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YouTube will return for its second presentation during Upfronts week at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, taking over the longtime home of Disney and during a time slot closely following Netflix’s first advertiser showcase.
David Geffen Hall will be a major upgrade for YouTube’s second Brandcast during Upfronts, which has long been an advertiser marketplace typically dominated by legacy TV networks. Last year, the Google-owned video giant hosted its first presentation at Imperial Theatre in midtown, which seats just under 1,460 people. David Geffen Hall will expand YouTube’s audience capacity to 2,200.
Last year, YouTube Brandcast — which featured performances from Jon Batiste and Lizzo — promoted YouTube Shorts, the company’s TikTok competitor, and live shopping. This year’s presentation is also expected to hone in on Shorts and YouTube TV, which recently nabbed the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
YouTube Brandcast will take place on the Wednesday of Upfronts, May 17, at 7 p.m. ET, followed by an afterparty. The timing may be less ideal for advertisers also attending Netflix’s first Upfront presentation at the Paris Theater, which is happening that same day at 5 p.m. ET and is also followed by an afterparty.
NBCUniversal will kick off Upfronts week on May 15 at Radio City Music Hall. Disney has not yet announced a date or venue for its Upfront presentation, and Paramount Global is skipping the event entirely in exchange for a series of gatherings in April.
Like last year, YouTube will still have a presence at the digital-focused IAB NewFronts with a morning presentation on May 1.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
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Source: Apple / MacBook Pro
After a slight delay, Apple’s new MacBook Pro and Mac Mini utilizing its in-house chipset, have arrived.
Apple’s long-awaited MacBook Pro utilizing the company’s new M2 Pro and M2 Max, promises to deliver improvements like longer battery life and faster performance, have finally arrived.
The arrival of the new MacBook Pro allows Apple to deliver on one of its biggest goals to utilize its chipsets in its devices, allowing Apple to ditch chips manufactured by Intel.
The new MacBook Pro was initially set to launch in 2022, but due to those pesky supply chain issues, Apple set its sights on early 2023, and now we are here.
The MacBook Pro Powered By M2 Pro & M2 Max Breakdown
According to Apple, the new MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets will come in 14- and 16-inch models and will be effects rendering due to being able to complete the process “6-times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro.”
Color grading on Apple’s new MacBook Pro also is two times faster, making these devices very attractive to those who utilize the MacBook Pro for graphics work on programs like Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.
Battery life is also getting a significant boost which could now give users 22 hours of usage.
As far as the breakdown of the chips, the M2 Pro features either a 10- or 12-core CPU with up to eight high-performance and four high-efficiency cores and a GPU with up to 19 cores. Apple claims this will give users 20% more efficiency over devices currently using the M1 chipset.
M2 Max is a beast boasting up to 38 cores while promising a 30% improvement in graphics over the M1 Max, plus a 12-core CPU.
Both chipsets feature Wi-Fi 6E connectivity allowing for faster internet and support for advanced HDMI. Other features include three Thunderbolt 4 ports and an SDXC card slot, updated mics, and a sound system consisting of six speakers.
Pricing
You can scoop up the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starting at $1,999. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $2,499.
The 14-inch model with M2 Max starts at $3,099, while the 16-inch model will begin at $3,499.
Other Notable Announcements From Apple
Source: Apple / Mac mini
Along with the new MacBook Pro, a new Mac mini model using the M2 and M2 Pro chipset was announced. The M2 model features 24GB of unified memory and 100GB/s of bandwidth.
The M2 Pro model boasts 32GB and a 200GB/s bandwidth and is comparatively quicker. The new Mac mini with the M2 chip starts at $599, while the M2 Pro model begins at $1,299.
You can now order all devices on Apple’s website, and each expects to launch on January 24 officially.
Photos: Apple
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Source: Brandon Bell / Getty / Bank of America
One thing you don’t mess with is people’s money, and Bank of America is feeling the heat from some customers.
Wednesday, Jan.18, PIX 11 reports that some Bank of America customers are worried after noticing money was missing from their accounts and have taken to social media to voice their anger.
“Saw Bank of America was trending and turns out my account was impacted so happy Wednesday everyone,” one person tweeted.
“I am at the point of a collapse. where is my money?” another Twitter user said.
ABC 7 Chicago reports that at least one person claims their entire bank account was “wiped clean.”
The Daily Mail says some customers are complaining about funds being missing from deposits and Zelle transactions and that customers calling Bank of America are not getting any answers from the financial institution.
Some customers are saying they got a message telling them “Zelle transactions made between Saturday and Tuesday would be delayed.”
The Zelle issue, according to Twitter user @YepItsZak, is also affecting Chase and other institutions.
The company has not issued a statement on its social media accounts addressing customers’ concerns. It has responded to one customer in a tweet:
“Hello. We noticed that we’re currently engaging via DM and will continue to connect with you there. ^justin.”
Currently, the financial institution is trending for the wrong reasons, with Twitter users trashing the bank and wondering why people are still banking with them.
“Y’all still using Bank of America after that overdraft class action and their predatory lending history? Porque?” one Twitter user wondered.
Leave it to Twitter to find humor is some people’s pain. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Brandon Bell / Getty
3. Howling
5. Smart move
Microsoft is the latest technology giant to lay off scores of employees as the entire sector continues to restructure itself in the name of profitability over growth.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that the company will lay off approximately 10,000 employees, beginning Wednesday. The layoffs, which will be completed by the end of Q3, will represent a bit less than five percent of the company’s workforce.
Nadella said that affected employees will receive “above-market severance pay, continuing healthcare coverage for six months, continued vesting of stock awards for six months, career transition services and 60 days’ notice prior to termination, regardless of whether such notice is legally required.”
Microsoft is a video game giant, owning the gaming platform Xbox and studios like Bungie and games like Minecraft. It is also in the midst of a proposed $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, which is facing regulatory opposition.
Microsoft is also seeking to become a major player in advertising and is Netflix’s global ad sales and technology partner.
In his memo, Nadella outlined the rationale for the cuts, hitting similar themes to other CEOs over the last few months.
“As we saw customers accelerate their digital spend during the pandemic, we’re now seeing them optimize their digital spend to do more with less,” he wrote. “We’re also seeing organizations in every industry and geography exercise caution as some parts of the world are in a recession and other parts are anticipating one. At the same time, the next major wave of computing is being born with advances in AI, as we’re turning the world’s most advanced models into a new computing platform.”
Microsoft is just the latest tech giant to cut back. Amazon said earlier this month it would cut 18,000 employees, while Facebook and Instagram owner Meta announced plans to cut 11,000 employees last year. Snap, Twitter and Netflix also made significant cuts last year.
But Nadella also sought to rally the troops as the company moves forward.
“When I think about this moment in time, the start of 2023, it’s showtime—for our industry and for Microsoft. As a company, our success must be aligned to the world’s success,” he wrote. “That means every one of us and every team across the company must raise the bar and perform better than the competition to deliver meaningful innovation that customers, communities, and countries can truly benefit from. If we deliver on this, we will emerge stronger and thrive long into the future; it’s as simple as that.”
Read Nadella’s memo on THR.com
YouTube and Goldenvoice have once again renewed their livestream and content partnership agreement for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival, striking an agreement that keeps the mega two-weekend festival on the Google-owned video platform through 2026.
First signed in 2011, the streaming partnership was renewed in 2018 through 2021 — the 2020 and 2021 versions of the festival were postponed due to COVID-19. Last year, the two companies worked out an agreement to air the festival’s post-pandemic return.
Besides multichannel live streaming and on-demand video from performances, the partnership enables fan shopping for Coachella merch, exclusive content for YouTube Premium subscribers, live chat, and onsite activations with YouTube creators and artists.
YouTube’s global head of music Lyor Cohen called the renewal “an absolute honor” and said the partnership would “bring the magic of Coachella to music fans,” while Goldenvoice president Paul Tollett said the agreement “brings Coachella to everyone around the world.”
Coachella is scheduled to take place April 14-16 and April 21-23.
Patrick Moxey is bringing the entire roster of Helix Records, the EDM label he launched last year after selling his stake in Ultra Records, into the world of Web3 — starting with an NFT membership pass.
Starting in February, the Helix Records Genesis Pass will act as a digital passport to the Helix ecosystem and grant holders a free music NFT from one of the roster’s flagship artists, which includes electronic duo Snakehips and house DJ Marshall Jefferson. Later in 2023, NFT holders will get the chance to access VIP tickets, backstage passes and submit music directly to the label for feedback. One holder will win a 1:1 conversation with Moxey.
Moxey — who played a key role in the success of Avicii, Kygo, deadmau5 and David Guetta through Ultra Records — aims to make Web3 and NFTs a foundational part of the new venture.
“I hope to make a company that’s much bigger than my last company within the next five years,” he said. “We really plan on making NFTs open a whole new door for you [the fan] that go way beyond the door that was available through the traditional record business.”
Helix Records will onboard its entire roster of electronic artists into Web3 and support them through the transition to NFTs and blockchain technology. The label believes this strategy will build a closer connection between artists and fans, and potentially enable supporters to benefit from the future success of their favorite acts. The label also hopes that NFTs will give them better insights into their artists’ fan bases, allowing them to identify and connect with the biggest and most active community members.
To power the label’s Web3 activations, Helix Records has partnered with FUEL — a software platform which enables artists and labels to build their own NFT storefront and control their branding. Billed as “Shopify for NFTs,” musicians have used the software to sell concert tickets, singles and collectibles to Web3 and Web2 fans.
“We are super happy to add Helix Records to our roster of musicians,” said FUEL founder Thanh Binh Tran. “Seeing pioneers like Patrick use our software gives us a glance at the future of music NFTs.”
While the Web3 hype has mostly died down since the dizzying NFT sales of 2021 and early 2022, artists and labels still see some promise in blockchain technology.
“Any way of making money for a musician is a blessing, because there are so few possibilities left,” said Marshall Jefferson, house DJ pioneer and one of the flagship artists on Moxey’s new label group. “An open area like this where your music actually has value and you can make a living of is an area worth exploring.”
The Helix Record Genesis collection will launch in February. The final date and details on supply and pricing will be announced shortly.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / ChatGPT
Technology, explicitly using artificial intelligence in the classroom, is not a novel idea. It’s welcomed in most cases, but this one form of A.I. called ChatGPT has teachers across the country worrying.
Right off the bat, we know you are asking what ChatGPT is; well, it’s an OpenAI-developed chatbot that is fully capable of writing complete essays plus can, solve math and science problems, oh and can also create working computer code.
That all sounds great, and it is, but the chatbot is already causing educators to panic following its November release. As expected, cheating has become an issue with ChatGPT use among students.
Students are using the A.I. generated essays and passing it off as their work forcing teachers and school administrators to try and weed out the ChatGPT abusers. There are also fears it can also affect their lesson plans.
Cheating is not the only issue. Educators are also worried that ChatGPT will eventually make them no longer needed. Per a New York Times article, one teacher used ChatGPT to evaluate his student’s work, and he found it to be more thorough than he could.
Per The New York Times:
Cheating is the immediate, practical fear, along with the bot’s propensity to spit out wrong or misleading answers. But there are existential worries, too. One high school teacher told me that he used ChatGPT to evaluate a few of his students’ papers, and that the app had provided more detailed and useful feedback on them than he would have in a tiny fraction of the time.
“Am I even necessary now?” he asked me, only half joking.
Can ChatGPT Be Beneficial To Education?
Outside of trying to catch students using ChatGPT to cheat, some schools in New York City and Seattle are just blocking it on school computers, networks, and devices.
In the same article, the author argues that blocking ChatGPT is futile mainly because students now have smartphones while arguing how ChatGPT could become a valuable tool for educators if appropriately embraced.
Cherie Shields, a high school English teacher in Oregon, instructed her students to use ChatGPT to create outlines for the essays comparing and contrasting two 19th-century short stories touching on gender and mental health.
What she learned from using ChatGPT in her lesson plan “deepened students’ understanding of the stories. It had also taught them about interacting with A.I. models, and how to coax a helpful response out of one,” the NYT’s article states.
So, while ti is problematic, don’t bet on it going away. It could prove to be very useful.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
The music livestreaming app Sessions, founded by former Pandora CEO Tim Westergren, has “shut down,” according to LinkedIn comments from multiple former employees. “Christmas came with the unexpected news that Sessions is going out of business,” one engineer wrote this month.
These comments were echoed elsewhere on LinkedIn. “This morning we were informed that Sessions would be closing their doors permanently,” another former employee wrote. A software engineer attributed the company’s closure to “difficult circumstances.” An artist shared a screenshot of an Instagram message from the platform saying that it had shuttered as of Dec. 19.
That artist tells Billboard he had money waiting for him on the platform when it shut down; others voiced similar complaints on social media. Westergren and former employees did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sessions launched in April 2020. In interviews at the time, Westergren said that livestreaming lacked “marketing and monetization” opportunities. Seven months after launching, the company announced a $75 million fund to market artists’ livestreams. “The larger the fanbase [of an act using Sessions], the larger the marketing spend” to promote their performance, Westergren said.
Any level of artist could apply to stream a performance on Sessions, which said it hosted more than 500 acts a week across more than 200 countries. These acts could choose whether or not to charge a price for watching; viewers could also pay extra to send special emoticons. Sessions took 30% of all revenue brought in through the site, while 70% went to the artist. (Though the revenue split for the Sessions app was different: 40% to the artist, 30% to Apple for its App Store tax, 30% to Sessions.) Westergren said that a professional musician could bring in more than $20,000 from a livestream performance, while amateurs could collect as much as $700.
Sessions was one of many livestreaming companies that launched when COVID-19 temporarily shuttered venues. “Every day, another livestreaming company joins the fray,” Westergren acknowledged in 2020. But as clubs and arenas re-opened, fans were eager to get back to live shows; in August, Live Nation announced that it had already sold more tickets in 2022 than it did in all of 2019. On top of that, 2022’s economic climate proved difficult for all sorts of tech companies; even behemoths like Meta laid off workers.
As former Sessions users began figuring out that the platform was no longer running, they commiserated on social media and looked for new places to try to find fans. “I’m going over to Twitch now,” one wrote on Instagram. “Good luck everyone.”
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Source: JUNG YEON-JE / Getty / Samsung
No surprise, images of the Samsung Galaxy S23 have leaked.
Ahead of Samsung’s upcoming in-person Unpacked event on February 1, images of the Galaxy S23 are now on the web. The renders of Samsung’s next flagship smartphone came courtesy of WinFuture and reveals the smartphone’s new design and color options.
The photos are official and are not fan-made renders based on previous Galaxy smartphone models, according to WinFuture’s Roland Quandt.
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According to the images, the Galaxy S23 will ditch the raised camera notch found on the S22, and the phone’s triple camera system protrudes out of the device’s casing. The S23’s casing will keep the metal frame over glass combination Galaxy users have come to expect and will be available in four colors: black, white, green, and pinkish-lilac.
The exact specifications of the Galaxy S23 are still unknown. Still, according to rumors, Galaxy fans can look forward to a brighter OLED display, a higher resolution camera sensor, and better low-light performance.
The devices will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
We won’t be posting the leaked images out of respect for Samsung, but if you’re eager to see what Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 looks like, you can head here.
The Galaxy S23 comes after Samsung’s latest offerings in its foldable flagship options, the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4, the Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Watch5, and Watch5 Pro.
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Photo: JUNG YEON-JE / Getty
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Source: Apple / Macs
Apple is doing a major about-face on a feature that the late Steve Jobs did not want to see on his Mac computers.
Spotted on Bloomberg, Apple is now considering bringing touch screens to its Mac computers. It would break from Steve Jobs’ feelings towards the feature when that finally happens. He felt it was “ergonomically terrible.”
Per Bloomberg:
Apple engineers are actively engaged in the project, indicating that the company is seriously considering producing touch-screen Macs for the first time, according to people familiar with the efforts. Still, a launch hasn’t been finalized, and the plans could change.
For more than a decade, the company has argued that touch screens don’t work well on laptops and that the iPad is a better option if someone wants a touch interface. Apple also has worried that touch-screen Macs could cannibalize iPad sales.
Apple’s decision to go against its founder’s beliefs, Tim Cook upheld, could be from the pressure to keep up with rivals who are increasingly adding touch screens to their computers.
Plus, according to Bloomberg, the Mac has seen a resurgence, outselling the iPad, and Apple wants its computers to be popular among computer and laptop users.
When Will The Touch Screen Mac Arrive?
When can we expect to see the touch screen Mac? The website claims it could arrive in 2025 “as part of a larger update to the MacBook Pro, according to the people who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.”
The touch screen Mac would be one of the most significant decisions the company has made in years. The late Steve Jobs had a total disdain for them, saying the idea of making users reach up to touch an upright screen “doesn’t work.”
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Jobs also said Apple would never sell phones or tablets, but we all know what Apple’s most popular device is: the iPhone.
One accessory we are pretty sure Steve Jobs would hate is the Apple Pencil, the man who created Apple couldn’t stand the idea of styluses.
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Photo: Apple / Macs