The Government of India has decided to reform satellite communication services in order to smoothen the telecom clearance processes. The new policy reforms were announced on Wednesday as a step to push the telecom industry to accelerate 5G tower deployments. The centre ensures that these reforms are drafted keeping in mind the ultimate vision of expanding digital services to the most remote part of the country.
However, the Centre seems dissatisfied with the way the telecom industry is progressing with the groundwork. Voicing concerns about the current speed of tower deployment, Indian telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that at the moment only 2,500 towers are being deployed per week, which is an extremely low number. Vaishnaw added that the Government of India is expecting the very least 10,000 towers per week.
The minister also reminded the industry and all related stakeholders that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clear vision to the people of this country and India must become a leader in telecom technology worldwide.
He said, “(This) means one has to work on every aspect of telecom technology in creating new solutions, making sure that globally India’s inputs are heard at every forum.” As per the minister, after the policy reforms and every possible support from the Government, the ball now is in the telecom industry’s court.
As per the new reforms, SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation) clearance that was earlier mandatory for the 5G antenna deployed on street furniture will no longer be a must. Also, the process has been made online for all stakeholders’ convenience.
The new policy reforms also have some significant satellite communication-related procedural reforms. These include reducing the various timelines of self-certification of antennas and streamlining the NOCC process to 6 weeks from its present timeline of almost 8 months. It also removes the current “cumbersome processes” and gives nod to mount VSAT terminals on any mobile vehicle.
Amongst various other reforms, another significant change by the Department of Telecom has been the decision to delicense three bands for near-field communications. Near-field communications are used for various equipment like vehicle-related electronics and portable chargers. These are the band for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine communications (865-868MHz band), the band for in-vehicle equipment (433 – 434.7MHz) and some other bands that are utilized for contactless inductive chargers.
According to the telecom minister, Vaishnaw licences have been already given to five entities. Mukesh Ambani’s Jio got its licence cleared this Wednesday, the minister informed while speaking to the media. Companies like OneWeb have also received a licence.
And as for Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink, the company has recently filed its application for a licence. Vaishnaw said, “About 3-4 months is the time it will take for telecom regulator TRAI to come out with its recommendation on this. After that, whatever auction process or other processes, we have to follow.”
On a separate note, the telecom minister also said that all previous issues with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) now stand resolved. The ministry has received comments about the draft telecommunication 2022 bill and expects to receive more by the last date i.e. November 10, 2022. The centre is working in full swing to get the bill passed in the 2023 Monsoon Session of Parliament.
In the world of T.V. and movie making, money is no object. These days, it seems any OTT or television series worth its salt is shelling out big bucks for high-quality, star-studded productions. Everybody in this epoch likes watching web series or TV series as they serve incredible animations supported by engaging stories.
Series have the capability to fascinate people in fact, they consist of long duration due to tons of episodes, and many movie watchers like this; as they say, series with numerous episodes go at a slow pace that covers every event perfectly.
So what are the most expensive OTT and T.V. series ever made? We’ve got the list right here! From “Game of Thrones” to “The Crown,” these ten shows pulled out all the stops in terms of budgeting. So sit back and prepare to be amazed! Check them out below!
Those who enjoy fantasy probably know about Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This is the most expensive OTT/TV series ever made, with a budget of $1 billion. The series is based on J.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings, which follows a group of humans and elves fighting against evil forces to protect their world from destruction.
It is no secret that OTT/TV series such as Lord of the Rings are among the most famous in history, and they have had a lasting impact on many people around the world. Amazon Studios produced it, and it’s based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s book series called The Lord of the Rings, which was written in 1937 and 1949.
Stranger Things (2016)
Budget: $30 million per episode.
of episodes: 34
Platform: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
The 2016 Netflix series Stranger Things is a science fiction horror show. During the 1980s, the series takes place and follows a group of children that discover a boy named Will that has been possessed by an interdimensional monster. Season one of the show premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016 and has since been renewed for two additional seasons.
With a budget of $30 million per episode, Stranger Things is one of the most expensive shows ever produced—and it shows! The show has received critical acclaim for its visual effects and acting and its unique approach to storytelling.
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
Budget: $25 million per episode
of episodes: 9
Platform: Disney+
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
The first episode of “WandaVision” was released in 2021, immediately becoming the most expensive OTT/TV series ever made. The budget for each episode was $25 million, which is a whopping amount of money.
The show is a spinoff of the original “Avengers” franchise that focuses on Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and her husband Vision (Paul Bettany). Wanda is a powerful sorceress with incredible abilities and has long been one of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters.
‘The Pacific’ (2010)
Budget: $20 million per episode
of episodes: 10
Platform: HBO
IMDb Rating: 3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
OTT/TV series about the Pacific War are among the best ever made, given that it was the second-costliest war in human history. But even so, $20 million per episode? That’s a lot of dough!
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who also served as executive producers, produced the ten-episode series. It was based on a book by Hugh Ambrose and focused on three Marines: Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone. The show won two Emmy awards for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie.
In addition to its hefty price tag, ‘The Pacific’ is notable for being one of the first major productions filmed in New Zealand after that country expanded its film incentives program in 2007.
House of the Dragon (2022)
Budget: $20 million per episode
of episodes: 10
Platform: HBO
IMDb Rating: 6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85%
Continuing the Game of Thrones franchise, HBO presents House of the Dragon. According to the show’s plot, King Viserys I, Targaryen’s children are battling for control of the Iron Throne during the Targaryen civil war. The story is based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood.”
Ryan Condal and George R. R. Martin created the show, which ran for an entire season and cost $20 million per episode—that’s a whopping $200 million for the entire season! It premiered in 2022, and at that time, it had the highest IMDb rating ever given to an OTT/TV series: 8.6/10. House of the Dragon was also well-received by critics, with 85% of reviewers giving it positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Game of Thrones (2011)
Budget: $15 million per episode
of episodes: 73
Platform: HBO
IMDb Rating: 2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89%
The sixth most expensive OTT/TV series ever made is Game of Thrones. If you’re a fan of HBO, you’ve probably heard of their hit show, Game of Thrones. This fantasy drama series is based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels follows several noble families fighting for control over the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos.
The show premiered in 2011 and quickly became one of the most popular television shows. It has won 59 Emmys, including Best Drama Series in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2019—and it has been nominated for 164 more. The show is known for its impressive sets and costumes, which cost $15 million per episode.
The Mandalorian (2019)
Budget: $15 million per episode
of episodes: 16
Platform: Disney+
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Set in the Star Wars universe, this series is a prime example of how OTT series are becoming more expensive to produce. The Mandalorian is set after the Galactic Empire’s fall and before the First Order’s rise. It follows a lone gunfighter on his journey through the Outer Rim. The show was produced by Jon Favreau, who also directed Iron Man and The Jungle Book. It features an international cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, and Werner Herzog.
The show debuted on Disney’s streaming service in November 2019, with all eight episodes released simultaneously. In addition to its high production budget, The Mandalorian has been praised for its visual effects and use of practical effects over CGI.
See (2019)
Budget: $15 million per episode
of episodes: 24
Platform: Apple TV+
IMDb Rating: 6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 63%
In the world of television, many high-budget shows cost millions of dollars. But some of those shows are downright cheap compared to others.
One show that’s probably going to make this list is See, which stars Jason Momoa as a blind man who has been gifted with the ability to see again. The series is about his new life with this ability and how it affects everyone around him.
See was created by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) and directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games). Following its premiere on HBO in January 2019, it has aired three seasons so far. The show was one of the most expensive ever, costing $15 million per episode.
The Morning Show (2019)
Budget: $15 million per episode
of episodes: 20
Platform: Apple TV+
IMDb Rating: 3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 64%
OTT/TV series like The Morning Show is among the most costly productions ever. The show aired on Apple TV+ and was produced by Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell. The names of the actors featured are Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, and Rose Byrne.
The show’s plot is about a morning talk show that gets caught up in a scandal when one of its hosts is accused of sexual harassment. The story is told through flashbacks before the scandal breaks out.
E.R. (1994)
Budget: $13 million per episode
of episodes: 331
Platform: NBC
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84%
This medical drama series was one of the most expensive OTT/TV series ever made. It ran from 1994 to 2009 and was produced by Warner Bros. Television. It was created by Michael Crichton, who also served as executive producer for the first four seasons.
John Wells joined the production team in its fourth season and became a regular executive producer following the departure of Crichton. The show focused on life in the emergency room of a fictional county hospital in Los Angeles County, California.
Band of Brothers (12.5m)
Band of Brothers is our last addition to the list. The series is based on the 1992 non-fiction book Band of Brothers by historian Stephen E. Ambrose. The story of the series will revolve around the events of WW2, and all 10 episodes are super engaging with great graphics and environment.
The series has collected a rating of 9.2/10 on IMDb, and rotten tomatoes have given it a score of 97%. The budget of 12.5 million dollars per episode has made the series the most expensive TV miniseries ever.
Conclusion
People these days want to see high-budget series so that they can experience quality content in exchange for their time, so in this article, we shared some names and basic descriptions of series that are the most expensive series in the industry.
The article comprised of the top 10 most expensive series of all time, including both TV and OTT series. Each series that is mentioned here is defined with a basic description of its story and ratings, followed by its budget. So we hope that binge-watchers liked this article and will consider watching the series.
As you can see, the OTT/TV series production costs do not stop at just the talent fees. In fact, they are skyrocketing! And with more and more original content coming out each year, it will be interesting to see whether we ever reach an end in terms of production costs.
Using a mouse with your Windows product is absolutely fine. However, having important keyboard shortcuts on your tips instead of reaching for the mouse each time can make a significant difference in your productivity. These shortcuts ease navigation and operation on Windows saving not only a lot of time but also making the whole interface smoother.
Some of the keyboard shortcuts are popular and you might already be using them but there are many that aren’t that well-known. So, to help in your everyday Windows tasks, we have rounded-up 20 essential window keyboard shortcuts that will make you forget your mouse.
These are the ones you most probably already be using. They are also the most useful and regularly needed keyboard shortcuts. In case, you aren’t familiar, make a note now.
Ctrl + Z : Undo
Ctrl + A : Select All
Ctrl + C : Copy
Ctrl + V : Paste
Ctrl + X : Cut
Alt + Tab : Switch Screen/Tab
Ctrl + Alt + Del : Open Star Task Manager
Ctrl + F : Find
Ctrl + H : Find and Replace
Ctrl + E : Select the Search Box
Ctrl + N : Open a New Window
Ctrl + Mouse Scroll Wheel : Zoom In/Out
The Advanced
Win + Tab (+ Shift) : Toggle Task View
This is for the multitasker in you. When you have multiple programs simultaneously open and you constantly have to jump from one to another, it usually gets chaotic with a mouse. Pressing Win + Tab (+ Shift) will show all the open program tiles and you can scroll/jump programs as per your requirement.
For situations when you have to run and leave your system unattended in a hurry, simply press Win + L and get the system easily locked. It saves time and protects your system from unwarranted eyes as well.
Win + D : Show Desktop
This is the quickest way to minimise every open tap and program in one go. Press Win + D and it will display the Desktop minimising all the open tabs.
Alt + F4 : Close App
Pressing Alt along with F4 will close the app you are working on. So, as much as we love this shortcut, just make sure you don’t trespass on this territory even my mistake because it can potentially make you lose all your valuable work.
Win + PrtSc : Save Screenshot
That you can take a Screenshot using the PrtSc button on your keyboard is something you probably already know. But do you know that when you press Win + PrtSc, the screenshot is taken and automatically saved in your pictures folder? Yes, a screenshot folder is automatically created in your pictures folder to save these screenshots. Try it today!
Win + I : Open Settings
Now you do not have to navigate through My Computers or Search Bar to open the Settings on your device. Just click Win + I and launch Settings with one click.
Win + S : Search for Windows
There’s that one moment when you can’t find the file you know you have saved somewhere in your system. The “Search for Windows” feature can be launched using the Win + S shortcut and then you can find your file with ease.
Fn + F2 : Rename
Now no need to select a folder then click right and find the renaming option. Try pressing Fn and F2 together when the file is selected and the rename file option would open like magic.
We advise you to start exploring right away. While not all of these will be at the top of your fingertips soon, some of these are easy to get used to. It also heavily depends on what work you perform on your Windows product and based on that some of these keyboard shortcuts can be lifesavers.
Also Read: How to Install and Use Microsoft PC Manager on Windows 11 and 10
It looks like the old iPad Pro users don’t have to feel any more FOMO for not being able to get their hands on the Stage Manager. Yes, you read it right. The latest iPadOS 16 Beta version is expanding the unbelievably cool feature of Stage Manager to previous models. The predefined condition of having an M1 chip to support Stage Manager is no longer mandatory.
The Stage Manager is the new multitasking system released with iPadOS16 that allows users to switch between apps by adding overlapping resizable windows. When the iPadOS 16 was launched at the beginning of this year, the feature was said to be limited to only iPads running on an M1 Chip.
The mandatory chip only came in iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions, both released in May of 2021. Apart from this, the M1-powered iPad Air was also in the small list of iPads that got the Stage Manager feature. Due to this limitation, every other previous iPad model was left with the new multitasking feature.
Now with the recently released beta version upgrading the game for iPad users, the Stage Manager feature will now work on a wide number of previous iPad models. This is great news for users of older models including the 2018 and 2020 iPad models that come with A12X and A12Z chips.
However, there is one catch here. The old iPad users would only be able to use the Stage Manager in the built-in iPad display. So, even with the beta version, the user of old models would not be able to expand this feature to any external displays.
If media reports are to be believed, Apple has revealed its decision of removing external display support of Stage Manager even from the beta iPadOS 16 version on M1 iPads. It appears the company is taking its time and paying attention to all the concerns raised by iPad users regarding the multiple issues faced with the external display feature.
Apple is expected to re-introduce the feature after putting enough hours of work into it in an upcoming software update scheduled for the end of the year.
In a statement released to select media outlets, the company reportedly said, “We introduced Stage Manager as a whole new way to multitask with overlapping, resizable windows on both the iPad display and a separate external display, with the ability to run up to eight live apps on screen at once. Delivering this multi-display support is only possible with the full power of M1-based iPads.
Customers with iPad Pro 3rd and 4th generation have expressed strong interest in being able to experience Stage Manager on their iPads. In response, our teams have worked hard to find a way to deliver a single-screen version for these systems, with support for up to four live apps on the iPad screen at once. External display support for Stage Manager on M1 iPads will be available in a software update later this year.”
Earlier in June this year, Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi was quoted in the media stating the reason for limiting Stage Manager to M1 chips. As per Federighi, “the availability of memory” was the primary reason behind Apple’s call to limit the feature of Stage Manager in the first launch.
Grabbing headlines is an art in today’s time and some brands are simply too good at keeping the buzz live for an extended period. Realme is one such brand. The Realme 10 series is again making space in the trending topics, this time for the leaked specification.
This is not the first time information about Realme’s next line of products has surfaced online. Lately, the Realme 10 series, especially the Realme 10 5G and Realme 10 Pro+ 5G, have been regularly spotted on multiple certification websites. Last time, the two models from the series were showcased on the TENAA database, revealing the design of the handsets.
Although Realme has not made any official announcements about the launch date, if tipsters are to be believed, the Realme 10 series could hit the stores as soon as this November.
As per the leaked information, the two primary smartphones Realme 10 5G and Realme 10 Pro+ 5G supposedly carry RMX3663 and RMX3687 model numbers, respectively. The other rumoured specification of both smartphones are as follows –
The Realme 10 5G (model number – RMX3663) – Leaked Specification
Looking at the leaked renders, it can be assumed the Realme 10 would probably be available in Pink and Grey colour options. The marketing colour names, although not officially confirmed yet, are reportedly Clash White and Rush Black. Clearly, there is some confusion amongst the leaksters when it comes to the colour option.
The Realme 10 Pro+ 5G (model number – RMX3687) – Leaked Specification
Display – 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a full-HD+ resolution
Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC
A triple rear camera setup – 108 megapixel primary camera + 8 megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor + 2 megapixel lens
16 megapixel selfie camera
4,890 mAh battery (could be launched with 5,000 mAh)
3C certification offering 67W fast charging support
Size 161.5×73.9×7.8 mm and weigh around 172.5g
To be available in 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of onboard storage
In other news, the renders of the Realme 10 4G version, the official sibling of the 5G model, also tipped online. Interestingly, the renders show more differences between both models than just the chipset or connectivity.
The Realme 10 4G model apparently has a smaller 6.4” AMOLED display. Moreover, it also has a 50 megapixel main camera instead of the 108 megapixel module noticed on the Realme 10 5G model. The one feature that both the models definitely share is the 5,000 mAh battery support.
Realme will launch the 10 series as a successor to the popular Realme 9 and 9 Pro+.
In 2021, the global trend toward mobile continued, marking yet another transformative year for the fast-moving world of app marketing, particularly in fintech.
Adjust’s Mobile App Trends report highlighted that banking app revenue reached $6.8 billion last year — an 88% increase on 2020 — and that over half of purchases (52%) were made with a digital wallet in 2021. And Adjust’s own data shows downloads of global finance apps increased 19% in 2021 compared to 2020.
India, the third largest fintech market in the world, and Southeast Asia, too, are witnessing skyrocketing growth in fintech app installs. The Adjust and MAAS Decrypting the fintech gold rush in the new normal report finds that installs in the INSEA region increased 41% in 2021, with.
Indians registering the highest minutes in-app per session at 17 minutes and 38 seconds. Further predictions indicate India’s fintech market growth to be between USD150 to USD 160 billion by 2025.
As the fintech market continues its upward trajectory, there are huge opportunities in the space for mobile app developers and advertisers alike.
Embracing user privacy
iOS 14.5 and Apple’s AppTracking Transparency (ATT) framework marked a critical shift in focus towards protecting consumer privacy. Although Early predictions for industry-wide ATT opt-in rates were as low as 5%, Adjust’s recent data shows a much higher rate of 25% — a number that is increasing consistently.
While the opt-in rate for fintech apps sits below the industry-wide average, at 11%, changes to data privacy have reinforced the need for marketers in fintech to extract value from their own first- party data. Therefore, app marketers in the fintech realm should implement robust opt-in strategies that build trust and communicate the benefits of targeted advertising to users.
In doing so, we can expect to see continued acceleration in ATT opt-in rates for the fintech vertical as more users understand the value of receiving personalised advertisements.
It’s this exact proposition, which has already been communicated for years, that’s led to hyper casual games consent rates reaching as high as 40%.
Maintaining accelerated install growth
Adjust’s report finds that installs of fintech apps grew by 35% between 2020 and 2021. Looking at the breakdown of these installations per sub-vertical. Payment apps make up approximately 57% of the installs share, followed by banking at 34%, stock trading at 7%, and crypto at 2%.
Globally, the share of paid installs relative to organic installs in the fintech vertical grew from the beginning of 2020 until midway through 2021. Starting at 0.11 and growing to 0.15, 2021 ended with a ratio of 0.14.
Banking’s ratio dropped consistently, however — starting at 0.12 and finishing at 0.07 — showing that increased need and interest in banking apps drove users to seek the apps out themselves.
With more users than ever before flocking to fintech apps, we know that marketers and developers are looking to expand their channel mixes to capture the largest number of potential new customers. We found that this was reflected in our trends data, as the number of partners each fintech app is working with has also increased alongside the competition.
What’s more, the average number of partners for the vertical as a whole grew from 3 to 4 in 2021. Crypto saw the greatest increase — starting 2020 with an average of 2.5 partners per app and finishing 2021 with an average of 4.5.
Increasing sessions and understanding user behaviour
With an increase of 53% globally, the growth of fintech app sessions recorded is even more significant. Our findings highlight a boost in engagement within the vertical, as existing and newly acquired users record more sessions than ever before. While global sessions follow a continued upward trend throughout the year, the highest point can be seen in April, which was 92% higher than the 2020 average, and 27% up on the rest of 2021.
The breakdown of sessions across the fintech subvertical differs significantly from what we saw for installs. Banking takes first place at 46%, followed by payment at 31%. Stock trading and crypto take more of the sessions share than the installs share, at 17% and 6%, respectively. This suggests that the users who download apps in these categories are clocking more sessions than those using banking and payment apps.
We discovered that this high level of engagement is also reflected in the length of sessions by users in each subvertical, with the most significant growth seen among crypto apps. Session lengths in crypto and stock trading are consistently longer than those in banking and payment, which aligns with the business models of each category.
While a payment app might only be needed for a number of seconds for a task to be fulfilled, users buying and selling stocks or cryptocurrencies likely need to spend much longer to complete actions.
According to our report, in-app revenue for fintech apps is also increasing steadily, showing consistent growth from January 2020 through to December 2021.
While subscriptions, third parties (sellers and beneficiaries), and advertising are the key ways that fintechs monetise, we recognise that subscription models have become increasingly prominent. This helps to drive the increase in in-app revenue, as many fintechs have progressed from the growth stage into the profitability stage.
What next for mobile fintech?
In 2021, we saw the shift toward mobile accelerate, with more users than ever before turning to apps for their financial needs. With installs and sessions in the vertical increasing across all regions and sub-verticals, it is clear that the global fintech app ecosystem is thriving, and we can expect to see this growth from this space continue.
For mobile app marketers in the fintech space, focusing on getting the opt-in is crucial. Pushing this rate up by even a couple of percentage points can prove invaluable when it comes to building out conversion value models and predictive strategies for the aggregated SKAdNetwork data set.
Focusing on finding high-value users is key, along with building retention strategies that keep them sticking around. The best way to achieve this perfect balance is to improve the accuracy of your campaigns and to create a user experience that is perfectly optimized to your specific audience segments. Drilling down into your data to determine the key touch points along the user journey is how you’ll achieve this — great data makes for great insights.
Apple is all set to start displaying ads in the “Today” section of the Apple App Store from this week. The leading tech company, reportedly, announced its business decision to developers over an email. Apple App Store earlier too had featured ads but this was only limited to the app in general or the search-based results or “suggested” section.
The placement of advertisements in the “Today” section, which is a curated space to feature all the apps picked by the Apple editorial staff themselves, is a step in a new direction. The “Today” section is what a user is exposed to first when they open the App Store.
The news was first reported by Macrumors and they also revealed the company’s plan to optimise the “You Might Also Like” section of the App Store. The changes would reflect in all countries across the globe, except China.
All advertisements in an App Store can be identified with an Ad icon with the background highlighted with blue colour.
Apple’s official website, about the App store ad placement, mentions the expected changes and briefs, “with a Today tab ad, your app can appear prominently on the front page of the App Store — making it some of the first content users see when they begin their App Store visit,”.
The company has also made it clear that there is no automated functionality for advertisements to appear on the App Store. Only apps that will be approved from the Apple Search ads will be visible in the “Today” section under the “Ad” icon.
According to Apple, the functionality to place advertisements in the “Today” or “You May Also Like” sections would give an opportunity to app developers to make their apps more noticeable and thus, reach more people. It can eventually become a good property for developers to promote their apps to the maximum number of Apple’s App Store users of iPhone and iPad.
On the other hand, legal expert Florian Mueller while countering the statement made by Apple, tweeted about the “You Might Also Like” ads that these are just “another means of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there.”
Earlier in August, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg disclosed Apple’s immediate future plan of expanding their current advertising revenue to a minimum of $10 billion per year. In a newsletter, Gurman had predicted, “On the Apple’s App Store, display ads are currently shown in the search tab in the Suggested panel.
Apple will also soon expand ads to the main Today tab and within third-party app download pages.” Gurman also said that the tech giant would soon launch the search result ads in Google Maps, a feature that the company has been testing for some time internally.
Other Apple ventures such as Apple News and Stocks already feature the traditional banner advertisement. Though no news has surfaced about placing more ads in these pages, the company is apparently already working towards bringing similar advertisement features to Apple Podcasts, Apple Books or even Apple TV.
The troubles of Nate Chastain, an OpenSea former employee, are not seeing an end any time soon. In a recent development, it appears the wire fraud and money laundering case against Chastain are moving ahead with the judge denying defendant’s motion to dismiss the charges. Chastain was accused of profiting illegally off NFT sales in 2021 and the Department of Justice charged him with wire fraud and money laundering.
Several accusations about a series of allegedly dodgy trades surfaced last year that is believed to have taken place during Chastain’s tenure as the Head of Product in OpenSea between the month of January and September 2021.
Chastain allegedly used confidential information and abused his position as the Head of Product to profit off knowing which NFTs would appear on the homepage of OpenSea. Using this information, he secretly purchased tokens before they could even appear on the homepage. He subsequently sold these NFTs via multiple anonymous digital wallets making tons of profit illegally.
Lawyers representing Chastain tried to convince the judges by arguing that “the existence of securities or commodities trading is an essential element of any insider trading offence. And NFTs are neither of those, they contended.”
They also argued that the allegation of him misappropriating information doesn’t hold value as the information is “not property.” However, the Judge remained unconvinced and the indictment is now set to move forward.
As per the Department of Justice, Chastain generated as much as 19 ETH ($ 25,500 or roughly Rs. 21.1 lakh), per current prices) from all these illegal trades and schemes.
After the allegations were made public last year and OpenSea suspected Chastain of misappropriating inside information, Chastain had to resign from his position in September 2021. During the same time, social media was bombarded by many NFT traders who revealed details of a wallet that allegedly belonged to Chastain.
The wallet was said to have been at the centre of NFT transactions that later appeared on OpenSea’s featured portal. This worked as an evidence against Chastain in the indictment.
As per media reports, Chastain bought as many as 45 NFTs on 11 different occasions. All were at that shown as a part of an insider trading scheme. “In one such event his purchase and sale of the NFT “Spectrum of a Ramification Theory” on September 14, 2021, more than quadrupled his profits on that trade.”
Chastain’s lawyers maintain that the charges of money laundering against Chastain cannot be proven since the cryptocurrency transactions were performed on the Ethereum blockchain. This, thus makes all those transactions “completely visible to the public.”
OpenSea is a popular and one of the largest web3 peer-to-peer marketplace that deals in NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and Crypto Collectibles. The platform is widely used across the world for browsing, buying, creating, selling and auctioning NFTs.
Headquartered in New York City, the company was founded in 2017 by Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah. With growing interest in NFTs worldwide, OpenSea has also witnessed tremendous growth over the few years of its inception. The company, as of January 2022, had been valued at $13.3 billion.
Britain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss unleashed her mini budget on investors causing a section of them to stampede from the British Pound. It caused them to move closer to cryptocurrency. The mini-budget was not on a welcome note for the investors as all their strategies lay aside after the announcement. However, it turned fruitful for cryptocurrency which was looking for better opportunities to spring.
The research firm CryptoCompare revealed that the trading volumes between bitcoin and the pound witnessed a jump of 233 percent in September when compared with the previous month. On a similar platform Euro also witnessed a hike of 68 percent while trading between cryptocurrencies.
The Chief Investment Officer at Tyr Capita, Ed Hindi stated that such a huge rise in the bitcoin volume of the currency of a developed country was witnessed for the first time. The market data firm Kaiko revealed that post-Friday budget shock British pound fell to its lowest ever against the dollar, however, the sterling and bitcoin trading volumes spiked to a record high of 846 million pounds.
In the meantime, bitcoin experienced the lowest volatility compared to the whole year. March 2020 witnessed the peak of safety turning US bonds into a safe haven according to a report rolled out by the ICE BofAML U.S. Bond Market Option Volatility Estimate Index.
In the past months, US Treasuries have come across market ructions creating a volatile background exceeding the volatility of bitcoin as well. The 10-year note of the US treasury and Bitcoin are now hovering at around 21.
One of the major USPs of bitcoin was its protection ability against currency depreciation and inflation. The aforesaid narrative could not gain ground as greater institutional adoption pointed towards cryptocurrency trading in lockstep along with traditional risky corners of the financial market. A big question arises- whether the investors are ready to approve bitcoin as a hedge coin.
The British pound witnessed similar instances where Russian and Ukrainian investors jumped into bitcoin as soon as it came under pressure. Experts jotted it down as an instance where small investors felt ease in buying bitcoin rather than entering gold or FX markets.
The chief investment officer at IDX Digital Assets, Ben McMillan stated that Bitcoin has never been a “flight to safety” but a “flight from crisis” asset even when GBP was not as weak as rouble.
Few market contenders stated that savvy traders obtaining benefits from arbitrage opportunities from changes in the bitcoin prices too affected the sterling flows.
Bitcoin Price experienced a downfall of 58 percent this year. However, the safety plays of gold and US bonds went down by 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. Additionally, Sterling too reported a loss of 16 percent and the S&P500 reportedly went down to more than 21 percent. In recent weeks, bitcoin hovered around the $19000 mark and stabilized when compared to its counterparts.
The bitcoin and sterling trading volumes have now fallen back o their previous levels as they were before the mini-budget. Few CryptoCompare analysts stated that the British pound may recover grounds post reversal of UK government fiscal plans.
on the contrary, several other cryptocurrency watchers are of the opinion that the September Surge was merely a reflection of the enduring appeal of bitcoin as an asset out of the mainstream finance.
In the bid of staying ahead of its competitors by miles, Instagram is bringing a new feature allowing its users to add songs to their profiles. Myspace introduced this feature way back but it could not gain pace in the social media platforms. Earlier Myspace rolled out this feature in the 2000s even before Orkut and Facebook came into being. it allowed the users to set a background song complementing their profile.
Likewise, the users accessed the ability to publicly express themselves through the song complementing their personality or profile. It has now become the most awaited feature update among users eager to get a new user experience after the software update.
There is stiff competition among social media platforms to present themselves as more engaging for the users. They aim their best to be as zanzy and quirky as possible. It involves always being creative in thinking and creating something cooler to get new users aboard. Recently, Alessandro Paluzzi, developer and notable leaker, tweeted a few screenshots depicting the new feature.
He revealed that this astounding feature would appear at the bottom of your bio on Instagram just below the link section. This would give a wholly new experience to the users as this most awaited update would enhance the profile presentation. The profile song or band would tell loads about you- something that your profile picture or details could not.
Instagram has not released the update for its users yet. Presently, its users can add music to their stories while selecting songs from the app’s library or from third-party apps such as Spotify etc.
In the meantime, Instagram, the meta-owned photo-sharing app has made several modifications to its social media platform to protect users from abuse along with hidden word updates. The company announced through a blog post that the accounts once blocked could not connect with you again easily.
Hidden words play an effective role in the automatic removal of any damaging content for message requests and comments. the company stated that 40% fewer comments might be termed as offensive. the company is in process of testing the automatic application of hidden words for creator accounts. the users would have access to its permissions in settings for the words, phrases, or emojis they wish to hide.
Instagram Profile Song- Journey Till Now
The Myspace era started in the early 2000s. between 2005 to 2008 it became the largest social networking website in the world as it overtook search giants Google and Yahoo and became the most visited website in the US. Its downfall started with the end of google’s advertising partnership in 2009 when its revenue fell below Twitter and Facebook and other competitors.
However, this could not end the lookout for adding songs to the profile of the users. Few dating sites like Hinge still allow users to add songs to their profiles. If the feature is released more publicly then it may surely return to the popular mainstream social media platforms as it was during the Myspace era.
