Linda Yaccarino, Twitter’s new CEO, denies that Instagram Threads’ July 5 launch is hurting Twitter traffic. However, Meta’s 100 million-plus user rival appears to worry the company. On Monday, users reported that Twitter appears to be selectively blocking links to Threads.net’s website in Twitter searches, making it harder to find …
Read More »Instagram Threads hits 100 million users in five days
Instagram’s text-based app Threads reached 100 million sign-ups in five days. Trackers say the Twitter competitor launched on June 6 (June 5 in the Americas). On the first day, Mark Zuckerberg said the app had 2 million sign-ups in two hours, 5 million in four, and 10 million in seven. …
Read More »Threads won’t be fun, but brands can escape Twitter with them
Twitter may never return. Twitter, the preeminent Twitter of its time, offered a lively, often incoherent mix of paradigm-shifting cultural phenomena (Arab Spring, the Me Too movement, Black Twitter), breaking news, corporate existentialist brand building, tweet-addled U.S. presidents, and hardcore porn. Meta’s Twitter clone Threads just launched, giving us options—maybe …
Read More »Threads doesn’t deserve my FOMO, but here we are
Rest, heart. Do not add another social network, regardless of FOMO. Resisting the latest fad app is harder than expected. Meta (Facebook) is launching Threads, the millionth Twitter clone and Apple’s number-one app, with unusual calm. Instagram is already promoting Threads. Instagram says, “____, ____ and 1 other posted on …
Read More »Threads hits 10M sign-ups in 7 hours
Update : Zuckerberg said Threads reached 10 million signups in seven hours. Four hours after Meta released Threads, 5 million people signed up. The headline now reflects the milestone. Threads, Meta’s Twitter clone, is attracting users on day one. Threads reached 2 million signups in its first two hours on …
Read More »ChatGPT whispers sweet, customizable fantasies from this sex toy company
I suppose a generative AI that whispers sweet obscenities was inevitable. Lovense, known for its remote-controlled sex toys, released its ChatGPT Pleasure Companion this week. The company’s latest sex tech innovation uses AI like everyone else. The product name is long. The Advanced Lovense ChatGPT Pleasure Companion, launched in beta …
Read More »Spotify is discontinuing App Store payment for legacy subscribers
Apple’s App Store is no longer an option for Spotify subscribers. After their billing cycle, those users will get a free account. They must then buy a website plan. Variety reported that the music streaming company recently began emailing App Store payment users. Spotify announced this. “We recently started notifying …
Read More »Meta says Instagram account deletion is the only way to delete Threads
According to co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Threads has gained 10 million users in seven hours. The highly anticipated new service requires an Instagram account for onboarding, but deleting a Threads account requires deleting the linked Instagram account. Meta states in its “Supplemental Privacy Policy”: “You may deactivate your Threads …
Read More »Flipkart launches customer lending to boost sales
Even as Amazon slows in India, Flipkart has started lending to customers, which could boost sales. According to its app, the Walmart-owned Bengaluru-based firm, in partnership with Axis Bank, is lending up to 500,000 Indian rupees, or $6,100. The app promises a smooth borrowing experience with no document submission and …
Read More »Security researchers latest to blast UK’s Online Safety Bill as encryption risk
Nearly 70 IT security and privacy academics have voiced concern that the UK’s Online Safety Bill could undermine strong encryption if it isn’t amended. In an open letter, 68 UK-affiliated security and privacy researchers warned the draft legislation threatens critical security technologies used to secure digital communications. We develop online …
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