#Tech Giants

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The federal government has put a price tag on how much it would like to see Google and Facebook spend under legislation that requires the tech giants to compensate media companies for Canadian journalism.

Federal officials estimate Google would need to offer $172 million and Facebook $62 million in annual compensation to satisfy criteria they're proposing be used to give exemptions under the Online News Act, a bill passed over the summer that will force tech companies to broker deals with media companies whose work they link to or repurpose.

Draft regulations released by the government Friday outlined for the first time how it proposes to level the playing field between Big Tech and Canada's news media sector, and which companies it will apply to.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[tmarshconnors]

Can’t Wait for Grand Theft Auto VI

You ever get those moments when you’re just sitting there not doing anything in particular and suddenly you feel it hit you? That little buzz of excitement. Today, for me, it was one of those moments. I was just sat here, feet up, thinking: “Bloody hell, I can’t wait for Grand Theft Auto VI.”

Honestly, Rockstar Games has that magic touch. They’re the Apple of the gaming industry. And I don’t say that lightly. We’re talking about a company that doesn’t just make games  they craft experiences. Stories. Worlds you can get lost in. Just like Apple doesn’t just make phones  they create tech that becomes part of your lifestyle.

Now, let’s not pretend they’re perfect saints. Rockstar’s had their scandals remember the Hot Coffee debacle back in the San Andreas days? That stirred up a media firestorm like no other. But you know what? 

So did Apple. Remember when they removed the headphone jack from the iPhone? Everyone lost their minds. “How dare they!” they cried. And yet… here we all are, AirPods Pro in our ears, loving the sleek wireless life. Because whether it’s Rockstar or Apple, when the dust settles, what you’re left with is a product that just works and works bloody well.

They’ve got the same silence, the same smug confidence, the same ability to vanish for years and then reappear with something that blows every other product out of the water. And like Apple, they’re extremely private almost obsessively so.

GTA VI is shaping up to be one of those monumental moments. We’ve waited over a decade since V dropped. In that time, Rockstar’s stayed relatively quiet  focused. Calculated. It’s very Apple-like. Minimal noise. No unnecessary hype. Just letting the anticipation build like a kettle on boil. And you know when they finally do lift the curtain, it’s going to blow the bloody doors off.

There’s a certain artistry to the way Rockstar does things. Every detail matters. Every character, every line of dialogue, every city block  it’s thought out. Planned. Delivered with polish and punch. That’s what gets me excited. It’s not just the carnage and chaos we all love about GTA  it’s the atmosphere. The social commentary. The satire. The raw realism wrapped up in absurdity. It’s a game, sure, but it reflects life our world, our nonsense, our contradictions.

And just like with every new iPhone, people will moan. “It’s too expensive.” “It’s just more of the same.” “They removed X feature!” But when launch day comes, everyone wants in. Everyone’s queueing up digitally (or physically) to be part of the experience. Because it’s Rockstar. Just like it’s Apple. The game (or gadget) might ruffle feathers, but by the end of the day, the consensus is the same: damn, they’ve done it again.

So yeah. I was just sitting here… and I thought, “I can’t wait.” Not just for the missions and the mayhem  but for the moment. The cultural flashpoint. The debates, the reviews, the memes, the YouTube breakdowns. GTA VI is going to be one of those releases. One we talk about for years, like we still do with Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA V.

Mark my words  GTA VI will be the iPhone moment of gaming. And I, for one, will be front and centre with controller in hand, grinning like a schoolboy.

Bring it on, Rockstar. We’re ready.

[jbfly46]

Tech giants fronted as libertarians in order to gain enough economic and infrastructural power to form an authoritarian oligarchy.

[dailyplanet-loislane]

Alphabet: A Tech Titan Undeterred by Regulator's Wrath

[therealsaintscully]

No offense to anyone but if I could strangle the product teams at Linkedin and the 365 suite I would.

[ctcnewsca]

🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada drops digital tax to seal a deal with Trump by July 21! 🇨🇦🇺🇸 What’s next for this economic powerhouse? 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Know more about the U.S.-Canada trade talks here 👇🏻

[stimtickle]

🖕

[tekginger]

MiniMax Ready To Disrupt AI Market With Powerful New Models

MiniMax Ready To Disrupt AI Market With Powerful New Models MiniMax, AI company from China, is ready to disrupt AI market. It is making waves with its latest models. It is firmly positioning itself as a major player in the global AI landscape. Backed by tech giants Alibaba and Tencent, MiniMax has introduced three powerful models: MiniMax-Text-01, MiniMax-VL-01, and T2A-01-HD.

MiniMax has raised about $850 million in venture capital. It is valued at over…

[smartcuriosity]

From a small trading company to a global tech leader, Samsung’s journey is full of surprising twists! Discover the fascinating facts behind its rise and how it revolutionized the tech world. 🌟📱

[cinema-hallucinations]

Prompt: Create a comedy musical movie concept about working in tech support. For the plot, take inspiration from the song "The Gates" by Da Vinci's Notebook (in "The Gates", the singer blames Bill Gates for everything and desires to travel to Seattle to beat him up).

The Support Squad

Logline: When a ragtag group of frustrated tech support agents discover their company’s software issues are caused by a ruthless corporate mogul, they hatch a musical plan to confront him at his Seattle headquarters—and hilarity ensues.

Tagline: When tech support fights back, the laughs are fully charged!

Characters

Chloe, an idealistic rookie techie who dreams of making a difference.

Dylan, a cynical veteran whose mantra is “turn it off and back on.”

Raj, a tech genius with a penchant for sarcastic musical rants.

Jess, a die-hard optimist who keeps morale up with impromptu ukulele songs.

Victor Portman, a smug tech tycoon whose monopolistic company "GigaSphere" churns out notoriously shoddy products.

Plot Summary:

Welcome to TechFixIt, a chaotic customer support center where overworked agents ("Turn It Off and Back On", "Reboot My Soul") field bizarre calls from clueless customers, such as "Why won’t my toaster connect to Wi-Fi?.

Their biggest challenge? A buggy software update causing mass chaos. The team blames GigaSphere CEO Victor Portman. Chloe discovers Victor is about to launch a “revolutionary” new operating system, which the team suspects will double down on the bugs. Fueled by years of customer frustration, the team decides to road-trip to Seattle to confront Victor.

The journey turns into a series of absurd musical showdowns ("Blue Screen Serenade"). Along the way, they bond over their shared mission, rediscovering their passion for technology and their belief in helping people ("The Customer’s Always Wrong").

In a climactic musical finale, the team sneaks into Victor’s high-security product launch event, where they deliver a scathing parody song exposing his unethical practices ("The Bug Stops Here"). The crowd turns on Victor, and the media picks up the story, leading to a tech revolution where accountability reigns supreme.

Musical numbers:

"Turn It Off and Back On": An ensemble opening number set in the chaotic TechFixIt call center. It introduces the team, their frustrations, and the absurdities of their job through upbeat, comedic choreography.

"Reboot My Soul": Chloe’s solo that highlights her dream of making a real difference in the tech world. This heartfelt ballad establishes her as the idealistic heart of the group.

"Blue Screen Serenade": A ballad sung by Raj during a tense moment when the group’s van breaks down due to a faulty GPS system. The song humorously anthropomorphizes their frustrations with technology while providing a moment of levity and reflection.

"The Customer’s Always Wrong": Sung at a pit stop diner, this jazzy number pokes fun at the outrageous customer support calls they’ve endured, doubling as a bonding moment for the group.

"The Bug Stops Here" The climactic parody song performed at Victor’s product launch. The team calls out his greed and reveals the truth behind his faulty software in a high-energy, show-stopping number that turns the crowd against him.

Themes:

Speaking Truth to Power: The movie satirizes corporate greed and monopolistic practices, with the team standing up against an untouchable tech mogul to fight for accountability and fairness.

Finding Purpose in Chaos: Amid the absurdity of their jobs, the characters rediscover why they love helping people and the value of their work, inspiring them to strive for positive change.

Teamwork and Camaraderie: The protagonists grow closer as they work together toward a common goal, showing how shared struggles can foster deep friendships and mutual respect.

The Human Side of Technology: While the movie pokes fun at tech culture, it also underscores the human impact of technology—both the struggles it causes and the ways it can bring people together.

[jbfly46]

The U.S. Government does not have control over the west coast of The United States of America. The tech industry dictates what west coast state governments do or don't do using economic warfare and economic blackmail. All tech giants have been participants in this except for Apple.

[wat3rm370n]

Massive power consuming data centers won't save us.

Massive data centers consuming large amounts of energy have eyes on South Dakota By Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight Route Fifty December 9, 2024 ‘Utilities are getting calls every week,’ state regulator says. “We’re talking loads that eclipse some of the largest cities in South Dakota,” he said. A single data center campus can require anywhere from 300 to 500 megawatts of electricity to operate. One megawatt can power hundreds of homes. By one estimate, there are over 1,000 hyperscalers worldwide, with the U.S. hosting just over half of them. Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy, headquartered in Minneapolis, illustrated the extreme nature of the demand. “We now have, I would say, north of seven gigawatts of requests across the Xcel Energy footprint for data centers to locate in one of our eight states,” he said. “And I’ll be very frank that there’s no way that we’re going to be able to serve all of that in a reasonable amount of time.” Protecting existing customers from potential costs or energy shortages is another shared concern. Utility representatives emphasized the need for coal and natural gas to maintain a reliable “base load” when renewable sources like wind and solar are unavailable.

Tech is not saving us.

[trendynewsnow]

Trump's New Alliances with Tech Giants Amid Political Shift

Trump’s New Alliances with Tech Giants During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, former President Donald Trump shared insights about recent visits from prominent figures in the tech industry, including Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google. “In my first term, everyone was at odds with me,” he remarked. “Now, in this term, it seems everyone wants to be my…

[rahulharidas]

“Cloud Empires: Governing State-like Digital Platforms Regaining Control”

I picked the video titled “Cloud Empires: Governing State-like Digital Platforms Regaining Control,” which has Professor Vili Lehdonvirta in it. This video discusses how major online platforms such as Amazon and eBay have gained significant power, surpassing governments in their ability to influence economic activities. Professor Lehdonvirta talks about his book “Cloud Empires,” where he explains how these platforms have changed from being decentralized, similar to Usenet, to becoming more centralized. This change has led to issues, including a lack of accountability and problems like fraud, since users don't have a clear method to voice their concerns.

Professor Vili Lehdonvirta specializes in the digital economy and social sciences. His research examines the impact of technology on economies and societies, which is quite important for my studies in cybersecurity. It's really important to understand how these big platforms work, especially because they handle a lot of our personal data.

In the discussion, Lehdonvirta brings up key points about how power is concentrated in these platforms and emphasizes the need for more democratic practices to ensure they are held accountable. He discusses cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and relates them to historical events, including revolts in ancient Athens, illustrating how technology can drive change.

I chose this video from the 70 options because it connects directly to my interest in cybersecurity. Understanding how digital platforms operate and their impact on privacy and control is crucial for my learning. The concepts shared by Professor Lehdonvirta will assist me in grasping the difficulties we encounter today in safeguarding user data and promoting safe and secure practices in the digital economy. This topic really caught my attention because it links technology with crucial social issues that we need to tackle as we progress.

[ujusttry]

Top 10 Technology Countries in the World

Top 10 technology countries are transforming the world with advancements in AI, robotics, and digital innovations. These countries are shaping the future, driving innovation, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in tech. In today’s global economy, technology drives innovation, progress, and economic growth. Countries around the world are competing to be leaders in this rapidly evolving…

[tricksfunn]

Apple at the Innovation Crossroads: Still Leading, or Losing Ground in 2024?

Apple has long been synonymous with innovation, setting trends and pushing boundaries in the tech industry. However, as the landscape evolves and competition intensifies, the question arises: Is Apple still the king of innovation? Let’s delve into recent trends and insights to provide tech enthusiasts with a glimpse into Apple’s future. Apple’s Legacy of Innovation Apple’s legacy of innovation…