Your digest of the week’s top media, entertainment and technology news.
Worldwide cyber warfare
Security experts voice fears over the White House’s lack of acknowledgement addressing the recent politically motivated cyber crimes. President Trump’s refusal to publicly identify the known attackers will have a widespread impact on international cyber security, according to experts quoted by Reuters.
Cyber crime spikes with DIY downloads
Downloadable DIY ransomware software is blamed for the spike in cyber crime attacks, say experts. According to the BBC a normal search engine has proved malware software easy to acquire, resulting in a high volume of downloads.
Adobe to pull plug on Flash by 2020
Adobe Systems announced their Flash Player installation programme often required to run video clips and play games online is being phased out by the end of 2020. Adobe who has received criticism for its flawed code quickly became a popular way for hackers to spread computer viruses. HTML5 offers a rival which Adobe Vice President of Product Development Govind Balakrishnan said had evolved as a viable alternative.
5G live in London
The first trial of 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) network operating system developed by Arqiva and Samsung has launched and is currently live in central London. Likened to home broadband but delivered wirelessly, it will benefit the UK in connectivity goals and remain competitive with the global Asian markets who are leading the charge with 5G.
Facebook: from acquisitions to advancements
Source3 - an intellectual property start up company - has been acquired by Facebook to help combat content piracy with the rise of illegal sharing the IP, copyright and trademark expertise will help forge the future of Facebook.
The social evolution continues for Facebook who announced this week new live 360 videos which can be watched using the Oculus virtual reality (VR) headsets in up to 4K resolution. The Next Web reported Facebook’s live 360 video streaming has approved devices and software for engagement using Facebook’s native comments and reactions.
Vice cuts jobs
In a bid to cut costs, Vice Media has announced it will lay off around 60 employees throughout different departments to focus on video creation and move away from online and sports content. Vice CEO Shane Smith defended the job cuts in a wider plan for Vice to become the largest millennial video library in the world.
Guardian gives green light to paywall
The Guardian has championed open and free content for all, with a push for subscriber donations to keep its journalism afloat, however in a change of business strategy the publisher is preparing to launch a paywall, should donations fall short. Chief Executive David Pemsel responded to the revenue losses introducing a three-year initiative with a ready to run paywall subscription base should all else fail.
Next generation of pay-TV
ZoneTV has joined forces with Ooyala to crack a new business model in the linear TV experience. A licensed digital-first of curated TV content delivering customised channels to pay-TV subscribers. ZoneTV combines linear, on-demand with the customer’s personalised experience catering the ultimate personalised TV experience.
Zuckerberg questioned over AI
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg answered questions in a live Facebook stream, saying the promise of AI to enhance lives for good and bad is promising and it was up to investors to innovate with caution. Tesla CEO Elon Musk disagreed and tweeted Zuckerberg, saying his AI knowledge was limited, causing a public spectacle over the topic.
No comments yet