Software

TikTok launched its “Creativity Program” beta today. The company claims the program will increase creator revenue and opportunities. Invite-only creators can join the program today, with all eligible creators joining soon. TikTok didn’t disclose the program’s budget because it’s still in development. The company didn’t specify how many followers or …

On Sunday, Facebook-parent Meta launched Meta Verified, a subscription service that lets users add the blue check mark to their Instagram and Facebook accounts for up to $15 a month by verifying their identity, tapping a new revenue channel that has had mixed results for Twitter. Starting this week in …

As part of its streamlining efforts, Jumia cut managerial headcount by 60% in Dubai and over 900 positions across its 11 markets, affecting 20% of its staff. Jumia’s FY2022 financials show this happened in Q4 last year. This follows the Jumia Supervisory Board’s note on senior management shake-ups when it …

Today, TikTok announced “TikTok Trivia,” a 5-day live trivia game for U.S. users 18 years or older to win a share of a $500,000 prize pool by answering multiple-choice questions about beauty, lifestyle, music, and sports. Next week’s TikTok Trivia runs from February 22 to 26. TikTok Trivia will have …

Americans expect credit cards. Mexico makes it harder and less common. Fewer than 20% of people have credit, and only 10% have credit cards. In recent years, several startups have emerged to provide underserved Mexicans with more options to increase inclusion. Vexi is a startup. Rojo Blasquez, Gabriela Estrada, Cinthia …

Microsoft has acknowledged Bing’s strange responses to some queries since the updated search engine launched a week ago. Bing’s AI-boosted responses can be rude, manipulative, and unsettling. Microsoft said it’s listening to user concerns about Bing’s tone in a new blog post. The company didn’t intend Bing for “general discovery …

As activist investors pressure Salesforce, the company is exploring cost-cutting options. Today, Insider reported that the company is implementing stricter engineering performance measurements, with some salespeople being pressured to quit or adopt harsh performance policies. Performance reviews based on engineers’ code output, a flawed way to measure engineering productivity, encourage …

AI photo apps: over? AI-powered photo apps like Lensa AI’s “magic avatars” and others that promise to turn text into images have gone viral on the App Store in recent months. Apptopia data shows consumer interest in AI photo apps has fallen as quickly as it rose. The firm tracked …

In order to address a vulnerability that hackers were actively using to compromise Apple devices, Apple on Monday released a new version of the operating systems for the iPhone and iPad. Apple stated that it “is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited” on the …

Microsoft has confirmed that it is finally killing off Yammer, the business social network it bought for $1.2 billion more than ten years ago. Yammer’s founding team was based in San Francisco, and co-founder David Sacks officially launched the company at a TechCrunch startup event in 2008. Before Microsoft intervened …