What started as one of the most interesting developments in the world of social media has quickly evolved into a dumpster fire! It was only yesterday when we reported that Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Twitter employees to either commit long hours at high intensity to the company or leave. Employees were asked to sign a pledge by 5 PM ET on Thursday and anyone who did not do so would reportedly receive three months of severance pay. It looks like the majority of Twitter employees have decided to walk away from the company. Following the mass resignation, Twitter has now shut down their office buildings and disabled employee badge access until Monday.
Doors shut on Twitter!
The new ‘hardcore’ approach to Twitter was called ‘Twitter 2.0’ by Elon Musk. However, The Verge has reported that one departing employee of the company wrote that their watch ends with Twitter 1.0 and they do not want to be a part of Twitter 2.0. Twitter reportedly had 2,900 employees before the deadline on Thursday and the number has gone down marginally now. The remaining and departing employees reportedly expect the platform to start breaking soon. One Twitter staffer told The Verge that all the people who made Twitter incredible are leaving and it will be extremely difficult for Twitter to recover from here, no matter how ‘hardcore’ the people who remain try to be.
To add insult to injury, Twitter boss Elon Musk as of now can be seen sharing memes about the platform going up in flames. Check it out below –
As per reports, multiple critical engineering teams inside Twitter have either completely or near-completely resigned. Musk’s Twitter takeover was surely a developing story with new details popping up every day. It was only a few days back when Musk was seen publically firing employees criticizing him on the platform for his lack of management. Twitter users, on the other hand, seem to have accepted the fate that the lights will be shutting down on the platform as soon as tonight. However, Musk also tweeted that the platform has hit an all-time high in usage. Could this be the final straw in Twitter’s history before it shuts down? We’ll see!
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has fueled an avalanche of headlines in the past few weeks. It was only a few days back when Musk had warned his Twitter staff that bankruptcy is not off the cards for the company in a mail meant for internal circulation. Remote work was also revoked from almost all employees along with free meals. Now, it looks like the Twitter team is gearing up to either work long hours or leave the company following an ultimatum from Musk himself.
Work ‘long hours at high intensity or leave’ says Musk
Twitter boss Elon told his employees in an email that they’ll have to decide whether they want to stay in the company and work long hours at high intensity or get axed! The ultimatum comes after Musk fired half of Twitter’s workforce and most of the company’s senior executives leaving the company. The email meant for Twitter’s internal distribution was obtained by The Washington Post. Check out the entire email below –
” A Fork in the Road
Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.
Twitter will also be much more engineering-driven. Design and product management will still be very important and report to me, but those writing great code will constitute the majority of our team and have the greatest sway. At its heart, Twitter is a software and servers company, so it makes sense.
If you are sure that you want to be a part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below:
forms.gle
Anyone who has not done so by 5pm ET tomorrow (Thursday) will receive three months of severance.
Whatever decision you make, thank you for your efforts to make Twitter successful.
Qualcomm came all guns blazing during its Snapdragon Summit 2022 which was held in Hawaii. While the first day of the summit was dedicated to the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the second day showcases a number of new technological advancements by Qualcomm in the fields of AR, sound, and AI. Let’s have a detailed look at everything announced on the Day 2 of the Snapdragon Summit 2022 –
Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1
Qualcomm has revealed the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 which will be the company’s dedicated chip for augmented reality. The chip packs a number of features as a dedicated solution for AR headsets. The new AR platform has been built up from the ground in order to unlock a new generation of highly capable AR glasses.
Qualcomm has unveiled that the chip is ‘purpose build for AR’. The company has built a multi-chip distributed processing architecture coupled with customized IP blocks. The main processor has been shrunk down by 40% but there is no compromise on processing as it delivers 2.5x better AI performance while also consuming 50% less power. Another key feature of the AR2 Gen 1 is that it is based on a multi-chip architecture. The multi-chip architecture includes an AR processor, AR co-processor, and connectivity platform. However, Snapdragon has also revealed that the AR2 won’t be a standalone solution as it will require a Snapdragon-compatible host device like an SD phone or a laptop in order to carry out complex AR tasks. With the advancement of immersive technology and the growing curiosity amongst users to explore the world of VR and AR, Snapdragon is certainly moving in the right direction. One can expect that with the introduction of the AR2 Gen 1, users will finally be able to see slimmer AR glasses that are straight out of Sci-Fi films!
Qualcomm S5 and S3 Gen 2 sound platform
While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 improves on a number of performance features for Qualcomm’s mobile platform, the cherry on top is the company’s new Snapdragon S3 and S5 Gen 2 Sound platforms. The new platforms are designed to work along with the latest 8 gen 2 chipset and bring a number of audio features including spatial audio support. The S5 and S3 Gen 2 audio chips come with Snapdragon Sound Technology for an improved audio experience for users. The chip sports features like low latency, improved connectivity, lossless audio via Bluetooth, and much more.
Qualcomm revealed that the new sound platform comes with the support of spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and lossless music streaming. Have you ever experienced your music lagging on Bluetooth earbuds while running? Qualcomm’s new audio solution will surely cut that issue down marginally if not entirely! The sound platforms also feature Qualcomm Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation. This feature adapts to the fit of the earbuds and your surroundings in order to avoid ambient noises. Features like Adaptive Transparency mode and automatic speech detection are also present here.
Beyond the noise of blockbusters and celluloid spectacles, movies are capable of changing people and expanding a viewer’s perception of reality by injecting notions into their heads. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science are some of the popular terms in today’s world and it is only natural that mainstream films around the globe have depicted them on a massive scale. Be it the nuanced take of Joaquin Phoenix’s Her or the action commercial take of Shankar’s Robot, there is more than just one way artificial intelligence has been showcased on the silver screen.
I am sure that a big chunk of humanity has been introduced to the concept of artificial intelligence via sci-fi films. Thus, it was made imperative for me to discuss all the sci-fi films depicting AI in our AI special edition. I’ve made it clear that movies are far more than just a medium of entertainment and amusement, they play a vital role in shaping our consciousness and worldview. In simple words, movies educate us and spread vivid ideas more efficiently than a book.
The prominent reason why films are effective is due to them being a visual medium. The engaging medium binds people to their seats and immerses them in an experience like no other, of course, if done well. The content displayed on the screen is far more interesting than words printed on a book at least in my opinion. This explains why people now jump on YouTube and other visual stimulants like social media during their free time rather than reading a book. Films also allow people to attach concrete graphics to an idea like the Infinity Stones from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lightsabers from Star Wars, and so on. Being a film buff, there’s no other way for me to explore the complexities of AI and machine learning but movies.
AI in films
Mainstream popular films have a love-hate relationship with AI. Sci-Fi films tend to exaggerate the evil of AI by presenting them as an extinction-inducing entity. Marvel fans surely know about Ultron from the second Avengers movie. Iron Man builds an AI to protect the world but it instead becomes hell-bent on wiping out humanity off the face of the Earth. On the other hand, AI is depicted as a helping hand to aching souls with its portrayal in the film Her, where Theodore Twombly ends up developing a relationship with an artificially intelligent virtual assistant similar to Apple’s Siri. This leaves us questioning the actual nature of AI when it comes close to its portrayal in films. In the future, will AI control and dethrone us to become the apex predator? It’s too soon to make that judgment now. But what I can do for the time being is to list down the best films with the portrayal of AI for your amusement and understanding of the concept in a rather fictitious take. Please note that the films mentioned below are discussed in detail including spoilers for the same. Read on:
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Putting the best first! Everyone reading this article should mark this one as essential viewing. If you’re a film buff, am sure you have experienced or at least heard about this Stanley Kubrick directorial. Portraying the evolution of humankind and its journey beyond earth, 2001: A Space Odyssey efficiently depicts the complexities of AI with the H.A.L 9000 (short for Heuristically Programmed Algorithmic Computer) which is an AI character on the film’s spaceship. The supercomputer in this film is basically in charge of most operations on a spacecraft heading to Jupiter. This leads to jaw-dropping events when the computer goes corrupt and decides to destroy the world as we know it. HAL kills off the crew members in the spaceship one by one thus reminding the audience that letting AI take control of operations could go wrong in a horrific manner. The film surely is a starting point for mainstream cinema to depict AI in a negative light as it set a course for mainstream films in recent times. The cult classic film dives deep into the reliance of humanity on technology and what happens when the said technology decides to go rogue. 2001: A Space Odyssey for me is a subtle commentary on humanity’s foolishness or let’s just call it innocence to depend upon technology without understanding its potential harm.
Metropolis (1927)
The silent German film Metropolis is surely one of the first portrayals of AI in cinema. The 1927 film is not for everyone as the film is nearing a century since it was released but can make for compelling viewing for film enthusiasts. Watching Metropolis can allow people to understand what people back then thought of Artificial Intelligence and sentient robots. This film too paints the technology in a negative light as a robot decides to take over a city. The dystopian depiction of AI in this film has inspired everything from Blade Runner to modern iterations of superhero films. Besides AI and technology, the film also portrays a class divide between the working class and city planners. The film’s ‘False Maria’ robot was the first robot to be depicted on film and it also inspired the look of the beloved C-3PO from Star Wars.
I, Robot (2004)
Before Will Smith slapped his way to his downfall, he was one of the prominent ‘Movie Stars’ in Hollywood. The man worked in all types of films ranging from sci-fi and romance where he charmed the audience with his acting chops and personality. One of the films from the peak Will Smith era was I, Robot. The film sets itself in 2035 where humanoid robots powered by AI are now a part of everyday life. Detective Spooner played by Will Smith hates robots cause he was in a car accident where the robot decided to let a 12-year-old girl die only cause she had lower chances of survival compared to him. The film revolves around a humanoid robot Sonny who has gone rogue after pushing his owner to death from the 50th-floor window. The AI humanoid robot goes against the three rules designed by humans to protect them which include – that robots shall not harm any human, shall obey any instruction given to them by a human, and that robots must avoid any and all actions or situations that could cause harm to themselves. The film starts off as a murder mystery but soon becomes a conspiracy flick revolving around enslaving the human race.
The Matrix series
Long before Keanu Reeves featured in the Cyberpunk 2077 game, he was a part of the cyberpunk classic action flick, The Matrix. The first Matrix film is arguably one of the best sci-fi films ever made. The Matrix tells the story of a man named Thomas A. Anderson who spends his mundane life in New York working as a computer programmer. However, he spends his nights as a computer hacker known as his pseudonym Neo who tends to run into trouble due to his illegal activities. Neo grows suspicious of the superficial reality he is living in which leads him to meet Morpheus who makes him realize the truth about this world. And what is this truth about this world you may ask? Well, that nothing is real! I am sure you are aware of all the ‘We are in a simulation’ memes and conspiracy theories. The Matrix film series is one of the biggest reasons why this idea is so mainstream. There’s also The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Reloaded which followed the original film, completing the trilogy. However, the fourth film is what made it a perfect film series for me. The Matrix Resurrections which hit theatres in 2021 featured a plot that is eerily meta. The film actually takes a hit at the studios pushing for a fourth installment in the franchise by mentioning that Warner Bros (The studios actually behind the film trilogy) will move forward with the project with or without the original talent involved in it!
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
I did not feel like missing out on Avengers: Age of Ultron while talking about films that feature AI. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Iron Man’s personal AI assistant JARVIS actually inspired Mark Zuckerberg to build his own AI assistant, so it’s only natural that one film from the MCU makes it to the list. In the film, Tony Stark aka Iron Man and Bruce Banner aka Hulk join hands to build artificial intelligence that can act as a ‘suit of armor around the world.’ However, things quickly south when the AI becomes sentient and hacks his way into JARVIS and corrupts him. The evil AI then binds itself with one of Iron Man’s prototype robots to mobilize himself and eventually builds a strong alloy suit to take over the world and end the Avengers. Ultron also manages to get his hand on one of the infinity stones to build a vibranium-based android body for himself, but ultimately fails to do so. To the unversed, Vibranium is the strongest metal in the fictional Marvel universe across the films and comic books. The film can be easily discredited as ‘kids entertainment’ actually shares a profound narration on AI and its relationship with humans. Ultron, just two minutes after its creation connects itself to the internet and goes through the entire human history to quickly come to a conclusion that we need to go extinct. Now, that’s scary!
The Terminator (1984)
Another bleak take by humans on AI and how it can suddenly turn evil and start killing everyone. If AI ever becomes as intelligent as portrayed in films and ends up watching the films mentioned in the list then am not sure what will be its reaction, interesting to say the least. The Terminator illustrates the possibility of AI becoming an existential threat to humans. In the film, Skynet, an AI system sends a cyborg assassin back in time to prevent the birth of John Connor who in the future will lead a rebel group against Skynet. This film is a warning to humanity about creating an AI which could potentially end us all! Terminator 2 is definitely one of the best sequels made by Hollywood, however, the rest of the Terminator films can be skipped as they tend to stretch a simple plot into multiple stories which just don’t work as effectively as they should.
So here we are at the end of the line, having seen some of the best AI films you can ever imagine. Some honorary mentions of this list include – WALL-E, Chappie, Tron: Legacy, The Iron Giant, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Superintelligence. Diving into these films to get entertained and amused is just fine, in fact, that is what films are primarily meant for. However, they also share a deep commentary on human beings and our dependence on technology. Whether AI takes over the world or ends up becoming the tool that allows humanity to grow into its next chapter is yet to be seen. But these films unquestionably put forward perspectives and asks questions about the future of the human condition.
If you were around the internet when Twitter announced mass layoffs then I am sure you are aware of the pranksters Ligma and Johnson. Two pranksters fooled the mainstream media by simply walking out of the Twitter headquarters with cardboard boxes in their hands posing as Twitter employees who were brutally laid off. Without realizing it’s a prank, various media portals in the states reported that ‘Ligma’ and ‘Johnson’ were laid off from Twitter without realizing it was just a ‘Ligma Balls’ joke. It’s not like mainstream media journalists are aware of the ever-evolving meme lore on the internet and these pranksters took the opportunity where they could find it. Now, it looks like Elon Musk has welcomed Rahul Ligma and Johnson back to the Twitter headquarters and rehired them.
Ligma and Johnson rehired
Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk recently rehired two popular pranksters – Daniel Johnson and Rahul Ligma while facing massive backlash amid mass layoffs in the company. While sharing the update on Twitter, Musk wrote ‘Welcoming back Ligma & Johnson!’ The billionaire also added that its ‘Important to admit when I’m wrong & firing them was truly one of my biggest mistakes’. Check out the tweet below –
Back then, the duo was successful in making fools out of the majority of the US media circle at a time when news about Elon Musk axing the Twitter workforce was a trending topic. Musk was quick to react to the whole prank by tweeting ‘Ligma johnson has it coming’. He later also regarded the whole prank as ‘One of the best trolls ever’. Whereas, Rahul Ligma has continued his streak of pranks as he recently said that he worked for Web 2.0 and FTX – the two tech companies have also laid off thousands of staff in recent times. However, according to recent reports, Ligma has not worked in any of those companies.
it looks like Musk is resorting to humor in order to hit back at the criticism of his laying off employees from the company. The Twitter boss is facing a lot of backlash online for firing employees who publically criticize him. Some of the Twitter employees have come forward revealing that they were fired from the company via an email that said their ‘behavior has violated company policy’. With massive layoffs and dipping revenue, it will be interesting to see how Elon Musk steers the Twitter ship!
Only a few months after introducing the Gen 1 processors for its 7 and 4 series, Qualcomm has now announced the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which will power the world’s top Android phones and tablets next year. The company has added a number of AI features to its latest system-on-a-chip to enhance the mobile experience for its best-to-date performance. The flagship features include Snapdragon Smart which can boost the chip’s AI performance. Snapdragon Sight for enhanced object recognition, Snapdragon Connect for AI-supported connectivity, Snapdragon Elite Gaming, which boosts up the gaming experience with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and Snapdragon Sound for lossless and spatial audio support. Check out all the exciting features of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset below –
The power of AI
Qualcomm is banking hard on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s AI capabilities with its next-gen Qualcomm AI Engine. The 8 Gen 2 implements AI all across its major technology blocks with Cognitive Image Signal Processor (Cognitive ISP), Qualcomm Sensing Hub’s dual AI processors, and Qualcomm’s most advanced Hexagon processor ever. Qualcomm has also introduced the world’s first and only 5G AI processor in a modem-RF system. Qualcomm has promised that the new chipset increases its AI-based tasks up to 4.35x in speed. The newer processing unit allows 60% more AI-based tasks to be performed concurrently per watt. Qualcomm has managed to scale down the 32-bit processor to 4-bit without hampering the quality of the data sets being processed, this ultimately leads to a 64x power reduction.
Richer Entertainment
With a new flagship chip, one can expect a seamless entertainment experience and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 surely delivers! Qualcomm states that the 8 Gen 2 will bring a new and rich entertainment experience to mobile devices. The GPU now is 25% faster and supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing. This will boost the gaming experience by a mile with realistic lighting and shadow effects in the game. The GPU also comes with HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 10-bit color, and hardware-accelerated H.265 and V9 decoding. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also comes with an enhanced audio experience thanks to the latest version of the Snapdragon Sound. The latest audio setting allows 48KHz lossless audio for music streaming. It also comes with spatial audio features with dynamic head tracking.
Faster Connection
Qualcomm claims that its new Snapdragon Connect platform is the world’s most advanced 5G platform. Snapdragon Connect pairs with the Snapdragon X70 5G modem and RF system that implements AI to manage 5G download and upload speeds with regard to coverage, power efficiency, and latency. It’s the first-ever mobile chip to support dual 5G SIMs, it can run two 5G connections for a device at the same time. Snapdragon claims that the top download speeds over 5G can reach 10GBps whereas uploads top at 3.5GBps.
Qualcomm has also announced that a number of hardware partners have already signed up to adopt the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Makers like Redmagic, Honor, Mi, Meizu, Vivo, Sony, Redmi, OPPO, Moto, OnePlus, Sharp, ASUS, and many more are included in this list. However, Samsung was nowhere to be seen in the list showcased by Qualcomm. Tech enthusiasts will be excited to know that a large number of 8 Gen 2 devices will be launching in the first quarter of 2023 and so on.
There is no debate about the fact that humans and computers are different entities. One of the main differentiating factors between humans and computers is that the former is capable of learning from past experiences. Well, to some extent. At the same time, computers need to be told what to do specifically. Computers are code-based strictly logic machines that do not possess common sense. This means that if we want them to do something, we have to tell them what to do precisely. This is done by providing them with step-by-step instructions on what to do exactly. Humans write scripts and program computers to follow instructions. This is where Machine Learning comes in! In simple terms, Machine Learning (ML) is a concept that consists of teaching computers to learn from experiences beyond data.
What is Machine Learning?
Machine Learning (ML) is a form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that allows the software to predict more accurate outcomes without being programmed to do so exclusively. ML algorithms draw from historical data as input in order to predict new output values. Some of the ways ML is used are through recommendation engines, fraud detection, spam filtering, malware threat detection, and much more. So, what’s the big deal? Why is ML being used around as a trendy keyword in the world of AI?
ML is important as it allows enterprises to observe the changing trends in customer behavior. Business operational patterns can also be observed through ML, whereas the technology also helps in the development of new products. Tech giants around the world like Google, Facebook, Uber, and many others use ML as a central part of their operations. Similar to AI, ML also has different categories. While classical ML is usually classified by how an algorithm learns to output accurate predictions, there are four different approaches to how it is done. The approaches to ML are listed below –
Supervised Learning
In this type of ML, data scientists supply algorithms with specifically labeled training data. The variables of the data here are defined to the minutest details and both the input and output of the algorithm are specified. Supervised learning algorithms are good at binary classification, multi-class classification, regression modeling, and ensembling.
Unsupervised Learning
Unsupervised ML algorithms do not require the data to be labeled. Most types of deep learning used are unsupervised algorithms. These algorithms discover hidden patterns and groupings without the need for human input. Due to its ability to discover similarities and differences in information, unsupervised learning is the best solution for customer segmentation, image recognition, exploratory data analysis, and more.
Semi-supervised learning
As one would expect, this is the middle ground between Supervised and unsupervised learning. While training this type of algorithm, data scientists use smaller labeled data sets to guide classification. A small amount of labeled training data is fed to an algorithm which allows it to learn the dimensions of the data set.
Reinforcement learning
This type of learning is used to teach a machine to complete a multi-step process for which the rules are clearly defined. An algorithm is programmed with a distinct goal and a prescribed set of rules to accomplish that goal. One of the main implementations of reinforcement learning is robotics. Robots can learn to perform physical tasks with the help of reinforcement learning. Whereas, reinforcement learning can also be used to teach bots to play a number of different video games. Resource management is another way where RL can be used as finite resources and a defined goal can allow enterprises to plan how to allocate resources.
There are a lot of ways where machine learning is being used in a wide range of applications today. One of the best examples here is your Facebook news feed. The news feed uses ML to personalize every member’s feed. If you as a user frequently go on Kim Kardashian’s Facebook page then your News Feed is likely to show you more of her activity on the feed. We often start seeing advertisements for a certain product right after we search for it on Google or Amazon, that is due to the machine learning algorithm working in the background. Behind the scenes, the software is simply using statistical analysis and predictive analysis in order to identify patterns in your user data and use the same data to populate your news feed.
This was one of the most interesting weeks in the tech world with major headlines breaking almost every day! And of course, we’re here to bring them to you in a nice little package in the form of ‘Tech This Week’ From layoffs to new launches, we’ve got you covered!
Major layoffs in the tech industry
This week saw major tech industries laying off their employees. While Twitter laid off half of its workforce, which included 90% of its Indian workforce, Facebook-parent Meta let off 11,000 of its employees. This was one of the largest layoffs ever witnessed in the tech industry. Whereas, major tech players like Microsoft and Amazon are also reported to fire a chunk of their workforce.
MediaTek Dimensity 9200 launched
After a month of rumours, MediaTek has finally launched a new chipset for flagship smartphones – the Dimensity 9200. The latest flagship chipset is based on the TSMC N4P node and is the first SoC with ARM’s Gen 2 architecture with new cores. The newly launched chipset promised to offer better performance as compared to its predecessor, Dimensity 9000.
Realme Dizo launched
Another affordable smartwatch is on its way, this time from Realme’s TechLife brand Dizo. The company officially launched the Dizo Watch D Plus in India, which will be available on the e-commerce platform Flipkart from November 15th. The new wearable from the house of Chinese electronics maker Realme comes with a big immersive display, an aluminium frame and offers the most reliable tracking of health and fitness.
RTX 4080 rebrand
Nvidia recently paused the launch of the 12GB RTX 4080 graphics card last month as it received a lot of backlash from fans over the naming and pricing. It is now being reported that the 4080 will be making its return to the market as the RTX 4070 Ti in Jan 2023. It will be interesting to see how fans react to this relaunch as they were vocal about their disappointment over the RTX 4080.
Volvo EX90 unveiled
Volvo recently unveiled the EX90 SUV that will go on sale globally in 2024. Volvo says it is the safest car ever produced and is banking on the car’s safety features to be its USP. This will mark Volvo’s third electric model promising a range of 600KMS. It supports bi-directional charging. It is also 5G-capable for over-the-air updates. One of the key features of the car is that its interior sensors can gauge eye concentration to warn about driving while being distracted or drowsy.
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max shipments to take a hit
It was back in October when news about a COVID-19 outbreak in the world’s largest iPhone manufacturing plant hit the internet. A surge in COVID-19 cases at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou, China site lead to a complete lockdown at the factory as a measure to curb the spread. As a result, several factory workers were seen fleeing the facility citing poor working conditions and a lack of basic resources. News outlets around the world also focussed on individual stories where workers from the factory shared their experience of being under the strict lockdown and finally making their way to the world. Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant employs about 200,000 people and produces the maximum number of iPhones for Apple across the world. Thus it was expected that the production of iPhones will take a hit due to this outbreak. Apple this week confirmed that delays in the shipment of iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will indeed take a hit!
Oculus founder builds VR headset that kills you if you die in-game!
Palmer Luckey, one of the founders of Oculus has designed a new VR headset that can literally take your life if you die in-game! Technology and dystopia go hand-in-hand and with this new development, humanity has gotten a little bit if not too close to the sci-fi show ‘Black Mirror’ The VR headset draws inspiration from the Sword Academy Online Anime! However, it is not a product that will be making its way to the market anytime.
Crypto market’s big fall
The crypto market recently witnessed a big drop with the entire market’s cap now sitting below $1 trillion, at $914 billion. Binance’s proposed purchase of FTX is likely the reason behind this volatile market move. As of now, Ethereum witnessed a 17% drop and Bitcoin is fairing a little better with a 10% fall.
Tumblr is currently basking in all its glory! It is experiencing a resurgence due to its policy changes that allowed nudity on the platform and also the ongoing chaos unfolding on Twitter. A few known celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Lynda Carter also made their way to Tumblr to escape the Twitter drama. However, like almost all other social media platforms Tumblr does not verify high-profile accounts of celebrities and politicians. To keep up with the ongoing trend of Elon Musk charging $8 for a verified check on Twitter, now Tumblr has launched a subscription of the check mark at $7.99!
Tumblr blue check mark
Before you start accusing Tumblr of hopping on a trend to make a few bucks and exploit users, let me tell you that it is actually just a parody. While Tumblr is definitely selling the blue check mark at $7.99 it’s more of a joke item presented by the company and does not give users any other benefits! It is a one-time payment and not an actual monthly subscription. Users can buy the blue check mark from Tumblr’s web store and basically get what they’d expect in return, a blue check. That’s all! Well, two blue checks to be precise. Tumblr is actually providing its users with not one, but two blue check marks just to have an edge over other social media platforms.
While introducing this new feature, Tumblr’s official post read – “Hi! We’re introducing Important Blue Internet Checkmarks here on Tumblr. They’re a steal at $7.99—that’s cheaper than some other places, when you consider that you get not one but TWO checkmarks for your blog on web only (for now). Why, you ask? Why not? Nothing matters! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”
While all fun and games, Tumblr was also specific that the blue check marks do not really mean identity verification. While sharing the properties of the important checkmarks Tumblr mentioned – “This is not a verification status, it’s an important Blue Internet Checkmark, which in 2022 is just as legit. Also the Important Blue Internet Checkmark may turn into a bunch of crabs at any time”
It is quite evident that Tumblr is poking fun at Twitter’s latest $8 subscription model that allows users to get verified on the platform. It will be interesting to see if Tumblr’s ‘shitposting’ business model allows it to float its boat!
We could be watching Twitter go from a prominent social media platform to a thing of the past in real-time! Elon Musk recently took charge of Twitter after a 44 billion acquisition and quickly started making radical changes to the platform ranging from the $8 verified check and suspending accounts left and right. These decisions made by Musk have surely changed people’s perception of the platform as it is facing a considerable backlash. Now, it looks like Twitter is facing a threat of bankruptcy, as Elon himself has raised this concern.
Twitter to face bankruptcy?
Bloomberg was one of the first portals to report that Twitter is facing a bankruptcy threat. Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has raised concerns about the social media platform going bankrupt on the same day Twitter received a warning from a United States regulator. Musk told Twitter employees that he could not rule out bankruptcy just two weeks after buying the company. As per reports, Musk held the first meeting with his Twitter employees recently where he warned that the company may end up losing billions of dollars in 2023.
According to Musk, the company was losing more than $4 million on a daily basis as more and more advertisers started fleeing the platform once he took over. Reports suggest that the massive 44 billion deal to buy Twitter has reportedly put Twitter’s finances in a precarious position. Reports suggest that Twitter was brought by Musk with $13 billion in debt, on which it faces interest payments of $1.2 billion in the next 12 months. These payments exceed Twitter’s disclosed cash flow of $1.1 billion.
If the bankruptcy threat is actually looming over Twitter then Elon’s $8 Twitter Blue subscription could become the shining light in the dark. However, with easy access to a verified mark, more and more parody accounts are popping up on the platform which is exactly the opposite of what Musk promised. Twitter’s boss now has to figure out how to manage the parody accounts menace while also dealing with the bankruptcy threat.
