WhatsApp changes privacy policy

 

Sanctioned in early September with a fine of 225 million euros by the Irish CNIL, WhatsApp has changed its privacy policy, without disrupting everything.

Regarding data protection, the Irish Data Protection Commission had banged its fist on the table by fining WhatsApp on September 2 last year. The regulator accused the instant messaging group of the Meta group (Facebook) of having violated the GDPR by not respecting the obligation of transparency in terms of information to users. While WhatsApp appealed the decision, it took the opportunity to adjust its privacy policy.

WhatsApp changes its policy, but without changing the data processing

WhatsApp has changed its privacy policy, without making any real changes. In reality, the application has only detailed and clarified its conditions of use vis-à-vis its many European users, thus making an act of transparency after a sanction which, at the start of the school year, strongly pointed out this lack. transparency in terms of personal data.

While WhatsApp has made an adjustment to its privacy policy, instant messaging emphasizes that nothing is changing in the way its users' data is handled.

Specifically, WhatsApp explains that it has added additional details about its existing practices, the reasons why the service stores data, and how it is transmitted beyond the borders of the European Union. Only the European version is moreover affected by the modification of this confidentiality policy.

An explanatory banner will appear in the application

European WhatsApp users will not have to agree to a new privacy policy, but the company specifies that Internet and mobile users will be informed through a banner that will appear momentarily in the application.

WhatsApp, whose European headquarters are in Ireland, faced the anger of its users at the beginning of the year, who accuse the company of sharing their data with the parent company Meta, formerly the Facebook group.

The Meta group's end-to-end encrypted instant messaging had until November 22 to review its position. The fine imposed on WhatsApp, in the amount of 225 million euros, is the second-largest imposed on behalf of the GDPR in the European Union, after that sent by the Luxembourg data protection authority to Amazon this summer (746 million euros). WhatsApp, for its part, maintains its call to try to escape the fine of the Irish Data Protection Commissioner.

Twitch still blithely crushes Facebook Gaming and YouTube Gaming but declines a bit

 

The latest report from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet has come out and confirms Twitch's dominance over other video game streaming services.

However, this third quarter of 2021 has some surprises in store, notably with the advance of Facebook Gaming.

Twitch is still dominant but with declining results

Like every quarter, Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet released their report on video game streaming platforms. This latest report analyzes the figures for the third quarter of 2021, from July to September. As expected, Twitch remains the most used platform by streamers and viewers, with 5.79 billion hours watched for this third quarter and 222.9 million hours streamed.

However, these good results still represent a decline for Twitch. At the start of the various confinements around the world, the popularity of the platform had exploded. It had managed to retain most of the users throughout 2021, but as of this quarter, the trend begins to reverse. Compared to the second quarter of 2021, the number of hours watched on the platform fell by 11%. The drop is also present on the side of the streamers themselves, with the number of hours streamed which saw a decrease of 8.3%, and the number of unique channels decreased by 9.6% compared to the last quarter.

Despite these declines, Twitch continues to largely dominate its competitors. It represents 70% of the market share for the hours watched and 89.7% of the market share for the hours streamed.

The other surprise of this report is the rise of Facebook Gaming, which for the first time overtakes YouTube Gaming in the number of hours watched, with 1.29 billion hours watched against 1.13 billion for YouTube Gaming. The report explains this rise of the platform partly because of its popularity with non-English speaking audiences but also by its constant improvements... A co-streaming feature was added recently, allowing creators to stream together while letting viewers choose which stream they wish to watch. They have also extended their protections for creators wishing to use copyrighted music, an initiative sorely lacking by its competitors.

YouTube Gaming, for its part, continues to be a platform of choice for eSports but lacks large individual streamers. However, the platform continues to improve on this site and will introduce the possibility of offering subscriptions and functionality similar to Twitch Prime. She also signed exclusive contracts with two streamers, DrLupo and TimTheTatman, in a bid to compete with Twitch.

JVC Truly Wireless Earbuds Headphones Secure and Comfort

 

For very good quality and abnormal, the new HA-FW1000T remote earphones from JVC set the bundle on the specialized attributes.

A little specialty of the Japanese brand, the normal utilization of wood in its amplifier films (earphones/headphones/speakers) truly permits it to stand apart from the opposition. Without falling into the richness of certain items (with a film-absorbed purpose specifically), the HA-FW1000T are the first of their sort furnished with such a transducer.

A model that sticks out

Very cumbersome and rather weighty (7.9 g per headphone), JVC's HA-FW1000T are semi-ultra earphones, IPX4 affirmed.

 Two things permit them, specifically, to separate themselves from other True Wireless. In the first place, its back is veneered in wood at the touch region. Second, they utilize some extraordinary silicone tips. These have a ribbed focus neck, not a smooth one, which the brand says further develops wind stream.

The container is exemplary, not very reduced, and sufficiently to fit in many pockets.

A hallowed specialized sheet

Obviously, what truly makes the strength of the JVC stays the specialized part. The model is situated specifically on a Bluetooth 5.2 chip from

Qualcomm, which upholds the SBC, AAC, and AptX Adaptive codecs (and, accordingly, the AptX/AptX HD doublet). Moreover, the maker shares the sound decrease with Qualcomm's Adaptive innovation, which makes it conceivable to adjust the protection at all times, as per the strength of the external commotion.

At last, JVC offers its very own sound treatment, called K2. This would make it conceivable, similar to Sony's DSEE, to recuperate a portion of the data lost with damaging codecs. Independence, in the interim, is reported at 9 hours on a solitary charge (most likely under AAC codec and without ANC), and as long as 27 hours with the case.

Samsung has a remote capable of charging by radio waves (and solar)

 

Lately, Samsung controllers have made headways in innovation. While in 2021, the South Korean maker had coordinated aboard at the rear of its appetite with the goal that it very well may be re-energized utilizing the sun, the gadgets monster had a brilliant novel thought.

The following controller from Samsung will actually want to re-energize utilizing radio waves.

A controller re-energized by radio waves

Included with all new Samsung TV lines in 2022, the maker's new controller will be fueled by the energy contained in electromagnetic waves, for example, those produced by a Wi-Fi switch. The producer trusts that joined with the photovoltaic board, this new gadget should make it conceivable to keep the zapote completely energized continually, constantly. The Echo remote can in any case is charged by means of USB-C if fundamental.

Like its ancestor, Samsung's new remote has been produced using reused materials. Little curiosity, notwithstanding, it will be accessible in white tone, notwithstanding dark. The plan stays indistinguishable, in any case, with buttons devoted to SVoD stages ( Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video ) and Samsung TV Plus just as a mouthpiece for voice control.

A battery-free future for Oppo? This is what seems to be emerging, at least for small connected objects.

Oppo has a definite vision for a future in which a few gadgets are batteryless.

An innovation that could control little associated contraptions from the outset.

Towards the finish of batteries at Oppo?

Toward the start of the month, Samsung formalized its spic and span "Eco" controller, conveyed with its new Smart TVs. A controller that consolidates a little sunlight-powered charger, yet additionally a capacity permitting it to be re-energized utilizing radio waves.

This kind of innovation is likewise concentrated intently at Oppo, which as of late delivered an (extremely) long archive pointed toward clarifying its vision of " Zero Power Communication ".

Solidly, we ought to before long have the option to find in stores gadgets fit for working with practically no battery ready. The last option would then draw their energy straightforwardly from the different signs (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, versatile organization, and so on) present in the air.

Clearly, it's not (yet?) about partaking in a battery-less cell phone, but instead little contraptions. Oppo says this innovation would greatly diminish battery utilization and thusly support costs just as an ecological effect.

In any case, we should stand by somewhat longer prior to having the option to hold this first cutting-edge contraption totally without battery and working exclusively on account of the energy contained in electromagnetic waves. For the present, those past actual batteries stay the foundation of our valuable advanced world.

Xiaomi introduces its new portable video projector: 15 cm3 of Android TV to take with you everywhere you go?

The Mi Smart Projector 2, a tiny projector that will be available in Europe by the end of the month, is the latest addition to Xiaomi's projector lineup.

It should not be confused, however, with the Mi Smart Projector 2 Pro, which was released in May, as the two devices are not in the same category.

A compact projector with Android TV

To begin with, the Smart Projector 2 is a featherweight in comparison to its predecessor, weighing only 1.3 kg versus 3.7 kg for the previous model. The dimensions are the same, with smaller measurements (115 x 150 mm vs. 215 x 201 x 143 mm). Because it is smaller than a portable pico-projector, the Mi Smart Projector 2 may simply be placed in any room of the house.

Despite its small size, it has a nice technical sheet, relying on a Texas Instruments DMD chip with a Full HD image of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a 500-lumen LED light source. A very accurate brightness, but one that will prevent you from making use of HDR10. Furthermore, because it includes an autofocus system with omnidirectional trapezoidal correction, the tiny projector can display an image range from 60 to 120 inches.

The Mi Smart Projector 2 is powered by Android TV and can access a variety of SVoD and video game streaming providers (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+). It also includes a dual 5W speaker with Dolby Audio and DTS sound capabilities, as well as access to the Google Play Store through a shortcut and a microphone on the remote control. An HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an audio output jack, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0 round out the remainder of the features.

110 million monthly active users of Android TV and Google TV.

Google's TV operating system is still growing, with no fewer than 30 million new users expected in 2021. 

Google is slowly but steadily making its mark on linked screens all across the world.

Google TV is gaining traction, owing in part to the new Chromecast.

The company has confirmed that the milestone of 110 million monthly users of the Google TV and Android TV platforms would be reached by the end of 2021.

We can notice a growth of 30 million televisions or TV boxes active in just a few months, while the operating system had "only" 80 million users in May.

This impressive performance comes in part, according to the manufacturer, from the sales of its latest Chromecast with Google TV. This TV box with remote control, which we particularly appreciated during our test and which is sold for less than $70, would have been a real public success after more than a year of marketing.

Expansion in a hurry thanks to high Google partner sales

Sales from Google's partners are also a possibility. TCL, which uses Android TV as its operating system, recently announced global sales of ten million units per year. Customers can get this operating system from Sony or HiSense on any of their recent models.

Google TV, an overlay that delivers a home screen focusing on content and recommendations rather than a big list of applications, is Google's latest attempt to improve the user experience.

In the face of strong competition, the company has no choice but to constantly improve its offering. At the same time, Amazon revealed that it has sold more than 150 million Fire TV devices, each with its own operating system and that it is continuing to promote its ecosystem.

Spotify is firing on all cylinders and is now eyeing the audiobook market

 

After its acceleration in podcasts, Spotify continues its strategic diversification. In his sights this time, audiobooks.

The music streaming platform announced the acquisition of Findaway, a major player in the audiobook market.

Spotify buys Findaway

Gone are the days when Spotify only offered music. In search of diversification, the platform has stepped up its efforts around podcasts and now intends to tackle a new audio market: books. The Swedish firm announced this Thursday, November 11 the takeover of Findaway, an audiobook specialist launched in 2005.

The Solon, Ohio-based company now owns the largest audiobook catalog in the world and collaborates as a wholesaler with other major industry players such as Google, Apple, and Amazon (Audible). 'This acquisition puts Spotify in a position to revolutionize this space like music and podcast [...] while working on removing current limitations and developing better economic tools for creators,' comments the company in its press release.

Audiobooks on Spotify in 2022

Thanks to this strategic takeover, Spotify will be offering audiobooks to its hundreds of millions of users in 2022. The streaming platform plans to sell individual audiobooks to its users on both free and paid accounts while allowing publishers to go through an alternative payment method or that of Spotify.

Those who opt for the second option will however have to redistribute part of their income, but the gain of invisibility for independent publishers should more than compensate for this loss. Similar to what it already offers with songs, playlists, and podcasts, the Swedish platform also plans to develop a discovery option dedicated to audiobooks. However, this feature could quickly show its limits to users who are already fond of another audiobook platform.

OneDrive will soon no longer be supported on older versions of Windows

 

Microsoft has announced that OneDrive will soon no longer be supported on older versions of Windows.

The affected versions are Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.

No more updating and synchronization from 2022

In a blog post, Microsoft announced that it will end support for OneDrive on older versions of Windows, namely Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, starting early next year. From January 1, 2022, no more updates will be offered for the desktop app. As of March 1, there will be no more automatic synchronization and each file will have to be added manually in the web version of OneDrive or accessed from it.

For users of the business version of the OneDrive app, starting January 1, the app's support period is aligned with the life cycle of the operating system being used. As a reminder, Windows 7 and 8.1 have extended support until January 10, 2023, and Windows 8 is not longer supported since 2016.

Microsoft advises users to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 or continue using the web version of OneDrive if their computer does not have the necessary configuration to update to a newer version.

Facebook abandons automatic facial recognition on your photos and videos

 

Today, social network is saying goodbye to this technology.

Facial recognition on Facebook is over!

For more than ten years now, the Facebook network has offered a facial recognition system, allowing people to be identified in a photo or video. Today, Meta has decided to put an end to this technology within its social network, and will even remove all the digital identifications accumulated over the years.

In a statement, Meta explains, “We are shutting down Facebook's facial recognition system. People who have signed up will no longer be recognized automatically in photos and videos and we will remove facial recognition models from over a billion people ”.

For Meta, this is a major change in the history of Facebook, the company taking care of recalling that more than a third of the users of the social network have chosen to use facial recognition technology. The American group does not question the facial recognition tool, which can be useful for 'people who need to verify their identity or prevent fraud and identity theft.

However, Meta says it has recognized the growing concerns about the use of this technology as a whole. This a technology that is causing a lot of concern, even as regulators try to provide a set of rules that govern its use.

“In this context of continuing uncertainty, we believe it is appropriate to limit the use of facial recognition to a small set of use cases,” concludes Meta. Facial recognition technology will be deactivated in the coming weeks. You have been warned.