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Microsoft Blocks Cryptocurrency Mining With Its Cloud Services

Microsoft cloud services

Microsoft recently announced that it is banning cryptocurrency mining on its cloud services. This ban is due to the high demand for resources that mining activities require. Now you can mine cryptocurrency only with the permission of Microsoft and after a security check.

Microsoft believes cryptocurrency mining is putting an unnecessary strain on its systems, making it difficult to provide quality customer service. This means that customers who are using the service for other activities might be negatively affected by the mining activities.

Microsoft has updated its Universal Licensing Terms for cloud services to prohibit cryptocurrency mining on any Microsoft service without the company’s prior approval. The ban also applies to the Microsoft Azure cloud computing service.

Users must obtain approval from Microsoft before using online cryptocurrency mining services, regardless of the subscription period. Cryptocurrency mining permission may be considered for security testing and research.

In addition, the high demand for resources can lead to increased costs for Microsoft. This is because the company must purchase additional hardware and pay for additional energy to support the mining activities. This can add to the company’s overall expenses, which may not benefit its bottom line.

Finally, cryptocurrency mining can lead to security risks as well. As miners search for new blocks, they can inadvertently expose their systems to malicious actors who can use the information to gain access to their systems. This can lead to data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cybercrimes.

Microsoft’s decision to ban cryptocurrency mining on its cloud services is a smart move that will help protect users and the cloud.

How to get More Content for Your Website

Website content

No business that needs an online presence can afford to ignore the benefits of valuable content. After you define your audience and your content is aligned with your SEO strategy, you need to start generating and publishing content.

Consistency is key to success in content marketing. The publishing frequency isn’t important. Regardless of whether you publish daily, weekly, or monthly, you need to sustain that regularity.

Here are some effective ways to source content for your website.

Hire a freelancer

Not all companies have the time, desire, or experience to create high-quality content regularly. In-house writers can be expensive. However, you can hire a qualified freelancer to cover your content needs.

It might take a while to find a suitable professional with a voice that matches your brand and knowledge of your niche or good research skills. To test a freelancer’s ability, make sure you give them a topic related to your niche. You don’t necessarily have to use the content. This is done to get an idea of their writing style.

Create a forum on your site to start discussions

Many niches and sectors have many followers and practically unlimited topic possibilities. You can open a forum on your website to start discussions. This will let the visitors to your website start new topics and take part in current discussions.

This can be an excellent option if your audience is large because people will post new content very often. You’ll attract organic traffic if your forum is SEO-optimized and indexed in the search results. Some businesses have been able to increase their organic traffic exponentially by adding a forum.

Publish industry-relevant guest posts

Get guest bloggers – almost everyone wants to be one these days. If you decide to do this, choose content from bloggers who have sizable followings on social media and are actively involved in your industry. Their social shares will help direct more traffic to your site. Any links in their biographies should be to relevant, high-quality websites.

If you don’t have time to do this, hire a freelancer to edit or proofread the guest posts. Everything published on your site is a direct reflection of your brand.

Rewrite old content

Instead of removing old website content, rewrite it with keyword optimization. As you already have the subject and the main focus of the content, rewriting it will take less effort than writing a completely new text. Reworking older content to bring it up to modern standards will help your content marketing efforts a great deal.

How to write better content

You should grab the reader’s attention with the very first line. It’s estimated that the average attention span is just over eight seconds, so that’s how long you have to capture your reader’s interest. If you succeed, the next task is to get them to stay on your site.

Start your text with a question or some interesting stats. To keep readers from navigating away, they should be hungry for more information after reading the introduction.

Make your content easy to find

Audiences find web content by using a search engine, via a marketing email, through links on other sites, or from a post shared on social networks. The recipient of your content isn’t necessarily familiar with your brand. Your products or services should be clear. The content should include relevant links for further details.

Experts also recommend including prominent links to your social media to build a connection between your potential customers and your brand. A visitor to your site might navigate away, but they are likely to come back if they follow you on social media.

Death Stranding 2 Promises To Bring Nostalgia To Fans And A Completely Unfamiliar World To Newcomers

Death Stranding 2 leaks

Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima has revealed new details about the upcoming sequel to the hit game Death Stranding. In a recent podcast episode of Brain Structure, Kojima shared that Death Stranding 2 will offer different experiences for different categories of users. Fans of the first part will find certain “nostalgic” elements in the sequel, when, as newcomers, they will plunge into a completely unfamiliar world.

Kojima did not provide any further details about the plot or gameplay of Death Stranding 2 but did mention that the game is being developed using new technologies that were unavailable during the creation of the first game. 

Actor Norman Reedus, who played the character Sam Porter-Bridges in the first Death Stranding, was also a guest on the podcast and confirmed that he is currently working on motion capture for his character in the sequel.

Death Stranding is an open-world action video game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony. The release of the title took place in November 2019. The announcement of a sequel was made with a trailer featuring actress Leia Seydoux as the main character, Fragile. Death Stranding 2 is being created for the PlayStation 5 console. It is currently unknown when the game will be released or on which platforms it will be available other than PS5.

Amazon Games And Crystal Dynamics Will Collaborate To Publish The Next Tomb Raider Game

Amazon Games To Publish Next Tomb Raider Game

Amazon Games has announced a publishing agreement with Crystal Dynamics for the upcoming Tomb Raider game. The game’s development is already underway and will be handled by Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the 2013 reboot of the franchise. 

While specifics regarding the game are presently limited due to its early production stage, Amazon Games has announced that it would be a single-player narrative adventure that continues Lara Croft’s story and will include aspects such as exploration, puzzles, and fighting against a variety of monsters. The game will be developed using Unreal Engine 5 and will be the biggest Tomb Raider game.

The Tomb Raider series has been a beloved and influential franchise in the gaming industry since its inception in 1996. The series follows Lara Croft, an archaeologist and adventurer, on her escapades throughout the world in pursuit of ancient artefacts and wealth. The games are known for their compelling storylines, immersive gameplay, and stunning graphics.

Many Tomb Raider games have been released over the years, with the most recent being “Shadow of the Tomb Raider,” which was released in 2018. With each new generation of gaming consoles, it is not uncommon for the franchise to undergo a reboot or a new trilogy, so it will be intriguing to watch where the next Tomb Raider game goes.

The introduction of a new Tomb Raider game follows a difficult era for Crystal Dynamics, which struggled with the release of Marvel’s Avengers and was sold to the Embracer Group for $300 million, a relatively low sum considering the potential of its intellectual properties. However, Crystal Dynamics was given the go-ahead to work with a different publisher for the new Tomb Raider game, with Amazon Games offering full support to the studio. The upcoming Tomb Raider title will mark the first narrative single-player game of Amazon Games, after the success in multiplayer with New World and Lost Ark.

There is currently no information about a potential release date for the game, although it has been confirmed that it will be available on multiple platforms.

Samsung To Develop New Custom Mobile SoC To Compete With Qualcomm And Apple?

Samsung Exynos

It is known that Samsung has decided to stop using the company’s chipset for its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S23 series, and adopt only Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It is proof that the glory of Exynos is in the past, but the company does not want to leave it like that and seems to have started developing a new chipset to compete with Apple and Qualcomm.

According to The Elec, Samsung’s Mobile Experience (MX) unit has created a team to build a new smartphone CPU, increasing its competitiveness with Apple Silicon.

The Exynos processors used in Galaxy devices are presently supplied by the Samsung System LSI business. Other suppliers in the MX business include Mediatek and Qualcomm.

Samsung’s MX business is responsible for managing the company’s smartphone business. MX will be home to the new processor team. Executive Vice President Choi Won-Joon, who joined Samsung’s mobile division from Qualcomm in 2016, will lead the team.

A new team might assist in improving the Exynos line, but it’s likely that Samsung intends to create its own processors in the same way that Apple does with custom-built chipsets.

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 smartphone line has seen the chipset’s reputation tarnish, especially with the Exynos chip’s widely reported heat and performance issues. Perhaps that’s why Samsung chose to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip in the Galaxy S23.

Samsung is said to adopt a specially designed Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is a model with a higher clock frequency than the regular version. However, the new chip trails Apple’s A16 Bionic and A15 Bionic in most benchmarks.

Apple May Finally Allow Third-Party App Stores And Sideloading

Apple iOS App Store

Apple is preparing changes to allow third-party app stores on iOS in response to the EU’s recently passed Digital Markets Act (DMA). It doesn’t appear to be the only change coming to the company’s platform.

It looks like Apple will make great changes to iOS and the App Store for the first time. Bloomberg reports that the company is under pressure to open up more iOS features, such as the sideloading of apps and alternative app stores to install third-party apps.

In recent years, Apple has loosened its iOS restrictions considerably regarding what third-party developers can access. For example, apps can now work with Siri, read NFC tags, and offer alternative keyboards.

Currently, all iOS apps must use WebKit, Apple’s engine that powers Safari. Web browsers such as Google Chrome and Firefox are also available on iOS. Still, in reality, they are just Safari with Chrome and Firefox skins, and many voices call for the release of the search engine, saying that Apple’s restrictions may hinder the evolution of web browsers.

Bloomberg also reports that Apple is working to open up private application programming interfaces, also known as APIs, to third-party developers and apps.

Additionally, other private iOS APIs may be exposed in the future. This includes more camera controls and access to the iPhone’s NFC chip. Third-party apps can now read NFC tags, but Apple has banned them from acting as Apple Pay competitors.

In addition to these changes, Apple is reportedly considering opening its Find My network more to third-party accessories. Third-party manufacturers can already make their accessories available on the Find Network. However, competitors such as Tile have claimed that there are still many disadvantages compared to Apple’s accessories, such as AirTag.

Bloomberg also reports that Apple is preparing to allow iPhone and iPad users to install apps through alternative iOS app stores.

However, there are some things that Apple is stubbornly trying to protect. The company also reports that it has no plans to make iMessage compatible with other platforms. Even with sideloading, Apple intends to charge developers for access to iOS. It’s unclear how this price will be applied, although it’s likely to be in addition to the yearly $99 Apple Developer Program fee.

It’s unclear when all these changes will roll out to the general public, but some of them could start as early as next year’s iOS 17.

Protect Your Content With Digital Watermarks

Protect Your Content

The exchange of data over the internet has become common. Digital collaboration in business is not only inevitable, but it is also more important than ever. Therefore, protecting content from issues such as data leakage, confirming copyrights, and preventing tampering is a pressing issue. This applies to a wide range of content, including photos, videos, and confidential and private documents. 

Digital assets are any type of information, content, or data that is stored in a digital form. This includes audio and video files, documents, photos, emails, databases, and even websites. 

The growing need for content protection is due to the risks associated with digital collaboration, which leaves data in the hands of those with whom it is shared. This can lead to data leakage or unintended use of the data. Once a file has been downloaded, the sender no longer has control over it.

One way to counter these risks is to use a sharing method that prevents downloading on the web browser. However, even if downloading is disabled, it is still possible for someone to take a screenshot of the preview screen or print the content. Therefore, additional measures may be necessary to fully protect digital assets during collaboration.

If you’re interested in securing your content, you’ve heard of Digital Watermarks.

How Digital Watermark Protect Your Files?

Digital Watermarks

A digital watermark is a digital mark or identifier embedded into a digital image or video file. This mark is often invisible to the naked eye, but it can be detected using specialized software. Digital watermarks are used to protect digital content’s copyright and prevent unauthorized use or distribution just like NFT, the blockchain system to certify digital files.

Digital watermarks can be added to digital files during the creation process or later with specialized software. The watermark usually includes information about the content’s owner, such as their name, contact information, or website. In certain circumstances, the watermark may additionally carry a unique identification or digital signature that may be used to track down the original owner of the video.

One of the primary advantages of digital watermarks is that they can prevent the illegal use of digital assets. When a watermarked file is copied or transmitted, the watermark can assist in identifying the owner and proving ownership of the information. This can be beneficial when the content is used without authorization, such as duplicating or sharing without the owner’s permission.

Digital watermarks can also be used to monitor how digital asset is being utilized. It is feasible to trace how a file is shared and utilized online by incorporating unique IDs in the watermark. This can assist content owners in monitoring the use of their content and taking appropriate action if it is being misused.

In addition to safeguarding the copyright of digital content, digital watermarks may be used to prevent tampering or alteration of the content. It is possible to verify the validity of the information and identify any alterations or modifications by incorporating a digital signature within the watermark. 

Digital Watermarks on digital assets are not foolproof and may be deleted or manipulated with the appropriate software. However, digital watermarks are one of the most effective techniques to safeguard digital content’s copyright and prevent unauthorized use or distribution.

Play Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 This Weekend For Free

Play Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 for free

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is having a free weekend from December 15 to 19! This is a great way for fans of the series to check out the game and see what all the hype is about.

This free weekend is an excellent opportunity for both new and longtime fans of the series to test out the game. For those new to the series, it’s a great opportunity to get acquainted with the franchise and discover what makes the game so popular. For those who have already played the game, It’s an excellent opportunity to revisit it and observe how it has progressed since its first release.

During the free weekend, players can access all multiplayer modes. The campaign mode won’t be available. This includes a variety of maps, game modes, and weapons. Additionally, players can level up their characters and unlock new content. There will also be special in-game events, such as double XP and limited-time modes, as well as various discounts on cosmetics and bundles.

To access Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for free on Xbox, go to the Store and search for the game by name. Click on the Download option and then select Check install progress to monitor the progress of your download and installation. Once the game has been installed, you can select it to start playing.

On PlayStation, go to the Store and search for the game. Click on the Download option, and you can use the Downloads menu on the home screen to check on the progress of your download. Once the installation is complete, you can start playing the game.

On PC, launch either Battle.net or Steam and search for the game in the Store. 

Once the free weekend is live, you will be able to download the game for free.