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HBO is still going through hard times

Published

15 hours ago

May 19, 2023

Monitor A weekly column dedicated to everything that happens in the WIRED world of culture, from movies to memes, from TV to Twitter.

Historically, advances are a big time for the TV industry. Each spring, major networks pitch their wares to advertisers, hoping to sell airtime at a high price. This year, however, the advances are taking place against the backdrop of a Writers Guild of America strike, and most of the action has taken place with pickets gathered outside. Netflix canceled its in-person event and made a virtual presentation.

By the time John Steinlauf, head of advertising sales at Warner Bros. Discovery in the US, took the stage for his company’s annual speech two days ago, ready to address the elephant in the room: “What you’re about to see is not quite the show we expected to do today. We have made the decision to have only executives on stage out of respect for our talent and the WGA.”

Like many advances this week, the WBD presentation focused on unscripted content: sports, news, documentaries. But unlike other networks, WBD — the result of a merger between Warner Media and Discovery — was just days away from one of its biggest moves, on which they were about to spend more marketing dollars than anything else in the company’s history: the reboot. HBO Max as just Max.

It’s almost hard to remember now, but HBO Max launched in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown, in May 2020. It was the best and worst time to launch a streaming service. Everyone was stuck at home and dying to watch new content, just like all the people who make TV shows and movies. The service had a great back catalog, but it couldn’t promise too much new content beyond what was done prior to launch.

On Tuesday, May 23, almost exactly three years later, he delivers a new service that combines what Max already has with the Discovery+ service, but also faces a writers’ strike that has put many productions on hold. “I hope a fair resolution is reached soon with the writers that will of course bring talent back to this scene,” said Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO and Max. “Until then, you’re kind of stuck with me and my clips.”

By and large, a streaming service changing its name from predictably milky to even less descriptive isn’t very remarkable. But now there’s another major problem with Max’s deployment, a road that’s already littered with potholes. And while it may seem like HBO is doomed to a terrible timeline, there are things the company could do to avoid those hurdles. First, it could push the Film and Television Producers Alliance into a deal with the WGA, whose members chose outside of the WBD’s preliminary presentation at the Theater in Madison Square Garden while holding “Don’t Piss on My Leg” signs. and tell me “This is a broadcast” while chanting “When I say AI, you say bye bye.”

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TikTok creators sue Montana over app ban

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Twitter is reportedly accusing Microsoft of violating its data usage policy.

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TikTok creators sue Montana over app ban

Published

14 hours ago

May 19, 2023

Naomi Johnson

CNN
—

A group of TikTok users has filed a lawsuit to overturn Montana’s new ban on blocking the app, arguing that the law was signed into law this week by the US governor. Greg Gianforte violates the First Amendment.

The complaint, filed late Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana — hours after being signed by the governor — compares TikTok to other types of media, arguing that the state does not have the power to prevent Montana residents from accessing and making legitimate speech.

“Montana cannot ban its residents from viewing or posting on TikTok just as it cannot ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or because of the ideas it publishes,” five creators of TikTok, including a small swimwear business. rancher and former Marine sergeant.

The lawsuit marks what could be the first challenge to a controversial ban that goes far beyond the restrictions already imposed by Montana and other states.

Other states have banned TikTok from official government devices over concerns about its ties to China through its parent company. Montana’s ban attempts to ban TikTok in the state and block TikTok downloads on personal devices, but does not penalize individuals for using TikTok. The ban currently takes effect in January.

In a statement, a spokesman for Gianforte said, “While the Chinese Communist Party may seek to cover up its heinous espionage and collection of personal, private, confidential information of individuals under the slogan of our First Amendment, the governor has a responsibility to protect the people of Montana. and their right to privacy, guaranteed by the Montana Constitution, from serious threats from the Chinese Communist Party.”

There is no public evidence that the Chinese government actually gained access to TikTok user data in the US. TikTok’s CEO has previously stated that the Chinese government has never asked the company for its data.

Emily Flower, spokeswoman for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, said in a statement that “we have been anticipating the trial and are fully prepared to defend the law.”

In addition to First Amendment requirements, the lawsuit alleges that Montana’s ban deprives TikTok users of many other rights without due process of law in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

It also argues that the ban unconstitutionally conflicts with federal authority to set foreign policy and oversee interstate commerce. And he argues that the ban undermines the powers of the federal government under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

TECH

Twitter is reportedly accusing Microsoft of violating its data usage policy.

Published

19 hours ago

May 19, 2023

Naomi Johnson

Elon Musk’s personal lawyer, Alex Spiro, reportedly sent a letter to Microsoft accusing it of using the Twitter API “for unauthorized uses and purposes.” In accordance with New York Times another Wall Street Magazine, Spiro wrote that “Microsoft may have been in breach of several provisions of the agreement for an extended period of time.” Specifically, he accuses Microsoft of misusing Twitter data, such as using more than intended and sharing that data with government agencies without permission. Spiro also wrote that Microsoft refused to pay for data usage.

Microsoft has used Twitter data through its API for years in several products, including those related to Xbox, Bing and its advertising tools. However, after Twitter stopped freely accessing its API, Microsoft decided to start distancing itself from the website. It removed Twitter from its social media management tool for advertisers, and disabled the ability to upload screenshots and clips directly to Twitter from Xbox consoles and Windows Game Bar. The tech giant didn’t explain the reason for these decisions, but Twitter is charging organizations up to $50,000 a month to access its new API.

In response to a tweet about Microsoft delisting Twitter from its social media management tool, Elon Musk said: “They illegally trained using Twitter data. Trial time.” It’s also worth noting that Musk and Microsoft have recently had a rocky relationship with a former declaring that the tech giant controls its partner OpenAI. Microsoft, which invested a total of $13 billion in the creator of ChatGPT, said the claim was “actually not rightMusk also said FoxNews that he was concerned that ChatGPT was being “taught to be politically correct”, and that he wanted to create his own generative AI chatbot called “TruthGPT”. Hello criticized OpenAI, which he helped start as a non-profit organization in 2015, for turning it into a for-profit business.

It’s unclear if this event will end in a lawsuit, but Twitter is demanding that Microsoft review data usage across its apps. Twitter also wants Microsoft to submit a report by June on how much data the company has and how it is stored and used. In addition, he wants to know when Microsoft gave government organizations access to its data.

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What happens to the bet when the game is stopped

Published

21 hours ago

May 19, 2023

Naomi Johnson

October 7, 2021

From time to time sporting events are stopped. The reasons for this can be very different, ranging from bad weather to racist insults from the audience. In tennis it is quite common for a game to be interrupted, but it is less likely to be abandoned.

In this article, you will learn what happens to the bet if the game is stopped. There is a difference between “aborted” and “abandoned” that you need to know before placing a bet or when it happens after you have placed a bet.

what’s happening When the game is interrupted

When a game is stopped before it has reached its natural end (i.e. the end of one set in a match between two players or the end of a game in football), it will be marked as abandoned and bets will stand. all offered markets.

All live bets stand unless you have bet specifically on a game that will be abandoned if it is interrupted.

If you have placed a bet on the total number of games, for example in tennis, and have chosen those that were interrupted, then your bet will be refunded if any of these bets are not completed due to interruption.

Bets offering odds based on a game ending in a certain way (e.g. player A winning) will be void if the match is abandoned after it has started, regardless of the result.

what’s happening When the game is over

When a game is stopped before it has reached its natural end (i.e. the end of one set in a match between two players or the end of a game in football), it is marked as abandoned and bets are refunded. in all offered markets.

All live bets will be void unless you have placed a bet specifically on a game which will be abandoned if it is abandoned.

what’s happening When the game is abandoned

If a game is interrupted and abandoned without reaching its natural conclusion (for example, the end of one set in a match between two players or the end of a game in football), bets on all markets offered will be refunded.

All live bets will be void unless you have placed a bet specifically on a game which will be abandoned if it is abandoned.

Let’s assume that a certain number of games have been agreed for betting purposes and they have not been completed due to interruption or rejection. In this case, bets will stand and the total number of games played, for example in tennis, will be settled based on the result after the end of the game.

To give one example, for betting purposes the game between Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep in Indian Wells was considered to be played until two more games were played due to a rain break. The match was then abandoned without a natural conclusion (one set each), resulting in void bets on all markets. However, all bets would stand if play were stopped after two games (one set each).

The rules that apply for sports bookmakers are different for live betting operators. If you place a bet on an event that has been abandoned, your bets are automatically returned to your account; however, if you place a bet on an interrupted and then terminated bet, you will still receive a refund.

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