iOS 17.2 Beta Reveals Sideloading, Signaling Major Change in Apple's App Distribution Approach

In the tech world, change is as certain as a new iPhone release every year. Speaking of iPhones, Apple is stirring the pot with its latest update, iOS 17.2. For years, Apple has been like that overprotective parent, deciding which apps we can play with on our iPhones. But now, it seems they're loosening the leash.

iOS 17.2 hints at something revolutionary – sideloading. It's a tech term that, in plain English, means downloading apps from places other than the App Store. Imagine being able to choose your pizza toppings instead of always getting plain cheese – that's sideloading for you.

This change didn't just come out of the blue. It's like when you've been ignoring your chores, and mom finally lays down the law. Here, the European Union is playing mom with its Digital Markets Act. They told Apple, "Let the kids have more apps!" and it seems Apple is listening.

The EU's big push is about fair play in the tech playground. They want to make sure the big kids (ahem, tech giants) don't hog all the swings. And Apple, facing the pressure, is showing signs of playing nice. In the iOS 17.2 beta, there's a hint of a new feature called "Managed App Distribution." It sounds like a fancy term for letting us have more app choices.

It's a bit like when you discover hidden features in your car – suddenly, you realize there's more to it than just driving. This iOS feature could let developers create their own mini app stores. Imagine that – a world where you're not just stuck with what Apple gives you.

But don't get too excited yet. Apple might be limiting this freedom to just certain regions, like Europe. It's a bit like when Netflix has cool shows in one country but not in yours. So, not all of us might get to enjoy this app freedom.

Remember, Apple has until March 2024 to comply with the EU's rules. It's like they have a homework deadline, and they're doing it, but maybe not enthusiastically. They've even hinted in a filing that this could change their App Store's business model. That's corporate speak for "We might make less money, but we'll adapt."

So, while Apple tries to figure out how to let us have our app cake and eat it too, we can look forward to a possible future where our iPhones are a little less like Alcatraz and a bit more like a playground. Let's just hope that when the time comes, we don't get lost in the sea of apps. Because let's be honest, most of us are still trying to figure out half the apps we already have.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

The Watermelon is a Symbol of Palestinian Protest on TikTok and Instagram

The current conflict between Israel and Hamas has created a ripple effect that has spilled out onto various walks of life. It turns out that users on Instagram as well as TikTok have been using a longstanding symbol of Palestinian resistance the get the message across: the watermelon. This is used to replace mentions of Palestine and Gaza in their posts.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that users are turning to the watermelon emoji as a way to circumvent perceived censorship against the cause. Much like the Palestinian flag, the watermelon contains red, green and black. This makes it easier to spread awareness about the plight of Palestinian people than might have been the case otherwise.

https://t.co/lMbxkTEWHa

— ꜱᴜᴇᴀɴɴᴀᴊᴏᴇ 〄 🏴‍☠️️ (@sueannajoe_) October 27, 2023

#FreePalestine #CeasefireForGazaNOW

I hope that the sun will shine again for our Palestinian friends. pic.twitter.com/IhOdYCMOlX

— kurboi 🇵🇸 @ STICKERCON MNL (@kurb0i) November 6, 2023

According to Palestinian health authorities, the Israeli governments retaliation against Gaza has led to the deaths of 10,000 people, many of whom are children with all things having been considered and taken into account. In spite of the fact that this is the case, hashtags and symbols representing Palestine have been suppressed by platforms like TikTok. While the platform denies doing anything of the sort, users continue to operate under the assumption that their voices are being stifled.

This is a pertinent example of a social media phenomenon known as “algospeak”. Users often swap words with emoji because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing them to bypass algorithmic settings that can be difficult to work around, and it seems that the recent conflict has given rise to it yet again.

Another popular way to refer to Palestine without directly referencing it is the olive tree. It is a commonly used symbol of Palestinian resistance, although it has closer ties to the actual plight of people living under Israeli Occupation in the West Bank as well as the Gaza strip.

Palestinian culture places a lot of stock in olives, and watermelons are frequently used in their cuisine. With the Israeli government effectively banning all pro-Palestine demonstrations in 1967, people had to turn towards ever more creative methods to keep the fight alive, and it appears that this has now spread to social media as well. Israel responded by cracking down on Palestinian artists that used any kind of black, red and green in their artwork.

Photo: DIW

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

TikTok is the Least Secure Social Media Platform, New Study Reveals

Platforms like Facebook as well as Twitter ended up facing stiff competition after TikTok threatened to supplant them thanks to its precise emphasis on Gen Z and other important demographics. Despite the stunning rise to the top that it managed to implement, it turns out that TikTok is not quite as successful in terms of offering users a decent level of privacy and security.

In a recent study conducted by Cerby, it was revealed that TikTok was the least secure platform of all, with Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube surpassing it by rather large margins. Each and every one of these platforms were judged based on six parameters. These parameters were two factor authentication methods, enterprise grade authentication, role based access control, account usage profiling, privacy and enterprise ready security.

Facebook received the highest score of 3.74, followed by YouTube with 3.15. X, formerly known as Twitter, got a less impressive score of 2.95, whereas Instagram did even worse with 2.78. However, TikTok got an abysmally low score of 2.5, which seems to suggest that the platform is seriously lagging behind in one of the most critical areas that it should ideally be focusing on.

The cybersecurity company behind this study suggested that political leaders should avoid using platforms with a rating lower than 2.6 because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up putting them at risk.

It bears mentioning that the average score for social media platforms was just 2.54 back in 2022, but it has increased by 18.9% to 3.02 this year. Privacy controls in particular saw a 25% improvement, driven mostly by Facebook which indicates that the struggling platform is trying to mend its relationship with users after a series of controversies and setbacks.

If TikTok is unable to catch up to its competitors, its future might end up being not quite as rosy as it is in the here and now. Security is a paramount concern, and failing to provide users with as much security as they have reasonably come to expect could lead to a decrease in its popularity It will be interesting to see if TikTok is able to find its way out of these murky waters similarly to how Facebook managed to do so.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

YouTube Rolls Out Exciting New Changes For Its Users And Here’s What To Expect

YouTube is famous for listening to feedback from its users and then incorporating them into the app. And the company’s recent rollout of changes is certainly no exception to the norm.

For starters, we’re hearing more about how the platform is expanding its YouTube Collab Shorts remix feature. This innovative offering gives creators the chance on iOS can make use of collabs for both long and short-form videos.

It’s a fun and exciting new means for allowing creators to interact more with others. You can avail of the offering today by clicking on the icon for Remix from the watch page and pressing on Collab for either short or long-form videos.

With this, creators are given the chance to play around with video content that’s at least 60 seconds in duration and can even engage with all sorts of layouts on offer for that fun twist. Moreover, you’ll then be given the chance to record your short alongside the original video so it can play simultaneously.

The feature is only restricted to iOS users for now but YouTube promises it’s coming for Android users very soon so just a little more waiting.

Next up, the app is giving its users the chance to better customize the tab called Home. The goal they seem to be seeking is a one-size-fits-all endeavor and that means making sure the page that belongs to their channel appears the same to everyone who comes to visit it.

This should be independent of the fact that anyone is seeing the video for the first time or if they’re seeing it for the 100th. And to ensure that, YouTube has rolled out a new option with a better tab called For You.

✨ introducing the “For you” section of your channel Home tab that recommends a mix of content from your channel to viewers based on their watch history

🚨 creators: review your settings & select formats before we roll out to viewers on 11/20

more: https://t.co/FNZUVWVPEA pic.twitter.com/0ga30rU1JC

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) November 8, 2023

So to cater to that, YouTube just launched a way to provide them with customized offerings and recommendations that cater or are tailored for viewers that visit the channel. Hence, you can imagine it being a great tab for those creators who are offering diversity on the channel. This includes content that’s diverse, different, and covers a wide range of topics and can be found in various languages.

Hence, if you want to make the most of it, simply select any time of content that comes in the For You section. You can even add content that’s launched very recently like the past year. You can disable it by unclicking it on either your desktop or mobile’s Home page as it’s already selected.

We think this is a great section of giving users a taste of what the channel has to offer but gives them the chance to engage more with live streams and the latest offerings by the creator in a more personalized manner.

The feature is ready to go live for everyone by November 20 and we highly recommend you give the For You feature a try to benefit from it.

Last but not least, YouTube is launching a list of updates to Tabs that are found on the channel page. Creators will be given the chance to hide a certain tab if it happens to be empty or simply isn’t ready for a launch. This is designed to eliminate clutter.

Similarly, YouTube will remove the About Tab from the creator’s page. You can access the same information about the creator by clicking on their name and getting that data over there. Thirdly, the app is getting rid of the button designated as Tab. You can already find the content from the Highlights page and you can get it from the bottom left navigation button so no need for extra clutter.

There will also be some esthetic refreshes for channels so that more content can be added while ensuring it’s more appealing and less overwhelming for everyone, giving a streamlined appeal.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

CFPB Eyes Tech Giants for Stringent Financial Oversight

In a bold initiative to enhance consumer protection in the digital economy, the U.S. consumer finance agency has put forward a plan to regulate the burgeoning digital payment sector. This move targets tech behemoths and their e-wallet services, aiming to bring them under similar scrutiny as banks. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is set to oversee these platforms to ensure they adhere to privacy and anti-deception laws.

The proposed regulation could impact an estimated 17 entities that manage a colossal 13 billion transactions each year. Despite the CFPB's discretion on the full list, names like ApplePay, CashApp, GooglePay and PayPal are in the spotlight. Their response to these proposed changes has been muted, with Google withholding comments and others yet to make a statement.

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra is spearheading this push, continuing his critical stance on Big Tech's handling of consumer privacy and competitive practices. Since taking the helm in 2021, Chopra has been honing in on how these giants use customer data and their payment mechanisms.

Chopra's recent comments shed light on concerns about excessive data harvesting by tech companies, likening it to surveillance practices. With the new rule, the agency aims to eliminate loopholes that currently allow tech companies to operate with less regulation than traditional banks, leveling the playing field across the financial ecosystem.

Banking associations have welcomed the proposal, underscoring the necessity for equitable consumer safeguards regardless of the financial service provider. The plan is now open for public feedback until early 2024, offering a platform for discourse on the future of financial oversight in the tech age.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Bing Chat Still Trending, 'Demand Definitely Did Not Go Down', Microsoft Confirms

Microsoft's Bing Chat has not seen a dip in user interest, insists Mikhail Parakhin, head of Advertising and Web Services at the tech giant.

Parakhin, in a X reply, refutes any notion of waning popularity, attributing recent improvements in the platform's performance not to a decrease in user traffic but to significant enhancements in the system. Parakhin highlights the overhaul of the Responsible AI control system and other tweaks that have resulted in a quicker, more seamless user experience.

Parakhin clarified this in response to an inquiry about whether the perceived smoothness of Bing Chat was due to reduced demand or recent optimizations. He confidently replied that demand remains robust and that the platform's increased efficiency is a product of Microsoft's technical refinements.

This statement came amidst whispers of falling interest in Bing Chat. However, when put to the test and questioned directly, Bing Chat seems coy, offering outdated data regarding its demand levels. While boasting a significant partnership with Oracle to enhance AI capabilities, Bing Chat admitted to a stark decline in user engagement compared to its rival, ChatGPT.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

When Engineers Speak Out: The Call for Instagram's Accountability

Arturo Bejar, once a key player at Facebook in the fight against online bullying, stepped into the spotlight with a powerful message about the hidden dangers of social media. Speaking to Congress on November 7, 2023, he didn't just come as an expert; he came as a dad. His own teenager faced the dark side of Instagram firsthand, receiving unsolicited and inappropriate messages, a plight that Bejar says the platform has failed to adequately address.

The issue is close to Bejar's heart and his testimony hit home for many. He called out Instagram's parent company, Meta, for knowing about these issues yet dragging its feet in making meaningful changes. These aren't just small problems; they're affecting teenagers' mental health, with Bejar's daughter being one of many who've been harassed online.

Bejar urged for a shift in how social media companies, like Meta, handle user safety, pushing for better ways for teens to report unsettling interactions. It's not enough to have rules against explicit content if there's no way to tackle the gray areas that make kids feel unsafe.

Support from Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley highlighted the importance of Bejar's message, and statistics from Instagram's own surveys back it up, showing a worrying number of young users experiencing unwanted advances.

As Meta faces lawsuits accusing it of harming young minds, Bejar's stance is clear: It's time for Congress to step in with laws that force social media giants to be transparent and accountable. Bejar's not suggesting a complete overhaul—just smarter, teen-friendly tools to report and manage what makes them uncomfortable.

Meta insists it's working hard to improve safety, pointing to new features designed to help. But with Bejar's heartfelt plea and the push for better online child protection laws, it's evident that when it comes to our kids' safety online, there's still a long way to go.

Photo: DIW

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World