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Musk Denies Reviving Ye on Twitter

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Musk Denies Reviving Ye on Twitter

ON FRIDAY, Twitter CEO Elon Musk stated that he had no involvement in restoring Ye, aka Kanye West’s account, which was terminated earlier this month for making anti-Semitic slurs.

The billionaire stated that Twitter had restored the rapper’s account, now known as Ye, before completing the social media platform’s $44 billion buyout late Thursday. “They did not consult with or notify me,” Musk tweeted.

Ye, who has over 30 million Twitter followers, has recently courted controversy by publicly terminating big corporate alliances and launching social media outbursts against other celebrities.

Musk wrote, “Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!” on Oct. 8 after Ye posted on the network for the first time in two years after his Instagram account was suspended for anti-Semitic tweets. Twitter later suspended his account and deleted one of his tweets.

Musk took control of Twitter ruthlessly on Thursday, sacking key executives but providing little insight on how he plans to fulfill the lofty goals he has set for the popular social media network. more info

Musk, on the other hand, announced on Friday that Twitter will form a content moderation group with “widely different opinions.”

“There will be no big content choices or account reinstatement before that council convenes,” he stressed.

Earlier last month, Ye decided to buy Parler, a social networking platform popular among conservatives in the United States.

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“The Bird is Freed”

Meanwhile, Musk has promised to protect all forms of free expression but has also struck a more conciliatory tone with world leaders seeking to reign in Big Tech, alarming activists and former Twitter executives.

Three hours after Musk announced success with the tweet, “The bird is released,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton retorted, “In Europe, the bird flies by our laws.”

He reshared a May video in which he said on Twitter that he agreed with the European Union’s new digital media regulation, which will force Big Tech to do more to combat illegal content or face fines of up to 6% of global revenue in one of the world’s most severe approaches to regulating content online.

On Friday, regulators in India reminded Musk of the rule of law. “Regardless of who owns the platforms, our norms and legislation for intermediaries remain the same,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s minister of state for electronics and information technology.

For years, Twitter has fought a “complex war” with the government to safeguard free expression online, and this battle would be jeopardized with Musk in charge, according to former Twitter board member Jason Goldman.

According to Goldman, Tesla’s booming business in China, which made $14 billion last year, might put Twitter at risk.

“It’s quite frightening that he’ll be the one liaising with the Chinese government and potentially passing over information on users,” he added.

He added that Twitter has professionals who assess government data demands, but Musk has displayed disrespect for these experts.

“Whether or not (former US President Donald) Trump returns, I think that’s a parlour game,” Goldman remarked. “What will happen is that a dissident’s IP address will be dropped on the floor.”

According to current and former employees who talked with Reuters, Musk’s ambitions to reduce the guard rails prevalent on all social media platforms would result in a flood of vile, damaging, and potentially illegal content on Twitter. It has already struggled to identify and remove child porn. more info

Employees believe that members of Twitter’s trust and safety team, which includes content moderators, will be among Musk’s largest job cutbacks.

“Imagine a world without all those people,” one employee stated. “This is going to be a hellscape.”

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Advertisers on Twitter

On the night of the deal’s expected closure, he tweeted an open letter to advertisers: “Twitter can’t possibly become a free-for-all hellscape where everything goes with no consequences!

… Twitter strives to be the most trusted advertising platform in the world, strengthening your brand and expanding your business.”

They cite Musk’s proposal to restore Trump’s account as a key hurdle to investing in Twitter.

After the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, Twitter suspended Trump indefinitely due to the potential of additional inciting of violence.

Welcoming Trump back might alienate moderate and liberal-leaning users, driving away large household brands that try to promote products and appeal to people across the political spectrum, according to Mark DiMassimo, CEO of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein.

Some ad agencies and businesses were already dubious and anxious about Twitter’s future during a presentation for advertisers in May.

Musk cannot afford to provoke a backlash from a group that produces 90% of Twitter’s revenue unless he finds new sources of money.

twitter musk x app

Musk’s largest gamble is based on one of China’s biggest hits from the 2010s. “Buying Twitter accelerates the development of X, the everything app,” Musk tweeted earlier this month.

The concept of an all-in-one app, sometimes known as a super app, began in Asia with companies such as WeChat, allowing users to send messages and make payments, buy online, and hail a cab. The all-in-one service gave consumers few options in a location where Google, Facebook, and other services were restricted.

According to a source briefed on the topic, Musk has told investors that he aims to construct one that will sell premium subscriptions to lessen dependency on adverts, allow content creators to make money, and enable payments.

There are no super-apps in the United States since the cost of entry is high, and there are many other app options, according to Scott Galloway, co-host of the tech podcast Pivot and a marketing professor at New York University.

Galloway believes that Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google, which dominate the app stores on iPhones and Android phones, regard themselves as super apps and would unlikely allow other super apps to develop. As an illustration of a barrier to entry, consider Apple’s recent rejection of Spotify’s intention to offer audiobooks.

Goldman said payments, which normally need identification verification, might complicate a site that has allowed anonymity to grow, making Twitter a strong instrument for political activism in dangerous situations.

“(Super applications) are not conceivable at this stage of mobile internet evolution,” he continued.

Source: Reuters

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Apple IPhones Sales Fall 24% In China Amid Competition And Headwinds

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According to a new report, iPhone sales fell 24% in the first six weeks of 2024, posing substantial challenges for Apple and other Western technology businesses in a critical market.

According to Counterpoint Research, the overall mobile market in China declined by 7%, with businesses such as Apple, Oppo, and Vivo seeing decreases.

However, the difficulty for Apple has been ongoing for a year; as China’s economy has weakened, trade tensions and nationalism have risen. Counterpoint reported that customers who may have previously considered now opt for national brands, namely Huawei.

apple

Apple IPhones Sales Fall 24% In China Amid Competition And Headwinds

“Primarily, faced stiff competition at the high end from a resurgent Huawei while getting squeezed in the middle by aggressive pricing from the likes of Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi,” Mengmeng Zhang, a Counterpoint senior analyst, stated in a press statement. “Although the iPhone 15 is a great device, it has no significant upgrades from the previous version, so consumers feel fine holding on to the older-generation iPhones for now.”

Apple shares fell 2.8% on Tuesday. The stock has lost 11.6% this year due to concerns about slowing sales, notably in China.

The corporation did not respond to a request for comment.

The research comes amid a faltering Chinese economy, a challenging housing market, increasing unemployment among younger workers, and increased rivalry among higher-end vendors in China, particularly from Chinese device giant Huawei.

China is an important market for the company, as it is the second largest after the United States. Apple previously achieved significant gains during its launch period last year. The company continues to give discounts to assist in alleviating some of the downturn.

apple

Apple IPhones Sales Fall 24% In China Amid Competition And Headwinds

Last year, Huawei’s Mate 60 made headlines when the US authorities requested further information on the Pro variant, which included a sophisticated CPU. Its appearance astounded industry observers, who questioned how the company could produce such a device in the wake of the United States’ extensive attempts to limit China’s access to foreign semiconductor technology due to alleged national security concerns.

Some Chinese buyers believe US government sanctions have victimized them and are gravitating toward Huawei’s Mate 60 smartphone, which is approaching Apple sales.

According to Jeff Fieldhack, a research director at Counterpoint, one issue is that Apple had a strong January last year owing to part shortages but did not have any shortages this year.

apple

Apple IPhones Sales Fall 24% In China Amid Competition And Headwinds

“This isn’t a major deal for Apple in the long term,” he added. “It is still a successful iPhone launch and there is more discounting and marketing they can do this year in China to help alleviate the competition from Huawei.”

In January, Huawei held 17% of the mobile market in China, compared to the iPhone’s 16%. Huawei’s demand exceeds its supply, implying that it might sell more, according to Fieldhack.

“Apple, to its credit, ended the year at number one, which was extraordinary despite headwinds from China,” added the analyst.

SOURCE – (CNN)

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Microsoft Says It Hasn’t Been Able To Shake Russian State Hackers

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BOSTON — Microsoft said Friday that it is still working to evict the elite Russian government hackers who broke into senior business officials’ email accounts in November and are attempting to enter consumer networks using stolen access data.

According to the software giant’s blog and regulatory filing, the hackers from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service used data gained during the intrusion, which was exposed in mid-January, to compromise some source-code repositories and internal systems.

microsoft

Microsoft Says It Hasn’t Been Able To Shake Russian State Hackers

A corporate official declined to specify the source code and capabilities the hackers gained to further attack customers and systems. Microsoft claimed Friday that hackers obtained “secrets” from email contacts between the business and certain customers, including cryptographic secrets like passwords, certificates, and authentication keys, and that it was contacting them “to assist in mitigating measures.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a cloud computing business, revealed on January 24 that it was also an SVR hacking victim and had been notified of the breach — by whom it would not say — two weeks earlier, coinciding with the revelation that it had been compromised.

“The threat actor’s ongoing attack is characterized by a sustained, significant commitment of the threat actor’s resources, coordination, and focus,” the company said Friday, adding that it may be utilizing acquired data “to accumulate a picture of areas to attack and enhance its ability to do so.” According to cybersecurity experts, Microsoft’s admission that the SVR hack had not been contained highlights the risks of government and business relying heavily on the Redmond, Washington-based company’s software monoculture — and the fact that so many of its customers are linked via its global cloud network.

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Microsoft Says It Hasn’t Been Able To Shake Russian State Hackers

“This has tremendous national security implications,” said Tom Kellermann of the cybersecurity firm Contrast Security. “The Russians can now leverage supply chain attacks against Microsoft’s customers.”

Tenable’s CEO, Amit Yoran, also published a statement expressing shock and dismay. He is among security pros who believe Microsoft is extremely secretive about its vulnerabilities and how it handles intrusions.

“We should all be furious that this keeps happening,” he continued. “These breaches aren’t isolated from each other and Microsoft’s shady security practices and misleading statements purposely obfuscate the whole truth.”

Microsoft said it has yet to establish if the incident will have a material impact on its profitability. It also stated that the intrusion’s persistence “reflects what has become a more broadly unprecedented global threat landscape, especially in terms of sophisticated nation-state attacks.”

The hackers, known as Cozy Bear, are the same ones responsible for the SolarWinds breach.

microsoft

Microsoft Says It Hasn’t Been Able To Shake Russian State Hackers

When Microsoft first reported the intrusion, it stated that the SVR unit got into its corporate email system and accessed the accounts of certain senior executives and staff from its cybersecurity and legal departments. It did not specify how many accounts were compromised.

At the time, Microsoft stated that it could terminate the hackers’ access to the compromised accounts on or around January 13. But by then, they had certainly established a footing.

It said they gained access via compromising credentials on a “legacy” test account but did not elaborate.

Microsoft’s newest disclosure comes three months after a new Securities and Exchange Commission rule went into effect, requiring publicly traded corporations to disclose breaches that potentially harm their businesses.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Dodge Muscle Cars Live On With New Versions Of The Charger Powered By Electricity Or Gasoline

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DETROIT — America’s muscle car culture will endure while the country shifts to electric vehicles, but the gas-powered performance automobile will be there for at least a few more years.

On Tuesday, Dodge debuted two battery-powered Charger muscle cars that still roar like a large V8 engine but emit no pollution from the tailpipe.

dodge

New iterations of the Charger that run on gasoline or electricity continue to be Dodge muscle cars.

However, the Stellantis brand, which has carved out a market niche for high-performance vehicles, will continue selling a gas-powered Charger without the large Hemi V8.

Both will be based on Stellantis’ worldwide large vehicle platform, and the Windsor, Ontario, factory that will produce them will be able to switch between gasoline and electric power depending on market demand. Stellantis’ flexibility will allow it to hedge its bets on whether electric vehicle sales take off or slow.

Last year, Stellantis discontinued production of the gas-powered Chargers and Challengers, and many believed it would be the end of the thundering sedans.

However, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis hinted that a gasoline version would continue to exist. “It was always there.” It was always in the plans. “It was always coming,” he explained.

dodge

Dodge Muscle Cars Live On With New Versions Of The Charger Powered By Electricity Or Gasoline

However, the business downplayed the gas version in favour of two- and four-door electric variants that resemble Chargers from the 1960s, with aerodynamic lines and hatchbacks rather than trunks.

The electric versions, branded Charger Daytona after the NASCAR raceway in Florida, will have two powertrains, one with up to 670 horsepower and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.3 seconds. The other is no slouch, with 496 horsepower and a zero to 60 time of 4.7 seconds.

Dodge boasts that its high-performance electric version is the world’s fastest and most powerful muscle car. Next year, an even higher-performing version will be released.

The 496-horsepower Daytona is predicted to have a range of 317 miles (510 kilometres) per charge, while the high-performance version can travel 260 miles (418 kilometres).

Both will include the company’s Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, which routes air through a chamber to replicate the roar of a V8.

Both are hefty because of their large batteries, with gross vehicle weights of more than three tons.

The new gas-powered Charger Sixpack will have a similar design to the electric variants and be powered by a new 3-litre six-cylinder engine with two turbochargers. Standard variants will generate 420 horsepower, while high-output engines will produce 550.

According to the firm, the new engine will produce more horsepower and torque than the previous 5.7- and 6.4-liter Hemi V8s. According to company executives, fuel efficiency tests on the Charger’s new engine still need to be finished.

dodge

Dodge Muscle Cars Live On With New Versions Of The Charger Powered By Electricity Or Gasoline

All variants have all-wheel drive, although they can be converted to rear-wheel drive, so owners may still experience burnout and drift. There will be alternatives to prepare the automobiles for the racecourse.

The two-door coupe Daytona models are anticipated to go into production this summer, while the electric four-door and gas-powered versions will begin early next year.

Kuniskis said he is still determining which kind will sell better, electric or gas. With federal tax breaks on electric vehicles, leasing payments are anticipated to be quite appealing, which could convince some consumers, he added.

Environmentalists will almost definitely attack the firm for releasing EVs that prioritize performance efficiency while maintaining the gas-powered muscle car. However, Kuniskis stated that in typical circumstances, approximately 17 million new vehicles are sold annually in the United States.

“It’s a 17 million unit industry,” he said. “And you know what? People require options,” he added, adding that the corporation could face criticism if it did not produce electrified versions.

SOURCE – (AP)

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