tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50503525496097733732024-03-19T04:52:50.660+05:00Digital Information WorldCovering the world of marketing, social media, technology and business news.Irfan Ahmadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03884881054646342616noreply@blogger.comBlogger26127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-28474735251750559012024-03-18T17:50:00.007+05:002024-03-18T17:50:59.649+05:00AI Revolution: Survey Finds 67% of Businesses Leverage AI for SEO and ContentA study conducted by <a href="https://www.semrush.com/goodcontent/ai-content-marketing-report/" target="_blank">SEMRush</a> <a href="https://www.semrush.com/goodcontent/api/ai-content-marketing-report/download/Think_Big_with_AI_Small_Business_Content_Marketing_in_2024.pdf" target="_blank">shows</a> that many companies globally are now using AI to get the work done. Many digital marketers are getting help from AI for their work. Another <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7167682820717338624/" target="_blank">poll shows</a> similar result that 40% of the marketers are using many AI tools while only 13% of the marketers are not incorporating any kind of AI tools in their work. <br /><br />The SEMRush survey was done with 2,600 marketers globally to find out how they are using AI in their work to lessen their work load and add creativity to their work.<br /><br />SEMRush included different kinds of digital marketers in their survey including micro businesses (46%), small businesses (30%), medium sized businesses (16%), Large businesses (7%) and big agencies (1%). The things they learned after the survey was that 67% of these businesses are already using AI for SEO purposes and content generation. 37% of them are not using AI for work because they do not understand it properly and are not sure how it works. After asking the participants if they are satisfied with incorporation of AI in their work, 78% of the marketers said that they are satisfied with the content AI generates for them. <br /><br />58% of the marketers use AI for searching for new ideas for the content they want to produce while 52% rewrite and paraphrase the text they have written through AI to give it a better version. 50% of these marketers use generative AI to write content from scratch. 40% also use AI to expand the text they have written.<br /><br />When the marketers were asked about the kind of content they write with AI, the answers were blog posts (58%), social media posts (55%), short articles (49%) and emails/newsletters (29%). 99% of the participants said that they also use other tools in addition to AI to write content. 50% said that they use analytics while 49% said that they also use SEO tools. 49% use different kinds of prompts for AI to produce content while 41% ask AI to ‘write like a content writer’ when they want it to produce content for marketing purposes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEFI-xVb9K9bRSOXY9XNkXdU6IM6K55jlBrxseDtJC0Ge249RkCftZZw6tnWcmlDiHq8m4wrJe-3eC2usySTBra0vOHibzeqCC8vzvHTlRUMv84hIydwm_O-CeLsHmhITGIfdhSyzsa-QGneYvAWYQbnY4T-fSz5odoxnnAEg4GodnxqM7xemyZkMItTZ/s1429/r.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEFI-xVb9K9bRSOXY9XNkXdU6IM6K55jlBrxseDtJC0Ge249RkCftZZw6tnWcmlDiHq8m4wrJe-3eC2usySTBra0vOHibzeqCC8vzvHTlRUMv84hIydwm_O-CeLsHmhITGIfdhSyzsa-QGneYvAWYQbnY4T-fSz5odoxnnAEg4GodnxqM7xemyZkMItTZ/s16000/r.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uGhbUcp9QC273e9qAYXVM1ewHRVtxtI-cyfYVdPqi6Xpd6k6g_2bnlLmYYBhwrZnvJHaISEV9MP_kmBulRAtKn3i5xXhGhPQIGCSWhJ085F0NE9dXw6Ma4r3TZU7FRjudeUdJJuSz8BcfSFxMiNsrehTUk4tCri1-esg5jTLDisJRCqZey80XNeoTw20/s1307/t.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uGhbUcp9QC273e9qAYXVM1ewHRVtxtI-cyfYVdPqi6Xpd6k6g_2bnlLmYYBhwrZnvJHaISEV9MP_kmBulRAtKn3i5xXhGhPQIGCSWhJ085F0NE9dXw6Ma4r3TZU7FRjudeUdJJuSz8BcfSFxMiNsrehTUk4tCri1-esg5jTLDisJRCqZey80XNeoTw20/s16000/t.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUIyjSIn9gzsheDk8YSqHB7AWL3dsbf-QSgMMuyd2KGCyNbuQRE-ZdZS-6aFsZSgbr_e69FrxXAfFFmX2BoN0mlZFpsjh75ZcfC4F5bUb45KZzXWilrfClx4Xm4-zpH5bmZ-rozIUoU28KWLo8lTbDGAoFoBd2CCBV5mWiJeGBIAxYJRU8txkSPN2fyS_/s1151/u.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUIyjSIn9gzsheDk8YSqHB7AWL3dsbf-QSgMMuyd2KGCyNbuQRE-ZdZS-6aFsZSgbr_e69FrxXAfFFmX2BoN0mlZFpsjh75ZcfC4F5bUb45KZzXWilrfClx4Xm4-zpH5bmZ-rozIUoU28KWLo8lTbDGAoFoBd2CCBV5mWiJeGBIAxYJRU8txkSPN2fyS_/s16000/u.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0ZL9rYLwNW1a7vDyzyJ4yFgH3RwO6oEe0z5sCgBsCQrRF13xnzg8ye9VkqFoT8xOLTNUBSR-SUn6P3kmjajHaW8HSMGlOU773rs4xoWaG8Og-cIzkaoltEG1EWarRvUQfSuNuJQ2ECHuW7r5dcdM01yxyqCRYubO8E8UovszD8go2s4fsyckRQBclq4F/s1389/w.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0ZL9rYLwNW1a7vDyzyJ4yFgH3RwO6oEe0z5sCgBsCQrRF13xnzg8ye9VkqFoT8xOLTNUBSR-SUn6P3kmjajHaW8HSMGlOU773rs4xoWaG8Og-cIzkaoltEG1EWarRvUQfSuNuJQ2ECHuW7r5dcdM01yxyqCRYubO8E8UovszD8go2s4fsyckRQBclq4F/s16000/w.png" /></a></div><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/new-study-finds-link-between-twitter.html" target="_blank">New Study Finds Link Between Twitter (AKA X) and Bad Mental Health</a><p></p>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-350762494483517472024-03-18T17:32:00.006+05:002024-03-18T17:32:34.369+05:00New Study Finds Link Between Twitter (AKA X) and Bad Mental HealthThe notion that using social media is bad for your mental health is something that a lot of people tend to believe in, but studies are showing that it’s not just an assumption. One <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00062-z" target="_blank">such study</a> that was recently published in Communications Psychology revealed some specifics about the manner in which Twitter can have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing.<br /><br />Using real time data, this study indicated that using Twitter can stoke outrage, increase political divides, and make you more bored than might have been the case otherwise. The thing that sets this study apart from the ones that came before is that it didn’t just rely on public data with all things having been considered and taken into account. Instead, it used real time data to paint a more accurate picture of the impact that it can have on someone’s psychology.<br /><br />252 Twitter users who went on the platform at least twice a week were enlisted. This made the data representative of a much wider swathe of the platforms overall user base. Test participants filled out surveys that were sent to them at five points throughout the day between 9 am and 10 pm. This showed their real time reactions to whatever they saw on the site. <br /><br />The survey required participants to outline each and every thing that they did on the site, and their well being was gauged on a scale. Participants would define how their various Twitter activities made them feel, and these activities were subsequently categorized because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making the data easier to sort through.<br /><br />Whenever test participants used Twitter, their sense of wellbeing decreased. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that they also reported increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness, and they also felt bored. While Twitter did have a positive impact on their sense of belonging, the negative effects are hard to ignore. It will be interesting to see if further studies end up confirming the findings from this study.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQ6cyHczQLqQfkjCvS7DiOu7ZohhvOTRZKn80YVormIFPQpBWW9K9HgClHKwLz0S7PfmfaIi4oE46rEzKX7fdgtDtCpuUkXPZSTZQO8oqe3PApbpLAEzueGok1y-XjyVGIGjdi5_jlJ0OstKiSDXw5zo3Ga7TLT3w3Sli7P5jV0rhSAuKcg6BeaHdmXNR/s1024/x-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQ6cyHczQLqQfkjCvS7DiOu7ZohhvOTRZKn80YVormIFPQpBWW9K9HgClHKwLz0S7PfmfaIi4oE46rEzKX7fdgtDtCpuUkXPZSTZQO8oqe3PApbpLAEzueGok1y-XjyVGIGjdi5_jlJ0OstKiSDXw5zo3Ga7TLT3w3Sli7P5jV0rhSAuKcg6BeaHdmXNR/s16000/x-a.jpg" /></a></div><br />Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/fiverr-highlights-top-5-freelance.html" target="_blank">Fiverr Highlights Top 5 Freelance Skills - Web Dev, Video Editing, App Dev, Social Media, AI</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-559535423782532792024-03-18T17:27:00.000+05:002024-03-18T17:27:00.559+05:00Fiverr Highlights Top 5 Freelance Skills - Web Dev, Video Editing, App Dev, Social Media, AIMost people these days are struggling to come to terms with the economic conditions that have become prevalent in the aftermath of Covid-19. As a result of the fact that this is the case, they are often turning to freelancing to help make ends meet, with <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/news/gen-z-survey-2024" target="_blank">70% of Gen Z</a> going down this route.<br /><br />Perhaps the best place to get advice from if you’re considering getting some work in a freelance capacity is Fiverr, and the platform has released 5 extremely useful skills that are in high demand at this current point in time.<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Web Development</h2>It’s no surprise that this field commands high rates on Upwork, but it requires certain hard technical skills in order to get the number of clients that you’re likely going to be after. Problem solving and other soft skills are also rather essential, and since this is a project based type of career you need project management skills as well. The best thing to do here is to learn the basic languages and always be learning about new developments in the field<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Video Editing</h2>Video production is about to see an enormous uptick in investment, <a href="https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/video-marketing-statistics" target="_blank">with Social Pilot estimating</a> that it will increase to $92.3 billion in 2024 alone. 93% of marketers are doubling down on video editing in order to get better engagement for their posts on social media, with research showing that it can generate 66% more leads. It’s no surprise then that video editing is quite a useful skill to have, and that buyers on Fiverr are looking for video editors on the regular.<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Mobile App Development</h2>The mobile app industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and that means that there are more opportunities than ever to get into this space. Courses offered by Code Academy and Apple Training can be great ways to acquire the skills necessary to get into mobile app developing, and offering your skills in a freelance capacity on Fiverr will enable you to find clients and expand your portfolio.<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Social Media Content and Management</h2>It’s hard to think of a market that is booming as much as that of social media, with some estimates putting its value in 2028 at around the <a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-advertising/social-media-advertising/worldwide" target="_blank">$255 billion dollar mark</a>. That’s a quarter of a trillion dollars up for grabs, and with <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-deep-dive-5-billion-social-media-users" target="_blank">5 billion</a> social media users worldwide, there’s plenty of room for freelancers to get their foot in through the door. <br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">AI Services</h2>Anyone could’ve guessed that AI related services would make the cut, and sure enough, Fiverr agrees. AI prompt engineering, consulting, and content editing are all essential parts of the job, and some companies are going so far as to hire Chief AI Officers. A lot of experience will obviously be required, but it will be interesting to see how freelancers step in and cash in on the trend.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYiEGu1RY6UKBnhJjnJW4lw5Xs9d4s04O5ujmGjuNqSuvPSjKj4JLanqTGfGWC4MiqcadNRxdQKYuY3iNIZwyVW-G6xlaUF0Zdk0SRD2if_-WEjiL9P9GSOMievAf0v6D_21UpH-iuFGmUT6aDssUOOyJsCAiNJNfwdSoMSAGDcnkxucv6PiZWFTHNBYQ/s1169/freelacner.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYiEGu1RY6UKBnhJjnJW4lw5Xs9d4s04O5ujmGjuNqSuvPSjKj4JLanqTGfGWC4MiqcadNRxdQKYuY3iNIZwyVW-G6xlaUF0Zdk0SRD2if_-WEjiL9P9GSOMievAf0v6D_21UpH-iuFGmUT6aDssUOOyJsCAiNJNfwdSoMSAGDcnkxucv6PiZWFTHNBYQ/s16000/freelacner.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/77-million-people-have-experienced.html" target="_blank">77 Million People Have Experienced Account Takeovers Here's What You Need to Know</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-58058724815102415582024-03-18T08:02:00.001+05:002024-03-18T08:02:10.493+05:0077 Million People Have Experienced Account Takeovers Here's What You Need to KnowIf you ever receive a friend request from someone you don’t actually know on social media, there’s a pretty good chance that this is all part of an account takeover. Back in 2021, <a href="https://www.security.org/digital-safety/account-takeover-annual-report/" target="_blank">SecurityOrg</a> conducted a survey to determine just how many people had fallen prey to account takeovers. It turned out that 22% of the 1,000+ Americans that participated in the survey had experienced account takeovers in the past.<br /><br />With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this proportion has now increased to 29% in the recent iteration of the same report. This basically means that 77 million people have suffered account takeovers, and 20% of these victims faced the attack over the course of the past year or so. 34% experienced it within the last month based on the findings presented in this report.<br /><br />53% of account takeovers focused on social media accounts, making them the most popular targets for malicious actors operating in this space. Banking came in second with 42%, which is far higher than 32% from the previous report. Email and messaging platforms meanwhile have seen their share drop from 26% to 23%, which seems to suggest that malicious actors are changing the accounts that the prefer to target.<br /><br />It bears mentioning that 70% of account takeover victims admitted that they hadn’t used unique passwords, which just goes to show how important it is to come up with something that can’t be cracked through brute force. Around 40% of account theft victims ended up facing identity theft as well, and common passwords made them more susceptible than might have been the case otherwise. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Also read: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/the-massive-cost-of-government-internet.html" target="_blank">The Massive Cost of Government Internet Shutdowns Revealed</a></li></ul>There has also been a startling amount of growth in business account takeovers. Back in 2021, 13% of the accounts that were taken over were business accounts, and that has increased to 21% by 2024. Personal accounts have fallen from 80% to 75%, indicating that the malicious actors behind these actions are specifically targeting business profiles. Average financial losses have reached $180, but the ramifications go much further beyond just money.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPj0m34iPqG6YwqC0uhC0TlzsNOhMiqkOg1QriCuKl32A2D4ENJyIlw1f6P_AOuBcdOEySAShIAvEI23tquavz5cqvSGWVjWnpj97gnpbrfpLPSfgweJY6EkR7ixNmM6qU9THhn2x8sdR1NcXudjT78MTScXa62jJI_WFR39tVJDASUXmj8OGV3Eo6RFk/s3470/Account-Takeover-Has-Increased-Graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="3470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPj0m34iPqG6YwqC0uhC0TlzsNOhMiqkOg1QriCuKl32A2D4ENJyIlw1f6P_AOuBcdOEySAShIAvEI23tquavz5cqvSGWVjWnpj97gnpbrfpLPSfgweJY6EkR7ixNmM6qU9THhn2x8sdR1NcXudjT78MTScXa62jJI_WFR39tVJDASUXmj8OGV3Eo6RFk/s16000/Account-Takeover-Has-Increased-Graph.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloxuwXjz1G2pEOIQJI6GMaIuGz3ndl-d-LALscr5evIo4f8fAEGRcE_xwNoeaW732Dq8-PHZuM5Mu6_-M5k7tY4gvV0MWLHTp9-APhfIyjJQBRQJp2XWuGaMTYAmwZ0Mev-sMFl-PvuxX0ZDWVG7RjD2BrKQqWyLQ5uyflSuOk6Qjj6JMMtvugv9uh3EO/s3470/business-vs-personal-account-takeover-graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="3470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloxuwXjz1G2pEOIQJI6GMaIuGz3ndl-d-LALscr5evIo4f8fAEGRcE_xwNoeaW732Dq8-PHZuM5Mu6_-M5k7tY4gvV0MWLHTp9-APhfIyjJQBRQJp2XWuGaMTYAmwZ0Mev-sMFl-PvuxX0ZDWVG7RjD2BrKQqWyLQ5uyflSuOk6Qjj6JMMtvugv9uh3EO/s16000/business-vs-personal-account-takeover-graph.png" /></a></div><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/here-are-countries-that-banned.html" target="_blank">Here are the Countries That Banned Cryptocurrency</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-22654131011284659602024-03-17T17:57:00.003+05:002024-03-18T06:23:34.625+05:00Here are the Countries That Banned CryptocurrencyThe recent bull run that Bitcoin experienced has resulted in many people wanting to invest in cryptocurrencies once again, with some trying to get in on the action for the very first time. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it bears mentioning that cryptocurrencies <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cryptocurrency_by_country_or_territory" target="_blank">aren’t legal in every single country</a> around the world. Quite on the contrary, some countries have placed restrictions on them, with <a href="https://www.techopedia.com/cryptocurrency-bans-explained-which-countries-have-restricted-crypto" target="_blank">19 banning</a> them outright.<br /><br />With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that China is the most notable country that has enacted restrictions on cryptocurrencies. What’s surprising is that China was the single biggest cryptocurrency hub in the world during the 2010s, with an estimated 75% of all crypto mining occurring within the East Asian nation as of 2018.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh230OyRVwwQEOZrhRRDDLmGjYno3tAZZBEmPfrW5GoLve59BQN_2cA0MItU-aswnP_FOR85_4Bx2PZUEnivXFaGdBrs3KQeGCFWkc89SP4Uoibq2OclJvhH_VLbiL1yFVmQv-jdf-f01cmDhJIEafpbVUGNHetKX1o2uaoKEDs-bQnrIwkyA_hgxCrl5Lw/s1024/btc-legal.jpeg"><img alt="Here are the Countries That Banned Cryptocurrency" border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh230OyRVwwQEOZrhRRDDLmGjYno3tAZZBEmPfrW5GoLve59BQN_2cA0MItU-aswnP_FOR85_4Bx2PZUEnivXFaGdBrs3KQeGCFWkc89SP4Uoibq2OclJvhH_VLbiL1yFVmQv-jdf-f01cmDhJIEafpbVUGNHetKX1o2uaoKEDs-bQnrIwkyA_hgxCrl5Lw/s16000/btc-legal.jpeg" title="Here are the Countries That Banned Cryptocurrency" /></a></div><br />A year after this peak was hit, China banned all forms of cryptocurrency trading. The government had previously banned Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs for short, in 2017, and these moves ended up leading to the price of Bitcoin and other crypto tokens declining somewhat. In 2021, the Chinese government took things one step further by cracking down on all crypto mining operations. When all of these restrictions were done in 2021, China’s share of crypto mining plummeted to 21% with all things having been considered and taken into account.<br /><br />Another country that banned cryptocurrency is Nepal, where the national central bank declared crypto transactions to be illegal in 2017. That same year, Bangladesh issued a ban of its own and stated that the use of cryptocurrencies could result in imprisonment. The reasoning was that cryptocurrency could be used to finance terrorism and launder illegal money, and while the government implemented a National Blockchain Strategy in 2020, crypto trading or even the use of virtual currency in general is prohibited.<br /><br />Over in Africa, the Egyptian government has been a vocal critic of cryptocurrencies for quite some time now, with much of the pushback coming from religious circles. This began in 2018 when religious groups claimed that virtual currencies weren’t permissible under Islam, and despite some signs in 2020 that the Central Bank is looking into regulating crypto trading, the institution reiterated previous statements against crypto in 2023. Algeria, Libya, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and many other countries close to Egypt as well as across the African continent have enacted their own bans.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Related: Try this <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/p/currency-converter.html" target="_blank">currency converter to get near real-time exchange rates</a> for major global currencies</li></ul>In South America, Bolivia enacted one of the first bans on crypto in 2014. This position was reconfirmed in 2022, indicating that crypto simply won’t be able to become legal tender anytime soon. What’s clear is that crypto has more than its fair share of detractors across three continents, and there are a multitude of reasons why it’s facing so much pushback. It remains to be seen whether or not this new form of currency will be legalized or at the very least decriminalized in these countries.<br /><br />In some countries, such as Pakistan and Zimbabwe, the overall legal status of cryptocurrencies is unclear.<br /><br /><table border="1">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>List Number</th>
<th>Country</th>
<th>Cryptocurrency Bans By Year Of Implementation</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1.</td>
<td>Afghanistan</td>
<td>Taliban banned crypto trading, August 2022.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2.</td>
<td>Algeria</td>
<td>Financial Law prohibits all crypto activities since 2018.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3.</td>
<td>Bangladesh</td>
<td>Bank doesn't recognize virtual currencies; crypto is illegal.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4.</td>
<td>Bolivia</td>
<td>Central Bank banned crypto involvement, 2014 & 2022.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>China</td>
<td>Extended restrictions in 2021: mining, transactions, foreign exchanges prohibited.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Egypt</td>
<td>Central bank warns against crypto due to high risks and financial crimes.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Ghana</td>
<td>Government upholds 2018 ban on crypto in financial transactions.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Iraq</td>
<td>Central Bank prohibited crypto, 2017; Supreme Fatwa Board ruled against OneCoin, 2018.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Kuwait</td>
<td>Capital Markets Authority banned virtual assets, including crypto, July 2023.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Lesotho</td>
<td>Central bank prohibits crypto investments as unregulated and unlicensed.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Libya</td>
<td>Central Bank deemed virtual currencies illegal, pending regulation, 2018.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Morocco</td>
<td>Ministry banned all crypto transactions, 2017; draft regulation bill announced, Jan 2023.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Myanmar</td>
<td>Central Bank banned crypto trading, 2020; shadow gov't set up crypto bank, July 2023.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>Nepal</td>
<td>Central Bank banned crypto use, exchange, mining, 2017; ISPs instructed to block crypto sites, Jan 2023.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>North Macedonia</td>
<td>Government completely banned crypto use since 2016.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>Republic of Congo</td>
<td>Government outright banned crypto according to IMF.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Saudi Arabia</td>
<td>Financial institutions banned from crypto transactions, 2017; hired virtual assets lead, 2022.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18.</td>
<td>Sierra Leone</td>
<td>Bank banned two crypto companies, 2019; no licenses for crypto deposits, trading.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19.</td>
<td>Tunisia</td>
<td>Strict ban on crypto; calls for decriminalization since 2021 arrest.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/the-massive-cost-of-government-internet.html" target="_blank">The Massive Cost of Government Internet Shutdowns Revealed</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-43432331180338546762024-03-17T17:18:00.005+05:002024-03-17T17:18:49.537+05:00The Massive Cost of Government Internet Shutdowns RevealedInternet shutdowns are often used by an authoritarian government for the purposes of stifling free speech. Another reason for access to the internet being curbed could be restricting the spreading of information, but whatever the case may be, these incidents have started to become increasingly commonplace as of late.<br /><br />The Egyptian and Turkish governments have both been responsible for internet shutdowns in 2011 and 2016 respectively. In the case of Egypt, this was done to prevent a revolution from fomenting, and in Turkey it was part of a failed military coup. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that India is the worst offender when it comes to government shutdowns, especially when protests in Kashmir and Rajasthan began erupting.<br /><br />In 2023 alone, the internet was shut down for around 8,000 hours per person, and ended up affecting 59 million people in the South Asian nation. According to Top10 VPN, this was the highest number seen by any country with all things having been considered and taken into account. This comes up to 470 billion user hours worth of internet shutdowns.<br /><br />Myanmar, Ethiopia and Iran were all vying for second place in 2023, with 444.8 billion, 444.3 billion, and 442.8 billion user hours respectively. Russia and Tanzania were also quite high up in this list, with the Putin led government blocking 152.9 billion user hours and Tanzania blocking 107.5 billion.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Also read: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/adalytics-research-uncovers-hidden-ad.html" target="_blank">Adalytics Research Uncovers Hidden Ad Spending on 'Made for Advertising' Sites</a></li></ul>What’s clear from looking at this data is that there has been a sharp uptick in the number of shutdowns occurring all around the world. Not only does this result in people not being able to access the internet, which is a basic utility without a shadow of a doubt, it also comes with a steep cost that is only recently starting to become apparent.<br /><br />Russia is a prime example of this, since even though it ranked lower than a few other countries in terms of total user hours blocked, it ranked highest in terms of people affected at 113 million. This led to an estimated $4 billion in lost economic activity, which is by far the highest total seen around the world in 2023.<br /><br />Ethiopia lost $1.59 billion due to its internet shutdowns, which is quite high when you consider that the entire GDP of this African nation is a little over $111 billion. The same can be said for Myanmar, which lost $974 million in economic activity, with the number being $920 million for Iran. India lost $585 million, whereas neighboring Pakistan lost $238 billion due to the restrictions placed on the internet.<br /><br />Based on data provided by <a href="https://www.top10vpn.com/research/cost-of-internet-shutdowns/" target="_blank">Top10 VPN</a>, there have been 609 major shutdowns since 2019 across 56 countries. The total cost of these shutdowns is estimated to be a staggering $52.96 billion. In 2023, there were 196 shutdowns across 25 countries, and the economic cost was estimated to be $9.13 billion. This tallied up to just under 80,000 hours, or 79,238 to be precise, which was an 18% uptick from 2022.<br /><br />It seems like only yesterday that 2024 began, and yet the year has already gone down a dark path in this record. 33 shutdowns across 15 countries have been recorded in this year alone, costing these nations $1.53 billion. It will be interesting to see where things go from here on out, since the trend is clearly moving in the wrong direction and it’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0fQBy7TMf_P0G54GupaGf_7JEARAuy5FzGqT4JZSpnU_WxMykI6pOkmZ_ij5idGlVLI2V32R0XV3yyQQvyNMPPRSgAoEIp_0Jy36EvU_m0tcs1ahNYAzNeZ6uThdlNW77gjWcvhviaObXy8W668NesQuY0MmPMXb_Tbd5s72VjNNh_oxmsYMZYCddP_q/s1600/COIS-Tracker-2024-Longest-Shutdown-1.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0fQBy7TMf_P0G54GupaGf_7JEARAuy5FzGqT4JZSpnU_WxMykI6pOkmZ_ij5idGlVLI2V32R0XV3yyQQvyNMPPRSgAoEIp_0Jy36EvU_m0tcs1ahNYAzNeZ6uThdlNW77gjWcvhviaObXy8W668NesQuY0MmPMXb_Tbd5s72VjNNh_oxmsYMZYCddP_q/s1600/COIS-Tracker-2024-Longest-Shutdown-1.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9Xu0V3gKXZrDBv0HSmDGhg-Z6GLkYr8zo8lyPIBtVgWvXdXuO4BPojtsqQ1uBpQH2Tk92N315SJX7_no8770CRf82g24efelrMfwoHJyRk2iNAnvcNwSIh0oTP1ojUBMu7zHA49kUnIPa6SfkaRIOl7_ND5GSVTWMsC-v11j8Uz1SmrEP09Ziq7J_4eV/s1600/COIS-YbY-Cost-Comparison.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9Xu0V3gKXZrDBv0HSmDGhg-Z6GLkYr8zo8lyPIBtVgWvXdXuO4BPojtsqQ1uBpQH2Tk92N315SJX7_no8770CRf82g24efelrMfwoHJyRk2iNAnvcNwSIh0oTP1ojUBMu7zHA49kUnIPa6SfkaRIOl7_ND5GSVTWMsC-v11j8Uz1SmrEP09Ziq7J_4eV/s1600/COIS-YbY-Cost-Comparison.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq2OhI6NSb0YMP_zZUqwfBI1EWdMgsJ28RAiJXEUVSRGzZj4ROr6I8BYio0wpYPNAKBs3EKpcZDbeXw18r3XD3qdnoBgPmfxcCQ9pOYyOWI97xo0vUgnlLoKU8FWIve78IjgrPRTwoYIxToBcH7QmTMcxQB2bGJIXaZh8DQpkt5zhm9bhPcv-QLF2cGOX/s1600/d.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq2OhI6NSb0YMP_zZUqwfBI1EWdMgsJ28RAiJXEUVSRGzZj4ROr6I8BYio0wpYPNAKBs3EKpcZDbeXw18r3XD3qdnoBgPmfxcCQ9pOYyOWI97xo0vUgnlLoKU8FWIve78IjgrPRTwoYIxToBcH7QmTMcxQB2bGJIXaZh8DQpkt5zhm9bhPcv-QLF2cGOX/s1600/d.png" /></a></div><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/happiness-learned-behavior-insights.html" target="_blank">Happiness: A Learned Behavior - Insights from Higher Education Research</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-23023473555164731802024-03-17T17:09:00.002+05:002024-03-17T17:09:09.816+05:00Happiness: A Learned Behavior - Insights from Higher Education ResearchA new research published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-024-01202-4" target="_blank">Higher Education says</a> that happiness is a learned behavior and it also requires practice to get perfect. In the University of Bristol, a course named Science of Happiness suggested that adopting habits like gratitude, meditating, journaling etc. play an important role in feelings of happiness and they should be continued over time for an individual to excel in them. The research was taken from the Science of Happiness course which is similar to the University of Yale's course, Psychology and the Good Life. The purpose of these courses is to see happiness and well-being through scientific lens.<br /><br />The course talks about a lot of physical phenomenon, both biological and psychological, that play an important role in boosting happiness. The course also suggests that individuals should take part in the activities that seem right to them and ultimately bring them happiness. Many studies have been made that show that psychoeducational courses help individuals a lot but only for some while. It is not yet confirmed if these courses also help long term and that’s why researchers started studying whether a structured program like Science of Happiness can give individuals long term happiness.<br /><br />For this study, the researchers asked the students who had taken part in the Science of Happiness course to take part in some surveys. 228 students agreed to take part in the long term survey that was done after 12 to 29 months of the course ending. The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale helped to measure the general well being of the individuals. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and UCLA Loneliness Scale 3-item version also helped in the survey. At first, the students in the survey said that their well-being has increased 10-15% after taking the course. About 50.06% of the students said that they use at least one practice from the Science of happiness course to maintain their well-being. Gratitude was the most used practice among others in those students.<br /><br />When the researchers took a survey 29 months after the course ended, the well-being of students didn’t last that much. Many students didn’t actively participate in the practices and that’s why they couldn't maintain their well-being. This study suggests evidence-based happiness just like gym or meditation is just a start. The individual has to continue the practice to keep it long term. A senior author of the study, Bruce Hood, said that what we teach in our course is how you can be happy by helping others, doing self care, gratitude or meditation. These kinds of practices divert your attention from yourself to the people and happy moments around you. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnC6hS0FRkLmjZRWLaZzC7q1WKdoU9WwHl9u3jXltHTBUCjBH6RWizDILgLzWr0OFTubg1FFau9O7lM6egYfYMslttqAaGdk7wDqjjHmXtyaCdD5J4b_0lFYecVExqtSx7WO9I_YBCQsrWREqJdF9PUa_NERXMBg9yqAJpqAtIN3rJSRCJfdsveFGhKB4/s1024/re-f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnC6hS0FRkLmjZRWLaZzC7q1WKdoU9WwHl9u3jXltHTBUCjBH6RWizDILgLzWr0OFTubg1FFau9O7lM6egYfYMslttqAaGdk7wDqjjHmXtyaCdD5J4b_0lFYecVExqtSx7WO9I_YBCQsrWREqJdF9PUa_NERXMBg9yqAJpqAtIN3rJSRCJfdsveFGhKB4/s16000/re-f.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/privacy-concerns-surge-amid-rising.html" target="_blank">Privacy Concerns Surge Amid Rising Awareness of Data Security Risks</a>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-56377216514493260512024-03-17T16:49:00.002+05:002024-03-17T16:49:22.097+05:00Adalytics Research Uncovers Hidden Ad Spending on 'Made for Advertising' SitesMany brands and sites on the internet do not know that they have their ads served on Made for Advertising (MFA) websites. According to the research by <a href="https://adalytics.io/blog/ads-observed-on-made-for-advertising-sites-in-january-2024" target="_blank">Adalytics</a>, the websites on the internet are getting these ads through systematic as well as non-systematic channels. MFAs are advertising websites that do advertising stuff on different websites but the overall user experience of these ads isn’t good and they make the overall digital advertising experience bad. Their quality of the ads content is the worst and they display a lot of ads on a site.<br /><br />The Association of National Advertisers say that MFA pays to source traffic on the sites and there is no organic or real audience that sees the ads. The advertisements are mostly clickbaits that are available on social media sites and websites of well-known publishers. MFA business is often driven by buying paid traffic and to overcome these traffic costs, MFA publishers perform monetization practices that help them gain more profit.<br /><br />Many big websites think that the ads that are running on their sites are free from MFA and their ad dollars are not being spent on covering MFA sites. But Adalytics, an advertising performance optimization platform, says that this is not true and an investigation on ad spends of the websites is required. Adalytics worked with a fortune 500 company to make sense of their ad spends. Their Global Head of Media thought that they had little to no exposure to MFA but it was revealed that the site spent $10 million on MFA unknowingly. Campaigns of hundreds of brands like Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Ford, US Army and Meta were reviewed and many of these websites had their ad spends on MFA sites in January 2024. Many US agencies, including the US Army, were also affected by it. <br /><br />Many sites with ad exchanges and supply side platforms (SSPs) were also serving ads on MFA sites including Google, Criteo, OpenWeb, etc. Many demand side platforms (DSPs) also made ads on MFA like Roku OneView, Yahoo DSP and Google DV360.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpr4maS6Q8FxosLgHApEoO5iffxi7ifogonYcB6UcizgVL_y9b5-4coR88H63WP9Li-XxuqIEgMIlHjFLBvZ8_tDUvaX-8lKtK_Y0JAX0z_CtyODwTq6TVMDdRJJ2vXx_tO6qIt9zVW6fDPuxM3zd9tEMSHYQcDtzy9lH0AGq_w-XSZrdvfA5O5rViCylI/s1024/mfa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpr4maS6Q8FxosLgHApEoO5iffxi7ifogonYcB6UcizgVL_y9b5-4coR88H63WP9Li-XxuqIEgMIlHjFLBvZ8_tDUvaX-8lKtK_Y0JAX0z_CtyODwTq6TVMDdRJJ2vXx_tO6qIt9zVW6fDPuxM3zd9tEMSHYQcDtzy9lH0AGq_w-XSZrdvfA5O5rViCylI/s16000/mfa.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/privacy-concerns-surge-amid-rising.html" target="_blank">Privacy Concerns Surge Amid Rising Awareness of Data Security Risks</a><p></p>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-35286871393288961242024-03-17T16:30:00.002+05:002024-03-17T16:30:37.880+05:00Privacy Concerns Surge Amid Rising Awareness of Data Security RisksAleo shared a new report that shows that people are worried about their privacy and think that their data isn’t safe from prying eyes. In the survey conducted in October 2023, 67% of the US adults say that they are more likely to switch to a platform that promises them data protection technology. Most of the people want to safeguard their privacy from data brokers and companies and these types of options give them something to choose from.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKozhQpKZ4Xve8dcuC9oohxVZC-pRfiGcV7N9QCrMUwbtkAs-Qi7jRWPkYcSX4bEpcf8VyMdioAwq9a-b5-PN6l_Z1CqCOtjwqXdw3u_KUYSq9hVAyyrixMJ1wAUOjRNdTKL8e3sa-hEQ28KiJgP7GFwvahg48B8g8QuVRwc4jMRUR8p7qzprjtRtJy_X/s1523/e.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKozhQpKZ4Xve8dcuC9oohxVZC-pRfiGcV7N9QCrMUwbtkAs-Qi7jRWPkYcSX4bEpcf8VyMdioAwq9a-b5-PN6l_Z1CqCOtjwqXdw3u_KUYSq9hVAyyrixMJ1wAUOjRNdTKL8e3sa-hEQ28KiJgP7GFwvahg48B8g8QuVRwc4jMRUR8p7qzprjtRtJy_X/s16000/e.png" /></a></div><br />Many of the digital services have limited privacy and this is common knowledge because several reports show us some of the data related issues. Now people are more aware of how they can protect their data and privacy, and what are the alternatives that keep their data safe and protected. Media also plays a part in telling consumers that many data breaches, leaks, hacks and scams happen everyday and that’s why consumers always think about ways to protect their data.<br /><br />Aleo also says that understanding of data security has improved a lot because of advertising of digital products like CrowdStrike’s purchase of Super Bowl advertisement for two years in a row. US citizens are also getting to know about many privacy laws like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. Many people have also gone through some personal experiences that have made them well-aware of data privacy and protection laws. Now individuals say that their data privacy isn’t a luxury but a right for them. <br /><br />Data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that US citizens lost about $1.56 billion to crypto fraud and crypto losses are a total of 15% of overall frauds in the US. Baby Boomers(85%) are the most worried about their privacy as compared to Millennials(77%) and GenX(74%). Only 68% of the GenZ are worried about their data and privacy. Still, protection of their privacy has become a concern for people of all group of ages, all over the world.<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/report-shows-172-apps-earn-1000month.html" target="_blank">Report shows 17.2% apps earn $1000/month, with 3.5% crossing $10,000; Health apps perform best</a><p></p>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-89373473666147190922024-03-17T16:06:00.003+05:002024-03-17T16:06:46.613+05:00Report shows 17.2% apps earn $1000/month, with 3.5% crossing $10,000; Health apps perform bestAccording to the <a href="https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/company/future-of-subscription-apps-2024/" target="_blank">report</a> <a href="https://www.revenuecat.com/pdf/state-of-subscription-apps-2024.pdf" target="_blank">by </a><a href="https://www.revenuecat.com/state-of-subscription-apps-2024/" target="_blank">RevenueCat</a>, only the top 5% of the apps generate 200 times the revenue of other apps while the other apps generate about $50 of the monthly revenue. The report named “State of Subscription Apps” shows data from over 29,000 apps from 18,000 developers and says that these apps make $6.7 billion total revenue with 290 million subscriptions.<br /><br />According to the data, 17.2% of the apps only reach 1000 USD in a month in revenue and when they cross this monetization, the chances of them generating more revenue increases. 59% of the apps that reach 1000 USD also reach 2500 USD revenue. Similarly, 60% of the apps that reach $2500 get to reach $5000 revenue. But only 3.5% of the apps that reach $5000 can reach $10,000 monthly revenue. The success of apps also depends on the category the apps belong to.<br /><br />Health and Fitness apps monetize more after a year of their development and perform better than apps from other categories. The apps belonging to Travel and Productivity categories generate the least revenues with 5% of the apps making less than $10,000 a month. RevenueCat also found out that the monthly subscriptions for most apps start from $10 a month but the median amount of these subscriptions have increased by 14% and have gone from $7.05 to $8.01. The yearly average price of these subscriptions have decreased a bit with 1%, going from $32.94 to $34.53.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Also read: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/ai-scraper-battle-website-owners-defend.html" target="_blank">AI Scraper Battle: Website Owners Defend Against Google and OpenAI, Revealing Blockage Rates</a></li></ul>The report also found that apps based in North America are 4 times more likely to generate revenue than other apps. Apps in Japan and South Korea generate more revenue on Android than IOS. Many users are also canceling their subscriptions from the apps as there was a 14% drop in the monthly subscribers retained after 12 months. But data also shows that 10% of these users will subscribe back in 12 months in app categories like Media and Entertainment. <br /><br />The CEO of RevenueCat, Jacob Eiting, says that many apps are raising their prices and that’s the reason many users are unsubscribing. The report also talks about predictions that say that many apps are going to adopt a no-trial subscription. Many apps are also set to use AI that will make the apps more user friendly and customize the apps according to the preference of the users.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCuPg0SOPwxBQqlR19z_MV3Tx_FAZ4lINPKgKpiCCFuvYYxFSykrzJBssYG-wn4qd_idc9-pBoucQURK6zXTZJY1e03oZuCJ3ETY-MkBAeuUGYk7sDcL4R1RhokSZ60H4L4rkUkpQ-nWiHbAthEvfXLtzCWeGuogdpEiM_kOsapqVLe5m5St5SwEjj1Em/s1359/d.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCuPg0SOPwxBQqlR19z_MV3Tx_FAZ4lINPKgKpiCCFuvYYxFSykrzJBssYG-wn4qd_idc9-pBoucQURK6zXTZJY1e03oZuCJ3ETY-MkBAeuUGYk7sDcL4R1RhokSZ60H4L4rkUkpQ-nWiHbAthEvfXLtzCWeGuogdpEiM_kOsapqVLe5m5St5SwEjj1Em/s16000/d.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIng5eqtHthySicyIVGm6tVK_VA2iJNLi11XbJOzKxGTd-q4KnQbhJYrvonvHd-VVuu2w_zh_nPAHi6Qq20Loi6i9sYq__czSobdJRoVLVAxJ3JHMHStW5LbgeVCpAYODjijDlpNNrx_WwbC08kGioR08pVM8o8pqKukkr6wCoMzCE_3eSWqM8ymKewTs9/s1610/sub.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="1610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIng5eqtHthySicyIVGm6tVK_VA2iJNLi11XbJOzKxGTd-q4KnQbhJYrvonvHd-VVuu2w_zh_nPAHi6Qq20Loi6i9sYq__czSobdJRoVLVAxJ3JHMHStW5LbgeVCpAYODjijDlpNNrx_WwbC08kGioR08pVM8o8pqKukkr6wCoMzCE_3eSWqM8ymKewTs9/s16000/sub.png" /></a></div><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/how-many-people-are-switching-from-pc.html" target="_blank">How Many People Are Switching From PC to Mac?</a><p></p>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-37370619414334217352024-03-17T15:53:00.004+05:002024-03-17T15:53:59.989+05:00How Many People Are Switching From PC to Mac?The battle between PC and Mac has been one of the defining characteristics of the computer age. PCs are far more diverse and widespread, but the Mac has a group of devotees who are loyal to a fault. CIRP has just <a href="https://cirpapple.substack.com/p/what-kind-of-computers-did-mac-buyers" target="_blank">released data</a> that sheds some light on how many PC users are deciding to make the switch, and it revealed some fascinating aspects about which computers people end up going for as well as why they choose them in the first place.<br /><br />With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that 60% of people who are buying new Macbooks at this current point in time used to be either PC users or Chromebook users. If we were to zero in on users who used to exclusively use PCs, 35% of new Macbook buyers belong to that category. 16% used to use Chromebooks before switching to Mac, and 6% used some other type of system, or the Macbook was the first system they ever owned.<br /><br />This seems to suggest that the high price tag for Macbooks isn’t dissuading PC users. Many PCs are also rather pricey, and Macs might be offering more bang for their buck. Switching to Mac might also be useful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up Mac only software for music recording such as Logic Pro, and the Mac OS is also likely part of the equation.<br /><br />Macbooks also have a massive media presence, which could contribute to people wanting to give them a try. Macbook Pros are the most popular systems sold by Apple, so people are clearly going for performance rather than just looks since the sleek Macbook Air doesn’t receive quite as many sales. <br /><br />It bears mentioning that the rate of people switching to Mac from PC is triple the rate of people switching from Android to iPhone. That indicates that Macs are an extremely important product line for Apple, and it will be interesting to see what other updates the multi-trillion dollar tech juggernaut incorporates into future iterations of their highly popular computers.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNO6tP4-QkS92BoDbAu2jytq3hp7tk4cRbKR1rxc_cbKiFeogMxZPx-qBKqmsOKqlV4LQ47-Vw2PQ1IuoITzNaLDek4C7-YabkjvdMBrxzLTzLeiAjG13zc9D7Na8EOC4prw8lBV2j37yw5NFE2HihV2YbyTE7DlV0fL7flfi9mV9ue4oBF1MZR7SC5so/s1126/what-kind-of-computers-did-mac-buyers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNO6tP4-QkS92BoDbAu2jytq3hp7tk4cRbKR1rxc_cbKiFeogMxZPx-qBKqmsOKqlV4LQ47-Vw2PQ1IuoITzNaLDek4C7-YabkjvdMBrxzLTzLeiAjG13zc9D7Na8EOC4prw8lBV2j37yw5NFE2HihV2YbyTE7DlV0fL7flfi9mV9ue4oBF1MZR7SC5so/s16000/what-kind-of-computers-did-mac-buyers.png" /></a></div><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/cirp-study-highlights-iphone-14-and-14.html" target="_blank">Study Highlights iPhone 14 and 14 Plus as Top Choices for Android Users Making the Switch to Apple</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-48489615566130145942024-03-17T15:46:00.002+05:002024-03-17T15:46:15.745+05:00AI Scraper Battle: Website Owners Defend Against Google and OpenAI, Revealing Blockage RatesAt the center of the world wide web lies a piece of code <a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/bots/what-is-robots-txt/" target="_blank">called Robots.txt</a>. The main function of this site is to give website owners the chance to allow or disallow major tech companies such as Google to scrape their data. Most website owners have no problem with Google using their data because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up sending traffic to their site, but AI is a different matter entirely.<br /><br />We are living in the midst of what many are calling the AI wars, with all the central tech companies including Google, Microsoft and Meta throwing their hat into the ring. Many website owners are wary of their content being scraped to help train AI and LLMs, and they can use robots.txt files to prevent this from happening.<br /><br />In the case of Google, the tech juggernaut launched its own tool that people can use to this end. According to <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KR7PXruxpMBMZoUkPNNY8foUwGx1GjgMAiVWseGVHGw/edit#gid=0" target="_blank">data released by</a> <a href="https://originality.ai/ai-bot-blocking" target="_blank">OriginalityAI</a>, 10.3% of the top 1,000 websites are using this snippet, which is referred to as Google-Extended. However, in the case of OpenAI, around 32.7% of the top 1,000 websites are using the tags to prevent GPTBot from scraping any of their content whatsoever.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxtiC1walKMKXubt23VAEoVDJBTo-aMFDAasZXmnEN0LCTm55bDs3i4PHHHNpuEVR1q_f2LrxDOq0cAUYoLTuGIs5zWOA_S6MXdh65YAcC1SYJ783JFdODMMwdWuBsWqMtRRRp3cZZYS94i1HA06N49Wkzdni_nk9FiN58_umd4F16k65HtXwcxmJUq4I/s2820/web-bots-block-ai-scrap.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Google trails as 10.3% of top websites limit data scraping, while OpenAI faces 32% resistance." border="0" data-original-height="2229" data-original-width="2820" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxtiC1walKMKXubt23VAEoVDJBTo-aMFDAasZXmnEN0LCTm55bDs3i4PHHHNpuEVR1q_f2LrxDOq0cAUYoLTuGIs5zWOA_S6MXdh65YAcC1SYJ783JFdODMMwdWuBsWqMtRRRp3cZZYS94i1HA06N49Wkzdni_nk9FiN58_umd4F16k65HtXwcxmJUq4I/s16000/web-bots-block-ai-scrap.png" title="OpenAI's GPTBot faces super resistance as 32% of top websites use robots.txt to block content scraping." /></a></div><br />With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Google’s strength in the search engine game might have something to do with that. More sites would want to be included in any and all AI based search results that Google would compile at some point or another in the future.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see where things go from here on out, since Google is clearly able to scrape far more data than its largest competitor. Websites owners know that AI based search results might be coming soon, and if they are excluded from these results due to their use of Google-Extended, they might not be able to get the same amount of foot traffic that they used to. Google is already testing a genAI search engine, and it might be releasing it sooner rather than later.<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/keywords-are-crucial-for-seo-guiding.html" target="_blank">Keywords Are Crucial for SEO, Guiding Users to Relevant Content. Learn How to Leverage Them Effectively</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-11607383463189152892024-03-17T09:00:00.002+05:002024-03-17T09:00:17.522+05:00Keywords Are Crucial for SEO, Guiding Users to Relevant Content. Learn How to Leverage Them Effectively <p style="text-align: left;">No matter how awesome your content is, it can only rank higher on Google if you are using the right and optimized keywords.</p>
<p>Keywords can evolve according to new trends, but they are still important.</p>
<h2>Introduction to Keywords in SEO</h2>
<p>Keywords are words or phrases used to boost search traffic on a website and reach the target audience. Many new search and content marketers wonder about the importance of keywords in ranking well on Google and reaching the target audience. However, there's no easy answer. To understand how important keywords are for Google, read this article to the end.</p>
<h2>Importance of Keywords in SEO</h2>
<p>When you search on Google, you enter a keyword (or query) to find something. Due to the keywords used in SEO, the specific page that matches your keywords (along with other ranking factors) is likely to appear at the top of the search results.</p>
<p>Keywords come in various types, including branded and non-branded, local and global, and branded keyword focusing on geography or branded keywords product.</p>
<h2>How Do Keywords Help Brands?</h2>
<p>Keywords are known as 'directional' elements as they help us find the content we're searching for. However, there can still be a difference between what a user wants and what they're asking for in a search. That's why Google <a href="https://blog.google/products/search/introducing-mum/" target="_blank">employs advanced query expansion AI</a> to understand user intent and show relevant results. Timestamps setting in search results also help Google identify the latest trends.</p>
<h2>Brands Use Keywords to Find Quick Wins</h2>
<p>When a user searches for something (e.g., <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/p/paypal-fee-calculator-united-states.html" target="_blank">PayPal fee calculator in USD</a>) and your website ranks on Google for that keyword, it means you can achieve quick wins in terms of search exposure.</p>
<h2>Finding the Right Target Audience with Keywords</h2>
<p>Using the right keywords can help you reach your target audience. For example, you want to rank for “House Loans” but your website isn’t finding the right audience even if you are doing things right. Upon analyzing the competitor websites, you might find that these websites have “House Financing” in their page title that is helping them rank on Google. Loans and financing are not similar words but users are searching for ‘financing’ instead of loans. So, when you use “financing” in your title page, you will hit the right audience (and likely their intent).</p>
<h2>Drive Traffic with Keywords</h2>
<p>Keywords are crucial for driving traffic to your website. Page one of Google receives the most traffic, with the top result alone <a href="https://www.sistrix.com/blog/why-almost-everything-you-knew-about-google-ctr-is-no-longer-valid/#285-of-Google-users-click-the-first-organic-result" target="_blank">capturing 28.5% of total traffic</a>.</p>
<h2>Tracking Keywords: Is this Still Important?</h2>
<p>The simple answer is yes, tracking keywords is still important. Keywords drive traffic, enhance visibility, and attract customers to your website.</p>
<h2>How to Find the Right Keywords?</h2>
<p>Even though there are a variety of keywords search tools available, the first thing you need to evaluate is what is the purpose of your website and how am I going to provide the content that will reach the right audience. The first thing is definitely knowing your audience and their preferences. Once you are on the right path, use paid search data or historical paid search data to find out which keywords are helping you in conversion and sales.</p>
<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWtLw0kP5HS0oqKglsy0JgMM7AyTv3QAk191-eRxDUttJLHfGunDe7U_HmdrMnmj07XhJYQtDmnjWB5JeNH53knR1OHV8ufcODS9srR5lBYdrUhKXK-kRnZjuthsm_j5YIekycMC3uauy2ryUMaekhqPYwc_eQbyOeWO_gjs8JCPPyQsPdK2EUh3Z83lp/s1507/kw.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Keywords Are Crucial for SEO, Guiding Users to Relevant Content. Learn How to Leverage Them Effectively" border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWtLw0kP5HS0oqKglsy0JgMM7AyTv3QAk191-eRxDUttJLHfGunDe7U_HmdrMnmj07XhJYQtDmnjWB5JeNH53knR1OHV8ufcODS9srR5lBYdrUhKXK-kRnZjuthsm_j5YIekycMC3uauy2ryUMaekhqPYwc_eQbyOeWO_gjs8JCPPyQsPdK2EUh3Z83lp/s16000/kw.png" title="Keywords Are Crucial for SEO, Guiding Users to Relevant Content. Learn How to Leverage Them Effectively" /></a></div><br />You can also use tools like <a href="https://ads.google.com/intl/en_pk/home/tools/keyword-planner/" target="_blank">Google Keyword Planner</a>, KW Finder, Ubersuggest, <a href="https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator" target="_blank">Ahrefs</a>, Moz Keywords Explorer and Long Tail Pro. All these tools offer a wide variety of keywords that are best for website rankings. The main goal should be gaining a lot of sales because what is the point of traffic if you are not getting any customers.<p></p>
<h2>When do Keywords Have no Use?</h2>
<p>Some SEO gurus are still working on keyword density but nowadays it has no importance. So, even if you are using a lot of keywords in your content and stuffing them up, there will be no use if your main keyword has less than 10% KD. Just focus on writing the content that will answer the users’ queries and provide complete and best information about what the users are looking for.</p>
<p>Using anchor text is also not a good idea to add in your links. The anchor text of your website should be made with brand as well as non-brand keywords.</p>
<h2>Conclusion:</h2>
<p>So now you know the importance of keywords in SEO and the techniques needed to rank your website on Google. Always use keywords wisely, as they can make or break a website.<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2023/11/100-fascinating-facts-about-google-from.html" target="_blank">100 Fascinating Facts About Google From Revenue to Advertising Insights (infographic)</a></p>
Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-43657434259984828442024-03-17T07:57:00.001+05:002024-03-17T07:57:19.003+05:00WhatsApp is Working on New Features for Authentication Methods Such as Face Locks and Passcodes for ChatsWhatsApp is always working to prioritize their users’ data and privacy and that’s the reason why it is the best encrypted messaging app. WhatsApp, as per WBI, is working on an update that will make the chats on WhatsApp more secure. <br /><br />Fingerprint chat lock is a great feature that WhatsApp offers that makes the chats more secure from prying eyes. But this isn’t the only thing WhatsApp is offering its users. Securing the chats on WhatsApp through biometric authentication is done by two ways; Users can either hide their chats from the main chat list or enable an app lock. Enabling app lock on WhatsApp is best if you have a work phone and do not want anyone to see your chats.<br /><br />In the latest WhatsApp for Beta 2.24.6.20, <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-beta-for-android-2-24-6-20-whats-new/" target="_blank">WABetaInfo</a> found that app lock on WhatsApp is expanding from only biometric authentication methods. Now WhatsApp is working to add face locks and chat passcodes to let users choose whether they want their fingerprints as passwords or some other alternative ways. These kinds of authentication methods will also be used as backups for fingerprint locks.<br /><br />As this feature is currently under development, it is best to not use this feature after updating the app. That is because under-developing updates are prone to clashes and that can risk your WhatsApp functionality as well as data. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nx2bTBBnqImGegAS0aXQ38BRZhAXT4eyyq7hHyOnxDpki4zHN7kElOMC5R5VOdvpWsl7FcRqVZao-2IRLNnhEnYRDMqQBxNCQBntHlCEYQCSOWsQgqv8BYiFB0C2PJmvZn9fY95UP9C1Jra9ghft19FQhhfWp6Ln0YJvQAX9s-NmKvqmb_eM4ROy3Qpx/s2468/WA_NEW_APP_LOCK_FEATURE_ANDROID.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="2468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nx2bTBBnqImGegAS0aXQ38BRZhAXT4eyyq7hHyOnxDpki4zHN7kElOMC5R5VOdvpWsl7FcRqVZao-2IRLNnhEnYRDMqQBxNCQBntHlCEYQCSOWsQgqv8BYiFB0C2PJmvZn9fY95UP9C1Jra9ghft19FQhhfWp6Ln0YJvQAX9s-NmKvqmb_eM4ROy3Qpx/s16000/WA_NEW_APP_LOCK_FEATURE_ANDROID.jpg" /></a></div><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/bill-gates-shares-insights-on-ais.html" target="_blank">Bill Gates Shares Insights on AI's Limitations and Potential</a><p></p>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-49449151394877756962024-03-16T18:46:00.002+05:002024-03-16T18:46:22.636+05:00Bill Gates Shares Insights on AI's Limitations and PotentialBill Gates, the esteemed co founder of Microsoft has been an AI aficionado for quite some time now. He is an avid supporter of the technology and even helps Microsoft plan new products.<br /><br />However, in spite of the progress that AI has made, Gates and others are starting to see that it cannot excel at everything.<br /><br />During a talk on <a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/bill-gates-returns" target="_blank">the Armchair Expert podcast</a>, Gates shared his own experiences with AI. He uses AI a lot and notices where it excels and where it falls short. He's impressed by how AI helps with medicine and farming.<br /><br />However, he finds AI isn't great at certain tasks, like playing Sudoku, because it can't think ahead in complex ways. Gates explained that AI doesn't magically find new ways to solve problems that are tough for humans.<br /><br />Instead, the technology focuses on tasks that humans already understand but do more slowly. Having detailed data is key for AI to be useful. For example, AI can help predict crop yields because experts understand how nitrogen levels affect crops.<br /><br />On the other hand, measuring and predicting things like happiness or how well a relationship is going is tough. Humans haven't figured these out well, so AI struggles too. Gates thinks AI could help with mental health support, but meticulous work and effort is needed first.<br /><br />Another area where AI has trouble is with complex math problems, like Sudoku puzzles, because AI doesn't double-check its work. Gates noted that AI tends to make excuses when it's wrong, pretending it made a typing error.<br /><br />Despite these challenges, Gates believes in the positive impact AI can have. He doesn't think the world will stop or go back on AI development. He imagines a future where some places fully embrace AI, while others might choose a simpler way of life. Gates respects different views but sees too much potential in AI to hold back.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DUlEKswl3UWQ7ak7JtqxkVjGdtrq2KmsjGPN2uA5IKb_pG7a77Isl0F3gFwIaQEtE_dOUM7hGwGuntVjvV5Ny63tR07dxma4WkUz_Jyznd1MJVq_A2-ZBTOWrTBS4GZp5Pg1nmjqChjHisiT5PljY1PKT94DdQAfk4zpJvNiPmf0czyj7VRr8pSzC2vj/s1552/bg.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DUlEKswl3UWQ7ak7JtqxkVjGdtrq2KmsjGPN2uA5IKb_pG7a77Isl0F3gFwIaQEtE_dOUM7hGwGuntVjvV5Ny63tR07dxma4WkUz_Jyznd1MJVq_A2-ZBTOWrTBS4GZp5Pg1nmjqChjHisiT5PljY1PKT94DdQAfk4zpJvNiPmf0czyj7VRr8pSzC2vj/s16000/bg.jpg" /></a></div>Image: Bill Gates/ YT<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/microsoft-accused-of-pedaling-malware.html" target="_blank">Microsoft Accused Of Pedaling Malware-Like Popup Banners To Promote Its Bing Search Engine</a>Mahrukh Shahidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16660655121988308784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-5910770443396303802024-03-16T17:25:00.007+05:002024-03-16T17:25:57.038+05:00Microsoft Accused Of Pedaling Malware-Like Popup Banners To Promote Its Bing Search EngineSoftware giant Microsoft seems to be back to its old tactics of harassing users in an attempt to force them to switch to its computing services. <br /><br />We’ve seen plenty of times in the past how the company used malware-like banners that would pop up requesting Chrome users to make Bing their default search engine. This would be in exchange for getting free access to the GPT-4.<br /><br />We agree that this concept is not new and one that we’ve witnessed over the years, including 2023 as well. Microsoft marketed both its Bing Search Engine as well as its Rewards through similar means. But with time, it pulled it out shortly after making claims that this was not intentional. Now, we’re seeing the same tactic employed amongst a lot of dismayed users who are bombarded with popups. <br /><br />Seeing it return has really left people wondering about how it was always intentional, to begin with, with no excuses whatsoever.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGpq5956p8lwyO6Ms-EqLSFUPiblJdRQ2k5FIWg_AyQuhfnyCJ65uquiAsZagY5bn5hzCXHMDYqnaNSPNA5IA_QDqU-NuHCfRnHSDydjmulyR7-UEFfSfI4Gl4S5q2rfCPUGaK_dHycrPaA8r0yrHqRAtf4MQXyO7QeVlQi0D9QlcTmh-s4L1uqN38Hd9/s1024/microsoft-de3df.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGpq5956p8lwyO6Ms-EqLSFUPiblJdRQ2k5FIWg_AyQuhfnyCJ65uquiAsZagY5bn5hzCXHMDYqnaNSPNA5IA_QDqU-NuHCfRnHSDydjmulyR7-UEFfSfI4Gl4S5q2rfCPUGaK_dHycrPaA8r0yrHqRAtf4MQXyO7QeVlQi0D9QlcTmh-s4L1uqN38Hd9/s16000/microsoft-de3df.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-AIgen<br /><br />Adware such as these kinds are quite popular and common across Windows. This is one main reason why customers impacted by this worry so much because their PCs get exposed to this malware. <br /><br />A statement rolled out by <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/15/24101887/microsoft-bing-popups-windows-11-google-chrome" target="_blank">The Verge</a> says the banner is very real and that it’s actually a one-time alert that gives users the chance to make Bing their default search engine across Chrome devices. <br /><br />The software firm’s head of communication mentioned how the organization is working round the clock to give rise to values that provide clients with choices across the board so that’s why they always have the option to dismiss it.<br /><br />But that justification is not cutting it this time and people are having their say. <br /><br />We’ve all seen Microsoft make one constant assurance to many about how it values users and gives their feedback so much importance. But the software giant vows not to display any more signs linked to the willingness to take one step back. <br /><br />Microsoft Edge injects huge banners across the Chrome official website and was caught stealing once too, red-handed from Chrome’s user data banks. But the company brushed off those accusations as a bug that they fixed later on as time went on, as declared in the next update for Edge. <br /><br />The company continues to invest in what is known as billions of dollars across its partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI as well as the development of its Copilot feature. This is why marketing strategies are going strong in terms of making it more difficult for clients to use. <br /><br />Other than the usual Copilot Pro advertisements as mentioned on lock screens, you can see the firm experimenting with questionable practices such as opening up the Copilot when systems begin or when the user’s cursor hovers to reach its Copilot icon.<br /><br />But this kind of behavior of forcing popups to make Bing your default search engine should certainly be reconsidered. What do you think? <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Xj1KQuFAFVPO-LsAMhZe-CCUHbcAbKejfaxLURGl1H3fG9-Jc8wJcgqqsIg2wxgB_SHIhilhztgi1tP4WK4TZCln7j55lAXweqUJtgs5n53Dv-dm2vO_zFNoAh2o8IT0kVQBQsk7zDwDNs1wx96nQCknuA1uHF6vESroN0FwaKx4HsjdQ3ASSQ3z10ZG/s923/is-this-microsoft-bing-popup-malware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="923" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Xj1KQuFAFVPO-LsAMhZe-CCUHbcAbKejfaxLURGl1H3fG9-Jc8wJcgqqsIg2wxgB_SHIhilhztgi1tP4WK4TZCln7j55lAXweqUJtgs5n53Dv-dm2vO_zFNoAh2o8IT0kVQBQsk7zDwDNs1wx96nQCknuA1uHF6vESroN0FwaKx4HsjdQ3ASSQ3z10ZG/s16000/is-this-microsoft-bing-popup-malware.jpg" /></a></div><br />Image: Reddit/TheDyslexicCow<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/apple-says-changes-made-in-compliance.html" target="_blank">Apple Says Changes Made In Compliance To The DMA Will Come At Serious Security Costs</a>Dr. Hura Anwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788127003736871187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-68809578336245090682024-03-16T17:20:00.005+05:002024-03-16T17:20:40.156+05:00Apple Says Changes Made In Compliance To The DMA Will Come At Serious Security CostsIt can be said without a doubt that the arrival and implementation of the Digital Markets Act has led to iPhone maker Apple making a series of abrupt changes.<br /><br />No one wants to mess up in the EU as regulations are quite stringent with hefty fines when they’re not followed. This is why we saw the tech giant scramble in terms of making sure the DMA is followed and the changes made are in line. <br /><br />But now, we’re seeing the Cupertino firm and its executives speak <a href="https://www.iculture.nl/nieuws/interview-apple-gary-davis-dma-maatregelen/" target="_blank">in detail</a> about how allowing factors like app purchases outside the App Store and any installations from other places could come at a serious cost. <br /><br />Remember, Apple has been working round the clock to ensure the whole situation is super secure and bigger than ever. Remember, there’s a wide array of possibilities on offer and it’s been massive. <br /><br />The details keep on evolving on this front and it seems to be a never-ending ordeal as more changes are set to come into play soon. It’s all getting planned out well and Apple still says that while the changes it's making are in line with the DMA, it could be a pricey option.<br /><br />Apple’s Data Protection team has already gone public about how the DMA does not come without risks. Their view is that it might be less costly to target users with iPhones who aren’t using Apple’s means for making payments in various markets but the concerns are there. <br /><br />Some believe that Apple making these changes could cause an imminent risk in the form of increased attacks taking place. The cost to carry out malicious attacks keeps on increasing because the ways to target iPhone users are plenty now with these changes.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Also read: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/apple-agrees-to-pay-490-million-in.html" target="_blank">Apple Agrees To Pay $490 Million In Lawsuit Settlement Over Alleged Misleading iPhone Sales Information In China</a></li></ul>Different modes of payment mean less secure options are present that pose greater risks. Some things might arise that we’ve never witnessed before, thanks to all the safeguards that used to be in place with Apple making sure it was in control. <br /><br />The price of conducting iOS exploits is huge and Apple says it’s trying to bring that up further so that any attacker would think twice before targeting iOS.<br /><br />Apple has expressed concern on this front and how it plans to develop this even further. They are trying to show individuals who download apps from such alternative sources with special screens featuring more data. This combined with notorization would assist in helping users maintain confidence of the highest degree, it added.<br /><br />Another short interview had Apple’s reps avoiding discussions on matters like the economy of various payments and the right competition for iPhone users across the EU, provided the fact of how it is out of their league. <br /><br />This really frames things better regarding the Digital Markets Act and how proper regulation could be great for harvesting competition but lowering security. It’s certainly a much more enticing situation to have Apple control the exact cash flow and attack vendors with more potential attacks. But remember, the DMA does not exist to help Apple solely or work to better the security of its platform.<br /><br />From what experts think, the cost of greater market competition being regulated could be the expense of users’ security. But this might prove to be not a big issue to begin with, thanks greatly to how it’s implementing compliance. But we can surely understand the anxiety linked to less costs to carry out attacks. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ_rJxKFmY4ghGWOZe8AEFeAzdOzSzjDjELxT7oEu5YIo682zy0YQTMWAFIAsG2rSGIrxSXYkhJkNA6qPJY29NQTEBjoGFICnYDNQKOlv6ns7nAX1ShSDj7_79qPLT2x9L1sdGtOJ-dmVDuUay9-D1ugTFWidLd0RsANAjb_7LOqpIp9DBOayPSf2gBag/s1024/apple-diw-2024.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ_rJxKFmY4ghGWOZe8AEFeAzdOzSzjDjELxT7oEu5YIo682zy0YQTMWAFIAsG2rSGIrxSXYkhJkNA6qPJY29NQTEBjoGFICnYDNQKOlv6ns7nAX1ShSDj7_79qPLT2x9L1sdGtOJ-dmVDuUay9-D1ugTFWidLd0RsANAjb_7LOqpIp9DBOayPSf2gBag/s16000/apple-diw-2024.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br /> Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/the-impact-of-tiktok-ban-what-it-could.html" target="_blank">The Impact Of The TikTok Ban: What It Could Mean For The US And Global Tech World</a>Dr. Hura Anwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788127003736871187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-86939150502856405652024-03-16T17:15:00.002+05:002024-03-16T17:15:11.660+05:00The Impact Of The TikTok Ban: What It Could Mean For The US And Global Tech WorldTikTok has made the headlines again and this time around, things are getting serious after the US House of Representatives passed a bill to have it barred around the country. <br /><br />We know this might not be the first time that we’re hearing such news but with the app walking on thin ice, it’s high time we see what the possible impact of such a decision is, not only for America but for the rest of the global market. <br /><br />What would such a ban mean for the tech world? Well, we’re sure Meta’s Instagram is going to fall in love with the thought that one of its biggest rivals in social media won’t be working. And that means <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/donald-trump-lashes-out-at-metas.html" target="_blank">more people tuning into Facebook</a> and Instagram. <br /><br />In February alone, we saw Instagram get a staggering 56 million new installations through the App Store as well as Google Play, i.e. according to <a href="https://appfigures.com/resources/insights/20240315?f=2" target="_blank">Appfigures chart</a>. Most of those arose from the Play Store and it’s also interesting to note how people are installing the app way more than TikTok as it is.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9E5Zp1c94DjjHzYKCAvy4Vv05kIY0Ubhvt3xxuCCvbWG7q_iMZy9Kpf9fqPLo5ldROsZvI7U1KR95IDKCtZfvxdZjRHYA6cK5XFhBC80GB73BVgbyszjFq6XomSVoQzz3jPsAg3LGoPnLl_mHiBQerbJyEs_e9Vg5GtVrVO3g0eieh517mxg1yiIZ-gHb/s2262/most-downloaded-apps-feb-2024-global.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1959" data-original-width="2262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9E5Zp1c94DjjHzYKCAvy4Vv05kIY0Ubhvt3xxuCCvbWG7q_iMZy9Kpf9fqPLo5ldROsZvI7U1KR95IDKCtZfvxdZjRHYA6cK5XFhBC80GB73BVgbyszjFq6XomSVoQzz3jPsAg3LGoPnLl_mHiBQerbJyEs_e9Vg5GtVrVO3g0eieh517mxg1yiIZ-gHb/s16000/most-downloaded-apps-feb-2024-global.png" /></a></div><br />To be more specific with stats from App Intelligence, we saw the platform dethrone TikTok back in December. While TikTok did trail behind with just 45 million downloads, the results have just not been consistent when you look at previous performances. <br /><br />So a ban might not significantly hurt the popular app that’s a staple for youngsters, as just 3.5 million of all downloads come from American users. <br /><br />The top five apps for February also included Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Telegram has yet to witness any top 5 rank since the start of November last year.<br /><br />We saw Threads be included in this chart again and it managed to retain the top 8th spot with a staggering 22 million installs. Rival competition X failed to reach the top 10 but it did come in at position 23, which was better than what it started the year with.<br /><br />While other movements were noted, the chart remained the same. <br /><br />Right now, the biggest worry is that if Congress does vote in favor of the TikTok bill, what could that mean and is there any way out?<br /><br />For now, US lawmakers have given TikTok the chance to divest away from ByteDance that’s located in China. Once it becomes a separate entity from its Chinese counterpart, only then can deliberations begin for it to return to the nation. <br /><br />But how important is the American market to TikTok and is the app really that famous in the country?<br /><br />Diving deep down into the details, we saw how the latest app downloads as well as monthly active users, we can see how America is quite small for the platform. <a href="https://www.data.ai/en/insights/market-data/data-gems-app-news-03-08-24/" target="_blank">Only 5% of its overall share</a> of monthly downloads comes from here as seen from stats in 2023. <br /><br />China was the app’s biggest market where figures stood at 45%. This included both iOS and Android devices. <br /><br />When we look at figures regarding consumer spending, the relevance of the American market for the app comes into play. American consumers make up close to 40% of the overall spending on this platform which is a huge figure that’s spent on TikTok around the world. <br /><br />This is certainly a lot and way more than what consumers are spending for the biggest apps around the globe. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5sQ3HPrAxkxcjKCD5V8sFfMu7WiFjpEYk8V5KigIp0ayMUPQ_UrA16-hrgkZnNCEwmVDloCzAwmUh8NeaEQDTCSCjpcQfu32zXWHuxnQONiiThHrHTmwr1a7ZXSwJQmBg4i-89X0sXTU319NvMQogFG1qMlah0u5w7YxKhjW2a5_vg6kg8TgfPqEMcHC/s1475/tikt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5sQ3HPrAxkxcjKCD5V8sFfMu7WiFjpEYk8V5KigIp0ayMUPQ_UrA16-hrgkZnNCEwmVDloCzAwmUh8NeaEQDTCSCjpcQfu32zXWHuxnQONiiThHrHTmwr1a7ZXSwJQmBg4i-89X0sXTU319NvMQogFG1qMlah0u5w7YxKhjW2a5_vg6kg8TgfPqEMcHC/s16000/tikt.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ81ERsJOdsZYV7EyVxLSu_9tVH0oU8DBQTrTdK30z5vy2V-hcLLLZJ2WxDfp3rxkH-U3iCpQktoAuVawW6ykk2MnhMJr-ZypKfQPR8Hb_OjJm9gfCyK8mTx1duSfOWGRije_XfmvCHJZAa-6QiM2C54pIYbST5PNvax0n2vY2VLEDzroDMv62mPIRMLl0/s1458/z.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="1458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ81ERsJOdsZYV7EyVxLSu_9tVH0oU8DBQTrTdK30z5vy2V-hcLLLZJ2WxDfp3rxkH-U3iCpQktoAuVawW6ykk2MnhMJr-ZypKfQPR8Hb_OjJm9gfCyK8mTx1duSfOWGRije_XfmvCHJZAa-6QiM2C54pIYbST5PNvax0n2vY2VLEDzroDMv62mPIRMLl0/s16000/z.png" /></a></div><br />When we see how much time people are spending on this platform in the US, it’s shocking to witness how iPhone users are spending most of their time here only. Meanwhile, those with Android devices spend most of their time on YouTube and then TikTok. And yes, it’s wildly popular with the youth, with 18 to 24-year-olds in love with the app. <br /><br />But that does not mean those between the 25 to 44 year age bracket don’t love it. It’s quite popular with them too and ranks number three for those aged 45 and above. So yes, the ban has a lot of users in the US talking and that’s why both creators and users are equally expressing their dismay on how it can negatively impact their lives, not to mention income. <br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/mrbeast-warns-aspiring-youtube-creators.html" target="_blank">MrBeast Warns Aspiring YouTube Creators About The Huge Uncertainty Linked To The App</a>Dr. Hura Anwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788127003736871187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-27391285342172709312024-03-16T17:04:00.003+05:002024-03-16T17:04:27.675+05:00MrBeast Warns Aspiring YouTube Creators About The Huge Uncertainty Linked To The AppYou might want to read on further if you haven’t heard about the YouTube exodus and how the world’s most popular video-sharing app is facing great uncertainty. <br /><br />YouTube’s most successful creators, Mr.Beast <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBeast/status/1768431267505213672" target="_blank">is making</a> sure wannabe creators know exactly what they’re getting into and how things might not go their way, in the end. <br /><br />The warning was rolled out in which he stated how thousands of aspiring creators come with huge dreams in mind but when they don’t make it, that's devastating for them. <br /><br />We’ve seen stars including MatPat and Tom Schott who were among those that took long breaks from making videos and as a consequence, the response was just not there on their return. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJ6wm2ABDqLjanee4Yr0_RwTdb8snOu2iLDAkN1hC0M6KXHqDlD7-wHYuKFWNVtLJnhE6xn2eo4KGCL9etP046Cu1QjcYvkbRMOQWJozBXt-OQcvVcIEO2K61oSkJOHHxP-uvCSAPBGoU71PNq70PtPvYTuEmXDMp8waknBpCo2tO9-ThYJmLBIhW893W/s1302/ytmrb.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="1302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJ6wm2ABDqLjanee4Yr0_RwTdb8snOu2iLDAkN1hC0M6KXHqDlD7-wHYuKFWNVtLJnhE6xn2eo4KGCL9etP046Cu1QjcYvkbRMOQWJozBXt-OQcvVcIEO2K61oSkJOHHxP-uvCSAPBGoU71PNq70PtPvYTuEmXDMp8waknBpCo2tO9-ThYJmLBIhW893W/s16000/ytmrb.png" /></a></div><br />This left them with one decision only and that included bidding farewell to a fanbase that had been supporting them for years. <br /><br />In the past, we’ve seen so many creators lodge complaints against Google regarding YouTube. This had to do with the platform demonetizing content, rolling out strikes for copyright, and even some talking about how the latter wasn’t even true. Plenty of questions were raised over the app’s algorithm changes, how it was more driven to promote the Shorts feature, and a list of other formats that weren’t as popular as the real deal.<br /><br />For many, security was a major issue including how two-factor authentication was missing despite it being a serious protection necessity to keep creators safe from hacking attempts. Some even spoke about taking over channels. And on top of that, we now have AI taking over the world of video generation.<br /><br />The fight to take on adblockers continues and there’s even a small sprinkling of ads dubbed misleading which find their way on this app. <br /><br />So when you already have so many problems that people cannot stop talking about and then this being enriched by the likes of bittersweet reviews from superstars like MrBeast, it’s bound to be bad for the organization. Remember, MrBeast who is also known as Jimmy Donaldson is one of the world’s most popular creators with a staggering fanbase featuring 244 million subscribers throughout the main channel.<br /><br />The fact that people are quitting jobs or even dropping out of school to produce content on a full-time basis means more needs to be done as a warning because that might not be the best way forward. <br /><br />So as stars have mentioned in the past and keep adding today, for each person making it on the app, another might not. Hence, this is why those who have found success and fame through this platform want others to always have that in mind at all times. <br /><br />The star joked about making bets on your residence across roulette could be a better decision and believe it or not, many other famous creators couldn’t help but agree to this. <br /><br />Today, we’ve got creators like Thomas Frank also showcasing the opposite side and how grateful he is to have a fan base of three million. He expressed gratitude to MrBeast for showing the straight path. <br /><br />They hate watching individuals purchase pricey possessions without an audience, only to come back with nothing but sheer disappointment. As MrBeast suggests, if you don’t have what it takes to get the audience to follow and subscribe with your regular camera, then what makes you think purchasing another device worth thousands would work?<br /><br />That certainly seems like a logical thought there but if only the newbies and wannabies could pay heed, right? <br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/apple-agrees-to-pay-490-million-in.html" target="_blank">Apple Agrees To Pay $490 Million In Lawsuit Settlement Over Alleged Misleading iPhone Sales Information In China</a>Dr. Hura Anwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788127003736871187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-74570898241609070142024-03-16T14:26:00.000+05:002024-03-16T14:26:10.832+05:00Apple Agrees To Pay $490 Million In Lawsuit Settlement Over Alleged Misleading iPhone Sales Information In ChinaApple has agreed to pay <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/apple-reaches-490-million-settlement-with-shareholders-over-china-sales-comments-2024-03-15/" target="_blank">$490 million</a> to settle a lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed that Tim Cook, the CEO, didn't tell investors the truth about iPhone sales in China dropping. The court in Oakland, California, got the settlement details, but a judge still needs to approve it.<br /><br />The lawsuit began after Apple said it would make $9 billion less than expected in early 2019. This drop was blamed on trade issues between the U.S. and China. Back in November 2018, Cook said China's sales were fine, even though other countries were struggling. <br /><br />Soon after, Apple told its factories to make fewer iPhones. This was the first time Apple had to lower its sales forecast since the iPhone came out in 2007. The company's stock value fell by $74 billion the next day.<br /><br />Apple hasn't responded to the settlement news. The company says it did nothing wrong but decided to settle to avoid the hassle and expense of a court fight. A lawyer for the investors who sued called the settlement a great outcome. This group includes people who bought Apple stock in the two months after Cook said China's sales were good.<br /><br />Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is handling the case, decided not to end the lawsuit last year. She thought it was possible that Cook was misleading about how well iPhones were selling. She also noted that Apple was aware of the economic slowdown in China and the risk of falling demand.<br /><br />The main plaintiff in the case is a pension fund from Norfolk, England. The lawyers for the investors might ask for up to 25% of the settlement money as their fee.<br /><br />Despite this lawsuit, Apple's stock price has gone up more than four times since January 2019. Now, Apple is worth more than $2.6 trillion. The legal case is known as In re Apple Inc Securities Litigation and is being handled in the Northern District of California.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63i_F-_syqRAN_CmLMlETsDp3aZtTAmE4L3ojYivFa1juJwlcyEHa6kko13TjCE5yayKKXJchm-Qd8sxNbmnr8ip2QXSfXoa6-SicN63-CIT4OsR4U8jifYRGERepDNlExuNV4flFCypMXY-BtrREHArMcG8JGtdhz2aYP0agHomtd9BTJQOdMKfj4jsX/s1024/apple-ble34.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63i_F-_syqRAN_CmLMlETsDp3aZtTAmE4L3ojYivFa1juJwlcyEHa6kko13TjCE5yayKKXJchm-Qd8sxNbmnr8ip2QXSfXoa6-SicN63-CIT4OsR4U8jifYRGERepDNlExuNV4flFCypMXY-BtrREHArMcG8JGtdhz2aYP0agHomtd9BTJQOdMKfj4jsX/s16000/apple-ble34.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-AIgen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/whats-most-common-way-for-smartphones.html" target="_blank">What's the Most Common Way for Smartphones to Get Damaged?</a>Mahrukh Shahidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16660655121988308784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-30515825059372061742024-03-16T12:42:00.000+05:002024-03-16T12:42:17.566+05:00What's the Most Common Way for Smartphones to Get Damaged?If you’ve recently purchased a smartphone, you’d likely consider it to be an extremely crucial and sizable investment with all things having been considered and taken into account. The prospect of the phone getting damaged is likely something that would end up causing you no small amount of stress, so as a result of the fact that this is the case, Allstate Protection Plans/<a href="https://blog.squaretrade.com/78-million-americans-damaged-their-smartphones-in-the-last-year-were-you-one-of-them/" target="_blank">SquareTrade just released</a> the most common ways in which smartphones were damaged in 2023.<br /><br />The first thing to note about this data is that 78 million smartphone users said their phones were damaged in the US in 2023. That’s a steep decrease from the 87 million that said the same in 2020, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, the amount of money that they spent on getting their phones repaired increased a fair bit. In 2018, smartphone owners spent a total of $3.4 billion on phone repairs. This number jumped to a staggering $8.3 billion in 2023.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZwpziuEqxCQbEACoAGAUBaNAGgGxVIWZsQhcoE7Clcf8Q4oqD5zRghBMkqB6ZXqlswzE0vQh57mak_6Ui_gLQCjdThBwr_xJPkTKi04xP6-j0FUs8YTN40uHSSgSLBTqvqtOP04UlAvPh1EefV52l8xnC4SVWRAnnwOEVkKjfizzEhCedQE62LggmZwg/s3801/78-million-americans-damaged-their-smartphones-in-the-last-year.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2734" data-original-width="3801" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZwpziuEqxCQbEACoAGAUBaNAGgGxVIWZsQhcoE7Clcf8Q4oqD5zRghBMkqB6ZXqlswzE0vQh57mak_6Ui_gLQCjdThBwr_xJPkTKi04xP6-j0FUs8YTN40uHSSgSLBTqvqtOP04UlAvPh1EefV52l8xnC4SVWRAnnwOEVkKjfizzEhCedQE62LggmZwg/s16000/78-million-americans-damaged-their-smartphones-in-the-last-year.jpg" /></a></div><br />There was a time when water damage was the single biggest thing that people needed to be concerned about as far as their smartphones were concerned. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that it’s no longer the leading cause of damage to smartphones. That dubious honor now belongs to damaged screens, with 67% of people whose smartphones were damaged reporting this. This is the single biggest issue by far, with WiFi or connectivity issues coming in at a distant second with 28%.<br /><br />Screens in general appear to be problematic to a great extent, with 24% reporting issues with their touchscreens. Loose or damaged charging ports were reported by 22% of users, and then finally water damage came in fifth with 21%. It was equalled by battery problems which were also reported by 21% of users, and chipped sides cleared the 20% mark as well.<br /><br />49% of the people that responded to this survey stated that they wouldn’t fix their phone as soon as it got damaged, with 39% of these people pointing to the cost. 21% also said that they wouldn’t want to forego using their devices for an extended period of time, 12% voiced concerns about it ending up in a landfill.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjUVUYqXElTsjsQag6uQ02LQLdS_CAc8-JELS6i4luqiYyZLgn1Cl-oz86AWrESvNMGwnkI-a2vJPPIazoFkNqcHoEGJlYhnDPsAxCl3tmjmtdWfn4sSN0BbQwByixPiA9lNTZkqha4_OOjJ2pQ5TKwdSd2o5Or2jO_MTSBQIlD4T4Sv39m1-jp0jvbI7/s1600/Gameshow.webp" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2703" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjUVUYqXElTsjsQag6uQ02LQLdS_CAc8-JELS6i4luqiYyZLgn1Cl-oz86AWrESvNMGwnkI-a2vJPPIazoFkNqcHoEGJlYhnDPsAxCl3tmjmtdWfn4sSN0BbQwByixPiA9lNTZkqha4_OOjJ2pQ5TKwdSd2o5Or2jO_MTSBQIlD4T4Sv39m1-jp0jvbI7/s16000/Gameshow.webp" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUz1HTziNHmYmtFvaP-0OrxJJFzzEKwOsALNlEbPTg8w5bwPVhstj6uOu5r8BsQhuuSO_PipmRnxNio1SpbmYTIkMRhpJy8g_JLzW8Tvawyhws6aaESC70D_vWHBkqxDjZnhICWWxVuqsyR2KuGNHiJf60bHrM4w3reXrrt0oumPabAbRAQHNg92BjVllK/s1600/Phone-Love.webp" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2759" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUz1HTziNHmYmtFvaP-0OrxJJFzzEKwOsALNlEbPTg8w5bwPVhstj6uOu5r8BsQhuuSO_PipmRnxNio1SpbmYTIkMRhpJy8g_JLzW8Tvawyhws6aaESC70D_vWHBkqxDjZnhICWWxVuqsyR2KuGNHiJf60bHrM4w3reXrrt0oumPabAbRAQHNg92BjVllK/s16000/Phone-Love.webp" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD584Ug6uLD_Rfj_iLsla82XnyjftVNcKkSC3xYBRHLcsMRHj7Tx8errZYKxlEbK0yU2NA8ruAXFwFJKXuDT9I93BTLXKeUzvUXGWQHkVo3oNl0v6EP7rI_A5zbz6FlO0JNJk2tJxwJcJYmuBTMusdi3F7lZKnhrSGXVYL3zts2-zBX_BI-LgVDxLrR-d/s1600/Sustainability.webp" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2282" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD584Ug6uLD_Rfj_iLsla82XnyjftVNcKkSC3xYBRHLcsMRHj7Tx8errZYKxlEbK0yU2NA8ruAXFwFJKXuDT9I93BTLXKeUzvUXGWQHkVo3oNl0v6EP7rI_A5zbz6FlO0JNJk2tJxwJcJYmuBTMusdi3F7lZKnhrSGXVYL3zts2-zBX_BI-LgVDxLrR-d/s16000/Sustainability.webp" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B1u3q08OasQfxup8Xrv-soMoPEsPqZ3by2NaPGITyFccZHePwuHb-ar_XHO_QYxEbVeNoc7g_MdFRtc0uM0AZUumfM98dHASTtBEefadyqvbsNDldSdqjHtGt-CYAJUXAccQ6SxzydOZZppIzT51YPPbq53kI0VwNKy8eP5akbZ4QgK-S8XEBpZhx9Zh/s1600/Too-Expensive.webp" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2695" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B1u3q08OasQfxup8Xrv-soMoPEsPqZ3by2NaPGITyFccZHePwuHb-ar_XHO_QYxEbVeNoc7g_MdFRtc0uM0AZUumfM98dHASTtBEefadyqvbsNDldSdqjHtGt-CYAJUXAccQ6SxzydOZZppIzT51YPPbq53kI0VwNKy8eP5akbZ4QgK-S8XEBpZhx9Zh/s16000/Too-Expensive.webp" /></a></div>Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/idc-reports-pc-shipments-decreased-in.html" target="_blank">IDC Reports PC Shipments Decreased in First Half of 2023 but Grew in the Last Quarter of 2023</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-15721818867291366372024-03-15T16:37:00.000+05:002024-03-15T16:37:01.806+05:00New Report Reveals 12.8 Million Passwords, Authentication Tokens and More Leaked on GitHub in 2023The cybersecurity experts over <a href="https://www.gitguardian.com/files/the-state-of-secrets-sprawl-report-2024" target="_blank">at</a> <a href="https://www.gitguardian.com/state-of-secrets-sprawl-report-2024" target="_blank">GitGuardian</a> sent out 1.8 million emails to people alerting them about secrets they may have exposed on GitHub in 2023. This came after 12.8 million authentication tokens and secrets were leaked on GitHub over the course of the year, and according to a report by Sophos, 50% of the attacks in the first half of 2023 were caused by compromised credentials. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FuCMXbzSMIIzgz72MsUcekt7q1g64Oqqr6xIme06_FI9UhQftdabqxH4k6fjHw4I8yXUcY-dOkwmC5M5E_MvsVz7f3LZhTFFczXL3-9WvQErjDtWHKkT1S6RekBYZSrz-pOkojLlkA6mnifm1k4Tot9SahSoCpnQppHeIeCW8CHTgSva8JB3QFjS7ryS/s996/s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="996" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FuCMXbzSMIIzgz72MsUcekt7q1g64Oqqr6xIme06_FI9UhQftdabqxH4k6fjHw4I8yXUcY-dOkwmC5M5E_MvsVz7f3LZhTFFczXL3-9WvQErjDtWHKkT1S6RekBYZSrz-pOkojLlkA6mnifm1k4Tot9SahSoCpnQppHeIeCW8CHTgSva8JB3QFjS7ryS/s16000/s.png" /></a></div><br />With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the data that was leaked was highly sensitive in nature. It included things like authentication keys, account passwords, API keys, security certifications, encryption keys among many other types of data. Such a leak is highly dangerous because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up leading to massive financial losses down the line.<br /><br />In spite of the fact that this is the case, only 1.8% of the people that received the email from GitGuardian actually went on to rectify the error that they made. Considering that 91.6% of these tokens were valid for up to 5 days after they were leaked, this has the potential to cause widespread fraud as well with all things having been considered and taken into account.<br /><br />It bears mentioning that the trend has been going up in past few years when it comes to GitHub leaks. The number has more than doubled since 2021, when around 6 million instances of leaks were noted. It’s also essential to analyze which countries these leaks are actually coming from.<br /><br />India had the dubious honor of coming out on top in this list followed by the US, with Brazil coming in third. 65.9% of the data pertained to the IT sector, with education comprising 20.1%, and various other sectors combined only representing just 14% of the total. This clearly indicates that the IT industry is at great risk due to these leaks, and the combination of a lack of remedial action combined with extended token validity might be to blame apart from the leaks themselves. <br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/european-firms-ai-trends-revealed.html" target="_blank">European Firms' AI Trends Revealed: Cornell Study Highlights Preference for Ready-Made Software</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-19896005920006921802024-03-15T16:32:00.001+05:002024-03-15T16:32:13.217+05:00European Firms' AI Trends Revealed: Cornell Study Highlights Preference for Ready-Made SoftwareProfessors from Dyson School of Economics and Management in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business published a research that talks about which businesses have adapted to AI and from where did they get the AI softwares from. The research was written after analyzing more than 3000 European firms who are using AI in their work and it was found that most firms, specifically science, trade, finance and real estate firms are mostly preferring ready made AI softwares that the firms alter according to their own needs. This also proves that even though AI is targeting workers, the people with AI skills are still needed to make AI work in the firms.<br /><br />The co-author of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jems.12586" target="_blank">study</a>, Chris Forman, says that many industries are using ready made AI softwares but some are also developing AI softwares on their own. He also added that even though ready-made software is a lot useful and can help a lot, in-house development of AI softwares is more efficient and can do the task more accurately. The corresponding author of the study, Charles Hoffreumon, and co-author Nicholas van Zeebroeck, along with Forman did their research by studying the data from 2020 which talked about AI adoption in 3143 firms in 27 countries of the European Union. <br /><br />According to the research, business software is hard to administer in the firms and that’s why many firms rely on ready-made softwares. Forman says that ready-made software can wipe out the need of AI skills in a firm that are needed to develop a new software. The data shows that 19% of the manufacturing industries in the EU rely on AI softwares. Other firms which use AI are Trade and Retail(18%), Construction(12%), Agriculture(4%) and Utilities(3%). Most firms use AI softwares to detect risks and frauds, to process and optimize equipment and for automation in robotics and warehouses.<br /><br />Apart from the 58% respondents who are using ready-made AI softwares, 38% have hired an external consultant for them, 24% have modified the software and 20% are developing their own AI softwares in-house. Forman says that many firms have already adopted AI in their work and that has helped in the development of AI softwares according to human needs. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rJo3Xq_JITOJXs0g6yXMx2f2ay8lJdkjmSVXPk36QPZwjINsLUrMhFTsIzWgqXLxErrsHcds6CiFgW2eWAYVZgxMkEnp8OKcixk74cYg0mLiI2wqkxtXCcLMv6N4agTGWGQenQzOgHBBAqKxE48vGDdwLEgXc-VmaDkNoSUSrMBAaqdpB1gHpy5JdebT/s1024/ai.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rJo3Xq_JITOJXs0g6yXMx2f2ay8lJdkjmSVXPk36QPZwjINsLUrMhFTsIzWgqXLxErrsHcds6CiFgW2eWAYVZgxMkEnp8OKcixk74cYg0mLiI2wqkxtXCcLMv6N4agTGWGQenQzOgHBBAqKxE48vGDdwLEgXc-VmaDkNoSUSrMBAaqdpB1gHpy5JdebT/s16000/ai.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/bias-concerns-arise-as-epfl-study.html" target="_blank">Bias Concerns Arise as EPFL Study Uncovers Internal English Dependence in Prominent LLMs</a><p></p>Arooj Ahmedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774024579525038689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-68261332251642641232024-03-15T16:22:00.003+05:002024-03-15T16:22:30.559+05:00Bias Concerns Arise as EPFL Study Uncovers Internal English Dependence in Prominent LLMsSome of the most prominent LLMs out there such as GPT and others are trained mostly on sources that use the English language with all things having been considered and taken into account. One might assume that these LLMs don’t actually have a first language, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.10588" target="_blank">a recent study</a> <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2402.10588.pdf" target="_blank">found</a> that they actually used English internally. This held true even for those prompts that came from another language entirely.<br /><br />This study was conducted by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, or EPFL for short, and it indicated something troubling for the future. AI is starting to become an ever more prevalent element of the manner in which we live our lives. The internal use of English at this current point in time is concerning because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up creating an implicit bias down the line.<br /><br />These researchers worked at the Data Science Laboratory at their institution. The study involved analyzing what languages were being used at various points within the computational chain. According to the head of DLAB, Professor Robert West, the way that LLMs work is that they predict words by assigning number values to them.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Also read: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/study-finds-flaws-in-safe-ai-picture.html" target="_blank">Study Finds Flaws in Safe AI Picture Generation Efforts</a></li></ul>These numbers are called word vectors, act as a kind of address for the word or a set of coordinates. The various layers of computation within LLMs transform the coordinates and after 80 transformations are complete, a new vector is formed for the subsequent word. The more layers that are used, the stronger the model will be and its predictions would end up becoming more accurate as well.<br /><br />The researchers fed words from multiple languages into the LLMs and tried to make it predict the translation. Even though the model was supposed to translate from French to Chinese or vice versa, it usually ended up using English instead. This bias can have unforeseen consequences in the near to distant future, so it’s essential that more work be done in order to make sure that the bias is reduced by a significant margin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAaFBGGz7pm-1ATKpHyQ3QAGzAo6lQfjJyDMDY9vOA8YGXuTKFzsMuSMX40m02XglyUV9z5bwyYHtlr-RYtF3joNihxmpLcCmbO_v1ftM_g5VfN6JAJOYLWFajhQQa_SgAzMebwrfNYaLoQeQ0Vh7N0XjhgRzNT_t7nirpbinEr2bWLQg1KTlnnGSATuN/s1024/aic3wwd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAaFBGGz7pm-1ATKpHyQ3QAGzAo6lQfjJyDMDY9vOA8YGXuTKFzsMuSMX40m02XglyUV9z5bwyYHtlr-RYtF3joNihxmpLcCmbO_v1ftM_g5VfN6JAJOYLWFajhQQa_SgAzMebwrfNYaLoQeQ0Vh7N0XjhgRzNT_t7nirpbinEr2bWLQg1KTlnnGSATuN/s16000/aic3wwd.jpeg" /></a></div><br />Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/googles-ai-powered-search-engine-could.html" target="_blank">Google’s AI-Powered Search Engine Could Cost Company A Loss Of Billions Due To Traffic Decline</a>Zia Muhammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437506889676219023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050352549609773373.post-16565361259716775822024-03-15T16:17:00.000+05:002024-03-15T16:17:03.584+05:00Google’s AI-Powered Search Engine Could Cost Company A Loss Of Billions Due To Traffic DeclineGoogle could soon be experiencing a host of financial woes all thanks to its Search Generative Engine endeavor. <br /><br />The company’s AI-based initiative could mean losses that go up to <a href="https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/googles-gen-ai-search-threatens-publishers-with-2b-annual-ad-revenue-loss/" target="_blank">$2 billion</a> due to a traffic decline of approximately 20% to 60%. That’s a major fall and not one that any tech giant would appreciate considering the toll on ad revenue that it would take.<br /><br />The fact that Google is expecting the launch of SGE to trigger this rollout is just mindblowing for some as the fall in search traffic is not small but quite steep. Remember, the direct effect that this has is on ad revenue as per experts. <br /><br />The news comes after <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/01/sge-searches-dont-match-organic-search.html" target="_blank">a recently published study</a> in the form of two analyses was carried out to determine the impact that this would have on Google’s traffic. And when results from last year were compared to those right now by looking at the latest SGE for the leading 1000 keywords that bring traffic to these websites, some people were just shocked. <br /><br />The drop was massive and seeing the huge traffic loss was not a pretty sight. And what’s interesting is that the whole Search Generative Experience is not even fully rolled out. For now, it’s just entered the beta phase but to have such a devastating impact at this stage, one can only imagine the outcome arising in regards to how ads function. <br /><br />And yes, this kind of uncertainty isn’t something that would be appreciated as it could give rise to more problems when the Android maker is trying its level best to take on more strategies without realizing the changes that need to be made. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FCtUkov1-hsU_AF7fyDYonWQAR7pZJkRcGRfaZgXIyMPcGYbOx5TeZetjU_cRtB2AJHFaKNWHaE2fVTz2o5SpHV7ntlLtxZaNpbTkrIulFzGVweNEuKOnJWNhKtOyfamNXWfYx7O5QGSQtv-hpas_fpy8uZdisA1A9iN26lx6_GE0ToPso41GOZrxU3S/s1024/g-e-b34.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FCtUkov1-hsU_AF7fyDYonWQAR7pZJkRcGRfaZgXIyMPcGYbOx5TeZetjU_cRtB2AJHFaKNWHaE2fVTz2o5SpHV7ntlLtxZaNpbTkrIulFzGVweNEuKOnJWNhKtOyfamNXWfYx7O5QGSQtv-hpas_fpy8uZdisA1A9iN26lx6_GE0ToPso41GOZrxU3S/s16000/g-e-b34.jpeg" /></a></div>Image: DIW-Aigen<br /><br />Read next: <a href="https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/03/study-finds-flaws-in-safe-ai-picture.html" target="_blank">Study Finds Flaws in Safe AI Picture Generation Efforts</a>Dr. Hura Anwarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788127003736871187noreply@blogger.com0