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TikTok’s $6 billion loss
Sat Jul 04
TikTok’s $6 billion loss
Technology
TikTok’s $6 billion loss

According to Chinese state-controlled media reports, TikTok owner ByteDance has invested more than $1 billion to build its vast Indian user base, and now faces losses of as much as $6 billion, as hundreds of millions of users are cut off. Initially, it seemed that the restrictions would simply halt new installs. India recently announced a ban on TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps including WeChat.

india china tiktok bytedance

Sat Jul 04 - Forbes
“You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask,” says Twitter
Technology
“You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask,” says Twitter

San Francisco based microblogging site Twitter has been under pressure for a while now to introduce the edit feature in tweets. Once you publish a tweet, you cannot edit, you have to delete it or roll with it. Twitter has said it will start letting people edit their tweets when there is widespread adoption of face masks in the world, which is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic

twitter accounts tweets edit

Fri Jul 03 - CNBC
Mukesh Ambani takes on Zoom with JioMeet
Technology
Mukesh Ambani takes on Zoom with JioMeet

India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani is now targeting popular video conferencing app Zoom. India’s Reliance Jio Platforms, which recently concluded a $15.2 billion fundraise run, is ready to enter a new business: Video conferencing. Reliance Jio officially launched JioMeet on Thursday, its video-conference service that looks uncannily like Zoom. JioMeet offers unlimited number of free calls in high definition to users and supports 100 participants on a call

india mukesh zoom jiomeet

Fri Jul 03 - Techcrunch
Zoom misses its deadline to publish the first transparency report
Technology
Zoom misses its deadline to publish the first transparency report

Video conferencing app Zoom missed its own deadline to publish its first transparency report. The video conferencing giant previously said it would release the number of government demands it has received by June 30. But the company said it’s missed that target and has given no firm new date for releasing the figures. It comes amid heightened scrutiny of the service after several security and privacy concerns came to light

technology privacy report zoom

Thu Jul 02 - Techcrunch
Estonian start-up Bolt rolls out rental electric bikes in Paris
Technology
Estonian start-up Bolt rolls out rental electric bikes in Paris

Ride-hailing app Bolt has launched an electric bicycle-sharing scheme in Paris, expanding its transport offerings even as Uber pares back its own bike and scooter ambitions. The Estonian start-up said the bikes would be available on its platform from Wednesday. Users will need to switch from taxi-hailing to bikes within the app, and can then unlock one by scanning a QR code

app estonia bolt

Wed Jul 01 - CNBC
Technology
India puts another ban on China
Tue Jun 30
India puts another ban on China
Technology
India puts another ban on China

According to the latest reports, Huawei could be banned from participating in India’s 5G network rollout, just months after it was given the green light to participate in the country’s trials for the technology. It comes after the Indian government said it would block 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, claiming they were a threat to national security.

india ban 5g huawei

Tue Jun 30 - CNBC
Twitch suspends Donald Trump’s account
Technology
Twitch suspends Donald Trump’s account

Video streaming service Twitch suspended US President Donald Trump’s account for hateful conduct. Twitch says the offending content has now been removed. One of the streams in question was a rebroadcast of Trump’s infamous kickoff rally, where he said that Mexico was sending rapists to the United States. Twitch also flagged racist comments at Trump’s recent rally in Tulsa

streaming trump twitch

Tue Jun 30 - TheVerge
India bans TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps
Technology
India bans TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps

In an important announcement on Monday, the Indian Government said it was banning 59 apps developed by Chinese firms over concerns that these apps were “engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India". ByteDance’s TikTok, which counts India as its biggest market, apps from Xiaomi, UC Browser, UC News are among the 59 apps that India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT have ordered to ban

india tiktok ucbrowser 59apps

Mon Jun 29 - Techcrunch
Apple’s iPhone 12 packing may not include charger
Technology
Apple’s iPhone 12 packing may not include charger

According to some technology analysts, Apple may exclude the charger in the packing of the upcoming iPhone 12. When the iPhone 12 comes out later this year, the packaging may be considerably different when compared to previous models. Why is that, you ask? Well, Apple purportedly will not include a charger with the iPhone 12, and will instead sell it separately

apple iphone12 packing

Mon Jun 29 - Gizmodo
Facebook ad boycotts gaining momentum
Technology
Facebook ad boycotts gaining momentum

Unilever and Verizon joined Coca-Cola in cutting advertising ties with social networking giant Facebook. In the last week, a steady stream of companies came out in support of the ”#StopHateForProfit” campaign, promising to pause advertising spend on Facebook to encourage the company to ramp up efforts against hate speech and disinformation. Facebook’s stock closed down more than 8% Friday

zuckerberg facebook mark hatespeech

Sun Jun 28 - CNBC
TikTok’s rival app Mitron reaches 10 million downloads
Technology
TikTok’s rival app Mitron reaches 10 million downloads

Around two months ago, India launched a rival app of TikTok to encourage the slogan Vocalforlocal. The app just crossed 10 million downloads on Google Play store. The short video and entertainment platform has gained popularity at a time when anti-China sentiment is at a high point in the country. Mitron currently has favorable reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5

tiktok app mitron

Sat Jun 27 - NDTV
Microsoft announced the permanent closure of its retail stores
Technology
Microsoft announced the permanent closure of its retail stores

Microsoft announced on Friday that it will permanently close its Microsoft Store retail locations. It will instead focus on its online store at Microsoft.com, where customers can go for support, sales, training, and more. Microsoft said its retail team members will help on the website instead of in store. It’s unclear if there will be layoffs. A Microsoft representative was not immediately available to comment

microsoft closure stores

Fri Jun 26 - CNBC
Google plans to pay publishers for news content
Technology
Google plans to pay publishers for news content

After increasing pressure from multiple countries to compensate publishers, Google announced that the company will pay for news content from select publishers as part of a new licensing program announced today. It says the content will form part of a “new news experience” coming later this year. Google says it’s starting the program with publishers in Germany, Australia, and Brazil, but says that it’s got “more to come soon.”

google news content publishers

Fri Jun 26 - TheVerge
“TikTok for Business” a new platform for advertising
Technology
“TikTok for Business” a new platform for advertising

TikTok is now expanding its advertising platform to encourage brands to run their campaigns on the platform. The company is today officially introducing a new brand and platform called “TikTok For Business” that will serve as the home for all its current and future marketing solutions for brands. At launch, the site will include access to TikTok ad formats, including its marque product, TopView

china tiktok business app

Thu Jun 25 - Techcrunch
Facebook takes strict actions against Trump's political ads
Technology
Facebook takes strict actions against Trump's political ads

Social Networking giant said on Thursday it had taken action against ads run by President Trump's re-election campaign for breaching its policies on hate. The ads, which attacked what the Trump campaign described as "Dangerous MOBS of far-left groups," featured an upside-down triangle. The Anti-Defamation League said Thursday the triangle "is practically identical to that used by the Nazi regime to classify political prisoners in concentration camps."

facebook trump politicalads

Fri Jun 19 - CNN
Twitter deletes 170,000 accounts linked to the Chinese Government
Technology
Twitter deletes 170,000 accounts linked to the Chinese Government

Twitter made an announcement on Thursday that it had deleted around 170,000 accounts tied to the Chinese government. Experts working with Twitter who reviewed the accounts said they pushed deceptive narratives around the Hong Kong protests, Covid-19, and other topics. The company said the accounts were "spreading geopolitical narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China" and were removed for violating its platform manipulation policies

twitter china accounts

Fri Jun 12 - CNN
Riot Games Exec Placed on Leave Over George Floyd Post
Technology
Riot Games Executive Placed on Leave Over George Floyd Post

The video game developer said it is investigating a Facebook post which it referred to as "abhorrent" and against company values. Riot Games, the Santa Monica-based video game developer behind League of Legends, has placed one of its senior staff members on administrative leave after the executive posted a Facebook note about George Floyd.

video placed exec

Thu Jun 11 - Hollywoodreporter
Zynn app is full of stolen content
Technology
Zynn app is full of stolen content

Zynn is an almost direct copy of TikTok, and is funded by Kuaishou, which is a rival app for TikTok. Kuaishou has also been funded, in part, by Tencent. The app is no longer available on Google Play Store. Zynn is filled with videos that appear to be stolen from creators on other social media platforms, including TikTok celebrities with massive followings like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae

tiktok app zynn googleplay

Wed Jun 10 - Wired
Lilium, a German startup disrupting the air taxi space
Technology
Lilium, a German startup disrupting the air taxi space

Tesla's top investor Baillie Gifford has invested $35 million in Lilium, a German start-up vying to become a major player in the emerging “air taxi” space. Munich-headquartered Lilium made waves last year with the maiden flight of its five-seater electric aircraft, the Lilium Jet. The vehicle takes off and lands vertically, similar to a helicopter, but is powered by 36 electric jet engines placed in two sets of wings

taxi flying germnany lilium

Tue Jun 09 - CNBC
Apple granted patent for software that would let you take socially distant group selfies
Technology
Apple granted patent for software that would let you take socially distant group selfies

According to the patent application (first discovered by Patently Apple), an Apple device user (it’s not clear whether the feature would be available on iPads, iPhones, or both) could invite others to take part in a group selfie, and the software would arrange them together in a single image.

user selfie let

Mon Jun 08 - Theverge
Google will give $1,000 to every employee to work from home
Technology
Google will give $1,000 to every employee to support work from home

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he expects most employees will largely be working from home for the rest of the year. To help with the shift to working from home, the company has offered virtual training and classes. And it has shifted some of its notorious perks online. Google also recently offered all employees a $1,000 allowance to spend on equipment to help outfit their home workspaces

google technology sundar pichai

Fri Jun 05 - CNN
Mark Zuckerberg to discuss company policies with employees
Technology
Mark Zuckerberg to discuss company policies with employees

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to hold a company town hall meeting on Tuesday, a day after hundreds of employees staged a “virtual walkout” in protest of the social network’s policies regarding recent posts by Trump. President Donald Trump posted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” about the Floyd protests, Facebook employees expressed anger and shame as the company did nothing about the post

zuckerberg trump post mark

Tue Jun 02 - CNBC
Facebook divided over Trump's controversial post
Technology
Facebook divided over Trump's controversial post

According to the recent reports, Facebook’s management and staff are divided over President Donald Trump’s controversial post. Facebook staff have spoken out against the tech giant's decision not to remove or flag a controversial post by US President Donald Trump last week. Mr. Trump took to Facebook to repeat a tweet about the widespread protests in Minneapolis, following the death of George Floyd in police custody

facebook trump post mark

Mon Jun 01 - BBC
Microsoft replacing journalists with Artificial Intelligence
Technology
Microsoft replacing journalists with Artificial Intelligence

Tech giant Microsoft announced that the company is laying off dozens of journalists and editors at its Microsoft News and MSN organizations. The layoffs are part of a bigger push by Microsoft to rely on artificial intelligence to pick news and content that’s presented on MSN.com, inside Microsoft’s Edge browser, and in the company’s various Microsoft News apps.“Like all companies, we evaluate our business regularly,” says a Microsoft spokesperson

news microsoft ai msn

Sun May 31 - TheVerge
Zuckerberg says “Our policy allows discussion around state use of force”
Technology
Zuckerberg says “Our policy allows discussion around state use of force”

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg released an explanation of why his company did not contextualize or remove posts from the accounts associated with President Donald Trump. “We looked very closely at the post that discussed the protests in Minnesota to evaluate whether it violated our policies,” Zuckerberg wrote. “Our policy around incitement of violence allows discussion around state use of force”

zuckerberg facebook mark

Sun May 31 - Techcrunch