Good morning SAG-AFTRA! How are you feeling? Strike-ready? Us too. Besides the news that SAG-AFTRA is very likely to go on strike alongside the WGA as the AMPTP refuses to bargain in good faith, we’ve got updates from Mission: Impossible, a peek at the Godzilla design to be used in Minus One, and a rumor about Black…
Meta’s Twitter rival, Threads, has unquestionably had the best first-week imaginable. After immediately racing to the top of app store charts, it became the fastest growing app of all time. In just five days, it grew to more than 100 million users, beating out chatGPT and TikTok which both previously held the record.
That’s even more impressive considering the app isn’t available in the European Union, one of Meta’s most important markets. And while Threads clearly borrowed some moves from Meta’s growth-hacking playbook, like sending would-be users notifications on Instagram and pre-populating their feeds with content and followers, Mark Zuckerberg called most of the early growth “organic.”
“That’s mostly organic demand and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet,” he wrote in a celebratory post on Threads. However you spin it, it’s clearly bad news for Twitter.
While it’s too soon to know if Threads’ early success will translate in the long term, it has succeeded in utterly dominating Twitter in its first week. Every available metric suggests that Threads is not just a viral hit in its own right, but is doing so at the direct expense of Twitter.
Just days after Threads launched, Matthew Prince, CEO of DNS service Cloudflare, said that Twitter’s traffic was “tanking.” He shared a graph showing that visits to twitter.com had sharply dipped since the end of June, around the time Elon Musk began restricting how many tweets users could view, and a few days later when Threads launched.
Twitter traffic tanking. https://t.co/KSIXqNsu40pic.twitter.com/mLlbuXVR6r
— Matthew Prince 🌥 (@eastdakota) July 9, 2023
Data from analytics firm SimilarWeb suggests the same pattern. According to the company, traffic to twitter.com dipped 5 percent in the two days following Threads’ launch, compared with the same period the previous week. The firm notes that this is in addition to an “overall decline” in traffic that predates Threads.
There are other signs that Threads may be succeeding in luring away current Twitter users. A recent poll from Ipsos found that 58% of American Twitter users said they were likely to try, or have already tried, Threads.. And 46% of American Twitter users said they were “likely to move or have already moved the activity they used to do on Twitter to Threads.”
It’s worth noting that these are all very early metrics. Early virality for an app doesn’t necessarily equate to long-term success or sustained growth. Google+ was once praised for “meteoric” growth when it hit 100 million users less than a year after its launch more than a decade ago. In the more recent past, social audio app Clubhouse was heralded as a sensation when it grew to a few million users in its first months of existence. Both eventually fizzled out.
And there are signs that Twitter does have a core group of dedicated, blue-checkmark-buying users. The same Ipsos poll found that more than half of American Twitter users were uninterested in migrating to Threads, at least in the near term. And data recently released by app analytics firm Sensor Tower suggests that Twitter’s engagement held steady in the days following Threads’ launch, while average time spent in Threads actually dipped.
Despite Threads strong sign-ups/DAUs, ST data shows engagement remains low. Weekend time spent declined 60% from Jul 6 highs; this was 60% & 85% lower than avg time spent on Twitter & Insta, resp.#SensorTower, #Threadsapp, #mobileappdata, #Instagram#Twitterpic.twitter.com/tFHyuBG7UO
— Sensor Tower (@SensorTower) July 12, 2023
Elon Musk and newly-installed Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino seem eager to bolster this narrative. The two touted their own — somewhat dubious — metric following Threads’ launch, claiming that the same week saw the “largest usage day since February” on the platform. “Cumulative user-seconds per day of phone screentime, as reported by iOS & Android, is hardest to game,” Musk wrote. (It’s unclear how he was measuring “cumulative user-seconds” of screen time as neither Apple or Google report screen time metrics to app developers.)
Twitter’s leadership has more than enough reason to be rattled by Threads’ overnight success. While a wave of Twitter alternatives has cropped up in the wake of Musk’s chaotic takeover of Twitter, none have come even close to 100 million. Mastodon, its most entrenched rival, reports 2 million monthly users. Bluesky, the much-hyped invite-only service, has about 300,000 sign-ups.
Even more importantly, Threads has succeeded in nabbing a key demographic many of its predecessors haven’t: brands. Threads has been an all-out brands bonanza. And as much as that’s made for cringey, milquetoast content on the app, it’s very, very good for Meta. For now, brands are getting the kind of organic engagement most social media managers only dream about. As Website Plant recently pointed out in a report, big brands are attracting significantly more engagement on Threads, compared with Twitter. This is true even for brands that have far more followers on Twitter than on Threads.
According to the report, 87% of brands got more likes on Threads posts than on Twitter. “The vast majority of the posts we went through generated significantly higher engagement on the new platform — no matter if the content itself was the same as on Twitter,” the company wrote.
Again, these are early stats. It’s entirely possible that users on Threads are engaging more with brands simply because that what was shoved into their feeds, not because Meta somehow made the content more appealing. But that kind of early engagement will certainly make brands more willing to give Meta ad dollars whenever they do open advertising on the platform.
Zuckerberg has said the company won’t introduce ads to Threads until there’s a “clear path to 1 billion people” on the app. But that doesn’t mean Threads will be ad-free for long. According to Axios, the company has already begun to work on branded content tools for the service, and “is working to quickly make them available.” It should come as no surprise, then, that Wall Street analysts are also enthused about Threads’ prospects. The week-old platform could add up to $8 billion in revenue for Meta by 2025, according to an estimate from one analyst, reported by Bloomberg.
All this is especially bleak for Musk and Twitter, which is facing a financial outlook so dire the company has stopped paying numerous bills. According to a report from The New York Timeslast month, Twitter’s ad sales — its primary source of revenue — have plummeted 59% compared with last year, with performance “unlikely to improve anytime soon.” And, now, Meta has swooped in, pretty much overnight, with a huge new platform poised to gobble up Twitter’s missing ad dollars and then some.
While this likely brings some satisfaction to Musk and Twitter’s biggest critics, it’s worth noting that there are significant implications to an online ecosystem where yet another Meta-owned platform dominates its closest rivals. Meta, and Instagram specifically, has very different norms and standards about what kind of speech is acceptable on its service. And there are still more questions than answers about Meta’s plans to integrate Threads into the broader Fediverse.
But it’s impossible to ignore just how much momentum Threads has gained in its first week, and how much of it has come at the direct expense of Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-week-in-threads-has-become-twitters-biggest-threat-140050889.html?src=rss
The actor said shooting the scene “wasn’t a particularly great experience.”
It’s day four of Mattel’s “12 Days of Fandom” leading up to a celebration of collectibles at San Diego Comic-Con 2023—and io9 has a spooky yet stylish Monster High doll to reveal today.
At 11:59 PM PT on June 12, the SAG-AFTRA contract expired. After nearly four weeks of negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee agreed that they had not yet reached a satisfying successor contract, and did not allow for a second extension.
Adobe is now facing tighter scrutiny of its $20 billion Figma acquisition. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an in-depth investigation of the deal after Adobe declined to make concessions that would resolve antitrust concerns. The “phase 2” probe will have a group of independent experts determine whether or not the merger will reduce competition in design software. The CMA has until December 27th to complete the review.
We’ve asked Adobe for comment. The company rejected the CMA’s claims when plans for the new investigation were unveiled in June, and was still confident it would complete the buyout. It previously said it would treat Figma as an independent company and didn’t have plans to raise prices.
The CMA’s initial inquiry determined that Figma’s web collaboration platform had significant market share, and that a competitive “rivalry” would vanish if Adobe bought the relative newcomer. This could lead to higher prices and less innovation, the Authority said at the time. Adobe, meanwhile, has argued that buying Figma would strengthen both companies’ products. Creative Cloud apps would get some of Figma’s collaborative features, while Figma’s platform would receive some of Adobe’s functionality.
Adobe still hopes to close the Figma merger by the end of the year. It still faces a US investigation, however, and the European Union will make its decision by August 7th. There’s no guarantee the purchase will wrap on time or at all, in other words. If any one of these agencies blocks the merger or conducts a prolonged review, Adobe will have to rethink its plans.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-launches-in-depth-investigation-into-adobes-20-billion-figma-purchase-134313980.html?src=rss
CBS Chicago’s chief meteorologist was reporting on the nearby storm when he warned co-workers it was time to seek shelter.
Amazon Prime Day might be over, but there are still some solid deals floating around on the internet today. Unsurprisingly, you won’t find any of Amazon’s own devices still discounted as things like Echos, Kindles and Fire TV devices are all back to their normal prices. But there are a number of gadgets from the likes of Apple, Samsung, Google, Roku and others that are still on sale at the same prices we saw over the past few days (or very close to them). Of note is the 9th-gen iPad, which you can still pick up for only $250; the Google Pixel 7a smartphone, which remains on sale for $449; and Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K, which is still down to only $34. Here are the best Amazon Prime Day deals that are still live today.
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are on sale for $199 right now. These buds are a huge improvement over their predecessors, offering improved sound quality, ANC and transparency mode. We still consider these to be the best earbuds for iPhone users thanks to their Apple-specific features like quick pairing and switching and hands-free Siri.
The latest AirPods might have a few extra bells and whistles, but the second-generation Apple AirPods are a good choice for $99. This model mirrors its successor in having an H1 chip, Siri, automatic switching between devices and a lightning charging case. The biggest consideration is battery life, with these AirPods offering five hours of uninterrupted use and over 24 hours with the charging case.
Apple’s 9th-generation iPad is down to $249, which a record low. It’s the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads, and while it doesn’t have the thin bezels and as much accessory support as our top pick, it’s the most affordable way to snag an iPad. It’s a great couch companion that performs well for casual browsing, binge streaming and light gaming.
The M1 MacBook Air released back in 2020, but it remains a worthy option if you want a Mac for light work and web browsing for as little cash as possible. The entry-level configuration is now on sale for $750, which is a new low. This model’s keyboard, trackpad, display and battery life continue to impress, and the quiet M1 chip is still fast enough for the essentials. This configuration is strictly for casual use, though, as it only has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You’ll have to live with a more basic 720p webcam, too, and you’ll miss out on the improved speakers and slimmer bezels of the M2 model. We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 at launch.
The new, larger version of Apple’s MacBook Air M2 is down to $1,399 for a configuration with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. That’s a modest $50 drop from its usual price on Amazon, but the notebook only just arrived last month, and it’s $100 less than buying from Apple directly. The M2 Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave it a review score of 96 in June. It checks just about all the requisite boxes for a mainstream notebook, with a thin and light design, bright and accurate display, comfortable keyboard, long-lasting battery, and more than enough performance for everyday use. This 15-inch model has all the same benefits of the prior 13-inch model, but adds a more powerful speaker system and slightly upgraded GPU alongside the bigger screen.
Google’s flagship wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds Pro, are down to $150 at the moment, or $50 off their usual rate. Google took all of the lessons it learned when making previous earbuds and got a lot of things right with the Pixel Buds Pro. These will be great for Android users who want buds with punchy bass, good ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.
JBL’s Charge 5 is usually $180 but is down to $120 right now. It also made Engadgets speaker guide, and has a separate tweeter, and dual bass radiators for bigger sound and of course can handle a dunk in water. It’s got a long, 20-hour battery life and can even share some of that juice with your phone via the USB-C port.
The top pick in our best microSD cards guide, Samsung’s Pro Plus in 256GB is on sale for $20 right now. It had some of the best overall speeds of any of the microSD cards we tested, and it has all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It’ll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.
Samsung’s Evo Select microSD card has dropped to only $10. It’s a step behind the top pick in our microSD card guide, mostly due to its slower sequential write speeds, but it’s arguably the best value microSD card you can get right now.
The Samsung T7 Shield SSD is still on sale for $75 at the moment. The T7 series as a whole includes some of our favorite SSDs, and the Shield is the most durable of the bunch. The portable drive has an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance, and it can withstand drops from up to 10 feet high. On top of that, its 1,050/1,000 MB/s read/write speeds should be enough for most people’s needs.
Samsung’s 980 Pro SSD has dropped to $50, which is a new record low. It’s another good option for the PS5, especially since you can spring for a model with an included heatsink if you want. The 980 Pro has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and reliable thermal controls.
Crucial’s MX500 internal drive has been discounted to only $48 on Amazon. It has sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop’s or laptop’s used-up drive.
The 65-inch Samsung S95B is on sale for $1,598, matching its all-time low. Typically, this highly-rated set has cost an extra $100 to $200 in recent months. The S95B’s QD-OLED panel combines OLED tech with a quantum dot layer, allowing it to deliver high contrast and wide viewing angles without sacrificing as much as typical OLED TVs in terms of brightness and color saturation. This means it should provide a rich image even in brighter rooms. It can also play up to 4K 120Hz, which is handy for the PS5 or Xbox Series X, but like all Samsung TVs, it doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR.
Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K is down to $34 right now, or $16 off its usual price. It’s our favorite streaming device at the moment because it packs a ton of features into an affordable package. It streams 4K, HDR content with Dolby Vision, and it supports AirPlay 2 and private listening with headphones.
The Google Pixel 7a is on sale for $449 right now, or $50 off its usual rate and an all-time low. This is the best midrange phone you can get right now thanks to its speedy Tensor G2 chip, smooth 90Hz display and support for wireless charging. The 7a also has solid cameras and an IP67 water-resistant design.
The Google Nest WiFi Pro three-pack gives you all the same technology as the pair but with a wider range. With three routers, you can access WiFi across 6,600 square feet. At 25 percent off, the trio is $300, making each Nest WiFi Pro only $100 — it’s a steal considering they typically retail for $200 each. As for color, get them all in Snow or get a mix of Snow, Fog and Linen.
The compact Razer Huntsman Mini is down to $68, or 43 percent off its usual rate. Neither deal is quite an all-time low, but the two models have usually retailed in the $80 to $100 range over the last few months. The Huntsman Mini is the top pick in our guide to the best 60 percent keyboards, as its keys are pleasant and consistently responsive for gaming. The whole thing feels well-built, with quality PBT keycaps and RGB lighting on a per-key basis. Each key can be programmed through macros as well. The switches here aren’t ideal for those who like a springy and more tactile, though, and the ultracompact design won’t be for everyone.
Live-streamers or anyone who wants to look better on camera should snag Logitech’s Litra Glow LED light while it’s on sale. We recommend it in our guides because the USB-powered device delivers a diffuse, soft glow without harsh shadows and comes with an extendable monitor mount.
A configuration of the Razer Blade 15 with a Core i7-12800H processor, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, 240Hz QHD display, 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD is down to $1,923 at the moment. That’s about $375 off its usual street price in recent months. We gave the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year, and we currently recommend it as a premium pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops. This config is a 2022 model – the latest version is largely a spec bump – but it’ll still be powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings and frame rates, particularly with DLSS. The main reason to pay the premium for any Blade laptop, though, is because it packs that power in a slim and premium-feeling aluminum design. Just note that it can run hot, and that its battery life is fairly short.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-deals-you-can-still-get-today-123525839.html?src=rss
A jury last month convicted Larry Householder of masterminding a $60 million bribery operation, the largest corruption scheme in state history.
One question is constant in the race to create AI: Should code be held privately or made available to everyone as “open-source”? OpenAI has kept data for projects like GPT-4 close to its chest, while Meta has allowed researchers and academics to access its language model, LLaMA. Now, Meta is allegedly set to “imminently” release a new commercial version that companies can customize, the Financial Times reports.
The move could help Meta catch up to fellow AI creators OpenAI and Google, with businesses able to build tailored software with the new model. “The competitive landscape of AI is going to completely change in the coming months, in the coming weeks maybe, when there will be open source platforms that are actually as good as the ones that are not,” Yann LeCun, Meta’s vice-president and Chief AI scientist, said at a July conference. Meta might also create AI chatbots specific to each type of user, such as an individual or business.
Open-source models certainly have a mix of benefits and negatives. Providing a wide group of people with an AI’s differing capabilities can help the model learn faster, given the increased data it’s receiving. Additional eyes can also spot bugs and security issues, giving developers a chance to fix these problems sooner. On the flip side, not everyone who uses the code will have good intentions, which can have dangerous consequences when using a technology that concerns many people in and outside the tech industry.
Access to Meta’s commercial AI model should be free at launch, but that might change sometime in the future. According to sources familiar with Meta, the company might eventually charge enterprise customers if they want to alter or tailor the model.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-could-soon-make-its-ai-model-available-for-commercial-projects-114021749.html?src=rss
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