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Facebook pledges $10 millions to fight racial injustice

written by Ruben Jay

As Facebook faces backlash for not censoring President Trump, Mark Zuckerberg pledges $10 million to fight racial injustice. In a post on Sunday Night, the Facebook CEO said that social media platform is  “working with our civil rights advisors and our employees to identify organizations locally and nationally that could most effectively use [the funding] right now.”

The Facebook owned Instagram also came out with a stance of anti-racism and a commitment to raise Black voices on its platform. The Social Media site is highlighting Black stories through the #ShareBlackStories hashtag.

Axios is reporting that Zuckerberg spoke with President Trump on the phone in regards to the Tweet in which Trump said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts…” Zuckerberg reportedly expressed some concerns over “about the tone and rhetoric” of the President’s social media posts.

While Twitter posted a warning label on the President’s tweet, Facebook did not remove the President’s post.

1 June, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessPoliticsTech

Trump signs an executive order aiming to strip social media companies of legal protection

written by Julia Kanin

On Thursday President Trump signed an executive order seeking to limit liability protections of social media companies, according to Fox News. Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship directly challenges the immunity granted by Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act to big tech platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, Instagram, and others. If implemented, websites that allow users to post content will be treated as a publisher, which, in turn, will make them vulnerable for libel or defamation suits. “My executive order calls for new regulations under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to make it so that social media companies that engage in censoring any political conduct will not be able to keep their liability shield,” said Trump.

The move comes just days after Twitter decided to add fact-checking notes to Trump’s tweets about mail-in voting, essentially labeling these messages unsubstantiated. The President blasted social media censorship in a series of tweets, threatening to regulate the platform or close it down in response. “A small handful of powerful social media monopolies controls a vast portion of all public and private communications in the United States,” said Trump during the press conference on Thursday. “They’ve had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter virtually any form of communication between private citizens and large public audiences.” The President also hinted on the development of policies and procedures preventing social media companies engaged in repression of free speech from receiving federal funding.

This executive order immediately came under criticism. Trump was accused of being an authoritarian who wants to silence his critics and his actions were painted illegal in an op-ed by The L.A. Times. “When Twitter commented on the President’s tweets, it engaged in conduct that the Constitution protects,” said Len Niehoff, a professor from the University of Michigan Law School. He argued that Trump’s actions actually violate the freedom of speech rights of the companies and thus have little legal rights. “We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. This does not make us an ‘arbiter of truth.’ Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves. More transparency from us is critical so folks can clearly see the why behind our actions,” CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey stated on Wednesday, supporting the actions of the company.

The head of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg during the interview with Fox News said that his policies are different from Twitter’s and the platform will not fact-check posts made President Trump other politicians. He expressed this position earlier this year and doesn’t plan to change the views on this matter. “I believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online. I think in general, private companies shouldn’t be, especially these platform companies, shouldn’t be in the position of doing that.” However, Zuckerberg also lamented about “reactionary and politicized moves” because they will restrict more speech online.

1 June, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessEntertainmentHBO MaxStreamingTech

The incredible library launching at HBO Max

written by Ruben Jay

HBO MAX has released the full library of content that will be available from the new service launching May 27. Check out this incredible library:

HBO Max launches May 27th, but that’s just the beginning of what this exciting new streaming bundle has to offer. The month of June brings hundreds of sizzling hot movies and series to keep everyone in the family entertained all month long.

New Max Originals this June include kids’ adventure competition series Karma, the Adventure Time: Distant Lands BMO special, the third season of the critically-acclaimed comedy Search Party, the second seasons of Doom Patrol, Esme & Roy, and Summer Camp Island.

HBO Max theatrical highlights include Academy Award®-winner Titanic, Veronica Mars, Magic Mike starring Channing Tatum, Chicago, Cabaret, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and timeless romantics You’ve Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally.

New HBO original series will be also be available on HBO Max: Perry Mason starring Emmy®winner Matthew Rhys, I May Destroy You from executive producer and star Michaela Coel, and the docu-series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark premiere alongside comedy special Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!. HBO finales this month include I Know This Much is True starring Mark Ruffalo, We’re Here, which features renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela Laquifa Wadley, and Insecure starring Golden Globe®-nominated actress Issa Rae. In honor of Pride month, HBO documentaries Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn, Transhood, and Welcome to Chechnya will debut in the month.

To top it off, blockbusters such as Ad Astra starring Brad Pitt, Academy Award® Nominee for Best Picture Ford V. Ferrari, horror film Doctor Sleep, and The Good Liar will join the HBO service starting this June as well.

June 1:

4th & Forever: Muck City, Season One

Adventures In Babysitting, 1987 (HBO)

Amelie, 2001 (HBO)

An American Werewolf in London, 1981 (HBO)

The American, 2010 (HBO)

Another Cinderella Story, 2008

Beautiful Girls, 1996 (HBO)

Black Beauty, 1994

Bridget Jones’s Baby, 2016

The Bucket List, 2007

Cabaret, 1972

The Champ, 1979

Chicago, 2002

A Cinderella Story, 2004

A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, 2011

Clash Of The Titans, 2010

Cradle 2 the Grave, 2003

Crash, 2005 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

Doubt, 2008 (HBO)

Dreaming Of Joseph Lees, 1999 (HBO)

Drop Dead Gorgeous, 1999

Dune, 1984 (HBO)

Elf, 2003

Enter The Dragon, 1973

Far and Away, 1992 (HBO)

Final Destination, 2000

Final Destination 2, 2003

Final Destination 3, 2006

The Final Destination, 2009

Firewall, 2006

Flipped, 2010

Forces of Nature, 1999 (HBO)

The Fountain, 2006 (HBO)

Frantic, 1988

From Dusk Til Dawn, 1996

Full Metal Jacket, 1987
Gente De Zona: En Letra De Otro, 2018 (HBO)

The Good Son, 1993 (HBO)

The Goonies, 1985

Hanna, 2011 (HBO)

Havana, 1990 (HBO)

He Got Game, 1998 (HBO)

Heaven Can Wait, 1978

Heidi, 2006

Hello Again, 1987 (HBO)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 2013

The Hunger, 1983

In Her Shoes, 2005 (HBO)

In Like Flint, 1967 (HBO)

The Iron Giant, 1999

It Takes Two, 1995

Juice, 1992

The Last Mimzy, 2007

License To Wed, 2007

Life, 1999 (HBO)

Lifeforce, 1985 (HBO)

Lights Out, 2016 (HBO)

Like Water For Chocolate, 1993 (HBO)

Looney Tunes: Back in Action, 2003

The Losers, 2010

Love Jones, 1997
Lucy, 2020 (HBO)

Magic Mike, 2012

McCabe and Mrs. Miller, 1971

Misery, 1990

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, 2008 (HBO)

A Monster Calls, 2016 (HBO)

Mr. Wonderful, 1993 (HBO)

Must Love Dogs, 2005

My Dog Skip, 2000

Mystic River, 2003

The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, 1991

The Neverending Story, 1984

New York Minute, 2004

Nights In Rodanthe, 2008

No Reservations, 2007

Ordinary People, 1980

Our Man Flint, 1966 (HBO)

The Parallax View, 1974

Patch Adams, 1998 (HBO)

A Perfect World, 1993
Pedro Capo: En Letra Otro, 2017 (HBO)

Personal Best, 1982

Presumed Innocent, 1990

Ray, 2004 (HBO)

Richie Rich (Movie), 1994

Rosewood, 1997

Rugrats Go Wild, 2003

Running on Empty, 1988

Secondhand Lions, 2003

She’s The Man, 2006 (HBO)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2011 (HBO)

Space Cowboys, 2000

Speed Racer, 2008

Splendor in the Grass, 1961

The Stepfather, 1987 (HBO)

Summer Catch, 2001

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1990

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, 1991

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, 1993

Tess, 1980 (HBO)

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, 2005

The Time Traveler’s Wife, 2009

Titanic, 1997

TMNT, 2007

Torch Song Trilogy, 1988

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, 1997 (HBO)

Tweety’s High-Flying Adventures, 2000

U-571, 2000 (HBO)

U.S. Marshals, 1998

Unaccompanied Minors, 2006

Uncle Buck, 1989 (HBO)

Veronica Mars, 2014

Walking and Talking, 1996 (HBO)

We Are Marshall, 2006

Weird Science, 1985 (HBO)

When Harry Met Sally, 1989

Wild Wild West, 1999

Wonder, 2019 (HBO)

X-Men: First Class, 2011 (HBO)

You’ve Got Mail, 1998

 

June 2:

Inside Carbonaro, Season One (TruTV)
June 4:

HBO First Look: The King of Staten Island (HBO)
We’re Here, Season Finale (HBO)

 

June 5:

Betty, Season Finale (HBO)
June 6:

Ad Astra, 2019 (HBO)

Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It! (HBO)

 

June 7:

I May Destroy You, Series Premiere (HBO)
June 10:

Infinity Train, Season 2 Premiere

June 12:

El asesino de los caprichos (AKA The Goya Murders), 2020 (HBO)

 

June 13:

The Good Liar, 2019 (HBO)

 

June 14:

I Know This Much Is True, Limited Series Finale (HBO)

Insecure, Season 4 Finale (HBO)

 

June 16:
#GeorgeWashington, 2017

Age of Big Cats, Season One

Ancient Earth, Season One

Apocalypse: WWI, Season One

Big World in A Small Garden, 2016

The Celts: Blood, Iron & Sacrifice, Season One
Cornfield Shipwreck, 2019

The Daunting Fortress of Richard the Lionheart, 2019

David Attenborough’s Ant Mountain, 2016

David Attenbourough’s Light on Earth, 2016

DeBugged, 2018

Digits, Season One

Dragons & Damsels, 2019

Ebony: The Last Years of The Atlantic Slave Trade, 2016

Expedition: Black Sea Wrecks, Season One

First Man, 2017

Going Nuts: Tales from Squirrel World, 2019

Hack the Moon: Unsung Heroes of Apollo, 2019

The History of Food, Season One

Hurricane the Anatomy, Season One, 2018

Into the Lost Crystal Caves, 2016

Jason Silva: Transhumanism, 2016

King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis (Part 1 & Part 2), Season One

Knuckleball!, 2019

Leonardo: The Mystery of The Lost Portrait, 2018

Looney Tunes (Batch 2) (6/22), Season One

Man’s First Friend, 2018

Penguin Central, 2019

Pompeii: Disaster Street, 2020

Popeye (Batch 2) (6/22), Season One

Pyramids Builders: New Clues, 2019

Realm of the Volga, Season One

Sacred Spaces, Season One
Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer, Documentary Premiere (CNN)

  • Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer is the sensational true story of the most infamous tabloid in US history, a wild, probing look at how one newspaper’s prescient grasp of its readers’ darkest curiosities led it to massive profits and influence

Scanning the Pyramids, 2018

Science vs. Terrorism, Season One

The Secret Lives of Big Cats, Season One

Secret Life of Lakes, Season One

Secret Life Underground, Season One

Secrets of the Solar System, Season One

Space Probes!, Season One

Speed, Season One

Spies of War , Season One

Tales of Nature, Season One

Tsunamis: Facing a Global Threat, 2020

Versailles Rediscovered: The Sun King’s Vanished Palace, 2019

Viking Women, Season One

Vitamania, 2018

Whale Wisdom, 2019

The Woodstock Bus, 2019

 

 

June 18:
Summer Camp Island, Season 2 Premiere
Karma, Series Premiere

  • Karma takes sixteen contestants, ranging in age from 12 to 15, completely off the grid, away from parents and the normal comforts of home, to solve puzzles and overcome physical challenges, with the laws of karma setting the rules. This adventure competition series, led by YouTube host Michelle Khare, will test the mental and physical stamina of its young contestants as they unravel how their social actions impact their success in the game.

 

June 19:

Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Entre Nos: The Winners (HBO)

Bajo el mismo techo (AKA Under the Same Roof), 2020 (HBO)

 

June 20:

Ford V. Ferrari, 2020 (HBO)

 

June 21:

Perry Mason, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)

  • This drama series follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.

June 22:
Hard, Series Finale (HBO)

June 24:

South Park, Seasons 1-23

Transhood, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

 

June 25:

Adventure Time Distant Lands: BMO, Special Premiere

  • Based on the animated series Adventure Time created by Pendleton Ward and executive produced by Adam Muto, these four breakout specials explore the unseen corners of the world with characters both familiar and brand new. The first of these specials is BMO, which follows the lovable little robot on a new adventure. When there’s a deadly space emergency in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, there’s only one hero to call, and it’s probably not BMO. Except that this time it is!

Doom Patrol, Season 2 Premiere

Esme & Roy, Season 2A Premiere

Search Party, Season 3 Premiere

 

June 26:

Hormigas (AKA The Awakening of the Ants), 2020
June 27:

Doctor Sleep (Director’s Cut), 2020 (HBO)

 

June 28:

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Docuseries Premiere (HBO)

  • A six-part documentary series based on the book of the same name and explores writer Michelle McNamara’s investigation into the dark world of a violent predator she dubbed the Golden State Killer.

 

June 30:

Welcome to Chechnya, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

  • This searing documentary shadows a group of brave activists risking their lives to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ persecution in the repressive and closed Russian republic of Chechnya.

22 May, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessTech

Apple’s iPhones may no longer come with free earbuds

written by Ruben Jay

Apple may no longer provide iPhone owners with a new pair of wired earbuds with a purchase of a new phone. Since 2007, Apple has always included a set of earbuds with a new iPhone.

A few years back, Apple redesigned their phone to no longer include the tradition 3.3.5mm headphone jack and redesigned their earbuds to have a lightening connector.

The move to discontinue earbuds from new iPhone purchases is to push consumers to purchase Apple Airpods, their wireless earbuds. Apple also owns Beats by Dre, a line of top-tier bluetooth headphones and earbuds.

Apple could also be wanting to see sales of their $9 adapters to turn traditional 3.5mm earbuds into lightening cable. Apple is currently set to release 4 new iPhones this year.

20 May, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessTech

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey says employees can work from home “forever”

written by Ruben Jay

Twitter has become the first company to allow employees work from home in “forever”. CEO Jack Dorsey said in an email to employees that they could opt into work from home if their job duties allow it.

Dorsey also stated that Twitter is unlikely to open their office doors before September. Twitter has also cancelled all business travel and in-person evens through the end of the year.

Twitter’s share were up 0.6%.

13 May, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessEntertainmentStreamingTech

Short-form video Quibi blames Covid-19 for failed launch

written by Ruben Jay

Quibi, a short-form video platform, is blaming the Coronavirus for the apps failed launch. The New York Post is reporting that Jeffrey Katzenberg (Quibi’s founder) is unhappy with the 1.7 million downloads their app has recieved since launching on April 6.

The App was quickly in the top 50 most downloaded in the Apple App Store. However, Quibi quickly fell from top 50 to number 125.

“I attribute everything that has gone wrong to coronavirus,” Katzenberg said in an interview with the New York Times published Monday. “Everything. But we own it.”

Quibi has signed deals with Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, Liam Hemsworth, WWE, and many other names. However, they haven’t spent much money to bring current digital creators onto their platform.

The app has been downloaded a total of 3.5 million times and have roughly 1.3 million “active users”.

On a personal note, Quibi is the perfect app for a lockdown like the one we are in. Quibi should be exploding right now. The fact that they are not is 100% on them and 0% on Coronvirus.

The company is offered a 90 day free trial, now 14 days, and have not been promoting all that much. In all fairness, I have only seen a handful of ads. They have not been doing a great job promoting.

Some advice to Quibi: Take the old Netflix model of offering an affiliate program. If a content creator can get people to sign up for your service, give them a cut.

Quibi raised over $1 billion and had former HP CEO and former California Gubernatorial candidate, Meg Whitman.

13 May, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessTech

Elon Musk resumes work at California factory “against Alameda County rules”

written by Ruben Jay

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tweeted out today that he plans to resume production at the Alameda County facility against the “stay-at-home” orders in place in the County. Musk also said that he would be on the line with production employees and that he would be willing to go to jail.

“Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules,” he said in a tweet. “I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.”

According to Business Insider, Tesla employees were called and texted to be told that work would resume. They claim that their jobs were risked if they did not feel comfortable to return to work.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press conference on Monday that he expected Tesla to be able to open sometime next week.

“My understanding is they have had some very constructive conversations,” he said in a video press conference. “My belief and hope and expectation is as early as next week, they will be able to resume.”

Musk has seen a massive outpouring of support for his decision to resume production.

 

11 May, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessTech

Videoconference service Zoom lies about daily active users

written by Ruben Jay

In a world of tele-working, virtual classrooms, and video chatting with friends, Zoom has become the go-to service to use. Zoom claimed to have 300 daily users (up from 10 million daily users in December 2019).

However, The Verge is reporting that Zoom has changed the wording of their stats. The original reports said that they had “300 million daily users” and changed it to “300 daily meeting participants”.

“We are humbled and proud to help over 300 million daily meeting participants stay connected during this pandemic. In a blog post on April 22, we unintentionally referred to these participants as “users” and “people.” When we realized this error, we adjusted the wording to “participants.” This was a genuine oversight on our part,” the company told the outlet in a statement.

A “daily user” could be defined as one individual person hosting a meeting, a meeting participant could be someone who doesn’t have a Zoom account.

Zoom’s apology didn’t update the actual daily users.

4 May, 2020 0 comment
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BusinessTech

Apple’s Services division brings in $13.3 Billion in revenue

written by Ruben Jay

Apple’s long road to pivoting into a services company is beginning to pay off. Apple announced last week that their services division brought in over $13 billion in revenue. The services that Apple provides includes Apple Music Apple TV+, iCloud, App Store, and Apple Arcade.

Apple’s first quarter touted revenue of $58.3 billion, up one percent from 2019.

“Despite COVID-19’s unprecedented global impact, we’re proud to report that Apple grew for the quarter, driven by an all-time record in Services and a quarterly record for Wearables,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “In this difficult environment, our users are depending on Apple products in renewed ways to stay connected, informed, creative, and productive.”

Apple TV+ is struggling to grow their subscribers base since its launch in November 2019. According to Fast Company, Apple has 33.6 million subscribers while Disney+ touts over 50 million paid users.

4 May, 2020 0 comment
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