Tech News - Programming

Shazam, the popular song-identifying app removed support for all third-party SDKs with one exception as reported by Appfigures blog. The removed SDKs were of ad networks, analytics trackers, etc. They were removed since these SDKs leaked data to third parties in some way. This is something that Apple is against and is following it on Shazam as they acquired it for $400M last September. The SDKs removed in the iOS update are: Admob Bolts Doubleclick FB ads FB analytics FB login Inmobi IAS Moat Mopub The only third party SDK retained is HockeyApp. Apple doesn't keep third-party SDKs in any of their apps except apple support. On Android, however, the following SDKs are still present for Shazam: Bolts FB analytics Butter knife Crashlytics Fabric Firebase Google maps Okhttp Otto Some users agree with the decision like this comment from Hacker news: “Makes sense, now that Apple owns them.” Another user shared his views on retaining the HockeyApp: “Makes sense to keep the HockeyApp integration as it is an amazing tool for crash analysis and they still need that. Integration with crash analytic is a different type of integration than facebook, advertisement and the other stuff (crap) they have removed.” Apple buys Shazam, and will soon make the app ad-free Apple acquires Pullstring to possibly help Apple improve Siri and other IoT-enabled gadgets China’s Huawei technologies accused of stealing Apple’s trade secrets, reports The Information

After Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,  Microsoft’s LinkedIn is getting into the league of video live streaming service by launching ‘LinkedIn Live’, this week, as reported by TechCrunch. This feature will allow people and organizations to broadcast real-time video to selected groups or the entire LinkedIn audience. Though, it’s still not clear when will LinkedIn make it possible for everyone to create LinkedIn live videos. LinkedIn Live will be rolled out to selected U.S. users via invite-only for the initial beta phase. Eventually, LinkedIn will also post a contact form for the users who want to apply for accessing this service. The initial live content that LinkedIn hopes to broadcast would include conferences, product announcements, Q&As and other events led by mentors and influencers, earnings calls, graduation and awards ceremonies, and more. LinkedIn is partnering with several third-party developers of live broadcasting streaming services including, Wirecast, Switcher Studio, Wowza Media Systems and more for creating and posting more polished live video on LinkedIn. Microsoft’s Azure cloud media product will be handling the encoding services for LinkedIn Live. The reason behind bringing LinkedIn Live LinkedIn introduced its first native video features in 2017 and within 17 months, LinkedIn has seen a boost in traffic and revenues from videos on its platform. Pete Davies, the director of product management at LinkedIn, said, “Video is the fastest growing format on our platform right now, and the one most likely to get people talking. Live video has been a big request—not least, I’d wager, because it is such a prominent part of how video is being used on other social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, putting the functionality front of mind.” Other than user requests, there might be more reasons to add this feature. The reasons could possibly be engagement and revenue generation. LinkedIn has generated revenue around videos via video advertising so far. During Microsoft’s last quarterly earnings, the company reported that revenues at LinkedIn were up 29 percent, with a reference to growing its ads business specifically. In a statement to TechCrunch, LinkedIn said, “Video ads earn 30 percent more comments per impression than non-video ads and that LinkedIn members spend almost three times more time watching video ads compared to time spent with static Sponsored Content.” As content is in the priority of LinkedIn Live, there are chances that the company might explore other ways of monetizing the content beyond ads. For instance, the company could charge viewers for unique experiences like conferences or for making certain Live events. It could also charge users for broadcasting content. LinkedIn might even launch Stories feature soon Last year, the company planned to work on implementing stories feature for the platform. The company plans to start off with “Student Voices” for university students in the U.S. This would allow students to post short videos to their Campus Playlist, which includes short 30-45 seconds videos made by college students. LinkedIn is possibly moving in the direction of rich content, with live streaming videos and stories the company might see a major benefit in terms of revenue and data. These live streaming videos will create an impact on the reach of the platform and also might help the platform’s premium subscription in near future. Tech jobs dominate LinkedIn’s most promising jobs in 2019 LinkedIn used email addresses of 18M non-members to buy targeted ads on Facebook, reveals a report by DPC, Ireland Creator-Side Optimization: How LinkedIn’s new feed model helps small creators    

The Computer Literacy Project was launched by the BBC in the early eighties. Running throughout the decade, it aimed to document and explore computing and programming for a generation of British people born long before the concept even emerged. The corporation even created its own personal computer, called the BBC Micro, which people could use to learn how to program. Now, the BBC has opened up access to its entire Computer Literacy Project archive. Featuring 267 programs, 146 of which were part of the original Computer Literacy Project, it offers a valuable insight into the years when computing began to enter into the public consciousness. There are also interviews with particularly young-looking Steve Wozniak and Bill gates... Run BBC Micro software in your browser The initiative also features old BBC Micro programs that you can run in your browser. These include BASE3, which illustrates how a database works, and ENCRY3B, which shows you some simple encryption methods from the eighties. It's well worth exploring! The best Computer Literacy Project TV shows The archive features an impressive range of content. Some of it features even earlier television programs, like Tomorrow's World, a BBC technology program. Watch this clip to see what computing in the sixties looked like... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bzTgbHn83Q But many of the programs were created as part of the project too. Here are some of the best, which you can watch online for free. The Silicon Factor, first broadcast in 1980 This show was a prequel to everything that we've been living through over the last 30 years. It explores how microchips could change British industry, and what might happen if Britain fails to keep up with the rest of the world. It's well worth watching as a useful historical document of how people viewed technology at the end of the twentieth century. There are certainly some parallels with where we are today and the concerns around artificial intelligence and automation. Electronic Office, first broadcast in 1984 Electronic Office was a prophetic look at the lives we'd lead today. Okay, so it isn't all prophetic, and some it might seem strange to us today. But there's obviously much more about how we work today that would seem even stranger to anyone watching the program in the mid-eighties. With a Little Help from the Chip, first broadcast in 1985 With a Little Help from the Chip throws up plenty of interesting parallels with where we are today in terms of IoT and connected homes. It also demonstrates how technology can be used to support people who need it. It gives us an insight on an one of the earliest ways in which technology was used to provide an innovative solution to a complex social issue. The BBC reminds us that people drive innovation, not technology Yes, the archive is a fun and engaging way to look at the history of software, but it also reminds us that innovation is never set in stone. Progress and development are often uncertain (and sometimes a little bit frightening). It has taken a generation of people to get us to where we are today - and it will take generations of people to build the future.