AMERICA TECHNOLOGY
Bogotá, January 21 (EFE) .- These are the main technological news of the week in America.
1. Netflix reaches 200 million subscribers and skyrockets in the stock market
In times of pandemic, Netflix continues to reign. Its shares soared in the stock market after the announcement of its latest quarterly results and the news that it surpassed 200 million subscribers for the first time.
The operators of the New York Stock Exchange rewarded the record of subscribers achieved by the platform and its good business prospects for 2021, which pushed the company up 16.85%.
Netflix gained 8.5 million subscribers in net terms between October and December, bringing the total to 37 million during 2020 and placing its number of subscribers above 200 million worldwide at the end of the year.
2. Paramount + arrives in March
In an extension of the streaming battle, the Paramount + platform will land in the US, Canada and Latin America on March 4.
The details about this new player in the American market will be known on February 24, the day on which Paramount will present its results corresponding to the close of fiscal year 2020.
The new streaming platform will include content from networks such as CBS, MTV, BET, Comedy Central or Nickelodeon, as well as films from the Paramount Pictures archive in an offering that will combine cinema, series and entertainment, reality and sports programs.
3. Facebook will review Trump’s ban
After leaving the US Presidency, there is something that Donald Trump could take back. Facebook’s Supervisory Council will decide whether to lift the indefinite ban on the former president to use the social platform and will issue recommendations on how to proceed in the event of suspension of accounts of political leaders.
This advisory committee of “wise men” is financed by Facebook, but makes independent opinions on ethics and freedom of expression on high-profile issues.
In the case of Trump’s permanent ban on Facebook and Instagram for inciting the violence that was unleashed on January 6 in the assault on the Capitol in Washington, the multinational has decided to refer the case to its Supervisory Council to decide whether they should lift the moratorium on the ex-president.
4. More autonomous vehicles from General Motors and Microsoft
General Motors and Microsoft have agreed to partner to develop autonomous vehicles, under an agreement whereby Cruise, GM’s autonomous vehicle unit, will use the Azure platform to “accelerate time to market” of the vehicles.
In addition, Microsoft agreed to join General Motors, Honda “and institutional investors in a new round of investment in Cruise of more than 2 billion dollars,” GM added in a statement.
Following the deal with Microsoft, called a “long-term strategic relationship,” GM noted that Cruise is now valued at $ 30 billion.
5. A help from Facebook to people with visual problems
Facebook has released an update to its Automatic Alternative Text (AAT) feature that improves the detail of photo descriptions for the blind and visually impaired.
The AAT feature, launched in 2016, uses computer vision technology to automatically create descriptions. Updates are available when using a screen reader, an assistive technology that converts text to speech.
6. First 5G test zone in Latin America
Chile inaugurated the first “5G zone” in Latin America, an area of 5.5 square kilometers in Santiago with hospitals, schools, shops, offices and homes and where it is experimentally sought to show the impact that the new network will have in cities.
The “5G zone” is an open space and in this experimental stage some phones enabled with 5G in the 3,500 MHz band will be able to make use of the technology when they are within the limits, explained the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt.
The adoption of 5G technology has been marked by debates in many countries due to questions about cybersecurity and data management.
7. WhatsApp delays updating the privacy policy
Given the confusion generated by its decision, WhatsApp decided to delay the update of its privacy policy, scheduled for February 8, to clarify the use of data with Facebook, the parent company, and its new options focused on the sale of products.
The update of the privacy policy has raised many doubts and misinformation about whether it meant access by Facebook to personal data, contacts or conversations held on WhatsApp, the most used messaging application in the world.
It also triggered doubts about whether by not accepting the new conditions of use, the user would lose their account and the app would disappear from their phone.
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