9to5 Google: Nest Hub Max ending Google Meet and Zoom support in September. “Video calling was originally pitched as a key feature of the Nest Hub Max, but Google Meet and Zoom are dropping support at the end of September.”
Axios: Zoom CEO admits mistake as terms-of-service changes raise AI fears. “A change to Zoom’s terms of service left customers confused and worried that the video conferencing company was seeking broad rights to use images, sound and other content from meetings to train its AI algorithms.”
SlashGear: Zoom Just Added New AI-Powered Features, Here’s What They Do . “Starting with chats, users will soon be able to use a generative AI-assisted feature to compose their messages. The composing system will let users specify the tone — from formal to playful — and also pick between three presets for the length of messages they want the AI to generate.”
The Verge: Snap’s shutting down the app that put cool filters on your Zoom calls. “On January 25th, Snap will be shutting down its camera app for Mac and PCs. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you may remember it as the program that let you apply silly filters to your face while you were on Zoom or other video conference calls.”
Engadget: Zoom’s avatars now let you appear as a cartoon version of yourself. “Zoom announced human avatars today for its video meeting app. Like Apple’s Memoji or the humanoid cartoons Mark Zuckerberg wants us to use in the metaverse, the customizable virtual characters mirror your movements and facial expressions. The idea is to inject zaniness into less formal meetings, letting you be present without appearing on camera as your (flesh and blood) self.”
Jerusalem Post: Russia’s state watchdog restricts TikTok, Zoom and other IT companies . “Russia’s state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Friday that it was taking punitive measures against a string of foreign IT companies including TikTok, Telegram, Zoom, Discord and Pinterest, according to Russian media.”
Engadget: Zoom brings end-to-end encryption to its cloud phone service. “Zoom is bolstering its privacy and security protections by expanding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to more of its services. First up is Zoom Phone, its cloud phone system.”
WIRED: The Future of Slack Looks a Lot Like Zoom. “Last June, the popular workplace chat app Slack introduced Huddles, an audio-only feature designed to replicate the real-life thing. It was an immediate hang space, launched easily from within a Slack channel or a direct message. And it has been, according to Slack, a hit.”
Harvard Business School: All Those Zoom Meetings May Boost Connection and Curb Loneliness. “Americans are lonelier than ever—a problem the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated. Could interactions on platforms like Zoom and Twitch come close to replicating the real-life contact people crave? New research suggests that’s more likely to happen if the virtual experiences truly engage people on screen.”
Make Tech Easier: 8 Zoom Alternatives to Make a Free Conference Call. “Zoom works great for conference calls, but you’re limited to 100 people and just 40 minutes in the free version. This isn’t always ideal, especially for longer meetings. Luckily, there are a variety of Zoom alternatives that don’t have as many restrictions in their free versions. Plus, some don’t even require people calling in to have an account.”
WIRED: You Need to Update iOS, Chrome, Windows, and Zoom ASAP. “MAY HAS BEEN another busy month of security updates, with Google’s Chrome browser and Android operating system, Zoom, and Apple’s iOS releasing patches to fix serious vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, things have not run smoothly for Microsoft, which was forced to issue an out-of-band update after a disastrous Patch Tuesday during the month. And Cisco, Nvidia, Zoom, and VMWare all issued patches for pressing flaws. Here’s what you need to know.”
CNET: 10 Free Zoom Alternative Apps for Video Chats. “There are plenty of other video chatting options to use to stay in touch with friends, family and coworkers from around the globe. Below, you’ll find our ten favorite video conference and video chat apps that you can use for free right now. It should also be noted, however, that most of the apps listed here have seen security-related issues in the past, which the companies that own them (including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google) have since patched.”
CNET: Zoom’s New Avatars Let You Show Up to Meetings as an Animated Bunny. “You can now show up to your Zoom meetings as an avatar of an animated animal. Zoom introduced its new Avatars feature in a blog post Tuesday, saying the feature is a way to inject fun and lighten the mood in your meetings and webinars.”
The Verge: Zoom is making it easy to plug your meeting directly into Twitch. “Zoom announced on Wednesday that it’s making it easier to livestream your meeting or webinar to Twitch by adding native integration with the streaming service to its app. After you connect your Zoom and Twitch accounts, you can start broadcasting your meeting with just a few clicks.”
NBC News: The internet’s meth underground, hidden in plain sight. “In December, Paul went home for the holidays. Like many people, he hadn’t seen his family for almost a year. But instead of spending time with his loved ones, he said he stayed in his room and injected methamphetamine. While his family was downstairs, Paul said he pretended to be sick while he relapsed in a multiday meth binge. Though he was alone in his room, he was using drugs with other people. As he was injecting methamphetamine, he connected with hundreds of other individuals doing the same thing over Zoom.” Very deep dive.
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