Meta Calls for , Putting an End to , the Leap Second.
Meta has added considerable pressure to the tech industry's push to do away with the leap second.
.
Engadget reports that the leap
second was introduced in 1972.
It was implemented to adjust Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC) and make up for the difference between International
Atomic Time (TAI) and observed solar time (UTI).
Those different time-keeping methods
sometimes don't match up due to irregularities
and slowdowns in the Earth's rotation.
Meta's production engineer, Oleg Obleukhov, and research
scientist Ahmad Byagowi recently posted about how
a leap second can wreak havoc on a network.
With a growing demand for clock precision
across all industries, the leap second is
now causing more damage than good,
resulting in disturbances and outages, Oleg Obleukhov and Ahmad Byagowi, Meta's production engineer and research scientist, via Engadget.
The offset caused by a leap second
can cause issues all over the industry.
In 2012, the time change confused
Reddit's servers and locked up
its CPUs for 40 minutes.
In 2017, a similar situation
affected Cloudflare's
DNS service.
.
Since 1972, the body responsible for deciding whether
to adjust the UTC, the International Earth Rotation and
Reference Systems Service, has added 27 leap seconds.
LinkedIn Is Developing , In-App Games.
Networking is about to become more entertaining, Engadget reports. .
The jobs-focused social media platform will soon offer its users puzzle-based games.
The jobs-focused social media platform will soon offer its users puzzle-based games.
Nima Owji, an app researcher, posted screenshots of some of the upcoming games.
LinkedIn also confirmed the development
of the games to TechCrunch.
We’re playing with adding puzzle-based
games within the LinkedIn experience to
unlock a bit of fun, deepen relationships,
and hopefully spark the opportunity
for conversations. Stay tuned for more!, LinkedIn spokesperson, to TechCrunch.
Upcoming titles include
'Queens,' 'Inference' and 'Crossclimb.'.
Companies will reportedly be ranked in the games based on how their employees score.
A release date has yet to be announced.
It's also not clear whether only
paid subscribers will have access to the
games or if free users can play as well. .
It's also not clear whether only
paid subscribers will have access to the
games or if free users can play as well.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
NVIDIA Sued , Over AI Copyright Infringement.
Authors have sued NVIDIA over NeMo, the company's AI language model that helps to create and train chatbots, Engadget reports.
Authors have sued NVIDIA over NeMo, the company's AI language model that helps to create and train chatbots, Engadget reports.
According to authors Abdi Nazemian,
Brian Keene and Stewart O'Nan, their
books were illegally used to train the AI.
They are seeking a jury trial and want NIVIDIA to pay damages and destroy the dataset that powers NeMo's large language models.
According to the authors, the Books3
dataset copied Bibliotek, a shadow library containing 196,640 pirated books.
In sum, NVIDIA has admitted
training its NeMo Megatron models
on a copy of The Pile dataset. , Via lawsuit against NVIDIA.
Therefore, NVIDIA necessarily also
trained its NeMo Megatron models
on a copy of Books3, because
Books3 is part of The Pile. , Via lawsuit against NVIDIA.
Certain books written by Plaintiffs
are part of Books3— including
the Infringed Works—, Via lawsuit against NVIDIA.
... and thus NVIDIA necessarily trained
its NeMo Megatron models on one or
more copies of the Infringed Works,
thereby directly infringing the
copyrights of the Plaintiffs, Via lawsuit against NVIDIA.
NVIDIA responded to the suit, telling 'The Wall Street Journal,' "we respect the rights of all content creators and believe we created NeMo in full compliance with copyright law.".
OpenAI and Microsoft were hit
with a similar lawsuit last year.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Google Announces Update , Aimed at Reducing SEO , Spam Search Results.
Engadget reports that Google plans to
tweak its search algorithm in an attempt
to weed out automated spam results.
According to the company, the changes will , "keep the lowest-quality
content out of search.".
Google noted that the engine will improve
how it can locate and eliminate AI-generated
content that has become harder to spot.
The company said that the new update will apply
what was learned in a 2022 algorithmic tune-up
aimed at reducing "unhelpful, unoriginal content.".
Google hopes the changes will drive more traffic toward , "helpful and high-quality sites.".
This update involves refining
some of our core ranking systems
to help us better understand if
webpages are unhelpful, have
a poor user experience or feel
like they were created for
search engines instead of people. , Elizabeth Tucker, Google product
management director, via Engadget.
This could include sites
created primarily to match
very specific search queries, Elizabeth Tucker, Google product
management director, via Engadget.
Engadget reports that Google appears to be targeting
AI-generated SEO spam, which includes the growing
problem of sites using AI to generate worthless content.
Today, scaled content creation
methods are more sophisticated,
and whether content is created
purely through automation
isn’t always as clear, Elizabeth Tucker, Google product
management director, via Engadget.
Google says the changes,
which go into effect on May 5, .
"will allow us to take action on more types of
content with little to no value created at scale,
like pages that pretend to have answers to popular
searches but fail to deliver helpful content."
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Spotify Offers , Audiobook-Only Subscription.
Spotify's Audiobooks Access Tier has rolled out for $10 per month in the U.S., Engadget reports.
The subscription provides
15 hours of audiobook listening.
Spotify has over
200,000 audiobooks
to choose from.
In November, Spotify began offering
Premium subscribers 15 hours of
audiobook listening at no additional cost.
Spotify Premium costs $11 per month.
Since November, free tier users have
searched for and interacted with
audiobooks 45% more each day, Spotify said. .
That increase has seemingly justified
Spotify's decision to offer a
subscription tier only for audiobooks.
Ad-supported music will still be
available to those users.
According to Engadget, audiobooks can usually be finished in seven to 11 hours, .
which provides the opportunity to possibly fit in two titles per month with Spotify's plan.
That may undercut Audible, which charges subscribers $15 per month for one audiobook.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Google Pay Is Shutting Down , in the US.
Despite being all but replaced by Google Wallet
in 2022, Google Pay has continued to operate
in several countries, Engadget reports. .
But on Feb. 22, Google announced
that Pay will shut down in the U.S.
The payment app will be
discontinued on June 4.
It will continue to be
operational in Singapore
and India because of
"unique needs in
those countries," Google said.
Google Pay balances can still be transferred
to a bank account after June 4 in the U.S. via the Google Pay website, Engadget reports. .
Google Wallet currently has five times
the users as Google Pay and is used in
180 countries, the tech giant said.
That is likely due to the fact that the
app doesn't just handle payments.
It also stores IDs, transport passes,
virtual car keys and more, Engadget reports. .
Google's payment system has gone
through many changes over the years, .
but the latest decision is intended to
simplify the company's payment apps
under the Google Wallet umbrella
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Social media users worldwide were left in the dark on Tuesday, March 5th, 2024, as a massive outage hit Meta's platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The disruption, lasting several hours, not only left billions of users disconnected but also dealt a blow to Meta's financial standing.
#Meta #MarkZuckerberg #Facebook #Instagram #WhatsApp #MetaOutage #FacebookOutage #InstagramOutage #SocialMedia #GlobalOutage
~PR.151~ED.103~GR.124~HT.96~
NYC Sues TikTok,
Facebook and YouTube , for Allegedly Harming Kids’ Mental Health.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced the
lawsuit on Feb. 14, NBC News reports.
The parent companies of TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are being sued for allegedly harming the mental health of New York's young adults and children. .
The parent companies of TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are being sued for allegedly harming the mental health of New York's young adults and children. .
The suit claims that Meta, Snap, ByteDance and Google "designed, developed, produced, operated, promoted, distributed, and marketed their platforms to attract, capture, and addict youth, with minimal parental oversight.".
The suit claims that Meta, Snap, ByteDance and Google "designed, developed, produced, operated, promoted, distributed, and marketed their platforms to attract, capture, and addict youth, with minimal parental oversight.".
The suit claims that Meta, Snap, ByteDance and Google "designed, developed, produced, operated, promoted, distributed, and marketed their platforms to attract, capture, and addict youth, with minimal parental oversight.".
The suit claims that Meta, Snap, ByteDance and Google "designed, developed, produced, operated, promoted, distributed, and marketed their platforms to attract, capture, and addict youth, with minimal parental oversight.".
Over the past decade, we have seen just how
addictive and overwhelming the online world
can be, exposing our children to a non-stop
stream of harmful content and fueling our
national youth mental health crisis, Mayor Eric Adams, via statement.
Today, we’re taking bold action on behalf
of millions of New Yorkers to hold these
companies accountable for their role in this
crisis, and we’re building on our work to
address this public health hazard. , Mayor Eric Adams, via statement.
Spokespeople for
the defendants
deny the allegations.
We regularly partner with experts
to understand emerging best
practices, and will continue to work
to keep our community safe by
tackling industry-wide challenges, TikTok spokesperson, via statement.
Providing young people with a
safer, healthier experience online
has always been core to our work, Google spokesperson, via statement.
We want teens to have safe,
age-appropriate experiences online,
and we have over 30 tools and features
to support them and their parents. , Meta spokesperson, via statement.
While we will always have more
work to do, we feel good about the role
Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel
connected, happy and prepared as they
face the many challenges of adolescence, Snap Inc. spokesperson, via statement
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Apple Vision Pro, Gets New NBA, , MLB and PGA Apps.
NBC reports that a number of professional sports leagues
have launched new apps aimed at taking advantage of
Apple's new Vision Pro augmented reality headset.
The NBA, MLB and PGA have all introduced new apps that
utilize the Vision Pro's "infinite canvas," the 3D display
that users control with their eyes, gestures and speech.
The NBA, MLB and PGA have all introduced new apps that
utilize the Vision Pro's "infinite canvas," the 3D display
that users control with their eyes, gestures and speech.
The NBA, MLB and PGA have all introduced new apps that
utilize the Vision Pro's "infinite canvas," the 3D display
that users control with their eyes, gestures and speech.
The NBA, MLB and PGA have all introduced new apps that
utilize the Vision Pro's "infinite canvas," the 3D display
that users control with their eyes, gestures and speech.
The sports leagues are looking to develop
fully emersive experiences that can give
users the feeling of being at an actual event.
The PGA's plan is to allow users to virtually sit in
the tee boxes or on the greens of all 18 holes at the
tour's upcoming Players Championship tournament.
This is about what we
believe people may be
in the future, and how
people will consume
things in the future. , Scott Gutterman, PGA Tour’s senior vice
president of digital operations, via NBC.
Now, our goals are to bring
our players and events to people
no matter where they want to
consume our events and how
they want to consume it, Scott Gutterman, PGA Tour’s senior vice
president of digital operations, via NBC.
Other forays into the world of AR/VR have included
the NBA's courtside experience on Meta's Quest
headsets, and the PGA's app for Microsoft's HoloLens.
Other forays into the world of AR/VR have included
the NBA's courtside experience on Meta's Quest
headsets, and the PGA's app for Microsoft's HoloLens.
Meanwhile, the NFL developed
a virtual reality football game playable
on Meta's Quest and Playstation VR.
Meanwhile, the NFL developed
a virtual reality football game playable
on Meta's Quest and Playstation VR.
This, to me, will be how
people over time experience
sports through the media, Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner, via NBC.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has predicted
that other sports leagues will invest in their
own developers and engineers to invest in
the long-term future of AR/VR experiences.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has predicted
that other sports leagues will invest in their
own developers and engineers to invest in
the long-term future of AR/VR experiences
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Economists Optimistic, After Stocks Hit, New Record.
NPR reports that the S&P 500 has risen
above 5,000 for the first time in history.
The broad-based U.S. index of the most-known companies around the globe opened over the
historic milestone at the opening bell on February 9. .
Investors are feeling
optimistic that we have
sidestepped a recession, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist
at the financial research firm CFRA, via NPR.
According to the latest economic data, the Federal
Reserve appears poised to pull off its goal of achieving
a so-called "soft landing" for the U.S. economy. .
The potential good news comes after a year-long
rate-hiking campaign by the Fed to combat high
inflation amid widespread fears of a recession.
So far, the S&P 500 is up over 5%
in 2024, coming off of a strong 2023,
which saw the index gain 24%.
NPR reports that a select group of stocks,
referred to as "The Magnificent Seven,"
accounted for most of the market's broader gains.
Those companies include , Alphabet, Amazon, Meta,
Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla.
Those companies include , Alphabet, Amazon, Meta,
Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla.
Those companies include , Alphabet, Amazon, Meta,
Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla.
Those companies include , Alphabet, Amazon, Meta,
Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla.
It's a couple growth sectors,
and that's it. What's leading
the market is still more
growth-y, tech-y stocks, Stephen Suttmeier, chief equity technical
strategist at Bank of America, via NPR.
If you look at the history,
my guess is we spend some
time above 5,000, probably
spend some time below 5,000, Stephen Suttmeier, chief equity technical
strategist at Bank of America, via NPR.
And I think we
can actually move
well beyond 5,000, Stephen Suttmeier, chief equity technical
strategist at Bank of America, via NPR
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Reddit Prices Shares , at $34 in IPO.
Reddit will go public on March 21 and has priced
its IPO at $34 a share, Yahoo Finance reports.
That is about a $6.4 billion valuation.
A social media company hasn't gone
public since Pinterest in 2019.
Reddit gained increased recognition
amid the meme stock craze of 2021.
Reddit had 500 million site visitors in 2023.
Its revenue increased 20%
from 2022 to $804 million.
According to an S-1 filing, Reddit said that its "content is particularly important" for the world of artificial intelligence.
We are exploring business
opportunities in licensing data
for purposes including machine
learning, business analysis, display
and training generative AI models, Reddit, via S-1 filing.
1.76 million shares have been set aside for eligible Reddit users and moderators. .
Headline venture partner Kamran Ansar
said the decision lends itself to volatility. .
You may see a big run up in
the stock price and a drop, Headline venture partner Kamran Ansar, via statement.
Because this has such a rabid
community around it, the Reddit
users, you could see Reddit itself
ironically become a meme stock
the way that you saw happen
with like AMC and GameStop, Headline venture partner Kamran Ansar, via statement
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published