Spotify is an online streaming audio service that allows you to listen to music tracks legally and for free. Now the service successfully operates in 70 countries. Daniel Ek, CEO of the service, said that the company is preparing to start work in Russia in the summer of 2019.
The development team believes that there is a strong potential in the streaming service to conquer the market of music services.
A subscription to a service for USA residents costs $ 10. The cost in Russia is currently unknown.
βWe now have more than 159 million active users in 65 countries, 71 million premium subscribers, more than 3,500 employees worldwide and more than 35 million tracks. But we’re just starting… Spotify has a lot more prospects than you thought.β
The service functions as a cloud base and allows the user to select a composition from an extensive media library. Currently, Spotify provides access to over 30 million tracks. Users can search by artist, album, genre. All users have access to many major independent labels. You can also create your own playlists or listen to the radio. You can use the resource with advertising and some restrictions for free. If you pay a subscription, all restrictions are automatically removed.
In Russia, users have long been waiting for Spotify. The service planned to start work here in 2014 and even registered the legal brand LLC Spotify in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. However, the introduction of the Register was not a guarantee of launch. According to some sources, there were several obstacles to entering the market: the economic crisis, changes at the legislative level, requirements for the storage of users’ personal data, conflicts and disagreements with certain organizations and individuals.
Sberbank CIB analysts have already warned that Spotify will have a significant impact on the Russian music market. But his direct competitors (Yandex.Music and VKontakte (together with BOOM)) noted that they are not afraid of the appearance of a new player on the market and see their competitive advantages over Spotify.
Not only Yandex.Music and VKontakte become competitors. Do not forget about Apple Music and Google Music.
βThe growth of the market of legal audio services will be 20β30% per year, Spotify will make a significant contribution to this growth if it starts working in Russia,β said Alexandra Nosach, head of the licensing department for music and video content at Black Star Inc.
Β«Driven by IntuitionΒ» is worldβs first advertisement based on a script written by artificial intelligence (AI). IBM Watson system developed the text for this ad, and an Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald brought it to life. In order to create the commercial, AI analysed past successful advertisements and based on them generated a new narrative.
The IBM supercomputer equipped with question-and-answer system of artificial intelligence
A minute-long film features the production of the new Lexus ES executive sedan. According to the story, the new model is being destroyed during crash tests, but then the car begin to resist. At the critical moment, Lexus ES recognizes the danger and automatically initiates emergency braking. The creator observes everything through the media.
To write a unique story, the neural network studied a number of advertisements that won Cannes Lions award. An extra information about the company was added to the system in order to make the commercial unfamiliar to viewers and corresponding to the brend. A bunch of emotional intelligence studies was downloaded into the system as well. This helped the neural network to understand what affects potential consumers to the greatest extend.
AI placed all combinations of objects, actions, and locations so that psychologically affects customers. Based on the analyses of external audio, text, and graphic data, the supercomputer determined the most crucial parts of the video making the commercial successful.
AI organized the narrative so that affects our emotions
The projectβs creators managed to demonstrate the potential of artificial intelligence. Moreover, AI depicted some of the aspects of human behavior in its story. The accomplished work is an another step towards the use of artificial intelligence in the nearest future.
Environmentalists are sounding the alarm: China is funding dozens of coal projects far beyond its borders. Coal is considered the most environmentally hazardous of fossil fuels, including because of the amount of carbon dioxide that it emits during combustion (about one and a half times more than natural gas). According to the latest research of the World Meteorological Organization in 2017, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached its highest level in the last 5 million years. Last month, the UN climate expert group said that the use of coal in production should be stopped by 2050. This solution should bound the global temperature rise to a limit of 1.5 degrees.Β Β
Coal power station in China
China-supported coal projects are being implemented in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Balkans. The contracts concluded between the participants of such projects are often not completely transparent, but groups of environmental companies, including the non-governmental organization Bankwatch, try to monitor the situation. Energy Group Coordinator Ioana Chiuta says that efforts to combat the dirty air of Chinese cities have led many energy companies to limit their investments in coal-fired power plants in China and instead have targeted their technology and capital to foreign markets.Β
Coal smoke must be cleaned, but this is not always done
Thermal power stationΒ Kostolac
In Serbia, one of the country’s main coal-fired power stations is being expanded with a loan from a Chinese bank. Works have been carried out since 2017 under the leadership of a large construction company in China. An hour east of the capital city of Belgrade, in the coal-rich valley of the Danube, construction takes place on a site known as Kostolac B3. The power plant is managed by the national Serbian electric power company EPS, which provides about 70% of the country’s electricity by burning coal, while the rest is electricity produced by hydroelectric power stations. It is expected that Chinese investment in the project will amount to 613 million US dollars. The installation of the new power unit will bring Serbia 350 MW of additional capacity. The project must be implemented in accordance with environmental standards.Β
Smog in Beijing
However, the Serbian Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (Cekor) questions the projectβs compliance with all environmental standards. After a series of relevant inspections of the project, Cekor found it impossible to ensure that EU standards for environmental pollution are in force.
The Boring Company successfully mastered the laying of the first vacuum tunnel for high-speed movement. The founder of the company, Ilon Mask, announced this in his Twitter account. The company has drilled 3.2 km under Los Angeles, the entrepreneur said that the opening of the tunnel will take place on December 10. On the launch day, no one will have to pay the fare, and in the following days the trip will cost $1.
Hyperloop is an ultrafast underground transport system based on pipes and magnetic rails. Autonomous cars with a capacity of 8β16 passengers rush inside the pipe at a speed of about 200 km/h. Initially, the tunnel was conceived solely for the carriage of cars, but now the main goal of the project is to create transport for passengers and cyclists.Β
The tunnel will function like an expressway. Equipped platform will launch vehicles under the ground and deliver to the destination.Β
The 16.5 km long vacuum transport system was approved by the authorities of Washington and Baltimore. Boring is also planning to launch a tunnel in Chicago, which will connect the city centre with the airport. At the initial stage, the inventor in his characteristic style admitted that βhe has no idea what he is doing.β However, the first project is already at the ready stage. The construction of the Los Angeles-Hawthorne Tunnel, begun in January 2017, has been completed.
Regular conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” started on June 6 in Innopolis (Tatarstan), on the first day of which the Russian state corporation “Rostekh” introduced the analogue of Skype. The program was named AVES-S and was developed by the staff of the Research Institute “Masshtab” (company “RosElectronics).
The first day of “CYPR-2018” brought news about the analogue of Skype
It is reported that the development is not yet available to a wide range of users. AVES-S is primarily intended for government departments, because it is completely confidential and it provides protection from deciphering by third parties.
Users have already expressed scepsis about the new development. In numerous comments they ask why it was necessary to create an analogue of the program, the interest to which fell significantly because of the substitution programs. Today other popular messengers have replaced Skype: WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger. There is also Google Hangouts for similar purposes.
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Specialists from the division DeepMind in London have created a deep training machine that is able to “learn” information in the shortest possible time. Compared with the machines of the previous generation, it works 10 times faster. Now, to master the classic video games, the mechanism requires not 200 hours of play, but 20, while a person needs only 2 hours.
The main idea of the DeepMind approach is to “teach” the machine to “think” quickly, like people and animals. As you know, a person can solve the situation in two different ways. First, if the situation is known, then our brain has already formed its model, which it uses to determine how to behave better. In this case, a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is used. If the situation is not familiar, then the brain relies on another strategy, which involves a simpler approach to verifying and remembering information. In this case, the hippocampus is used, which consolidates the memory.
For deep training machines use layers of neural networks to find patterns in the data. When one layer “sees” the template, it sends a signal as information to the next layer, which looks for patterns in this signal. Therefore, when recognizing faces, the first layer can search for the edges of the image, the second layer of circular images, the third – triangular patterns and so on. The final stage of the work of all layers is that the face was seen and recognized.
There are many feedback systems that allow the system to “learn” by regulating internal parameters, such as the strength of bonds between layers. The parameters should change slowly, since cardinal changes in one layer can negatively affect the overall process of “learning”. That’s why deep neural networks need such a long workout.
Working conditions future human can visually imagine a stroll through the offices of the leading Internet production. Premises where the coolest innovations are very different from the usual jobs. Money for their creation and development, apparently, have no regrets, and to design attract designers from around the world.
But whether through multi-billion incomes of employers their employees have the opportunity to work in the “unearthly” conditions? Perhaps, on the contrary, such conditions are necessary for the global success of the company? Try to understand.
Google
Google relies on the comfort and emotional variety.
“Making the working environment more pleasant, you get more engaged employees, increase job satisfaction, productivity and make the company a more attractive place to work,”
says Stacy Sullivan, Director of culture. This applies both to the relationship of managers and employees, and workspace.
The company’s offices look like separate worlds with their atmosphere. There are more than 70 in 50 countries. Take, for example, the headquarters in the UK capital.
Bright, but at the same time calm and cozy interior, comfortable furniture. New design traditional office space was entrusted to create the company “PENSON”. And that’s what happened.
Moscow Google’s headquarters decorated with wood, glass and leather. All in pastel colors, no bright red or blue flowers as in other headquarters. And Swiss the office (Zurich)did relax room with aquariums, a floor that mimics the seabed, and a special bath with a soft filler. Some of the rooms designed for meditation. Learning this technique performed by a specially invited teacher of Buddhism.
Facebook
Main office of the most successful social network is in Palo Alto (California, USA). In spring 2015, the new headquarters appeared in Menlo Park. The owner of the copyright of the media Ilya Varlamov published photos in his report.
Employees Facebook – happy people: they have free meals, absolute freedom of action when making your workplace, as well as the Friday meetings in the square with the founder of the social network mark Zuckerberg.There is one unwritten rule about not taking pictures of Mark Zuckerberg. On the glass of the meeting room he hung a sign: “Please do not photograph the animals :)” (Please do not take photos of animals).
“the Office is just Packed with a variety of inviting public spaces where you can work alone, chat with friends or just take a NAP right after lunch.”
– says Ilya Varlamov.
Original innovations
In Madrid remembered that fresh air improves brain function, and even beyond the boundaries of office premises. Employees architectural Studio Selgas Cano planted in the forest office.
Construction design half recessed into the ground, which improves thermal insulation, and is made of transparent plastic – as providing natural light, and the servants pleased to see the window is not grey towers, and picturesque landscape.
the Headquarters of the company Invention of the Land, which is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, consists of 16 different sections. This pirate ship surrounded by water, the castle and a giant robot. Factory inventions and therefore got its name that innovations like off the Assembly line β the year the company received for its new products more than two thousand patents.
Opinion of the Hit.Media expert
Maria Matveyshina, architect-designer, Director of own Studio, believes that there are two kinds of customers: those who are thinking about employees, and those who want to put in office more and more jobs.
Great if the customer already has an idea, then the task of the designer becomes just a refinement of the style and implementation of the required functionality. It is not only the opinion of the employer. In practice, the designer was a case where the Director of the IT company brought together employees from various departments and they announced their wishes. It really helped in creating office space.
“Many offices are built in the style open-space with maximum use of Γ¨komaterialy. This trend came to us not so long ago, and in the West, her only start to develop. It is therefore not surprising that many modern offices, media companies and broadcasters alike.”
One of the projects for IT company – office of several parts: Italian street phone booths for private conversations and conference room, decorated in the style of “Space”.
In the end
That the creation of such conditions requires significant investments, however. But a favorable atmosphere sometimes it is enough just free coffee, cookies on the table and soft sofa. Let your subordinates do not feel jobs and zuckerbergs, but work will be fun that’s for sure!
There is information that in March 2017 Apple is going to present an improved iPad Pro and the updated generation of iPhones. According to unofficial sources, will feature just three of the updated iPad is about the same characteristics with displays of 7.9, 9.7 and 12.9 inches.
It is also planned to surprise fans of “frameless” an iPad with a diagonal of 10.5 inches, equal to the usual dimensions of the iPad Pro with a screen size of 9.7 inch. Estimated price “of bezrabotnykh” somewhere between 599 and 799 dollars.
Filling Apple gadgets, too modernizarea: iPad with a diagonal of 9.7 inches will work on the A9 processor from Samsung LSI. 12.9-inch iPad Pro will have Π10Π₯ chip, manufactured by TSMC.
the iPad Pro 9.7″ and iPad Pro 12.9″ next to the Apple pencil, sold separately for$100
According to forecasts, the supply of “Apple” tablets can begin as early as may of this year and will total 35-37 million units.
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Make us beautiful!
In addition to the upgraded tablets, the company intends to introduce new versions of their smartphones. Primarily the changes will affect the appearance. Insiders told the Japanese publication Mac Otakara that Apple is planning to upgrade the design of the iPhone 7/7+ and iPhone SE, adding a bright red color in addition to the existing five colours.
the New design of the smartphone from Apple (in the middle). Photo from the Twitter account of the publication Mac Otakara
As for the iPhone SE, the Corporation is not planning to release a “little brother” seventh iPhone in a red color. Currently available smartphones with memory of 16 and 64 GB and the same colors that the iPhone 7/iPhone 7+. In addition they will be issued further models with up to 128 GB.
It is possible that in addition to color solutions the Apple company will improve the technical parameters of the smartphones of the seventh generation.
What causes it?
Apple’s revenue from iPad sales in the first quarter of the new fiscal year fell by 19%. But CEO Tim cook sees no reason for pessimism: “I’m still optimistic about how we can develop the product.”
Perhaps the SE model iPhone with memory 128 GB will be able to gain popularity among users with average incomes who cannot access iPhone 8, estimated according to preliminary data of$ 1,000. Price iPhone SE are not yet known, but the trends show that the cost of the updated model will vary between 499$ and 549$.
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The Russian company Zecurion Analytics has put Russia in 5th place in the world in terms of development cyberarmies, reported by “Kommersant”. According to analysts, in the public cyberscribe Russia there are about 1 thousand hackers. Every year, their contents may be given approximately $ 300 million. The undisputed leader here are the United States with the cost of the military establishment on cybersphere approximately $ 7 billion and the number of staff is about 9 thousand. Russia is inferior not only to the leader, but also China, the UK and South Korea.
Main activity of cyberarmies, according to the company Zecurion Analytics are information warfare, cyber attacks and espionage. All such troops are legal in dozens of countries, unofficially, more than one hundred.
Can Anyone confirm?
Commenting on the publication “Kommersant”, the Deputy head of the Ministry of communications of the Russian Federation Alexey Volin noted that “We [Ministry of communications] about cyberarmy don’t know”. Recall that in 2014 in the composition of the defense Ministry of the Russian Federation troops emerged information operations, responsible for protecting military systems from cyber terrorism. The decision on creation of cyberarmies, according to Vesti.Ru was made after the revelations of Edward Snowden.
And then Obama and Trump?
Cyber attacks have become one of the most discussed topics in the winter of 2016. On 29 December, the outgoing US President Obama announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, citing the involvement of Russian hackers in the election campaign of America. On 6 January US intelligence presented the unclassified version of the report about Russian intervention. According to the document Vladimir Putin ordered to prevent the victory of Hillary Clinton over election trump. In addition, the report stated that the Russia Today TV channel has been working with the famous website WikiLeaks.
January 9, the Kremlin responded to the statement of us intelligence, saying that Moscow was not involved in the attacks, which it blames Washington. Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov called the accusations a “witch hunt”. January 10, Viktor Ozerov, the head of the defense Committee of the Federation Council, noted that the information published in the report, is “information spreading”.
In response to accusations of lack of evidence of Moscow’s involvement in the election results in the USA, the official representative of State Department of the USA John Kirby said us intelligence agencies tend to keep secret its working methods.
In addition, the Federal protection service of the German Constitution announced that Russian cyberarmy may relate to the attack on the Organization for security and cooperation in Europe.
Alternative view
Marketing Director Solar Security Valentin Krokhin in an interview with “Kommersant”:
“No country now admits that she makes attacks on information systems of other States. In the Centre of the UK government communications (GCHQ) employs 6 thousand people. How Zecurion Analytics calculate that it is 2 thousand deal with cyber attacks, the big question.”
The list of countries with the most developed cyberpassage according to Valentine Krokhina:
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In the series, the application has control over the life of the whole society and has a number of functions that regulate human rating and making it accessible to all. The “real” analogue allows only two actions – randomly display user evaluation (enough to drive his name in the specified field) and “evaluate” his friend or acquaintance.
The premiere of the third season of “Black Mirror” took place on October 21. Series “Dive” ( “dive”) received the greatest popularity and became the most talked-about episode of the new season, on kinopoisk assessment.
Page in the heroine’s girlfriend application
Characters “dive” appeared in the world, where the application is able to manipulate people by virtue of their dependence on the social situation and public opinion. With this program, the characters can not just put the stars (from 1 to 5) on the photos and videos of each other, but also closer to the life of their dreams.
Reputation becomes the main advantage of the locals, as obtained scores affect the position of people in society, high levels (above 4.5) gives its holder certain privileges and bonuses (good accommodation, the best seats on the plane, and others.). The heroine of the first series of the new season set a goal to buy property, but to get a discount on the purchase of the house lacked its current rating, it became the start acquaintances among the famous and successful (the only way it was possible to improve the rating in the short term), from which in the end only I suffered, realizing that the numbers do not mean anything.
Rating of the main character from the TV serial “The Black Mirror”
It is important to know that the ratings of the application can not be changed after they are received. To all the names of your average score is tied, and this has created a theme for jokes in many social networks. For example, some Twitter users have begun to compare the assessment of past and current US Presidents. So, Donald Trump has 4 points and Obama 3.
