Category: Big Tech!

Meta’s Instagram is testing a new app experience that you may or may not like, brace yourself.

You know how on YouTube you have to watch the first 5 seconds of an ad or the full ad before watching the video you clicked on (premium users can’t relate), well Instagram is doing the same thing.

Instagram is calling this feature “ad-break,” and they are currently testing on a small number of audiences.

This feature might be a controversial one as many users are not onboard with it.

An X user Dan Levy shared his experience of this feature:

“The app legit stopped me from scrolling past this ad which is just a bonkers move to me.”

“Got the Instagram “ad break” again & this time I clicked the info button to see their explanation”

“So abusive to their users to do this”

Managed to capture the Instagram Feed Ad Break briefly on video

Very short clip b/c Meta seems to limit Instagram Ad Break in Feed insertions to only ~10 seconds long (I think) making it difficult to really get them screen recorded in action but I did what I could 😁 pic.twitter.com/YJ91VJTcts

— Dan Levy ✡ דניאל לוי (@TheDanLevy) June 3, 2024

“Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing,” reads the description of the new feature.

Users have begun reacting to the news

An X user @BillPrinter00 noted “I’d just close the app and re-start it.”

Another @mrpyo1 said: “Social media apps fighting how to make the worst app possible challenge.”

Lastly another user @soursillypickle stated: “Instagram and YouTube are basically ads with some content.”

What do you think?

TikTok has refused to comply with the United States government’s divest-or-ban legislation, and in fighting back, it has filed a lawsuit against the US government.

TikTok, previously known as Musically, a music and dance platform, is now a platform for sharing short videos owned by ByteDance Ltd., a company based in China. Since its fame in 2020, the app has been mired in various controversies, one of which is that it is a form of Chinese spyware.

The video-sharing app is banned in New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and India. It currently faces a ban in the United States if it doesn’t divest.

TikTok argues it’s a platform for free speech, and its existence helps millions of small businesses succeed. It says its ban will take away the livelihoods of creators and businesses, thus hurting the economy. It further argues it is “not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally.”

Last year, TikTok announced its $1.5 billion investment to establish a separate entity for its US operations and agreed to oversight by American tech giant Oracle Corp.

“There is no question: the Act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere,” TikTok said.

The Act, called “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary-Controlled Applications,” is aimed at TikTok, categorizing it as a “foreign adversary-controlled application.” The platform has 270 days to divest or face a ban, which US President Joe Biden has agreed to sign.

Multiple individuals have announced their interest in buying the app if it agrees to divest, but the CEO, Shou Zi Chew, disagrees. “Congress has taken the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok: a vibrant online forum for protected speech and expression used by 170 million Americans to create, share, and view videos over the Internet,” said ByteDance.

The legislation to ban TikTok was incorporated into the National Security Act in April, which also allocated extra funds to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Despite the argument about the security risk of TikTok, experts say it could affect other apps as well, giving them the power to ban any app that doesn’t align with the view of the sitting government.

According to reports by Nairametrics, TikTok was fined €10 million by the Italian Competition Authority for its inability to protect its users from dangerous online trends.

The Italian regulatory body criticized TikTok for its inadequate implementation of measures to monitor and regulate content uploaded to the platform, particularly content that poses potential risks to the safety of minors and other vulnerable individuals.

We’re watching closely as this unfolds.

Meta is opening up its Meta Quest VR Headset Operating System to Third Party Developers.

Starting today, 22nd of April, 2024, Meta is opening its VR Operating System to developers. The name of the operating system is called Meta Horizon OS, it will be similar to operating system like Google Play Store and Apple App Store but for virtual reality developers.

The new open model operating system to virtual reality developers and makers like Asus, Lenovo and even an Xbox.

The Horizon OS is currently supported on all Meta Quest line for both VR and AR. Third party developers can now create virtual apps and games and upload to the Quest Store. Meta is planning to launch it’s Horizon Store to third party developers.

According to Meta CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta is working with companies like Asus, Lenovo, and Microsoft to kick start a new age for open model VR experience.

According to Meta, Asus is currently working on “performance based” VR gaming headset under its Republic of Gamers brand, Lenovo is working on Meta Horizon OS-compatible VR devices. The company hinted Lenovo focus will be on “productivity, learning, and entertainment.” As for Xbox it’s partnering with Meta to make a limited edition, “inspired by Xbox” product.

Speculations from tech enthusiasts predict the new devices may use Meta Chips, since its announce of entering the chip maker business.

According to Meta its Horizon OS would be easy for publishers to publish apps and App Lab developers will receive a dedicated Horizon Store section, similar to other apps stores.

There will also be a new framework for building mixed reality apps. Meta predicts hardware or software makers will create dedicated Virtual Reality devices and applications which will create and enabling use case experience.

We believe a more open ecosystem is the best way to bring the power of mixed reality to as many people as possible. With more devices, this new ecosystem will offer more choice to consumers and businesses around the world. Developers will have a much larger range of hardware that can run their apps, and more device makers will expand their market to a wider range of users, much like we’ve seen with PCs and smartphones.

The question left to ask is, how will Meta competitors respond?

The French media group Canal+ has increased its stake in South African media giant MultiChoice to 40.83%. Their actions reveal a strong intent to gain control of Africa’s largest pay-TV company.

The company said in a statement on Thursday that the on- and off-market acquisitions had been disclosed to SA’s takeover regulation panel.

In February, Canal+’s stake in MultiChoice passed the 35% mark, which triggered a law that allowed it to present a mandatory offer to shareholders of MultiChoice.

Canal+ bought MultiChoice 3.5 million shares for an average of R116 per share. The newly bought shares are lower than the mandatory share offer of R125.

“The 3 million shares acquired would have cost R30 million more had they been purchased at the offer price, so Canal+ is saving a lot of money,” said Jimmy Moyaha, founder of investment firm Lebowa Capital.

It has increased its stake from 36.6% as of April 8, buying shares from April 12 to April 17 at 117.50 Rand, 115.99 Rand, 115.95 Rand, and 116 Rand per share. The offer at 125 rand per share is with the board of MultiChoice awaiting approval.

The previous generation of the Meta VR headset, Meta Quest 2, is getting a large price drop.

The VR headset is dropping from $299 to $199. The model that will be affected is the Meta Quest 2 128 GB, which will now be the most affordable VR headset for anyone who wants a virtual experience.

Quest 2 was first released in 2020 for $299. During the inflation of 2022, there was a price jump to $399. The $199 price decrease is the lowest it has ever been since it debuted in June 2021.

“From home fitness to fully immersive gaming to 2D entertainment, Meta Quest 2 is the most affordable way to tap into everything VR has to offer, and we’re doubling down by making our recent price drop permanent,” says Meta.

The price drop shouldn’t be a surprise considering the release of Quest 3 in October. The latest generation is sold for $499, making Meta Quest 2 the most affordable VR headset.

Meta also announced that the price of Quest 2 accessories will drop. The Elite Strap is now $24.00, the Elite Strap with Battery is now sold at $45, and the Carrying Case is now $20. The company’s Active Pack is now reduced to $30, and its Fit Pack is seeing its price drop to $20.

The original Quest headset, which was released back in 2019, currently has no support, new updates, or new apps. Consumers rightfully fear this may be the beginning of the end of Quest 2.

With the release of Meta AI, Llama 3, and Ray-Ban glasses, fans of Meta hardware products are expecting the new age of virtual reality and artificial reality in all upcoming Meta products.

While the Quest 3 has more to offer, such as mixed reality support and a bump in specs, the Quest 3 is the best for its price.

Endeavor, the parent company of WME and the majority shareholder in combat sports powerhouse TKO Group (owners of UFC and WWE), is going private.

This comes after the announcement that the private equity firm Silver Lake has agreed to acquire Endeavor. The acquisition is valued at $13 billion, and shareholders in Endeavor will receive $27.50 per share.

Endeavor in October 2023 announced its “strategic review” to boost shareholder value which may include going private.

“Silver Lake believes that when consolidating all of TKO’s value into Endeavor, the combined total enterprise value of $25 billion will make this the largest private equity sponsor public-to-private investment transaction in over a decade, and the largest ever in the media and entertainment sector,” the companies said.

Formed last year, TKO Groups Holdings will remain a publicly traded company, it “will continue to benefit from its connectivity to Endeavor’s expertise, relationships, and significant capabilities,” – Endeavor and Silver Lake said.

In over 15 countries, Binance has been accused of fixing exchange rates and engaging in illegal transactions. In Nigeria, Binance has been accused of tax evasion, financing terrorist transactions, and money laundering, amongst others, even leading to the arrest of some of its officials.
Earlier this year, the government requested Binance pay $10 billion as retribution and provide the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with comprehensive data or information on all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.

A list of countries that have banned Binance:

1. Canada
2. China
3. Japan
4. Italy
5. Philippines
6. United States
7. Australia
8. India
9. Iran
10. Netherlands
11. Germany
12. Belgium
13. Bangladesh
14. France
15. Vietnam
16. Thailand
17. Kazakhstan
18. Malaysia
19. United Kingdom

Binance, founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao, is currently facing global scrutiny, including investigations by the US Department of Justice and IRS for alleged money laundering, among others.