A Voice Note Feature Will Be Available on WhatsApp Status For Android As Well As IOS Users

WhatsApp is going to introduce voice notes on the status of WhatsApp beta for iOS. This feature is still not even available for beta users of WhatsApp for Android. However, in the new version of WhatsApp for iOS, users will be able to share a voice instead of regular WhatsApp status. iOS users will be able to share a voice note up to 30 seconds long on their status right next to the text section, as the one in the chat.

This feature was well anticipated among the users as many of them had been asking for it for a while now. In another previous update shared by WhatsApp, it was announced that every WhatsApp user will be able to create polls. That feature is now available to everyone so if you do not have it, try to update your app.

Just like any other status updates, your voice notes will also be shared with the people you choose. You can go through the privacy settings of your status to choose which people you want to share your voice note status with. As this feature is still under development, no one can see how the status will look on WhatsApp but what we know is that it will be similar to the ordinary status on the app. Android will also have the same feature soon and it will be just like iOS.

There is a chance that this feature will look different compared to the screenshots when the feature will be available to the beta users. The development of this feature is still happening and we will keep you up-to-date with any new information about this feature. You shouldn't be just excited about this feature, because WhatsApp is constantly rolling out new features which will keep users engaged with the app. There is a chance that soon WhatsApp will no longer be a messenger app, but an app used for entertainment too. Now we will what measures meta will take to roll all the new things users want in the app.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

6 In 10 Of Financial Apps On Google Play Store Are Exposed to Application Repackaging Attacks While Some Have Already Been Repacked

A new study from App Security Engine, Promon, reveals that 61% of the financial apps on Google Play Store are easily exposed to application repackaging means they can be cloned easily. It is because of the rise in customers who are interested in using online banking apps. Application Repackaging is the theft in which criminals are enabled to add their code to the source code on the existing software of the app. This lets those criminals change the functions of the app according to their own will. They repackage the app and when users use it, their data gets hacked. The login information of the users can also get stolen.

According to the analysis of 384 financial apps on Google Play including banking, cryptocurrency, and trading apps, 236 were exposed to application repackaging. 154 of them were banking apps. According to the data of the 92 most downloaded financial services apps, half of them were already repackaged. This has raised alarming bells in the heads of authorities because if this keeps on happening, there is a chance many people will lose their data. The banking details can also get hacked and as a result, the money of the users can get stolen.

This application repackaging is happening at the same pace across many regions. For instance, in the US out of the 54 most popular banking apps, 37 were modified and repackaged. Similarly, in the UK, 45 out of 74 most popular apps were repacked. In India, there is a high chance that 47 out of 69 apps can be repacked. To know more about the cause of this repackaging on these apps, it is important to know what factor is common between these apps.

Premon also made a report on it. According to this security region, the apps which were repacked and the ones that are exposed to repackaging don't have special tools to detect repackaging attacks. That's what these apps have in common. Benjamin Adolphi, a software engineer at Promon who led this study says that the interference of Apk files should be concerning for android users who want to just manage their finances, but are worried if the apps on Google Play are usable or not. Any further study about this problem is yet to be disclosed. All we can do is keep an eye on any possible solutions which can keep us safe from the apps exposed to repackaging.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Is TikTok Becoming Like Every Other Social Media Platform? The Lack of Unique Trends Suggests Yes

The launch of TikTok back in March of 2020 turned out to be a watershed moment in the world of social media. Coinciding with the start of the pandemic, TikTok’s launch gave locked in consumers a brand new app that was almost miraculously capable of keeping them entertained. Many of the trends that started out on TikTok seemed to harken back to the era of early YouTube, when everyone was a consumer and a creator and anyone could go viral regardless of whether or not they were professional content creators.

TikTok allowed people to create silly and funny videos, and many of these videos got millions of views. In spite of the fact that this is the case, recent changes that TikTok has made and the influx of professional content creators on the platform has made it seem like a different platform entirely, or rather it has started to seem like more of the same with all things having been considered and taken into account.

There was a time when TikTok created unique trends that became memes that were enormously distinctive, but with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that this seems like it is a thing of the past. Instead of original content that seems like it came straight from the heart, TikTok is now full of recycled memes that can be seen in pretty much every other social media platform out there.

One change that may have brought about this drastic difference is the rollout of a feature that notified users whenever someone visited their profile. Users became hesitant to check out someone’s profile because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up sending them a notification that could result in some embarrassment.

This is resulting in the demise of weekly trends that used to be so central to the manner in which TikTok became popular. Context is now ever more important, and trends are usually carefully tailored rather than being organic.

TikTok’s own updates and new features certainly have a role to play in altering the landscape of the app. Pop culture trends used to originate on TikTok, but now they are just hollow mimics of what is occurring on other platforms such as Facebook, YouTube or occasionally Twitter.

Much of the initial charm of TikTok is starting to fade away. It used to feel like a community of people who were just publishing their unfiltered content which was meant to be wholesome in nature, but now it seems like just another cog in the content machine. This is not an entirely bad thing, since it also means that there are more people using this app every day.

However, one might wonder what the app would have looked like if it had stayed the way it was. It filled the hole that Vine had left after it was discontinued, but that impression may not hold now that the app is trying to compete with the likes of YouTube. Only time will tell what TikTok will look like in the coming years or how different it will become.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Google Maps seems to be testing its new sidebar navigation

Google is undoubtedly one of the most innovative tech companies and is known for its useful solutions and its efficient services for users. One of the efficient product that the tech giant offers is Google Maps which is playing an important role in terms of navigation and is known for its simple user interface (UI) and accuracy.

One of the infamous search specialists named Punit has tweeted on Nov 18 2022, containing the testing footage of the new sidebar navigation system that is taking place on the left side of the maps interface.

Moreover this navigation system is going to be facilitating its users with pin icon, explore tab which will be used to get personalized suggestions based on the places you visit frequently as well as posts from businesses or people that you follow, saved places to keep all your saved locations at one place, contribute option to contribute content with Google maps in exchange of the points which will be used to get local guideline benefits later on if the content you are trying to share gets published and last but not least a more option which will be displaying several more useful options including location sharing, your timeline, your data in maps and the last feature on the list is sharing and printing of the desired map pattern.

Google never tends to disappoint when it comes to innovation. But the testing of this specific feature is yet to be done by public users as the implementation of this specific feature is not done by the Google Developers in real time yet, seems like this feature is still under testing and could take time to arrive on the platform. But many people seem to be in love with the new sidebar navigation system even before its real time implementation.

#NewTest
Google Map Testing "Explore" "Trips" "Saved" "Contribute" & "More" on left end column pic.twitter.com/Knd064FLEr

— Punit (@Punit6008) November 18, 2022

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

TikTok users can now request for verification in the app

With the whole Twitter verification process sweeping the Internet, ByteDance’s TikTok is also making its way to the party by letting its users apply for verification on the short video platform.

As per the tweet posted by Jonah Manzano, an Australian creator and musician, the application, after being updated to its latest variant, is now offering a new feature to its users. Any user, despite their account type, has access to place a confirmation request for TikTok.

Manzano's tweet was soon retweeted by Matt Navarra, a social media analyst, and consultant. Based on the screenshot shared by Matt in his tweet, the whole process will only be eligible for users of strong importance and renowned brands and companies. A total of three steps are required to submit a request for approval or verification. The first step is to meet the basic conditions for verification. Once the data has been entered, the second step will be to fill in the account details, and lastly, the notability is to be shown.

Since the platform is used by people of all ages, many users are below 18. If any account under this age has a notable background, then they can submit their request via email.

To access the verification page, Jonah shared a snapshot guiding users through the step-by-step procedure. Users start by opening the app itself and tapping the user profile option. Once the profile has been opened, a menu option is to be tapped, in which the user will be shown privacy and settings options.

Since the verification on TikTok app isn’t available to everyone as yet. Alternatively can use this link. @MattNavarra https://t.co/BjZku9tegR pic.twitter.com/H5J9RrDpZj

— Jonah Manzano (@jonah_manzano) November 25, 2022

In this section, the Manage Account option will be displayed. From here, the business profile can submit the request, and the same goes for users with a personal or private profile.

Since the feature has been rolled out in a selected number of countries, it will take some time before it appears globally. Though the users applying for verification should know that the platform has strict terms for granting verification, the platform itself reviews the posts being added to the application and hands out different badges to users with large numbers of followers who are also doing well on the site.

The official announcement for the global release is yet to be made, and since then, it can be expected that it may take some time before general users can get their hands on it as well.



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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

New Report Confirms 140K People Bought The $8 Twitter Blue Subscription In Just 5 Days

The controversy surrounding the Twitter Blue subscription is one that is known to all.

It was an absolute disaster of a plan to add the verification tick to this Blue account on the app as many began to impersonate leading brands and public figures. All in all, there was chaos and Twitter really had a tough time dealing with the ordeal.

But a new report by The New York Times is now shedding light on some very interesting points. They’re highlighting the matter related to how so many people began taking on board this feature by the masses. Think along the lines of 140,000 Twitter Blue subscriptions sold in just a five-day period. And you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand that it’s a lot.

Travis Brown who is a known software developer located in Berlin mentioned how there were more than 137,000 accounts that had taken on board the decision to go Blue using the computer program.

This particular program downloaded so much data and it entailed an entire list of users’ followers, screen times, and even the exact date joined by them on the app with appropriate verification status.

Brown noted how such a Twitter Blue Subscriber entailed nearly 560 followers but then, there were those having nearly one million and more. These included one news site in Arabic and a few other Adult stars too.

Then some subscribers included the likes of Kyle Rittenhouse and Catturd2.

Moreover, Brown’s data went about showing plenty of thousands of subscribers that had to do with 5000 far-right accounts on the Twitter app. This was flagged to be pushing forward some extremist ideas while a few even got called out for adding conspiracy theories.

For now, Twitter and Travis Brown are yet to generate any responses to queries thrown at them for comments regarding data related to normal hours for working.

This past month has been a moment of absolute chaos for the app because we saw the likes of the $8 feature for a subscription get launched when the CEO fired more than 50% of the workforce and that entailed 8,000 employees.

After its rollout, so many trolls started to abuse this blue tick, and then they began impersonating leading high profiles too such as former leaders, celebrities, and famous brands.

Then so many advertisers started to back out because there was little potential for actually staying with the platform. It was a risk and they weren’t willing to take it.

So Musk took the difficult decision to withdraw the offer of getting the Blue subscription with verification at such a low price. This was temporary but it had to be done as things really got out of hand so quickly. Musk says this Blue relaunch is currently on hold until the app may resolve impersonation matters thanks to high confidence.

Hence, we’ll just need to wait and watch for his next step for now.

Read next: Here’s Why No Major Tech Company is Trying to Clone Twitter
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Data Shows Social Media Usage Has Peaked As Years Are Passing

IPG Mediabrands' Magna Unit reported that social media usage among people is declining as the years are passing. This may seem like unrealistic news, but it's true. This report was titled The Media Time Paradox which included the media usage of people in the US. In 2019, the average time people spent on media was 82 hours per week. But in 2022, the time dropped to 11.2% and now people spend 72.8 hours on average weekly. Magna is working on consumer media and this report was a part of it. They also said the reason for this decline was due to IRL (in real life) experience.

The most interesting thing was that this decline was even seen in the most popular social media apps too, even TikTok. Magna's Vice President says that it is quite shocking to see the most dominating and popular app TikTok getting a decline in users. Even though TikTok is getting new users every day, the older ones have stopped using the app.

In the year 2022, TikTok usage will decline by 29% as compared to 2021. And compared to 2020, the decline was by 42%. Magna said that this decline in the use of social media is because of two factors. One reason is that people want to decrease their time on social media and another reason is that people are preferring to experience real-life activities more.

As this report didn't cite any specific data about the trend of social media usage, Magna says that the two reasons mentioned above are the only sensible reasons why people are using less social media. As many people started feeling discontinued from reality because of the use of virtual realities through digital media, it was important for them to start experiencing real life.

Magna is expecting that people will start using the metaverse to increase their experience. The people trying to have IRL experience will go out more often to have real-life experiences, maybe go to picnics or theaters. Magna also reports that a big marketing project is on its way to growing IRL experiences. People are now shifting to old forms of media and that's for good.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World