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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
Predictably, Google is not happy with the DOJ's plan, which requires the company to sell its Chrome browser. It also retains the option of forcing Google to divest Android if competition doesn't increase from behavioral remedies, including bans on exclusive default deals with other browsers and device makers. Additionally, Google is prohibited from building any new browsers and must fund an education campaign that shows people how to switch search engines and potentially even pays people to switch. Google may also be restricted from using its data scale advantage to benefit its AI products.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/11/welcome-to-googles-nightmare-us-reveals-plan-to-destroy-search-monopoly/
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The new feature will be available to users of all ages, including Teen accounts. “We want to make sure everyone on Instagram – especially teens – has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” Meta said. “We want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience, so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve.”
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/19/24300458/instagram-reset-content-recommendations-from-scratch
Bluesky is growing rapidly and is currently picking up around one million new sign-ups a day.
It had 16.7m users at the time of writing, but that figure will likely be outdated by the time you read this.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dm0ljg4y6o
Meta execs have acknowledged that ads are coming to its newest social network. "We definitely plan to bring ads to Threads," Instagram Head Adam Mosseri, who also oversees Threads, said in April. "At the end of the day, we're a business, and Threads needs to make enough money to pay for the people and servers that it takes to run the service and provide it to people for free."
https://www.pcmag.com/news/brace-yourself-for-ads-on-threads-in-january
App developers now have a new way to promote their app launches, updates, and other new features on Apple’s App Store. First announced at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Apple this week introduced a “Featuring Nominations” option in App Store Connect, which is the service developers use to submit their apps, games, and updates to the App Store. Now, instead of waiting for Apple to recognize their work, developers can nominate their own apps to be featured. This will allow developers to inform Apple about three different types of updates: new content, app enhancements, or new app launches.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/13/apple-now-lets-app-developers-apply-to-be-featured-on-the-app-store/