Anonymous social apps face another reckoning as UNC System to ban Yik Yik, Fizz, Sidechat & Whisper

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

University of North Carolina (UNC) System President Peter Hans announced a plan to block the use of popular anonymous social apps on campus, including Yik Yak, Fizz, Whisper and Sidechat. The ban would impact the 16 universities, like UNC Chapel Hill, NCSU, UNC Charlotte, and others, as well as one public residential high school that comprises the UNC system.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/07/anonymous-social-apps-face-another-reckoning-as-unc-system-to-ban-yik-yik-fizz-sidechat-whisper/

Bored? Go play this hidden game in your Instagram DMs | TechCrunch

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

To access the hidden game, all you have to do is open up a DM chat, send an emoji, and then click on it. After that, you will be transported to a yellow screen with a paddle and emoji of your choosing. The emoji will move faster as the game progresses and the background color will get darker.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/07/bored-go-play-this-hidden-game-in-your-instagram-dms/

Adobe adds Firefly generative AI features to new Express mobile app

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Adobe has released a new app for Adobe Express, its cloud-based mobile design platform, bringing the same creative, editing, and Firefly-powered generative AI features enjoyed by desktop users to iOS and Android devices. Available to try for free today in beta, the new Adobe Express app allows users to easily produce creative assets like social media posts, posters, and website banners, with Creative Cloud members able to access and edit Photoshop and Illustrator files directly within the mobile app.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093148/adobe-express-mobile-app-beta-firefly-generative-ai-design-tool

Instagram now lets you edit DMs up to 15 mins after sending them

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

The ability to edit your DMs lets you fix a typo or change things around if your message doesn’t quite sound right. To edit a message, you need to press and hold it, and then choose “edit” from the drop-down menu. Once you edit a message, the purple text bubble will have an “Edited” label on top of it to notify the other person that the message has been changed. The feature works similar to Apple’s edit feature for iMessage, which launched nearly two years ago.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/04/instagram-now-lets-you-edit-dms-up-to-15-mins-after-sending-them/

Apple terminates Epic Games developer account calling it a ‘threat’ to the iOS ecosystem

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

In response to Epic’s news, Apple shared the following statement: Epic’s egregious breach of its contractual obligations to Apple led courts to determine that Apple has the right to terminate ‘any or all of Epic Games’ wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities under Epic Games’ control at any time and at Apple’s sole discretion.’ In light of Epic’s past and ongoing behavior, Apple chose to exercise that right.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/06/apple-terminates-epic-games-developer-account-calling-it-a-threat-to-the-ios-ecosystem/

Facebook will remove its News tab and stop paying publishers for news

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Facebook’s News tab launched in 2019 with millions of dollars in content deals for publishers (a reported $10 million for the Wall Street Journal, $20 million for the New York Times, and $3 million for CNN), but in April it’s going away for good. Meta says it will “deprecate” Facebook News in the US and Australia in April 2024, it won’t enter new commercial deals for news, and it “will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.”

https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/29/24087220/facebook-news-tab-united-states-australia

Samsung has big ambitions for the Galaxy Ring

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

amsung’s VP of Digital Health Dr. Hon Pak didn’t specifically say what sensors are in the ring, but mentioned sleep insights based on heart rate, movement, and respiratory indicators. Dr. Pak says that Samsung’s partnership with Natural Cycles (which already brings period and fertility tracking to its Galaxy Watch series) will extend to the Ring, too — putting it in direct competition with the Oura ring. On the Galaxy Ring, battery size increases slightly in the larger band sizes, though Dr. Pak couldn’t share any exact battery life estimates.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/26/24082729/samsung-has-big-ambitions-for-the-galaxy-ring