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/
The upcoming redesign teased in a (seemingly premature) video found on Samsung’s Spanish website shows off smoother animations and a revamped Quick Panel, with quick settings now packed in bubbles — just like on iOS. The pill-shaped live activities feature also shares some similarities with Apple’s Dynamic Island.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/29/24308683/samsungs-one-ui-7-looks-rather-ios-y
Career-networking site LinkedIn has told Australian lawmakers it is too dull for kids to warrant its inclusion in a proposed ban on social media for under 16 year olds. "LinkedIn simply does not have content interesting and appealing to minors," the Microsoft-owned company said in a submission to an Australian senate committee.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dz2z72y8o
But at times, you mindlessly unlock your phone as a force of habit to eventually do nothing or scroll timelines. To get rid of the habit, Ukrainian developer Yaroslav Neznaradko has built an Android app called Intenty, which nudges you to provide a reason or do an action like breathing or stretching every time you unlock the phone.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/28/intenty-will-nudge-you-to-provide-a-reason-every-time-you-unlock-your-phone/
Instead, the company has announced that in mid-December, it will sunset the City Guide. However, although the Foursquare app is going away, the company is opening its Places database to the world. Django co-creator Simon Willison has already investigated the database and has some info on how it's hosted and how to access it.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/27/foursquare_to_close/
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Microsoft is shutting down the Xbox Avatar Editor app, reports PureXbox. The Xbox Avatar FAQ says that “due to low engagement and our shift in focus towards delivering other player experiences,” it’s discontinuing the editor as of January 9th, 2025.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/26/24306394/xbox-avatar-editor-discontinued
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There are dozens of fitness apps and wearables, and Strava’s new rules will make it harder to get all that data in one place. The reality is many smaller fitness apps and wearable makers don’t have the resources to strike up direct data integrations with the thousands of other fitness apps and devices on the market. It’s much easier for everyone to use Strava’s API and call it a day. And unlike Apple’s HealthKit API or Google’s Health Connect, Strava is platform-agnostic.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/22/24303124/strava-fitness-data-wearables