JMR STV

SONY’S LATEST PS5 BETA UPDATE ENHANCES AUDIO EXPERIENCE Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) recently unveiled a beta update for the PlayStation 5, bringing a suite of improvements designed to elevate the overall gaming experience. This update focuses primarily on three key areas: enhanced audio capabilities, refined communication tools, and expanded social features within the Share Screen function. @jmrstv

APPLE SHOWS OFF A NEW AI MODEL CALLED MGIE After ChatGPT hit the public a few years ago, there has been rapid growth in the AI field by several brands. Apple’s work so far in this regard has been low-key. However, this does not mean Apple has not made any progress in the AI field. Apple recently released a new open-source AI model called “MGIE”. This AI model can edit images based on natural language instructions. The full name of MGIE is MLLM-Guided Image Editing. It uses a multi-modal large language model (MLLM) to interpret user instructions and perform pixel-level operations. MGIE can understand natural language commands issued by users. It can perform operations such as Photoshop-style modifications, global photo optimization, and local editing. @jmrstv

DISNEY, WARNER AND FOX JOIN FORCES TO CREATE A SPORTS STREAMING PLATFORM In a groundbreaking move, three entertainment giants, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox, have announced their collaboration to launch a new sports streaming platform. According to The WSJ, Disney’s ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox have joined forces to plan to integrate ESPN, Fox Sports and TNT all sports-themed content to create the strongest sports streaming service in the United States. This joint venture is set to revolutionize the world of sports media and provide fans with unprecedented access to a wide range of sporting events and content. The platform, which is scheduled to be launched in the fall, will offer a comprehensive selection of sports programming, including television channels such as ESPN, TNT, and Fox Sports. @jmrstv

Initially conceived as a means for Harvard students to connect, Facebook swiftly expanded its reach to other US universities and eventually opened its doors to the general public in 2006. As of 2023, the platform boasts a monthly user base exceeding 3 billion people. Marking a three percent increase from the previous year. Despite a 2021 rebranding to “Meta” to align with Zuckerberg’s vision of the “metaverse,” Facebook remains highly relevant, particularly among millennials. @jmrstv

FACEBOOK TURNS 20 YEARS: THE DOMINANT FORCE IN SOCIAL NETWORKS In February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and his friends embarked on a journey by launching “thefacebook.com,” initially catering to Harvard students. Over the past two decades, Facebook has evolved into an enduring giant that defies the perception of being a platform exclusively for older generations. Its impact on pop culture, politics, and global online behavior is widely acknowledged by analysts and observers.

📊 Meta, $META, has added $205 billion in market cap yesterday making it the biggest single day gain in history This breaks Apple's previous record of a $191 billion gain on November 10th, 2022. @jmrstv

Officially, Bard's name changed to Gemini. @jmrstv

AMAZON LAUNCHES AN AI SHOPPING ASSISTANT CALLED RUFUS Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has launched a new AI shopping assistant named Rufus. This innovative technology is designed to help customers find the products they need quickly and easily, while also providing them with personalized recommendations and product information. @jmrstv

U.S. CONGRESS WILL QUESTION THE CEOS OF MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA GIANTS ON CHILD PROTECTION According to a CNN report, the U.S. Congress will question the CEOs of several social media giants this week. These companies will be asked to report on the potential harm of their products to teenagers. The CEOs of Facebook, TikTok, Snap, Discord and X (Twitter) will participate in the hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. The inquiry will determine whether the companies are doing enough to protect children from harm. CEOs of these technology companies may use this hearing as an opportunity to promote their child protection tools. They will also market their policies to protect children and give parents greater control over their children’s online experience. @jmrstv

SAMSUNG AIMS TO ROLL OUT GALAXY AI TO 100 MILLION DEVICES THIS YEAR A few days ago, Samsung officially released the Galaxy S24 series flagship mobile phones. One of the selling points of this series is that it is the first to come with the new “Galaxy AI” feature. Samsung has confirmed that Galaxy AI will roll out to older 2023 models in the first half of this year. According to ET Telecom, Samsung Electronics President and MX Business Head TM Roh said that the company is committed to applying Galaxy AI to approximately 100 million Galaxy mobile devices worldwide this year. @jmrstv

Instagram is considering a new feature called “flipside” that allows users to establish a new, private side to their profile where they can post more candid and personal photos for a subset of their friends. The feature essentially productizes “finstas” — the slang term for alternate Instagram accounts where people post their real-life photos, as opposed to the more polished photos they post on their public Instagrams. @jmrstv

MICROSOFT WINDOWS 11 SYSTEM WILL DISABLE WMIC TOOL ON JANUARY 29 Microsoft recently issued a press release announcing that it will disable the WMIC management tool starting from the Windows 11 preview version on January 29, 2024. The full name of WMIC is Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line. It is a command line interface tool in Windows systems. It is used to obtain system and network information and manage Windows operating systems/devices through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). @jmrstv

💰 Bitcoin ETF ads may appear on Google starting Monday, community speculates On Monday, Google is set to update its policies allowing certain cryptocurrency products to be advertised on the major search engine. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) appear likely to meet the criteria, sparking speculation within the crypto industry. In December 2023, Cointelegraph reported that Google’s crypto and related ads policy will be revised on Jan. 29, to allow ads from “advertisers offering Cryptocurrency Coin Trust targeting the United States.”. @jmrstv

MICROSOFT reveals the paid plan of the AI service, Copilot. At a price of $20 per month, artificial intelligence services are added to other Microsoft software packages. For a price of $30 per month, you get additional privileges for the MS 365 service. @jmrstv

APPLE’S MARKET VALUE RETURNS TO $3 TRILLION Apple has made history by becoming the first company with a market value of $3 trillion. This milestone is a sign of Apple’s durability even as the company reduces its total share count. Apple’s ascent to the milestone helped the Nasdaq 100 Index to its best-ever first half ever, driving a broader stock rally that underscored the dominance of tech megacaps. This is the third time that Apple's market value has reached this milestone since the end of 2021 and the end of June 2023. In addition, Apple’s market value has surpassed Microsoft’s and has once again become the world’s most valuable company. @jmrstv

Both users must be in the app’s “People Nearby” area and remain there for the transfer to be successful, according to WABetaInfo. End-to-end encryption will ensure that file sharing is as safe as it is with WhatsApp’s default setup. It’s interesting to note that users must shake their phones to begin sharing. End-to-end encryption ensures the safety and security of the file transfer by managing it effectively for privacy. The encryption conceals and keeps inaccessible phone numbers from being transferred to those not on the contact list. @jmrstv

Both users must be in the app’s “People Nearby” area and remain there for the transfer to be successful, according to WABetaInfo. End-to-end encryption will ensure that file sharing is as safe as it is with WhatsApp’s default setup. It’s interesting to note that users must shake their phones to begin sharing. End-to-end encryption ensures the safety and security of the file transfer by managing it effectively for privacy. The encryption conceals and keeps inaccessible phone numbers from being transferred to those not on the contact list. @jmrstv

WHATSAPP’S UPCOMING FEATURE: IN-APP NEARBY FILE SHARING WhatsApp is working on a new feature that allows users to share files with contacts who are nearby. The most recent beta version (2.24.2.17) of WhatsApp on Android has a feature that allows file transfers via Bluetooth. Recently, Google and Samsung improved Nearby Share, the built-in file-sharing feature on Android, and renamed it Quick Share. This new capability will facilitate file sharing across Android phones and Windows and Chrome OS PCs. Compared to more conventional techniques like transferring files over chat or utilising cloud storage, it provides a faster and more practical solution by enabling users to exchange files up to 2GB in size.

📊 Microsoft is currently the largest company on the planet, recently outpacing Apple to take the to spot with a market cap nearing $3 trillion: 1. Microsoft 👑 2. Apple 3. Saudi Arabian Oil 4. Alphabet (Google) 5. Amazon 6. NVIDIA 7. Meta (Facebook) 8. Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffet) 9. Tesla 10. Eli Lilly 11. Visa @jmrstv