Tag: App Store

  • Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Meta Platforms plans to launch a microblogging app called Threads, which aims to compete with Twitter. This development comes shortly after Twitter CEO Elon Musk faced criticism for implementing a temporary cap on the number of posts users can read on the platform.

    According to a listing on Apple’s App Store, Threads is expected to be released on Thursday. The app will enable users to maintain their followers from the photo-sharing platform Instagram and keep the same username.

    This rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has encountered several controversies since Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in 2022. Last week, Musk introduced new restrictions on the app, limiting the daily number of tweets users can view. This move sparked outcry among many Twitter users.

    Although alternative microblogging sites like Mastodon and Blue Sky have experienced an increase in user numbers following Musk’s acquisition, neither has managed to rival Twitter. However, Instagram already boasts hundreds of millions of registered users and has a track record of incorporating successful features from other social media platforms.

    In response to the growing popularity of Snapchat, Instagram introduced a feature called “stories” in 2016, allowing user posts to disappear after a certain period. More recently, Instagram’s “Reels” feature has aimed to compete with the rising prominence of TikTok.

    The launch of Threads poses a credible threat to Twitter under Musk’s leadership. His attempts to boost revenues and reshape the platform in his own image have faced significant criticism. Following the acquisition last year, Musk downsized the company by approximately 80 per cent and reinstated several banned accounts, including those of former US President Donald Trump and the conservative satirical news site Babylon Bee.

    Concerns over an increase in harmful content on the platform led hundreds of advertisers to pause their spending on Twitter. Internal documents viewed by Reuters also revealed a decline in engagement among the platform’s most active users.

  • Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok

    Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok

    Montana has become the first state in the United States to impose a ban on the popular social media app TikTok. The state’s governor signed a legislation that forbids mobile application stores from providing access to the app within Montana starting from next year.

    This action is part of a series of measures taken by the US against TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance. Concerns have been raised about TikTok’s connections to China, amid fears that these ties could pose a threat to national security.

    The federal government, along with over half of US states, has already prohibited the use of the app on government devices. Furthermore, the Biden administration has issued a warning of a potential nationwide ban unless TikTok’s parent company divests its shares.

    TikTok has previously denied allegations of sharing user data with the Chinese government, asserting that it would refuse such requests. In response to the Montana bill, the company released a statement claiming that it infringes upon the First Amendment rights of Montana residents by unlawfully banning TikTok. They also expressed their intention to protect the rights of their users both within and outside the state.

    During a congressional hearing in March, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, was compelled to defend the company’s relationship with China. Lawmakers raised concerns about the app’s impact on the mental health of young people.

    TikTok boasts a user base of over 100 million in the United States, making it one of the most popular social networks globally. There are lingering questions regarding the enforcement and repercussions of such bans, particularly for creators who rely on the platform.

    Effective from January 1, Montana’s new law prohibits the downloading of TikTok within the state. It imposes a daily fine of $10,000 on any entity, whether it be an app store or TikTok itself, for every instance in which someone is provided the opportunity to access the app or download it. The penalties, however, do not apply to users.

  • Apple may allow third-party app stores on iOS to make the iPhone more open

    Apple may allow third-party app stores on iOS to make the iPhone more open

    To meet EU standards outlined in the Digital Markets and Services Act, Apple intends significant improvements to iOS and other services.

    According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple will redesign its platform to “open up key elements,” allowing users of the iPhone and iPad to download applications from third party app stores and websites.

    Only the 27 European Union member states are expected to experience the changes, which would pave the way for a potential expansion of the services to other areas.

    As corporations have time until 2024 to completely comply with the Digital Markets Act, plans for the changes are probably going to launch with iOS 17 in 2023. The implementation also includes adding new web browsing engines to iPhones and iPads as well as expanding access to the NFC chip, camera, Find My Network, and AirTag.

    Gurman noted that even if developers choose not to make their apps available through the App Store, Apple still intends to charge them.

    Both the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act aim to enhance privacy protection, foster fair competition, and do away with some intrusive targeted advertising. The first act, which is meant to provide improved interoperability with less significant competing services, is where Apple’s activities mostly come under.

    Let’s say Cupertino chooses not to follow the regulation when it becomes effective on January 1, 2024. In that situation, regulators may impose a penalty equal to 10 per cent of the entire global turnover, up to 20 per cent for recurrent infractions.

  • WhatsApp’s new update will support group voice call with up to 32 participants

    WhatsApp’s new update will support group voice call with up to 32 participants

    In the last few months, the popular Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has made news by adding new and widely requested features in its Beta releases.

    Many other features, including enhanced file sharing size, emoji reactions, and the ability to hide last seen from select contacts, will be available in the live release of the app soon, according to the business.

    As per reports, WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new update for iOS that includes support for 32-person talks, a redesigned call user interface, waveforms, and other enhancements. On iOS, the update will be available in the live build of WhatsApp.

    Until now, WhatsApp users had been able to make group phone calls with numerous people at once. Previously, a group voice discussion could only hold up to eight people, but WhatsApp is now rolling out a new version that allows up to 32 individuals to join.

    In WhatsApp Groups, voice calls with up to 32 participants would be possible. To accommodate the new members, the platform has changed the way participants are displayed on the screen. Different WhatsApp users are labeled using waveform pictures.

    Read more: Google to ban call recording apps in the next update

    This new capability is included in the update version 22.8.80, which is 109.7MB in size for iOS devices. Android users will get a similar upgrade with these additional features in the near future, but it will not be available on the windows or desktop version.