Digital Trends Live: Coronavirus cancellations, TCL concept phones, and more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we discuss the biggest stories in tech, including more coronavirus fallout and Facebook removes Trump reelection ads.
Coronavirus: Facebook to close Seattle office after worker tests positive
The 5,000 workers at Facebook’s Seattle office have been advised to work from home until March 31, after a contract worker tested positive for the coronavirus.Â
SXSW 2020’s fate uncertain after Twitter, Facebook pull out amid coronavirus fears
Both Facebook and Twitter have cancelled appearances at SXSW 2020, and it's likely only the first couple companies to do so over coronavirus fears.
Messenger is twice as fast with major overhaul — but some features are missing
Facebook has entirely redesigned Messenger on iOS so that the app takes up a quarter of the space it used toand is ready for Facebook's privacy-focused future.
Facebook 3D Photos no longer requires Portrait mode on dual-camera phones
Facebook's 3D Photos no longer requires the Portrait mode of dual-camera smartphones, as the feature now uses artificial intelligence to create the 3D images.
Facebook cancels F8 developer conference amid coronavirus fears
The Facebook F8 developer conference usually takes place in late April, but has now been canceled due to fears surrounding the spread of coronavirus.
Why India is the newest hotbed for tech experimentation
Tech giants have been actively trying to break into the Indian market with exclusive and experimental features that are designed for the local audience.
5 alternatives to Instagram and Facebook for photographers
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter changed the way we share our photographs. But as photographers become more frustrated with algorithms and ads, it might be time to consider some alternatives.
Many private WhatsApp group chat links are searchable on Google
According to a new report, links to supposedly private WhatsApp group chats can be easily searched on Google, if users post links to those chats on the web.
Digital Trends Live: Twitter fact checks, Whitney’s hologram, and more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we dig into the biggest tech topics, including Twitter’s fact-check feature, Whitney Houston’s hologram tour, and more.
Facebook will pay users $5 for their voice memo to improve speech detection
Following a controversy last year where the social media company listened in on voice memos sent via its Messenger App, it is now asking to pay for them.
Facebook, Amazon, Google teaming up with WHO to stop coronavirus misinformation
Facebook, Amazon, and Google were among the tech companies in a meeting with the WHO that focused on stopping the spread of misinformation on the coronavirus.
More than Bloomberg: Facebook OKs influencers working with political campaigns
Following Michael Bloomberg's sponsored meme drop on Instagram, the social media giant is issuing new guidelines for creators working with political campaigns.
Digital Trends Live: MWC cancellation, fact-checking Facebook, and more
On this Digital Trends Live, we discuss the biggest trending stories in tech, including the cancellation of the MWC, Reuters fact-checks Facebook, and more.
Instagram may soon bring back the reverse-chronological feed
Instagram may bring back the old reverse-chronological feed. It's experimenting with a new Latest Posts tab, but that's in the testing phase and far from public release.
Facebook’s latest experimental app lets you document your hobbies
Facebook has released a new, experimental app called Hobbi, which allows users to document and keep tabs on the progress of their favorite hobbies and projects.
Facebook hires Reuters to fact-check posts, but politicians can still lie in ads
Facebook is trying to fight fake news and misinformation on its platform by hiring Reuters to fact-check, but it’s still not fact-checking political ads. Â
Facebook delays the launch of its dating app in Europe over privacy concerns
The Data Protection Commission (DPC), an independent consumer protection agency, announced it was “very concerned” about Facebook Dating.
Facebook removes some Russian, Iranian accounts for spreading fake memes
Facebook removed fake accounts, pages, and groups originating from Russia, Iran, Vietnam, and Myanmar because of what it calls coordinated inauthentic behavior.
WhatsApp follows Facebook and YouTube to over 2 billion monthly users
Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp announced in a blog post that its 11-year-old app now hosts over 2 billion monthly users -- up from 1.5 billion in 2017.
Facebook’s Twitter account taken over by hacker group OurMine
OurMine, a group known for hacking the accounts of celebrities, NFL players, and tech CEOs, took over Facebook's Twitter account briefly on Friday afternoon.
Instagram may finally let influencers make money off their IGTV videos
Instagram may finally share a piece of its $20 billion ad revenue with creators. The social network is found to be testing a monetization platform for IGTV.
WhatsApp fixes bug that could have allowed hackers to read your desktop files
WhatsApp patched a security loophole in its desktop apps last month that could have potentially allowed hackers to access your computer’s local files.
Facebook teaches us all how web privacy works with Messenger Kids
Facebook Messenger Kids wants to help young users understand online privacy through in-app education. The in-app pop-up joins additional tools for the kids messaging app, including more parental controls and the ability for parents to download their child's data.
WhatsApp ends support for millions of smartphones around the world
WhatsApp no longer supports smartphones on Android versions 2.3.7 and older, and iOS 8 and older. Affected people will have to upgrade their OS or their device.
Zuckerberg spins Facebook’s indifference to truth as a commitment to ‘freedom’
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken a defiant stand against his critics, saying the site would stand up for free expression, even if it pissed people off. Earlier this year, Facebook announced that it would not ban political ads that lie to voters, in what was seen as an abdication of responsibility.
After years of scandals, Facebook is finally starting to feel the fallout
After a mixed earnings report and huge drop in share price, it looks like Facebook’s rocky past might finally be catching up to the social network in real ways.
Facebook forced to pay $550 million settlement over facial recognition lawsuit
Facebook has to pay Illinois members as part of a settlement. The company violated Illinois biometric privacy laws in its photo tagging using facial recognition.
Digital Trends Live: Facebook’s off-activity tool, Super Bowl players talk tech
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Luke Larsen dive into the biggest trending tech topics of the day, including Facebook’s “Off-Facebook Activity” tool, Ring’s data sent to third parties, the UK allows Huawei 5G, Atari’s video game-themed hotels, and more.
The Off-Facebook Activity tool lets you take control of your shared data
Facebook is hoping to be more transparent about your data and activity by expanding a new privacy feature to the U.S. and the rest of the world. The Off-Facebook Activity tool allows users to see and control their personal data that other apps and websites share with the social network.
Instagram wants to be both YouTube and TikTok, but it’s succeeding at neither
Instagram's dismissal of the IGTV button on its main app signals the video platform's growing troubles as competitors like TikTok continue to rise. IGTV, while trying to take on both TikTok and YouTube, has evolved into a confusing offering and pushed users to look elsewhere for their vertical content.
Latest beta update brings dark mode to WhatsApp; here’s how to try it yourself
At long last, WhatsApp is embracing the dark side. The Facebook-owned instant messaging app, after months of testing, has begun rolling out a dark mode toggle to Android users on the beta channel. The new black theme works across the entire app and even overhauls the backdrop of the settings menu.
Another partner backs out of Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency
Yet another partner of Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency known as Libra has backed out of the deal. The British telecommunications operator Vodafone announced its departure from Facebook’s Libra Association on Tuesday. In total, eight companies have now backed out of Libra.Â
TikTok beats Facebook, Messenger in 2019 with over 700 million downloads
TikTok was downloaded more than 700 million times in 2019, beating Facebook and Messenger and behind only WhatsApp. The music video app's top market in terms of downloads was India, despite a brief ban in April, but most of its revenue was earned in China, the home market of owner Bytedance.