Instagram is officially rolling out “trial reels” to give creators a way to test out new content by publishing videos that don’t appear to their followers. The feature, which launched in testing in May, allows creators to experiment with new ideas and see what performs best without having to worry about how their followers may react.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/10/instagram-rolls-out-trial-reels-that-arent-shown-to-a-creators-followers/
Itch.io management posted about the domain takedown on social media overnight, complaining of a chain of events that started because "Funko of 'Funko Pop'… use some trash 'AI Powered' Brand Protection Software called BrandShield that created some bogus Phishing report to our registrar, iwantmyname, who ignored our response and just disabled the domain," the post said.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/12/itch-io-platform-briefly-goes-down-to-ai-driven-anti-phishing-report/
One of the biggest new features of iOS 18 is a completely redesigned Photos app. Apple calls it the “biggest redesign ever,” and the massive changes have been quite contentious, to put it mildly. Many users have expressed frustration with the new layout, complaining about missing features (some of which aren’t really missing) and difficulty finding what they’re looking for.
https://www.macworld.com/article/2547052/hate-the-new-ios-18-photos-app-heres-how-to-fix-it-in-a-few-taps.html
AI is Google's main focus, and Pichai, perhaps unsurprisingly, suggested his company's AI models compete well against those from Microsoft. "I would love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft’s own models and our models any day, any time," Pichai said, adding: "They’re using someone else’s models." Microsoft is backing OpenAI, and the two firms have been working together closely to share resources in AI development (and fight lawsuits).
https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-search-may-change-profoundly-in-2025-sundar-pichai-ai
There’s a new connected fitness device in town and it’s called Growl. Inspired by hardware companies like Peloton and Tonal, Growl is building a boxing bag that you can attach to your wall at home. Users can then start immersive, gamified boxing classes from the comfort of their home.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/04/growl-is-building-the-peloton-of-boxing/
“The nature of fame has changed dramatically. Some of our most successful talent are digitally native creators who aren’t famous in the traditional sense, but have an extremely engaged fan base,” said Cameo CEO Steven Galanis, in a blog post announcing the service’s official launch. “The amount of fame in the world is exponentially increasing as new stars are being minted overnight on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, SoundCloud, and YouTube. Whether you’re famous, infamous or emerging, there is a place for you on Cameo,” he added.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/03/celeb-greetings-app-cameo-pivots-to-creators/
According to Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the term “brain rot” is defined as the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state” as it relates to overdosing on online content without much of a narrative — like TikTok videos.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/02/brain-rot-wins-as-oxfords-word-of-the-year/