Snapchat's Lucky Month this May as Revenue Soars to New Heights

May has proven to be a remarkable month for Snapchat, the widely-used social media platform among young users, as it achieved unprecedented growth in revenue. This notable upswing not only signifies a major achievement for the company but also demonstrates the sustained demand for Snapchat's services, thereby dispelling any previous doubts about its growth trajectory.

In May, Snapchat achieved a significant milestone in terms of net revenue generated from the App Store. According to App Intelligence by Appfigures, the popular social media platform recorded an impressive $13.9 million in net revenue, marking a remarkable 59% growth compared to the previous month, April. This outstanding performance has contributed to Snapchat's cumulative net revenue since its launch, which now stands at an impressive $70 million. It's worth noting that this figure represents the revenue retained by Snap after deducting Apple's share.

The revenue growth observed in May highlights the strong appeal of Snapchat's features among users. It contradicts earlier assertions that Snapchat's offering was insufficient and needed additional enhancements to sustain growth. These statistics indicate that Snapchat is thriving on its own, without the need for major external developments.

After delving into the distribution of revenue, it becomes clear that a substantial portion, accounting for 65.9%, of Snapchat's net revenue is generated by users in the United States. The remaining 34.1% originates from a diverse range of countries. Noteworthy among these contributors is the United Kingdom, occupying the second spot as a significant revenue generator. Following closely behind are Australia, Canada, and France, showcasing their importance in driving Snapchat's overall revenue.

Snapchat's revenue growth from paid features may still be trailing behind its advertising revenue, but the rapid expansion it has witnessed is truly remarkable, particularly considering its history of offering free services to users. This trend holds great promise for other platforms that rely on product-led revenue strategies, as it demonstrates the willingness of users to invest in and engage with paid features, even in a landscape dominated by free offerings.

Snapchat's ability to achieve substantial revenue growth on its own, without major external factors, highlights the strength and appeal of its core features, paving the way for other social media companies to explore innovative strategies and tap into the growing demand for enhanced experiences and premium features.

After witnessing Snapchat's impressive performance in May, experts in the industry are curious about which social media platform will be the next to achieve significant revenue growth. As the landscape of social media evolves, there is a growing trend toward product-led revenue models, making it intriguing to observe which platform will adopt a similar approach and achieve remarkable financial success.

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by Ayesha Hasnain via Digital Information World

Decoding the Data Monopoly: AI Giants Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google Keep Their Data Locked Away While Using Others' Content

As the origin of productive Artificial Intelligence unfolds, big tech giants adopt a perplexing mantra: "Speak, but don't imitate." They support the ethical use of online content while confidentially diverging from their own principles, blurring the line between innovation and hypocrisy. In this mysterious landscape, the digital world sees a contradiction that begs the question: Can these giants truly practice what they preach?

In a realm dominated by artificial intelligence, the union of OpenAI supported by Microsoft, and Anthropic, supported by Google, stands accused of silently utilizing digital content crafted by the business to fuel their artificial intelligence models. This dubious practice, covered in debate, ignites a legal storm that will shape the destiny of the web and redefine the application of copyright legislation within this brave unexplored world. As action lines are drawn, the future awaits its ruling, balanced on the bluff of a digital revolution.

As the technology enterprise finds itself embroiled in a debate over adequate use, the question arises: Shouldn't these influential giants practice what they preach? While they strongly safeguard their own content from being utilized by other artificial intelligence models, they walk a fine line by leveraging everyone else's innovations without specific consent. It's a double standard that appeals to a fair and unbiased resolution in this evolving landscape.

Delving into Claude's service agreement, a clear-cut limitation emerges: Users are prohibited from using the platform to create rival products or services, including the expansion or training of AI algorithms or models. This strict guideline raises intriguing questions about competition, creation, and the extent of control exercised by Anthropic over the AI terrain. As the fine print unfolds, the limitations of technological exploration and the need for dominance come into sharp focus.

Google's terms strictly forbid utilizing the support for creating AI algorithms or similar technologies, posing fascinating restrictions on user invention and technical exploration.

Further, OpenAI's policy firmly states that users are prohibited from employing the Services' outcome to create competing models, posing limitations on the utilization of ChatGPT's abilities.

A wave of realization dawns upon different businesses as they discover the reality of their data's significance in artificial intelligence prototype training. Reddit, a long-standing resource, now intends to introduce bills for accessing its valuable corpus. Reddit's Chief Executive Officer asserts that they no longer wish to lose the full of this value to the world's biggest corporations without reaping the benefits.

In a bold move, Elon Musk publicly blamed Microsoft, OpenAI's primary supporter, for unlawfully leveraging data from Twitter to train models for artificial intelligence. Musk's tweet indicated a potential lawful action, evoking a reaction from a Microsoft representative who dismissed the claim, stating that this notion is so flawed that I have no idea where I should start.

The Chief Executive Officer of Open AI embraces a more considerate approach by developing AI models that honor copyright, ensuring creators receive compensation for their content or style being utilized.

A retired executive of MS brings attention to the perceived flaw in the current artificial intelligence approach, asserting that it damages the web. By highlighting the lack of value given to innovators and copyright keepers through data harvesting and model training, he raises thought-provoking worries about the growing dynamics between content, technology, and ownership.

Read next: Android 13 vs. Android 11: Data Reveal Surprising Shifts in Google-Owned OS Adoption
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Android 13 vs. Android 11: Data Reveal Surprising Shifts in Google-Owned OS Adoption

Freshly released data from Google unveils that Android 13 has achieved a presence on around 15 percent of active devices globally. Notwithstanding the progress of this latest version, Android 11 remains firmly entrenched as the leading Android version in terms of widespread usage.

Google collects data periodically on a global scale to track Android devices that have accessed the Play Store within a week's time. This data is then made available to developers through Android Studio, empowering them to analyze the distribution of Android versions across devices. This information plays a crucial role in determining the minimum Android version that an app should support. Interestingly, Apple has also utilized similar data to highlight the rapid adoption of iOS updates among its users.

In the past few years, Google has been less frequent in updating the distribution chart, typically doing so on a quarterly basis. However, this year has been an exception with updates provided in January, April, and now June. The latest distribution chart, which is dated May 30, 2023, has been included in the latest version of Android Studio.

According to the latest data from Google, Android 13 now occupies approximately 15 percent of active devices globally, marking a steady rise from 12.1 percent in April. However, Android 11 continues to dominate as the most widely adopted Android version, installed on 23.1 percent of devices worldwide. The distribution figures, collected from devices connected to the Play Store within a specific seven-day period, provide valuable insights to developers through Android Studio. These statistics aid developers in determining the minimum Android version to support their apps. The consistent growth of Android 13 indicates its increasing acceptance among users, while the enduring popularity of Android 11 showcases its resilience and widespread usage.

Remarkably, Android Oreo stands out as the sole Android version that experienced an increase in adoption between April and June, rising from 6.7 percent to 8.3 percent. It is important to highlight that this growth is still lower than its 9.5 percent share recorded in January, indicating a slight overall decline. The factors contributing to this unexpected surge in adoption during the specified timeframe remain uncertain and warrant further investigation.

The data suggests a steady increase in adoption for the latest Android version, Android 13, although Android 11 continues to dominate the market. As Android development progresses, developers can utilize this information to make informed decisions regarding the Android versions they support. It will be interesting to observe future updates and see how the distribution landscape evolves in the coming months.

In conclusion, the latest data from Google sheds light on the distribution of Android versions among active devices worldwide. Android 13 has witnessed a steady increase in adoption, while Android 11 maintains its position as the dominant version. This valuable information, gathered from devices connected to the Play Store, empowers developers to make informed decisions about the minimum Android version they should support. The unexpected growth of Android Oreo between April and June presents an intriguing phenomenon that warrants further investigation. As the Android landscape evolves, developers can leverage this data to navigate the ever-changing market, and it will be fascinating to observe how distribution trends unfold in the future.

H/T: 9to5G
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by Ayesha Hasnain via Digital Information World

Microsoft Windows 11’s Growth Rate Slowed Down in May 2023

The monthly progress report for Windows has recently been released by StatCounter, an analyst company. The report for May 2023 highlighted the market share of Windows, including Windows 7, 8, 10, and the latest one, Windows 11.

As per the analysis, currently Windows 10 is leading the chart with almost seventy-two percent (or 71.9% to be exact) market share after it gained 0.5 points. However, the latest Windows version, which is Windows 11, was found to be far behind Windows 10. Windows 11 held a share of around 23 percent after losing 0.16 points last month.

Several factors may have contributed to the slowdown in Windows 11’s growth rate. Firstly, the initial surge of early adopters and tech enthusiasts who eagerly upgraded to the new operating system has likely subsided. This early wave of adopters tends to be more proactive and open to change, while the general public may take a more cautious approach.

Additionally, some users may be reluctant to upgrade to Windows 11 due to compatibility issues. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements, which means older devices may not be able to run the new OS smoothly. This limitation could deter some users from making the switch.

Moreover, the ongoing chip shortage affecting the tech industry has resulted in supply constraints for new computers. As a result, many individuals and businesses may be holding off on purchasing new devices, which consequently slows down the adoption of Windows 11.Ever since it was announced that those who were using Windows 7 wouldn’t be able to receive the latest security updates, it has lost around 0.17 points with a share of 3.6 percent. Whereas Windows 8 and 8.1 were found to be at the bottom with a share of around 0.7 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively. It was also revealed that almost 0.3 percent of the users had Windows XP on their systems.

Despite the temporary setback, Windows 11 remains a significant update with new features and enhancements. As more users become aware of the benefits and as the hardware landscape evolves, it is likely that Windows 11’s growth rate will regain momentum.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Americans With Side Hustles Are Now Earning Over $800 a Month on Average

Starting up a side hustle has become increasingly important because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping people pay their bills. According to a recent survey conduced by Bankrate, 39% of Americans say that they have a side hustle. 44% even said that they will always need one since a single job no longer pays enough to help them stay ahead of their expenses.

33% of the people that participated in this survey stated that they need their side hustles for basic living expenses, with 27% using their side hustle to get some discretionary money for expenses other than necessities. 25% of survey respondents indicated that they use this side hustle money to save for the future, and 12% are compelled to start a side hustle in order to make their debts easier to pay off than might have been the case otherwise.

It is unsurprising that a large chunk of people with side hustles are low income and hail from more recent generations. 53% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials said that they have side hustles, and 42% of people that bring in under $50,000 a year stated that they need side hustles in order to keep the lights on. However, 45% of people that earn over $100,000 per year said that they have side hustles as well, indicating that this practice is not the sole purview of low income groups.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the average monthly income that people can bring from their side hustles is around $810. In spite of the fact that this is the case, this number might be skewed by those that bring in far more than this on a monthly basis.

Around 28% of the people that currently have side hustles bring in just $1 to $50 on a monthly basis, with 14% earning between $51 and $100. 11% admitted to earning between $101 to $200, 6% mentioned $200 to $300 and 14% are currently bringing in around $301 to $500 per month with all things having been considered and taken into account.

12% of survey respondents did mention monthly incomes that range from $501 to $1,000, however. What’s more, 7% of the people with side hustles that answered questions in this survey referenced monthly incomes that exceed $1,001 and reach up to $2,000. 7% even said that they earn over $2,000 on a monthly basis.

If we were to zero in on this data on a generational basis, Millennial seem to be earning more than any other cohort. They bring in around $1,022 per month on average, with Gen Z earning $753 per month, Gen X earning around $670 and Baby Boomers coming in dead last with $636 in monthly earnings.

All in all, side hustles have become a popular way for people to make ends meet. While this says a lot about the state of the economy, it also reveals that the modern world is offering new avenues for people to bolster their revenue streams and diversify so that they can meet their needs.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

OpenAI Website Sees Traffic Soar to Billion Mark

New data shows, a total of 847 million users accessed the OpenAI website last month, representing a 54% increase from February.

OpenAI, the designer of ChatGPT, has seen its website traffic soar in March toward the coveted billion mark for unique monthly visitors. According to research done by growth marketing agency VezaDigital, a total of 847 million users accessed OpenAI’s website in March, a month-on-month surge of just over 54%. This puts OpenAI into the world’s top 20 if one goes by online visitors alone.

These findings are indicative of a clear public interest in AI-powered solutions. Legislators are rushing to regulate this technology before it spirals into unchartered territories such as artwork copyright and ethical challenges.

Natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) advancements have increased the public interest in AI solutions. These innovations have enabled computers to comprehend human language and analyze vast volumes of data accurately and fast. This has made it possible for businesses like OpenAI to create robust chatbots that can have natural-language conversations with people.

OpenAI's website provides access to its products such as GPT-3 - an open-source natural language generation model that allows developers to create applications that generate human-like text responses from inputted text.

The popularity of OpenAI's website demonstrates how far the subject of artificial intelligence has advanced recently and how much work remains. Whether it be through robots or simple online interactions with chatbots, there is no doubt that AI is here to stay and will play a significant part in our lives moving ahead.

It's not all that shocking that it rose to the 18th most-viewed website in the world after climbing a massive 9 spots in only one month. It increased its leap from outside the top 50 to position 27 even further in the previous month!

According to the experts at VezaDigital, one out of every nine visitors is coming from the US, so this is not just a local phenomenon. VezaDigital also did some serious number crunching to come up with these stats. They combined their traffic analysis with the raw data from SimilarWeb that they had previously examined to present a clear picture of what was taking place.

Before well-known websites like Google, YouTube, and Facebook, OpenAI was listed by SimilarWeb as the 17th most popular website in April. It is reasonable to say that OpenAI has garnered some notoriety, especially when its ChatGPT project attracted a sizable following virtually overnight.

The ChatGPT phenomena will only continue to spread, claims Katanic. She predicts it will surpass all prior records and have the quickest monthly active user count ever for a website!

Prepare for an exciting adventure with OpenAI. Although we have no idea what the future may bring, it is undeniable that AI technology is developing quickly. The public's growing interest indicates how ground-breaking this profession has grown and the countless opportunities it presents.

Explore the world of artificial intelligence now with OpenAIand take part in the excitement. As governments rush to regulate the technology before it spirals into unchartered territories, OpenAI is sure to keep breaking records and making waves.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Meta’s Employees May Not Be Working In The Metaverse But They’re Selling The Platform

When we first heard of the metaverse by Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the whole idea seemed very surreal. Not a lot of details were provided and even those that were didn’t seem to have people going wow.

It just appeared too good to be true and seeing such an entity exist in the real world had people questioning Zuckerberg’s sanity. But the CEO failed to pay heed and continued with his hard work and investments.

As time passes, we feel the hype of the metaverse continues to dwindle down and now, we’re hearing some very interesting news. Employees of Meta may not be working on the metaverse but they’re more than keen on selling it.

It seems like meetings in-person are very much more in demand. Moreover, the pandemic proved to us that teams would much rather work through videoconferences than anything else.

Hence, when Zuckerberg brought forward the idea of taking on VR, it was not all French. Some people called it out as very reasonable. Then we saw the enterprise be renamed Meta Platforms and it really did wish to bring the metaverse forward as a very unique immersive world where digital technology was at the forefront of it all.

People would meet and greet and do all kinds of things together such as take part in jobs from the comfort of their homes and only wear a VR headset.

Today, Meta is trying hard to sell such visions to its clientele in the corporate world. This includes clients from all over. Then the firm debuted headsets of Quest 3 which Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman experimented with and really adored.

Let’s not forget how Apple’s own ambitious headset is all set to make a mark next week and people are anxiously awaiting that launch too.

But Meta does not appear to be practicing everything that it’s preaching. So many workers throughout the firm are not even using the headsets simply because they do not want to.

Be it meetings in the workplace and more, insiders from the firm say they’re least bothered. And that’s not all. It’s not just the general employees who have an issue but those that are specifically a part of the VR division.

They’re not making use of it on a regular basis for things like work. And the reason is simple. They say it’s full of glitches and very uncomfortable so why bother? Did we mention how the product comes with warnings to take on longer breaks to avoid things like nausea and even some form of discomfort?

But that does not mean sales are stagnant for the headsets. Employees are making sure business does not remain disturbed. They’re getting deals with leading firms like Walmart who are very keen on making a purchase.

So the revenue is coming in but seeing employees showing great disinterest is really worth noticing.

Photo: FB / Zuck
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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World