Tech News – Page 45 – by Arlin Schaffel

Will the future of software development run on vibes?

Instead of being about control and precision, vibe coding is all about surrendering to the flow. On February 2, Karpathy introduced the term in a post on X, writing, "There's a new kind of coding I call 'vibe coding,' where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists." He described the process in deliberately casual terms: "I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works."
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/03/is-vibe-coding-with-ai-gnarly-or-reckless-maybe-some-of-both/

Utah Lawmakers Pass Bill That Puts App Stores in Charge of Age Verification

Utah has become the first US state to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify users' ages and seek parental consent before allowing minors to download apps. "Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child’s age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way. The app store is the best place for it," Meta, X, and Snapchat said in a joint statement. "We applaud Utah for putting parents in charge with its landmark legislation and urge Congress to follow suit."
https://www.pcmag.com/news/utah-lawmakers-pass-bill-that-puts-app-stores-in-charge-of-age-verification

Would You Attach These Giant Lenses to Your Phone to Take Better Photos?

Realme and Xiaomi showed off concept devices at Mobile World Congress that involve attaching a lens to your phone to get sharper shots. The concept phone has a physical connector that allows you to attach lenses directly to the phone itself. It lines up with the phone's internal 1-inch type sensor and allows you to use any full-frame mirrorless lens. Realme thinks pairing better optics with its phones' processing power will lead to better phone-based photos.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/would-you-attach-a-big-lens-to-your-phone-to-take-better-photos-mwc-2025

Meta’s changed the Facebook Messenger logo at the worst possible time

image via creativebloq.com

Others have linked the decision to revert to a blue colour palette to Zuckerberg's much-mocked suggestion that corporate America needed more "masculine energy”. There's also some debate about how the rebrand will be read longer term. Blue is often considered to communicate trust – which Meta could do with earning more of as it pushes its Meta AI tools in Messenger. But some suggest the change will have the opposite effect. "This is a company going backwards to their 'old ways'," one person suggested on Reddit.
https://www.creativebloq.com/design/logos-icons/metas-changed-the-facebook-messenger-logo-at-the-worst-possible-time

Microsoft is shutting down Skype after a 21-year run. Here’s how it lost out to video call rivals

On Friday, Microsoft announced that the 21-year-old calling and messaging service will shut down May 5. The software company is encouraging Skype users to migrate to its free Teams app. “This is obviously a big, big moment for us, and we’re certainly very grateful in many ways,” Teper said. “Skype pioneered audio and video calling on the web for many, many people.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/28/microsoft-is-retiring-skype-in-may-encouraging-people-to-adopt-teams.html

Instagram’s Reels may get its own app

Instagram is reportedly considering spinning its Reels feature into a standalone short-form video app to take advantage of TikTok’s uncertain future in the US. Instagram head Adam Mosseri was overheard discussing the plans with staff this week according to an anonymous source cited by The Information.
https://www.theverge.com/news/620547/instagram-reels-video-app-tiktok-rival-service

Meet Alexa+, She’s Way Smarter, and a Lot Less Stiff

Amazon showed off the upgraded Alexa+ at a press event in New York City, revealing it can choose from a whole collection of generative AI models to fulfill your requests in a more conversational way. “She’s smarter than she’s ever been before. But she’s also approachable, which is so important,” said Panos Panay, Amazon’s head for devices and services. “That intimidation factor of AI is gone. She’s useful. She can plan a date, book the restaurant, and text the sitter.”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/amazon-debuts-alexa-plus-a-smarter-but-potentially-pricer-assistant