Elon Musk Compliments Writer Stephen King In Recent Tweet Despite Him Bashing Musk For Being A Misfit For Twitter

Elon Musk is making heads turn in the world of tweeting and he’s taking the time out to mention more about Stephen King.

The news comes as the billionaire referred to King as one of the most talented and creative individuals on the planet. But remember, King does not seem to reciprocate similar thoughts about him.

Instead, the best-selling writer called him an absolute misfit for the Twitter company that has literally caused so much downfall. But wait, that’s not all. We have seen the duo feuding over mega issues like the new verification process.

When Musk first mentioned that the $20-a-month plan was in the works, the writer says he lost his cool. It was just a bizarre feeling. Now, the conversation tone has really taken a nosedive.

Elon Musk has been dubbed a visionary by the famous writer and also a man that changes the way people think. King says he adores how Musk alters the way people think about cars, thanks to his Tesla invention. How’s that for a 180-degree flip?

Yes, they might not be the best of friends but the constant tweets about one another are taking place now more than ever. Being called a misfit for a huge digital platform and then saying Musk makes up things as he goes along is so important to realize the significance between the lines. But it’s even more interesting to see Musk claim he welcomed the suggestions by the writer and was taking it all so positively.

Just one day later, Graham Allen says he spoke to Musk over the Twitter app to ignore all that negativity coming through King via a podcast. And on Sunday, another tweet came forward by Musk that stated how he just might not be agreeing with what King says, but he likes to hear it.

Musk is now going as far as inviting the author to pay a visit to Twitter’s HQ in San Francisco so they can sit down and have a chat.

One major controversy is definitely linked to the blue tick that popped up as Musk took up complete ownership of the firm. The prominence has arisen due to several fears that may end up driving huge names like Stephen King far off the platform while allowing for fake accounts that impersonate officials from the government, celebs, and even journalists.

A few other celebs like comedian Kathy Griffin were a part of those that tried to prove an important point by copying this billionaire We saw her profile receive the status of suspension.

In other news, former US President Trump had his account reinstated through a poll and then there is news about the rest of the accounts getting reinstated by next week.

For now, there is no definite news on if that’s going to happen or not, but we do know that Musk has great plans. For now, Twitter is not responding to any requests for comments.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

The State of the VPN Market in 2022

VPNs have been around for about 3 decades by this point, and they are becoming way more popular than ever before. They provide a wide range of benefits, including protecting people from third party tracking, allowing consumers to access content from around the globe and perhaps most importantly enabling individuals living under autocratic regimes to circumvent restrictions placed on their internet access.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that around 88% of Americans now know what a VPN is, as per Security.Org's 2022 Annual VPN Market Report. This is a big uptick from the 72% that said the same in 2020, and it suggests that VPNs are attaining a level of usage or at the very least awareness that had been hard to come by in decades prior.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, the usage rate for VPNs has been stagnating. Even though a lot more people are aware about what they are and what they can do, the percentage of Americans that use VPNs seems to be stuck at around 39%. That is an indication that VPNs may not provide features that the average person is looking for, or at least Americans don’t feel much need for them thanks to their unrestricted internet access.

Interestingly, the number of survey respondents who stated that they do not use VPNs has gone up. Back in 2021, 59% of people said that they don’t use VPNs, and this number increased to 61% in 2022. The slight increase in 2021 had a lot of people assuming that VPNs were on the rise, but 2022 has erased all of that progress to bring VPN usage back to 39% from the high of 42% that was seen in 2021.

There is also a bit of a stagnation that can be seen in the number of people who are paying for VPNs. Around half of VPN users currently use free VPNs, and that is despite nearly two thirds of them saying that they face problems with the free versions. Google is an especially unreliable VPN provider, with most users stating that they simply don’t trust the VPN that they have built into their new flagship Pixel phones.

People also seem to be finding fewer reasons for using VPNs with all things having been considered and taken into account. General security is still a huge usage case because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping users to keep themselves safe online. 55% of consumer cited general security as one of their reasons for using VPNs, and this number has stayed the same over the course of the year.

Most of the other reasons for using VPNs are seeing diminished citing, though. General privacy has dropped to 50% from 54%, and only 34% are using it as a job requirement as compared to 38% last year. Corporations are clearly placing much less emphasis on the use of VPNs, because the number of respondents who said they used VPNs to log on to secure corporate servers has dropped ten points from 41% in 2021 to 31% in 2022, and this trend can be seen across the board. Take a look at below charts and graphics for more insights:

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

76% of US Consumers Prefer Smartphones for Online Shopping

In person shopping is still the norm among most US based consumers, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it seems that online shopping is starting to pick up a fair bit. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in America showed that online shopping is turning into a veritable trend because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing people to purchase things without having to go outside.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that smartphones are the most popular devices on which online shopping can be done. 69% of survey respondents said that they used either laptop or desktop computers for their online shopping, but 76% said the same for smartphones which means they are more likely to use mobile devices than might have been the case otherwise.

There is also a much higher level of frequency in terms of online shopping when it comes to smartphones. Around 33% of Americans user smartphones for online shopping every week, and the numbers for desktop and laptop computers were much lower at just 21% with all things having been considered and taken into account.

The cohort that is responsible for the most online shopping through smartphones is the 30 to 49 age bracket. 49% of consumers in this group said they make at least one weekly purchase through their smartphones. The 18 to 29 cohort was less enthused, with just 38% saying the same. That might be due to more purchasing power among older consumers, since most consumers will have more spending money thanks to their years of experience under their belt.

However, 57% of consumers living in the US said that they prefer online shopping which is much higher than the 38% that said they preferred online shopping. That indicates that in person shopping is still the consumption method of choice for a majority of shoppers in America, and that will definitely influence brand marketing spends for the holiday shopping season that is right around the corner.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

93 Percent of US Adults Rely on Small Businesses

Small businesses have been seeing a resurgence these past few years, and it turns out that around 93% of US consumers rely on them for various events that are coming up. This comes from a survey of around 2,000 people, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of AT&T, and it also revealed that around 88% of survey respondents personally know someone that works at a local small business.

People rely on these small businesses for a variety of services, with 72% stating that they like the food better at local restaurants than they do at national or international chains. 74% of survey respondents also said that small businesses often have products that are rare or hard to find in other stores, with 43% relying on them for all of their grocery needs with all things having been considered and taken into account.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that being able to physically interact with products before selling them is a major reason why consumers are turning to them more and more frequently. 57% said that they liked this feature of nearby small businesses, and 52% also enjoyed the fact that they can walk to the stores more easily than might have been the case otherwise.

As for how consumers hear about small businesses, the mechanisms at play here are largely organic. 59% said that they heard about a small business from a family member who recommended it, and 56% cited their neighbors as the source of this information.

Social media is also a large driver of small business. 48% of consumers heard about small businesses from social media, or alternatively from small scale community oriented apps. Around 73% of consumers may be negatively impacted by the absence of small businesses because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making many of their favorite products hard to find. This indicates that there is still a lot of life left in these enterprises, and they might be able to hold the line against large corporations.



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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Big Tech Received 68% of Ad Revenue in 2022

Advertising revenue has been skyrocketing as of late, reaching around half a trillion dollars in 2022 so far. Most of this revenue, or around 68% to be precise, has ended up going to the Big Four tech companies. These companies are Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta. While China has established itself as an entirely separate market, outside of the Chinese mainland it’s these four companies that are earning the highest revenues from this industry.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that much of the growth in ad revenue in 2022 has been a direct result of the rise of video streaming. Ad agencies and brands have been pouring ever more cash into ads that are viewed next to video based content, and it is estimated that video ads will outstrip text ads in terms of investment by 2025.

Video based ads have long been a mainstay of the advertising industry, but in spite of the fact that this is the case things are still changing quite dramatically in that arena. Broadcast TV companies are seeing a lower proportion of ad revenue coming their way, since streaming services are proving to be better options than might have been the case otherwise.

Small businesses are benefiting from the shift to IPTV and streaming services. They no longer have to deal with middle men but can instead put their ads up by getting directly in touch with the platforms that they want the ads to be displayed on.

However, a major seismic shift that is occurring in the world of digital ads has to do with recent privacy regulations. GDPR regulations in the EU along with Apple’s new policies that prevent third party tracking are forcing companies like Meta to retool their platforms in order to stay relevant. We are living in a time of rapid change, and there is no telling who will end up coming out on top. Big tech has a huge role to play here, and it is unlikely that their role will dimmish in the coming decade.

H/T: FT

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Repeat Customers Drive 97% of the In-App Revenue for Games

Gaming apps are generally far more profitable than other types of apps, and in game purchases are a huge driver of this trend with all things having been considered and taken into account. It turns out that the vast majority of revenue that goes to gaming apps comes from repeat purchases. As much as 97% of in app revenue for games comes from such repeated buys, which suggests that once a user has made a purchase they are more likely to make another one.

A study by Adikteev showed that only 36% of gamers will make only one purchase within the app. In contrast, 64% said that they are likely to make purchases repeatedly. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that game app developers are using several methods to drive increased sales of in app products. These includes push notifications that can raise awareness about premium or paid features than might have been the case otherwise.

This is not to say that gaming apps can obtain consistent revenue without doing some precise targeting. Gamers are far more likely to make a repeat purchase during the first two weeks of playing the game. 51% make a purchase on the first day, a further 25% in the first week and just 9% more in the subsequent week.

Targeting gamers soon after they have made a purchase can really drive up revenues for gaming apps because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up enticing gamers to spend more. There is a 77% chance that a gamer will repeat a purchase within the first week, and it drops to 54% in the second week. By focusing on the right demographics, gaming apps can eke out ever more efficiency from their revenue streams.

A combination of email marketing and push notifications is critical here, since not all users will allow notifications to come through. Studies have consistently shown that the best methods need to be multifaceted lest some users slip through the cracks and avoid purchasing anything.

Read next: Survey shows almost half of social media users got exploited in terms of online shopping scams
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

New Report By Google Says Nearly 60% Of The Internet Features Duplicate Content

We happen to live in a very unique world today. And as days go by, we’re seeing more shocking stances coming forward in the world of tech.

A recently published report by Google has gone on to highlight how duplicate content is slowly but surely turning into a major concern for obvious reasons. A while ago, Google’s Gary Illyes posted the slide at the Google Search Central Live in Singapore the other day.

This particular slide was grabbed from a tweet that was shared by Kenichi Suzuki who happened to be at the same event where such a shocking disclosure was put forward. Many began to even wonder what search engine giant Google felt was duplicated.

About 60% of the Internet is duplicate. @methode
#SearchCentralLive pic.twitter.com/jcuu1qrSKQ

— Kenichi Suzuki🇺🇦鈴木謙一 (@suzukik) November 24, 2022

Some questioned if it means 100% replica or an exact match for the content, a similar match, a similar topic, HTML, or perhaps, something else. Remember, the possibilities are limitless.

The search engine giant has mentioned how there is an abundant amount of information and hence, it has got so many options on what to rank and what not to. The mega 60% figure goes on to show how Google has so much to choose from. Hence, you really need to put out something that’s unique and helpful as compared to what’s located on the web today.

Read next: Survey shows almost half of social media users got exploited in terms of online shopping scams
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World