Electronic music gains popularity over indie in Tiktok post views

The music industry is evolving in parallel worlds. While the Gallagher brothers dominate stadiums this summer, Tiktok users are grooving to a different beat.

Electronic music has surged on Tiktok, surpassing indie and alternative genres in popularity. #ElectronicMusic garnered over 13 billion views globally, marking a 45% increase from 2023. Videos featuring electronic music tags doubled in number during the same period.

Tiktok creators are increasingly using electronic music as the soundtrack for sports, fitness, fashion, travel, and summer vacation content. The success of British electronic artists like Disclosure and Joel Corey on Tiktok highlights the genre’s mainstream appeal.

Tiktok’s influence on the music industry is evident, with artists like Adam Port and Posa gaining popularity on the platform before becoming streaming hits. Electronic artists are making waves in major markets as well as climbing the mainstream charts.

British DJs like Hannah Line and Billy Gillies have also found success on Tiktok, further boosting the electronic music scene. The community-driven nature of electronic music is reflected in the platform’s user-generated content.

Spotify reports a significant increase in streams for dance and electronic music, indicating a growing global interest in the genre. Despite the rise of electronic music, indie and alternative genres, as well as rap and hip-hop, remain popular among Tiktok users.

Last year, Tiktok saw a surge in back catalog music usage, with users incorporating older tracks into their content. This trend was not limited to the UK, as global users embraced classic tracks from past decades.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trump grants tariff exemptions for smartphones, computers, and other electronic gadgets

Following more than a week of tariffs on imports from China, the Trump administration released regulations late Friday that spared smartphones, computers, semiconductors, and other electronic devices from various fees. This move significantly reduced prices for high-tech companies like Apple and Dell, as well as for consumers purchasing iPhones and other electronic products.

A message issued by US Customs and Border Protection on Friday included a lengthy list of products that faced tariffs on Chinese goods. Notably, exclusions were granted to smartphones, computers, semiconductors, and other technology products. However, additional duties will still apply to electronic devices and smartphones, as well as an increase in tariffs on semiconductors.

This exemption is a significant relief for tech giants like Apple and Nvidia, who would have faced substantial losses from punitive taxes. Many consumers rushed to purchase iPhones to avoid potential price hikes on electronic devices. These exemptions may help mitigate inflation and uncertainty in the economy.

The tariff relief marks a change in Trump’s trade policies aimed at promoting US manufacturing. Factories producing electronic devices like iPhones and laptops are primarily located in Asia, particularly China. The exemptions apply not only to China but also to other countries.

However, this relief may be short-lived as the Trump administration plans another trade investigation related to semiconductors. This could impact other technology products and result in additional tariffs. The administration aims to protect American semiconductor production, which is essential for various consumer products.

Despite the exemptions, Trump remains committed to domestic manufacturing of these products, signaling a shift towards US production. The policy change aims to secure the supply of American semiconductors, crucial for smartphones, cars, and various other goods.

The recent tariff exemptions signify a partial retreat from Trump’s trade war with China, covering a significant portion of US imports from the country. Other Asian countries stand to benefit as well, with the exemptions reducing tariffs on imports from Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Trump’s decision to exempt certain product types followed a volatile week where he reversed course on several tariffs imposed earlier. The exemption excludes China, which retaliated with its own tariffs. This led to a steep decline in the stock values of tech companies, notably impacting Apple’s market capitalization.

The tech industry views Trump’s moderation as a positive development, as it eases tensions and supports continued investment in the US. Notably, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been actively engaging with the administration to secure exemptions for Apple products and promote US manufacturing.

However, the threat of further tariffs on semiconductors and other electronics looms, with potential implications for the industry. The Trump administration is considering additional duties under legal provisions, which could impact various sectors and imports.

Apple responds to the recent tariff exemptions, remains committed to China’s manufacturing facilities, citing challenges in skilled labor availability in the US compared to China. The company has faced pressure over the years to shift some iPhone manufacturing to the US, but logistical and workforce constraints pose significant hurdles.

The potential implications of Trump’s tariff policies on Apple products raise concerns about price increases and supply chain disruptions. Apple’s strategic decisions regarding manufacturing and pricing will have a significant impact on its operations and market positioning, considering ongoing trade tensions and regulatory changes.

The looming threat of additional tariffs on electronics underscores the uncertainty and volatility in the tech industry. As the US and China navigate trade negotiations and policy shifts, tech companies like Apple face challenging decisions to maintain competitiveness and comply with evolving regulations.

Apple’s stance on tariff exemptions and manufacturing challenges reflects the complex interplay between global trade dynamics and corporate strategies. The company’s extensive supply chain and reliance on Asian manufacturing facilities underscore the broader implications of trade policies on multinational corporations.

As trade tensions continue to escalate, tech companies like Apple must navigate regulatory uncertainties and market pressures. The potential impact of tariffs on product pricing, supply chains, and global competitiveness looms large as companies seek to balance operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

The ongoing trade negotiations between the US and China, particularly regarding technology products, highlight the delicate balance between economic interests and national security concerns. The implications of tariff policies on semiconductors and electronics underscore the broader geopolitical challenges facing the tech industry.

As companies like Apple navigate shifting trade dynamics, regulatory changes, and market uncertainties, strategic decision-making becomes increasingly complex. The need to adapt to evolving trade policies while maintaining global competitiveness requires innovative solutions and proactive engagement with policymakers.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Experience Tasting Cakes in Virtual Reality with an Electronic Tongue

Taste hydrogels are administered to the mouth via small tubes

Shryn Chen

Electronic tongues that can replicate flavors like cake and fish soup can help you replicate food in virtual reality, but still can’t simulate anything else that affects taste, such as smell.

Yizhen Jia Ohio State University and his colleagues developed a system called e-Taste. This can solve a way to sample food and partially reproduce its flavor in someone’s mouth.

This includes using chemicals that correspond to five basic flavors. Sodium chloride, salty water, sour citric acid, glucose for sweetness, magnesium chloride for bitterness, umami glutamic acid. “These five flavors already explain the very large spectrum of food we have every day,” says Jia.

The system uses sensors to detect the levels of these chemicals in the food, convert them into digital measurements, pumping these values ​​into a pump, and pushing a small amount of hydrogel containing different flavors into a small tube under a person’s tongue.

First, the researchers tested a system with a single flavor and asked how well the device reproduced sour on a 5-point scale, comparing it to a real sample of sour taste. They gave the same number for 70% of the time for the true sour thing that was reproduced.

The team then tested whether the system was able to replicate more complex flavors such as lemonade, cake, fried eggs, fish soup, coffee, etc., and asked a group of six if they could distinguish them, and felt they could have over 80% of the time.

However, I say it’s not very useful to focus on such flavors alone. Alan Chalmers Because other sensations are also involved in our taste at Warwick University in the UK. “Next time you have strawberries, close your nose and eyes. Strawberries are very sour, but are perceived as sweet because of their aroma and red colour. So if you send them just sour on your device, you’ll never know that they’re actually from strawberries.”

“This kind of electron can extract the amount of sweetness [and] It’s sour, but it’s not a taste for a human tongue,” he says.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Electronic tongue accurately identifies chemical makeup of alcoholic beverages

Molecular tests can be used to assess the quality of drinks

Evgeny Parilov/Alamy

Beverage manufacturers and consumers may soon have access to small, portable kits not unlike coronavirus tests to check the quality and safety of alcoholic beverages.

The device is called an “artificial tongue” because it can detect additives, toxins, and sweetness in drinks with just a few drops.

Shuo Fan Researchers at China’s Nanjing University say this first-generation new technology cannot yet test for date rape drugs or detect methanol contamination in spiked drinks. A recent incident occurred in Laos in which six backpackers were killed.In future versions,

Current methods for analyzing alcoholic beverages, such as liquid chromatography, require expensive and cumbersome laboratory equipment and require specialized technicians to manipulate and analyze the samples.

The artificial tongue relies on biological nanopore technology. It uses modified organisms, such as bacteria, that have tiny holes, or pores, in their cell membranes that are just a few nanometers in diameter. By charging the membrane with an electrical charge, small molecules of the substance being tested can be drawn into the pores and passed through them.

When these molecules pass through the nanopore, they generate unique electrical signatures that can be analyzed to identify the chemicals present in the sample. Nanopores have already revolutionized DNA sequencing, allowing genetic material to be tested almost instantly using easily portable equipment.

Huang and colleagues used nanopores made in bacteria, called micropores, that have already been introduced for DNA sequencing. Smegmatis bacterium.

The device uses artificial intelligence to identify molecules that pass through the nanopores, such as fragrance compounds and additives, Huang said. “The sensor tells you right away what type of alcoholic beverage it is,” he says. “It can provide a quantitative standard of the product and also easily identify counterfeit alcoholic beverage products.”

Nanopore detectors require only a power source to operate, he says. “This nanopore sensing assay can be performed at home, in the office, or on the street as easily as a COVID-19 test,” Huang said. “You just add a drop of alcoholic beverage to the sensor and wait for the results. The machine learning algorithm does the rest of the work.”

topic:

  • biotechnology /
  • Eating and drinking

Source: www.newscientist.com

Well actually, I’m unsure of how to address my bad habits of drinking beer, vaping, and constantly scrolling on my electronic devices. Any advice on what to do?

BIt's easy to feel a kinship with pop star Selena Gomez, considering her 430 million Instagram followers, reported net worth of $800 million, and close relationship with Taylor Swift. rare. However, 11 days have passed since the new year started, heading “Selena Gomez returns to Instagram, 18 hours after announcing social media hiatus.''

I feel extra conscious of my bad habits – probably due to my depressed body evidence suggests We usually give up on our New Year's resolutions by mid-January.

Info about Selena Gomez

It's not even noon yet and I've spent 45 minutes on Instagram today. She drank two cups of coffee, but I can't rule out the possibility of a third one. My mild headache is a solemn reminder that I ended up having three drinks last night after a sudden hinge date ruined my plans for a quiet evening. And I just took a small swig from her nearly empty vape, which I had vowed to buy one last time.

At least I'm not eating sugar yet.

As you can see, I'm ambivalent about what I consider to be my vices, and I'm more or less attached to them. Most of the time I can ignore them as reliable pleasures in life and they are reasonably tolerable. But peer pressure to be better is always insidious and becomes especially acute at the beginning of a new year..

My newsfeed is full of stories about financial goal setting, improving fitness, non-alcoholic drinks, and sugar substitutes. Friends are pledging to spend the month of dry January taking 10,000 steps a day and cutting out junk food. On the other hand, I think I may be missing out on the tricks of the trade by missing out on the opportunity for a fresh start.


“hand“At this time of year, the focus is on what to start doing and what to stop doing,” says the counselor. georgina starmer. She links it to the excesses of the just-past Christmas season: What do you change? ”

But the flip side of this focus on self-improvement is the need for self-monitoring. We become more aware of our supposed flaws and shortcomings, which may not be particularly harmful and may even bring us joy.

… (content continues)

Source: www.theguardian.com