AM Prep-Cyber Corner
IN THE NEWS: FLORIDA LAWMAKERS PRESS GRIPES AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers are delving deeper into their battle against social media sites and other Big Tech companies. The state’s House Appropriations Committee has moved forward with a slate of bills to force Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to give users a month’s notice before disabling or suspending their account. The bill was filed days after Twitter suspended then-President Donald Trump after his supporters staged a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. GOP members of the Florida legislature say yanking Trump’s account is evidence of social sites’ bias against conservatives.
IN THE NEWS: FACEBOOK REACHES PAY DEAL WITH NEWS CORP IN AUSTRALIA
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A news company that does a lot of business in the United States has reached a new pay deal with Facebook to share news in Australia. The new deal is for multiple years — and covers its major Australian mastheads as well as its regional publications. The pay deal follows a similar agreement struck with Google last month. The deals have come to fruition three weeks after the Australian government passed laws that would make digital giants help cover the cost of journalism.
ON THE WEB: YOUTUBE TO DO MLB GAMES AGAIN THIS SEASON
NEW YORK (AP) — For a third straight season, YouTube will be an outlet for some Major League Baseball games. The online video site will be the home for 21 contests, starting Wednesday, April 7, when the Boston Red Sox host the American League Tampa Bay Rays. The games will be exclusively on YouTube, meaning they won’t be on the stations of the respective teams. YouTube showed 13 games in 2019 and says they averaged 1.2 million live views.
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Online:
YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com
MLB site: http://www.mlb.com
IN STORES: KEW LABS UTS-1 DESK CHARGER
TWINSBURG, Ohio (AP) — Imagine placing your smartphone on a table or desk — and have it charge wirelessly. You might think it was some kind of trick. But there’s no trick — because a new device from Kew Labs does the trick. The UTS-1 is a wireless smartphone charger which can send a signal to charge your device through your table, shelf or desk. Just install the device under your desk or table — so long as it’s less than an inch thick — and you’re in business. You plug the cable into the device, turn on the switch and you’re done. The UTS-1 fits securely under a surface with adhesive or screws — both included — so there’s no drilling necessary. Once it’s in place, you put your device on the spot — and you’re on your way to getting your device juiced up. The UTS-1 contains special circuitry that automatically shuts the device down when your phone is fully charged — to keep your battery from suffering long term damage. The UTS-1 retails for $104.99.
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Online:
Kew Labs Tech site: https://www.kewlabstech.com/