Instagram wants to be both YouTube and TikTok, but it’s succeeding at neither
Instagram's dismissal of the IGTV button on its main app signals the video platform's growing troubles as competitors like TikTok continue to rise. IGTV, while trying to take on both TikTok and YouTube, has evolved into a confusing offering and pushed users to look elsewhere for their vertical content.
Tinder’s new panic button is a safety net during your sketchy date
Swiping right is about to get safer: Tinder just introduced a ton of new safety features. Location sharing, a panic button, photo verification, machine-learning technology in direct messages, and a safety center will soon be available to provide Tinder members ease of mind as they navigate the digital dating scene.
The Twitter app is crashing for Android users: Here’s how to fix it
If you have the Twitter app downloaded on your phone, you may have noticed it hasn’t been working right. A recent update makes the app crash before opening, but there’s a way to fix it. The latest version of the Twitter app (version 8.28) crashes as soon as it is opened on your phone.
Clearview AI’s facial-recognition app is a nightmare for stalking victims
Clearview AI is a facial-recognition app that is so powerful that it can tell you a person’s name and contact information from one stray picture. Advocates worry this kind of facial-recognition technology could be a boon to stalkers and people with a history of domestic abuse.
Latest beta update brings dark mode to WhatsApp; here’s how to try it yourself
At long last, WhatsApp is embracing the dark side. The Facebook-owned instant messaging app, after months of testing, has begun rolling out a dark mode toggle to Android users on the beta channel. The new black theme works across the entire app and even overhauls the backdrop of the settings menu.
Another partner backs out of Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency
Yet another partner of Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency known as Libra has backed out of the deal. The British telecommunications operator Vodafone announced its departure from Facebook’s Libra Association on Tuesday. In total, eight companies have now backed out of Libra.
Here’s why Instagram removed the IGTV button from its home screen
Instagram has erased the IGTV button from the main page of its app because "very few" people tapped on it. The company says users are accessing IGTV content in other ways, but the loss of the button, and lack of any metrics from the company about IGTV app downloads, has left some wondering how it’s really doing.
TikTok beats Facebook, Messenger in 2019 with over 700 million downloads
TikTok was downloaded more than 700 million times in 2019, beating Facebook and Messenger and behind only WhatsApp. The music video app's top market in terms of downloads was India, despite a brief ban in April, but most of its revenue was earned in China, the home market of owner Bytedance.
Joe Biden’s plan to save democracy would kill the internet
In a recent interview, presidential candidate Joe Biden said that he thinks Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act should be revoked, claiming it protects Facebook and others from responsibility for misinformation. If that were to happen, it would break the internet as we know it.
WhatsApp will be ad-free because Facebook has a better plan to make money off it
Facebook has shelved its plan to bring ads to WhatsApp Status. However, the decision was unlikely to have been driven by a moral call. Instead, Facebook has apparently found a more lucrative and scalable monetization route than ads. Here's what seems to have motivated the decision.
WhatsApp: Facebook shelves plan to fill app with ads, report claims
Facebook has reportedly backpedaled on plans to bring ads to WhatsApp. The social networking giant has apparently disbanded the team that was working on the idea, and removed code from the app. The founders of the messaging app, who quit a couple of years ago, always said they never wanted to see ads on the service.
A bookstore’s tweet lamenting lack of visitors results in heartwarming tale
An independent bookstore in a small English town was having an unusually quiet day earlier this week, so staff tweeted a message about it. The post quickly went viral, leading to a deluge of orders and an uptick in visitors. The owner said the response blew him away, adding that it would “really make a difference.”
Mayor Pete thinks Zuckerberg is too powerful and it’s time to break up Facebook
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg criticized Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying that he has too much power and that the social network should be broken up. In a new interview with the New York Times editorial board, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, voiced his concerns over Facebook.
Instagram food porn: Top U.K. chef reignites debate over diners’ meal pics
To snap a pic or not to snap a pic. That is the question currently being asked by restaurateurs after a top chef said recently that it bothers him when diners spend time taking photos of his dishes. Heston Blumenthal said a lot of people seem more interested in snapping a picture so they can post it on social media.
Send a DM with a real keyboard as Instagram tests messaging on desktop
Instagram users could soon have access to Direct Messages on the desktop. Instagram confirmed a global test of the feature launched today for a percentage of users, after testing internally last year. The update brings most of the messaging features to the Instagram website.
Mark Zuckerberg says he’s not making any more New Year’s resolutions
For years now, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has gone public with his New Year’s resolutions. But in a message posted online this week, the Zuck said that while he’s been happy to set himself new challenges at the start of each year, it’s now time to do things a little differently.
Reddit bans impersonation content, including deepfakes
Reddit updated its policies to ban impersonation on its platform. The ban encompasses everything from deepfakes to individuals making false claims about their identities. Reddit explains that even though instances of impersonation are rare, they pose a threat if people impersonate a journalist or a politician.
Facebook won’t ban political ads that lie to voters ahead of the 2020 election
Facebook has decided not to back down from its policy that allows political ads containing false or misleading information ahead of the 2020 U.S. election, choosing instead to allow users to see fewer political ads in their feed.
Twitter may let you select who can reply to your tweets
Twitter is planning a new feature that aims to give you more control over your conversations. It lets you control who can reply to your tweets, for example, you can choose to let only your followers reply, or only those mentioned in your tweet. It even lets you prevent anyone from replying.
TikTok vulnerability could have allowed hackers to take over users’ profiles
Security research firm, Check Point says it found multiple severe loopholes within short-form video app, TikTok that could have potentially allowed hackers to take over users’ accounts, access their private data, and upload videos on their behalf. The vulnerabilities have now been patched.
Why a deepfake ban won’t solve Facebook’s real problems
Facebook leaves a large loophole in its deepfake policy in the form of satire and parody. This will be hard to enforce, from an operational and enforcement standpoint. In addition, if Facebook is serious about combating misinformation, deepfakes are not where it should be focusing, experts say.
This A.I. app converts any photo into 3D, no dual lenses required
Want to make your photos pop, but don't own a dual-lens smartphone? The LucidPix app will soon allow you to turn existing 2D photos into 3D images using artificial intelligence. The app, currently in beta, was announced during CES 2020. A full launch is expected later this year.
How to print Instagram photos, from mobile printers to online photo labs
Ready to get your Instagram photos out of your profile and onto your walls? While Instagram doesn't have a built-in option, printing Instagram photos is actually fairly simple. Learn how to print Instagram photos, using your own printer, an app, or a website to create everything from prints to gifts.
Comedian’s Facebook followers raise a colossal $30M for Aussie bushfire aid
Australian comedian Celeste Barber only aimed to raise $30,000 with her online fundraising campaign to help those affected by the bushfires in her home country. But her social media followers have given way, way more, so far donating $30 million in the space of just four days.
Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Facebook says it’s banning deepfakes
Two days before Facebook is set to appear at a House Energy and Commerce hearing, the social network has announced it’s banning all forms of deepfakes. However, the policy doesn’t come into effect for parodies, satire, or clips that have been edited solely to omit or change the order of words.
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower warns election is still ‘wide open to abuse’
Cambridge Analytica may not be around anymore, but a former employee turned privacy advocate is concerned those same tactics could be at play in the 2020 election. The Twitter account Hindsight is 2020 is releasing thousands of documents exposing the inner workings of the company.
New Messenger users now required to sign up for Facebook too
A Facebook account is now a requirement for people who are signing up for Messenger when a phone number was previously enough. The change was made to simplify the process, according to a spokesperson, but it may also have something to do with the company's plans for its messaging apps.
Mistakes were made: Hilarious internet mess-ups from the 2010s
Making a mistake is bad enough, but what about when that mistake goes viral? Sometimes, though, these mishaps are more charming than dark and disturbing. We rounded up some of the funniest internet mistakes of the 2010s.
A Twitter bug could use your phone number to expose personal information
A security researcher has revealed that it's possible to find phone numbers and match them to Twitter usernames, a security flaw that could leave millions of people's accounts exposed. The researcher said he'd already found the phone numbers of several high-profile users and politicians.
Twitter stops some images from animating to protect those with epilepsy
The Epilepsy Foundation’s Twitter account was recently bombarded with flashing images designed to trigger a seizure among those with the condition. Twitter this week announced a change to its handling of Animated PNG files aimed at reducing the chances of a similar kind of incident happening again.
Snopes says ex-partner Facebook is ‘not committed’ to fighting fake news
Snopes used to partner with Facebook on its fact-checking operation. After Facebook removed a web of fake user profiles following a Snopes report on the problem, Snopes says Facebook is not taking fighting fake news seriously. Snopes has launched an independent crowdfunding campaign to support its fact-checking work.
Would you trust a Facebook OS? Reports say Zuck’s building an operating system
Facebook is still trying to earn back user trust -- while simultaneously exploring creating its own operating system to power hardware like Occulus and Portal. The new OS could prevent upcoming hardware form being limited by restrictions inside Android.
Update your Twitter app right now if you’re on Android
Twitter says it has patched a vulnerability inside its Android app that could have potentially let malicious actors view information of private accounts, take over profiles, and send direct messages as well as tweets on the target account’s behalf through an intricate back-end process.
This is the most important tech from each year between 2010 and 2020
From 2010 to 2019, we found the most influential and substantial tech from each year in the past decade. Many of the most foundational pieces of technology that we take for granted today started just in the past ten year years, and here's why each of them was just so revolutionary.