Hot Hot Heat: The World Sizzles with Record-Breaking Temperature Adventures

Keep your popsicles handy because things are heating up! The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has officially revealed that we have had the warmest week on record (from July 1st to 7th). As if that weren't enough, we also experienced the warmest June on record! It's as if the planet has become a massive oven, and we're all feeling the heat.

But don't worry, you won't win this tournament by acquiring a sunburn. We're talking about absolute temperature records breaking all around the planet. It's as though Mother Nature is playing a game of "How hot can it get?" Since 2017, she's been setting some scorching new marks.

Let's take a look at some of these sweating feats. South Asia chose to turn up the heat to unthinkable levels in April and May of this year. Thermometers in Thailand (45.4°C), Vietnam (44.2°C), and Laos (43.5°C) were melting as they reported mind-boggling temperatures. It was so scorching that even the sun begged for relief!

They weren't the only ones who demonstrated their temperature control abilities. Down in Australia, Onslow broke its national record by hitting 50.7°C. Not to be outdone, Florida in Uruguay joined the fun with a temperature of 44.0°C. And across the pond, the United Kingdom surprised us by breaking its all-time high at 40°C in July 2022. Talk about some tea!

Even Antarctica, the home of ice and penguins, was not immune to the heatwave. During the summer of 2020, temperatures at the Esperanza base climbed beyond 18°C. It's as though they exchanged their parkas for sunscreen!

The hot tour, however, does not end there. In 2019, Europe caught fire as temperature records were destroyed. Belgium led the way with a blistering 41.8°C, while Germany followed with 41.2°C. It was so hot that even the sausages begged to be taken off the grill!

Let's go back in time a little. Pakistan and Kuwait set records in 2017, with temperatures reaching a scorching 53.7°C and 53.9°C, respectively. And, regarding all-time records, we can't forget about Furnace Creek in the Californian desert. It triumphantly claimed the title in 1913, with a mind-blowing 56.7°C. It's as if the thermometer was a cruel joke on us!

So, everyone, brace yourselves for these extreme temperature excursions. The Earth appears to be transforming into a massive sauna, and we're all along for the steamy journey. Keep hydrated, seek shade, and invest in some ice cream stocks while we're at it. Keep cool out there, and let's hope the weather cooperates soon.

H/T: Statista

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by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

Microsoft Breathes Sigh Of Relief As Court Closes Activision Blizzard Acquisition Case

Computational giant Microsoft is breathing a sigh of relief after a judge in the state of California was seen shutting down a case linked to a very complex and long testimony related to the purchase of Activision Blizzard.

It’s been a long and tough journey but it’s not yet over for the tech giant who continues to face another case linked to antitrust behavior by the FTC. Arguments from both sides were seen coming forward and the judge heard both of them and then finally came up with a decision.

And in the end, the judge denied requests to conduct preliminary injunctions related to the matter. However, the final ruling came out today. Remember, the company’s purchase of the firm is described as one of the biggest to occur in the tech world and that’s why obvious questions were raised. But the firm was scrutinized until the last moment after which this decision has come ahead.

The way the decision has taken place, we see that tech giant Microsoft has carried on with its commitments regarding the ordeal and has vowed to stay at the top of its game in terms of keeping its priorities in view.

The judge felt that Microsoft can keep the famous PlayStation game of Call of Duty and had the right to expand toward Nintendo Switch.

So many members of the FTC felt that the agreements that Microsoft brought forward were shady and that’s why the judge was requested to focus more on this ordeal. But some rulings were in favor of the FTC including how Nintendo Switch cannot be a part of the console market. Similarly, the judge did rule that the FTC was right about PCs not being a part of the console market.

The decision began new celebrations across Microsoft whose President was quick to issue a letter that spoke about it being grateful for taking decisions at a fast pace in the court.

A lot of proof was taken into consideration including how Microsoft’s acquisition deal was actually great for the industry as a whole and any concerns by regulatory bodies like the FTC aren’t actually the reality of the situation of what’s taking place in the market for gaming.

We also know how Activision Blizzard is sending out reactions to the decision, adding how it would serve as the ultimate benefit for both clients and workers. They also feel it’s great for healthy competition, instead of allowing leaders of the market to dominate at a fast pace in the industry.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

The Bing AI Sidebar In Microsoft Edge Is Granting Users The Ultimate Copilot Experience By Remembering Previous Chats

Microsoft Edge is really taking things to the next level with its AI-powered Bing sidebar.

The company announced today how it hopes to give users the best copilot experience with a feature that enables it to recall previous chats. But wait, that’s just the start of many more great things.

Think along the lines of other rollouts that include a tool for adding a summary to financial reports and then comparing and contrasting those from other firms. In the same way, it assists with helping users create content and even carry out any edits as necessary such as those found on LinkedIn.

It’s so great because the new functionality that has been included ends up taking on the directives of the website that it comes across. So this way, users have nothing to worry about.

But remember, this new sidebar on the Edge browser doesn’t support the chance to recall chats just yet but it’s a feature that is coming soon. The computational giant says that the memory feature is one that was a long time coming and giving Bing AI the chance to recall old chats is just such a feature in demand that it’s going to blow up on rollout.

Hence, in this manner, the user can simply carry on from the exact same point that they left off at when carrying out interactions of the past.

Meanwhile, another tweet by the firm’s CEO for web services spoke about how the feature is still in the works, and while no particular date was announced yet, it’s coming real soon for the Edge browser.

The company further went on to note that users would be given the chance to maintain some pretty long discussions, returning each time from the exact same point that they stopped at last time. Hence, you can say goodbye to starting fresh all over again, each time you start the chat.

The goal seems to be giving users a complete and seamless experience that’s combined with nothing but ease and convenience for all. Did we mention how much time it would end up saving across the board?

Moreover, such memory features would also provide a flexibility factor that would begin new topics each time a user wants. So you can start chats in the sidebar and then carry on through the Bing app or by visiting the Bing website too.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

What Jobs Face the Biggest Threats from AI?

As AI starts to suggest that automation has become easier than ever before, many workers are worried that their jobs may not be as viable as they used to be. In spite of the fact that this is the case, AI will not be affecting each and every industry in exactly the same way. Some sectors will undoubtedly be affected far worse than others, and Hostinger just released a report that revealed which jobs face the biggest threats of all.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the healthcare industry and jobs associated with it will experience the highest level of impact based on the findings in this report. The automotive industry is also going to see a similar decline in available jobs because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up AI can automate previously human centered processes.

Transportation and logistics, along with financial services, were not too far behind, and the same goes for retail and entertainment. Manufacturing and energy concerns are expected to be impacted by the least, though this does not necessarily mean that they won’t be affected with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Another aspect of the industry that this report looked at was which countries will be leading the AI charge. Unsurprisingly, the US emerged as a frontrunner in this list. The US had a global impact score of about 148.73, as well as an investment score of 100.

The main issue here is that many people in the US work in the retail sector, and this will be particularly impacted by AI in the future. However, that jobs have become obsolete before, and somehow or the other alternatives manage to come to light. The manner in which AI transforms the world is difficult to predict, although it is quite certain that we will be living in a fundamentally different landscape within the next decade or so. Further innovations in the field will only exacerbate the changes in a multitude of ways.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Younger Users Are More Accepting Of TikTok Despite It Being A Huge National Security Threat, New Study Claims

There’s no surprise that the TikTok platform is viewed as a major security threat at a national level for the US.

The company has been scrutinized left and right by not only lawmakers but the American Congress too. Moreover, there’s a huge pressure looming on the firm in terms of it being potentially banned in the nation as well.

But a new survey is releasing some more interesting findings about the popular social media platform that continues to trend around the globe, including the US.

Researchers at the Pew Research Center claim that a whopping 59% of adults from the US feel the platform is a danger to the country. But when you look at things from the eyes and mindset of those belonging to the younger age group, you’ll be shocked to learn that they see things in a very different manner.

Meanwhile, just 9% felt that it was a huge threat while another 36% of those who don’t use the app felt the same way that the platform was a significant risk for US users. This is all after considering the speculations about spying and data transfer to servers that were made public in the past few months.

As an aggregate, 42% of users in the US saw its service as one that was risky while 65% of those that were surveyed from outside really were concerned.

And yes, age does play a huge determinant when it comes down to the difference in opinions. As far as those who were below the age of 30 were concerned, a 49% majority saw the app as any other threat found in the world. But only 13% saw it as a serious threat. But when the age group continues to increase, the figure dramatically increases for those viewing TikTok as a serious threat to the nation.

Hence, those in the 60s and beyond felt concerned and nervous while using the platform and a staggering 45% saw it as a major threat that needs to be avoided, better described as critical. Similarly, another factor worth a mention was politics.

Around 76% of those hailing from a conservative background spoke about their fair share of concerns while 49% of those hailing from a more liberal mindset shared a similar concern of that sort.

A staggering 64% of adults in the US were a little worried about the app’s practices linked to data control. And yes, those figures altered with age too. Meanwhile, 54% that were below 30 felt the same thoughts.

But you need to remember how these thoughts were solely taken from the state of Montana and that’s the same location that was the first American state to enforce a ban on the app owned by Chinese parent firm ByteDance.

As it is, the trending social media platform is barred on devices that are in the possession of American Federal authorities. The government fears that data transfer and top secret information being shared to Chinese officials is a huge risk and that’s why the ban was implemented on federal devices. And nobody wants to feed the egos of the Chinese who are stuck on making a living through propaganda, every step of the way.

For months, TikTok has denied all of the allegations that are coming in its direction. It has even made plenty of changes and provided all sorts of evidence too that shows how it is not sharing anything with Chinese government officials but skepticism is at peak for American lawmakers who know that there is more to the story than meets the eye.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

WhatsApp Launches New Feature That Links Accounts To WhatsApp Web Through Phone Numbers

WhatsApp is launching a new update that allows users to link accounts to their WhatsApp Web via phone numbers. And it’s already up for grabs to several lucky beta testers, as spotted by WBI.

The new feature would get rid of the hassle of logging into WhatsApp Accounts through the classic route which happens to be scanning the QR code.

The new option would be up for grabs whenever a user wishes to link new devices and by this manner, users would connect through phone numbers that are attached to their main account.

All users would be required to do is simply open up the app on the web and then click on the option for linking with a phone number. Hence, they’ll be required to add their country and manually input the digits for the phone number too. After that, you’ll be getting a code that you need to add after receiving an alert that confirms if this is something you’d like to do.

We think this might be a very useful endeavor in certain circumstances when you can’t access your account on the web because your camera is not functioning properly and so the code couldn’t be scanned.

But with phone numbers being added to this, it just makes it so much simpler so that anyone and everyone could attain access when they feel they can’t get access.

For now, the feature is only stated to be compatible with the app on the web. Therefore, those hoping or wishing for linking accounts to another secondary device via phone numbers are not yet possible.

The beta testers need to install the app’s latest version to make the most of it through the Google Play Store. But the company says it does hope to carry out a complete launch to more users across the next few days and weeks so do stay tuned.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Threads: Unraveling the Buzz of Social Engagement

Threads are becoming a global sensation faster than our imaginations. In a new survey conducted by Ipsos, over 1,000 US consumers were asked about their prospect of trying out Threads in the coming weeks. Threads, the new and emerging social networking app that emphasizes celebrity lifestyles and real-time updates, give the impression of having piqued the attention of many. How likely are you to dive into the Threads adventure? Let's have a deeper look at the picture.

The survey showed that a whopping 34% of all respondents are eager to give Threads a shot. But when you dig deeper into the demographics, the story is twisted. The appeal of Threads differs across various social media platforms. Around 51% of Instagram's older audience revealed they were either "very" or "somewhat" likely to try the app. On the other hand, an even higher level of interest in using the app was shown by Twitter account owners, with 58% expressing their curiosity.

The story is straightforward. Threads has successfully tapped into the yearnings of those seeking to be in the know. Almost 48% of the respondents stated they wanted fresh-from-the-oven news as soon as it happens; this fact aligns perfectly with Threads' focus on real-time updates. What is more to the story is that almost 61% of the participants branded themselves as early adopters, showing a significant prospective user base for the app's cutting-edge features.

Notably, many people are curious to peek into celebrities' lives and remarkably, Threads seems to have struck a chord with these people. They say the grass is always greener from the other side; that's why a staggering 67% of the surveyed folks expressed their longing to delve into the dazzling world of their favorite stars. Remember that Threads' promise of bringing users closer to the lives of celebrities has hit the mark.

• Also read: Beyond Borders: Exploring Global VPN Censorship and its Impact on Digital Rights

But Threads isn't just tempting to those pursuing entertainment; it also grasps an intense glamour for content creators. An inspiring 68% of respondents identified themselves as content creators, showcasing the potential for Threads to become a platform where their creativity can flourish.

Undoubtedly, Threads are buzzing in the heads of social media users, early adopters and celebrity enthusiasts. Threads has positioned itself as a promising contender in the social networking sphere by fulfilling the content desires of the users.

So, are you too thrilled to thread your way into a new digital experience? With a significant percentage of respondents indicating their interest, it may be worth trying Threads. Stay connected, informed, and entertained – Threads has arrived to weave your social media journey together.

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by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World