WhatsApp Beta Adds AI Replies and Themes: A Game-Changer for Businesses

WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.24.26.16 brings exciting updates aimed at improving the WhatsApp Business app. The update introduces new features like AI-powered replies, multi-platform integration, and customizable themes, offering enhanced functionality for businesses and their customers.

One major highlight is the addition of AI-powered replies, which allows businesses to automate responses when team members are unavailable. This feature ensures faster replies to frequently asked questions, such as inquiries about purchase processes, business details, and other common queries. Businesses can also customize AI responses to match their brand’s voice and tone, ensuring a personalized experience for customers. Importantly, when AI is used to generate responses, customers will be notified, maintaining transparency between businesses and their users.

Another significant update is the multi-platform management feature, which enables businesses to access both the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform simultaneously. Previously, users had to choose between these platforms, but now, with a simple QR code scan, accounts can be managed seamlessly across both. This improvement also allows businesses to share individual chat histories with customers for up to six months between the platform and the app. However, group chat history sharing remains unavailable.

• Also read: Instagram Rolls Out Exciting New Features For Users Including Screenshot Blocking and DM Scheduling

Additionally, the update enhances the visual experience by introducing theme customization options. Beta testers can now choose between dark and light modes and select accent colors for these themes. This customization helps businesses differentiate between WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business, creating a more distinct user interface. Previously, the app only supported default accent colors, but this update adds greater flexibility. While this feature was already available on iOS, it is now being rolled out for Android users as well.

These updates mark a significant step in making WhatsApp Business more interactive and user-friendly. With AI-driven automation, improved platform integration, and customizable themes, businesses can streamline their operations and improve customer engagement. The new version will soon be available on the Google Play Store, expanding access to these features for more users.

Image: WABetaInfo

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• Who Are the Key Players in Corporate Bitcoin Adoption in 2024?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Who Are the Key Players in Corporate Bitcoin Adoption in 2024?

Bitcoin continues to solidify its role as a strategic asset for major corporations worldwide. Among the leading players, MicroStrategy stands out as the dominant force, holding an astonishing 439,002 bitcoins, valued at $46.9 billion as of December 2024. This intelligence software firm, which began acquiring cryptocurrency in 2020, has reshaped the narrative of institutional bitcoin adoption with its unparalleled holdings.

Trailing far behind is Marathon Digital Holdings Inc., which ranks second with 40,435 bitcoins, valued at $4.32 billion. This highlights the significant gap, with MicroStrategy holding more than ten times the bitcoins of Marathon Digital.

Riot Platforms, Inc. takes the third spot, owning 16,728 bitcoins valued at $1.79 billion. Tesla follows in fourth place, holding 9,720 bitcoins worth $1.04 billion. Tesla made headlines in 2021 when it invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and briefly accepted cryptocurrency as payment for its products.

Coinbase Global, Inc. comes in sixth with 9,000 bitcoins, valued at $961.6 million. Other companies in the top ten include Block, Inc. (8,211 bitcoins worth $877.3 million), Galaxy Digital Holdings (8,100 bitcoins worth $865.5 million), and Bitcoin Group SE (3,830 bitcoins valued at $409.2 million).

International companies also make their mark on the list. Canada’s Hut 8 Corp holds 9,109 bitcoins, valued at $973.3 million, while Germany’s Bitcoin Group SE rounds out the top ten with its $409.2 million bitcoin stash.

These companies collectively represent significant bitcoin investments, underlining the growing institutional adoption of cryptocurrency as a strategic asset.

Entity	Bitcoins Held	Value in USD (December 2024)
MicroStrategy	439,002	$46,906,893,967
Marathon Digital Holdings Inc	40,435	$4,320,436,484
Riot Platforms, Inc.	16,728	$1,787,368,901
Tesla, Inc	9,720	$1,038,571,599
CleanSpark Inc	9,297	$993,374,502
Hut 8 Corp	9,109	$973,286,903
Coinbase Global, Inc.	9,000	$961,640,369
Block, Inc.	8,211	$877,336,564
Galaxy Digital Holdings	8,100	$865,476,333
Bitcoin Group SE	3,830	$409,231,401
HIVE Digital Technologies	2,377	$253,979,906
Voyager Digital LTD	2,287	$244,363,502
Cipher Mining	2,142	$228,870,408
Semler Scientific	2,084	$222,673,170
NEXON Co. Ltd	1,717	$183,459,612
Exodus Movement Inc	1,300	$138,903,609
Brooker Group's BROOK (BKK)	1,150	$122,876,269
Metaplanet Inc.	1,142.30	$122,053,532
Bit Digital, Inc.	992.4	$106,036,878
Meitu	941	$100,544,843

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

More Competition for Google As OpenAI Makes SearchGPT Free For All

OpenAI just made its much anticipated SearchGPT free for all users having ChatGPT. This means Google needs to watch out as competition in the world of search heats up.

The feature got a lot of popularity shortly after it was first launched, several months back. Some lucky people got their hands on the offer early and they were able to confirm that ever since they started using it, they’ve never returned back to Google.

Kevin Weil who is the head of OpenAI just shared the great news including another exciting new offering called Voice Search. It entails several new changes used for streamlining data retrieval. This again was a part of the demo during the launch. The new update entails better search speed and more accuracy. It also means users could expect a quicker and more accurate search result.

As a whole, it betters the overall efficiency of accessing information. The feature also shows support for matters like embedded content such as pictures, movies, and even videos from YouTube. The new rich media combination has users watching new videos featuring ChatGPT without leaving the actual search page.

The new update also gives details about business maps such as data for cafes and more that users can make the most of in real time. They can also ensure more informed decisions regarding dining out and more services linked to searches. Thanks to refined queries related to navigation, users can make the most of getting quicker data to online pages related to the search. These are put on display above results and content summaries.

Additionally, ChatGPT makes the most of Advanced Voice which entails search. This combination enables users to carry out search through voice commands. The whole process is more accessible and intuitive. This is very true for anyone who prefers to use hands-free options. And the best bit is the features are launching around the globe today. So if you’re a ChatGPT user, you might want to make the utmost use of this feature.

Yes, it’s for free but users need to sign up and make an account if they wish to get the most of enhanced features. The new updates place ChatGPT as one of the most robust tools curated for retrieving data online. In case you’re wondering, it’s a direct challenge for search engines like Google.

The latest integration combines conversational access to get information and is well above users’ expectations. As a result, the overall experience is seamless and comprehensive. OpenAI keeps on enhancing the utility and this gives rise to more versatility so users’ needs keep getting met.

Another announcement made by ChatGPT’s team is how developers will enjoy the feature the most. They hope to roll out more changes soon so stay tuned for more exciting updates.

Read next: Study Reveals AI's Role in Holiday Overspending and Financial Strain
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Study Reveals AI's Role in Holiday Overspending and Financial Strain

Festive season brings a lot of expenditures too, with average Americans spending $1,000 on gifts and other things during the holiday season. But data says that most people also go into debt because of their overspending, even after cutting back on some of their normal expenses. Overspending has become a real issue during the holiday season and many people plan on paying off their debt during the next year. A new paper published in ScienceDirect suggests that AI may contribute to overspending behavior. Researchers say that artificial intelligence can give poor financial advice, especially when it comes to online shopping. At the same time, they highlight AI's potential as a valuable tool for retailers and sellers integrating it into their businesses, showcasing both its risks and benefits.

Behavioral Economists have come up with a term called “Pain of Payment” which refers to the emotions we feel while spending our money. When we are buying things from cash, it requires more thought and decision making than spending money online through credit cards. In this digital era, it is not hard to buy things and we can do it as quickly as just a tap of our fingers. When paying online, we get disassociated and cannot feel the pain of payment, even if we do not have much monetary resources. When our pain of payment is not felt, we tend to spend more without any thoughts.

Researchers said that there are four main ways AI is reducing the friction associated with buying things and urging us to spend more. AI is managing our algorithm and making us buy things that we need or have thought about buying. It is also reducing bias and discrimination across all populations, no matter what the financial situation is. But on the other hand, it is also making financial inclusion harder for some groups. AI is also helping companies to personalize content for buyers, making buyers see things in their preferred prices, leading to more consumer spending. AI is also helpful to provide flexibility and automate spending decisions.

Researchers say that usage of AI during online shopping is a cause of concern, and it will affect how we think about spending our money. It can make people get distanced from healthy financial habits and may bring us deeper into financial debt. There is also a new trend going on about financial mindfulness books that can help people achieve peace through healthy money management.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Instagram Head Mosseri Urges Social Media Users to Verify Sources Amid Growing AI Content Deception

Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri is warning users about the rise in AI content and how easily deceiving it can be.

Many users continue to get tricked into believing a fake post is actually real, he added. This has to do with so many AI images circulating on the internet. This makes it all the more difficult to differentiate fact from fiction.

The warning came in the form of a series of Threads published during the afternoon hours yesterday. This is why the app now wants users to verify the source and only then assume it’s true.

Mosseri further shared how the goal of the platform right now is to label any content made using AI with tags. However, there’s a huge likelihood that some content gets missed by the labels. Therefore, to help combat that issue, users need to add more context related to who’s sharing. In this way, users decide how much trust they can put in the source.

Remember, he adds that chatbots can lie to you on your face so in the same manner, trusting search engines powered by AI might give you the same disappointment. If the source is checked as a verifiable one or a reputable account, it just makes it so much easier.

Right now, Meta’s apps are not providing the same level of authentication that Mosseri discussed. The company did share at big changes arriving soon in terms of content rules but we’re still waiting for that.

For now, Mosseri’s description is quite like the Community Notes found on X as well as YouTube. You can even link it to the custom moderation filters on Bluesky. Now if Meta hopes to roll out anything like that, we’re not quite sure. But if you do look at history, it does tend to get inspired by other arch-rivals in the industry very easily. What do you think?

Image: Meta

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Social Media Apps Dominate November Downloads: Instagram Leads, Threads Tops iOS

Appfigures shared the list of most downloaded apps in November 2024 on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and it seems like social media apps are taking the lead. Instagram was the most downloaded app combined on Play Store and App Store, with 53 million total downloads this month. Majority of the downloads of Instagram came from Google Play Store (46 million), while only 7 million downloads were from App Store.

The second most downloaded app on App Store and Play Store combined was TikTok (45 million) in November 2024. TikTok was the third most downloaded app on Google Play as well as App Store, but most of its downloads came from Play Store (34 million). Now a new question arises about whether TikTok will stay in the lead or not if it gets banned in the USA.

With 44 million downloads on Apple Store and Play Store, WhatsApp was the third most downloaded app overall in November 2024. WhatsApp saw some rise in its number of downloads, with Facebook going to fourth spot with 37 million total downloads. ChatGPT was the fifth most downloaded app in November 2024 on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Other most downloaded apps in the top ten were Threads (30 million), Temu (30 million), Telegram (24 million), Capcut (22 million) and Snapchat (21 million).

The most downloaded app on iOS App Store in November 2024 was Threads (11 million), followed by ChatGPT (11 million) and TikTok (10 million). The most downloaded apps on Google Play in November 2024 were Instagram (46 million), WhatsApp (38 million) and TikTok (34 million). There was also a rise in downloads of Google Maps and Google seen on iOS Play Store in November 2024, with 8 million downloads each.

• Also read: Tech’s Winners and Losers of 2024: OpenAI Shines, Apple Stumbles, X Loses Its Way

According to the estimates by Appfigures, there were a total of 338 million downloads of the top ten apps on Apple App Store and Google Play Store in November 2024. It is a bit lower than October 2024, but still consistent so there's no need to be alarmed.

In a nutshell, the success of Threads and Temu suggests users are increasingly gravitating toward diverse digital ecosystems and budget-friendly e-commerce options. Threads is leveraging Instagram’s massive user base to challenge X, while Temu highlights a growing preference for affordable online shopping. The rise of ChatGPT further indicates the mainstream adoption of AI tools, blending social interaction with AI-powered functionalities. Meanwhile, TikTok’s continued dominance is now under scrutiny, with potential U.S. bans prompting speculation about how platforms like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts might capture displaced users.

• Related: Most of the Metaverse Platforms Lack Proper Security Measures and this Can Make them Vulnerable to Attackers

Read next: TikTok Leads November 2024 App Revenue Charts with $298M, Outpacing YouTube and Streaming Giants
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Most of the Metaverse Platforms Lack Proper Security Measures and this Can Make them Vulnerable to Attackers

Metaverse platforms promise its users that they can access virtual worlds from the privacy and comfort of their homes and can interact with others in a secure and private manner. But research by CISPA found that this is just an empty promise, because metaverse can have significant risks like lack of privacy which can result in rise in cyberattacks. The researcher, Andrea Mengascini, said that during studing metaverse and virtual reality, he found that online games and metaverse use the same technology. Metaverse is a virtual social place where people can interact with each other, within the rules similar to that of the physical world. People can find digital copies of the real world and the system uses JavaScript to manage 3D environments. It not only provides a good interface to smoothly run the virtual world, but is also responsible for security.

The researcher put forward three questions for his research: What type of objects or things exist in Metaverse and how are they assigned? Where are all these things stored and how can attackers access those things in memory?, and how can attackers use memories to exploit the users of Metaverse. The researcher found that there are 27 Metaverse platforms that use WebXR API, and he examined three of them in detail. User activity, popularity, coverage and internet traffic were kept in mind before choosing three platforms. He then captures snapshots that were taken before and after doing a specific action. Afterwards, he checked if any changes took place and if that action he did could be read in the web browser’s memory.

The researcher found that most of the things can easily be read as the browser’s memory is easily accessible. Even if someone is not an expert, he can still have access to it. The developers of those sites have missed some common coding practices that could ensure the privacy of users and won't disclose any information about the client. As a result, hackers can easily access that information and attacks are possible.

Attackers are able to control avatars and even the scenarios that victims are using and they can position themselves in a room where they can hear and watch everything. It's like using VR glasses of users, without them realizing that an attacker is infiltrating their space. The researcher then contacted the developers of those three platforms that were examined and told them about the issue on their platforms. The developers haven't changed anything about their platforms yet, but they may soon try to do anything about it. Andrea Mengascini also said that he has proposed some protection mechanisms that can be implemented on those metaverse platforms to ensure the safety of clients.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World