US House bans WhatsApp service from staff devices

Meta Platforms' WhatsApp messaging service has been banned from all US House of Representatives devices, according to a memo sent to all House staff on Monday.
24 June 2025, 18:40 PM

WhatsApp will now have ads

Meta has announced it will begin showing advertisements in WhatsApp's Status feature, marking a significant shift for the messaging platform that has remained largely ad-free since its acquisition by Facebook in 2014. 
17 June 2025, 09:33 AM

X rolls out new encrypted messaging feature, XChat

X has begun rolling out a beta version of XChat, a redesigned messaging system for its paid subscribers, according to a recent post by X owner Elon Musk. The new feature includes end-to-end encryption, file sharing, and audio-video calling capabilities without requiring phone numbers, as per official statements.
3 June 2025, 07:11 AM

WhatsApp status is becoming similar to Facebook story

WhatsApp has announced a series of updates to its Status feature on May 29, bringing it closer in style and function to Facebook Stories.
31 May 2025, 04:02 AM

DeepSeek quietly updates its R1 reasoning model

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has released an update to its R1 reasoning model. The new version, named R1-0528, was published on developer platform Hugging Face on May 29, although the company has not yet issued an official announcement.
29 May 2025, 03:47 AM

Vietnam plans Telegram block; app says it’s “surprised”

Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has instructed domestic telecommunication service providers to block access to the messaging platform Telegram, citing the app’s alleged failure to cooperate with authorities in addressing criminal activities, according to a recent report by Reuters. 
24 May 2025, 09:13 AM

YouTube will use Gemini to place ads in ‘peak’ video moments

YouTube has announced on 14 May that it will begin using Google's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) model to identify the most engaging segments of videos for advertising placements. 
15 May 2025, 07:05 AM

TikTok to use AI-generated text to describe images

TikTok has announced that the company is testing a new feature that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate image descriptions, in an effort to make the platform more accessible for users with visual impairments. 
15 May 2025, 03:03 AM

Meta admitted Facebook was "losing badly" to TikTok: court filings

Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, openly acknowledged TikTok's dominance over Facebook and Instagram in key areas of social media engagement, during discussions dated February 2022, filed as part of the US Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) antitrust lawsuit against Meta, according to a recent report by TechCrunch.
8 May 2025, 07:06 AM

A personal goodbye to Skype; the app that connected worlds

Today, Skype, the app that once connected me to so many important moments, is officially gone. It’s a strange feeling. Sure, I have switched to Messenger for chats and Zoom for meetings like everyone else. But I can’t help but feel a little sad. Few things else carry the same level of nostalgia as that familiar blue icon.
6 May 2025, 07:55 AM

Skype died today because you keep using Zoom

Skype, once the undisputed pioneer of internet-based video calls, has officially been shut down by Microsoft as of 5 May 2025, marking the end of a two-decade era in digital communication.
5 May 2025, 12:14 PM

Duolingo to replace contractor roles with AI; adopts "AI-first" strategy

Duolingo, the language learning app, will phase out contractor roles for tasks that artificial intelligence can handle, according to a recent internal email from cofounder and CEO Luis von Ahn announcing the company's shift to an "AI-first" approach. The message, posted on Duolingo's official LinkedIn account, outlines plans to restructure operations around AI capabilities.
30 April 2025, 05:01 AM

You can now ask ChatGPT for online shopping recommendations

OpenAI has updated ChatGPT's search function to display product suggestions when users make shopping-related queries. According to an official blog post by the company, this feature will provide item recommendations with specifications and purchase links in response to queries that implies shopping intent.
29 April 2025, 09:33 AM

WhatsApp is rolling out in-app translation services

WhatsApp has announced that it is introducing a new in-app translation feature that enables users to translate messages and channel updates directly within the app, using entirely on-device processing to maintain privacy and preserve end-to-end encryption. 
22 April 2025, 03:49 AM

Android will auto-reboot your phone if locked for three days: report

Android is rolling out a new optional security feature that automatically reboots devices if they remain locked for three consecutive days, according to a report by 9to5Google. The update, delivered via the upcoming Google Play services version 25.14, aims to enhance security by forcing devices into a 'Before First Unlock (BFU)' state, requiring a PIN or pattern instead of biometrics to regain access.
17 April 2025, 09:13 AM

OpenAI making its own X-like social media platform: report

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is developing its own social media platform, according to sources familiar with internal discussions reported by The Verge. While still in the early prototyping stages, the experimental project reportedly features a social feed integrated with ChatGPT's image generation capabilities—potentially positioning OpenAI against rivals like Elon Musk's X and Meta.
16 April 2025, 05:51 AM

OpenAI releases GPT-4.1 models with improved coding capabilities

OpenAI has recently launched its latest AI models, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano, which the company claims to offer improvements in coding, instruction following, and long-context comprehension. These models are currently only available through OpenAI's API (Application Programming Interface). 
15 April 2025, 07:17 AM

Meta releases latest multimodal AI models, Llama 4

Meta has just released Llama 4, its newest set of artificial intelligence models, designed to process and generate text, images, audio, and video. The first two publicly available versions—Llama 4 Scout and Llama 4 Maverick—are now open for download, while a more advanced model, Llama 4 Behemoth, remains in development.
6 April 2025, 04:12 AM

How Netflix’s UGC is a masterclass in brand loyalty

Netflix has long been at the forefront of digital entertainment, leading the shift from DVD rentals to streaming dominance. But its latest move—integrating user-generated content (UGC) into its platform—is perhaps one of its most ingenious strategies so far.
30 March 2025, 09:30 AM

Signal: The encrypted app that hosted Trump aides' war plans

When top aides to US President Donald Trump recently discussed military strikes against Yemen’s Houthi militants, they turned to Signal—a messaging app prized for its secrecy. Launched in 2014, Signal is a free, open-source app that promises ironclad privacy. It uses 'end-to-end encryption', meaning only the sender and recipient can read messages—not even Signal itself.
26 March 2025, 03:48 AM