Amazon Is Very Keen On Adopting A TikTok Themed Feed With Internal Tests In Full Swing

There are plenty of apps that can’t get over TikTok’s successful layout for its social feed. And that’s why they’re doing everything in their power to take inspiration and generate an algorithm that’s awfully similar.

After Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and more, it now seems Amazon has joined the bandwagon.

While you probably wouldn’t expect to see a leader in the eCommerce industry take on the role, well, anything is possible in the digital world.

Amazon has joined the likes of so many others who took the initiative of doing this in the past. And as the old saying goes, it’s better late than never.

The news report comes to us thanks to Watchful who recently outlined in detail how Amazon has already begun internal testing the idea. And yes, that just goes to show how motivated they are on taking the initiative on board.

Amazon is experimenting to see whether or not vertical photographs and video content across the app can be a success. The test is solely restricted to just Amazon staff members but if it does turn out well, we can see it being released for the rest of us soon.

Images were provided by Watchful to the WSJ in this regard. And by the looks of it, the new feed that has been dubbed ‘Inspire’ is going to be seen across the app’s navigation bar towards the bottom end of the page.

After clicking on the diamond-shaped image, users will get a glimpse of posts across their feed. This will entail a few links to those goods and services seen across the post.

For those who may not be aware, Amazon isn’t doing this for the first time. The company was seen copying or taking inspiration from other leading apps such as Meta’s Instagram.

Amazon’s ‘Posts’ is not only an advertising tool but it is a direct copycat version of Instagram as well. Other than that, we know how Amazon has invested in some live shopping features and also in the world of influencer marketing too.

But let’s be honest here. Amazon getting inspired by TikTok isn’t arising here out of the blue. TikTok is gaining fame for offering plenty of product recommendations linked to Amazon as well. On average, you’ll find around 26 billion views linked to the hashtag Amazon Finds.

Moreover, some content creators on TikTok have even managed to gather millions of their followers by searching for Amazon Product recommendations that truly strike a note with users.

As a result, they end up earning commissions when a particular user makes use of affiliate links. On that note, it makes sense why Amazon would want to double its own profits through the native app instead of seeing people come forward through other apps like Instagram or TikTok.

For now, we’re not too sure if the feature will actually get launched on Amazon or not. Also, users might not find the native offering of Amazon too appealing as that seen across different platforms.

Remember, it’s all a big trial and if successful, we’ll see it pulling forward.

Read next: Amazon Continues to Dominate Ecommerce With 61% of Product Searches
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

A Global Overview of Internet Prices and Speed

The internet has quickly become a vital utility because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up keeping people well connected with each other as well as giving them access to all kinds of useful information. In spite of the fact that this is the case, internet availability and quality can vary dramatically from country to country. It is estimated that around 5 billion people are able to access the internet these days, which means that there are still close to 3 billion who don’t have it.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the recent pandemic has spurred a lot of growth in internet access. Between the years of 2019 and 2021, around 800 million new internet users were added all around the world with all things having been considered and taken into account. The highest level of internet access can be seen in Europe and North America which is not surprising given that these are the most well developed regions in the world.

92% of Europeans have access to the internet, and the highest number of internet users can be seen in Germany where over 79 million people are able to access it. The US has well over 300 million internet users, or 307 million to be precise, but there are still over 23 million Americans who only access the internet infrequently and might not have good quality internet that they can rely on.

Moving on to Africa, this continent faces a real problem when it comes to internet availability and quality. Only 43.1% of the people in Africa have access to a reliable enough internet connection, which is far lower than global internet penetration rates which exceed 66%. The northern half of the continent generally has more reliable internet connections available, such as in Morocco where internet penetration is at a fairly high 84.1%

However, other nations in Africa have barely any people who use the internet. In the Central African Republic, only about 7.1% of the population uses the internet which means that the vast majority of the population is cut off from necessary information and the business opportunities that the internet can provide.

The Asia Pacific region is more of a mixed bag. 62% of all internet users in this region hail from China, which has 35%, and India, which has 27%. Indonesia comes in third, but it only has a relatively meager 7.7% of total internet users in this region. Additionally, Indonesia as well as Pakistan have relatively unreliable internet connections which are prone to disruptions and disconnections.

As for internet speed and quality, this is largely contingent on the size of the country and its population. The best internet speeds in the world can be found in Monaco, with an average broadband speed in excess of 261 Mbps. The fastest mobile internet speed can be found in South Korea and it is a whopping 202.6 Mbps which is considerably higher than the second ranking country of Switzerland where mobile speeds can reach 135.7 Mbps on average. With so many people without internet in the world, more work needs to be done to fill in the gap. Take a look at below charts for more insights:

H/T: Atlasvpn

Read next: Study shows shoppers are more likely to buy products from brands that offer a personalized experience
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

New Survey Proves 49% Of Android Users Prefer Switching To iPhones Because It’s Safer

The debate between Android and iPhone devices is one that has evolved in the past few years. But a new study is shedding light on what Android users really think about making a switch to iPhones and why.

According to the research published, almost half of Android users wouldn’t mind making the switch to Apple smartphones. And the reason being is simple: they call it safer and more private as compared to Android.

The results of the survey aren’t a huge surprise for obvious reasons. Many can’t help but hold a clear superiority of iPhones over all others. And in addition to that fact, consumers definitely feel a little safer when using the latest version of the iPhone 13 when compared to the latest Samsung S22.

The news comes to us thanks to the report published by Beyond Infinity, which set out with the task to have nearly 1,000 Americans interviewed for this purpose of mobile security.

Regarding users’ habits and feelings, around 76% of iPhone users feel safe and satisfied with their devices. On the other hand, a good 74% of users of Android devices carried the same sentiments.

Both smartphone users say it’s a remarkable difference between both devices and they’d definitely prefer the iPhone maker over Samsung any day. Moreover, it was interesting to see iPhone users claim that they were more than twice as likely to trust their device than any other, especially Android.

In specific words, the iPhone happened to be the most secure device that they’ve come across in their lives.

Meanwhile, other key findings seen in the study were related to how cloud services really affect both Apple and Android users.

Around 20% of the users surveyed having iCloud keychain claim to feel so safe, while the rest can’t be said for Google users in regard to their Password Manager. Only 13% of the latter felt safe there.

On the other hand, let’s move on to Apple users, of which 27% feel so safe when using their iCloud. In comparison, around 22% of users from Google Drive felt the same.

Ever since we’ve come across newer versions of operating systems, there has been a straight upgrade in security advancements. That is why 33% of Android users are feeling the pressure to switch to Apple’s iPhone and avail the benefits like a new lockdown mode that would be launched soon.

The study has also shed light on how iPhone users tend to be more updated and concerned about their privacy and security status than others. For instance, they’ll be busy choosing pins comprising six digits rather than the usual four.

These users are also part of the bunch who are continuously monitoring the tracking of their current locations. They are going to avail better enhancements related to security like facial recognition too. And yes, no Android devices are offering the benefits and technology as Apple yet.

We also saw the research asking respondents who shed light on any security breach incidents that they were involved in. And neither of the two groups was strangers to hacking and malware incidents. But again, it was much less with iPhone users.

A greater majority of iPhone users were reported to have never been through any sort of security breach, in comparison to their Android counterparts.

In those situations where a security breach did manage to take place involving their iPhones, around 20% said they could completely recover the data that had been lost. But at the same time, some users may be thinking they’re too safe as a greater majority of Apple device owners reported devices getting lost.

Read next: What Do People Really Search For Online And Why? New Survey Highlights Top Ten Secret Search Topics
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Meet’s New Update Shows How Noisy Your Background Environment Really Is

Whether you happen to be working from home or from your office space, one thing is for sure. You’re bound to be surrounded by plenty of background noise. And that’s exactly where noise cancellation apps come into play.

Keeping that theme in mind, Google Meet has recently updated its UI to help users gauge how noisy their background environment really is and how active their current noise cancellation features are working.

In case you didn’t know, Google has the capability to filter all sorts of typing sound effects, construction noise, chatter in your background, and also other sounds that aren’t really your voice.

This way, it ensures video calls by users are super productive as they bar out all distractions that may be present.

The company announced a range of new features that are innovative, to say the least. They entail a ring circulating around the blue voice mark for the app, which shows how much sound was canceled out.

Remember, when you’ve got the noise cancellation feature up and running, you’re dealing with three different outcomes.

For starters, a voice indicator tells if the voice is coming from you. Secondly, it could delineate how a loud burst of sound gets filtered out whenever you are talking. This way, only the participants get to hear what you have to say. And it’s usually activated once each meeting.

The third scenario could be when you’ve been left in a situation where you’re constantly surrounded by noise. Hence, it keeps on getting filtered as you speak so others may hear just your voice.

The level of noise gets delineated by the size of the ring shown. Obviously, the greater the noise, the bigger the ring size and vice versa.

For those interested, the visual voice indicator is going to be launched as early as today and in the next few weeks. So we definitely recommend keeping an eye out for that.

To be specific, the company has outlined a schedule on who can expect what and when. So we’ll just get that out there for you all too.

The product isn’t going to be up for grabs to users having personal accounts on Google. At the same time, it’s not for those with Workspace Essentials on Google, Non-profit organizations, and Business Starter Groups. That includes those with G Suite Basic accounts.

But those with Business Plus, Education Plus, Business Standard, and Workplace Individuals can surely attain it soon.

Read next: Google Collaborated With A Notable Researcher To Discuss The Attitudes That Different Age Groups Hold Towards Online Misinformation
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Oracle Begins Audit Of TikTok’s Algorithms And Content Moderation Models Over Fears Of Chinese Manipulation

TikTok has been in the limelight for quite some time now as researchers have raised alarms about user data being shared with China.

On that note, a new report by Axios has gone on to reveal today how Oracle has begun monitoring the platform. This includes a thorough audit of both content moderation as well as the app’s algorithms.

It is believed that the reviews actually started last week. But a lot of the focus on the decision has come about after the company opted to directly route most of its respective traffic to the US. To be more specific, we’re talking about servers based in Oracle.

The controversial claims that so much data is being accessed by the Chinese government officials without consent and further manipulated is definitely a worry that many lawmakers have had in the past.

Hence, the decision today is designed to provide greater reassurance to American lawmakers in this regard.

Oracle will be checking to see if TikTok is working around the policies that it has stood by since day one and not transgressing beyond bounds. The report also spoke about how Oracle will be making sure all the models for content moderation aren’t manipulated by China.

TikTok itself says it has begun auditing its own practices including models of content moderation and other automated systems used to provide content to users. There is a special emphasis on seeing how the app’s users are agreeing to its policy for privacy.

TikTok did confirm today that the news is accurate and it was certainly working hard on such practices, which many have been calling controversial for years.

One of the most striking reports came from The Washington Post that highlighted how TikTok was busy disguising content on the platform after receiving instructions from government officials in Beijing.

Moreover, the report also talked in detail about blocking certain types of content after they failed to impress Chinese officials who had cautioned against displaying such orders through the app.

In that same timeframe, another report was released by The Guardian that delineated how political speech-themed content on the app was forced under censor as the Chinese Government felt it was undesirable.

But along the way, TikTok has denied all such claims and any wrongdoing, trying hard to clear up its tainted image. They even referred to such news as outdated and irrelevant.

The real began this year in June when an alarming report by BuzzFeed confirmed that TikTok was way closer to its Chinese counterparts than many would like. The fact that data belonging to US users were constantly being accessed via employees in China really raised eyebrows.

And for evidence, data recordings were provided that were linked to more than 80 meetings.

That was enough to shake the firm owned by ByteDance, who decided to hush the matter by moving all American traffic to Oracle servers in the US. This way, the data would be secure from those trying to eye it from a distance.

This is why Oracle has been given the huge responsibility of eyeing TikTok and preventing any US data from being leaked or sent out to China. Therefore, the deal is definitely one that has brought into light a huge responsibility of Oracle, not to mention a high degree of involvement with the app.

If the audit goes according to plan, it would certainly be a huge win for TikTok as it would back up claims of the app that it has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Therefore, it’s definitely an interesting affair and we can’t wait for the results.

Read next: Innovation At Peak For TikTok As App Launches Its New In-App Text-To-Image AI Generator
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Statista's Data Shows That eCommerce Will Experience Minor Decline In 2022

Data from Statista predicts that e-commerce revenue generated across 2022 will experience a year-over-year decrease, which would be a first for the lucrative marketplace.

E-commerce being such a hefty source of income for literal thousands, if not millions, of individuals is in and of itself a larger symptom of our abundant reliance on online resources and the internet as whole. Not that I’m attempting to paint such interaction in either a positive or negative light; in fact, providing the average individual with the ability to generate a decent enough income with a limited amount of resources is actually sort of brilliant. We’re struggling as a people to earn anyways, with the likes of basic educational degrees becoming increasingly difficult to purchase (I know the correct terminology is to earn, but that’s starting to feel less and less so). Then again, e-commerce is hardly a proletariat tool for the masses, since most of the revenue generated in such ventures is by mega corporations hocking merchandise or influencers doing, well, the same. Ah well, so long as everyone pays their taxes and contributes to the economy, right? What’s that: ultra-rich people don’t contribute to the economy? What an unexpected shame; anyways, let’s move onwards.

Statista's Digital Economy Compass’ second chapter is the source of our current topic, as it rather confidently asserts that e-commerce is due for a relative downswing this year. However, let’s take a closer look at the claim made, and more specifically analyze the context in which it was made. 2020 was an absolutely insane year for e-commerce as a whole. With the world’s population sequestered within their homes, having nothing but their phones and laptops at hand, everything had to be purchased online. Truly, I mean everything: groceries, clothes, commodities, toilet paper (dark times indeed), all required some form of online transaction to take place. With e-commerce bolstered by the purchase of not just merchandise but basic necessities as well, revenues soared.

2021 profited off of both living in the pandemic for quite a while, and thereafter from the effects of individuals having gotten used to online shopping. As popular as the habit was before 2020, repeated use of online transactions had removed the stigma that many older individuals (a.k.a. the people with the money) shared about making contactless payments. 2022, according to Statista, will finally be able to fully distance itself from such events and while e-commerce will continue to be a lucrative and successful field, there will be definitive downswing in the marketplace as compared to its 2020-2021 boom.

Read next: 51% of IT Companies Plan to Increase Expenditures Despite Inflationary Pressure
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Apple Watch Can Save Heart Attack Patients According to This Research

Wearable tech has turned into a mainstay of the industry, and the Apple Watch is perhaps the most successful piece of wearable tech that is currently available. Many consider wearable tech like the Apple Watch to be superfluous, but in spite of the fact that this is the case research has shown that it can help patients who are suffering from heart disease. According to a recently published report by the Texas Heart Institute, the Apple Watch can be quite useful for detecting and preventing heart attacks.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the Apple Watch can be a great tool for self checking one’s health status. People in the US suffer from a heart attack approximately every forty seconds, and proactive measures can reduce the lethality of these symptoms by up to half.

However, it should be mentioned that the Apple Watch is not a suitable replacement for clinical observation in its current form. This tech product currently only provides one lead, and it needs to increase this to three because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing it to predict heart attacks with a greater rate of accuracy.

Most medical professionals require twelve separate leads to adequately diagnose a heart attack, but the addition of two more leads can help the Apple Watch cover much more ground with all things having been considered and taken into account. Placing the Apple Watch on one’s thigh and lower abdomen can provide a lot more data, and this data can be used to figure out if a myocardial infarction is on the horizon.

This shows that tech can improve lives in numerous ways, and Apple has allowed its customers to collect a lot of data that can help predict potential negative health symptoms that they might experience in the future. It will be interesting to see if Apple manages to make progress on this front, and if it does its products will become all the more essential for consumers.

Read next: Hybrid Phishing Attacks Using Callback Method Increase by 625% Since Q1 2021
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World