#Digital Thread Market by Technology

[semiconductorsandelectronics]

Digital Thread Market Size & Share

The global digital thread market size is expected to be worth USD 11.42 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 36.81 billion by 2030; growing at a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The specific process by which Google enshittified its search

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me SATURDAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

All digital businesses have the technical capacity to enshittify: the ability to change the underlying functions of the business from moment to moment and user to user, allowing for the rapid transfer of value between business customers, end users and shareholders:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

Which raises an important question: why do companies enshittify at a specific moment, after refraining from enshittifying before? After all, a company always has the potential to benefit by treating its business customers and end users worse, by giving them a worse deal. If you charge more for your product and pay your suppliers less, that leaves more money on the table for your investors.

Of course, it's not that simple. While cheating, price-gouging, and degrading your product can produce gains, these tactics also threaten losses. You might lose customers to a rival, or get punished by a regulator, or face mass resignations from your employees who really believe in your product.

Companies choose not to enshittify their products…until they choose to do so. One theory to explain this is that companies are engaged in a process of continuous assessment, gathering data about their competitive risks, their regulators' mettle, their employees' boldness. When these assessments indicate that the conditions are favorable to enshittification, the CEO walks over to the big "enshittification" lever on the wall and yanks it all the way to MAX.

Some companies have certainly done this – and paid the price. Think of Myspace or Yahoo: companies that made themselves worse by reducing quality and gouging on price (be it measured in dollars or attention – that is, ads) before sinking into obscure senescence. These companies made a bet that they could get richer while getting worse, and they were wrong, and they lost out.

But this model doesn't explain the Great Enshittening, in which all the tech companies are enshittifying at the same time. Maybe all these companies are subscribing to the same business newsletter (or, more likely, buying advice from the same management consultancy) (cough McKinsey cough) that is a kind of industry-wide starter pistol for enshittification.

I think it's something else. I think the main job of a CEO is to show up for work every morning and yank on the enshittification lever as hard as you can, in hopes that you can eke out some incremental gains in your company's cost-basis and/or income by shifting value away from your suppliers and customers to yourself.

We get good digital services when the enshittification lever doesn't budge – when it is constrained: by competition, by regulation, by interoperable mods and hacks that undo enshittification (like alternative clients and ad-blockers) and by workers who have bargaining power thanks to a tight labor market or a powerful union:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

When Google ordered its staff to build a secret Chinese search engine that would censor search results and rat out dissidents to the Chinese secret police, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly_(search_engine)

When Google tried to win a US government contract to build AI for drones used to target and murder civilians far from the battlefield, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/technology/google-pentagon-project-maven.html

What's happened since – what's behind all the tech companies enshittifying all at once – is that tech worker power has been smashed, especially at Google, where 12,000 workers were fired just months after a $80b stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years. Likewise, competition has receded from tech bosses' worries, thanks to lax antitrust enforcement that saw most credible competitors merged into behemoths, or neutralized with predatory pricing schemes. Lax enforcement of other policies – privacy, labor and consumer protection – loosened up the enshittification lever even more. And the expansion of IP rights, which criminalize most kinds of reverse engineering and aftermarket modification, means that interoperability no longer applies friction to the enshittification lever.

Now that every tech boss has an enshittification lever that moves very freely, they can show up for work, yank the enshittification lever, and it goes all the way to MAX. When googlers protested the company's complicity in the genocide in Gaza, Google didn't kill the project – it mass-fired the workers:

https://medium.com/@notechforapartheid/statement-from-google-workers-with-the-no-tech-for-apartheid-campaign-on-googles-indiscriminate-28ba4c9b7ce8

Enshittification is a macroeconomic phenomenon, determined by the regulatory environment for competition, privacy, labor, consumer protection and IP. But enshittification is also a microeconomic phenomenon, the result of innumerable boardroom and product-planning fights within companies in which would-be enshittifiers try to do things that make the company's products and services shittier wrestle with rivals who want to keep things as they are, or make them better, whether out of principle or fear of the consequences.

Those microeconomic wrestling-matches are where we find enshittification's heroes and villains – the people who fight for the user or stand up for a fair deal, versus the people who want to cheat and wreck to make things better for the company and win bonuses and promotions for themselves:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

These microeconomic struggles are usually obscure, because companies are secretive institutions and our glimpses into their deliberations are normally limited to the odd leaked memo, whistleblower tell-all, or spectacular worker revolt. But when a company gets dragged into court, a new window opens into the company's internal operations. That's especially true when the plaintiff is the US government.

Which brings me back to Google, the poster-child for enshittification, a company that revolutionized the internet a quarter of a century ago with a search-engine that was so good that it felt like magic, which has decayed so badly and so rapidly that whole sections of the internet are disappearing from view for the 90% of users who rely on the search engine as their gateway to the internet.

Google is being sued by the DOJ's Antitrust Division, and that means we are getting a very deep look into the company, as its internal emails and memos come to light:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/03/not-feeling-lucky/#fundamental-laws-of-economics

Google is a tech company, and tech companies have literary cultures – they run on email and other forms of written communication, even for casual speech, which is more likely to take place in a chat program than at a water-cooler. This means that tech companies have giant databases full of confessions to every crime they've ever committed:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Large pieces of Google's database-of-crimes are now on display – so much, in fact, that it's hard for anyone to parse through it all and understand what it means. But some people are trying, and coming up with gold. One of those successful prospectors is Ed Zitron, who has produced a staggering account of the precise moment at which Google search tipped over into enshittification, which names the executives at the very heart of the rot:

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/

Zitron tells the story of a boardroom struggle over search quality, in which Ben Gomes – a long-tenured googler who helped define the company during its best years – lost a fight with Prabhakar Raghavan, a computer scientist turned manager whose tactic for increasing the number of search queries (and thus the number of ads the company could show to searchers) was to decrease the quality of search. That way, searchers would have to spend more time on Google before they found what they were looking for.

Zitron contrasts the background of these two figures. Gomes, the hero, worked at Google for 19 years, solving fantastically hard technical scaling problems and eventually becoming the company's "search czar." Raghavan, the villain, "failed upwards" through his career, including a stint as Yahoo's head of search from 2005-12, a presiding over the collapse of Yahoo's search business. Under Raghavan's leadership, Yahoo's search market-share fell from 30.4% to 14%, and in the end, Yahoo jettisoned its search altogether and replaced it with Bing.

For Zitron, the memos show how Raghavan engineered the ouster of Gomes, with help from the company CEO, the ex-McKinseyite Sundar Pichai. It was a triumph for enshittification, a deliberate decision to make the product worse in order to make it more profitable, under the (correct) belief that the company's exclusivity deals to provide search everywhere from Iphones and Samsungs to Mozilla would mean that the business would face no consequences for doing so.

It a picture of a company that isn't just too big to fail – it's (as FTC Chair Lina Khan put it on The Daily Show) too big to care:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDTiWaYfcM

Zitron's done excellent sleuthing through the court exhibits here, and his writeup is incandescently brilliant. But there's one point I quibble with him on. Zitron writes that "It’s because the people running the tech industry are no longer those that built it."

I think that gets it backwards. I think that there were always enshittifiers in the C-suites of these companies. When Page and Brin brought in the war criminal Eric Schmidt to run the company, he surely started every day with a ritual, ferocious tug at that enshittification lever. The difference wasn't who was in the C-suite – the difference was how freely the lever moved.

On Saturday, I wrote:

The platforms used to treat us well and now treat us badly. That's not because they were setting a patient trap, luring us in with good treatment in the expectation of locking us in and turning on us. Tech bosses do not have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years.

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/22/kargo-kult-kaptialism/#dont-buy-it

Someone on Hacker News called that "silly," adding that "tech bosses do in fact have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years. That's literally the business model of most startups":

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40114339

That's not quite right, though. The business-model of the startup is to yank on the enshittification lever every day. Tech bosses don't lie in wait for the perfect moment to claw away all the value from their employees, users, business customers, and suppliers – they're always trying to get that value. It's only when they become too big to care that they succeed. That's the definition of being too big to care.

In antitrust circles, they sometimes say that "the process is the punishment." No matter what happens to the DOJ's case against Google, its internal workers have been made visible to the public. The secrecy surrounding the Google trial when it was underway meant that a lot of this stuff flew under the radar when it first appeared. But as Zitron's work shows, there is plenty of treasure to be found in that trove of documents that is now permanently in the public domain.

When future scholars study the enshittocene, they will look to accounts like Zitron's to mark the turning points from the old, good internet to the enshitternet. Let's hope those future scholars have a new, good internet on which to publish their findings.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

[linkhundr]

So NFTgate has now hit tumblr - I made a thread about it on my twitter, but I'll talk a bit more about it here as well in slightly more detail. It'll be a long one, sorry! Using my degree for something here. This is not intended to sway you in one way or the other - merely to inform so you can make your own decision and so that you aware of this because it will happen again, with many other artists you know.

Let's start at the basics: NFT stands for 'non fungible token', which you should read as 'passcode you can't replicate'. These codes are stored in blocks in what is essentially a huge ledger of records, all chained together - a blockchain. Blockchain is encoded in such a way that you can't edit one block without editing the whole chain, meaning that when the data is validated it comes back 'negative' if it has been tampered with. This makes it a really, really safe method of storing data, and managing access to said data. For example, verifying that a bank account belongs to the person that says that is their bank account.

For most people, the association with NFT's is bitcoin and Bored Ape, and that's honestly fair. The way that used to work - and why it was such a scam - is that you essentially purchased a receipt that said you owned digital space - not the digital space itself. That receipt was the NFT. So, in reality, you did not own any goods, that receipt had no legal grounds, and its value was completely made up and not based on anything. On top of that, these NFTs were purchased almost exclusively with cryptocurrency which at the time used a verifiation method called proof of work, which is terrible for the environment because it requires insane amounts of electricity and computing power to verify. The carbon footprint for NFTs and coins at this time was absolutely insane.

In short, Bored Apes were just a huge tech fad with the intention to make a huge profit regardless of the cost, which resulted in the large market crash late last year. NFTs in this form are without value.

However, NFTs are just tech by itself more than they are some company that uses them. NFTs do have real-life, useful applications, particularly in data storage and verification. Research is being done to see if we can use blockchain to safely store patient data, or use it for bank wire transfers of extremely large amounts. That's cool stuff!

So what exactly is Käärijä doing? Kä is not selling NFTs in the traditional way you might have become familiar with. In this use-case, the NFT is in essence a software key that gives you access to a digital space. For the raffle, the NFT was basically your ticket number. This is a very secure way of doing so, assuring individuality, but also that no one can replicate that code and win through a false method. You are paying for a legimate product - the NFT is your access to that product.

What about the environmental impact in this case? We've thankfully made leaps and bounds in advancing the tech to reduce the carbon footprint as well as general mitigations to avoid expanding it over time. One big thing is shifting from proof of work verification to proof of space or proof of stake verifications, both of which require much less power in order to work. It seems that Kollekt is partnered with Polygon, a company that offers blockchain technology with the intention to become climate positive as soon as possible. Numbers on their site are very promising, they appear to be using proof of stake verification, and all-around appear more interested in the tech than the profits it could offer.

But most importantly: Kollekt does not allow for purchases made with cryptocurrency, and that is the real pisser from an environmental perspective. Cryptocurrency purchases require the most active verification across systems in order to go through - this is what bitcoin mining is, essentially. The fact that this website does not use it means good things in terms of carbon footprint.

But why not use something like Patreon? I can't tell you. My guess is that Patreon is a monthly recurring service and they wanted something one-time. Kollekt is based in Helsinki, and word is that Mikke (who is running this) is friends with folks on the team. These are all contributing factors, I would assume, but that's entirely an assumption and you can't take for fact.

Is this a good thing/bad thing? That I also can't tell you - you have to decide that for yourself. It's not a scam, it's not crypto, just a service that sits on the blockchain. But it does have higher carbon output than a lot of other services do, and its exact nature is not publicly disclosed. This isn't intended to sway you to say one or the other, but merely to give you the proper understanding of what NFTs are as a whole and what they are in this particular case so you can make that decision for yourself.

[txttletale]

nothing about ai art is new

[we’re sitting in a taco bell drive through and ive abused my control over the aux cord to make you listen to indie rock classic apollo 18 by they might be giants for hours on end]

so there’s been a lot of yammering on about stable diffusion and how it will revolutionize/destroy/democratize/annihilate the world of art, depending on which impassioned twitter thread you read. what they all have in common though is (incorrectly) treating this as some radical new shift, an unprecedented leap forward caused by cutting-edge technology. this is wrong: nihil sub sole novum.

this post is not about:

ip law

whether ip law is a good thing (no)

whether ai art is Real Art (what is this girls 1917?)

how AI art actually works (as far as i can tell, like this)

this post is about

karl marx babeyyy

so in a sexy little number called wage labour and capital, carlos marx lays out some of the foundations of marxist theory. these include the labour theory of value (that the value of a thing, whether expressed in the use of something or in its exchange for other things, is only created or increased when a human being performs labour. e.g. fabric + hours of human life = clothing, which is both more useful and more valuable in exchange terms than the fabric) and the division of labour

to make a long and well-written argument short and poorly formulated (seriously, read the original, it’s like 25 pages), the price of a commodity* rises and falls around a base price that’s based on the cost of production. ‘wages’ are simply the term for the price of the commodity of ‘labour-power’, or hours of human labour**--and therefore, they rise and fall around the cost of producing human labour.

now, how much does that cost? pretty simple. first there’s the basic costs of the labourer continuing to survive day to day. then there’s the costs of them having children who can grow up to be labourers and keeping them alive too. finally, there are the costs of the labourer’s training, and these can far outstrip the first two. it’s expensive for a capitalist to hire a digital artist because the cost of producing digital artists (the survival of a human being + years and years of practice) is high--so the commodity of their labour power is priced highly.

however, marx also succintly explains supply and demand--concepts everyone’s probably semi-familiar with. when there are many sellers of a commodity, they compete for buyers by offering their commodities at lower and lower prices.

bearing in mind that ‘wages’ are just the price of the commodity of human labour-power--this means that technological development in production has a twofold depressive effect on wages: not only are less people employed (if a capitalist can produce twice as much of a commodity, they’re not guaranteed twice as much of a market--so they will instead tend towards producing the same amount at half the cost), but more people are capable of doing the work. so for the same process of production, there are more people capable of doing it, and less people needed to do it. as marx puts it:

“The greater division of labour enables one labourer to accomplish the work of five, 10, or 20 labourers; it therefore increases competition among the labourers fivefold, tenfold, or twentyfold. The labourers compete not only by selling themselves one cheaper than the other, but also by one doing the work of five, 10, or 20; and they are forced to compete in this manner by the division of labour, which is introduced and steadily improved by capital. Furthermore, to the same degree in which the division of labour increases, is the labour simplified.

The special skill of the labourer becomes worthless. He becomes transformed into a simple monotonous force of production, with neither physical nor mental elasticity. His work becomes accessible to all; therefore competitors press upon him from all sides. Moreover, it must be remembered that the more simple, the more easily learned the work is, so much the less is its cost to production, the expense of its acquisition, and so much the lower must the wages sink – for, like the price of any other commodity, they are determined by the cost of production. Therefore, in the same manner in which labour becomes more unsatisfactory, more repulsive, do competition increase and wages decrease”

when marx wrote this, he was talking about artisan craftsmen who made goods by hand in small workshop. since then we’ve seen this exact process sweep across every industry, devouring the manufacturing sector, now creeping second by second into the white-collar service economy. now, we are seeing this on the horizon for artists--there’s far more skill in creating AI artwork than some people give credit for, but it is ultimately in terms of time and accessibility easier and broader to do--it will have these effects if it is able to produce output on par, or even just slightly worse than, professional photographers and artists, for a fraction of the cost of labour-power.

so, like, why have i just written all this? to point out that the phenomenon people are scared of wrt AI art driving already precarious working artists into poverty is not some new and endemic technological horror. it is a social process that’s been ongoing for centuries--and the productive forces are not going to roll back, because capitalism demands ever-rising profits which demand ini turn ever-lower costs of production, including (especially) lower costs of production of skilled labour. if you are trying to stop stable diffusion AI tech from being used then you are trying to stop the horse by pulling on the reins of the cart. 

if you are scared that AI art is going to make your passion and profession economically worthless, the tools themselves are not your enemy--it is the system that decides how these tools will be used, that art becoming easier to make is a vector by which to divide and precaritize working artists instead of to broaden access to the joy of creation--in the same way that industrial production has been used to create the system of wage-slavery instead of providing for all, in the same way that will repeat over and over again until the system that allocates resources and labour to maximize profit instead of human welfare is toppled and replaced

[the drive thru employee politely clears their throat. i turn to them and say ‘oh i didnt want anything i just like the smell out here’ and drive away directly into a lake]

*in marxist terms, a commodity is anything that: 1. has use value, as in, someone wants to have it and use it--eat it, wear it, play with it, watch it-- 2. has exchange value, as in, it can be exchanged for other commodities (price is a reflection of this exchange value through money), 3. has value through the application of labour power (someone has worked to produce it. even raw materials count--coal power plants don’t buy coal that’s still in the ground)

**engels explains the distinction between labour-power and labour in the introduction to the 1891 edition:

��“What the economists had considered as the cost of production of “labour” was really the cost of production, not of “labour,” but of the living labourer himself. And what this labourer sold to the capitalist was not his labour.

 At the most, he could sell his future labour – i.e., assume the obligation of executing a certain piece of work in a certain time. But, in this way, he does not sell labour (which would first have to be performed), but not for a stipulated payment he places his labour-power at the disposal of the capitalist for a certain time (in case of time-wages), or for the performance of a certain task (in case of piece-wages). He hires out or sells his labour-power.”

[arlnlms]

Jubilee Debates, TikTok, and American Politics: A Malaysian Youth's Perspective

MDA20009 Digital Communities │ Week 5: Digital Citizenship 1: Political Engagement

So what place does a Malaysian, (that has no political knowledge) have to have a say in this? American politics. In this day and age, social media has played a significant role in politics, which is hard to ignore—even a small country like Malaysia is kept in the loop of the chaos of American democracy, especially during the current Trump-Harris election. No doubt that it is an educational experience for many of us to witness the dynamics of U.S. politics unfold through platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Well, I guess if it's already displayed on social media for the eyes of others, then anyone can at least have a say in this.

A Global Phenomenon

American politics is accessible to a worldwide audience all thanks to modern communication technologies. Globally, people may quickly get news and comments about the U.S. election because of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X (previously Twitter). Foreigners are also compelled to watch the discussions and political comments that shape the U.S. elections, which have turned into a spectacle.

When Woke Meets Conservative

A prime illustration of this is how the debates organized by Jubilee, like "1 Liberal Teen vs. 20 Trump Supporters", have managed to draw hordes of viewers. Platforms like Jubilee tackle complex political issues more easily because they assemble both sides and make it entertaining. For example, it is one thing for the audience to watch a Dean Withers-type person standing in front of a crowd with opposing views but firmly standing his ground. It simplifies American political issues for domestic audiences and even provides insight to foreign viewers about America's political landscape, which the mainstream media may not adequately do.

What’s especially fascinating is how quickly clips from these debates go viral on platforms like TikTok. Short snippets of strong arguments, memorable quotes, or heated exchanges get shared, re-shared, and commented on by millions. These clips transcend their original platform, appearing on TikTok feeds, Instagram Reels, and even Reddit threads. Social media’s algorithms tend to push this viral content to wider audiences, which means these political discussions get incredible exposure, reaching people who might not have initially sought them out.

Social Media’s Grip on Today's Youth

Political marketing through TikTok and YouTube has become very popular among the youth, who are likely to rely on them rather than the news. Secure and friendly debates can trigger creativity, with interesting short videos getting the attention of the politically disinterested.

In other words, social media sites' impact in shaping the users' political opinions can also be viewed from a constructive and negative perspective. The content is usually aggressive and abusive, promoting divisiveness and unhealthy rivalries. Most studies claim that "social media grows political content that is mostly unhealthy" (Platt, 2024). However, this way of doing things will worsen as the election process approaches. Political smearing worked as an effective bait, so social media websites, in turn, encouraged their users to avail such content even more, leading them to have an exaggerated belief on how most people felt about an issue. Platt (2024) also notes that if social media is one's primary means of communication, one should anticipate political blowback and violence. Social media does provide access to knowledge, but it also encourages the creation of "filter bubbles". These are the bubbles where people only interact with content that agrees with their opinion and helps further entrench existing beliefs.

Amidst all this, social media has revolutionised how people view politics by bringing the concept of the "everyday expert" to the forefront. For example, individuals such as Dean Withers from the Jubilee video, who has neither run for office nor works as a commentator, still hold a great deal of influence by simply sharing his views with great emotion. This is an evolution of what Cunningham (2024) refers to as 'rage bait' content, where disputes tend to be more espoused to engage the audience, in most cases, for their anger and arguments, but not for any constructive communication. Influencers like Withers embody this shift in information, where ordinary people become the source of public opinion and cause polemics. As Cunningham (2024) noted, such interactions correspond to the increasing normative demand for emotional and conflict-inducing material usually found online.

Watching and Learning

For the people outside of the U.S., following American politics on social media is interesting but educational at the same time. It provides a glimpse of the governance systems, democracy, and social discourse, which makes one think about how the democratic processes in different parts of the world work. We are mere spectators and students, observing how a living democracy functions, its merits and demerits.

The role of social media in politics is not that straightforward. It makes conversations international and opens up new people, but it could also promote conflict and fake news, which undermines journalistic ethics. It is fair to say that as we watch TikTok, YouTube or Instagram, we are part of the global audience who is watching democracy unfold in real time, and as a result, we have to be careful how it all plays out.

List of References: 

Cunningham, K. (2024, October 10). 1 woke teen vs. 20 Trump supporters: The new age of viral political videos. Vox. https://www.vox.com/culture/376748/jubilee-politics-debate-charlie-kirk-ben-shapiro-liberal-conservative

Platt, T. (2024, March 13). Political rage on social media is making us cynical. University of Michigan News. https://news.umich.edu/political-rage-on-social-media-is-making-us-cynical/

[oswaldwwfwf]

Textile Manufacturing Companies | Oswal Group

In the bustling industrial landscape of Ludhiana, where the clang of machinery and the hum of ambition merge, one name stands out as a beacon of excellence: The Oswal Group of Companies. Founded on a vision to redefine the textile industry in Ludhiana, Oswal Group’s journey from inception to industry leader is nothing short of inspiring.

The Genesis: The Oswal Group’s foray into the textile industry dates back to the 1960s when the visionary entrepreneur, Late Shri Rattan Chand Oswal, laid the foundation stone of what would become a textile empire. With a keen eye for opportunities and a steadfast commitment to quality, Oswal ventured into yarn production, setting the stage for the group’s meteoric rise.

Excelling in Ludhiana’s Textile Hub: Ludhiana boasts a rich heritage in textiles. In such a competitive landscape, Oswal Group didn’t just survive; it thrived. Through strategic investments in state-of-the-art technology, a relentless focus on innovation, and nurturing a skilled workforce, the Oswal Group carved a niche for itself.

The group’s vertical integration, from spinning mills to garment manufacturing, enabled streamlined operations and superior quality control. This holistic approach not only ensured consistency in product standards but also bolstered Oswal’s reputation as a reliable textile partner globally.

Moreover, Oswal Group’s commitment to sustainability has been commendable. Embracing eco-friendly practices, optimizing resource utilization, and adhering to stringent environmental regulations have not only reduced the ecological footprint but also enhanced brand credibility.

Evolution in the Textile Industry: As the textile industry in Ludhiana evolves in the digital age, Oswal Group is poised to embrace the winds of change. Embracing automation, leveraging data analytics for predictive maintenance, and integrating IoT (Internet of Things) for smart manufacturing are avenues the group can explore to enhance efficiency and productivity further.

Furthermore, investing in research and development to explore alternative fibers and sustainable manufacturing processes can bolster Oswal Group’s competitive edge. With growing consumer consciousness towards ethical sourcing and eco-friendly products, tapping into this market segment can unlock new growth avenues.

Moreover, expanding the group’s global footprint through strategic alliances and partnerships can diversify market exposure and mitigate risks associated with geographical dependencies. Collaborating with international brands for co-branded collections or joint ventures can not only enhance brand visibility but also facilitate knowledge exchange and technological advancements.

Additionally, nurturing talent through skill development programs and fostering a culture of innovation can fuel Oswal Group’s evolution. Encouraging intrapreneurship and empowering employees to think beyond conventional boundaries can lead to breakthroughs in product design, manufacturing processes, and business models.

In the tapestry of Ludhiana’s textile industry, Oswal Group’s story shines as a testament to perseverance, innovation, and resilience. From humble beginnings to scaling new heights of success, the group has not only excelled but also redefined the textile industry’s standards.

As Oswal Group embarks on the next phase of its journey, the roadmap is clear: embrace technology, foster sustainability, and nurture talent. By staying true to its core values while adapting to emerging trends, Oswal Group is poised to not just survive but thrive in the dynamic landscape of the textile industry. With each thread woven with precision and passion, the Oswal legacy continues to inspire generations, shaping the future of Ludhiana’s textile industry and beyond.

[mariacallous]

A court in the southern Turkish province of Adana blocked access to Roblox, one of the most popular online gaming platforms in the world, citing dangers to children. “Due to content that could lead to child abuse, access to the game platform called Roblox and its links in app markets has been blocked by the Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace,” Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on Wednesday.

Tunc added that Turkey will continue to take measures to “to ensure the protection of our children according to our Constitution”.

Roblox is a gaming platform that allows its users to create and publish their own games. The platform is also an online meeting hub for its users, often teenagers.According to Euronews Turkish, Turkey has the fifth highest number of people in the world using Roblox.

The access block follows similar decisions imposed by the government in the past month. The popular global story-sharing platform Wattpad has been banned in Turkey “for the protection of children” and “public order” since July 16, making it the first country to impose such a restriction.

Most recently, Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority, BTK, the national communications regulator, blocked access to Instagram on August 2 without stating the reason or duration of the ban.

The ban came after the presidency’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, accused Instagram, which is owned by META, of censorship of content about Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Iran, linked to Israel. “This is censorship, pure and simple,” Altun said on X, adding that Instagram had not cited any policy violations for its action.

Turkey later announced that Instagram had been blocked over its failure to remove illegal content on matters such as “the sexual abuse of a child”, for insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, and over items on “gambling and drugs”. Officials said Instagram had been warned to remove such content but it failed.

Turkey has passed a number of draconian laws and regulations that give the government greater control on digital platforms.

It has previously blocked many social media platforms, including YouTube, Threads, EksiSozluk, Wikipedia, Twitter and TikTok. It has also imposed social media and broadcasting bans following disasters, terror attacks and social unrest.

[net-craft]

Digital Tapestry: The Unique Threads of Mobile App Creation

Imagine strolling through a vibrant marketplace, awash with colors, textures, and intricate patterns. Each stall displays a tapestry, woven with meticulous care – an explosion of creativity and individuality. Welcome to the world of mobile app creation, where developers are the weavers, transforming ideas into digital tapestries that captivate users.

At Net-Craft.com, your premier Arizona Mobile App Creation Services provider, we see app development as an artistic endeavor, an intricate dance between technology and imagination. We’re not just a custom application development company churning out cookie-cutter apps; we’re artists, weaving unique digital tapestries that resonate with your vision and capture the hearts of your users.

But what makes mobile app creation in Arizona so special? It’s a tapestry woven with unique threads, a blend of innovation, expertise, and the vibrant spirit of the Grand Canyon State.

Thread #1: Innovation born from the desert sun: Arizona’s landscape, a canvas of rugged beauty and boundless skies, fosters a spirit of innovation. At Net-Craft, we embrace this spirit, constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to craft cutting-edge mobile apps that utilize AR/VR, AI, and blockchain to deliver truly transformative user experiences.

Thread #2: Expertise woven with experience: Just like the towering Saguaro cacti stand testament to enduring growth, our team at Net-Craft possesses years of experience. We’re not just a Professional App Development Arizona team; we’re seasoned weavers, adept at handling every stage of the app creation process, from ideation to deployment and beyond.

Thread #3: Arizona’s spirit of collaboration: The warmth and collaborative spirit that permeates Arizona communities translates into our approach. We work closely with you, understanding your vision and weaving your ideas into the fabric of the app. It’s a true partnership, a vibrant tapestry woven with shared threads of creativity and commitment.

Thread #4: Quality threads for a lasting fabric: Just like the enduring colors of Arizona’s sunsets, we prioritize quality in everything we do. We utilize robust frameworks, adhere to stringent security protocols, and conduct rigorous testing to ensure your app is not just beautiful, but also reliable and functional.

Thread #5: Local flair for a globally appealing tapestry: While we’re deeply rooted in Arizona, our reach extends far beyond the desert. We understand the complexities of the global mobile market and weave apps that resonate with diverse audiences, ensuring your digital tapestry shines brightly on screens across the world.

So, why choose Net-Craft as your Arizona Mobile App Creation Services partner? Because we see your app as more than just lines of code; it’s a digital tapestry, woven with the unique threads of Arizona’s innovation, expertise, collaboration, quality, and local flair. We’ll walk you through every step of the process, from brainstorming your vision to launching your app and beyond, ensuring your digital masterpiece captures hearts and minds and leaves a lasting impression in the bustling marketplace of mobile apps.

Join us at Net-Craft, and let’s weave your vision into a digital tapestry that stands out. Contact us today and experience the best app development agency in Arizona at work, transforming your ideas into captivating mobile apps that leave a lasting impact.

Content Source https://www.net-craft.com/blog/2024/01/11/digital-tapestry-the-unique-threads-of-mobile-app-creation/

[buzwit]

Debunking the Myth: Google Does Crawl iFrames – Insights from SEO Experts

In recent discussions among search engine marketing experts on Reddit, a thread sparked a dialogue about whether Google ignores iframes. The belief that Google doesn’t crawl frames has been a long-standing assumption in the SEO community, but is this true? Let’s dive into the facts, examine Google’s own Webmaster Trends Analyst, Mueller’s response, and explore the SEO impact of iframes.

The Fable: Google Doesn’t Crawl iFrames.

Earlier, search engines found it difficult to crawl and index content within iframes. Search engine bots were unable to access the content inside iframes, and sometimes couldn’t exit the iframe to continue crawling the rest of the website. Additionally, the content within iframes was often considered to belong to a different website, which led to uncertainty about whether it should be indexed.

The Actuality: Google Can & Does Crawl iFrames.

Contrary to the belief of some Reddit users, Google has made significant advancements in crawling iframes. Currently, Google has the capability to directly render the iframe and inject its content as part of the hosting page, a process known as “DOM Flattening.” Mueller addressed this issue by providing insights in the thread, stating that “Google does attempt to crawl iframed content and include it in the indexed page, if it’s allowed. It’s not always trivial though, and I don’t know how other search engines handle it. If you have something that you absolutely want indexed within the context of a page, I’d work to include it directly rather than relying on iframes.“

Mueller also provided further advice for those who use embedded or iframed content on their pages:

Use the “x-frame-options” header to block iframing completely if it’s not desired.

Use “noindex” robots meta tags or “x-robots-tag” if neither the embedded content nor the relevant page should be indexed.

Use “indexifembedded” along with “noindex” if the embedded page itself should not be indexed, but its content can be included in a page that’s iframing it.

To check if Google can see the content in iframes, you can use the “mobile-friendly test” in Search Console.

iFrames Not Generally advocated.

Due to the potential indexing challenges with iframes, Google recommends minimizing their use as much as possible. Including trivial content straightaway on the page or using other embedding techniques could churn out better SEO results and will make sure that Google can accurately index the content.

Stay Ahead of the game with best SEO practices at BUZWIT DIGITAL STUDIO

While iframes may have posed challenges for search engines in the past, advancements in technology and search engine algorithms have improved their ability to crawl and index iframe content. After all, in the ever-evolving world of SEO, staying ahead of the game means keeping up with the latest developments and best practices. Happy optimizing! So, dear webmasters, take heed and tread carefully when it comes to using iframes in your web design endeavors. At BUZWIT DIGITAL STUDIO, we use the right approach and understanding, and you can ensure that your content gets the visibility it deserves in search engine results.

BUZWIT DIGITAL STUDIO offers best SEO tactics and practices.

In today’s digital age, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is critical to the success of any online business. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can increase your visibility and attract more targeted traffic to your site. But with so many SEO tactics and strategies to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start.

That’s where BUZWIT DIGITAL STUDIO comes in. As a leading digital marketing agency, we specialize in helping businesses stay ahead of the game with the best SEO practices.

Here’s how we work effectively to help our clients achieve their SEO goals:

conduct comprehensive SEO audits.

Before we begin any SEO campaign, we conduct a comprehensive audit of our client’s website to identify any issues that may be impacting their search engine rankings. This includes analyzing factors such as website structure, content, keywords, and backlinks.

developing customized SEO strategies.

Based on the results of our audit, we develop customized SEO strategies that are tailored to our client’s unique needs and goals. This includes optimizing website content, building quality backlinks, and improving website structure and navigation.

We stay up to date with the latest SEO trends.

SEO is a constantly evolving field, and it’s important to stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices. At BUZWIT DIGITAL STUDIO, we are always on the cutting edge of the latest SEO trends, and we use this knowledge to deliver results for our clients.

We track and analyze performance.

We monitor the performance of our SEO campaigns closely, tracking key metrics such as search engine rankings, website traffic, and conversion rates. This allows us to make data-driven decisions and adjust our strategies as needed to achieve the best possible results.

The myth that Google doesn’t crawl iframes has been debunked by Google’s own Webmaster Trends Analyst, Mueller. Google has the capability to crawl iframed content and include it in the indexed page, but it’s not always straightforward. To ensure proper indexing and SEO performance, it’s recommended to use iframes sparingly and follow Google’s advice on how to handle iframed content. Keeping up to date with Google’s guidelines and best practices is crucial for search engine marketers to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of SEO. Don’t let the myth of Google ignoring iframes impact your SEO strategy — stay informed and make informed decisions.

In conclusion, SEO is essential to the success of any online business, but it can be a complex and ever-changing field. At BUZWIT DIGITAL STUDIO, we work effectively to help our clients stay ahead of the game with the best SEO practices. By conducting comprehensive audits, developing customized strategies, staying up to date with the latest trends, and tracking performance closely, we deliver real results for our clients. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your SEO goals.

(Source: reddit)

Let’s explore your business opportunities together!

CONTACT US

+91–70 9503 9503

connect@buzwit.com

Plot:50, 4th Floor, Behind Raheja Mindspace, Gafoornagar Village, Madhapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500081.

[kamreadsandrecs]

By Elizabeth Minkel

In the early weeks of 2023, as worry about ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools was ratcheting up dramatically in the public conversation, a tweet passed through the many interlocking corners of Book Twitter. “Imagine if every Book is converted into an Animated Book and made 10x more engaging,” it read. “AI will do this. Huge opportunity here to disrupt Kindle and Audible.”

The tweet’s author, Gaurav Munjal, cofounded Unacademy, which bills itself as “India’s largest learning platform”—and within the edtech context, where digitally animated books can be effective teaching tools, his suggestion might read a certain way. But to a broader audience, the sweeping proclamation that AI will make “every” book “10x more engaging” seemed absurd, a solution in search of a problem, and one predicated on the idea that people who choose to read narrative prose (instead of, say, watching a film or playing a game) were somehow bored or not engaged with their unanimated tomes. As those who shared the tweet observed, it seems like a lot of book industry “disruptors” just don’t like reading.

Munjal is one of many tech entrepreneurs to ping the book world’s radar—and raise its collective hackles—in recent months. Many were hawking AI “solutions” they promised would transform the act of writing, the most derided among them Sudowrite’s Story Engine (dubbed in a relatively ambivalent review by The Verge’s Adi Robertson as “the AI novel-writing tool everyone hates”). Story Engine raised frustrations by treating writers as an afterthought and, by its very existence, suggesting that the problems it was trying to bypass weren’t integral to the act of writing itself.

Last month, Justine Moore, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, provided a sort of bookend to Munjal’s “AI-animated books” proposal. “The three largest fanfic sites—[Archive of Our Own], Fanfiction.net, and Wattpad—get 3 billion-plus annual visits in the US alone,” she wrote. “Imagine how much bigger this market could be if you could chat with characters vs. reading static stories?” The thread was likely a reference to Character.ai, a startup that lets users chat with fictional heroes and villains; Andreessen Horowitz led a $150 million funding round for the company in March. The comment also came after the revelation that large language models (LLMs) may have scraped fanfiction writers’ work—which is largely written and shared for free—causing an (understandable) uproar in many fan communities.

Setting aside the fact that fandom role-playing has been a popular practice for decades, Moore’s statements felt like a distillation of tech’s tortured relationship with narrative prose. There are many kinds of fanfiction—including an entire subgenre in which “you” are a character in the story. But those are still stories, sentences deliberately written and arranged in a way that lets you lose yourself in an authored narrative. “Imagine having such a fundamental misunderstanding of the appeal of reading fanfiction—let alone reading fiction more broadly,” I wrote in response to her thread. What’s so wrong with people enjoying reading plain old words on a page?

The tech world has long been convinced that it understands the desires of readers better than they do themselves. For years, VCs have promised to upend books and the structures around their creation and consumption. Some came from within the publishing industry, but like their counterparts “disrupting” other sectors, including film and TV, many more did not. And for the most part, despite tech’s sometimes drastic (and often negative) effects on other industries, book- and reading-related startups failed to alter much at all. People are still buying books—in fact, they’re buying more than ever. Pandemic lockdowns brought a perhaps unsurprising boom in sales, and even though numbers slipped as restrictions lifted, print sales were still nearly 12 percent higher in 2022 than they were in 2019, and sales of audio books continue to increase dramatically year over year.

One reason books haven’t been particularly disruptable might be that many of the people looking to “fix” things couldn’t actually articulate what was broken—whether through their failure to see the real problems facing the industry (namely, Amazon’s stranglehold), or their insistence that books are not particularly enjoyable as a medium. “It’s that arrogance, to come into a community you know nothing about, that you might have studied as you study for an MBA, and think that you can revolutionize anything,” says writer and longtime book-industry observer Maris Kreizman. “There were so many false problems that tech guys created that we didn’t actually have.”

Take, for example, the long string of pitches for a “Netflix for books”—ideas that retrofitted Netflix’s original DVDs-by-mail model for a different medium under the presumption that readers would pay to borrow books when the public library was right there. Publisher’s Weekly keeps a database of book startups that now numbers more than 1,300; many of them are marked “Closed,” alongside a graveyard of broken URLs. There were plenty of practical ideas—targeting specific demographics or genres or pegged to more technical aspects, like metadata or production workflows. But many more proposed ways to alter books themselves—most of which made zero sense to people who actually enjoy reading.

“I don’t think they’re coming to that with a love of fiction or an understanding of why people read fiction,” Kreizman says. “If they were, they wouldn’t make these suggestions that nobody wants.”

The “10x more engaging” crowd has come in waves over the past two decades, washed ashore via broader tech trends, like social media, tablets, virtual reality, NFTs, and AI. These tech enthusiasts promised a vast, untapped market full of people just waiting for technology to make books more “fun” and delivered pronouncements with a grifting sort of energy that urged you to seize on the newest trend while it was hot—even as everyone could see that previous hyped ventures had not, in fact, utterly transformed the way people read. Interactive books could have sound effects or music that hits at certain story beats. NFTs could let readers “own” a character. AI could allow readers to endlessly generate their own books, or to eschew—to borrow one particular framing—“static stories” entirely and put themselves directly into a fictional world.

AI isn’t remotely a new player in the book world. Electronic literature artists and scholars have worked with various forms of virtual and artificial intelligence for decades, and National Novel Generation Month, a collaborative challenge modeled after NaNoWriMo, has been around since 2013. Even now, as much of the book world loudly rejects AI-powered writing tools, some authors are still experimenting, with a wide range of results. But these bespoke, usually one-off projects are a far cry from the tech industry’s proposals to revolutionize reading at scale—not least because the projects were never intended to replace traditional books.

“A lot of interactive storytelling has gone on for a very long time,” says Jeremy Douglass, an assistant professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara, citing everything from his early career work on hypertext fiction to the class he’ll teach next year on the long history of the pop-up book to centuries-old marginalia like the footnote and the concordance. “These fields are almost always very old, they’re almost always talked about as if they’re brand-new, and there haven’t really been a lot of moments of inventing a new modality.”

To VC claims that AI will totally alter books, Douglass takes what he calls a “yes, and” stance. “What people are actually doing is creating a new medium. They’re not actually replacing the novel; they created a new thing that was like the novel but different, and the old forms carried on. I’m still listening to the radio, despite the film and game industries’ efforts.”

Tech entrepreneurs rarely pitch “yes, and” ideas. In their view, new technologies will improve on—and eventually supplant—what exists now. For all of his interest in the many forms of interactive fiction, Douglass doubts that most books would benefit from an AI treatment.

“There are extremely pleasurable aesthetic systems that aren’t intentional,” he says. “But how often when I’m reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X or The Joy of Cooking do I think, ‘If only a chatbot could augment this on the fly’? And it’s partly the fact that some communication is deeply intentional, and that’s part of the pleasure. It’s handcrafted, it’s specific, there’s a vision.”

That isn’t to say that Douglass thinks there’s zero appetite for AI in literature—but it’s “probably a very small slice of the pie. So when you say ‘all books’? Almost certainly not. For the same reason that we’re not reading 100 percent pop-up books, or watching all of our books on YouTube, or anything else you can imagine. People are doing that too, but it’s extra.”

The exact size of that small pie slice remains to be seen, as does the general public’s appetite for instant novels, or chatting with characters, or hitting a button that will animate any book in your digital library. But those desires will likely need to come from readers themselves—not from the top down. “If you just give the tools to everybody, which is happening in spite of venture capital, as well as because of it, people will figure out what they want it for—and it’s usually not what the inventors and the investors think,” Douglass says. “It’s not even in their top-10 list of guesses, most of the time. It’s incredibly specific to the person and genre.”

The recent history of publishing has plenty of examples in which digital tools let people create things we couldn’t have predicted in the analog days: the massive range of extremely niche self-published romance, for example, or the structural variation and formal innovation within the almost entirely online world of fanfiction.

But when the tech industry approaches readers with ways to “fix” what isn’t broken, their proposals will always ring hollow—and right now, plain old reading still works for huge numbers of people, many of whom pick up books because they want to escape and not be the main character for a while. “That’s a good thing,” Kreizman says. And as AI true believers sweep through with promises that this technology will change everything, it helps to remember just how many disruptors have come and gone. “In the meantime, tech bros will still find VCs to wine and dine and spend more money on bullshit,” Kreizman predicts. But for the rest of us? We’ll just keep on reading.

[theaffiliatemen]

Top 10 Best Laptop for Student Under Rs. 50000 In India -

Top 10 Best Laptops for Students Under Rs. 50000 In India as You can see technology is growing rapidly if you don't know there are so many laptops available in the market, it can be harder to choose the Best Laptop that Suits your needs and Budget. In this article, I will tell you the Top 10 Best laptops for Students Under 50000.

So let's. Start Number 1.

HP 14s, AMD Ryzen 5-5500U 14 inches(35cm) FHD, IPS, Micro-Edge Display Laptop (8GB RAM/512GB SSD/Radeon Graphics/Windows 11/Alexa/Backlit Keyboard/MS Office/1.46kg, 14s-fq1092au)

BrandHPModel NameHP 14s-fq1092auScreen Size14 InchesColourNatural SilverHard Disk Size512 GBCPU ModelAMD Ryzen 5 5500URAM Memory Installed Size8 GBOperating SystemWindows 11 HomeSpecial FeatureFull Size Keyboard, Micro-Edge DisplayGraphics Card

DescriptionIntegrated

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (up to 4.0 GHz max boost clock(2i),8 MB L3 cache, 6 cores, 12 threads)| Memory & Storage: 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4 3200, Upton 16 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (2 x 8 GB) | Storage: 512 GB PCIe NV Me M.2 SSD

Display & Graphics: 35.6 cm (14") diagonal, FHD, IPS, micro-edge,250 nits, 157 ppi, 45%NTSC |Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics

Operating System & Pre-installed Software: Pre-loaded Windows 11 Home 64 Single Language| Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 |McAfee LiveSafe

Ports: 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps signaling rate,2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate,1 headphone/microphone combo, 1 AC smart pin,1 HDMI 1.4b

Features: Camera: HP True Vision 720p HD camera with integrated dual array digital microphones| Audio: Dual Speakers| Keyboard: Full-size, backlit, natural silver keyboard | Alexa Built In | Battery: 3-cell, 41 Wh Li-ion, Support battery fast charge| Networking: Realtek RTL8821CE-M 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (1x1) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 combo, MU-MIMO supported, Miracast compatible

READ MORE

[semiconductorsandelectronics]

[264 Pages Report] The global digital thread market is expected to be worth USD 11.42 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 36.81 billion by 2030; it is expected to register a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period.

[daveg65]

334 - Vision Pro Spacial Computing Popular and Scosche Car mount Reviews

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by guest, Patrice Brend'amour,, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet. We discuss the Apple Vision Pro headset, exploring its historical patent context and market predictions estimating a $4.5 billion spatial computing market by 2024. The panel debates the implications of the Vision Pro's $3,500 price point on adoption. We also cover updates in iOS 18.2 beta, product reviews of Scosche’s new car mounts, and recent automotive news regarding CarPlay integration in GM vehicles and Mercedes-Benz's Apple Watch app. 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com


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Give us a review on Apple Podcasts! CLICK HERE we would really appreciate it!

Click this link Buy me a Coffee to support the show we would really appreciate it. intouchwithios.com/coffee 

Another way to support the show is to become a Patreon member patreon.com/intouchwithios

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Summary

We explore a variety of topics, beginning with a recap of how Thanksgiving was celebrated differently across continents, specifically highlighting Patrice's Austrian experience.

Our main focus this week revolves around the Apple Vision Pro headset, as the panelists share their personal insights. We reflect on the fascinating history behind an Apple patent from 2008 that hinted at the Vision Pro's eventual manifestation. This leads to a discussion about how Apple’s innovative trajectory is often obscured by the complexity of technological advancements over time, suggesting that multiple factors, primarily the maturation of the relevant technologies, contribute to long development cycles.

We further examine market predictions for the Vision Pro, highlighting research by Omdia that estimates the global spatial computing market could be worth approximately $4.5 billion by 2024. Each panelist shares their perspective on the Vision Pro's pricing and potential popularity, debating whether its $3,500 price tag could effectively deter broader market adoption. Notably, we discuss the phenomenon of Apple's slow-burn strategy, where they aim for gradual market penetration rather than immediate blockbuster sales.

The episode also touches upon updates in iOS 18.2 beta, primarily focused on enhancements in Apple Mail, which now offers automated inbox sorting and drafting capabilities. Our conversation reveals varied experiences with Apple Mail, with some panelists praising its improvements while others remain critical of its limitations compared to competing email clients.

Transitioning to product reviews, I share insights about Skosh’s new car mount products, including the innovative Magic Flask that combines functionality with convenience, allowing users to secure their phones while on the go. The panelists dive into the nuances of car mounts and discuss strengths and weaknesses to aid listeners in making informed choices.

The discussion then shifts to the latest news in the automotive space concerning CarPlay and its integration into GM vehicles. We highlight how a third-party kit attempts to restore CarPlay functionality in GM's Ultium EVs—a provocative development given GM's previous abandonment of support for the feature. The conversation continues with further examination of Mercedes-Benz's new Apple Watch app and the potential implications for car owners seeking seamless connectivity.

In our concluding segments, we reflect on industry trends, including Apple’s scaling back of its Product Red initiatives and the growing reliance on eSIM technology. The episode wraps up with a focus on the significance of identifying and utilizing innovative applications within Apple’s ecosystem.

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

A forgotten Apple patent reveals the original idea for the Vision Pro | Digital Trends and Apple has been working on Vision Pro since at least 2008 and MacWorld Apple is most dangerous when it shows up late

The Apple Vision Pro’s sales could take off as spatial computing market expands

Apple in talks to upgrade a sports stadium for live Vision Pro immersive video

Beta this week. iOS 18.2 Apple Mail gets major redesign: 3 biggest updates

Here’s everything coming from Apple this December, and what not to expec]t

Apple Announces 2024 App Store Awards Finalists, Including Kino

Dave Gives a review of Scosche products.

MagicMount™ Flask

Car Mounts

Scosche MPQMRDV-SP MagicMount Charge Pro Qi2 MagSafe Car Mount 

MagicMount™ Charge Elite 3-in-1

News

GM's mission to eliminate Android Auto and CarPlay has been thwarted by this clever third-party kit [Gallery] - Video WAMS is proud to... - White Automotive & Media Services | Facebook

Mercedes-Benz unveils all-new Apple Watch app 

Porsche Still Has No Imminent Plans to Launch Next-Generation CarPlay Despite 2023 Preview

Next-Generation CarPlay Images With Audi Logo Appear in EU Database

You Can Now Upload Videos Directly to YouTube With iOS Share Sheet Integration

You Can Now Upload Videos Directly to YouTube With iOS Share Sheet Integration - 

Here's How the Apple Card Savings Account's Interest Rate Compares to Major Competitors

iPhone Sales Stall Despite Global Smartphone Market Recovery - MacRumors

Apple Has Scaled Back (PRODUCT)RED Color Option Over Past Few Years

Apple Reportedly Plans to Remove iPhone's SIM Card Tray in More Countries Next Year

Announcements

Macstock 8 wrapped up for 2024. But you can purchase the digital pass and still see the great talks we had including Dave talking about Apple Services and more. Content is now available! .  Click here for more information: Digital Pass | Macstock Conference & Expo with discounts on previous events. 

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastadon @daveg65, and the show @intouchwithios

  Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet as well as Twitter and Instagram as @jgamet  His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at jencius@mastodon.social  https://thepodtalk.net 

About our Guest

Patrice Brend’amour loves to create podcasts, automations or software. She also enjoys working with diverse sets of people, leading them to success and making a tiny difference in the world. Which she does as VP of Development at a Healthcare Software provider. She can be found at https://the-patrice.com and her podcast Foodie Flashback at https://foodieflashback.com

Here is our latest Episode!

[computer8920]

How Intel CPUs Power Data Centers and Cloud Computing

In the fast-paced world of technology, data centers and cloud computing have become indispensable to modern businesses. These infrastructures power everything from small startups to massive multinational enterprises, providing the backbone for digital operations. At the core of these technological ecosystems are the processors that drive performance, efficiency, and reliability. Among the top contributors to this space, Intel CPUs have consistently been at the forefront, with innovations that continue to shape the future of data centers and cloud computing. This article explores the pivotal role Intel CPUs play in these areas, emphasizing their impact on performance, scalability, energy efficiency, and security.

The Evolution of Intel CPUs in Data Centers

Intel’s journey in the data center space dates back to the mid-1990s, with the launch of the Intel Pentium Pro processor. While it was originally designed for high-performance computing tasks, the Pentium Pro laid the groundwork for more advanced server-grade CPUs. It featured capabilities like out-of-order execution and superscalar architecture, significantly improving processing speeds.

The real turning point came in 1998 with the introduction of Intel Xeon processors. Specifically designed for servers and workstations, Xeon processors delivered enhanced performance, reliability, and scalability—qualities that would become synonymous with Intel in the data center market. Xeon CPUs have continuously evolved, with each new generation improving on core count, clock speeds, and power efficiency.

A major advantage of Intel CPUs in data centers is their scalability. Intel’s multi-core architecture allows data centers to handle vast workloads by distributing tasks across many cores. This becomes especially important in cloud computing environments, where resource allocation and load balancing are essential for smooth and uninterrupted operations.

Performance and Efficiency in Cloud Computing

Performance and energy efficiency are critical factors for cloud computing environments, where massive amounts of data are processed and stored. Intel CPUs have played a vital role in improving both.

Intel’s Hyper-Threading Technology (HTT) is one such innovation that boosts performance by enabling each CPU core to handle multiple threads simultaneously. This means that a single core can manage more tasks in parallel, improving overall system throughput. In the context of cloud computing, where multiple virtual machines and containers run concurrently, HTT optimizes resource utilization and shortens processing times.

Energy efficiency is another major focus for Intel, especially in data centers, where power consumption is a key concern. Intel processors integrate several advanced power management features, such as Intel Speed Shift Technology and Intel Turbo Boost Technology. These technologies adjust power consumption and clock speeds based on workload demands, providing an ideal balance of performance and energy efficiency. This not only reduces operational costs but also lowers the environmental impact of cloud computing.

Intel CPUs are also optimized for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tasks, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in cloud computing. With technologies like Intel Deep Learning Boost (DL Boost), Intel CPUs are designed to accelerate AI inferencing workloads, making them a top choice for AI applications in the cloud.

Reliability and Security

The reliability and security of data centers and cloud services are non-negotiable. Intel has made significant strides to ensure its processors meet the highest standards for both. Intel Xeon processors, for example, support Error-Correcting Code (ECC) memory, which detects and corrects memory errors—an essential feature for maintaining data integrity and system stability.

Intel also addresses security concerns with its Software Guard Extensions (SGX), a technology that provides hardware-based memory encryption. This enables developers to create secure enclaves for sensitive data, protecting it even if the underlying operating system or firmware is compromised. Additionally, Intel’s hardware-enhanced virtualization technologies—such as Intel VT-x and VT-d—improve the performance and security of virtual machines, which are central to cloud computing.

Future Innovations and Trends

Looking ahead, Intel is poised to continue shaping the future of data centers and cloud computing. Heterogeneous computing, which integrates different types of processors like CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs, is one of the key trends Intel is exploring. Through initiatives like oneAPI, Intel aims to provide a unified programming model for diverse computing architectures, allowing data centers to optimize performance for a wide range of applications.

Another exciting frontier for Intel is quantum computing. While still in its early stages, quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize data processing and storage. Intel is heavily invested in quantum research, with the goal of developing quantum processors (qubits) and building the infrastructure needed to support them.

Sustainability also remains a priority. As concerns about climate change intensify, data centers are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. Intel’s commitment to green computing is reflected in their ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency in future CPU models.

Conclusion

Intel CPUs have played an integral role in the success of data centers and cloud computing, enabling the performance, scalability, and efficiency that these technologies demand. From the early days of the Pentium Pro to the cutting-edge Xeon processors, Intel has continuously innovated to meet the needs of modern businesses. With advancements in AI, machine learning, quantum computing, and sustainability, Intel’s contributions will only grow in importance.

As data centers and cloud computing platforms continue to evolve, Intel will remain a key player, driving technological advancements and helping businesses navigate the increasingly digital world. Whether it’s powering AI applications, supporting virtualized environments, or optimizing cloud infrastructure, Intel CPUs will continue to be at the heart of the next wave of digital transformation.

Want to Buy Intel CPUs in Bulk From VSTL?

If you want to buy Intel CPUs in bulk, VSTL offers a reliable solution for businesses and organizations needing high-performance processors. With a wide range of Intel CPUs tailored to different needs, VSTL provides competitive pricing and excellent customer support to ensure you get the right products for your data center or cloud computing infrastructure. Whether upgrading existing systems or building new ones, VSTL’s bulk purchasing options make it easy to equip your operations with the latest Intel technology.

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Revolutionizing Image Sharing: Why FaceSync is the Best Free Online Photo Sharing Website

In an age where digital growth is expansive, preserving and sharing memories has become one of the rivets of daily life. With great need in mind, free online photo sharing websites have quickly grown into a hub of high demand that extends to reliable and simple interfaces. While many photo-sharing sites pursue that need, most still falter in offering an optimum combination of thread qualities: security, simplicity, and functionality. Enter FaceSync.app, the game-changer; it sets out to change how people store, share, and enjoy photos.

FaceSync is nothing close to just another one among a billion photo-sharing platforms; it is a trailblazer developed for exceptionally complex technology while being user-friendly. Whether one wants to share family memories, manage professional portfolios, or work on creative teamwork assignments, FaceSync comes with the right tools aimed at fulfilling each of the above bright purposes. So let's take a look at why FaceSync is suited as the best free online photo-sharing website that could clear the threshold.

Core Features Beyond Photo Sharing Matters

FaceSync’s robust features are now the standard-bearer of a free online photo-sharing website. Unlike many in the photo-sharing industry, FaceSync seamlessly marries user comfort and advanced technology.

Unlimited Storage:

One of FaceSync's core features is its remarkable unlimited storage capacity. Most photo sharing sites will limit storage so as to make their users choose between quality and certain cherished memories. But thanks to FaceSync, you never have to think about running out of space-your little family, your associate photographers, and even businesses will find FaceSync a blessing.

High-Quality Image Preservation:

FaceSync makes sure your images remain untouched, offering you lossless image uploads. Unlike the platforms ‘compress’ files, this free online photo sharing website keeps your memories just as they were when you last captured them.

Real-Time Sharing:

The instant sharing feature allows users to connect in real-time. FaceSync allows you to share photos and pictures in almost the same manner you capture a moment, with the first being holiday photos among family members or team-based project collaboration.

Trustworthy Free Online Photo Sharing Site-A Safe Passage Way to Share Photos

Since many photo sharing sites deal with third-party integrations, photo sharing often raises a red flag-to users- for security reasons. However, FaceSync liberates users from fear for a quality experience where privacy is of utmost concern. Each upload on this free online photo sharing website will be encrypted, thus rendering the file-visible just for authorized users.

Moreover, a unique privacy setting makes FaceSync stand out. One can create their private albums, have specific groups to share their links with, or set expiration dates on shared links. Most photo-sharing sites do not have such strong privacy options.

Versatile Applications for Every User

FaceSync is built for every member of the audience, making it a popular free online photo sharing website among simple users and organizations alike. Let's go ahead and analyze their needs and how FaceSync caters to them.

For Families:

Families struggle with the organization and sharing of pictures in different generations. FaceSync makes the creation and sharing of albums painless. Now grandparents, parents, and children have one happy place where they can relive their memories.

For Professionals:

Photographers, designers, and marketers want a photo-sharing site where they can share high-resolution images with other collaborators. FaceSync easily fits the bill in this regard allowing sharing of large files and lots of feedback features.

In Creative Work:

For artists and artists’ works, the collaboration certainly counts. FaceSync provides real-time sharing and editing capability-FaceSync does inner-bonding for teams working collaboratively over shared albums or projects. 

The Contribution of AI to the Excellence of FaceSync

FaceSync's primary features include the complementary effect of artificial intelligence compared to other free photo-sharing sites. AI tools will improve the user experience by performing repetitive tasks, thus offering features and functions that other photo-sharing sites cannot:

Automatic Tagging: Images categorized automatically basing on containing location, subject, or people.

Facial Recognition: Identify and categorize all pics of the same person in a single profile, which promotes organization.

Predictive Sharing: Predictive sharing based on AI-suggested options for sharing, which makes it easy to see which news to share.

These features make it possible for users to spend less time managing their pictures to have more time enjoying them.

FaceSync vs. Other Photo Sharing Sites

Traditional photo-sharing sites often lack the adjustability and ingenuity that today's users expect. FaceSync wi

ll suffice in filling such gaps by granting the following:

Cross-platform compatibility: One can use FaceSync on desktop, mobile, and tablet without degrading any function.

Customizable sharing options: You can have a personalized sharing experience that includes options such as albums with password protection or public links.

Community building: Meeting through experiences to create a sense of belonging.

Each one of these improvements makes FaceSync the greatest free photo-sharing website that runs with the changing needs of its user.

Sustainable Practices of Digital Life

FaceSync positions itself as a modern-day pioneer in sustainable eco-conscious approaches guided to offering a free online photo sharing website. Ecologically friendly hosting solutions in tandem with reduced energy consumption carry FaceSync on the crest of its environmental conscience. This aspect distinctly defines it from many other photo sharing sites otherwise seemingly indifferent to their effect on the ecology. 

Real User Testimonials: A Glimpse of Satisfaction

Throughout its existence, FaceSync has generated rave reviews for introducing a fresh approach to photo sharing sites. Here are Hypothetical awards of verified customers that observe its strengths:

“Best free online photo sharing site I've used so far! FaceSync is pure simplicity; simple to use, fast and secure!” – Sarah, a photographer.

“I love how I can share my albums with family so easily; nothing else compares to other photo sharing sites.” – John, a parent.

“As a designer, I rely on FaceSync to collaborate with clients. It's a game-changer!” – Alex, a creative professional.

The Future of FaceSync

This is not the end of the road for FaceSync; as a premier free online photo sharing website, it has decided to ride on top of innovation waves. Possible future updates include:

Augmented Reality Integration: Visualize photos in real-world environments.

Blockchain-Based Security: Increased privacy from decentralized data storage.

Wider Collab Tools: More project editing and feedback tools for teams.

These innovations ensure that FaceSync will receive its due recognition in comparison to the photo-sharing sites worldwide.

Official Free Online Photo Sharing Website

FaceSync.app is more of an evolution down the lane of easy, safe, and intelligent photo sharing. Combining contemporary innovation, ease-of-use, and full security, unlike other photo-sharing websites out there, it will answer all your photo-sharing issues.

From the least of users to the most professional, this is the free online photo-sharing site that guarantees satisfaction! Initiate the journey on FaceSync now and see how photo sharing should really be done.

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Taiwan Metiz Alliance Celebrates 25 Years of Success and Innovation in Tool Manufacturing

Taipei, Taiwan – November 28, 2024 — Taiwan Metiz Alliance (TMA), a leading ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturer of high-quality cold heading tooling, warm heading tooling, hot forging tooling, thread rolling, and nut tapping tools, proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary. Founded on October 25, 1999, TMA has evolved from a small trading company into a trusted global supplier of precision tools for fastener manufacturers, known for unparalleled quality and innovation.

Over the past 25 years, TMA has continuously invested in infrastructure, logistics, digitalization, and advanced quality control to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving tool manufacturing industry. Through a combination of state-of-the-art CNC machinery, vacuum furnaces, EDM machines, high-grade Japanese and European steels, and advanced coating techniques, TMA has established itself as a top choice for reliable, durable tooling solutions.

“We are grateful to our dedicated partners, clients, and suppliers who have been instrumental to our growth and success,” said [CEO/President Mr. Fu Lid]. “As we celebrate this milestone, we are excited to continue innovating and expanding our capabilities to serve a global market.”

TMA’s product lineup includes a comprehensive range of high-quality punches, cutting dies, nut taps, thread-rolling dies, and various carbide and steel tools for cold and hot forming. Each product undergoes rigorous inspection to ensure it meets the highest industry standards for durability and performance, providing exceptional value for clients worldwide.

Looking forward, https://tooling.tw/ remains committed to pioneering advancements in tooling technology and manufacturing processes, focusing on quality, customer satisfaction, and sustainable growth. The company extends its sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and contributed to its journey.

Here’s to the next 25 years of success, partnership, and innovation!

About Taiwan Metiz Alliance: Taiwan Metiz Alliance (TMA), established in 1999, is a licensed manufacturer of cold and hot forming tools, known worldwide for reliability and exceptional functionality. Our ISO 9001:2015 certification emphasizes our dedication to quality, producing top-grade cold heading, warm heading, hot forging, thread rolling, and nut tapping tools. Each tool is crafted from high-quality Japanese and European steels, coated with advanced materials, and subjected to rigorous inspection. Combining Taiwanese manufacturing expertise, premium materials, advanced equipment, design software, and the latest technology, TMA delivers superior quality at competitive prices. Contact us at info@rgt.tw or call +886-2-278-45675 to discuss your tooling needs.

Media Contact:

Taiwan Metiz Alliance (TMA)

Website: https://tooling.tw/contact-us.html 

Tel: +886-2-278-45675 

Email: info@rgt.tw  

Address: 2F-1, No. 65, Section 3, Hsin-Yi Road, Daan District, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C., 10651 

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