Amazon in action – Microsoft 365.
The U.S. IRS may offer free online tax preparation services.
AT&T is trying to disrupt Starlink’s testing of cell phones that can make direct calls via satellite.
And from the X-Files.
Would you pay to have a Twitter account? Besides, the CIA’s Twitter account had a massive leak, and you can’t blame Elon. Or maybe you can?
These and other top tech stories about hashtag trends
I’m your host, Jim Love. He is the CIO of IT World in Canada and Tech News Day in the US.
SpaceX is preparing to begin satellite testing of its Starlink cellular service later this year. But AT&T and local wireless associations are trying to halt the effort. SpaceX’s main application to provide this service is still under review by the FCC, but the company recently filed a “Special Transitional Authority” (STA) application to test second-generation Starlink satellites by December 1st. submitted.
The satellite is intended to connect unmodified mobile phones directly to SpaceX’s Gen2 satellites. AT&T and local wireless associations have raised regulatory concerns with the FCC, questioning the technical details and feasibility of the test. Interference with other carriers.
AT&T has proposed that SpaceX obtain an experimental license for testing. In response, SpaceX asked the FCC to quickly approve the STA and dismissed the claims as baseless.
source: pc mug
Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing a subscription model that charges new users a $1 annual fee. The initiative will also be introduced in New Zealand and the Philippines. Users who choose to pay this fee will be able to post content, reply to posts, repost, and quote other users.
If you decline payment, your actions will be restricted to “read only”this includes Read posts, watch videos, and follow accounts. There is also speculation that if the model is expanded to other regions or to existing users, it could impact revenue for the platform, which has traditionally been supported by advertising. Could even a small fee deter users from joining or staying on the platform?
Twitter is already bleeding users.
A year after the acquisition, X (formerly Twitter) is reportedly experiencing a decline in traffic and monthly active users, with CEO Linda Yaccarino previously reporting This is contradictory to what was claimed about it.
Global website traffic in September was down 14% year over year, with U.S. traffic down 19%, according to data from market intelligence firm Similarweb. Mobile usage in the US also fell by 17.8%. Similar economic downturns have been reported in other countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Australia. Despite these numbers, Elon Musk’s profile page on X saw a 96% increase in traffic year over year. The report suggests that the decline in X is part of a broader trend, with web traffic to the top 100 social networks excluding TikTok also declining. But X’s importance in the news ecosystem has also declined, with news organizations like The New York Times receiving less traffic from the platform.
So, does the subscription fee help or hurt X? That’s what we’ll find out.
source: tech crunch // Axios
Cybersecurity researcher Kevin McSheehan exploited a flaw in the CIA’s official Twitter account to redirect informant recruitment channels to his own Telegram channel. His CIA account on X (previously known as his Twitter) displayed a link to his Telegram channel of potential informants. However, due to an issue with the way X displays certain links, his full web address has been truncated and his Telegram username is no longer used. McEehan immediately registered this username so that anyone who clicked the link would be redirected to his channel, where he warned them not to share sensitive information. McEehan expressed surprise that the CIA had overlooked such a problem. error. The CIA later corrected the mistake but did not comment. About the incident.
source: BBC
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced plans to pilot a free tax filing service called Direct File in 2024. This initiative will be available to select groups of taxpayers in up to 13 states. Direct File is aimed at competing against paid tax preparation services like TurboTax and H&R Block, which have traditionally opposed free and easy tax solutions.
IRS Commissioner Danny Wuerffel called the move significant. Advances give taxpayers new free option to file returns directly Along with the I.R.S. The service is funded by the Inflation Control Act of 2022 and is described as a “mobile-enabled, interview-based service” available in both English and Spanish. Intended for individuals with simpler tax situations. This pilot program will help the IRS evaluate the feasibility and challenges of a direct file option.
Does it look really positive? If you read Weekend Edition, you’ll see how Estonia, a country of just over 1 million people, has been able to do this for years. If you follow the rumors, you’ll see that the Canadian government had a proposal like this, but somehow it never saw the light of day.
Hmm.
source: tech crunch
Today I’d like to share with you some Windows stories that caught my eye.
Despite rumors suggesting that Windows 12 may adopt a subscription-based model, it has become clear that this is not the case. The confusion arose because the Windows 11 preview included code strings related to IoT Enterprise Subscription, which is unrelated to Windows itself.
Microsoft has not officially announced Windows 12, but speculation suggests a 2024 release with emphasis on AI and cloud features., potentially comparable to Google’s Chrome OS.completeany has never introduced a subscription-based model for client Windows versions in the past. Despite the rumors, one thing is clear: Windows 12 is not subscription-based.
source: Latest version of Windows
Amazon is investing heavily in Microsoft’s 365 productivity suite, reportedly securing over 1 million licenses. The deal is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion over five years.
The move brings Amazon into partnership with the majority of Fortune 500 companies that rely on Microsoft’s productivity tools. Until now, Amazon has relied on an on-premises version of Microsoft Office, but this move marks a shift to a cloud-based suite. Amazon also plans to roll out Microsoft 365 licenses to both corporate and field workers in November, with a comprehensive transition planned for next year.
Some Amazon employees may prefer Microsoft’s products over Amazon’s native apps, such as Amazon WorkMail and WorkDocs. Both Microsoft and Amazon declined to comment on the speculation.
So I read this and thought – 1 million licenses? How many people work at Amazon? Apparently, according to a Google search, there are over 1.5 million people.
oh.
source: register
Today is National Spreadsheet Day. Who is making this stuff up? For me, spreadsheets were both amazing and dangerous.
I received my first spreadsheet in the mail on a 5 1/4-inch floppy disk. It was called Super Calc. I also got an operating system called CPM. I partially installed it on my company’s word processing system. That night, it blew my mind.
I spent all night tinkering with one of my first spreadsheets.
Then around 5 o’clock in the morning I had to go home, but I did not know how to uninstall the operating system that I had loaded on my MICOM word processor system.
The next day I had to bring in a service representative to figure out what was wrong.
So, in honor of National Spreadsheet Day, here are the articles we covered this week.
The Anesthetist National Recruitment Office (ANRO) has incorrectly notified all candidates for positions in Wales that they are ‘not available for appointment’, despite some of them achieving top marks in interviews.
The error was traced back to a complex usage of an Excel spreadsheet where the ranking column was transferred incorrectly, resulting in incorrect scoring.
This issue affected all 400 candidates.
Almost like the Bible, right? The last one being created first and the first one being created last is all due to a simple spreadsheet error.
what is that Have you ever had the biggest spreadsheet disaster? Send it to me jlove@itwc.ca Or go to itworldcanada.com/podcasts, find the show notes, click the thumbs, and leave a comment on the story in the spreadsheet. We will offer some kind of prize for the best work, but we will not identify individuals.
source: register
That’s today’s top technology news. To read top stories faster, visit our homepages at TechNewsDay.com or ITWorldCanada.com.
hashtag Trending airs a special weekend interview show called “Weekend Edition” five days a week.
You can reach us wherever you get audio podcasts. A copy of the show notes can be found at itworldcanada.com/podcasts.
I’m your host, Jim Love – have a thrilling Thursday.