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Apple unveils iPhone 14 with emergency satellite messaging, Ultra Watch

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Apple introduced a range of new iPhone 14 models capable of sending a call for help via satellite during an emergency, as well as crash-detection ability and an adventure-focused Ultra Watch.

The iPhone 14 models will test Apple’s ability to wring dollars from its relatively affluent customer base, which has kept spending in the face of rising inflation but is not immune to a weakening economy.

The iPhone 14 will start at $799 and the iPhone Plus at $899 and both will be available for pre-order starting September 9.

Apple said it put together a system that will work with emergency responders during emergencies in remote areas. It also said that in some situations, users will be able to use its FindMy app to share their location via satellite when they have no other connectivity.

Globalstar said in a filing that it will be the satellite operator for Apple’s emergency SOS service. Globalstar’s stock fell about 16% on Wednesday before being halted ahead of the announcement of the Apple deal. The stock has gained about 50% year to date.

Other companies are working on similar functions. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said last month it is working with T-Mobile (TMUS.O) to use its Starlink satellites to connect phones directly to the internet.

Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus model will have a larger screen like Apple’s iPhone Pro models but an A15 processor chip like the previous iPhone 13.

The Cupertino, California-based company also showed a trio of new Apple Watches, including a new Watch Ultra model aimed at extreme sports and diving.

The Ultra has a bigger battery to last through events like triathlons and better waterproofing and temperature resistance to operate in outdoor environments, as well as better GPS tracking for sports.

The new Watches include an upgraded budget model called the SE and a Series 8 Watch with crash detection and low-power mode for 36 hours of battery life.

The Series 8 with cellular will start at $499 and the SE will start at $299 with cellular. The Ultra, which includes cellular in its base model, will start at $799 and be available Sept 23.

Apple said the new Series 8 watch has a temperature sensor that will work in conjunction with its previously released cycle tracking app to retroactively detect ovulation. The company emphasised the privacy approach of its cycle tracking. Privacy and reproductive health data has become a focus for tech companies in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended a constitutional right to abortion in the United States.

Apple said it does not have the key to decrypt health data such as cycle tracking.

But while accessories like the Apple Watch have driven incremental sales from Apple’s existing user base, the iPhone remains the bedrock of its business with 52.4% of sales in its most recent fiscal year.

Apple’s stock was up 0.6% more than an hour into the presentation, in line with the start of the event and lagging the S&P 500’s gain of 1.5% for the session.

Some analysts believe Apple might give a preview of a mixed-reality headset on Wednesday. The device is expected to have cameras that pass-through view of the outside world to the wearer while overlaying digital objects on the physical world. Analysts do not expect the device to go on sale until next year at the earliest.

An early preview would be rare for Apple, which keeps its product plans secret until just before devices hit the market. A rival headset called Project Cambria is in the works from Meta Platforms, which is spending billions of dollars on the project.

But in order to have compelling apps for a new headset, Apple might need to give developers time to become familiar with it. “Developing for a new and radically different type of platform is going to take people a lot longer,” O’Donnell said.

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Facebook Content Monetization Program is launched by Meta

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Meta has introduced a new monetization program designed to streamline and enhance income prospects for content providers on its platform.

The Facebook Content Monetization beta, unveiled on October 2, 2024, consolidates three pre-existing monetization schemes into a unified, efficient framework.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that the new program integrates In-stream advertisements, advertisements on Reels, and the Performance Bonus into a singular revenue structure. This unification seeks to facilitate money generation for producers across many content formats, including Reels, extended films, photographs, and textual posts.

The news is part of Facebook’s continuous initiatives to assist content creators on its platform. Meta indicates that since the launch of Facebook-funded monetization in 2017, over four million content producers have generated revenue using the platform.

Substantial Increase in Creator Compensation

Meta revealed that over the past year, Facebook has compensated content providers in excess of $2 billion for videos, reels, photographs, and text posts. Payouts for reels and short videos have significantly increased, rising by almost 80% during this timeframe.

Streamlining the Monetization Procedure

The newly introduced Facebook Content Monetization tool tackles a significant difficulty encountered by authors. Historically, diverse monetization programs had discrepancies in availability, qualifying criteria, and enrollment procedures. This intricacy led to certain creators missing possibilities or being ineligible to profit from all available forms.

Meta’s data indicates that around one-third of monetized authors on Facebook benefit from multiple Facebook-funded programs. The newly unified program seeks to augment this figure by streamlining the process and broadening income prospects.

Mechanism of the New Program

Within the Facebook Content Monetization test, creators will require participation in a single program to monetize various content forms. The application will deliver a cohesive array of analytics for monitoring performance across various content categories.

Meta asserts that the compensation structure for the new program is consistent with the current performance-based frameworks employed in Ads on Reels, In-Stream Ads, and the Performance Bonus. Compensation will remain linked to the performance of qualifying content.

Eligibility and Implementation

The preliminary stage of the beta program is restricted to invited participants only. Meta has been dispatching invitations to one million creators currently generating revenue on Facebook. The corporation intends to persist in dispatching invites in the upcoming months.

Although open registration for the program is anticipated in 2025, Meta is providing creators the chance to indicate their interest in obtaining an early access invitation to the beta. Creators seeking further information and wishing to express their interest may do so using the Facebook for Creators platform.

Effect on Current Programs

Meta has announced that the Facebook Content Monetization initiative will ultimately supplant the existing Ads on Reels, In-Stream Ads, and Performance Bonus programs. The changeover is anticipated to take place in 2025. Participation in the new initiative is voluntary for invited creators during the beta period.

Eligibility for Content

The new program enables the monetization of eligible public films, reels, photographs, and text posts. Creators and their content must follow to Meta’s regulations, including Facebook’s Partner Monetization regulations and Content Monetization Policies, to qualify for monetization.

Enhancing Opportunities for Creators

The launch of Facebook Content Monetization marks a substantial advancement in Meta’s initiatives to assist content creators on its platform. Facebook seeks to attract and maintain a varied array of producers by streamlining the monetization process and broadening revenue opportunities across various content forms.

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A fresh author copyright lawsuit concerning AI training has hit Meta.

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Novelist Christopher Farnsworth has initiated a proposed class-action copyright lawsuit against Meta Platforms (META.O), alleging that the technology company has improperly utilized his works, among with others, to train its Llama artificial intelligence large language model.

Farnsworth asserted in the complaint filed on Tuesday that Meta provided Llama, the technology behind its AI chatbots, with thousands of pirated books to train its response to human queries.

Other authors, including as Ta-Nehisi Coates, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, and comic Sarah Silverman, have filed analogous class-action lawsuits against Meta in the same court about its purported utilization of their novels for AI training.

Farnsworth’s case, initiated by the prominent class action plaintiffs’ law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, follows a federal judge’s admonition of the lead attorney in the prior case and permits distinguished litigator David Boies and additional attorneys from his firm Boies Schiller Flexner to join the plaintiffs’ team.

Representatives for Meta and Farnsworth’s legal counsel at Lieff Cabraser did not promptly reply to inquiries regarding the recent complaint on Wednesday.

Multiple collectives of copyright holders, including authors, visual artists, and music publishers, have initiated legal action against prominent technology firms for the illicit utilization of their creations in the training of generative AI systems.

The businesses contend that their AI training is safeguarded by the copyright doctrine of fair use and that the lawsuits jeopardize the emerging AI industry.

Farnsworth, a resident of Los Angeles, asserted in his lawsuit that his creations were incorporated in a “trove” of illicitly obtained literature utilized by Meta to educate Llama.

He requested the court for an indeterminate sum of monetary damages and an injunction compelling Meta to cease its purported infringement.

The case is Farnsworth v. Meta Platforms Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 3:24-cv-06893.

For Farnsworth: Elizabeth Cabraser, Daniel Hutchinson, Reilly Stoler, and Rachel Geman of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein

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PTA Chairman: I can now reveal who banned ‘X’ and ordered Pakistani internet shutdowns.

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Major General (Rtd) Hafeezur Rehman, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), made it clear that the federal government is the only entity with the authority to stop the social media site “X,” which was formerly known as Twitter.

Informal interviews with reporters revealed that “X” will reopen as soon as the government issued the order. The Sindh High Court is currently hearing the platform’s case because of the large number of complaints it has received in Pakistan.

In response to queries on internet outages, the Chairman pointed out that Pakistan saw only seven internet outages in 2023, compared to 116 in India. He made it clear that national security still comes first even though the PTA opposes internet shutdowns.

The Chairman further stated that although internet connections were only momentarily interrupted in some locations at specific times, mobile services were suspended in certain areas on Ashura, the 10th of Muharram.

Making similarities, he pointed out that Bangladesh similarly cut off cell service during elections, adding that each nation faces different security issues and that decisions are based on intelligence gatherings.

Additionally, he reaffirmed that Panjgur’s mobile data services are temporarily suspended because of persistent security concerns.

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