Google Wants Users To Take Care Of Their Mental Health So It’s Launching More Tools For Wellness

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month and over the past few years, Google has really been appreciated for making a great effort to ensure users track their lifestyles and routines.

The company revealed how the key to enjoying wellness and good health isn’t always linked to physical well-being but mental too. Moreover, the search engine giant says it wants to put out some more tools that are easy to access and can attend to those struggling to stay on par with their mental health.

It also feels this can serve as an adjunct for those suffering or struggling silence with their mental health as well as it’s a resource that’s up for grabs at a crucial moment in time.

As it is, the search engine giant has mentioned how this is not the first venture of its kind. It likes to take up such issues as major priorities and that is exactly why it already has plenty of hotlines active, despite it not being perfect. This includes experts ready and willing to assist those in need.

This way, people would be able to search for more videos on apps like YouTube. But the firm feels it now wants to take things to the next level by establishing partnerships with various other companies so this maintains the operations on a daily basis.

Some of this includes donations for Child Mind Institutes and other similar endeavors including tools that give old age citizens the help they require and when they require it.

Remember, being aware of mental health during the younger years may be very hard to maintain and control because you’re exposed to so much at a young age. Google knows that and hopes to take more measures designed to prevent various types of harmful content from reaching younger audience members.

Therefore, it will not be putting limitations on videos that are age-restricting such as those having to with recovering from bulimia or anorexia and others showcasing binge eating, among others.

Moreover, the search engine giant’s clear focus now seems to be more on mental wellness and that is extending into the world of Search and more, it adds. In the same way, it’s going to be really mindful of searches on sensitive subjects like self-harm and death, offering aid in the form of a text prompt that can be forwarded to others to let them know you’re not alright.

It hopes to reduce the stigma linked to asking for help too.

So as you can imagine, the company is really doing a lot and has done a lot in the past as well. It’s clear that such tools are being welcomed with open arms to try and better users’ mental state and the weird phenomenon that one shouldn’t ask for help when mentally exhausted.

Another great feature that we saw coming forward in the past from Google was removing beauty filters as an act of default on its devices as it felt they were working against a person’s mental well-being.

Read next: Google All Set To Delete Inactive Accounts That Serve As Major Online Security Threats
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

TikTok Rolls Out New Monetization Opportunity That Rewards Creators For Effects Made Through Its AR Platform

TikTok is known for rewarding its creators, time and time again through the likes of monetization of their in-app content.

Today, we’re hearing about another great opportunity that will enable just that and it’s dubbed as the Effect Creator Rewards. This innovative new fund will provide creators with the chance to produce effects via the likes of its much-talked-about AI initiative called Ellect House.

The fund that’s worth a staggering $6 million will be sending out payments to creators depending on their engagement while they make use of the effects. Moreover, the launch spoke about how creators would be given money for making use of the feature in at least 500k special videos that take place over a span of three months of it being put out. For this, the amount designated for payments includes $700.

Moreover, for every 100k videos produced over a span of three months, you’ll find creators collecting nearly $140. For now, TikTok is yet to send out any remarks on such plans and what would happen after the fund gets run out.

In the same way, one spokesperson mentioned how such a fund would be up for grabs in places like Germany, Spain, the US, the UK, and France. But what the firm did reveal is how their goal during the launch of the Effect House experiment was to provide designers and creators with the chance to create dynamic effects for the entire community of TikTok.

Now, they hope to do the same with this new venture and enhance commitment while expanding chances for creators in terms of greater support and rewarding passion with creativity.

This news comes just 14 days after we saw the company open up another creator fund but with additional features that go by the name of the Creativity Program. This is going to be up for grabs to all those that come under its eligibility criteria across the US and France.

This new project is created to produce more money and set out greater real-world chances for creators. And to be eligible for something of this kind, the content creator needs to be 18 and above while having 10k followers and some 100k views in the past one month.

TikTok feels such a rewards formula for its new creator fund is designed to provide a bigger average gross revenue figure for views. As it is, the current creator fund that was launched three years back had a commitment of nearly $1 billion for three years but that was severely called out by creators who felt they got minimal pay for their huge efforts.

Therefore, this paved the way for a new Creativity Program Beta which the firm felt was the response to such criticism.

Meanwhile, more details were also unveiled including how such a program wouldn’t enable creators to go back to its Creator Fund. Remember, TikTok didn’t reveal if the program was going to replace the fund as a whole or not. But what we do know is that it plans on scrapping it after its Creative Program picks up the pace and expands to the masses.

These two programs are the newest editions for the entire TikTok suite for monetization that entails LIVE subscriptions as well as a TikTok Pulse. Moreover, the firm also provides some more benefits as well as monetization features too. Just a while back, we saw the popular social media giant put out another feature that was dubbed Series. This enables Creators to put out more content that comes with an exclusive fee and is not for free.

Read next: Gen Z Is Wasting Time On Social Media Instead Of Working Hard To Study And Build Brighter Careers, Top Businessman Reveals
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Adobe Steps Into The AI World: Premiere Pro's Video Editing With AI Is Widely Available

Adobe's Premiere Pro recently introduced a groundbreaking update that revolutionizes video editing with the power of AI. This text-based editing feature, unveiled after extensive beta testing, is now available to wider users, marking a significant milestone in the editing landscape.

At the core of this feature is Adobe's advanced machine learning system, Sensei. While Sensei has previously been used for transcript generation, it now takes center stage in Premiere Pro. Alongside automatically generating transcripts for video files, these transcripts can be utilized for closed or open captions. But the real magic happens when you start manipulating the text itself.

By the analyzation of the audio tracks, Sensei's AI technology identifies individual words and highlights longer pauses with ellipses. A simple hover over these markers reveals the precise duration of the pauses, empowering editors to make informed decisions. Trimming the A-Roll to create a rough draft is now as easy as removing or adjusting text portions, resulting in immediate updates to the timeline.

This text-based editing feature is not just a time-saver; it also streamlines the editing process, making it especially useful when dealing with extensive footage. While some fine-tuning is required for precise timing, the benefits of this AI-powered tool are undeniable, allowing editors to focus on enhancing audio, color, and incorporating B-Roll seamlessly.

In addition to text-based editing, Adobe has introduced significant enhancements for users in the Apple ecosystem. The latest update brings improved compatibility with Apple Trackpads and the Magic Mouse, resulting in smoother scrolling and an enhanced user experience. Furthermore, Premiere Pro now supports cinematic clips shot using the cinema mode on iPhones, allowing users to explore new creative possibilities in their video editing projects. These updates cater to Apple users, providing them with a seamless and intuitive editing environment

The latest version of Premiere Pro introduces various quality-of-life improvements. Auto-save, a crucial feature for preserving work, no longer disrupts the editing flow by appearing in the foreground. Instead, it operates silently in the background, ensuring uninterrupted creative momentum. Additionally, Adobe's commitment to inclusivity is evident as they expand transcription support to include the Danish language, catering to a broader audience.

With this release, Adobe's Premiere Pro reaffirms its position as an industry leader, continuously pushing boundaries to deliver cutting-edge tools. By harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, Premiere Pro empowers editors to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency, opening up new possibilities in the realm of video production. As professionals embrace this powerful AI-powered text-based video editing feature, they embark on a journey toward unparalleled creativity and productivity.

Read next: “Pizza flying through the space”: Photo stock shares the weirdest searches you made
by Ayesha Hasnain via Digital Information World

OpenAI CEO Voices Support For More AI Regulation At Historic Congress Hearing

The CEO of OpenAI and a few other leaders from the tech world are expressing their views on the clause related to greater regulation for the AI sector.

Sam Altman agreed that this was the best way to go forward during a recent meeting dubbed as historic that was held this week. The shocking part is how the news is in great contrast to what was put out by some leading tech giants in terms of regulatory intervention.

But the CEO of OpenAI called it out as dangerous and favored how immediate regulation from authorities was necessary as various sectors pick up the pace and adopt the breakthrough technology.

From health and labor to the economy too- he says that AI is providing more support and benefits than before but the dangers are there and that’s why there’s a constant need for monitoring to help ward off the huge negative consequences.

Alongside Altman, other leaders from the tech world including the IBM chief and an NYU professor were seen favoring the idea of greater regulation. They agreed that such technology does come with start warnings regarding such topics as misinformation, manipulative behavior, and increased targeting.

Furthermore, the idea of organization arising at the cabinet level was outlined to help keep up to pace with the developments in the AI world. This should come with added protective measures and safety checks like that seen arising in the FDA.

Such oversight will certainly put out more rules for various risks and that means saying hello to greater regulation that’s applicable for certain cases that provide the most risk for the community.

Altman called for the creation of a new federal agency specifically tasked with issuing licenses for AI technology—licenses he said should be revoked if companies fail to comply with safety standards.

But Altman was definitely put under pressure and questioned about how he felt regarding the development of AI and whether or not it was like the creation of a bomb or a printing press. And he agreed that right now, he’s looking at it from the latter’s aspect.

There are similarly a lot more calls being made from top industry leaders in terms of regulation and how it’s necessary for both small and large entities to come together and solve the matter before it slips away.

For those people who might not be aware, in the past, we’ve seen leading tech firms including Apple and Meta fight for their rights in an active manner to prevent the regulatory intervention from coming forward.

The tech sector has already spent a staggering sum of money on the likes of advertising that helps in fighting various anti-trust measures and bills from Congress as per a report published by the WSJ.

So when you come to think of it, OpenAI isn’t the first firm that’s going to deliver an argument to the US Congress that supports regulation. We saw in the year 2020 how the CEO of Facebook was also in favor of more laws that provide protection to online apps for the sake of civil liabilities that depend on third parties.



Read next: Public Concern Grows as AI's Impact on Jobs Comes Under Scrutiny
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

TikTok Prompts Users To Include A Location And Share Experiences In The App To Enhance Business Potential

Popular social media app TikTok is on the verge of enhancing its potential in the business world by motivating users to include a location. Similarly, they want them to share their relevant experiences through various stores on the app.

The news comes after one social media user shared a screengrab to prove how the platform is luring such users by ensuring them greater reach for clips in cases when they do just that.

#TikTok now asks you to add a location to your video if you want to reach more viewers, and they will also ask you to "Write a review" for this location after that pic.twitter.com/6XJ7mJieJL

— Ahmed Ghanem (@ahmedghanem) May 15, 2023

In cases when a location they include happens to be an enterprise, the app would similarly be adding new in-platform prompts so users can include a review too.

This might be another new step taken in the hopes of creating greater discovery potential while Google notes how 40% of the younger lot are making use of both of these apps to look for cafes as compared to Search in places like Google. Clearly, it’s a huge chance for the app to really build up its potential in the business world, when and if this succeeds.

It’s quite clear how the Chinese variant of the platform called Douyin is now getting fame as a leading search engine for places like cafes as well as other places of great interest.

Moreover, since a lot of the Chinese app’s videos get tagged through locations, they’re clearly more categorical into places like cafes, hotels, shopping, tourist spots, and entertainment places. In the same way, businesses can now attract more clients by providing support for Douyin through facts like basic data and coupons and even support for a waitlist too.

As mentioned in the final sentence, this might open a huge range of new business opportunities on the platform and it now appears that the app would be willing to copy all of this and create some great tools for exploring as it turns into a huge consideration for businesses with time.

• Also read: Creators Earning from YouTube Shorts Sees Fivefold Increase Since February

Considering the current talks about a possible ban of the app across America, it might end up being a major sell-off at this point in time. As you know, the app is really making way for the future and has some great hopes that in cases when the ban does not pull through, it would convert the app into an entire search engine for more business potential. And in the end, we’re seeing the likelihood of turning this into a more critical platform for a younger base of individuals.

Meanwhile, experts predict how a long list of firms such as cafes and nightclubs might be an integral part of this shift as the app tries to make more tools and include more prompts that urge people to involve a greater amount of data that’s contextual.

Clearly, it’s quite obvious that this app is taking the next stage where storefront firms might need to consider creating a bigger brand presence to create bigger and better opportunities. For now, it’s not at par with Android maker Google but with time, we do see this as a promising source of potential that might become a huge focus for tomorrow.

H/T: Ahmed Ghanem

Read next: Hyper Casual Games See Dramatic Decline as Hybrid Model Takes Over
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Hyper Casual Games See Dramatic Decline as Hybrid Model Takes Over

There was a time when hyper casual games seemed like they were going to be the future of the gaming industry. They were able to cater to a whole new subclass of gamers who weren’t looking for serious games like console gamers and the like. In spite of the fact that this is the case, the release of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency protocol coupled with the seismic shifts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led to a decline in ad impressions.

According to a new report released by Tenjin, ad impressions in iOS decreased by 20% in 2022, and ad revenues on Android fell by as much as 28% with all things having been considered and taken into account. Such changes were devastating for hyper casual games because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up ruining their ad based business model.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that in-app purchases saw a sharp rise in the same period. An increase of about 37% was noted in purchases that were made within apps, and Indian consumers are driving much of this movement.

This is why so many developers are eschewing the hyper casual model in favor of a hybrid model that tries to leverage in-app purchases more than might have been the case otherwise. While the increase that was noted only factored in Android consumers, this still creates an opportunity for developers who are struggling to make ends meet.

It turns out that hyper casual games were only profitable due to the abundance of third party tracking options that did not need consent from users. Apple’s steadfast defense of user privacy which led to third party tracking getting toggled off by default wreaked havoc with the once profitable business model, and it will be interesting to see if the hybrid model makes a difference.

We might notice a shift in the mobile gaming landscape. Hyper casual games will become far less prominent, and higher quality hybrid games will likely take their place.

Read next: European Smartphone Sector Suffers Biggest Slump in a Decade: Shipments Tumble by 22% in the First Quarter of 2023
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Creators Earning from YouTube Shorts Sees Fivefold Increase Since February

The rapid rise of TikTok led to many other platforms such as YouTube scrambling to change things up because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up keeping them competitive. YouTube did this by launching its brand new Shorts platform, and they needed to get as many creators onboard as possible in order to make their short form content more viable than might have been the case otherwise.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that there has been a massive 485% increase in the number of creators who are earning money from posting YouTube shorts. This data comes from a creator fintech organization named Mediacube which surveyed over 2,600 creators to see if they were utilizing Shorts to the fullest possible extent.


70% of the creators that are working with the company are based in Europe, with 10.5% hailing from Latin America, 4.1% from Canada and the US, and 15% were spread across the MENA and APAC regions with all things having been considered and taken into account. It turns out that most of these creators have already started receiving payments from their Shorts content.

Prior to the monetization program getting rolled out in February, only a select group of creators could draw payments from a fixed $100 million Shorts fund that had a monthly $10,000 cap. YouTube now allows limitless payments to be received, but in spite of the fact that this is the case the average pay-out per thousand views is still markedly lower than for long form content.

However, earnings rates are still increasing. Creators that are represented by Mediacube found their payments rising by 75%, going from a total of $114,000 in February to $198,000 by March. A 75% increase in just the span of a month strongly suggests that Shorts creators are going to rise in prominence over the course of the year. While TikTok is still reigning supreme for short form content, YouTube is doing a decent job of creating a viable product that can compete with the Chinese app.


Read next: VPN Restrictions Impact 47.3% of Global Population
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World