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Instagram Updates: 90-Second Reels and More Reels is the real driver of growth for the main social media by Meta: Instagram and Facebook. No wonder now Meta does as much as it can to keep Reels rolling, and new features will appeal to both creators and content consumers. New Reels length, stickers introduction, and new audio editing possibilities are meant to result in better experience. First of all, the longer the better. Though Reels is still far behind TikTok which has enabled its users to make videos as long as 10 minutes, now it allows creators to make and upload videos up to 90 seconds long. It’s a sufficient progress, given that previously the maximum was just 60 seconds. This will provide more relative freedom and make it easier for telling longer stories (and placing ads before, of course). Another innovation comes right from Instagram stories. Now creators can use interactive elements (polls, quizzes, and emoji meters) to further engage their audience. These elements have proven their potential on Instagram, so why not put them on Reels? Indeed, for a viewer it’s quicker to answer the quiz than to formulate some comment that makes sense, so why not save time and confusion? As for creation, Meta acknowledges the postmodern reality of our era, and it allows for meta-creativity based on other users’ work. Now a creator can use someone else’s Reels video as a template or even take a premade audio and complete it with their own footage. Audio editing has also received some new features, like voiceover or importing external audio into the editor. There is a huge library of sound effects (hey someone check whether Wilhelm scream is there), and you can add external audio for any video that’s not shorter than 5 seconds. Have you already appreciated these new abilities? Have they made it to your device? Or do you see them in your feed, used by creators you follow? Tell us what you think in the comments!

• Abigail Rodriguez
• 2022-06-07

Google Chat Uses Banners to Prevent Phishing Attacks Google Chat, just like other services made for communication, may become the place where phishers attack their potential victims. Can Google prevent it without sacrificing usability? One of the ways to warn users without limiting their freedom is by showing banners that indicate something wrong with your contact or conversation. As the AI recognizes the conversation you’re invited to as potentially fraudulent, a banner pops up, saying “This invite is suspicious. This conversation contains links to known phishing sites that may try to steal your information”. The base of phishing sites is saved on a cloud, so it’s always relevant. The banners are similar to those shown by Gmail or Google Drive or maybe other apps that may be used by fraudsters. This feature is available for both personal Google accounts and those on Google Workspace. You don’t need to do anything to activate these warnings. On the contrary, you can disable them if you find them too annoying or you visit phishing sites and exchange links on purpose, for example, to detect differences between them and the sites they imitate. It is a part of advanced security-concerned measures that Google has taken recently. Similar banners pop up within apps of Google Workspace  (Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawing) if you try to open a potentially harmful file with one of these apps. It doesn’t matter where you got this file if it’s recognized as suspicious. On PC, the new security measure is available in web versions of Google apps. On Android, Google started rolling it out on May 19, so it may soon cover all of the world where Google operates. As for iOS, it’s not clear yet. Have you already seen these warnings? Did they help you avoid confusion and keep your data safe? What did that conversation feel like? Share your stories with us in the comments!  

• Lucas Anderson
• 2022-05-25

Netflix to Employees: If You Don’t Like Our Content, Quit! Among the content by Netflix, there are always controversial pieces. What should employees do if they disagree with some particular message or don’t want to support it? Netflix has an indiscreet answer: quit. It’s not going to adjust its values of diversity if someone disagrees with something. Sounds cute? As controversial as anything about it. The idea behind it is quite positive: Netflix produces tons of content with various messages, characters, settings, and morals. Given this diversity, there is always someone to disagree with a certain piece or creative decision. So, the corporate ethics of Netflix says that an employee may have to work with pieces of content they don’t like, and it should not interfere. If it becomes intolerable, one should just quit instead of “walk out”. But what if the reason for “walk-out” is hate speech, for example, transphobia expressed by a stand-up comedian? So was the case with Dave Chapelle’s speech last year, and it really made employees walk out condemning the message. This made Netflix react, but not in the way some might expect. Instead, Netflix made content neutrality for employees a written rule. With an employee’s signature after these rules, breaking them will be harder. When outsiders criticize Netflix’s content, though, the company has to react. For example, so it was with a movie named Cuties which was said to sexualize minors. Neither can the company ignore the outflux of users which reached millions in Q1, while other streaming platforms, like Disney+ or Paramount+, gain more users. So maybe this measure will just help to choose new employees who will be aware of not rocking the boat. What do you think about it? If you were a Netflix employee working on a series or a movie that promotes something unacceptable for you, would you quit or try to change anything from within? Let us know your position in the comments!  

• Abigail Rodriguez
• 2022-05-23

TikTok Pulse: Now Creators Will Get a Share of Ad Revenue As TikTok becomes more and more of an ecommerce platform and a marketing hub, the role of those who makes it popular – that is, the creators – grows even stronger. When content and money come together, they should contact. TikTok Pulse is a program that enables top creators to get money when their videos are watched alongside ads. How does it look? Now, TikTok “places brands at the heart of TikTok communities”. For this, it specifies 12 content categories, so brands can choose the most relevant among them. These categories will be used to decide what this or that add should pop up next to. The content in these categories should be also verified, to avoid any unsafe situations for the brands’ reputation. Through the eye of a creator, the greatest thing about Pulse is its automation. You won’t have to search for partners and make deals yourself (though, in theory, it may bring more profits as well as make curated advertising more engaging). Now it’s done automatically as your videos make it to the top and become attractive to advertise next to. Which creators can benefit from this program? TikTok says it’s Top 4%. But it’s not enough to have a certain number of daily viewers; the program updates daily, and it’s not the author that attracts advertisers but a certain video. More hits, less misses. Now more original quality content is required from video makers. And though this is similar to YouTube’s Partner Program, the money will not look original either; will anyone refuse it for this reason? What do you expect from this program, as a viewer or maybe as a creator? Will creators compete harder to get to the Top 4%? Will ads become more relevant and less annoying? Will content personalization change? Let’s try to predict the next change in TikTok’s experience. Would you leave your forecast in the comment?  

• Abigail Rodriguez
• 2022-05-11

Snapchat to Show New Snap Originals and Start a Partnership with Cameo Would you rather not skip an ad if you see your favorite celebrity in it? Well, soon you’ll have a chance to check. Snapchat explores new ways to intensify its advertising activity, and one of them is partnership with Cameo. Now, it will be easier for advertisers to partner with stars and influencers and create new ad experiences together. Cameo is a video creation platform for celebrities who can be contacted there. Now, as the platform joins forces with Snapchat, it will be easier for an advertiser to contact someone famous and get them to record a video that will appear in Snapchat feeds. This sort of partnership will make ads a content in its own right. More than that: it will provide new possibilities in terms of targeting, given that everyone has their favorite celebs. As for now, over 45K celebrities are present on Cameo. This means there is a chance to collaborate with them on an ad campaign that leaves everyone happy. Viewers will get more content from their idols (some of it can even go viral), celebrities will get paid, and advertisers will gain more attraction. Another option Snapchat launches now is called “Snap Promote”. With it, content partners may promote their Discover shows along with other authored content on users’ Stories pages, within the “For You” feed. This can work well for them if the targeting is right and as a result ads are relevant for the viewer. By the way, more Discover shows are already on their way, both new and good old ones like Charli vs. Dixie and others. Everybody has felt adsick in their life. But with these new steps, ads on Snapchat may become less annoying, more relevant, and – maybe – worth viewing for their own sake. Of course, if they feature your favorite singer, actor, or influencer. What do you think about this possible future? Share your opinion with us in the comment section, if you please!  

• Amelia Wilson
• 2022-05-09

Halo Infinite May Roll Out Multiplayer Narrative Events One of the greatest issues about the overall well-received Halo Infinite is the lack of content and modes. While the co-op multiplayer is already on the way, there may be more content to make this game even greater. And among other ideas, a very fruitful one is arguably rolling out narrative-driven events for multiplayer mode. Indeed, why not? Multiplayer, even in PvP only, has become one of the main attractions for fans. And the show on Paramount+ can provide external inspiration for the developers. Given that some new content in the game will be directly inspired by the show, this is quite a way to go. Other games can also inspire the developers, given how influential Fortnite has become partly due to its long-time narrative-centered development. What will these narrative-driven events be? Probably they will be made as organic for the universe as can be. The Halo: Infinite multiplayer already has seasons; why not accompany them with some stories and cutscenes? Let each of them tell a separate story from the beginning to the end; at the same time, in the same setting, they can build up to a larger interactive novel in the world of Halo. The developers have time to start implementing it. According to statements by 343, the co-op mode (for which these events are suited better) will appear no earlier than in August 2022. It’s hard enough to start with these events, given how much work is yet to be done. The only thing we wouldn’t like to see in Halo: Infinite seasons is a pop culture festival similar to that on Fortnite. Some injections and cameos, though, can be welcomed if they are not made for their own sake but to expand the setting. What do you think about narrative-driven events on Halo Infinite? Would it make you spend more time in it? Maybe the existing story or the show can inspire you to shape some idea? We’d like to read it in the comments if you please!

• Amelia Wilson
• 2022-04-27

Game Testers from Raven Studio (Activision Blizzard) Can Form a Union… Soon Is game testing a profession? Yes, the National Labor Relations Board ruled on April 22. The ruling was necessary because the employer (in this case, no other than Activision Blizzard) in January did not recognize the new union its professional testers voted to form. Now they officially can, and so they are a union in its own right. The employees were pushed by tensions in December, caused by the company’s decision to lay off some workers instead of improving the compensation they were supposed to receive. More than that: when the testers responded with a strike, on returning to work they learned that their unit had been doomed and would be broken up soon. Instead, the workplaces would be distributed among the teams across the Raven Studio. This was made to dismiss the vote and render it useless. This left most of the company’s testers unsatisfied. Forming a union was the most logical decision (after all, what are unions for?) The union was even given a name: the Game Workers Alliance with Communications Workers of America. When Activision refused to recognize it, the workers took to the board. And while its ruling was in favor of the workers, Activision is reported to seek ways to appeal. Raven Software Corporation was acquired by Activision in 1997. Since that, the company developed many famous games, including Heretic II, and Quake 4, as well as multiple Star Wars and X-Men installments. Since 2010, Raven Software specializes in Call of Duty projects, being so far responsible for as many as 14 installments in the series (including Warzone, Black Ops: Cold War, and. What do you think of this crise? Will they find a way to settle it, or will the tensions continue? And how do you think it will impact the future of the studio and the quality of its releases? Let’s speak freely in the comments!

• Lucas Anderson
• 2022-04-25

PUBG to Get a Crossover with Among Us! Being one of the most influential Battle Royale Games, PUBG is still far from transforming into an incessant pop culture festival like Fortnite. Yet it’s no stranger to collaborations either. The recently announced collaboration will see the conjunction of two of the most unexpected universes, namely those of PUBG: New State, the new mobile edition of PUBG, and Among Us. What so you think it will be? Just new suits resembling a chicken nugget? No, the collaboration goes further than just visual. Of course, the map of the island will be decorated with unusable elements and decorations resembling the interior of the iconic starship. But these will only affect the appearance, and there is more to the event than this. There will be a special set of icons, frames, and titles inspired by Among Us in PUBG: New State, but they have to be earned by completing special quests. Though, of course, they can be purchased, but not directly, but in crates that can contain Among Us-themed items too. So it’s up to you whether to try your luck or your skill to obtain these. The most impressive addition, though, is the mini game that becomes available between regular matches. As you join the game with three other random players, one of them is assigned the role of an Impostor. The others must find the Impostor before getting killed by them. Of course, there is always friendly fire, so you are to decide who to trust and who to avoid. The event starts tomorrow, April 21, and is set to last until May 19. You will have enough time to earn the desired items which are to stay in your profile even after the event is over. A good reason to spend more time in PUBG: New State even despite the spring weather! What do you think about this crossover? Which of the two games do you prefer? Let us know what you think of it in the comments!  

• Amelia Wilson
• 2022-04-20

Cyberpunk 2077 1.5: Fantastic Visuals, More NPC, and LOD Mods Games by CD Projekt RED have always been fantastic when it came to visuals. Even The Witcher 2 (2011) has aged well, leaving alone The Witcher 3, looking great even not being updated for the next-gen. As for its most recent product, Cyberpunk 2077, it boasted incredible visuals even at launch, and now things have got better due to both official updates and modders’ efforts. The official update 1.5 brought lots of improvements, and not just bug fixes that have been a must since the terrible launch. Now, the game supports the most recent features like ray-traced local light shadows, as well as purely gameplay improvements like better AI for enemies and reworked perk system. This alone makes the current version of Cyberpunk 2077 for PC much more playable (if your PC is fresh and powerful enough to handle it). Yet when it comes to PC, one cannot ignore modding. It’s the modder community that made The Witcher 3 even more impressive than it was, with new textures, performance optimization, and even funny additions, and now they are doing the same with Cyberpunk 2077. Installing some mods over the updated version maxes the impression. For example, the Extreme NPC Density mod does to the game just what it says on the tin. The Night City becomes even more populated than it was, and the streets get just crowded, each NPC behaving independently. This makes the impression fantastic. And there are others as well. Cyber Engine tweaks, for example, boosts the framerate. JB - TPP MOD WIP Third Person gives you the third-person perspective that you loved about The Witcher series and missed in Cyberpunk 2077. And Appearance Change Unlocker lets you customize the look of your character. Add this to the overall improvements in the 1.5 update and rediscover the game; it may happen that it already beats what’s prepared for the next-gen update. Have you already updated your Cyberpunk 2077? Did you install any mods, and if so, which ones? Share your impressions with us in the comments!  

• Abigail Rodriguez
• 2022-04-18

Android Auto Update Now Available for Everyone If you often use your smartphone while driving, Android Auto is made for you. This simplified mode has been available for a long time, getting better with each update. The most recent one, Android Auto 7.5, was recently released as a beta version, and now its stable version is available for everyone.  The update came this time without a changelog, so one needs to watch closely to see what’s new. And there are indeed some new features, along with usual bug fixes and performance improvements. One of them is the ability to detect bad cables that fail to connect your device to your car properly, named USB Startup Diagnostics. It’s hard to spot from the first launch, and we truly hope most of us will never need this feature at all. In addition, it has to be activated manually.  The most anticipated Coolwalk feature, though, didn’t make it to the update. Coolwalk is the talk of the community for a long time. This is a new multi-app UI obviously inspired by Apple CarPlay which will let users switch between multiple running apps. Next to the map, you can see an audio player, a messenger, and literally any app you may need as you drive. Alas, though, this new mode first spotted in September 2021 is probably delayed until polished properly. There hasn’t been any official statement or announce so far, so let’s keep waiting.  You may have been too cautious to install beta software when it comes to driving, with all its responsibility. If this was the reason you kept from installing Android Auto 7.5 beta, now you can. The release version is tested and sure to function smoothly.  The update was released on April 10, and now, three days after, it must be installable worldwide. If it hasn’t made its way to your device yet, it’s a matter of days or even hours. Have already received and tried it? Tell us what you think about it in the comments if you please!  

• Amelia Wilson
• 2022-04-13

Pestle for iOS Now has New Options for Sharing a Recipe Pestle is among the most popular recipe and cooking apps in 2022, and now chances are it will become even better. Along with its unique ability to fetch recipes from websites and turn any description into an algorithm, now Pestle lets you easily share them. And this treatment by the developer is very tasty! The revolutionary app was made by Will Bishop alone, and now the indie developer implements a new feature: you can share recipes with your friends. Sharing feature seems a must for today’s mobile app, but here come questions: how to share, what to share, where to share? The update addresses all of these questions, and the answer is: any way you want.  The most obvious way to share the recipe through any messenger, mail app, or social media is to use the original link. Along with this usual way of sharing, you can print the recipe on any connected printer right from your iPhone or iPad. Other new options include sharing recipes as exported PDF files or as plain text. Of course, the recipients would not enjoy the benefits of Pestle as they receive a shared recipe. Not that it’s always possible: Pestle is only available for iOS. So those on Android can only receive text, PDF, or the link. Still, printing the recipe and handing it to your guests right after the treatment is the most impressive new feature.  Initially, the app had a lot of unique features. You can enjoy a automatic recipe processing, listen to the voice instructions to come to the next step, and even use FaceTime to cook with someone synchronously. Now it becomes even more attractive for all cooking enthusiasts with an iPhone. Have you already tasted the Pestle? How do you like it? Did it work like it’s supposed to? And will you use its new features to share your cooking secrets with friends? Tell us what you think in the comments!  

• Abigail Rodriguez
• 2022-04-11

Top 5 Mobile App Development Trends of 2022 Although the mobile app market seems to be overstuffed with apps, the user demand for new solutions is higher than ever! Developers have to tackle such challenges as user engagement improvement, utility value enhancement, and many more. To keep apps attractive to users and provide modern user experiences, developers have to follow several tech trends that are described below. 1. Augmented Reality AR has already been used a lot by the leading tech companies, but its true potential is only about to unleash. In 2022, developers will focus on integrating AR not only into entertainment platforms but also into marketplaces. AR will let users try on the clothes they want to buy and check out how various items look inside their homes. 2. Blockchain Extensive testing of the blockchain technology in 2018-2021 provided developers with a clear understanding that blockchain is the future of the digital security market. Due to the decentralized database structure, blockchain lets companies encrypt client data better and ensure 100% security of data exchange and financial transactions. 3. Predictive Models Not every tech trend is visible. Predictive models are used as backend analytical processes that scan customer data to figure out actual buying patterns and specific likes/dislikes of users. This data can be immediately used to improve user experience and leverage user satisfaction and retention rates. 4. 5G There were too many talks about 5G networks in 2021, but the technology will become a worldwide standard only in 2022. The improved bandwidth and connection quality will let developers launch more complex features and content and provide users with notably smoother UX than it was possible with 4G. 5. Low Code App Development The times when you needed a team of experienced coders to create even a simple app have gone. Today you can design many types of apps in no-code environments on your computer or even on a smartphone! In 2022, this fact will become obvious for more users, so we should expect a larger number of apps on the market compared to 2020-2021. New Experience 2022 is promising to provide us with loads of brand-new mobile app experiences and let us use our smartphones for an even larger number of purposes. What other trends do you expect to see in mobile app development in 2022? Let’s chat about it below and don’t forget to share this article with other tech fans.

• Amelia Wilson
• 2022-01-16