LinkedIn amps up vertical video tools as uploads jump 36%

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

The Microsoft-owned social network for the working world has yet to go full TikTok. But with a big boost of usage — today it said that video uploads jumped by 36% compared to last year, while video creation on the platform itself grew 100% — LinkedIn is adding more features to woo more video activity: a new full-screen vertical video display for all users (not just those on mobile), along with a number of new tools to boost viewer engagement.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/04/linkedin-amps-up-vertical-video-tools-as-uploads-jump-36/

Automattic and others back Openvibe, an app that’s unifying the open social web

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

As CEO Matej Svancer explained at the time, the idea behind his app was to offer users a more friendly and “easy-to-use gateway” to the open social web. Because of the different protocols these networks utilize, it can be difficult for newcomers who end up having to switch apps or limit their engagement to just their preferred platform.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/28/automattic-and-others-back-openvibe-an-app-thats-unifying-the-open-social-web/

Instagram’s shifting to rectangles, messing up your perfect, square grid

image via mashable.com
image via mashable.com

"I know some of you really like your squares. And square photos are sort of the heritage of Instagram," Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in an Instagram story. "But at this point, most of what’s uploaded, both photos and videos, are vertical in their orientation. And it just is a bummer to overly crop them. I know it's a change. I know it's a bit of a pain, but I think it's a transitional pain."

https://mashable.com/article/instagram-rectangle-square-grid

TikTok users flock to Chinese app RedNote before US ban

image via bbc.com
image via bbc.com

TikTok users in the US are migrating to a Chinese app called RedNote with the threat of a ban just days away. The move by users who call themselves "TikTok refugees" has made RedNote the most downloaded app on Apple's US App Store on Monday. RedNote is a TikTok competitor popular with young people in China, Taiwan and other Mandarin-speaking populations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2475l7zpqyo

Mastodon’s CEO and creator is handing control to a new nonprofit organization

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Decentralized social network Mastodon has announced plans to transfer its ownership to a new nonprofit entity. Ownership of Mastodon will move away from the control of CEO Eugen Rochko, in contrast to the power exerted by other social media CEOs like Meta cofounder Mark Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk. “Simply, we are going to transfer ownership of key Mastodon ecosystem and platform components to a new nonprofit organization,” Mastodon says in a blog post, “affirming the intent that Mastodon should not be owned or controlled by a single individual.”

https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/13/24342603/mastodon-non-profit-ownership-ceo-eugen-rochko

Tapestry, a new app for tracking social media, news, blogs, and more, will launch in ‘early 2025’

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

A new app called Tapestry promising to unify social media, news, and RSS in one place, is nearing completion. Designed by Iconfactory, the same team that created the third-party Twitter client Twitterific back in the day, Tapestry was unveiled at the beginning of the year as a tool that could better organize today’s fragmented online media, allowing users to track their favorite blogs, news sites, and social networks from a single app. This week, the company announced an update on Tapestry’s progress, saying that it planned to officially launch the app to the public in “early 2025.”

https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/19/tapestry-a-new-app-for-tracking-social-media-news-blogs-and-more-will-launch-in-early-2025/