Amazon and TikTok Are Keeping This Top Google Exec Up at Night

Google has been facing stiff competition from a number of tech corporations, but two of its most formidable rivals are TikTok and Amazon. While testifying in an anti-trust case brought on by the Justice Department, long time Google exec Prabhakar Raghavan, currently working as senior vice president of search, voiced concerns about the ecommerce juggernaut as well as newer apps like TikTok potentially replacing his once invincible employer in the near future.

Citing data that indicates TikTok receives four hours of dedicated usage per day, Raghavan went on to say that he doesn’t want Google becoming the next “roadkill”. Wryly calling his employer “Grandpa Google”, the top exec claimed that students might turn to the search engine for help with homework, but they’re using other platforms for practically everything else.

His comments were made in defense of Google, with the search juggernaut facing a lawsuit that alleges it pays over $10 billion each year to maintain its monopoly. It’s hard to deny that Google holds all the cards in terms of search engines, with few other competitors giving it anything to worry about. Bing has failed to make much headway, even after the inclusion of AI, and privacy oriented search engines like Duck Duck Go seem like passing fancies.

The crux of his argument was that Google isn’t the all powerful giant that many think it to be. This goes against statements made by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who claimed that Google has turned itself into a one stop shop for online search and hasn’t left any room for other platforms to get ahead.

While Google’s anti-competitive practices have long been the focus of criticism, Raghavan asserted that TikTok, Instagram and other apps like it are managing to put its market share in jeopardy. Gen Z users have already started turning to TikTok instead of Google, with the bite sized video content providing them with more satisfactory answers than the old school search engine could.

Raghavan himself mentioned tat 40% of young people go to TikTok or Instagram instead of Google when they are looking for a place to get lunch. He also mentioned that Amazon has started to whittle away at Google’s empire, along with admitting that Google has received billions from the ecommerce giant for prime ad placement on its Search Engine Results Page.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Upcoming WhatsApp Update Allows Users to Start Chats With Unsaved Numbers

If you’ve ever tried to start a WhatsApp chat with an unknown phone number, you’d likely know how difficult it can be. Generally speaking, you need to have the number saved on your device in order to start chatting with it, but an update that we spotted on Microsoft Windows app in the WhatsApp beta might be a game changer on that front.

One way to start a chat with an unknown number is to receive it in a message and tap on it, but what if you want to initiate a chat without jumping through those hoops? Well, it turns out that WhatsApp is working on an update that will allow you to simply enter the unknown phone number that you want to chat with, and a new chat window will be opened that can allow you to do so.

All you need to do is tap on the compose message button which will reveal a new screen that asks for the number of the device in question. If the number is already saved on your phone, you can select it from your list of contacts, but you will also have the option to enter a brand new number from any country if you so choose.

A major advantage of this update is that it will make it considerably easier to start chatting with people after you exchange numbers. You won’t always want to save their contact details since some of these contacts might not be important in the long run, and with this update, you will get the chance to begin chatting in a simplified manner.

This is a massive step forward in terms of accessibility, and it will be interesting to see how WhatsApp’s competitors will respond. The most popular messaging app in the world has done a good job of keeping its competitors including Discord, Telegram and Signal at bay with a constant stream of updates, and this beta test indicates that it’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

Another benefit of this feature is the enhanced level of privacy it can provide. Numbers that aren’t saved to your contacts won’t be able to see all of your details. This can offer an added layer of security which most users will greatly appreciate. It is currently unknown when this update will receive a wider rollout, but chances are that it’ll happen sooner rather than later.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

AI Keeps Changing, and its Overwhelming 7 in 10 of Marketers

AI represents the bleeding edge of the tech industry, so the rapid changes affecting this sector aren’t surprising. That said, constant shifts in AI tend to make things harder for the people using it. Most importantly, marketers are starting to feel overwhelmed by the seemingly constant updates that they need to keep up with, and the pace of AI advancement doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down anytime soon.

According to a survey conducted by SOCi, a noted marketing platform, 70% of marketers feel overwhelmed by the state of AI. This might be due to a lack of training, since 42% of survey respondents stated that they’ve yet to receive formal education about AI. It’s essential that they get coached about how to use AI, since this can reveal best practices as well as how it applies to the marketing industry.

19% are currently being trained, and 39% said that they’ve already received training. With 4 out of 10 marketers lacking the skills needed to make the best of AI, it’s no surprise that they’re overwhelmed. A field that they’ve yet to master is already leaving previously accepted knowledge behind, and to make things worse, new tools seem to coming out every day.

44% of marketers indicated that the introduction of new tools was only making them more confused instead of helping them do their jobs. While 22% disagreed with this sentiment and 34% preferred not to take a side, a plurality of votes went to the group of marketers that don’t look at constant updates as a positive sign.

Since AI is still quite new, an influx of AI based tools and services are par for the course. Many businesses will want a slice of the pie, as would start ups whose entire business model is based on AI. In order to keep venture capital dollars coming in, these start ups work overtime to introduce newer and better tools, often before their target market has learned to use the tools they’ve already released.

Some are saying that this will take the emerging field into the “trough of disillusionment”. This is when a new piece of tech loses all of the hype it generated during its initial phase, and it usually leads to all but the strongest companies in the sector fading away. If these predictions come true, it’ll be interesting to see who manages to survive AI’s trough of disillusionment.

Read next: Creators Embrace AI: Productivity Soars, Ethical Dilemmas Loom
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

States Suing Meta and Instagram Over Alleged Harm to Kids

Meta Platforms and its Instagram unit are facing a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of 33 U.S. states in what appears to be a digital confrontation. They claim that by making their platforms as addictive as a bag of potato chips, these social media behemoths contribute to a young mental health catastrophe. But the real question is whether a lawsuit can end Instagram's never-ending scroll.

According to the case filed in federal court in California, Meta, the business behind Facebook and Instagram, has continually minimized the hazards involved with its platforms. They are accused of luring young children and teenagers into the abyss of addiction and obsessive social media use. They explained that Meta has used strong and unprecedented technology to lure, engage, and entrap adolescents and teens. Profit is everything, they say.

Children have always been a desired target for businesses, to hook them early and keep them devoted. Meta is no exception; younger users mean more advertising, hoping these kids will become devoted customers. The catch is that the governments believe that research links Meta's social media platforms to specific significant concerns. We're talking about sadness, anxiety, insomnia, disrupting education, and destroying daily life. It's the digital equivalent of a sugar high.

Meta, of course, is displeased with the lawsuit. They expressed their anger and pointed fingers at the attorneys general, claiming that they should collaborate with the business to establish clear, age-appropriate guidelines for apps used by teenagers. Instead, they've gone the legal path.

To add to the drama, eight additional states and Washington, D.C., chose to join the lawsuit against Meta on the same day, bringing the total number of authorities suing the Menlo Park-based company to 42. That's like collecting the Avengers to take on social media.

But hold on, there's more! This isn't social media businesses' first rodeo. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are already being sued on behalf of children and schools. It's like a courtroom marathon for digital giants.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, has already had to justify his company's stance on damaging content. He insists on putting safety and well-being ahead of money. However, the attorneys general disagree. They are fearless in using strong language, requesting fines ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 for each infringement of state rules. Given Instagram's millions of teenage users, this could rapidly build up to a significant charge for Meta.

The whistleblower who spilled the beans in 2021 has added spice to this case. According to the documents, Meta knew that Instagram was addicting, producing body image concerns in adolescent girls. The 33 states claim that Meta purposefully keeps young users hooked by abusing their need for "likes" and approval.

In an unexpected twist, the lawsuit contends that Meta broke a law that prohibits collecting data from children under the age of 13. They claim that Meta lied about the damaging nature of its platforms. According to the states, Meta's algorithms target the dopamine responses of young users to create an addictive loop of engagement. In layman's words, they're exploiting our brains.

The lawsuit says that Meta intends to expand its destructive tactics into virtual reality, including platforms like Horizon Worlds and apps like WhatsApp and Messenger.

In essence, this case is a daring attempt by state authorities to intervene where Congress has yet to establish new online child protections. "If you can't do it, we'll do it for you!" they say. Will these legal steps, however, be sufficient to preserve the mental health of adolescent internet users? The war has begun, taking place in the digital arena. Let us see if it has any impact on the realm of social media addiction and its consequences.

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by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

Snap Inc.'s Q3 Success: More Users, More Fun, More Revenue!

Snap Inc. has just shared its latest update for the third quarter, and the numbers look promising. Let's break it down in simple terms.

More Users: Snap's daily active users have increased by 12% compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 406 million people. Which is a big number! Many young folks love using Snapchat because it's like a secret clubhouse. They feel safe sharing stuff here. So, Snapchat remains cool among the young crowd.

Watching Fun Stuff: Users are spending more time watching interesting videos and posts on Snapchat. In fact, the time spent on these fun things has gone up by 200% compared to last year. Imagine watching twice as many cool videos as you did last year!

Talking to a Robot: There's also a smart robot called "My AI" that more than 200 million users have chatted with. They've sent over 20 billion messages to this robot friend. Now, Snap is trying to use this robot to show people some ads, which can be kind of interesting.

Creative Users: Many creative folks are posting cool stories on Snapchat. In the U.S., there are almost three times more of these stories compared to last year. It's like more people sharing their exciting adventures with everyone.

Making Money: Snap is making some good money, with a 5% increase in revenue, totaling $1.189 billion. That's a lot of dollars! Most of this money comes from North America, even though more users are joining from other parts of the world. So, Snap is trying to figure out how to make money from these new friends.

New Ads and Ideas: Snap is using clever ideas and new ad products to make even more money. They've got something fancy called the "Total Takeover solution" for big companies.

Challenges: It's not all easy for Snap. Changes made by Apple and a slowdown in advertising have made things a bit tough. For example, Amazon, a big ecommerce giant, spent less money on ads, and that affected Snap.

Funky Glasses: Snap was also working on some cool glasses, but they had to slow down on that because of the cost. Other big companies like Apple and Meta are also trying to make similar glasses.

Big Goals: Despite the challenges, Snap has some big goals for the future. They want to have 475 million users by 2024 and make 20% more money. These are like dreams that they're trying to achieve.

Snapchat's Future: Snapchat is still popular among young people, so it's likely to stick around. But they're trying to figure out how to grow and make more money from all of this.

As Snap charts its course in the dynamic world of technology, it finds itself amidst a compelling journey, one that's marked by both challenges and promising opportunities. It's a path where Snap continues to connect with millions, especially the younger generation, and where it seeks to unlock the potential of its unique platform. While obstacles may arise, Snap's commitment to innovation and its pursuit of new horizons make it an interesting player to watch in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Meta's Latest Growth Hack: Promoting Threads on Facebook

Social media giant Meta has unveiled a bold move to turbocharge Threads, its X/Twitter challenger. Imagine this as a superhero costume change, but in the digital world. Meta is weaving Threads posts into your Facebook feed, courtesy of Matt Navarra, and unlike previous exploits, there's no superhero exit hatch.

Screenshot: Matt Navarra / X

In a post, Meta cheerfully chirped that they've unleashed an update to let people feast their eyes on Threads content on Facebook and Instagram. It's like they're hosting a tech carnival, and we're all invited. But, fear not, dear readers, they're also all ears for feedback.

The drama began when Meta started experimenting with Threads posts on Instagram back in August. However, making Threads content mingle with Facebook without a "No thanks!" option has raised some eyebrows. Threads aficionados, seeing it as their digital haven away from the bustling streets of Facebook, are raising concerns. They'd rather keep their Threads and Facebook worlds apart.

The big question looming over this tech saga is whether Meta will don its superhero cape again and give users an escape route. While they're not spilling the beans yet, hints from the past suggest they might use their other tech leviathans to help Threads take off. Remember that time Threads hit 100 million sign-ups, and Mark Zuckerberg hinted it was mainly due to organic demand? Well, that statement vanished faster than a secret agent in a spy movie.

Recently, Threads has shown signs of life, with more engagement and downloads. But, SimilarWeb, our tech Sherlock Holmes, offers a different perspective. In the US, Threads' Android usage took a 40% nosedive in September compared to July. It's like the rollercoaster of tech life.

With Meta adding new features like post editing and keyword search, they're on a mission to supercharge Threads, even if their methods aren't everyone's cup of virtual tea. In this rapidly-shifting tech circus, heroes and villains make their daring moves, and Meta is right there in the spotlight.

Threads' destiny now dangles on a digital tightrope, balancing between the power of Meta and the whims of its users. Stay tuned for the next episode in this tech comedy-drama!

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Where Did Today's Most Influential Tech Leaders Start Their Careers?

In the 21st century, a new breed of leaders has emerged, and they're now among the most important and influential people in the world – tech CEOs.

Their leadership extends beyond the corporate world, shaping the future of technology, economics, society, and politics. As technology continues to advance, these leaders will remain central figures in our evolving global landscape, guiding us through the complexities and opportunities of the digital age.

But where do today's tech leaders begin their careers? That's the question that inspired this latest study by OnDeck. It analyses LinkedIn data to see how many employees at leading US tech companies go on to become CEOs.

You can see which US tech companies produce the most leaders in the article below. But first, let's look at why tech CEOs have become so influential.

Why do tech CEOs have so much influence?

Economic Power: Tech companies have become financial giants. The market capitalisation and revenues of these firms surpass the GDP of many nations. As the heads of these super-rich and super-wealthy companies, tech CEOs wield immense economic influence, playing pivotal roles in shaping global financial markets and trade dynamics.

Innovation and Disruption: Tech CEOs are synonymous with innovation and disruption. Their companies have revolutionized every industry and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. These groundbreaking innovations have had far-reaching effects on how people live, work, and interact, making tech CEOs instrumental in the ongoing digital transformation of society.

Data and Privacy: Tech CEOs have become central figures in discussions about data privacy and security. With the power to collect and control vast amounts of personal data, their decisions can significantly impact the privacy and security of billions. They are at the heart of debates on finding the right balance between convenience and personal data protection.

Global Connectivity: The platforms created by tech companies have connected the world like never before. Social media, search engines, and e-commerce have become critical tools for communication and commerce, giving tech CEOs unparalleled influence over global information flow and cultural exchange.

Corporate Responsibility: As tech companies have grown in power and influence, they've faced increasing scrutiny regarding their social and ethical responsibilities. Tech CEOs are now expected to lead their organizations and advocate for and implement socially responsible practices. This includes addressing issues such as environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and navigating the ethical dilemmas around artificial intelligence.

Political Influence: Their ability to influence public opinion, as well as their substantial campaign contributions, has given tech leaders a seat at the table in political discussions and decision-making processes. Tech CEOs now play a central role in shaping political discourse and policy worldwide.

The most influential tech CEOs

Tech CEOs have emerged as the most influential figures, reshaping industries and impacting society globally.

Here are a few of the most notable:

Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX): Elon Musk's impact on the tech and transportation sectors is undeniable. He founded Tesla, leading the electric vehicle revolution, and SpaceX, pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

Tim Cook (Apple): As the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook has continued the legacy of innovation left by Steve Jobs. Under his leadership, Apple has expanded its product offerings, maintained a strong focus on privacy and security, and achieved remarkable financial success. Cook's influence extends to issues like environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

Jeff Bezos (Amazon): Jeff Bezos transformed Amazon from an online bookstore into an e-commerce behemoth and cloud computing giant through Amazon Web Services (AWS). His vision for innovation, customer-centricity, and bold expansion into new markets has profoundly impacted the retail and cloud computing industries.

Mark Zuckerberg (Meta, formerly Facebook): Mark Zuckerberg is synonymous with the rise of social media. He co-founded Facebook, now part of Meta Platforms, Inc., which includes Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. Few people in the 21st century have had so much influence on how we connect, communicate, and share information.

Tech companies that produce the most CEOs

If you'd like to become a tech CEO, the best place to get your corporate training is Booz Allen Hamilton. This US defence contractor has produced more tech CEOs than any other US company.

According to LinkedIn data analysed by OnDeck, 3.14% of the former employees now work as CEOs.

AOL comes next, with 2.68% of its former staff now making a mark as business leaders. Some of the other big tech names with a reputation for producing future business leaders include Meta, Microsoft, Upwork, and Yahoo.

Read next: 6 Lessons to Learn from the Smartest CEOs in the World
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World