Tech News – Page 67 – by Arlin Schaffel

Twitch Will End Watch Parties on April 2

However, Twitch differed from other streaming service watch parties. It wasn't intended to view movies with people you know but as a way for streamers to connect with fans over a good movie or show. A Twitch streamer just had to connect to Amazon Prime, pick a Prime Video (not something purchased or rented), and then get streaming. It was a great alternative to watching someone play a game, and in some ways, allowed the streamers to focus more on chatting with fans. "Was" being the key word as Twitch Watch Parties are coming to an end.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/twitch-will-end-watch-parties-on-april-2

The U.S. wants ByteDance to sell TikTok. China is almost certainly going to refuse

The House on Wednesday approved a bill that requires ByteDance to divest TikTok within roughly six months in order for the app “to remain available in the United States.” However, China would likely block a sale of TikTok U.S., analysts told CNBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/tiktok-ban-china-would-block-sale-of-short-video-app.html

Discord opens up to games and apps embedded in its chat app

Discord will soon allow developers to build new games and apps that can be used directly in its chat app. A selection of minigames and apps have been available to Discord users for months now, but starting March 18th, all Discord developers will get access to a new Embedded App SDK that lets them build these special embedded apps.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/12/24098262/discord-embedded-apps-games-sdk-developers

All-New ‘TikTok Photos’ App Spotted, Likely to Be Instagram Rival

image via macrumors.com

TikTok appears to be planning to expand into photo sharing via the launch of a new "TikTok Photos" app, according to TheSpAndroid blog. A large number of references to the app were discovered in the latest version of TikTok, revealing some of its functionality, integrations, and even its app icon. The official launch date and regional availability of "TikTok Photos" is unknown, but the presence of extensive references to it within TikTok's code suggests that an announcement could be imminent.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/12/new-tiktok-photos-app-spotted/

Pinterest rolls out its ‘body type ranges’ tool to the US | TechCrunch

Pinterest announced today that its tool for filtering searches by different body types has officially rolled out to users in the U.S. The platform started experimenting with the feature last year and is currently testing it in Canada. To use the feature, users can type into the search bar and select the “Body Types” option to see four different body types at the top of the results page. If a user selects the same option twice, the body type selection can be saved to their device.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/pinterest-rolls-out-its-body-type-ranges-tool-to-the-us

X will launch a YouTube-like video app on Samsung and Amazon TVs

X will launch a dedicated app that allows users to watch these videos on Samsung TV and Amazon's Fire TV. Musk recently said X would be a "video-first" platform moving forward, and this development shows that this will translate beyond the small content boxes typically available on feeds to a bigger screen. At the time, Musk also claims that eight out of ten times a person visits X, they're watching videos.
https://www.engadget.com/x-will-launch-a-youtube-like-video-app-on-samsung-and-amazon-tvs-120004624.html

Nikon buys Red Digital Cinema, will jump into the pro video space

Nikon is buying the ultra-high-end video camera company Red Digital Cinema. Nikon has a press release saying that "RED will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Nikon" for an undisclosed sum. Nikon is typically more of a still-image camera company and wants to use Red to "expand the fast-growing professional digital cinema camera market."
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/03/nikon-buys-red-digital-cinema-will-jump-into-the-pro-video-space/