Tag: twitter

Now Tumblr is selling $8 blue check marks that do nothing!

Tumblr is currently basking in all its glory! It is experiencing a resurgence due to its policy changes that allowed nudity on the platform and also the ongoing chaos unfolding on Twitter. A few known celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Lynda Carter also made their way to Tumblr to escape the Twitter drama. However, like almost all other social media platforms Tumblr does not verify high-profile accounts of celebrities and politicians. To keep up with the ongoing trend of Elon Musk charging $8 for a verified check on Twitter, now Tumblr has launched a subscription of the check mark at $7.99!

Tumblr blue check mark

Before you start accusing Tumblr of hopping on a trend to make a few bucks and exploit users, let me tell you that it is actually just a parody. While Tumblr is definitely selling the blue check mark at $7.99 it’s more of a joke item presented by the company and does not give users any other benefits! It is a one-time payment and not an actual monthly subscription. Users can buy the blue check mark from Tumblr’s web store and basically get what they’d expect in return, a blue check. That’s all! Well, two blue checks to be precise. Tumblr is actually providing its users with not one, but two blue check marks just to have an edge over other social media platforms.

While introducing this new feature, Tumblr’s official post read – “Hi! We’re introducing Important Blue Internet Checkmarks here on Tumblr. They’re a steal at $7.99—that’s cheaper than some other places, when you consider that you get not one but TWO checkmarks for your blog on web only (for now). Why, you ask? Why not? Nothing matters! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

While all fun and games, Tumblr was also specific that the blue check marks do not really mean identity verification. While sharing the properties of the important checkmarks Tumblr mentioned – “This is not a verification status, it’s an important Blue Internet Checkmark, which in 2022 is just as legit. Also the Important Blue Internet Checkmark may turn into a bunch of crabs at any time”

It is quite evident that Tumblr is poking fun at Twitter’s latest $8 subscription model that allows users to get verified on the platform. It will be interesting to see if Tumblr’s ‘shitposting’ business model allows it to float its boat!

 

 

Twitter may face bankruptcy soon

We could be watching Twitter go from a prominent social media platform to a thing of the past in real-time! Elon Musk recently took charge of Twitter after a 44 billion acquisition and quickly started making radical changes to the platform ranging from the $8 verified check and suspending accounts left and right. These decisions made by Musk have surely changed people’s perception of the platform as it is facing a considerable backlash. Now, it looks like Twitter is facing a threat of bankruptcy, as Elon himself has raised this concern.

Twitter to face bankruptcy?

Bloomberg was one of the first portals to report that Twitter is facing a bankruptcy threat. Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has raised concerns about the social media platform going bankrupt on the same day Twitter received a warning from a United States regulator. Musk told Twitter employees that he could not rule out bankruptcy just two weeks after buying the company. As per reports, Musk held the first meeting with his Twitter employees recently where he warned that the company may end up losing billions of dollars in 2023.

According to Musk, the company was losing more than $4 million on a daily basis as more and more advertisers started fleeing the platform once he took over. Reports suggest that the massive 44 billion deal to buy Twitter has reportedly put Twitter’s finances in a precarious position. Reports suggest that Twitter was brought by Musk with $13 billion in debt, on which it faces interest payments of $1.2 billion in the next 12 months. These payments exceed Twitter’s disclosed cash flow of $1.1 billion.

If the bankruptcy threat is actually looming over Twitter then Elon’s $8 Twitter Blue subscription could become the shining light in the dark. However, with easy access to a verified mark, more and more parody accounts are popping up on the platform which is exactly the opposite of what Musk promised. Twitter’s boss now has to figure out how to manage the parody accounts menace while also dealing with the bankruptcy threat.

 

5 Leadership lessons to learn from the new Twitter CEO Elon Musk

Who cares what you think about Elon Musk? You can say lots of things against him only to put him in the spot, but you can’t ignore the fact that he is endlessly innovative and acts as a case study for creative leadership. Randy Ottinger, Executive Vice President at Kotter International, once said, “Elon Musk is an inventor and builder wrapped into one, kind of like a combination of Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, on steroids”. The CEO of Tesla is known for his risk-taking and dark-humoured mindset. As a child, Elon had a passion for science fiction books, and he was way too obsessed with space travel and rocket technology. You won’t believe it, but he wrote a computer program to calculate trajectories for rockets at the age of 12. Now, it’s time to enlighten your mind with leadership lessons.

Don’t follow the trends blindly

Elon Musk believes in staying open to new ideas, but he never follows the trend blindly. No wonder he is known for tackling the world’s biggest problems. When it comes to leadership or even a basic lifestyle, we should learn to question and challenge the trends. Remember, before you get into the details, first understand the fundamental principles of the subject.

Stay confident

If you have ever read a book on someone’s successful entrepreneurial journey, you must have noticed one common thing in there, they always leverage other people’s money to finance their projects. However, in the case of Elon Musk, he has such confidence in himself and his capabilities that he uses his own money to fund his projects.

 

Never stop reading and learning

Elon Musk is a serial entrepreneur who has created several billion-dollar companies based on his ideas and has sold and run a group of successful companies, but how? He can debate on anything and has a deep knowledge of the subject he is working on or messing up with. At the core, he is an avid reader, which makes him an effective leader.

Deal fiercely with the failure

When Tesla and SpaceX were on the verge of bankruptcy one day, Musk tweeted, “creating a rocket company has to be one of the dumbest and hardest ways to make money” but in reality, if he had not dared to follow his dreams, we would not have witnessed two of the most popular and recognizable companies in the world.

Elon is one hell of a brave person, especially when it comes to decision-making, and he believes in – fear is an emotion that keeps us from doing things that can help us achieve our goals. When SpaceX was a newbie company, he once said to his employees – “a failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

Learn to Say NO

No is not always a negative word, especially when things no longer serve your personal and organizational goals, you must say no. In 2017, Musk resigned from his post at the White House Advisory Council in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord because he strongly supports sustainability and care for the environment.

Tech companies cut jobs as revenues plummet

Many employees working in tech companies will have to face a cold winter as the industry is cutting down jobs left and right. Job layoffs in the tech industry are piling up as more and more companies adjust to the new reality of plummeting revenues. While Meta and Twitter’s layoffs led to a number of headlines around the internet, there are many other tech players who have downsized their workforce. Broadly, the tech industry has experienced a string of layoffs in 2022 due to volatile economic conditions. Here is a look at the tech giants who ordered mass layoffs in 2022 –

Meta

It was only a few days back when we reported that Meta is planning its biggest layoff since its inception. Facebook parent company Meta revealed that the fourth quarter of the year pushed back its market cap and stocks to their lowest since 2016. Whereas, due to Zuckerberg’s commitment to the Metaverse, its Reality Labs division has reportedly lost $9.4 billion. Meta has slashed 13% of its staff which is more than 11,000 employees. As advertisers cut back on spending due to rising inflation, Meta’s revenue has taken a hit. However, Zuckerberg has stated that employees losing their jobs will receive 16 weeks of pay and two additional weeks for every year of service. Meta will also cover health insurance for six months for the fired employees.

Coinbase

Back in June, Coinbase announced that it will cut down 18% of its employee strength translating to a reduction of 1100 people. As the crypto market takes a nose dive, Coinbase too has lost over 80% of its value in 2022 itself. Those laid off received a minimum of 14 weeks of severance pay. The company’s announcement also revealed that it provided four months of mental health support to laid-off employees globally.

 Microsoft

It was only back in October when Microsoft confirmed that they have let go less than 1% of its employees. The layoffs affected less than 1,000 employees according to reports going around on the web. The announcement by Microsoft came after the company witnessed its slowest revenue growth in more than half a decade in the third quarter of 2022.

Netflix

Netflix announced two rounds of layoffs in 2022. Back in May, the streaming giant eliminated 150 jobs after it witnessed the first subscriber loss in a decade. Then in June 2022, Netflix announced another layoff of 300 employees. Netflix’s stock has dropped below 50% in 2022.

Twitter

Shortly after Twitter was brought by billionaire Elon Musk, he cut around 3700 employees from the company. Musk stated that the company did not have any choice but to lay off a considerable chunk of employees as Twitter is losing over $4 million per day. Twitter has offered three months of severance pay to its laid-off employees.

 

Impersonators on Twitter will be banned permanently, says Musk

If you haven’t been under the rocks for the past few weeks then I am sure you know Elon Musk is now the new Twitter boss. After an expensive acquisition, Elon Musk bought the micro-blogging app and is bringing upon several changes to the platform. One of his most controversial changes to Twitter (besides mass layoffs) has been the $8 Twitter Blue fee which allows users to get a verified check. Many on the platform have argued that allowing people to pay a certain monthly payment for a verified status on Twitter could lead to an epitome of impersonators of famous celebrities and politicians on the platform. Musk himself is not safe as a slew of Elon impersonators were seen popping up like mushrooms on Twitter. It looks like the Twitter boss finally has a crackdown on this menace.

Impersonators to be banned from Twitter

Elon recently Tweeted – ‘Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying “parody” will be permanently suspended’ This news comes just a few days after Twitter suspended several users who had changed their usernames to Elon Musk to impersonate the billionaire. Some high-profile celebrities also hopped on the trend and face consequences including comedian Kath Griffin whose account has now been suspended.

Musk also shared that previously a warning was issued before account suspension on the platform. However, the new rules do not give users such a luxury as their accounts will be discarded swiftly. Accepting that users won’t impersonate any known face is also a condition they would have to agree to while signing up on Twitter Blue. Musk wrote – ‘Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning. This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue.’

This won’t be all as any changes to a Twitter Blue username will temporarily lose the verified checkmark! This decision by Elon has yet again sparked the debate of whether the billionaire is actually the champion of free speech that he has vocally advertised himself and Twitter to be.

Tech This Week – November 5, 2022

You already know what time it is! It’s time for Exhibit’s weekly tech roundup, Tech This Week. Similar to every week until now, There are of course new and exciting things happening in the world of tech! And we’re here to serve them to you in a plate full of delights. So without further ado let’s begin! 

WhatsApp new features 

Whatsapp has been adding new features under its kitty and this week the messaging app announced three new features. Now, users can add up to 1024 members in a group chat! That sounds like a village! However, there are also new changes in the video call feature where now 32 members can be added up to a call. Whatsapp will also be soon rolling out the option where users will able to text themselves. 

Big changes to Twitter 

We were surely excited when Elon Musk took over the command of Twitter. But things went sour quickly when the hip CEO announced that users will have to pay a monthly fee of $8 in order to stay verified on the platform. It was also noted that the use of racist slurs on Twitter like the N-Word had grown exponentially by 500% after Musk took command. Twitter employees were also seen sleeping in the office in order to meet the tight deadlines by Musk. It is to be seen whether this change in Twitter will lead it to become a better platform or lead to its eventual irrelevance. 

Google’s language AI model 

Google is one of the pioneers in AI technology and has now announced a single AI model that will support around 1K of the most spoken languages in the world! Google believes that by creating a model of this size, it will make it easier to bring various AI functionalities to languages that are poorly represented in the online space. 

iPhone 14 production affected 

China’s Foxconn area in Zhengzhou went into a lockdown in recent times which made major headlines. However, the lockdown did not stop Foxconn from halting production of the iPhone 14 as it ordered workers to live in the factory complex and work on the production during an active covid outbreak. However, many workers were then seen fleeing the area, climbing fences, and walking around the Foxconn vicinity which has led to the iPhone 14 production getting affected. 

Netflix is now cheaper than before! 

The OTT giant Netflix has now launched its basic ad-supported platform in several countries. Under this plan, users will be able to stream 720P content that will be limited to a single device support only. Netflix states that users will get 4 to 5 minutes of ads per hour of content. However, the ad-supported plan has not been introduced yet in India. 

Amazon Founder Sued

Amazon owner and billionaire – Jeff Bezos was sued by a former housekeeper who claims that she was subjected to racial discrimination by his staff. The former housekeeper also accused that they were forced to work 10 to 14 hours a day in unsanitary conditions without rest or meal breaks. The former housekeeper now seeks back pay and benefits as well as monetary damages. 

iPhone India users to get 5G from next week 

Apple will soon be rolling out the much-awaited software upgrade for the 5G network in India next week. The service will be made available with the iOS 16 beta software update. With this update, users of iPhone 14, 13, 12, and SE will be able to experience 5G. 

Windows 11 Moment 2 update

Microsoft recently released new features on Windows 11 with the Moment 1 update. The company has decided to move away from major updates and focus on smaller updates over shorter periods of time. The rumor mill has it that the Moment 2 update is just around the corner. 

AMD Radeon RX 7000 GPUs

Finally, AMD officially announced its next-gen Radeon RX GPUs today. The rumors about this new lineup of GPUs were making rounds on the internet for a long time. The first two Radeon RX 7000 GPUs are called Radeon RX 7900 XTX and the Radeon RX 7900 XT. The latest series will be using AMD’s latest RDNA 3 Graphical architecture. With the support of DisplayPort 2.1, the GPUs will support higher refresh rates on even 4K and 8K resolutions! 

Elon Musk proposes $8 per month for Twitter blue tick

The new owner of Twitter is ready to shake up how the app works from the ground above. Elon Musk recently took control of Twitter after completing his $44 billion acquisition the past week. A lot has happened ever since Musk took command of Twitter, be it him walking into the headquarters with a sink in his hands or key staff members and the board of directors being shown the front door. While it was expected that Musk will make radical changes to the platform, people were not expecting that there will be a change in how accounts are verified with the blue tick. It looks like users will now have to pay a monthly fee in order to keep their verified status on Twitter!

$8 for blue tick on Twitter

Musk had some strong views to share on Twitter’s verification policy. He described the current system as a ‘lords & peasants system calling it ‘bullshit’. Elon wants to bring a change in the Twitter verification system with it being available only to Twitter Blue subscribers at the price of $8 per month.

A verified tick is not the only feature as Blue members will also get more benefits with the $8 price tag. Twitter won’t be an entirely ad-free experience for Blue users but they will see ‘Half as many ads’. Additionally, Blue members will also get priority in tweet replies, mentions, and search. Another feature catering to creators on the internet is the ability to be able to post longer video and audio content. Twitter Blue will also come with a paywall bypass feature that will directly work with publishers that collab with the platform. According to the Twitter boss, Blue subscription will be differently adjusted by country. Twitter Blue has not been introduced yet in India and it will be interesting to see at what price the subscription is introduced here.

Naturally, the decision has faced a lot of backlash on the platform. Many blue tick verified users have expressed their disappointment over the new rule. However, Elon Musk won’t be backing down from his decision.

 

 

Kanye West set to acquire right-wing social media platform Parler

Kanye West cannot stop making headlines ever since his divorce from Kim Kardashian. The ‘I am a God’ rapper was seen making outlandish comments against her ex-wife and then about her boyfriend when Kim started dating Pete Davidson. Kanye was seen calling Pete Davidson ‘Skete’ on several occasions on social media which sparked a slew of memes across the internet. Everything up until now was considered an amusing banter amongst Ye fans and other internet users (of course, not Kim) but things took a steep left turn when the rapper was seen making anti-semitic comments while making public or podcast appearances. The internet quickly turned its back on Kanye with platforms like Instagram and Twitter deleting some of Kanye’s hate-mongering posts and ultimately banning him from the platforms altogether. Now, Ye has yet again made headlines for a controversial reason as he has decided to acquire the right-wing social media platform, Parler.

Kanye Acquires Parler

Just shortly after Kanye West was banned from mainstream platforms for sharing anti-semitic posts, Kanye West has made a bid to purchase the right-wing friendly social media platform, Parler. West, who is now legally known as Ye will now be gaining control of Parler allowing him to share his unrestricted thoughts. In his official statement, Ye noted that “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves”

Parler was introduced back in August 2018 but it did not gain mainstream traction until 2020. The controversial platform was taken offline due to its connection with the US Capitol violence, but it quickly relaunched in a month. Ye and Parlement Technologies, who run Parler have not stated the exact price for which the former has acquired the platform.

Right now, there is no way to know whether Parler will be making its way to the mainstream climbing up the social media ladder already crowded with multiple platforms. Parler is currently collecting the crumbles left by platforms like Twitter and Instagram as people banned from those platforms usually make their way to platforms like Parler. However, the platform can soon become irrelevant as Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition could bring relaxation to its content moderation policy.

Twitter rolls out ‘Edit’ option

For years Twitter users have adamantly demanded the option to edit tweets. I’ve had to delete a tweet and write it down after missing out on a word or misspelling one many times, I am sure you have gone through the same. But it looks like Twitter has finally heard what its users suggested for years and provided an edit option, but there is a catch! Weeks after Twitter announced that it will launch an edit option for its paid subscribers, the microblogging social media giant posted its very first edited tweet. Check it out below:

Twitter’s Edit Option

https://twitter.com/TwitterBlue/status/1575590534529556480?s=20&t=rhUXBEFl2lNda7Er4f140A

As of now, only Twitter Blue subscribers living in New Zealand, Canada and Australia can edit their tweets. Thus it is a paid feature and not a free one. The company has stated that Blue subscribers in the US will soon be getting the feature but there is no word about the feature making its way to Twitter in India as there is not even a Twitter Blue subscription model launched in the country. In the tweet above, you can see a pencil symbol which notifies users that the tweet was edited. Users can then click on the pencil symbol and check out the edit history of the tweet. So, users thinking that they can easily hide their typos and mistakes by simply editing a tweet won’t be able to do so.

I think Twitter as a microblogging website has surely gotten late to introduce this feature. The edit option should have made its way to Twitter years back but better late than never! To edit their tweets users need to pay up $4.99 per month for a Twitter Blue subscription. When it comes to the actual functionality of the edit button, users can edit their tweets multiple times only in the first 30 minutes after the tweet has been published. Twitter describes the 30-minute time frame as a short period of time to fix typos and missed tags. being an ardent fan of the microblogging platform, I cannot wait for Twitter Blue and the edit option to become available in India.

Twitter launches ‘Circles’ feature to keep tweets private

While Twitter is known to be a platform for people to share their unfiltered views, it surely has landed many known and unknown people in trouble for the same reason. While the primarily text-based social media platform allows people to share their views it has a few limitations that the competing platforms possess. While Instagram has close friends and edit post options, Twitter had no such option. Well, that was only till now, as Twitter has recently launched the Twitter Circles feature which allows users to share their tweets with a specified group of people.

The idea behind Twitter Circle is that one might not want to share their tweets with all of their friends, family, and colleagues. While one friend group of yours might enjoy a controversial take on a mainstream movie, others might not. Hence, Twitter Circles allows your views to be restricted to one set of people. The social media platform started testing the feature back in May, however, the Twitter Circle is now available to everyone.

The Circle is quite similar to Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ feature which allows you to share posts with a small group of people. On Twitter, users can add up to 150 people to your ‘Circle’. People you add to your Circle do not need to follow you, hence, if you want to tweet something specifically tailored for Harry Styles or Lizzo fans, you’ll be able to do it!

How to add Twitter Circle

Users will be able to share a Twitter Circle tweet when they open the Tweet composer.

  1. Select the ‘Choose Audience’ option within the Tweet composer.
  2. Select ‘Edit’ next to the Twitter Circle option
  3. Search and select the people you want in the circle (People can also be selected from the recommended list)
  4. Click ‘X’ and continue typing the tweet

Once the Twitter Circle is added, users have the option to choose between the audience of ‘Everyone’ or ‘Twitter Circle’. Users need to know that the Circle tweets cannot be retweeted as they are restricted to a limited audience. As of now, Twitter is also testing the ‘Edit’ post option.

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