Google Gets a Get-Out-Of-Jail Card in Sonos Showdown

In a legal twist almost as surprising as a plot twist in your favorite TV series, a federal judge in California has done the unthinkable: thrown out a $32.5 million victory for Sonos against Google. It's like watching the underdog team score a goal in the last minute, only to have it disallowed by a controversial referee decision.

The Patent Tussle

This entire saga began in 2020 when the audio giant Sonos decided to sue Google. They accused the internet titan of trampling on their speaker patents. It's like the Clash of the Titans, except in technology.

Fast forward to this year, and a federal jury in California found Google guilty of infringing on one of Sonos' patents. They were fined a whopping $32.5 million. It's like having your hand caught in the cookie jar, except the cookie was patented sound technology.

The Twist in the Tale

But wait, there's a twist. U.S. District Judge William Alsup decided that two of Sonos's patents were about as enforceable as a "Do Not Enter" sign on a playground. He found that Sonos had tried to make these patents look older than they were by linking them to a 2006 application. It's like convincing your parents that you're old enough to stay out late by faking your birth certificate.

According to Judge Alsup, Sonos did not file the patent applications until 2019. By then, the industry had advanced, and Google had developed its multi-room audio technology. It's like coming up five years late to a party with a dish of wet chips.

The judge stated unequivocally that this was not a case of an invention pushing the industry into uncharted territory. Instead, the industry was going about its business, with the occasional inventor claiming, "Hey, I thought of that first!" It's like claiming you invented sliced bread after everyone else has been cooking sandwiches for years.

The Reactions

Sonos wanted to be more thrilled about this turn of events. They called the ruling "wrong on both the facts and the law." It's like getting a quiz question wrong and insisting that the answer key is mistaken. They plan to appeal the decision and remain determined to hold Google accountable for patent infringement. It's like a classic Western standoff – Sonos vs. Google.

On the other hand, Google is presumably exhaling a sigh of relief large enough to inflate a hot air balloon. They've chosen to reinstate software functionality that was deleted due to the Sonos litigation. It's similar to tearing down barriers after a long siege.

Google revealed in a blog post that they will be bringing back software features for Nest speakers, screens, and Chromecast devices. Previously, they could only belong to one speaker group at a time. It's as if a pair of twins forced to be in different classrooms at school can finally hang out together.

According to Google, this move occurred because a federal judge ruled that two of Sonos' patents were unlawful. It's like winning a game of Monopoly and being told to give back your properties because of a rule no one knew existed.

The Future

So, what is the future of this technological rivalry? It's like an endless chess game, with both sides making moves and countermoves. Sonos will continue to make their argument, and Google will continue to innovate in the audio arena.

In the grand scheme of things, this legal twist is just another chapter in the ongoing battle between tech giants. It's like a soap opera where you can't predict what will happen next. One thing's for sure, though – the Sonos vs. Google saga is far from over, and the plot twists will keep coming.

Read next: Google's Passkey Takeover Predicts the End of Passwords (Maybe)
by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

Google's Passkey Takeover Predicts the End of Passwords (Maybe)

In a world where remembering passwords is as fun as getting a root canal, Google is here to help. They've determined that passkeys will be the default method of accessing personal accounts. It's as if they're attempting to eliminate the terrible "Forgot password?" link.

Invasion of the Passkeys

Let's take a step back. Google dipped its toes into the passkey water in October 2022, providing support for Android and Chrome. They will expand this passkey feature to anyone with personal Google accounts in May 2023. Today, they're going all-in on passkey signing by making it the default choice for individual accounts.

What does this have to do with you? So, the next time you log into your Google account, you won't see that old password field. Instead, you'll be prompted to create and utilize passkeys. It's the same as replacing your rusted old key with a brand-new electronic keycard.

You'll note that the "Skip password when possible" option is enabled in your Google Account settings. Google states, "We've got your back, and we're skipping that pesky password."

But before you say goodbye to your passwords for good, Google has a friendly reminder: the conventional password isn't going away anytime soon. It's similar to attempting to eliminate your favorite worn-out footwear. Google informs us that the password option will remain available for private accounts. If you feel nostalgic, you can even turn off the "Skip password when possible" toggle in your account settings.

Passkey Fever Spreads

Google isn't the only company that has jumped on the passkey bandwagon. They have spread the passkey gospel to companies such as Uber and eBay. It's as if they're throwing a passkey party to which everyone is invited.

Even the messaging giant WhatsApp has received the passkey memo. They plan to launch the passkey option shortly. It's like the last guest arriving at the passkey soiree fashionably late.

However, the passkey revolution does not end there. Apple's iOS 17 upgrade enabled third-party iOS apps to implement passkey signing. Apple chose to join the procession fashionably late as well. Apps like 1Password and TikTok hopped on the passkey bandwagon immediately. Not to be outdone, PayPal implemented passkey support in October 2022. They appear to compete for the "Who Can Kill Passwords First" trophy.

Microsoft has also caught the passkey bug with its "Moment 4" update for Windows 11. Passkey compatibility is being added to several browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. They suggest, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Even Microsoft-owned GitHub has jumped the passkey bandwagon, making developers' lives easier.

The End of the Password?

Is the classic password as we know it on its way out as passkeys become the new normal? It's too soon to proclaim the password extinct. It's like the flip phone – some folks are nostalgic, and some are still holding on for dear life.

In conclusion, Google's move to make passkeys the default option for personal accounts indicates changing times. Passkeys are taking center stage, and the reign of the password is slowly coming to a close. It's like saying goodbye to an old friend – bittersweet, but it's time to move forward. So, if you're still clinging to your passwords, it might be time to embrace the passkey revolution.

But one thing is sure: the world is getting closer to a password-free existence. Passkeys provide convenience and security that passwords cannot. It's the equivalent of progressing from a bicycle to a spaceship.

Read next: PC Shipments Decline, But Gartner Sees Signs of Recovery
by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

EU Antitrust Regulators Probing Apple's iMessage Compliance with Digital Markets Act

EU antitrust regulators are examining Apple's iMessage messaging service to determine whether it should comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to Reuters.

The DMA is fairly a new law that aims to promote competition and innovation in the digital market. It requires large tech companies, AKA "gatekeepers," to comply with a number of rules, such as allowing users to choose their default apps and making it easier for third-party app stores to compete with the App Store.

The investigation into iMessage was opened in September after Apple contested the EU's decision to designate iMessage as a core platform service under the DMA. Core platform services are subject to the strictest rules under the DMA.

Regulators are currently assessing the importance of iMessage to Apple's business and to EU users. They are also looking at how iMessage fits into Apple's overall ecosystem.

The investigation is expected to be completed within five months, which means that a decision could be made in the starting months of next year.

If Apple is forced to make iMessage comply with the DMA, the messaging service could be subject to new rules, such as allowing users to send and receive messages from users of other messaging services, such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

Read next: Samsung (Following Google's Footstep) Pressures Apple to Support RCS With A New Romeo and Juliet Ad
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Samsung (Following Google's Footstep) Pressures Apple to Support RCS With A New Romeo and Juliet Ad

Samsung has released a quirky new YouTube video ad as part of Google's ongoing "Get The Message" campaign, urging Apple to embrace RCS (Rich Communication Services).

In the 30-second ad posted on YouTube, Samsung humorously portrays the rivalry between Android (blue bubbles) and iPhone (green bubbles) users, drawing parallels to Romeo and Juliet. The plot centers on Apple (Juliet's parents) preventing their iPhone user (Juliet) from communicating with an Android user (Romeo) through RCS, forcing them to rely on green bubbles (SMS).

The ad's simplicity, consisting of a screen recording on a Samsung device, suggests a not very big budget. Despite its unconventional approach, Samsung's message is clear: "Don't let Apple cost you love."

However, the comments of YouTube reflect skepticism about Apple's RCS adoption, with some suggesting users "just get an iPhone."

Apple has yet to embrace RCS, favoring SMS and iMessage, despite continued pressure from competitors. Apple CEO Tim Cook previously advised an Android user to "buy your mom an iPhone" when asked about RCS compatibility.



Read next: FTC Highlights Profits Worth Billions Made By Scammers Through Fraud Conducted On Social Media
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Meta's Threads App Looks to Add New Features to Take On X (Twitter)

In the ever-competitive world of social media, the race to attract and retain users is a never-ending game of cat and mouse. Enter Threads, an app from Meta, formerly Facebook that is urgently attempting to grab the attention of Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter). Threads has a few tricks under its sleeve, and it appears they're finally ready to take on the big dog. Let's explore the amusing world of social media one-upmanship.

Threads Join the Party of Trending Topics

Threads has taken a risk in its drive for social media dominance. They're adding a "Trending Topics" feature to their app to keep users up to date on the newest debates, as spotted by Willian Max. Yes, you read that correctly - they are. They're adding a "Trending Topics" section to their app, allowing users to stay on top of the latest discussions. Yes, you read that right – they're taking a page out of X's playbook. This is akin to a friendly neighbor deciding to redecorate their house to look just like yours.

Threads users can now keep track of all the hot conversations taking place within the app thanks to this new feature. It's like listening in on the most juicy chatter at a crowded party. You can join the chat by tapping on any topic, just like you can on X. Threads, although claiming to be uninterested in news and politics, may now be giving X a run for its money in the real-time news conversation department. Talk about attempting to have your cake and eat it as well.

More Post-Creation Elements Than You Can Shake a GIF At

Threads aren't only interested in popular subjects; they aim to improve your complete posting experience.

Via: https://ift.tt/2oaeTHJ

Prepare for a slew of voice posts, GIFs, and polls! It's as though they're piling on extra toppings. your social media pizza than you ever thought possible.

Editing and Self-Promotion: Threads' Double Whammy

Threads is also considering allowing you to edit your posts - subject to a time limit, of course. It's like giving you the ability to change history, but only for a short time. They're also working on ways to promote your Threads activity on Instagram and within the app. It's similar to giving your social media game a boost.

#Threads is working on the ability to edit posts within 5 minutes 👀 pic.twitter.com/TlyoieQNcM

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) September 21, 2023

Threads' Achilles' Heel and X's Achilles' Heel

Now, let's talk about X's dirty little secret: 80% of its users are merely observers, not active posters. They're like the audience at a stand-up comedy concert, laughing along but not taking the stage. Of the 250 million daily active users on X, only 50 million dare to share anything at all. That's a small fraction of the platform's user base.

And here's the kicker: 400 million of the 500 million posts on X per day are replies, re-posts, and quotes. Only 100 million of the updates are new. It's like a bad game of telephone, with everyone passing around the same message.

If media organizations, journalists, and publishers abandon X owing to changes in link previews, the platform could suffer a considerable setback. Not to mention Elon Musk's daily campaign against the "mainstream" media on X. Threads may find a home in the social media world if he continues to push them away.

Conclusion: Threads' Quest for Dominance

Threads is not backing down in the war of social media heavyweights. With its new features and focus on X's Achilles' heel, it's evident that they're prepared to compete with the big boys. It remains to be seen whether Threads will emerge as the ultimate social media champion or fall into the shadow of giants like X. But one thing is sure: competition is heating up, and it's all taking place in the realm of tweets, trends, and GIFs.

Read next: TikTok’s Rise Fails to Dim Instagram’s Shine in the Eyes of Influencer Marketers
by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

The Curious Case of Google-Extended and Subtle Designs

We've seen two exciting developments in Google's ever-evolving universe, where artificial intelligence plays a starring role, that are as perplexing as trying to figure out why your grandparents still use AOL email. Google's effort to serve us with revolutionary AI-powered answers and experiences has resulted in some perplexing instances. Let's take a look at the amusing story of Google-Extended and the quest for nuance in Search Generative Experience (SGE).

The Google-Extended Fiasco

Consider yourself a website owner who has grown tired of Google's ravenous appetite for your site's material. You've probably heard of Google-Extended, the hero in shining armor who claims to keep your valuable content safe from Google's AI projects like Bard and Vertex AI.

Google-Extended is like a broken umbrella in a monsoon; it doesn't really shield you from the rain. In fact, it's about as effective as trying to stop a charging rhinoceros with a "Do Not Enter" sign.

The new child on the block, Google-Extended, was supposed to inform Google, "Hey, hands off my website content!" However, in an unexpected twist, it did not work for one AI-powered party crasher - Search Generative Experience (SGE). SGE, Google's wild child of search experimentation, kept munching on your website material like it was a never-ending feast, as spotted by Glenn Gabe.

So, what did Google have to say about this farce? Google Extended, they said, is about as useful for SGE as a chocolate teapot. According to a Google representative, SGE is a Search experiment, so website administrators should continue to manage their content in search results by using the Googlebot user agent via robots.txt and the NOINDEX meta tag, including experiments like Search Generative Experience.

Now, here's the punchline: there have been instances where SGE merrily displayed AI-generated answers from websites that explicitly told Google not to use their content for AI purposes. So, if you thought Google Extended would be your savior, think again. It's like ordering a salad at a burger joint – it won't save you from the indulgent delights of SGE.

But here's the kicker: If you don't want SGE to have access to your content, you'll have to do the unthinkable: block Googlebot entirely. And cutting off your hand to avoid a handshake isn't something most website owners are willing to do.

The Inconspicuous SGE Experiment

Now, let's shift gears and explore the area of nuance, which is frequently lacking in Google's grand plans. Consider Google to be that friend who can't help but give you the finale of a movie before you've even purchased your popcorn. They chose to experiment with a "lite" version (courtesy of again Glenn Gabe) of Search Generative Experience (SGE), which some have jokingly called "SGE Lite."

SGE Lite is like ordering a small coffee in a world of super-sized lattes. It's all about being more discreet, a quality that Google doesn't often embrace. Instead of the usual SGE spectacle, where it takes up your entire screen like a toddler throwing a tantrum, SGE Lite is a bit more well-behaved.

Google SGE Lite provides a brief teaser of AI-generated material, similar to a movie trailer that doesn't reveal the entire plot. Users have the option of expanding this teaser and delving deeper into the solution. It's like getting your cake and deciding whether to eat it, share it, or save it for later - the choice is yours.

In conclusion, Google's forays into artificial intelligence, from the Google-Extended blunder through the launch of SGE Lite, have left us with more questions than answers. It's a universe where the rules are as elusive as a mirage, yet where subtlety peeps through the chaos now and then. Whether you're a website owner trying to protect your content or a user seeking a more understated search experience,

Read next: New Survey Says Four Out Of Five Apple Employees Approve Tim Cook’s Decisions As CEO
by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

New Survey Says Four Out Of Five Apple Employees Approve Tim Cook’s Decisions As CEO

Tech giant Apple appears to be on a roll as a new rating survey has shown massive approval and popularity of its CEO amongst the company’s employees.

The approval rating survey showed that four out of five employees are more than happy with Tim Cook’s work and decisions as head of the firm. And it’s a massive slap in the face for X where only four out of 100 X employees approve the decisions made by Linda Yaccarino who was recently appointed as CEO of the firm.

But the question is whether or not such decisions are a surprise to us or not. Remember, as far as X is concerned, there are hardly any people left working there. In case you did not know, the workforce figures keep shrinking as the company makes its way to downsize further. Yet, the approval rating is clear proof of how people are not happy.

We do find that it’s slightly greater than the approval ratings observed for Snap where the head Evan Spiegel gets a 3% approval as revealed by this survey. Nevertheless, both leaders happen to be shining stars when you compare them to names in Western Digital as well as Nordstrom. The former and latter got a shocking 0% approval rating from workers.

The report comes forward to us from Blind which talks about a whopping nine million people who are verified as anonymous individuals that are making up the social network. Such results happen to be linked to 13,171 workers in the US who gave out responses in August when requested to provide approval ratings depending on the feedback coming from employees.

As far as Linda Yaccarino is concerned, this is right before the famous X CEO displayed her calmness as well as control during an interview for the recently held Code Conference. And that’s where we saw tech entrepreneur Elon Musk attain a whopping 38% approval in this survey.

Tim Cook who heads Apple faces tough competition in terms of ratings by the CEOs at Walmart, Palo Alto, and even Nvidia. But other than that, he’s leading the pack full throttle. Meanwhile, the front runner of this race happened to be Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang who got the highest approval with a rating of 96%.

We agree that Tim Cook’s 83% ratings aren’t as high as his customer satisfaction statistics which currently stand at 99%. However, the leading CEO of Apple is definitely not coming slow when it comes down to performing well against his archrival peers in the industry.

Moving on, there were some other insightful findings from this survey that showed how other big names in the industry didn’t quite meet the expectations of their own workforce, despite running huge companies in the tech world.

Mark Zuckerberg from Meta only got 45% approval while Satya Nadella from Microsoft got 30% approval. On the other hand, Sundar Pichai from Google attained 26% approval while Andy Jassy from Amazon got just a 10% approval rating.

So as you can imagine, it’s not easy to please the masses and it wouldn’t be wrong to mention how these individuals happen to be a touchy bunch of people to impress with high expectations from those they’re working under.

To help better prove this point, Disney’s Head and very popular figure, Bob Iger only attained a shocking 26% approval from his employees despite being adored by millions around the globe.

So what could the reason behind such low figures be? Well, there are plenty of factors that play a role in such considerations. And we feel workers certainly appreciate things like compensation coming from shares as well as higher company rankings. Meanwhile, no one is a fan of layoffs as it just enhances uncertainty in the field.

Read next: TikTok’s Rise Fails to Dim Instagram’s Shine in the Eyes of Influencer Marketers
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World