Meta has announced it’s launching its own version of Twitter’s Blue Tick called ‘Meta Verified’ for Facebook and Instagram where users pay a monthly subscription to be verified on the platforms.

Announcement 

On February 19, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that Meta is starting the rollout of its new ‘Meta Verified’ subscription service for Facebook and Instagram, staring in Australia and New Zealand. For a monthly subscription of $11.99 / month on web or $14.99 / month on iOS., Meta Verified lets users verify their account “with a government ID” in return for which they get a blue badge, i.e. extra impersonation-protection against accounts claiming to be them, plus direct access to customer support.

Meta says that the new feature “is about increasing authenticity and security across our services” and Mark Zuckerberg says that a blue badge “effectively find and remove any imposter accounts since we know which account is the real you.” 

Imposter Accounts Problem 

Facebook and Twitter (two of the most widely used social media platforms) and other platforms have suffered from the issue of people setting up imposter accounts. Imposter accounts on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter can pose several problems, including:

– Misrepresentation. Imposter accounts often pretend to be someone else, such as a celebrity or a public figure, and use their name, image, or brand to mislead people. This misrepresentation can damage the reputation of the person or brand being impersonated.

– Identity theft. Imposter accounts can also use stolen personal information to create fake accounts, which can lead to identity theft and other fraudulent activities.

– The spreading of misinformation. Imposter accounts can also spread false information, rumours or propaganda, which can harm individuals or groups and influence public opinion.

– Cyberbullying. Imposter accounts can also use fake identities to harass or bully people, which can cause emotional distress and harm mental health.

– Security concerns. Imposter accounts can be used to gain access to personal information or to spread malware or viruses, which can compromise the security of social media users.

Like Twitter’s ‘Blue Tick’ Service 

Meta’s Blue Badge service appears to be remarkably similar to Twitter’s Blue service.

Twitter’s Blue service, often referred to as ‘Blue Tick’ was originally introduced back in 2021 following reports that perhaps as much as 19 per cent of Twitter accounts could be fake and untrustworthy. The problem persisted and became an issue last year when Elon Musk was buying Twitter when it was estimated that spam and fake accounts / bot accounts (not run by humans) made up 5 per cent of Twitter accounts.

With Musk also needing a revenue stream in addition to advertising, a revamped, subscription Blue service was introduced in November 2022 with users able to verify (by use of a blue tick next to their name) that their account is genuine and get editing and customisation options that free accounts don’t have. Despite the service experiencing a backlash that alarmed some advertisers, and being temporarily halted, it was resumed it in December 2022.

A recent tweet suggesting that Meta’s ‘Meta Verified’ subscription service (Blue Badge) is essentially a copy of Twitter’s idea was met with a reply from Elon Musk saying that Meta’s move was “inevitable.” 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

For Meta, in addition to being a competitive move, it’s also a way to increase revenue, tackle the problem of fake accounts and the spreading of disinformation and misinformation that Facebook, along with other platforms, has suffered from, while increasing trust in the platform. That said, the Meta Verified service is just in Australia and New Zealand at the moment, so it remains to be seen what kind of reaction there is to it, and how successful it looks likely to be if rolled out elsewhere.

It may initially be more useful and more popular among some user groups than others, e.g. celebrities, political leaders, well known businesses, and content creators wanting to increase their presence on Facebook and Twitter. For those who subscribe to Meta Verified, it may be the case that access to customer support is a large part of the real value of the service, and not just the blue badge.

With OpenReach now ‘throttling’ broadband speeds and limiting phone calls as measures designed to gently “nudge” customers to upgrade as the “Big Switchoff” approaches, we look at exactly what’s happening, why, and when.

What Is The Great Switchoff? 

The “Big Switchoff” refers to the switch from the old copper phone network to a new ‘Digital Voice’ alternative. Back in April 2021, BT Openreach announced that starting from the end of the year and finishing in 2025, it would be “switching off the UK telephone network as we know it” by moving 15 million lines (some figures say switching 29 million home landlines) from analogue to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) based replacement telephone service. The “Big Switchover” to digital was branded ‘Digital Voice.’

This means that the Internet (broadband) will be used to digitally carry telephone calls rather than traditional copper wires – i.e. landline voice calls will be transmitted digitally.  In individual homes, this will mean that people will plug a new digital phone, powered by mains electricity, into their router rather than a socket in the wall.

Also Means The End For ISDN 

Switching off the UK’s traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) will also mean the end for ISDN because it uses the copper wire phone network. Also, BT Openreach will not be accepting new orders for PSTN, and ISDN2 and ISDN30 services after September 2023.

Why? 

The old PSTN is reaching the end of its life and is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain, therefore Openreach is looking to ditch the legacy copper network completely so it won’t have to pay to run two parallel networks. Also, there are now more up-to-date alternatives that are compatible with how we communicate today, i.e. mobile and Internet communications. Some advantages for customers of the switch-over to VoIP could include:

– VoIP offers a greater breadth of capabilities.

– Cost savings and fewer system failures and outages and reduced complexity for providers.

– Scalability and portability (VoIP phone systems can go wherever the company goes).

– Greater communications-mobility, flexibility, and increased productivity and collaboration.

– Better security that’s continuously updated.

– Greater reliability.

– Improved customer experiences.

– Clearer calls, making it easier to keep existing numbers, and the choice to have broadband provided separately from the telephone service.

– Better identification and prevention of nuisance calls, thereby saving businesses time and money and potentially protecting against scammers.

Now The Throttling Starts 

Throttling refers to the intentional slowing down of internet speeds by an internet service provider (ISP) during certain times or for certain types of online activities. In the context of the impending “Big Switchoff”, Openreach has announced that it is planning to trial a set of service management measures to encourage customers still using analogue phone lines to contact their provider and upgrade to new, digital alternatives.

The trials in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and Mildenhall, Suffolk, will see “restrictions” introduced that will prevent out-bound telephone calls (calls to the emergency services will not be affected) and the limiting of broadband speeds (throttling), in order to prompt customer action.

A Nudge 

James Lilley, Director for Managed Customer Migrations at Openreach said of the trials: “A small minority of customers are yet to upgrade despite several attempts by their service provider to contact them, so we’re planning some gentle measures which will nudge them to contact their provider and have a conversation about their future service.” 

Deadlines 

Openreach notified its Communications Providers (CP) customers in January last year that the analogue services would be withdrawn in the trial areas by 19 April 2023, but that deadline has been extended to October 9 this year to test the new service measures.

The trials are reported to have been running since December 2020 and May 2021 respectively to test a set of processes for upgrading the UK’s decades old analogue network to new digital products and services.

Openreach says that “for those remaining on the legacy network who don’t have an agreed exemption, Openreach will introduce a reduction in broadband download speeds to around 2Mbps from April 24, followed by a barring of out-bound calls, from June 5. The changes will be introduced in batches to better manage customer responses.” 

Openreach also says that it’s still on track for the UK wide switch off at the end of 2025.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The “Big Switchoff” at the end of 2025 of the old PTSN network and the move to ‘Digital Voice’ and VoIP should mean a more flexible, reliable, scalable, and more secure communications service that’s more capable of keeping up with the demands of the modern digital world which hopefully could deliver cost savings. At the current time, however, many businesses in the UK are still frustrated by not having particularly fast broadband speeds, plus the fact that the UK is lagging behind in terms of the 5G network, and at that many rural areas have no reliable broadband anyway. Also, they still have to wait until the end of 2025 to enjoy the full benefits of the digital switchover.

However, on the positive side, at least Openreach has allowed time to conduct enough tests and trials to hopefully iron any issues and ensure a smooth switchover from analogue that minimises costly disruption to businesses.

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a way for using a 3D-printing ink that contains calcium carbonate-producing bacteria, giving a result similar to mollusc shells or bone.

‘BacktoInk’ – Environmentally Friendly 

Researchers at EPFL’s Soft Materials Laboratory in the School of Engineering have successfully added the Sporosarcina pasteurii bacterium to 3D printing ink. When mixed with a urea-containing solution, it triggers a mineralisation process that produces calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that is light, strong, porous, and rigid, just bone or shells. This means that, using the new ‘BactoInk’, it’s now possible to produce a 3D-printed product of virtually any shape, using environmentally friendly materials and processes, which will gradually mineralise over the course of a few days to a solid state.

Mineral Particle Inks Failed In The Past 

Inks containing mineral particles have been tried in the past but have not been able to meet the flow conditions needed for successful 3D printing i.e., behaving like a solid when at rest, but still be extrudable through a 3D printing nozzle. Also, previous efforts have resulted in structures that were soft, or shrunk upon drying, leading to cracking and loss of control over the shape of the final product.

The Answer – A Polymeric ‘Scaffold’ Using BactoInk 

Lab head Esther Amstad explained why the bacteria-based ink method from the EPFL team has been successful where other mineral inks have failed, saying: “We came up with a simple trick: instead of printing minerals, we printed a polymeric scaffold using our BactoInk, which is then mineralised in a second, separate step. After about four days, the mineralisation process triggered by the bacteria in the scaffold leads to a final product with a mineral content of over 90 per cent.” 

The Result – A Strong And Resilient Bio-composite 

EPFL has reported that using BactoInk in a 3D printer produces a “strong and resilient bio-composite, which can be produced using a standard 3D printer and natural materials, and without the extreme temperatures often required for manufacturing ceramics.” 

No Living Bacteria In Final Product 

For those concerned about any possible dangers of the bacterial element of the ink, the EPFL researchers report that: “Final products no longer contain living bacteria, as they are submerged in ethanol at the end of the mineralisation process.” 

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation? 

This method of mineralising ink appears to have succeeded where others have failed and it’s believed that the versatility of BactoInk, combined with its low environmental impact and the excellent mechanical properties of the mineralised materials, could bring new possibilities for fabricating lightweight, load-bearing composites that are more like natural materials than to today’s synthetic composites. As such, the BactoInk method could have applications across a broad range of fields, including art, ecology, and biomedicine. The research team, for example, have suggested that it could be used in restoration of artworks e.g., by being directly injected into a mold or target site such as a crack in a vase or a chip in a statue. BactoInk’s mechanical properties such as its strength and shrinkage resistance mean that it could be well suited to both the repair a work of art, and preventing further damage during the restoration process.

One other very interesting environmental possibility for BactoInk could be in the building of artificial corals to help regenerate damaged marine reefs. Its bone-like structure may also lend itself to biomedical applications.

If you’d like a way to send web pages you find interesting to your inbox rather than bookmarking them in Chrome and forgetting about them, the InboxThis extension may be helpful. Here’s how to use it:

– Go to the Google Chrome Web Store and search for ‘InboxThis’. It’s a free browser extension that can send any webpage to your inbox in 5 seconds. N.B. other extensions and methods are available, and we have no commercial links with or reason to endorse this extension other than to highlight it as a potentially helpful tip.

– Add the extension (click on the ‘Add Extension’ button) – no signup or account creation is needed.

– When you’re on a page/article you want to save, click on the extension icon in Chrome.

– Check your email inbox. The webpage should be there.

Green distributed computer network heating company Heata is offering to provide up to 4.8kWh of free hot water per day in exchange for installing a business cloud server in your home.

Green Distributed Compute Network 

Heata, which began as an innovation project with British Gas, describes itself as “a ground-breaking green distributed compute network that uses the waste heat from compute to heat the water in people’s homes.”

Tackling Two Challenges With One Solution 

The company sees this as a way of tackling two challenges with one solution in that over 4 million UK households live in fuel poverty and data centres require vast amounts of energy and create significant heat. For example, it’s estimated that waste heat from a large data centre could provide hot water for 11,000 homes. Heata says that “moving heat is hard, it requires new infrastructure or a pre-existing heat network” but “moving bits and bytes is easy” so the idea of installing servers on the side of water tanks is a way of taking the servers to where heat is needed, thereby providing free hot water for those that want it. Heata says this turns a computing problem into a “social benefit” and supports the decarbonisation of the rapidly growing cloud computing industry.

How Does It Work 

The company fits a computer server unit to the side of domestic hot water tanks and the heat generated by the business cloud server heats the hot water. In return, Heata gets to expand its business cloud server network without the cost and complications of having to find/build and run data centres and deal with the heat from them.

Offer Example  

The Heata unit is reported to be currently only available as part of a government backed scheme in South East England. An example of a recent offer to customers is that (from Toms Hardware) in exchange for Heata installing a water-heating server unit next to the existing hot water cylinder, homeowners can get up to 4.8kWh of free hot water a day, the equivalent of 80 per cent of a UK household’s daily use for a whole year.

The Server Unit And ‘Thermal Bridge’ 

The computer server is mounted on Heata’s patented thermal bridge which is fitted to 450mm diameter domestic hot water cylinders and provides the attachment point for the server.

What About Your Router And The Power For The Server? 

Two key aspects of the deal that are less clear, however, are the fact that an extra (business) server will need to connect to the home’s router and network, and the unit will require electricity that the homeowner initially pays for (Heata says it will reimburse owners in the trial). These facts may well give potential customers some concerns such as:

– The bandwidth the unit will use and the associated costs and connection worries.

– The fact that it’s a strange computer on the home network that the homeowner has no access to and doesn’t know exactly what it’s doing, leading to possible security concerns.

That said, Heata has reportedly said that the server will only use a fraction of the bandwidth, it will only be engaged in tasks such as monitoring information and performing speed tests for most of the time, and later versions will be separated from a home’s broadband by fibre connections.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The huge growth in cloud computing has created the need for many more energy hungry data centres which in turn has created the issues of how to manage the heat they generate and minimise/reduce the environmental impact. Many ideas have been tried, e.g. underwater data centres, but part of the attractiveness of this scheme is both the social element, i.e. homeowners in a cost-of-living crisis with high energy prices getting ‘free’ hot water, plus the fact that the product appears to tackle several issues with one solution. Businesses always need affordable cloud computing which schemes like this may be able to help provide and the computing industry needs to rapidly find ways to decarbonise, which Heata’s offering also shows promise for. It could also have knock-on benefits and opportunities for broadband providers and for other computing-based companies looking to offer similar solutions.