Listen to the Verses of Trance and Progressive EDM with Guido Hermans’ Exquisite Soundscape – Pro News Report

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

The musical and rhythmic profanity in producer Guido Hermans soundscape is a streaming scope of blissful electronic dance music and its creative diversities.

Utrecht, Jan 25, 2021 (Issuewire.com)Music producerGuido Hermansis creating a soul-altering scope of contemporary electronic musical definitions with his interpretations of trance, progressive, techno, and chill-out music. The arena of underground EDM music finds an extensive platform to flourish and grow under the creative guidance of the artist. His song Labyrinth Renaissance Part 2 from his latest album, La Bella Vita creates immersive sorcery with the various undulations of rhythmic and tonal dynamics. As a lover of the underground dance scene since the mid-90s, he tried again to bring back the underground old-school sound to life with his new album La Bella Vita.

Although a contemporary artist, the audience finds him going back to EDM classics that render a textured, old-school style. The other song Rivendell Imladris from the same album also carries his prolific personality as it takes the listeners on a journey of musical diversity. The progressive and trance entail of the 90s scene complements in a contemporary arrangement in a way that renders creative and cultural blends. His soundscape bridges the gap between old and new structures although he sometimes likes to deviate towards a direction of strict new-age characteristics in his music.

Some of his songs that define the resurgence of his soundscape include Out Of Memory, At The End Of The Day (99 mix), Pandemic, Fate, Nostalgia, and Renaissance among many others.

Guido Hermans is currently tied up in the making of his upcoming EP which is set to release later in the year. Experience the creative and transcendental resurgence of old-school progressive, trance, techno, and house following his works on Spotify, Beatport, and Soundcloud right away.

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Listen to the Verses of Trance and Progressive EDM with Guido Hermans' Exquisite Soundscape - Pro News Report

Logic1000: You’ve Got the Whole Night to Go EP | Review – Pitchfork

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Logic1000 debuted in 2018 with an undoubtedly excellent self-titled EP, packed with tracks that tip between techno, IDM, and garage. The record put her firmly on the map as a producer to watch, and dance heavyweightsmost notably Four Tetchampioned Logic1000 consistently. But while the EP was a strong introduction to Logic1000 as an artist, she herself has admitted that the production was scattered.

Recently, Logic1000 has been curating her own musical identity through remixes; her work for Lpsley, Christine and the Queens, and Caribou has allowed her to find a throughline in her own sound through the additions of her signature clean garage beats and hook-bolstering harmonies. These act as a strong introduction to her latest EP Youve Got the Whole Night to Go and give a taste of Logic1000 as a producer with a keen ear for melding the underground with pop-worthy hooks. Though just four songs, it shows Logic1000 flexing her stamina and spinning ideas more consistently across the EP.

Central to the feel of Youve Got the Whole Night to Go is a sense of expansiveness throughout, from the wafting trance drones and the vocal samples fed back and forth through a tape machine on Like My Way to the airy, echoing melody and bouncing bassline of Medium that sound as though theyre reverberating around an empty dance floor. This spaciousness unites each track in spite of the EPs varying genre aspirationsI Wont Forget gives lighthearted house; and Medium is eclectic and glitchy, whereas Her ends the EP on a downright dirty, sweaty, techno note. It all grants Logic1000s productions a touch of something bigger that stretches outward and upward, hinting at her ability to reach beyond the underground to break into a wider consciousness.

Youve Got the Whole Night to Go also works as a concept album, tracing the almost forgotten flutters and rushes of a good night out. Like My Way functions as a pregame track, the light trance paired with sharp hi-hats and a cheeky ascending bassline echoing the heady mixture of vague excitement and nerves. The way the muffled melody of I Wont Forget gradually becomes clearer is reminiscent of the sudden clarity of music that hits when the club doors fling open. A strained vocal sample cuts through with I wont forget, but the rest of the sentence is lost in the first muffled voice, as though the remembering is more important than the thing remembered. The immersive hard techno of closing track Her recalls that exact moment halfway through the night when you feel you could continue full-throttle forever. It seems cruel that a release that speaks so potently to the club experience probably wont be played in its proper setting for a while, but for the moment, its a necessary simulation of it.

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Logic1000: You've Got the Whole Night to Go EP | Review - Pitchfork

Shane Codd: "I want to be the biggest DJ to come out of Ireland, and fly the flag" – hotpress.com

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

In 2020, Shane Codd emerged as one of the most thrilling new producers in the country, with his lockdown-inspired Get Out My Head which hit No.6 on the UK charts, and has since gone platinum in Ireland. He discusses signing to Polydor, the state of the Irish dance scene, and drawing inspiration from his trance-loving mam.

Rising from a little-known SoundCloud sensation to one of the hotly tipped talents on Polydors roster in just a few months, Shane Codd has defeated the odds finding major mainstream success as a DJ, while clubs and venues around the world are boarded-up, and dancefloors remain a distant memory.

After releasing music independently for three years, his track Get Out My Head began generating serious buzz on SoundCloud over lockdown attracting the interest of several major labels. The single, which went on to be re-released by Polydor in late 2020, has since clocked up over 16.5 million streams on Spotify alone, and reached No.6 on the UK charts.

Im just trying to take it all in everyday, Shane says of the tracks phenomenal streaming success. I couldnt really believe it at first, and now the streams are nearly going up by a million a week on Spotify. Its mad.

While the 23-year-old remains remarkably down-to-earth, its clear that his single has struck a powerful chord with people during these uncertain times.

When I made that song, lockdown had just started, and I wanted all of that stuff out of my head all the stress of it, he explains. A lot of people have messaged me, saying, This has helped me during lockdown or, It makes me think about being back in the clubs dancing, or over in Ibiza. That was the vibe I wanted, and it really sat with a lot of people.

Although he did pop an aul bottle of champagne to celebrate signing to Polydor where he joins some of the biggest artists in the world Shane relates that the label initially had a hard time getting hold of him...

When I got the call, I was over with my family visiting the Cliffs of Moher, he recalls. The label were calling me, but the coverage was really bad over there. So I told them, Lads, Ill have to give you a call back in a few days! I knew nothing about labels! A couple of other labels had rang me as well, like Ministry of Sound. All these unbelievable, huge labels but I didnt know anything about them. I remember Ministry of Sound asked me, What do you know about us?

And I just said, I know theres a big nightclub in London called Ministry of Sound, he laughs. I just didnt know! But Polydor were the ones that really stood out to me, because of the success that theyve had. Even what theyve done so far with my song, and me as an artist, is unbelievable. So Im really excited to keep going with them.

Despite the obvious lack of gigs for DJs currently, Shanes deal with Polydor is indicative of the phenomenal talent emerging across the dance music scene in Ireland which is ready to spill out into the mainstream.

As well as myself getting signed, theres loads of people doing so well in Ireland now, like RobbieG, Welshy, Marty Guilfoyle and Conor Bissett, whos been signed as well, he notes. Its great to see it. Theres a huge scene here, and the labels are starting to notice that now.

In addition to his own streaming success, Shanes also proved to be somewhat of a master playlist curator with his Trance Anthems 90s-00s playlist on Spotify having garnered over 82,500 followers. Although he was too young to hit the clubs during the golden era of trance, his appreciation for the genre began early nonetheless.

I wouldve heard my mam and dad playing it mainly through my mam, because I grew up with her, he explains. She was only 18 when she had me, so she was into that music, because that wouldve been big at the time. I just loved it from when I was one or two years old, right the way up. I still love it now. It was a big influence.

Moving from Dublin to Cavan at the age of 11 was also a pivotal moment in Shanes life

Moving at that age was kind of tough at the start, he admits. Im fluent in Irish, because I went to an all-Irish primary school in Dublin. My mam wanted me to keep up the Irish, but there were no Irish schools in Cavan. So I went to school up in Monaghan which was an hour-and-a-half on the bus everyday. It was horrible, but I used to listen to music to pass the time. I was always influenced by music.

Shane is now poised for ocean-transcending stardom with a remix of a really big artist coming out in February, and his next single likely to be released in March. His ultimate goal, he tells me, is to be as big as I possibly can.

I want to bring out as much good music as I can, and have a bit of a legacy, he continues. I want to play all over the world in Ibiza, and all the big festivals. I want to be the biggest DJ to come out of Ireland, and fly the flag.

Get Out My Head is out now.

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Shane Codd: "I want to be the biggest DJ to come out of Ireland, and fly the flag" - hotpress.com

‘WandaVision’ Easter Egg May Reveal Agnes’s True Identity – Inside the Magic

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

WandaVision debuted on Disney+ nearly one month ago, and since then, Marvel fans cant stop talking about Marvels newest venture. There are enough hidden details in each episode to fill a textbook, but there is one major detail fans may not know about.

Related: WandaVision Head Writer Speaks out on Fans Impatience for Episodes

Watch out for Agnes. The character Quirky Neighbor, played by actress Kathryn Hahn, is Wanda and Visions mysterious neighbor in Westview. Up until episode four, We Interrupt This Program, no one knew what was going on with her or the entire series, for that matter.

The new episodes real stars were FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) and the sassy astrophysicist Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who was last seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp and Thor: Dark World, respectively. The duo acts as the audiences surrogate as theyre piecing together every detail from WandaVisions debut and connecting the dots.

Did you notice anyone missing from the board of New Jersey citizens identified as characters from Wandas sitcom? Like, maybe, Agnes?

Technically, she was on the board, but no one mentioned her actual identity. Shes the only citizen of Westview without a New Jersey drivers license attached to her page.

While its unconfirmed, fans suggest that the nosy neighbor is none other than Agatha Harkness, one of the original witches from the Salem Witch Trials. According to one Twitter user, theres more than enough evidence from the first episode alone that Agnes isnt your average, friendly neighbor.

Twitter user @steven_becerel points out:

The only way Ralph would remember our anniversary is if there was a beer named June 2nd.

The line was overlooked and quickly forgotten, but theres a tiny detail worth noting. Funny enough, June 2, 1692, is the date U.S. courts first gathered for the Salem Witch Trials. However, whos her husband? We dont yet know.

Related: Does WandaVision Have a Villain? Olsen Hints There May Not Be One!

On top of that, take notice of Agnes brooch, one shes worn throughout each episode. In Now In Color, the character wore it as a necklace and was attempting to censor Herb, Wanda and Visions clumsy neighbor.

Marvel Fans were quick to spot that the brooch shes wearing in WandaVision resembles the one thats drawn onto Agatha Harkness in the Fantastic Four Marvel Comics from 1972. Reddit fans noticed that the pendant looks like the Grim Reaper with two children which is pretty dark on Marvels part. We havent gotten a close enough shot to study her brooch, but if thats the case, it sounds like Agnes is a dark lady.

Whats disturbing is that she hasnt appeared without the pendant and continues to pop-in at pivotal moments.

Related: Kevin Feige Confirms More Avengers Movies to Come

In a WandaVision trailer, the titular Vision was strolling through Westview on Halloween night without a disguise and found himself stopped by his Quirky Neighbor Agnes, who was dressed up like a witch. Bingo, folks.

While the television sitcom is giving a nod to a previous Marvel comic book, Kathryn Hahns character is giving away a huge plot point for Paul Bettanys Vision.

While the television sitcom is giving a nod to a previous Marvel comic book, Kathryn Hahns character is giving away a huge plot point for Paul Bettanys Vision. While its unconfirmed, its reported that the Halloween special will take place in episode six of WandaVision and well hopefully get more context about this scene.

Whats truly chilling is that the witch exclaimed that Vision is dead and cackled. In the trailer, Agnes appeared to be frozen in time or transfixed. As Vision approached her stopped car, he touched the side of her head, and she snapped out of the apparent trance.

Up to this point, Wanda and an adult Monica Rambeau, who functioned as an undercover SWORD agent in Westview, are the only characters aware that Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War. It was a low blow by Rambeau to mention Quicksilvers death by Ultron, but it doesnt seem like shes the only one who knows.

Its unknown if Wanda herself or some otherworldly power is in control of WandaVision, but Agnes seemingly has a part in orchestrating the augmented reality.

While Herb is trimming his hedges, for example, he slices into a brick wall. Im not sure if that blade was made out of Virbranium, but something is going on with the citizens of Westview. Herb then trips over his own words and repeats himself like a broken record when Vision asks whats going on. Herb snaps out of the trance and shrugs it off.

Okay, but whats the big idea? Later in episode three, Agnes suddenly popped up at the Vision residence and was whispering with Herb. Vision asked if everything was all right and Herb nearly spilled the beans until Agnes shut him down.

She then switched the subject to Geraldine an undercover Monica Rambeau from the outside world. It was a pivot, but one that hid what Agnes and Herb were whispering about. Geraldine was then put into question by both Wanda and Agnes.

While its unconfirmed, Agnes knew Geraldines true identity and whereabouts. And, not wanting to spoil the fun, made it appear that Geraldine was a bad apple. Thanks to Wanda, shes wiped from existence, and the case is closed. For now, at least.

In the Fantastic Four and Avengers comics from 1972-1974, Agatha Harkness is somewhat of an anti-hero. While shes not against the Avengers, her history and powers are darker than what some would like to see in a Marvel story.

While its uncertain if the Quirky Neighbor is, in fact, Agatha Harkness and what role she plays in the Disney+ series, Agatha was Wandas mentor in the comics. Quickly forming a strong bond, the two shared their powers for the good of humanity.

Unfortunately, Harkness was killed by New Salem citizens and later appeared as a ghost to Wanda throughout the comics.

Marvel hasnt released any information about Agnes for a reason, but if she is who fans suggest, then theres something scary going on in Westview.

Who do you think Agnes is? Let us know in the comments below!

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'WandaVision' Easter Egg May Reveal Agnes's True Identity - Inside the Magic

‘I Was a Simple Man’ is a Hypnotic Meditation on Colonization, Mortality, and Nature – Daily Utah Chronicle

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Still from I Was a Simple Man. (Photo by Eunsoo Cho | Courtesy Sundance Institute)

Dying isnt simple, is it? asks Grace (Constance Wu) constantly throughout this story. The question sticks to Masao (Steve Iwamoto) as his impending death forces him to confront complicated and haunting scenes of his past, present and future in rural Hawaii. Directed by Hawaiian filmmaker Christopher Makoto Yogi, I Was a Simple Man premiered on Jan. 29, 2021, at the Sundance Film Festival.

Provocative landscape shots of Oahu collaborate with close-up shots of Masaos daily life to induce viewers into a trance. There is little dialogue and even less of a score. Yogi uses both as very intentional tools to guide our near-hallucinogenic experience only as necessary. Instead, what we hear is what Masao hears: wise trees, excited birds, unforgiving rain, angry construction, whispers from the people he disappointed decades ago. What we see is what Masao sees: plants that need watering, pill bottles, plates and beer cans from family picnics, glimpses of a future beyond the United States dominance over the land. This unique sound mixing and cinematography make for a magical meditation.

The plot of I Was a Simple Man flows more like a stream of memories and dreams than a structured narrative in the same way that the rain trickles effortlessly through the leaves and into Masaos home. The film is also very slow, as the entire second act transpires without any single event that can be easily described. This pacing paired with a surrealist feeling can be disorienting at times, but the more I paid attention while watching, the more I saw that this film knows intimately where it is going and what it wants to offer to viewers. The story is as rooted and alive as the sacred Hawaiian trees that Masao and Grace promise to never leave.

I Was a Simple Man manages to communicate a volatile history of colonization with mindfulness and gentleness. We are not given a history lesson nor told to be angry or sad; instead, Yogi asks us to pay attention to how these scenes feel how these questions of human suffering and resilience feel. What is it like to be torn between loyalty to ones homeland and loyalty to ones family, who have been uprooted from the land by violent external influences? What is it like to struggle to forgive, while begging for forgiveness? What is it like to die?

As viewers, we are not allowed to ignore these questions just because they might beuncomfortable. Painfully long shots force us to join Masao in the depths of his isolation even after the scenes seem like they should have ended. Intense and overwhelming sounds of urban development beg us to understand that the land is being carved out by hands who do not love it as we listen, we are aware of this in our own bodies. We feel it the way Masao and generations of real-life Indigenous people feel it. But we also feel Masaos and Graces timeless spiritual tie to the environment; we see that our symbiosis with nature outlasts everything else. I have never been to Hawaii, nor is the disruption of ones native culture something I have personally experienced, yet Constance Wus magnetic depiction of a messenger frozen in time and space still felt like it was meant for me specifically.

What makes I Was a Simple Man remarkable is that it is not just a ghost story or a social commentary or a practice in mindfulness. Its all of these, and simultaneously something more that I have yet to accurately put words to.

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'I Was a Simple Man' is a Hypnotic Meditation on Colonization, Mortality, and Nature - Daily Utah Chronicle

Cyber Agency Checks Itself on Fighting Disinformation Post-2020 – Bloomberg Government

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

The federal agency charged with safeguarding Americas elections said it needs to reevaluate its approach to disinformation so that agency leaders dont jeopardize bipartisan congressional support, its acting leader said Wednesday.

Brandon Wales, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told state election officials that his agency is taking stock of its roles and authorities as the Biden administration seeks to combat disinformation.

We need to look at the the appropriate role that CISA plays when it comes to countering disinformation, how we can focus on the security aspects where we have the broadest authorities, responsibilities, and ultimately expertise, he said during a National Association of Secretaries of State event.

Christopher Krebs, who led the agency throughout the 2020 election cycle and in the weeks after the election, was fired by former President Donald Trump after penning a joint statement with U.S. secretaries of state and other election officials calling the 2020 election the most secure in American history. CISA under Krebs also ran the Rumor Control website that frequently took on false claims about voter fraud or election technology security from Trump and people in his orbit.

Krebs, a Republican and a Trump appointee, faced sharp questioning from Senate Republicans, including Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Rand Paul (Ky.), who both wondered how Krebs could call an election secure given instances of mail or voter fraud.

This agency has long benefited from broad bipartisan support in this country and with our colleagues on the Hill, and I think that future political leadership will not want to jeopardize that, Wales, the top career official at CISA, said.

Photo: Al Drago/Getty Images

A chalk message about Fake News is written on the street at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House on Nov. 5, 2020, in Washington, DC., while the presidential election was still too close to call.

CISAs future role in responding to disinformation, especially around election security, is a top priority for the agency as it moves on from 2020, Wales said.

Thats an area that were looking at now, particularly in the area of the agencys role when it comes to countering disinformation and misinformation in the election context, but more broadly, he said.

Agency staff are working on thought papers on successes and failures from the 2020 election to help future leaders decide how to approach disinformation, Wales said.

The Biden team is eager to engage on disinformation, so Wales expects more updates will be coming about CISAs role in countering disinformation and misinformation, he said.

CISAs primary focus in the cybersecurity realm is its investigation with other federal partners into the supply chain compromise associated with SolarWinds Corp. software, Wales said.

We have no evidence election systems were compromised as part of this campaign, Wales assured the state election officials.

The agency continues its long-standing role in protecting more traditional forms of critical infrastructure, but also soft targets such as religious institutions or shopping areas, from terrorism, both international and domestic, Wales said. The Biden administrations shift to refocus on domestic terrorism in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol doesnt mark a change for CISA, Wales said.

We were doing a lot of this work since the early days of the department, all through the through the Trump administration and we will continue to do so, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shaun Courtney in Washington at scourtney@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sarah Babbage at sbabbage@bgov.com; Robin Meszoly at rmeszoly@bgov.com

2021 DB Terrion Arnold Signs With Alabama Over Florida and Georgia – Sports Illustrated

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Elite 2021 defensive back Terrion Arnold (John Paul Catholic II - Tallahassee, Fla.) has committed to and signed with Alabama over Florida and Georgia, he announced on ESPN today.

Arnold, a two-sport athlete, will join Nick Saban's football team while also holding an offer to play basketball for the Crimson Tide.

The 6-2, 187 lbs. defensive back is one of the top safeties in the 2021 class, a position in which Florida looked to reload with talent during the cycle. UF signed safetiesCorey Collier Jr. (Miami Palmetto, Fla.) andDonovan McMillon (Peters Township - Canonsburg, Pa.) during the early signing period, aswell as nickel cornerback/safetyDakota Mitchell (Winter Park, Fla.).

Arnold is considered theNo. 2 safety and No. 44 overall prospect in the class of 2021, according to Sports Illustrated All-American.A thumper, Arnold posted 152 tackles and five interceptions over the final two seasons of his high school career, also adding1,475 total yards from scrimmage and 11 receiving touchdowns offensively.

On the court, Arnold averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 assists, four rebounds, 2.2 steals, and half a block per game at point guard during his junior season, across 24 contests.

Florida's safety room will look a bit different moving forward as the team parted ways with safeties coach Ron English (and cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray) this offseason, hiring Auburn's Wesley McGriff and USF's Jules Montinar as secondary coaching replacements. Arnold, whom UF offered in Oct. 2019, certainly would have been a welcome addition to the room as it is being redeveloped.

Below, you can find a snippet of Arnold's Sports Illustrated All-American footballscouting report.

Bottom Line: Arnold deserves to be considered among the nations best safety prospects because he proves to be instinctive, powerful and dynamic athletically. He takes the proper angles, is relentless in pursuit of the ball-carrier, a big hitter and great at tracking the football once its in the air.

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2021 DB Terrion Arnold Signs With Alabama Over Florida and Georgia - Sports Illustrated

Tech giants open up about their algorithms – Axios

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Google, Facebook, TikTok and others are starting to talk more about how their algorithms work in a bid to win trust.

Yes, but: It's hard to know what isn't being revealed.

Be smart: While these efforts to be transparent are helpful, they don't usually provide the full picture about how the platforms' algorithms work, in part because they don't want their systems to be gamed by bad actors.

The big picture: Around the world, regulators are beginning to question whether the algorithms used to drive billions of dollars of internet commerce and content are biased towards certain demographics, philosophies or viewpoints.

Between the lines: Republicans and Democrats have both cited transparency into content moderation as a goal of changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

What to watch: Competition regulators around the world are starting to dive into whether and how Big Tech algorithms harm consumers or competitors.

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Tech giants open up about their algorithms - Axios

Google will wind down game development studios as tech giants struggle to break into gaming – GeekWire

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

(Stadia Images)

Both Google and Amazon have more than enough tools and resources that theyd need to stake a claim in the market. The problem is that both seem to want to simply win by showing up, and thats not something you can do in video games.

Its been a rough few days for the gaming arms at the tech giants, which are suffering setbacks in their attempts to break into the industry.

Bloomberg last week delved into the internal culture at Amazon Game Studios. The goal was to explore why, in Amazons staffers own words, Amazons game development efforts have floundered. Eight years later, with several billion dollars spent, Amazon has little to show for its efforts, and the answer appears to come down to mismanagement at an executive level.

Just a few days later, on Monday morning, Google announced its sudden withdrawal from the games development business.

Despite a high-profile launch and hiring a wide swath of industry talent for its Stadia project, Googles Phil Harrison wrote today that the company will stop investing in first-party content, and will shutter its two internal dev studios. The reasons behind the decision, as per Harrison, include the high investment costs and time requirements of creating best-in-class games from the ground up.

Stadia was the first strictly cloud-based gaming service to reach the market. As a subscription service, offered alongside a custom-made gamepad, Stadia could be used with a web browser or a Chromecast device to let players run video games in high definition straight off of Googles cloud servers. On paper, any device with a strong internet connection and a screen could be used to play the latest games at their highest settings.

Whats held Stadia back, however, is that it initially shipped without all its promised features, such as YouTube integration, and a pricing plan where players bought their games individually at or near full retail price. Subscribers to the full service, Stadia Pro, would get free games each month as well as access to a variety of flash sales. This was controversial at the services launch nobodys really keen on the idea of paying to own a product that only lasts for as long as Google chooses to support it and competing services have capitalized on that, such as Amazons Luna and Microsofts Project xCloud.

Going forward, Googles plans for Stadia are seemingly to treat it solely as a publishing platform. In 2021, were expanding our efforts to help game developers and publishers take advantage of our platform technology and deliver games directly to their players, Harrison wrote. We see an important opportunity to work with partners seeking a gaming solution all built on Stadias advanced technical infrastructure and platform tools.

Stadia Games & Entertainment (SG&E) had an unspecified number of projects in developmen. While a few of the ones that were closest to complete may yet debut on Stadia, the rumor is that anything that fell outside of a potential 2021 release window has been unceremoniously canceled.

SG&Es two studios were located in Los Angeles and Montreal. The Montreal studio was the result of Google acquiring a newly-founded indie developer, Typhoon, back in late 2019; Typhoons only game before the Google merger was the well-regarded indie Metroidvania Journey to the Savage Planet. In an unfortunate coincidence, Journey actually premieres on Stadia today.

Overall, SG&Es closure is reported to affect around 150 employees. As part of the announcement, Harrison has said that most of that team will be moving on to new internal roles within Google, and will be supported by the company in the process.

One of the higher-profile developers at Stadia, however, is leaving Google entirely. Jade Raymond, who became famous in the industry in the 2000s as the producer of the first couple of games in Ubisofts mega-popular Assassins Creed franchise, had joined Google in early 2019 as the head of the Stadia Games and Entertainment department. Harrison noted in his blog post that Raymond has left to pursue other opportunities in the wake of SG&Es imminent closure.

This doesnt necessarily mean the writings on the wall for Stadia itself, but its hard not to think about the infamous Google Graveyard. The company had made a lot of big moves during the run-up to Stadias official release, including hiring some major names such as Raymond. Harrison himself is a well-known face in the industry, as a former member of both Sonys PlayStation team and the Interactive Entertainment department at Microsoft.

With that kind of experience on tap, one wouldve expected Google to realize that if it was ever going to make best-in-class games for the Stadia, it was going to cost money and itd take more than two years before they started seeing results. Unless there were significant internal issues that Google hasnt divulged, shuttering its development efforts this quickly is like forfeiting a football game after the first quarter. In conjunction with the generally unfinished state of Stadias launch back in late 2019, it paints a picture of Google as not realizing, or choosing not to realize, what it would actually need to do in order to be competitive in the modern games industry.

This isnt necessarily the end of the road for Stadia, however. Harrison is still the head of the project at Google, and Stadia is planned to continue to exist for the time being, now specifically as a publisher for third-party games. For current Stadia and Stadia Pro consumers, its business as usual.

Were committed to the future of cloud gaming, and will continue to do our part to drive this industry forward, Harrison wrote. Our goal remains focused on creating the best possible platform for gamers and technology for our partners, bringing these experiences to life for people everywhere.

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Google will wind down game development studios as tech giants struggle to break into gaming - GeekWire

HD Media Takes on Tech Giants Google & Facebook – Editor And Publisher Magazine

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

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E&P Reports Video/ Podcast

HD Media, the West Virginia-based publisher of the Pulitzer Prize-winningCharleston Gazette-Mailand theHerald-Dispatch, is making its own news with the recent announcement that they have filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Google and Facebook. The purpose is to hopefully help the entire industry receive some form of compensation from the 70%+ of local advertising revenue these tech giants make from the content they exploit.

In this segment of E&P Reports, publisher Mike Blinder has an in-depth conversation with lawsuit co-council Paul T. Farrell Jr. and HD Medias VP of news and executive editor Lee Wolverton to uncover how the lawsuit started and what they want to see happen as a result of their actions. Farrell and Wolverton also speak to how they feel about the need for local journalism and how this suit is not just about ad dollars but also the survival of the news industry as a whole.

India’s ShareChat is being courted by US tech giants – Fast Company

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Tech giants are running out of avenues for growth. In the search for their next batch of users, most of them have turned their attention to India, where more people have logged onto the internet for the first time in the last couple of years than the U.S.s entire online population. And one startup has emerged as their hot ticket into the countrys most idiosyncratic audience: ShareChat.

Headquartered in the southern city of Bangalore, famously referred to as Indias Silicon Valley, ShareChat is an India-centric social network that supports over a dozen regional languages and offers most of the trappings youd expect from such a service, such as a feed influenced by your interests and the people you follow; the ability to share media and text as well as comment and like other posts; and more.

ShareChat is wired to feed off of Indias soaring appetite for content. Its designed to fuel new internet users obsession with information, andeven more importantlytheir proclivity to forward that information on WhatsApp, the countrys most popular messaging app.

Resembling Reddit more than Facebook or Twitter, ShareChat doesnt make you follow or friend anyone to get going. When you first log in, your home feed will be filled with posts from a wide variety of topics such as news, tabloid gossip, good-morning messages, and moreall in the local language of your choice.

ShareChat is available in many languagesbut not English. [Image: courtesy of ShareChat]On top of that, ShareChat comes equipped with public chat rooms where you can jump in and just start talking to strangersa common internet perk that new Indian internet users from underdeveloped regions especially find fascinating. To serve this specific behavior, ShareChat even has a feature called Shake-N-Chat that connects two strangers engaging with similar kinds of topics over personal chat.

But the biggest difference between ShareChat and other familiar social experiences is that it has no English-language option. Thats part of whats made western tech giants sit up and take notice. ShareChat is the only startup Twitter has invested in (twice). Its rumoredto be on the cusp of raising more money from Google and Snapchat. At one point, talks of Google acquiring ShareChat for a billion dollars surfaced as well.

For Google and many other western tech giants, banking on Indian startups has been a regular affair of late. Most recently, Google, Facebook, Qualcomm, and Intel poured hundreds of millions into Reliance Jio, Indias leading telecom operator. And late last year, Microsoft and Google invested in DailyHunt, a news aggregator and content app.

Thats not all. Most of these tech companies have also spent much of the last few years trying to optimize their offerings for India, where the median household income is about $3,600 and the cost of devices and internet service is a major factor in adoption. For instance, you can talk to the Google Assistant via a toll-free numberno internet needed. Amazon sells a battery-powered Echo smart speaker to cater to the countrys electricity-deficient regions. Facebook, Google, and Twitter offer their apps on inexpensive dumbphones. Netflix has a $3 mobile-only plan that lets users stream TV shows and movies in non-HD standard quality on their phones. The list is endless.

The tech giants enthusiasm for the Indian market is understandable. Its the second-fastest growing internet economy and hosts over 650 million online users. Last year, Cisco forecast that this figure wouldsurpass 900 million by 2023.

Much of the credit for Indias digital revolution can be attributed to wireless carrier Reliance Jio, which four years ago began offering cellular 4G services for dirt-cheap prices, forcing the rest of the competition to match the prices in order to survive. (Most of them didnt, or got rolled up into mergers.) Today, a 4G plan with unlimited calls and 2 GB of data per day costs about $3 a month in India.

Further, since only about half of Indias population is onlinecompared to the U.S. and the UK where over 90% of people are on the internettheres plenty more to come and tech companies cant afford to miss out.

The problem is breaking into the Indian market isnt easy, especially as only 10% of its population speaks English and the majority of the countrys internet users are from non-English-speaking rural areas. Soon, nine out of 10 internet users in India are likely to communicate in local languages.

Theres where ShareChat comes into the picture. Its social network for non-English speakers has 160 million monthly active users who spend 31 minutes on the app every day, on par with competitors such as Facebook.

With TikTok banned in India, ShareChats Moj has been booming. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]In addition, ShareChat also introduced a TikTok-like short-form video app, Moj (entertainment in Hindi) that has accumulated 80 million monthly active users in six months. Unlike ShareChat, Moj is available in English. Its growth was helped along by Indias ban on dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok, a move that has also pretty much eliminated local competition for ShareChat. While ShareChat has been around since 2015, 100 million of its 160 million users have signed up in the last year alone.

Moj is decidedly TikTok-esque. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]Amit Sharma, an analyst at GlobalData, points out that users who are new to the internetlet alone social mediadont know how discovery works, especially if theyre from a low-literacy background. ShareChat solves that hurdle by bringing the content to them.By tapping into this model, companies like Google and Twitter can expand into territories that were otherwise inaccessible for them, and monetize new users through advertising.

[ShareChat] encompasses a massive following in Tier II, III, and IV cities and towns, one amongst the major reasons to make ShareChat a sought-after outlet for these western tech companies to add into their . . . portfolio, says Sharma.

As for ShareChats lack of English-language support, it didnt start out that way. The social network initially offered an English option, but the founders noticed people who selected it were barely engaging with the service.

Users were choosing English because of their aspirational value, not because of comfort. Indic language users showed the highest levels of engagement, says ShareChat cofounder and CEO Ankush Sachdeva. This propelled us to discontinue English and go the Indic language way.

A little English can sneak even into an app that isnt designed to support it. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]The lack of English language support is also responsible for the one criticism ShareChat hasnt been able to overcomethat it spreads misinformation. As it only works in regional languages, it has managed to largely fly under the radar of independent fact-checking and moderation groups and has run into trouble in the past for being one of the most active sources of fake news. On top of that, its built-in share option allows its users to easily forward whatever post or media they come across to WhatsApp, a significant channel for misinformation in India.

Since the Indian government cracked down on social networks for their failures in handling fake news in 2018, ShareChat says it has dramatically ramped up efforts to deal with misinformation, partnering with certified third-party fact-checkers, and actively taking down posts and accounts.

So where is ShareChat headed next? The answer to that can be found in the startups new research center in Palo Alto, California. Though the company has nothing to say about possible English-language support or U.S. market expansion, its eager to tap into the Bay Areas talent pool as it thinks about its future.

Led by former Uber executive Gaurav Mishra, ShareChat Labs looks to experiment with machine learning technologies to take on the social networks most pressing issues like detecting NSFW content, hate speech, and fake news and build infrastructure to power its next-gen products. One of the areas ShareChat is primarily exploring is camera tech for developing familiar social features such as augmented reality experiences, lenses, filters, stickers, live video streaming, and more, for both ShareChat and Moj.

Back home in India, ShareChat has made a series of acquisitions over the last couple of years, including a fashion marketplace, a hyperlocal information service, meme creator app, a video production and talent agency firm for influencers, and more. They paint a rather clear picture of where its headed: an all-encompassing social media platform that can challenge behemoths such as Facebook at a wider scale.

Until then, Sachdeva maintains that he isnt worried about competition. We have never been influenced by competition to design our business model, he says. We believe that we are in a favorable position with our understanding of the nerve of the market.

Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Digital Trends, HuffPost, and more. You can reach out to him on Twitter.

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India's ShareChat is being courted by US tech giants - Fast Company

OECD ‘Highly Likely’ to Tax Tech Giants for a Better EU-US Relationship this Summer – Tech Times

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Back in 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tried to reach an international deal on taxing Silicon Valley tech firms. After failing to do so, it has again started putting things together to implement a global tax on tech giants. According to Unilad, this agreement between the EU and US parties coming this summer has a great chance of coming into fruition after Joe Biden takes office.

(Photo : Screenshot Youtube Video by Tech Insider)

One great avenue of disagreement between the European Union and the US is the subject of digital taxes. Even during the time of Donald Trump, this has often been a point of contention. However, as President Joe Biden takes office, his new administration has promised that it will actively engaged with negotiations in the OECD to strengthen the bonds between EU and the US. This includes finally pushing the deal to tax tech giants, including companies owned by two of the biggest tech giants in the world, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

The current administration's openness to agreements with the OECD is appearing to establish a new fruitful relationship with the EU, even as it has been halted in the previous years. For many union members, taxing the digital economy is essential in increasing control and management over huge digital firms. Furthermore, as the digital consumption has grown tremendously in the recent months, imposing more challenges. This has caused the call to purse digital tax more urgently.

This action is also confirmed as newly appointed Janet Uellen has been backing calls for a global tax on tech giants. This has sparked a great hope of cooperation between US and EU officials.

Read more:Richest Men in the World, Musk and Bezos Fight Over Satellite Real Estate

As such, European officials are ecstatic of the new cooperation with the global agreement that will be sealed very soon. In an interview with with German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz via CNBC, he said that the tax deal with global tech giants is now "highly likely" oand will most likely come before summer comes to an end for the OECD.

He said, "It is highly likely that we will get the success we are working for so hard."

"And the new administration gave me the impression that they understand the need for an agreement in this field and that they will work on solutions together with all of us, which I think is a big, big success. And anyone knows that the timetable is very strict, we have to agree in summer." he added.

Not only does he think that the agreement is very important, but that it should be done in a timely manner as the issue is very urgent. For many European officials a pragmatic approach is essential in maintaining a good US-European relationship.

Related Article:GameStop and 'King Maker' Elon Musk Push Robinhood and Reddit Up the App Store charts

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OECD 'Highly Likely' to Tax Tech Giants for a Better EU-US Relationship this Summer - Tech Times

Top Stocks To Buy Today As Alphabet And Amazon Move Markets – Forbes

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

getty

Reddit stocks swung back and forth on Wednesday but, for the first time in over a week, that wasnt the biggest news of the day. Were back to some normal market behavior with a focus on strong earnings. Alphabets stock popped over 8% after it reported 23% revenue growth and booming cloud business. Although Amazon AMZN nearly doubled analyst estimates for revenue and, for the first time, exceeded $100 billion in revenue, its stock only traded about 0.2% high based on news that founder and CEO Jeff Bezos was stepping down. Other factors moving the markets on Wednesday was stimulus negotiation progress and data showing that private firms added 174,000 jobs in January and beat the 50,000 Dow Jones estimate. As investors digested all of this news, the Dow Jones fell about 50 points, while the S&P hovered around a 0.2% gain, and the Nasdaq NDAQ gained 0.6% and approached another intraday record high. For investors looking to make the most of this market, the deep learning algorithms at Q.ai have crunched the data to give you a set of Top Buys. Our Artificial Intelligence ("AI") systems assessed each firm on parameters of Technicals, Growth, Low Volatility Momentum, and Quality Value to find the best Top Buys.

Sign up for the free Forbes AI Investor newsletterhereto join an exclusive AI investing community and get premium investing ideas before markets open.

Quanex Building Products is our first Top Buy today. Quanex Building Products is an industry-leading manufacturer of components sold to Original Equipment Manufacturers in the building products industry. Quanex also designs and produces energy-efficient fenestration products in addition to kitchen and bath cabinet components. Our AI systems rated the company A in Technicals, B in Growth, A in Low Volatility Momentum, and A in Quality Value. The stock closed up 2.39% to $23.52 on volume of 161,136 vs its 10-day price average of $23.78 and its 22-day price average of $24.32, and is up 6.33% for the year. Revenue was $851.57M in the last fiscal year compared to $889.78M three years ago, Operating Income was $56.13M in the last fiscal year compared to $38.16M three years ago, EPS was $1.17 in the last fiscal year compared to $0.76 three years ago, and ROE was 11.22% in the last year compared to 6.62% three years ago. The stock is also trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 16.97.

Simple moving average of Quanex Building Products (NX)

Plexus Corp is our next Top Buy. Plexus is a big player in the electronics manufacturing service industry, and provides product design, supply chain, materials management, manufacturing, test, fulfillment, and aftermarket solutions to branded product companies in the wireline and networking, wireless infrastructure, medical, and industrial spaces. Our AI systems rated Plexus C in Technicals, C in Growth, A in Low Volatility Momentum, and A in Quality Value. The stock closed up 2.29% to $80.89 on volume of 143,937 vs its 10-day price average of $79.24 and its 22-day price average of $81.63, and is up 2.24% for the year. Revenue grew by 17.22% over the last three fiscal years, Operating Income grew by 4.35% in the last fiscal year and grew by 40.6% over the last three fiscal years, and EPS grew by 5.03% in the last fiscal year and grew by 986.19% over the last three fiscal years. Revenue was $3390.39M in the last fiscal year compared to $2873.51M three years ago, Operating Income was $159.38M in the last fiscal year compared to $118.28M three years ago, EPS was $3.93 in the last fiscal year compared to $0.38 three years ago, and ROE was 12.75% in the last year compared to 1.34% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 2.58% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 16.56.

Simple moving average of Plexus Corp (PLXS)

Aptargroup Inc is our third Top Buy today. Aptargroup is a global manufacturer of consumer dispensing packaging and drug delivery devices. Our AI systems rated the company C in Technicals, C in Growth, B in Low Volatility Momentum, and B in Quality Value. The stock closed up 2.13% to $136.94 on volume of 192,951 vs its 10-day price average of $136.64 and its 22-day price average of $137.01, and is up 2.46% for the year. Revenue grew by 15.47% over the last three fiscal years, while Operating Income grew by 9.36% over the last three fiscal years. Revenue was $2859.73M in the last fiscal year compared to $2469.28M three years ago, Operating Income was $396.09M in the last fiscal year compared to $325.7M three years ago, EPS was $3.66 in the last fiscal year compared to $3.41 three years ago, and ROE was 16.17% in the last year compared to 17.7% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 7.71% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 33.27.

Simple moving average of Aptargroup Inc (ATR)

Our fourth Top Buy today is Avient Corp NAVI . Formerly known as PolyOne NAVI , Avient Corp is a global provider of specialized polymer materials and services such as thermoplastic compounds, specialty polymer formulations, color and additive systems, thermoplastic resin distribution, and vinyl resins. Our AI systems rated the company B in Technicals, C in Growth, C in Low Volatility Momentum, and B in Quality Value. The stock closed up 0.1% to $40.71 on volume of 521,694 vs its 10-day price average of $40.55 and its 22-day price average of $42.05, and is up 3.19% for the year. Revenue grew by 1.43% in the last fiscal year and grew by 12.1% over the last three fiscal years, Operating Income grew by 12.24% in the last fiscal year and grew by 35.89% over the last three fiscal years, and EPS grew by -948.57% over the last three fiscal years. Revenue was $2862.7M in the last fiscal year compared to $2590.3M three years ago, Operating Income was $222.3M in the last fiscal year compared to $183.6M three years ago, EPS was $7.57 in the last fiscal year compared to $(0.7) three years ago, and ROE was 9.5% in the last year compared to 16.77% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 22.68% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 18.75.

Simple moving average of Avient Corp (AVNT)

Euronet Worldwide EEFT is our final Top Buy. The company is a worldwide provider of electronic payment services, and offers ATMs, point of sale services, credit/debit card services, currency exchange and other electronic financial services and payments software. Our AI systems rated Euronet B in Technicals, A in Growth, C in Low Volatility Momentum, and A in Quality Value. The stock closed up 0.75% to $128.5 on volume of 528,537 vs its 10-day price average of $131.61 and its 22-day price average of $138.43, and is down 8.64% for the year. Revenue grew by 9.65% over the last three fiscal years, and was $2750.11M in the last fiscal year compared to $2252.42M three years ago. Operating Income was $475.19M in the last fiscal year compared to $300.05M three years ago, EPS was $6.31 in the last fiscal year compared to $2.85 three years ago, and ROE was 24.66% in the last year compared to 14.95% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 12.47% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 26.92.

Simple moving average of Euronet Worldwide Inc (EEFT)

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Top Stocks To Buy Today As Alphabet And Amazon Move Markets - Forbes

As Google fights with Australia, Microsoft promotes Bing and says it wouldnt threaten to leave country – GeekWire

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

(Microsoft Image)

Microsoft is wading into a dispute between Google and the Australian government by asserting that it would never threaten to leave the country, as Google did last week.

Google is against a proposed new law which would make tech giants negotiate payments with local publishers and broadcasters for content included in search results or news feeds, CNBC reported. The company is threatening to block its search engine in Australia as a result.

While other tech companies may sometimes threaten to leave Australia, Microsoft will never make such a threat, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post on Wednesday. We appreciate what Australia has long meant for Microsofts growth as a company, and we are committed to supporting the countrys national security and economic success.

Microsofts Bing could certainly use a little help in making up ground in Australia. Google currently dominates the search engine market in the country with 94.5% of the share to Bings 3.6%, according to StatCounter.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he spoke with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who said that Microsoft was ready to step in and expand Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine, according to Reuters.

We will invest further to ensure Bing is comparable to our competitors and we remind people that they can help, with every search Bing gets better at finding what you are looking for, Smith wrote.

Australias so-called news media bargaining code specifically targets Google and Facebook, which both get a large part of their revenue from the digital advertising that runs alongside news stories. Google has called the code unreasonable and unworkable, according to CNBC.

Smith said Microsoft is committed to Australia and news publishers that are vital to the countrys democracy and that the code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses while recognizing the important role search plays, not only to consumers but to the thousands of Australian small businesses that rely on search and advertising technology to fund and support their organizations.

As Google fights with Australia, Microsoft promotes Bing and says it wouldnt threaten to leave country - GeekWire

Tech, Shopping and Black History Month – WWD

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Tech companies are showing their support for Black History Month in a variety of ways, including new shopping-related features.

On Monday, Google revealed that its extending the Black-owned attribute in its Shopping tab to make it easier for consumers to find and patronize local businesses. Business owners can immediately add the attribute through the Google Merchant Help Center, and the feature will become available to all U.S. Google Merchants in the coming months.

Google sees the move as a natural extension of a similar feature rolled out last summer across search and maps. Now, with the retail angle, the company figures it could help bolster direct commerce for relevant establishments.

According to Attica Jaques, director of brand marketing for consumer apps at Google, search interest in Black-owned businesses soared 600 percent over the past 12 months, based on Google Trends data.

Across the country, people have been looking for Black-owned restaurants, Black-owned bookstores, Black-owned beauty supply and more, which speaks to the diversity within the Black business community, Jaques wrote in a Google blog post. We want to make it easier for people to support and spend dollars with the Black businesses they love.

The change fits into Googles stated goal with shopping. Its mission of democratizing online retail for merchants of all sizes, as a spokeswoman told WWD, spurred major updates to Google Shopping over the past year. Merchants were allowed to offer products for free and with no commission fees for online check-out via Buy on Google. The company also released changes designed to help consumers find new stores and compare prices.

Googles Black-owned business attribute in the Shopping tab.Courtesy image

The massive uptick in interest for supporting Black-owned businesses wasnt limited to Google. Yelp saw an even greater surge amounting to unprecedented numbers, it said. Searches for Black-owned businesses on the site shot up 2,400 percent in 2020, compared to 2019, and review mentions were up 232 percent over the same period.

Naturally, the online directory and review site for local businessesis celebrating Black History Month as well. To mark the occasion, Yelp is curating a list of Black-Owned Businesses to Watch in 2021 a roster that comprises highly rated and popular Black-owned businesses across the beauty, home, and food and restaurants categories.

Facebook and Instagram will double down on the parent companys #BuyBlack Friday campaign, which pulled in more than 15 million views last fall. This time, they aim to boost visibility for Black entrepreneurs with a #BuyBlack initiative across Facebook and Instagram Shops. Instagram will also promote Black-owned brands through its @Shop account.

Apple is marking the month with retail, too, though in a different way. On Monday, the tech giant said its releasing a Black Unity Collection for its Apple Watch that was designed to celebrate and acknowledge Black history and Black culture, a spokesperson said.

Apples Black Unity Collection offers a limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6, watch face and strap in honor of Black History Month.Courtesy image

The line includes a limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6 with a Black Unity Sport Band and a new Unity watch face. Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity starts at $399, and the Black Unity Sport Band retails for $49.

According to the company, the effort will support six groups: Black Lives Matter Support Fund via the Tides Foundation; European Network Against Racism, International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights; Leadership Conference Education Fund; NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc., and Souls Grown Deep. How much of the proceeds will be directed to these organizations was unclear.

These projects are just a sliver of broader equity efforts and Black History Month initiatives. But the spotlight on shopping and social awareness could offer concrete, measurable support that can make a difference for Black-owned businesses, especially during the critical COVID-19 retail recovery period. And that means, hopefully, the support will continue on beyond just this month.

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Tech, Shopping and Black History Month - WWD

Like Rockefeller and Gates, Bezos rides off into the sunset just as the lawyers take away the fun – MarketWatch

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

In building his Amazon empire from scratch, Jeff Bezos, the soon-to-be former chief executive officer, deserves to rank alongside other business titans, such as John D. Rockefeller and Bill Gates.

Like Rockefellers Standard Oil and Gatess Microsoft MSFT, +1.46%, companies which changed the U.S. economy in huge wayswhile creating fabulous wealth for themselves and their shareholdersBezoss Amazon AMZN, -2.00% forever altered the way we shop, read, consume and more.

Opinion:The key lesson for Amazon investors as Andy Jassy takes over from Jeff Bezos

But like Rockefeller and Gates, he also ran afoul of the U.S. government. Citing monopolistic concerns, the government broke up Standard Oil in the early 20th century, sought to break up Microsoft in the early 21st, and now talks about breaking up Amazon, along with other tech giants like Apple AAPL, -0.78%, Facebook FB, -0.16% and Alphabet GOOGL, +7.28%, the parent company of Google.

Being an alleged monopoly is but one issue. There are also growing concerns about privacy, and the huge amount of data that Amazon vacuums up each day from its customers, suppliers and rivals.

ICYMI: 5 things to know about new Amazon CEO Andy Jassy

These are about to become Andy Jassys problems. The incoming CEO, whose cloud-computing divisionAmazon Web Servicesis the companys real profit engine, will now have to fend off regulators, mostly Democrats, who are displeased with what some call Amazons monopolistic business practices, and suggest that perhaps it should be broken up.

One of those regulators is Washington Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, whose Seattle district includes Amazons headquarters.

Jayapaljust elected to her third term in Congress with 83% of the voteprobably represents more Amazon employees than anyone else, and says in a statement that the retail giant must be held to account for unacceptable treatment of workers including delivery drivers and warehouse employees; decisions to cut hazard pay and paid sick leave during a raging pandemic even as the top management and wealthiest shareholders get richer.

One chart: With Jeff Bezos at helm, Amazons stock performance has made the S&P 500 look like a flat line

Even more worrisome to Amazon than that salvo is the fact that Jayapal just happens to siton the antitrust subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. She says Amazon (and other dominant tech platforms) engages in anticompetitive behavior and monopolistic practices, that should be reined in.

Jeff Bezos built Amazon into a monolithbut did it hurt American workers?

Amazon has thrown money at these problems, dropping $18.7 million on an army of 118 lobbyists in 2020 alone, according to public records.

But it seems unlikely that this will be enough to fend off lawmakers, who think Amazon and other tech giants have gotten too big and are stifling competition.

Therese Poletti: Amazon doesnt need Jeff Bezos as CEO to be Amazon

Whats interestingand problematic for companies such as Amazonis that this is actually a rare issue on which you can find agreement among Democrats and Republicans, albeit for different reasons.

The beef that Republicans have with big tech largely concerns alleged muzzling of conservative voices. In Amazons case, its recent move to stop providing cloud services to Parlera conservative-oriented social networkhas raised hackles in conservative circles, while Apple removed itfrom its App Store. Both Apple and Amazon said Parler hasnt done enough to address threats of violence from its users. The moves were announced days after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Democrats find themselves in a more contradictory position. Theyre supportive of big techs moves against alleged online threats, but have a beef with the above-mentioned anticompetitive practices, privacy and data issues.

Whats interesting here is the timing of Bezoss departure. Hes stepping aside just as all these issues are coming to a head. On Nov, 5, 1999, a federal judge, Thomas Penfield Jackson, declared that Microsoft was a monopoly that used its vast power to crush would-be-rivals. On Jan. 13, 2000just 61 days later, Gates said he was stepping down as CEO, to be replaced by Steve Ballmer. Even Rockefeller retired from day-to-day business operations at Standard Oil in the mid-1890s, not too long after Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, and after the OhioSupreme Court dissolved the Standard Oil Trust (the company would not be fully broken up until 1911).

Perhaps the timing of Rockefeller and Gatess departures then were coincidences, and perhaps Bezos deciding to leave later this year is too.

But it seems to me that the real fun in being a wildly successful entrepreneur is the chase: Starting something from scratch, working your rear end off, and seeing your idea soarand turning into buckets of money. It certainly isnt dealing for years on end with lawyers and often clueless politicians who think youve gotten too big for your britches and want to take you down a notch.

So perhaps Bezos, just 57 and with plenty of things on his plate, like Blue Origin, a spaceflight company, is getting out when the getting is good. A monopoly? An abuser of data and trampler on the privacy of others? A silencer of conservative voices?

These are subjective matters which will play out for months and years to come. Amazons market cap, as of Wednesdays close, was $1.65 trillion. Hes leaving on top.

Like Rockefeller and Gates, Bezos rides off into the sunset just as the lawyers take away the fun - MarketWatch

Alibaba said it is examining its business in response to an antitrust investigation. – The New York Times

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

The Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba said on Tuesday that it was conducting internal reviews of its business in response to an antitrust investigation by the Chinese government, which in recent months has begun scrutinizing the countrys big internet companies like never before.

For many years, the growth of giants like Alibaba was celebrated in China as the fruit of a thriving private sector. Now, regulators in Beijing are more concerned about how the companies size and influence are affecting the interests of their customers and competitors, echoing the scrutiny that Western tech giants like Google face in the United States and Europe.

We approach this antimonopoly investigation with a cooperative, receptive and open mind set, Alibabas chief executive, Daniel Zhang, said on a conference call announcing the companys latest financial results. We have a deep appreciation of the significant social and public responsibilities of operating our platform. Beyond complying with regulatory requirements, we will continue to do our best to fulfill our responsibilities to society.

Mr. Zhang said Alibaba would say more when the investigation was complete. He gave no indication when that might be.

Chinas market watchdog announced the inquiry in late December, amid a series of actions by the authorities to rein in tech giants. The month before, officials had abruptly halted plans by Ant Group, Alibabas financial-technology affiliate, to go public in Shanghai and Hong Kong, citing the need for new supervision of internet finance. Regulators later ordered Ant to revamp its business, a process that Mr. Zhang said was still ongoing.

Ants business prospects and fund-raising plans remain subject to substantial uncertainties, Mr. Zhang said.

Like other tech giants such as Amazon, Alibaba has enjoyed strong growth during the pandemic, as lockdowns lead people to depend more on digital services.

Chinas resilient economy helped drive a 37 percent increase in Alibabas sales in the latest quarter, the company also said on Tuesday. Profits for the quarter were $12.2 billion and revenue was $33.9 billion, beating analysts forecasts. Cloud computing revenue grew 50 percent from a year ago, to $2.5 billion. Alibaba said that part of its business was profitable for the first time in the December quarter.

Alibaba said it is examining its business in response to an antitrust investigation. - The New York Times

Cops can hunt for Marcus Rashfords racist trolls but only tech giants can silence them – The Sun

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

I AM scum. I am fat. I am ugly. And I have the talent of a single-celled amoeba.

Not my thoughts, necessarily, rather the words of dozens of trolls this week following an entirely innocuous interview with Piers Morgan.

We were discussing TV ratings.

Over the weekend, Marcus Rashford a man so brilliant and decent he was awarded an MBE for his anti-poverty campaigning revealed he had been hit by a string of abusive slurs relating to the colour of his skin.

While our levels of trolling are by no means directly comparable, things do need to change.

Smartly, Marcus refused to name-and-shame these imbecilic Instagram keyboard warriors.

Because, presumably, giving these cretins air-time would be singularly the most exciting thing to have ever happened in their tragic little lives.

Instead, Greater Manchester Police revealed an investigation has been launched, and action will be taken.

But will it?

Last week, ministers drew up plans to fine The Big Three Facebook, Twitter and Instagram if they dont start clamping down on anonymous abusers.

In August 2019, Twitter vowed to monitor the accounts of high-profile black footballers.

And yet, 18 months on, type almost any unsavoury word into the search box and up pops an array of inflammatory and offensive posts.

They make for unedifying reading.

Airbnb, the San Francisco startup which has gone on to become the planets biggest hotel chain, demands an intimidatingly long list of security requirements before users can join.

So if we have to jump through hoops in order to stay in someone elses house, why is it so easy to invade someones personal space via the medium of a mobile phone?

Obviously this isnt communist China. We already have our daily state-sanctioned walks.

We dont want the Government, or social media companies, having unlimited access to our private data as well.

But why are these global tech companies, worth billions and billions of pounds, still struggling to enact policies they themselves brought in?

Surely its not too much trouble to demand users provide a full name, mobile phone number and a photo to ensure accounts are verified and, well, held to account.

If I had my way, users would also have to provide details of their employer.

That way, one racist or homophobic post later and your boss would know exactly how much of a scumbag you are outside of the office.

If these people people in the loosest sense of the word here thought their jobs were at stake, they might think twice before spouting their bile.

Freedom of speech is one thing no one should be too scared to make a joke or gently poke fun at an issue or person but systematic trolling is quite another.

On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge waded into the Marcus Rashford row, calling for those who choose to spread hate being held accountable.

William and Kate are two of the hardest-working royals out there and the prince even worked during his battle with Covid in April. But they, too, get horrifically trolled.

At any one time, Kate is deemed too thin, too perfect, too dull, too smiley.

She literally cannot win.

In the wake of my interview with Piers, I came off Twitter for a day. When I logged back on I had more than 1,000 notifications, very few of them praising my Austenesque turn of phrase or glamour-model good looks.

Piers once told me he laughs off most of the comments but even he, the most thick-skinned man in showbiz, is not immune to it all.

Unless youre a sociopath, its simply impossible to ignore

Made Brexiteers of us all

URSULA VON DER LEYEN and her underlings have made Brexiteers of us all.

I voted Remain and, until recently, was pretty nervous about the whole quitting Europe thing.

But then the European Commission President came along, tried to blockade our vaccines and reminded us all just why so many wanted to leave the EU in the first place.

Arguably, for the first time in 12 months, Boris Johnson has acted decisively and swiftly in his handling of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs.

While immense credit must also be given to vaccine tsar Kate Bingham, its Ursula, that other high-profile female at the centre of Europes chaotic vaccination rollout, who has shown Brits that we can not only survive without the EU, but flourish.

LAST night I switched on my TV to watch Keeley Hawes moping around her smart home in Finding Alice.

On Friday I binged Keeley Hawes playing a misguided mum in Its A Sin.

And now, its emerged, I can fill my Saturday nights watching Keeley Hawes as a DI in Line Of Duty.

Yep, as if we didnt have enough of the 44-year-old actress, the BBC has just announced plans to re-run series two of the hit police procedural show.

Perhaps time for casting agents to give someone else a crack?

00:41am on January 31 marked a pretty rubbish one-year anniversary of the first ever UK case of coronavirus.

A year on, what have we learned?

Well, it turns out were not all as materialistic as we once thought.

Yesterday a report showed that Brits are reading more than ever, while banana bread and sourdough continue to get churned out in households across the UK.

Apparently more of us are knitting (no idea who, but still), playing Scrabble and getting outside for some good old-fashioned walking.

Influencers aside they are too busy hash-tagging from Dubai to be dusting off board games weve rediscovered the joys of being wholesome.

Digital detox

THERES a new fat-shaming in town, and it goes by the name of screen-humbling.

Thanks to lockdown mkIII and bleak mid-winter not only are we cooped up inside more than ever, we have also largely exhausted Netflix and iPlayer.

This means more aimless scrolling on mobiles. Or, in my case, six hours and 38 minutes of aimless scrolling.

As if the iPhone pedometer wasnt shaming enough, smartphones are helpfully offering up a daily screen time counter and mine is routinely terrifying. So on Sunday I decided to go cold turkey with a WhatsApp detox.

I lasted 16 hours and in that time missed calls from my boss, two best mates and the Amazon delivery driver, all genuinely concerned Id died in the night/wasnt in to sign for my new dog blanket.

BECAUSE there is not enough going on in the world right now, people have been moaning about Holly Willoughbys boobs and Davina McCalls knees.

These ridiculous humans have even gone to the effort of complaining to broadcast regulator Ofcom about said boobs.

In fact, more people complained about Hollys cleavage on Dancing On Ice than objected to jockey Jason Maguires excessive use of the whip on poor, flogged racehorse Ballabriggs in the 2011 Grand National.

Similarly, Davina incurred the wrath of trolls for daring to wear a white spaghetti-strap dress on The Masked Singer, at the age of 53.

The assumption being any female over 40 should flash no more than a finely turned ankle and a hint of wrist.

HIC-HIC hooray its the end of Dry January.

And God, what an interminable month its been.

Bar one, small aberration sadly no actual bars I stuck to it.

In normal times Id be planning an almighty midweek bender to excitedly re-wreck my rejuvenated liver.

But actually, theres no point. Who am I going to get hammered with?

Which stranger am I going to hug at 11pm, telling them I can see us being friends in 40 years time? You see, pointless.

So, for the first time ever, Im planning on going booze-free until spring finally arrives.

Because nothing beats a spot of self-flagellation.

CONFIRMATION that Britains Got Talent has been scrapped this year means two things: We are spared both a bunch of stage-school brats high-kicking around the London Palladium and Simon Cowell appearing on screen in 2021.

The once most over-exposed man in showbiz has, all of a sudden, gone eerily quiet.

After spending his new year in Barbados, the 61-year-old mogul has noiselessly returned to London and has yet to get papped.

After breaking his back in August, he didnt even appear by video link for the widely hyped final.

This means Simons most recent TV appearance, a pre-record, was in September 2020.

With The X Factor also resting this year, Simon wont now appear on TV until April 2022.

In showbiz terms, an aeon.

'APPALLING'Fury as clergyman says clap for Tom was 'cult of white British nationalism'

SKY TERRORSAS trooper fights for life after crash with US soldier during 18,000ft sky dive

RED ALERTHotel quarantine 'red list' may be expanded as 27 countries find Covid variants

RISHI WISHRishi 'wants lockdown 3 to be the last & fears scientists are moving goalposts'

JAB FAB FEBCovid jab rollout hits 10 MILLION mark as UK officially passes second wave peak

Exclusive

DUBAI JAIL FEARBrit faces two years in Dubai jail for sending 'F*** You' text to flatmate

ITS around this time of year that Strictly bookers start to hit the phones.

This year surely well see a waltz from Chris Whitty an Argentine tango from Jonathan Van-Tam or Dido Harding doing the paso doble.

And given the Beeb loves a twirling politician, Health Secretary Matt Hancock can expect a call...

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAILexclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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Cops can hunt for Marcus Rashfords racist trolls but only tech giants can silence them - The Sun

Quantum Physics Story Helgoland to Be Adapted by Fremantles The Apartment, CAM Film (EXCLUSIVE) – Variety

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Italys CAM Film and Fremantles The Apartment have teamed up to acquire rights to bestselling Italian author Carlo Rovellis Helgoland, an origin story about quantum physics, with plans to turn the book into a high-end TV series.

A bestseller in Italy, Helgoland will soon be published in the U.K. and elsewhere around world. Itsthe story of quantum physics, the theory that has given rise to modern technology the computer chip, for one and atomic energy, but also to philosophical considerations and a new understanding of how just about everything works.

Rovellis previous books, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Reality Is Not What it Seems and The Order of Time are all international bestsellers, translated into 41 languages. He is a theoretical physicist who has worked in Italy and the U.S.

In June 1925, 23-year-old Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, retreated to a treeless, wind-battered island in the North Sea called Helgoland, reads the Helgoland blurb on the website for Penguin U.K., which will be releasing the book in March.

It was on this island that Heisenberg came up with the key insight behind quantum mechanics. Helgoland is thus the story of quantum physics and its bright young founders who were to become some of the most famous Nobel winners, according to promotional materials from Fremantle, which also called the tale a celebration of a youthful rebellion and intellectual revolution.

Today more than ever, we are living a life where our most simple and everyday actions are reflections of an unconditional trust in science, The Apartment chief Lorenzo Mieli told Variety. We therefore think its especially urgent and necessary to tackle this project at this particular moment in history.

Mieli, who is the producer of shows such as The New Pope, My Brilliant Friend and Paolo Sorrentinos upcoming The Hand of God, went on to note that through Rovellis solid and passionate book, we want to tell the human adventure of an extraordinary generation of scientists who changed modern thought forever, and not just from a scientific standpoint.

CAM Film is a Rome outfit headed by veteran producer Camilla Nesbitt, whose recent credits include Milan fashion world series Made in Italy, now streaming on Amazon in Italy, and upcoming French comedy Irreductible by Jerome Commandeur.

I am thrilled to start this extraordinary new adventure to bring on the screen all the emotion of scientific thought that only a great scientist and writer such as Carlo Rovelli could convey in a book, she said in a statement.

No screenwriters or other talent are yet attached to the project, which producers are shopping to streamers and broadcasters.

Go here to see the original:

Quantum Physics Story Helgoland to Be Adapted by Fremantles The Apartment, CAM Film (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety

Quantum physics and romance collide in the streaming production of Constellations – Chicago Reader

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

In COVID times, gestures that would have been banal and forgettable a year ago now arrive embedded with loaded backstorieseven those (especially those?) that play out on stage.

For the past year and a half, actor Melanie McNulty has been prepping to open Constellations. In September 2019, Theatre Above the Law artistic director Tony Lawry cast her as the astrophysicist heroine in Nick Payne's mind-stretching, multiverse-pondering exploration of love, the cosmos, and the infinite capacity of the human brain to both define and betray the very heart that feeds it.

At first, the two-hander also starring Ross Compton was slated to open in March 2020. It was postponed. Then it was postponed again. And again. About a year after McNulty and Compton were cast, TATL decided to do it as a virtual production, which opens this week.

The commitment made, the cast and two-person crew (Lawry and stage manager Stina Taylor) embarked on weeks of Zoom rehearsals and quarantine, punctuated by COVID tests for all four.

Eventually, the group stepped off Zoom and met for tech week in TATL's Rogers Park space. It was the first time the maximum-45-seat Jarvis Square Theater had been used for live theater in almost a year. With Taylor taking on chauffeur duties so the actors could avoid public transit, the group did two days of masked rehearsals. Then, they all did another COVID test. Then there was an extraordinary moment of wrenching ordinariness.

Compton and McNulty dropped their masks. McNulty recalled experiencing a heady sense of marvel.

"There was a slight moment where I felt like I was naked. The air, suddenly on my face. But that went away, and it was just sheer joy. I'm watching someone smile and laugh and breathe, right in front of me.

"After so many hours of rehearsal where all I could see was my scene partner's eyes, it was liberating."

It was also brief.

"It felt pretty sweet during that part of tech, to have that freedom," McNulty said. "We all have to do what we have to do to stay safeI'm not complaining about having to wear a mask or anything else I have or need to do. But yeah. I was pretty melancholy after, knowing it's going to be a long time before we have that kind of freedom again."

For Lawry, it was a defining moment in a production he'd been committed to for the better part of two years. Lawry said he's always found Payne's elliptical tale of an astrophysicist and the beekeeper who loves her an emotional roller coaster. Smart romantic comedies are his go-to genre, and this one had humans dealing with quantum physics and aphasia and string theory in addition to drunken sex, major trust issues, and witty wordplay.

He did not, however, expect it to be quite the emotional roller coaster it became.

"This was supposed to start our fourth season," he said. We were coming off our first Jeff Recommended season, our first Jeff nominationwe were riding that wave, thinking this would be a great thing to end on, keep the momentum going.

"Nobody wanted to let it go. We kept postponing it and postponing it. We thought about doing it outside somewhere in the summer, but that didn't feel safe. And the city wasn't giving theaters space to do outdoor performances like the restaurants were getting for outdoor dining.

"So by late last fall, I was like, 'We just need to do it, even if its just for us. We've all been prepping for this show for so long, and I'm afraid if we postpone it anymore, we might not all be able to do it together. So let's get it out of our system so we can move on, but we have to figure out a way that we can do that without shortchanging the brilliant material in any way and we have to be safe.'"

Lawry bought a green screen and came up with a production budget that was mostly about editing and filming. (Credit for video goes to Max Zuckert; George Pitsilos and William Schneider created the sound.)

Lawry wanted to replicate, as much as he could, the feeling of an actual play you could see in person in the Jarvis space. There were times over the past year when Lawry wondered whether the Rogers Park space would survive, at least as Theatre Above the Law.

"There were a couple months when it was iffyour landlord has been OK. We got a couple of grants, not what we'd hoped for but some. It's month by month. We just extended our lease for six months. We're good through August. But I wouldn't be truthful if I didn't say my stimulus money goes into the theater's bank account.

"I have an ensemble that's just as passionate as I am. So we've done some Zoom murder mystery fundraisers, and they've put everything behind them," Lawry continued. "And our neighbors have been so supportive. I feel like we're very much a part of our community. Like, even people who didnt attend the online fundraisers bought tickets. The restaurant across the street (R Public House) did this pairing dinner thing, where if you bought a certain dinner, we got part of the proceeds. Life's Sweet is doing a honey tart as a dessert, only on show nights.

"We got 20 new subscribers during a pandemic for a season that's totally up in the air which I think is pretty great for our little storefront. Its a tight-knit neighborhood, and I really love being a part of it," he said.

That season is not entirely up in the air. In March, Lawry hopes to drop a reboot of their 2017 world-premiere adaptation of Cyrano, only this time as a radio play complete with ad jingles. In May or June (or later), there's a world premiere of War of the Worlds on deck, only this time, as Lawry explains, "The heroine is a 13-year-old girl and the aliens are gross men."

Finally, TATL will close out with Comptons Henchpeople, a three-person comedy about which Lawry will say nothing else except for "I really hope we can do it for a live audience by then. But we'll see."

For now, Lawry and his cast and crew remain immersed in Constellations, and the often weirdly apropos existential dilemmas Payne's characters insist you think long and hard about. Take, for example drunk-but-still-an-expert-physicist Marianne's science-based statement that "We're just particles governed by a series of very particular laws being knocked the fuck around all over the place."

McNulty has given it some thought.

"In this play, there are multiple universes we're jumping in and out of, and depending on which one you're in, you see a different version of Marianne. And this version has seen some things that have hardened her. This is the Marianne who says emotions don't compute, so I'm just going to bury my head in my spreadsheets and data."

"What I love about this play," she added, "is that the playwright took something as convoluted as string theory and quantum mechanics and turned them all into a love story between two human beings.

"At the beginning of all this I spent a lot of time questioning what I had to give. What is an actor's role when everything is crumbling around us? What can we offer? This was boggling my mind for a while," she said. "I don't know all the answers. But this play makes me think about how I am spending my time. Am I doing what brings me joy? Am I being loving? Am I being me? The play makes you realize you really have to ask those questions, because we might not have a lot of time."v

Go here to see the original:

Quantum physics and romance collide in the streaming production of Constellations - Chicago Reader

Futurist Transhuman News Blog

Monthly Archives: February 2021

Listen to the Verses of Trance and Progressive EDM with Guido Hermans’ Exquisite Soundscape – Pro News Report

Logic1000: You’ve Got the Whole Night to Go EP | Review – Pitchfork

Shane Codd: "I want to be the biggest DJ to come out of Ireland, and fly the flag" – hotpress.com

‘WandaVision’ Easter Egg May Reveal Agnes’s True Identity – Inside the Magic

‘I Was a Simple Man’ is a Hypnotic Meditation on Colonization, Mortality, and Nature – Daily Utah Chronicle

Cyber Agency Checks Itself on Fighting Disinformation Post-2020 – Bloomberg Government

2021 DB Terrion Arnold Signs With Alabama Over Florida and Georgia – Sports Illustrated

Tech giants open up about their algorithms – Axios

Google will wind down game development studios as tech giants struggle to break into gaming – GeekWire

HD Media Takes on Tech Giants Google & Facebook – Editor And Publisher Magazine

India’s ShareChat is being courted by US tech giants – Fast Company

OECD ‘Highly Likely’ to Tax Tech Giants for a Better EU-US Relationship this Summer – Tech Times

Top Stocks To Buy Today As Alphabet And Amazon Move Markets – Forbes

As Google fights with Australia, Microsoft promotes Bing and says it wouldnt threaten to leave country – GeekWire

Tech, Shopping and Black History Month – WWD

Like Rockefeller and Gates, Bezos rides off into the sunset just as the lawyers take away the fun – MarketWatch

Alibaba said it is examining its business in response to an antitrust investigation. – The New York Times

Cops can hunt for Marcus Rashfords racist trolls but only tech giants can silence them – The Sun

Quantum Physics Story Helgoland to Be Adapted by Fremantles The Apartment, CAM Film (EXCLUSIVE) – Variety

Quantum physics and romance collide in the streaming production of Constellations – Chicago Reader