung had most of their sales come from.

What makes matters worse for Samsung, is the fact that due to the looming recession and current economic slowdowns across the world, people aren’t upgrading their smartphones as frequently as they used to, especially if they are already using a premium or flagship offering from one or two years ago.

Instead of giving up on profitability by trying to move as many cheap devices as possible in 2023, it will allegedly change gears to “defend profits” by increasing the proportion of premium products it sells. This is where foldable are as of yet unrivalled for the company, with Samsung forecasting an average annual growth rate for them of 80 per cent by 2024. Samsung aims to ship at least 60 million units of its premium S and Z series devices, and about 210 million units of the A series next year.

Regarding foldables specifically, however, its plans may be derailed if one or more Chinese smartphone makers finally decide to launch their foldables internationally, where Samsung currently rules unencumbered. 

Those competitors can and most likely will challenge Samsung’s reign on pricing grounds, and thus may force it to issue some cuts in those all-too-delicious profit margins. What’s more is that Google is also rumoured to be preparing a foldable device that will take on Samsung’s foldables, drawing more customers away from the South Korean tech giant.

As for next year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Fold devices, they will come with improved designs, better durability, and a less noticeable screen crease. This basically means that internally, there won’t be a ton of improvement or changes.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/zTS7w0v

Elon Musk may be reconsidering the move to charge $20 a month for verified badges after users trash idea

One of Elon Musk’s initial plans for Twitter was to ensure that at least half of Twitter’s revenues came from subscriptions. To that effect, Twitter planned that they would start charging $20 per month from users for their verified badge, or the Blue Tick. Basically, this mean that anyone who wanted to get a blue tick next to their name on Twitter could do so, by buying the privilege.

Elon Musk may be reconsidering the move to charge $20 a month for verified badges after users trash idea

Existing verified account holders had 90 days to enrol into the programme, after which, the;r verified status would be taken away. Naturally, this did not sit well with a number of users, many of whom voiced their opinions on the platform.

One of Twitters most prolific users, author Stephen King took to Twitter and completely decimated the idea, saying that if this ideas was indeed implemented, he would leave the platform.

For a change, Elon Musk took this issue seriously, and is perhaps reconsidering the pricing of Twitter Blue subscriptions.

He replied to King, asking if $8 a month sounds reasonable. Musk believes that relying on advertisers isn’t entirely plausible and that they needed other sources of revenue.

Ever since Musk took over Twitter, there has been whispers that several prominent advertisers would leave the platform. This is because there has been a lot of speculation that the platform would allow some extremely controversial figures who had their accounts suspended, back on to the platform. Addressing such fears, Musk had penned a note dedicated to the advertisers on the platform, on why exactly he bought Twitter.

Musk wanted to expand the Twitter Blue subscription programme and get more users to start paying for certain features on the platform. Twitter Blue, as a service allows subscribers to try out new features before they are made available to the public. Twitter Blue subscribers also get access to certain exclusive features, the most prominent of which, is the ability to edit Tweets.

Musk’s idea was to add the Blue Tick verified badge to the Twitter Blue subscription and to increase the subscription price up from $4.99 a month to $19.99 a month, in the hopes that more and more people would get the new and revamped Twitter Blue package, in order to get the verified badge. However, if the reaction of Twitter users is anything to go by, this certainly has backfired.

 



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/cy7d4tP

Explained: Who is Sriram Krishnan, the Indian-origin investor, helping Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover?

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is officially the owner of Twitter after months of the ‘will he, won’t he’ game. The billionaire has hit the ground sprinting after his Twitter takeover, seeking major changes to the platform only days after finalising his controversial $44 billion purchase.

One of Musks biggest changes to the platform was the ouster of CEO Parag Agrawal as well as Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal, policy, and trust at the San Francisco-based company. Moreover, documents filed on Monday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) showed that Musk has become Twitter’s sole director after dissolving its corporate board.

As one Indian-origin Twitter employee exits, Elon Musk has brought on board another to help him with the overhaul of the company — Sriram Krishnan.

So, who exactly is Sriram Krishnan and how will he help the ‘Chief Twit’ in his efforts to make Twitter “maximum amazing”.

Who is Sriram Krishnan?

Born in Chennai and a graduate of SRM Engineering College, Anna University (2001-2005), Krishnan — a US citizen — is an investor, technologist, and engineer. Born in “typical middle-class Indian upbringings” as per a New York Times article, he moved to the United States at the age of 21 in 2005 where he started his journey in the tech space.

His tech career started in Microsoft in 2005, where most of his work was for the Windows Azure division. As per his LinkedIn profile, he then joined Facebook where he scaled the mobile app download ads product/business. Krishnan then left Facebook in February 2016 to help lead advertising efforts at Snapchat’s parent company Snap. He quit Snap in February 2017.

It was then in September 2017 that he was hired by Twitter as its senior director of product. During his stint with the micro-blogging website, he led a core consumer teams, which was responsible for products including the home timeline, new user experience, search, discovery, and audience growth.

His experience and work drove Twitter user growth to more than 20 per cent (YoY) growth in two years.

After a successful two years at Twitter, he quit the company and currently is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), which is a venture capital fund that invests in crypto and web3 startups. Incidentally, Andreessen Horowitz invested in Musk’s buyout of Twitter.

He also serves on the boards of Bitski, Hopin, and Polywork in a personal capacity.

Well-known in Silicon Valley, Krishnan also hosts a podcast — Aarthi and Sriram’s Good Time Show — with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy, on the social audio app Clubhouse, where he covers tech and crypto.

In fact, in 2021, Tesla Inc cofounder Elon Musk was a guest on the podcast. Krishnan had later told the New York Times that he managed to get Musk on board after merely texting him.

How will Krishnan help at Twitter?

Since his takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk has been swiftly changing the company from the inside out and also made announcements of further changes — from increasing subscription fees to revising the verification process for the prestigious blue tick.

As per a report in The Verge, the world’s richest man has been holed up in a sectioned-off area of Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters, working late into the night and weekend trying to ideate and introduce revisions to the social media platform along with his inner circle that includes Krishnan.

****

From flamethrowers to challenging Putin to combat, why Elon Musk is the king of publicity stunts

Twitter Takeover: What’s the $57.4 million ‘golden parachute’ that Parag Agarwal is entitled to?

****

Musk is bound to use Krishnan’s prior experience of working at Twitter to reshape the company and monetise it.

Krishnan has always been passionate about his work at Twitter, something that was evident even when he joined the company back in September 2017. He had then written in a now-deleted tweet, “It is something I deeply care about and I couldn’t pass up a chance to be a part of it.”

Krishnan has also been positive about changes to Twitter. He was quoted as saying, “Really excited for the future of Twitter. This platform has given me and countless others so much.”

It will be interesting to see if Krishnan, who tweeted that he would continue with his day job, along with Elon Musk revolutionise Twitter and how successful they are. For now, all we can do is sit and watch.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.



from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/gRB6pqQ

Unlock iPhone by using Passkey instead of password; check step-by-step process here

The iPhone is renowned for its excellent security features. Your screen passcode and iCloud password are utilised to secure an iPhone once it has been configured. These iPhone passwords are the defences that will keep intruders out of your confidential data.

Unlock iPhone by using Passkey instead of password; check step-by-step process here

However, forgetting your iPhone password can be a major hassle. While you can reset your iPhone’s passcode by doing a restore using iTunes or Finder, some individuals prefer an easier process to sign in. Now, passkeys can now be used by iPhone users to sign in, doing away with the burden of remembering multiple passwords.

A passkey gives iPhone users a quick and safe way to sign in without passwords. It uses Face ID or Touch ID to recognise users when they login to websites and applications that support the feature. The passkey is saved on the iPhone in iCloud Keychain, making it accessible from all of your devices where your Apple ID is active. This feature is only available on iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and tvOS 16.

According to Apple, a passkey is a cryptographic entity that is used in place of a password and is hidden from you. Passkeys are made up of a key pair, which significantly increases security when compared to passwords. The app or website you are using has registered one key as public. The other key is secret and is only stored by your devices. This key pair helps in making sure that your devices and the website or app have a solid, private connection by utilising powerful, industry-standard cryptographic methods.

Steps to save the passkey for an account:

  • A new user should enter a chosen account name on the account sign-up screen.
  • An existing user has to sign in by using the account name and password.
  • When an option to save the passkey is available, tap ‘Continue’ to save the passkey.

Steps to sign in by using the passkey:

  • Go to the sign-in screen for any website or application.
  • Click on the account name field.
  • Choose the account name suggested at the bottom of the screen.
  • Follow the onscreen instruction to verify the Face ID or Touch ID.


from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/wfjIK5P

Navigating the World of Crypto: Exploring the Potential of Crypto4u

 In recent years, the world of cryptocurrency has undergone a seismic shift, evolving from a niche interest among tech enthusiasts to a glob...