Meta starts placing ads inside WhatsApp Status updates after hinting at changes for years. The tech company breaks away from the ad-free model that users have known. Businesses can post sponsored content that appears next to personal updates from friends and family. Companies must mark their posts as sponsored content. This marks Meta's first push to make money from WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Status allows people to post photos, videos and voice messages that disappear after one day. The company's founders fought against advertising back during 2020. Will Cathcart leads WhatsApp and brought advertising plans back during 2023. Meta sees a chance to make money from WhatsApp's 2 billion users around the world. The company earns about $160 billion...
Uganda Law Society president Isaac Ssemakadde asked High Court judge Joyce Kavuma to remove herself from his case. Ssemakadde lives outside Uganda after another judge sentenced him to two years jail for insulting the court. He filed papers asking to stop his arrest warrant during February but the court keeps delaying hearings. Kavuma postponed the matter until August which means Ssemakadde cannot return home. The lawyer says these delays violate his rights and force him to stay away from family.
Judge Musa Ssekaana gave Ssemakadde the prison sentence because of social media posts criticizing court decisions. Ssemakadde accused Ssekaana of being unfair and abusing power during civil rights cases. The posts appeared during 2022 and 2023...
Nwoya District police found a sub-machine gun that criminals used across local areas during recent operations. Officers acted after community members reported seeing suspicious activity around Paminyai Subcounty. Residents from Nyamukino and Gotapwoyo villages spotted a white vehicle carrying eleven stolen goats. The car had registration number UAP 032E and drove through their neighborhoods during daylight hours. Local people stopped the vehicle and called law enforcement officers immediately.
Police arrested Omony Dicken who drove the suspected stolen livestock through rural communities. The 28-year-old broker lives at Pece-Laroo Division within Gulu City limits. Officers questioned Dicken about his activities and the stolen animals...
Sudan's war remains stuck as both armies fight without clear winners. The military and rebel forces hope for new weapons or alliances but cannot defeat each other completely. Ordinary citizens suffer most as hunger and homelessness spread across the country each month. Neither side gains enough power to end the fighting that started during April 2023. Families flee their homes as battles destroy neighborhoods and cities.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan claimed victory after taking back parts of Khartoum during March. His forces used fresh weapons from Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and Iran to attack the capital city. The Rapid Support Forces had controlled the Republican palace since early war days. Military leaders broadcast footage of...
Israeli warplanes bombed Iran's state television building during Monday after telling nearby residents to leave the area. Live broadcast cameras showed lights going out and explosions shaking the TV studio during the attack. Iranian officials reported at least one television worker died from the bombing raid. The military strike interrupted news programs and forced reporters to evacuate their desks. Iranian leaders called the television station attack a war crime against civilians.
Tehran residents fled the capital city as Israeli jets gained control of the skies above. Traffic jams formed on highways heading north as families packed cars with belongings and documents. Many people bought extra food from bakeries and closed their shops...
Social media platforms like Facebook, X and YouTube became America's top news source according to new research. More than half of people read news from these networks compared to television and news websites. The Reuters Institute found 54 percent use social media for news versus 50 percent watching TV and 48 percent reading news sites. Changes happen faster and stronger across America than other countries around the world. Podcaster Joe Rogan reaches nearly one quarter of Americans each week with news content.
Politicians choose friendly online hosts over traditional reporters for interviews more often. These sympathetic personalities rarely ask tough questions and sometimes spread false information. The report shows populist leaders...
Universal Audio released Anthem Analog Synthesizer for music producers who want powerful vintage sounds. The virtual instrument creates thick bass lines and punchy lead melodies without needing multiple software plugins. Musicians can make expressive sequences using the analog-modeled filter and fat oscillators. Lo-fi effects add vintage character to modern tracks with chorus, flanger, spring reverb and tape echo. The synthesizer combines classic mono-synth inspiration with new digital features.
Anthem delivers paraphonic chord capabilities that blend fat mono tones with poly-style harmonies. The step sequencer helps producers create evolving patterns and complex rhythms easily. Hundreds of preset sounds come ready for immediate use...
PulseSetter-Sounds created a new sound pack for the Omnisphere music software from Spectrasonics. The company built Re:Bell using only bell sounds and tuned percussion instruments as source material. Musicians can use over 100 custom-made patches that focus on metallic sounds and emotional bell textures. The sound designers followed their successful Recoil string collection with another themed instrument pack. Re:Bell helps composers create ambient movie scores and dark hybrid music pieces.
The sound pack works well for trailer music production and cinematic sound design projects. Each patch delivers tone, tension and shimmer effects that producers need for professional projects. PulseSetter-Sounds offers the collection at a special...
Sonible released smart:reverb 2 with artificial intelligence that helps multiple audio tracks work together. The software lets different reverb effects talk to each other across separate sound sources. Musicians can control depth and space from one control panel instead of managing each track separately. AI technology automatically keeps sounds clear and prevents muddy mixes during complex recording sessions. The plugin tailors reverb effects to match each individual sound source naturally.
The new version adds perception-based controls that musicians understand easily without technical knowledge. Users adjust Distance, Size, Width, Color and Clarity settings with musical thinking rather than complex parameters. The reverb matrix...
