iPhone Versus Android: Marques Brownlee Has The Answer Smartphone Enthusiasts Need

It wouldn’t be wrong to mention that smartphone enthusiasts really do struggle sometimes in deciding whether iPhone or Android is superior. It’s a debate that most experts feel has been dragged on for far too long.

But thanks to Marques Brownless, we may finally have gotten the response that paves the way toward the truth. Before we forget, it’s much more satisfying to hear his point of view against what Instagram's Adam Mosseri was mentioning through a post published via his Threads account.

For starters, the key is to come into the debate with an open mind. You want to hear both sides of the spectrum and not enter the conversation with a clear favorite because that just makes it harder to judge, Marques explains.

If you’re a fan of customization and wish to make the device accustomed to your little finicky demands like switching around the home screen and how apps are placed, you’ll notice how such details go a long way in terms of choosing your smartphone.

Customization: Apple Lets You Play But Not All The Way

With the launch of iOS 17 and Android 14, we saw how things were pretty similar. Let’s not forget how the latest update by iOS 17 brought tons of changes like color, settings, widgets, and more for customization. But users are always restricted to doing things the Apple way and that’s not a great feeling when you’re restricted and can’t follow your own heart.

Meanwhile, Android is quite different as it gives users the chance to play around as per their free will. We saw even more changes for widget sizes, themes, colors, and much more take center stage. So you can do whatever you want, unlike Apple. Even things like placing the app where you want can’t be done easily. Clearly, Android wins here!

Features: Here’s Why Android Jumps Ahead

Which smartphone lets you do more stuff than the other? We agree that neither is perfect and both have their respective shortcomings. But in 2023, they’re quite similar to one another and continue to take inspiration from each other.

We’re seeing a new Focus mode, privacy features, and Dynamic Island launch for iOS. But the edge goes to Android because it has more options to manage files and folders, gaming-specific features, ways to enhance battery, independent sound controls, and more.

Which One Is Easier To Use?

It’s a very intricate balancing act and when you’ve got a ton of features, users want flexibility but don’t wish to feel overwhelmed.

This is where the iPhone continues to excel for years. Since the start, the phone icon stays green and is found in the same position, not to mention the settings have been found in the same folder for years. We’re talking 17 years and the format is classically the same.

Android does like to play around even more, and that can confuse users sometimes because innovation isn’t

Let’s not forget how customer service is better for Apple users as Service Centers are found everywhere around the globe. Hence, iPhones are winning here big time.

Updates: Which Phone Provides Better Support

When buying your phone, your top priority should revolve around getting the latest updates and having the most modern software system. After all, phones are huge investments and while most of them fail to make it a priority, you might want to consider it next time you buy your device.

In this regard, both phones are a mixed bag. Some make big updates and Samsung is known as the king in this regard with Google coming in a close second for Android devices. But none come close to the iPhone. You’re getting five major software version updates so Apple wins!

Apps: One Is More Fascinating Than The Other

Today, we’ve got 3.5 million apps in the Google Play Store and 1 million apps in Apple’s App Store. But it’s quality over quantity here and Apple is leading the pack for sure, Brownlee adds.

Ecosystem: Apple Builds Bigger Walls

The privacy for iPhones is unmatchable to others but Samsung is very close in that regard. Some people love the fact that Apple is so exclusive for its users but Samsung really does provide greater flexibility. However, Apple’s ecosystem is easy to use and very uniform. All you need to do is press one button to use your webcam!



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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Senior Citizens Use Social Media for 300 Hours Per Year on Average

People often tend to think that social media and indeed the internet in general is something that only younger generations would use with any degree of regularity. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it has become apparent that senior citizens frequently use social media as well with all things having been considered and taken into account. In a new report released by OnePoll on behalf of ClearMatch Medicare, it was revealed that senior citizens use social media for 47 minutes every day on average.

This comes up to around 300 hours per year per person. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Facebook is their preferred platform, with 75% of their usage going towards it. YouTube comes in second with 28%, followed by Instagram with 10%.

Around 54% of the senior citizens that responded to this survey admitted that they use social media just to kill some free time. However, 61% used it to get in touch with people that they had lost contact with long ago. 58% also suggested that they use it to stay in touch with the individuals that are already in their lives, thereby alleviating the ever present danger of loneliness among senior citizens.

Despite the positives, there are also some negatives that we must take heed of. 66% of seniors said that they are more likely to find scams online, and 33% have already fallen prey to such scams. Furthermore, 34% ended up believing misinformation which is dangerous beyond measure.

Misinformation is particularly dangerous for seniors because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up warping their perceptions. Around 1 in 9 seniors don’t even have a clue about how they can go about spotting scams in the wild, and it is imperative that they are better informed so that they are less susceptible than might have been the case otherwise. Overall, social media use among seniors is likely going to go up in the short term if the trend persists.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

What Country Has the Highest Rate of Youth Unemployment in the World?

Youth unemployment is a metric that often doesn’t get quite as much credit as it deserves, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it is an important aspect of measuring the overall success of a nation’s economy. It turns out that Spain has the highest rate of youth unemployment of all, with around 27.4% being reported by the OECD. The Covid pandemic made things ever worse than might have been the case otherwise, and countries around the world are struggling to keep the pace.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Costa Rica came in second with a youth unemployment rate of 27.1%. Sweden followed up in third place with 24.9%, followed by Greece with 23.6%. Italy then rounds off the top five list with 21.3%.

However, it bears mentioning that China and Italy have actually tied for fourth place, with the East Asian great power also revealing a youth unemployment rate of around 21.3% with all things having been considered and taken into account. No other country crossed the 20% mark apart from these six, although Chile and Luxembourg came close with 19.8% and 19.6% respectively.

Youth unemployment can be harmful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up preventing young people from being in control of their financial destinies. Most European countries have a high rate of youth unemployment, although this might be more related to their focus on free education thereby allowing kids to remain kids instead of having to work for a living.

On the other end of the spectrum, Japan ended up showing the lowest youth unemployment rate of all with just 4.2%. Mexico and Israel weren’t far behind, with 5.2% and 5.3% respectively. South Korea and Slovenia round off the top five list for the lowest rates of youth unemployment with 5.4% and 5.6% respectively, which just goes to show that these metrics are usually independent of geographical location or proximity to other nations that are highly developed.

Source: Visual Capitalist
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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

AI Start Ups Aren’t Finding Investors as Raised Capital Reaches Record Breaking Lows

The past half a decade or so has seen the global economy come to a grinding halt, and it came after an extended period of seemingly unstoppable of economic growth. As per DealRoom, in 2021, around 750 new unicorns were funded, which is a term used to describe a start up that has valuation of over a billion dollars. In 2023, just 16 new start ups have come up in a single quarter, which just goes to show the enormous decline the industry is going through.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that around 20% of global capital investments have been going towards AI. In spite of the fact that this is the case, many AI start ups are beginning to feel the crunch as well as the once endless supply of funds begins to dry up.

Seven out of the forty three unicorns that have been funded in 2023 so far were AI based startups, which reveals the massive influx of capital that was going into these new companies. All in all, about $84 billion has been invested into venture capital projects in the second quarter this year, which is a staggering 41% decrease year over year.

It appears that investors aren’t too keen on investing in new projects because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up posing too great of a risk. Maintaining and focusing on older investments can help investors earn more profits than might have been the case otherwise, and in the current economic crunch, it seems like the only way to move forward.

Despite the relative lull in seed funding, seven new unicorns have emerged that have enormous potential with all things having been considered and taken into account. They largely consist of neural nets, machine learning algorithms and generative AI, and it will be interesting to see if they are able to continue to receive funding in the future or if the economic crunch ends up depriving them of much needed finance during a critical juncture.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Meta Has Zero Intention Of Sidelining WhatsApp As Company Focuses On Business Messaging To Make Big Money

Around 10 years back, we saw the CEO of Meta unveil how he planned on investing a whopping $19 billion in his WhatsApp platform.

There were huge expectations attached to the popular texting app that had very little to no business but how can one expect to generate revenue when no ads are displayed? The latter is the main money-making means for plenty of Meta’s other apps so Zuckerberg was clearly in a bit of a dilemma here, in terms of how to make the money come in.

As years passed, the popularity surged, and today, more than 2 billion users have adopted the texting app as an integral part of their lives. Yet, it’s not profitable for Meta by any means and the general consensus regarding it was Zuckerberg sidelining the platform and focusing on other ventures that would help Meta generate huge profits.

But new reports claim that Zuckerberg is making big plans for expansion to capitalize on WhatsApp’s growing popularity, which isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And the latest strategy appears to be business messaging. Through this means, big firms can communicate with their clients on a direct basis, and many experts feel this is just the push the app needs to enter its next chapter.

The company really does need to get large-scale businesses on board from all around the world as this would place greater reliance on services as the main means for conversations with clients. And for every chat, firms pay between 0,5 to 15 cents, totally depending on which chat and nation the exchange arises.

For many years, it’s quite clear how businesses are trying to connect with the platform. From countries like India where IT is booming to Brazil, you’ll see WhatsApp numbers published on windows in the market so frequently. And people really like to engage with one another through the popular texting app for business purposes.

Another great example from India is where Uber customers can book their rides through WhatsApp directly while others attain recommendations on what to watch from Netflix’s WhatsApp account. Others are using the platform to get the latest updates on current affairs and then the usual chats between loved ones and friends are always there to stay connected all over the globe. Clearly, the usage is great and the functions are countless, not to mention how feasible of an option it is.

Now the question is what is going on with WhatsApp Business? Well, the firm is reluctant to unveil the size with which the business functions but estimates regarding revenue are somewhat between the $500 to $1 billion mark, but that is less than 1% of the firm’s overall sales.

We’re seeing popular platforms like Instagram generate revenue of close to $40 every year. Considering how much usage WhatsApp has and how Facebook purchased it a while back, it’s shocking how Meta didn’t plan on capitalizing on its popularity before, as compared to now.

But as the old saying goes, better late than never. And if you’re still wondering why apps aren’t there, well, it’s hard to launch ads on such a secure and encrypted platform. People are sending private texts and no one wants to see which new burger McDonald’s has announced there, do they?

In the year 2018, we saw Meta launch WhatsApp Business so that firms could carry out chats more easily via commercial accounts and a long line of tools on the app. And as time passed, the business segment grew by more than four times in just three years. Today, it’s got close to 200 million users active on a monthly basis.

Through the WhatsApp Business account, users get a myriad of features including greater access to company accounts on 10 devices, while paying a subscription fee allows for expensive texting campaigns to be brought into the spotlight.

Meanwhile, features are designed to assist with greater customer service and provide more support for huge audiences through the app’s Business platform. And the more upper the tier goes, the more funds the app collects from the Business Account holder.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

New Study Sheds Light On The World’s Deadliest Places For Journalists

Journalism is never an easy field to belong to and the painstaking efforts that some professionals take during their job to get the right news and coverage across audiences is mindblowing.

A new report by Reporters Without Borders and Statistia is shedding light on the world’s most dangerous places for reporting and we’ve highlighted the details in this regard for you below.

The end of August is a dark reminder to us all about how many journalists have been arrested, kidnapped, or tortured while trying to bring stories across. This is because it's a global day to remember victims who disappeared under forced circumstances. This is either done by targeted groups or the state as a whole, leading to a very controversial issue. And not a lot of people acknowledge the matter in detail.

Most experts claim it’s done to silence opposition taking place and also to spread terror across the board. But in this report, the specific figures for media workers were announced that disappeared in the past 20 years. Moreover, as per reports from RSF’s database, a whopping 165 media workers have disappeared since the start of 2000. This entails anyone that’s a victim of disappearing forcefully including anyone that disappeared through the hands of groups that aren’t state-related.

Syria happens to be the country where the most journalists disappeared, and that’s close to 33 as a whole. Most of that incidents took place between the years 2011 to 2013. Moreover, five more were reported as disappearing since 2019. So as you can imagine, the incidents are certainly alarming.

As far as second place is concerned, Mexico is believed to have had the second greatest figure for media professionals that disappeared around the globe. Out of those 27 individuals that disappeared, 25 of those were reported to be ongoing cases. And as reported by the RSF, Mexico is also deemed to be deadly for media personnel when compared to all other destinations around the globe. So far this year, four people have already been killed.

Coming down to third place, it’s Pakistan. Figures claim that 18 journalists have mysteriously disappeared while a lack of detail was put forward in this regard as to what may have happened to them.

The incidents could be linked to terrorist organizations such as the TTP while some speak of joint efforts coming into play by the Taliban who are not known to be friendly toward westerners. And in fourth position, it was Yemen where 11 journalists have disappeared with again, a lack of detail provided on the matter but terrorist activity does seem to be at the forefront in the nation.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Windows 11 Loses Huge Market Share Of Clients In August 2023, New Data Shows

The latest report by Statcounter is shedding light on the progress of Windows 11 in August of 2023 and it’s clearly not what Microsoft or any software-providing company would ever have hoped for.

Statcounter, the popular firm that’s known for providing the latest in analytics for the past two decades, mentioned how the market share for Windows 11 has taken a major hit, falling down to a new low. This means it lost a major chunk of its clients and figures proved how it fell to levels seen five months back.

September will cause Windows 11 to turn two and software giant Microsoft already has plans to halt support for the new release. Therefore, if you happen to be on the 21H2 version, there’s a major chance that you can’t get away from taking on the forceful update.

The uninspiring results are definitely a setback for the firm when you compare it with the progress made with Windows 10. The market share here reached 71.9% and we even saw Windows 10 experience a bigger market share this past month by gaining close to +0.8 points. The update will turn two soon and today, it holds just 23.1% market share which is exactly a repeat from April and May of 2023.

It’s going to be super intriguing for experts to see how the latest 23H2 update will assist the system in getting back on track and gaining momentum.

Windows does promise some more exciting features in the update that it feels were much requested for like ungroupings of taskbars, revamped volume mixer, and upgrades in File Explorer too. So if you’re using Windows 10, you just might be persuaded to take the plunge and make an upgrade.

Other than that, we can never envision a new Windows 11 without the inclusion of enhanced AI features so that’s also expected to come very soon.

For now, the unsupported variants that include 7 and 8 have market shares that remain stagnant but they are still there and don’t seem to be going anywhere soon despite the lack of change.

The same goes for Windows XP which is still clinging on as shown by Statcounter’s latest findings. Can you even imagine how a decade has gone by since the company last ended its support for it but people still attain online access with their devices that are powered by Windows XP?

But remember, these are all findings obtained from third parties so there’s always that trust and reliability factor looming. Hence, we encourage readers to rely on the findings with a pinch of salt.

You can get more information by visiting the Statcounter website and witnessing the progress made in August of 2023. We will also keep you updated on that front, as more changes are rolled out and the company opts to unveil what features users can expect down the line.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World