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☆ Apple to make messaging between iPhones and Androids easier - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] An Android mascot is seen in front of a displayed logo of Apple in this photo illustration taken in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 5, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) plans to adopt a messaging standard next year that will allow for a smoother texting experience between iPhones and Android devices, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company said the new technology would work alongside iMessage and offer better interoperability than SMS or MMS, according to the report. Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado, iMessage, Samrhitha, Shilpi Majumdar, Devika Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Bloomberg, Rich Communication Services, Google, Thomson Locations: Zenica, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bengaluru

☆ Apple will make a big change to iPhone messages next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | Samantha Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The change – first reported by tech site 9to5Mac – will add features, such as read receipt, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms. Apple told CNN in a statement it will add support for the standard, called RCS (Rich Communication Services), later next year. Meanwhile, Google, which already has support for RCS within its messaging app, has been vocal about wanting Apple to adopt the standard. The move, however, doesn’t necessarily mean the green bubbles (Android or other users) and blue bubbles (Apple users) that are displayed when messaging someone on the other platform will go away anytime soon. “Instead, RCS support will enable a smoother and better customer experience of iPhone users communicating across platforms.

Persons: iMessage, Apple, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Cook, ”, Dipanjan Chatterjee, Michael Inouye, ” Inouye, Chatterjee, ” Chatterjee, that’s Organizations: CNN, Apple, Communication Services, Universal, Google, Commission, European Union, “, Forrester Research, ABI Research, GSM Association Locations: Europe

☆ Getting mocked for your green Android text bubbles to iPhone users could be a thing of the past in Europe if Google gets its way
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google signed a letter to the EU asking for iMessage to be made a "core platform service." The green text bubble currently singles out non-iPhone users. That could make the green text bubbles, which single out non-iPhone users a thing of the past. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhatsApp and Meta's Messenger have been designated as core platform services, meaning they are subject to stronger regulation. And the European Union has already been investigating whether iMessage should be deemed a core platform service, since it announced the designations in September.

Persons: —, iMessage, Thierry Breton Organizations: Google, Apple, Service, Financial Times, Union's, European Union, SMS Locations: iMessage

☆ I'm an assistant at Disney and I feel completely stuck in my career
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even though I knew that going in, I needed a job — and a job at Disney sounded good. So I took the job as a Disney assistant, and part of me hoped that things would sort themselves out once I started working. Personally, I feel stuck as an assistant at Disney, and don't see any career mobility at all. But a lot of people stay in these creative executive roles and senior executive roles — and even junior executive roles, the rank closest to mine — for a long time. In the rare event that there's an opening, companies sometimes look for external candidates to fill open executive roles, which is also frustrating.

Persons: I've, It's, —, we've, who's, hasn't, they're, it's, that's, I'm, Reed Alexander Organizations: Disney, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood, —, Los Angeles

☆ I thought my Disney assistant job would supercharge my career. But moving up seems harder every day with the challenges facing Hollywood, and my hope is fading.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Persons: I've, It's, —, we've, who's, hasn't, they're, it's, that's, I'm, Reed Alexander Organizations: Disney, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood, —, Los Angeles

☆ 5 tips for small businesses that want to try SMS marketing, from a founder who saw her profits double
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Erin Greenawald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Short-message-service, or SMS, marketing can be a powerful way to engage customers. Insider talked to Vasquez and the marketing consultant Danielle Reid to understand what small-business owners should know about setting up a successful SMS marketing campaign. Reid said it's a good idea to regularly remind customers that they can opt out of SMS marketing if they no longer want you to contact them. Offer something of valueBefore she schedules any text message, Vasquez asks herself: Is this providing value? Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents said they learned of an interesting sale or promotion from a brand's text message that they wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Persons: SBOs, —, Ashley Vasquez, Zachary Dripps, Vasquez, Danielle Reid, Reid, Britney Kelsey, they've, Dripps, it's, that's Organizations: Small, Service, Los Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas are pleading for their release and say they have no idea how their relatives are doing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Insider spoke to family members of those believed to be kidnapped to understand what happens now. He added that the American Jewish Committee's offices in Jerusalem and the US were actively "responding when we receive calls from family members" about missing loved ones. "We started getting WhatsApp messages from family members that Hamas was in the kibbutz," Onn said. But, as for those who were taken, Onn said the family has to hold on to hope during an excruciating time. A plea from loved onesInformation about missing loved ones has been hard to come by, people in Israel told Insider on Sunday and Monday.

Persons: —, Jonathan Conricus, Nir Oz, Abbey, Onn, That's, it's, Ted Deutch, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Kenneth Quinn, who's, Quinn, Nahar, Adrienne Neta, Biden, Neta, Rubi Chen, Itay, Chen, Lester Holt, John Kirby, Kirby, Shelly Shem Tov, Omer, Jake Tapper, Shem Tov, Tapper, she'd, Reed Alexander Organizations: Service, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, US State Department, Israel Defence Forces, American Jewish Committee, Democratic, Jewish, Israel, Reuters, State Department, NBC News, National Security Council, White, United, CNN Locations: Gaza, Israel, American, Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Florida, Jerusalem, Hamas, Washington, United States, Israeli

☆ Assistants at companies like Netflix and Disney are 'waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel' as their careers stall and they can't get promoted: 'I don't see a way up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Trying to maintain a career in Hollywood was "not something that was feasible for me to continue," this person told Insider. Insider spoke with eight current and former assistants at Hollywood companies, plus a former creative executive at a midsize film studio. Many hopefuls can't find jobs in an industry that's been wracked with head count reductions and budget cuts. Netflix's website lists just one open assistant job — a role in a non-creative vertical. At Paramount, which cut 25% of staff from its US cable networks earlier this year, there appear to be no open executive assistant jobs in entertainment capacities .

Persons: —, strivers, that's, David Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, Bob Iger —, there's, WBD, they've, they'd, I'm, Reed Alexander Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Paramount Global, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Media, Writers Guild of America, Challenger, Warner Bros, Discovery, Entertainment Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York

☆ SMS marketing may cost more to set up than email, but 2 small-business founders say it's worth it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Erica Sweeney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Data indicates that people check their phones every 10 to 12 minutes and spend most of that time reading and responding to text messages. Since 2014, SMS marketing has helped GreenPal stay in direct contact with its 300,000 customers nationwide, increasing sales and engagement, Clayton said. Here's why SMS marketing can be a successful way to reach your customers. Understanding these rules is the biggest hurdle small businesses face in getting started in SMS marketing, she added. Often, businesses need to hire a company to build a custom program or use application-programming-interface services that offer SMS marketing, such as Mailchimp or Twilio.

Persons: SBOs, —, Bryan Clayton, GreenPal, Clayton, they've, Barbara Casey, Casey Organizations: Small, Service, Mobile, Consumer, SMS Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, SimpleTexting

☆ How an Army combat medic pivoted to filmmaking, thanks in part to a Sundance program that fostered directors like Ryan Coogler and Chloe Zhao
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Directors Lab, which goes back 40 years and claims graduates from Quentin Tarantino and Gina Prince-Bythewood to Ryan Coogler to Chloe Zhao, is a supercharged accelerator for new filmmakers. Rashad Frett, right, a member of the 2023 Directors Lab, speaks with Michelle Satter, founding director of the Sundance Institute's Feature Film Program. It's a 20-minute short that screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January; Fretts' time at the Directors Lab was devoted to developing it into a feature, filming multiple scenes. But it took a few tries before his application to join the Directors Lab was successful, he said. Rashad Frett works on his short film "Ricky" during this year's Directors Lab, conducted by the Sundance Institute.

Persons: Rashad Frett, Frett, Quentin Tarantino, Gina Prince, Bythewood, Ryan Coogler, Chloe Zhao, Michelle Satter, who's, Sciences Jean Hersholt, Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, Carol Littleton, Satter, —, Jonathan Hickerson, he'd, Spike Lee, Ricky, Lin Que Ayoung, It's, Fretts, Sam Emenogu, Joan Darling, Joan Tewkesbury, it's, he's, Reed Alexander Organizations: Army, Sundance, Labs, Hollywood, of Motion Picture Arts, Sciences, New York University, NYU, Sundance Film, Lab, Sundance Institute Locations: New York, Sundance, Utah, New, Hollywood

☆ Once upon a time, the 'Disney adult' was ridiculed. Now, kidless millennials and Gen Z-ers with money to burn are packing into the parks — here's how Disney is winning them over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Newlyweds Natalie and Brett Schwartz exchanged vows at Walt Disney World in Orlando this summer. "Our approach was to shine a light on the beautiful tapestry of people that come to Walt Disney World," Trejo said. Francis Dominic, the former parks worker turned influencer, has also been tapped to promote Disney parks and films. It's a difficult tightrope to navigate, but it could define the future of Disney parks. Are you a Disney parks or Walt Disney Co. insider?

Persons: Sarah Rachul, I'm, Rachul, Orlando —, —, Molly May, Francis Dominic, Dominic, who's, Taylor, Ron DeSantis —, Japan pavilion's Takumi, Jonathan de Araujo, it's, Tara Goldstein, Ann van Oostendorp, Disney, Van Oostendorp, Natalie Schwartz, Brett, Schwartz, Sierra Keller's, Keller, Natalie, Brett Schwartz, Jason Petrina, he's, Disney's, He's, They're, Petrina, Mickey, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldaña, What's, Wan Kenobi, Emperor Palpatine, she'd, welling, haven't, Neph Trejo, Walt, " Trejo, It's, Halle Bailey, Kent Phillips, Gaston, Jeremy Singh, I'd, Singh couldn't, he'd, Singh, they're, Patrick Dougall, Mark Eades, Eades, we've, Amanda Krause, Reed Alexander Organizations: Walt Disney, Epcot, Disney Vacation, Disney, Mouse, Disneyland, Disney Parks, Walt Disney Co, Florida Gov, Universal, Guardians, Galaxy, University of Tampa, Disney World, Honeymooners, Star Wars, Marvel, Magic, Cafe Orleans, Disney World's Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios, Star, Gucci, Dooney, Animal, Dole, Walt Disney World's, ABC, Getty, Management, Disney Imagineer, Disneyland Alumni Locations: Ohio, Disney, Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, Italy, China, Tuscany, Orlando, Florida, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo, Japan, Epcot, California, Anaheim, Belle Terrace, Hollywood

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Casino company Caesars Entertainment on Thursday joined Las Vegas gambling rival MGM Resorts International in reporting that it was hit by a cyberattack, but added in a report to federal regulators that its casino and online operations were not disrupted. Caesars is the largest casino owner in the world, with more than 65 million Caesars Rewards members and properties in 18 states and Canada under the Caesars, Harrah’s, Horseshoe and Eldorado brands. MGM Resorts said reservations and casino floors in Las Vegas and other states were affected. MGM Resorts has has about 40 million loyalty rewards members and tens of thousands of hotel rooms in Las Vegas at properties including the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Aria and Mandalay Bay. Some MGM Resorts computer systems were still down Thursday, including hotel reservations and payroll.

Persons: “, ”, ” Brett Callow, Emsisoft, Callow, Charles Carmakal, ” Carmakal, Mandiant, ” Mandiant, Brian Ahern, pinky, ’ ”, Frank Bajak Organizations: LAS VEGAS, —, Caesars Entertainment, Las, MGM Resorts International, Securities and Exchange Commission, Social, New, MGM Resorts, “, Caesars, Associated Press, SEC, MGM, Aria, FBI, CNA Financial Locations: Las Vegas, Reno, New Zealand, Russia, U.S, Canada, Harrah’s, Eldorado, Mandalay, China, Macau, British Columbia, Boston

☆ Morocco earthquake: Foreign offers of aid arrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Following are some of the offers of aid and support from foreign governments following the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday. A unit from the Spanish Emergency Military Unit (UME) was set to fly to Morocco, Spanish television RTVE reported. FRANCEFrance stands ready to help Morocco but the government there has not yet requested it, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. Separately, the Foreign Ministry said it was activating a fund of local government contributions to support solidarity actions. TAIWANTaiwan’s fire department said on Saturday it had put a team of 120 rescuers on standby to go to Morocco the moment they get instructions from Taiwan’s foreign ministry.

Persons: Jose Manuel Albares, Albares, ISRAEL Israel's Magen David Adom, Magen David Adom, Algeria's, Nawaf Al, Ahmad Al, Jaber, Frances Kerry, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Interior, Catalunya Radio, Moroccan, Spanish Emergency Military Unit, Foreign Ministry, Orange, Crescent, Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, Sunday, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Morocco, TUNISIA Tunisia, SPAIN, Spain, Spanish, FRANCE France, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moroccan, ALGERIA Algeria, TURKEY, AFAD, Turkish, Turkey, KUWAIT, Jaber Al, Sabah, TAIWAN

☆ Foreign reactions and offers of aid in response to Morocco earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/6] A general view of damage in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9. ****OFFERS OF FOREIGN AID AND SUPPORTALGERIAAlgeria, which broke off ties with Morocco two years ago, said it would open its air space for humanitarian and medical flights to Morocco. TURKEYThe Turkish Foreign Ministry said Ankara was ready to provide all kinds of support "to heal the wounds of the earthquake in Morocco". Valerie Pecresse, president of the Paris region, said on X it was offering 500,000 euros ($535,000)in aid for Morocco. -------------**** ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN NATIONALSFRANCEThe French Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Morocco and the ministry in Paris have opened crisis centres "to respond to demands for information or help from our compatriots."

Persons: Abdelhak, Algeria's, Olaf Scholz, Antony Blinken, Valerie Pecresse, Benoit Payan, Jose Manuel Albares, Antonio Nogales, Eli Cohen, “, Israel's Magen David Adom, Magen David Adom, Kais Saied, Nawaf Al, Ahmad Al, Jaber, Marcel Ciolacu, NARENDRA MODI, VLADIMIR PUTIN, MOHAMMED VI, KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, ANNALENA, EMMANUEL MACRON, FELIPE, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Turkish Foreign Ministry, UNITED STATES Secretary, French Foreign Ministry, Morocco, Cote d'Azur, Orange, Spain's, Moroccan, ISRAEL, Crescent, Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, INDIAN, IMF, Bank, MINISTRY, Facebook, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, ALGERIA Algeria, Moroccan, TURKEY, Ankara, AFAD, Turkish, Turkey, GERMANY, New Delhi, Germany, United States, FRANCE, France, Paris, Marseille, Marseille's, Occitanie, Corsica, Provence, Alpes, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, SPAIN, TUNISIA, Tunisian, KUWAIT, Jaber Al, Sabah, ROMANIA, TAIWAN, Algeria, Kingdom of Morocco, EMIRATES, German, Rabat

“They just come and say ‘vote.’ So people vote,” Baska told CNN. “Here, when you buy a SIM card for your phone, you immediately get an SMS from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and United Russia Party,” Baska said. The text messages carry pro-Kremlin messaging, informing voters that “about 90% of voters are ready to vote for Yedianaya Rossiya (United Russia),” or that “United Russia is helping Zaporizhzhia region,” she added. Guerrilla activity by Ukrainian partisans has taken place but is more difficult to achieve now, Baska told CNN. ‘Nothing to do with democracy’Few residents in Melitopol are interested in the bogus elections taking place, Baska told CNN.

Persons: ”, Alexander Ermochenko, ” Baska, Yedianaya Rossiya, ’, Vladimir Putin’s, “, Jens Stoltenberg, Baska, Melitopol, …, Republic Denis Pushilin, Yuriy Sobolevskyi, ” Sobolevskyi Organizations: CNN, Communist, National Resistance Center, Ministry of Internal Affairs, United Russia Party, Kremlin, “, NRC, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of, NATO, Yale Humanitarian Research, United Russia, Russian, Russian Guard Locations: Melitopol, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, United Russia, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, Kyiv, of Europe, ”, Mariupol, Crimea, Republic

☆ Tesla rival Polestar plans own smartphone launch alongside its first electric vehicle in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesMUNICH — Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar plans to launch a smartphone in December alongside deliveries of its first car to be released in China, the company's CEO told CNBC. It will be the company's first car to be delivered in China, as it ramps up expansion in the world's biggest electric vehicle market. Alongside that, Polestar will take the unusual move of launching a smartphone carrying the brand's name. It stems from a joint venture created in June between Polestar and Xingji Meizu, a Chinese smartphone maker owned by Chinese auto giant Geely . And the Polestar smartphone would not be an attempt to grow market share.

Persons: Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar, Xingji, Meizu, Ingenlath, It's, Neil Shah, Shah Organizations: HK, Shanghai International Automobile Industry, National Exhibition, Convention Center, Visual China, Getty, MUNICH, CNBC, Apple, EV, Counterpoint Research, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Porsche Locations: Shanghai, China, Swedish, Polestar, German

☆ Meta's WhatsApp is chasing big businesses in effort to finally capitalize on app's popularity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Newton-Rex joined WhatsApp four years ago, leaving her high-level position at London-based financial firm WorldRemit for the new gig. Newton-Rex said Zuckerberg has been "a big part of the team," adding that he regularly speaks with Will Cathcart, the current head of WhatsApp. What's up with WhatsApp's business? In June, Meta said the WhatsApp Business app had quadrupled in the past three years to 200 million monthly active users. The Pew Research Center has previously detailed that WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app used by Hispanic Americans.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, WhatsApp, it's, It's, sidelining WhatsApp, Rather, Zuckerberg, Jim Cramer, Alice Newton, Rex, Uber, Newton, WorldRemit, Will Cathcart, Nick Lane, Debra Aho Williamson, Williamson, Jan Koum, Brian Acton, Jan Koum David Ramos, Acton, Koum, Meta, Meta's, that's, Mobilesquared's Lane, Lane Organizations: Facebook, Meta, CNBC, Consumers, Netflix, Insider Intelligence, Getty, Reuters It's, Intelligence, Pew Research Center, Twitter, Cambridge, SMS Locations: WhatsApp, India, Brazil, London, Indonesia, Colombia, Singapore, Newton, U.S, Canada, Spain, Italy, Argentina, North

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Ukrainian mobile operator released charity ad citing army losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A clip falsely attributed to Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar and implying that 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war against Russia is circulating in multiple languages, but there is no evidence that the company ever released such a video. Users have been sharing the video, which mimics the Youtube Shorts display as well as Kyivstar branding and claims to be the mobile operator’s charity campaign (here). “There was no such communication from Kyivstar, this information is fake,” the mobile operator said in response to a direct message in Instagram from Reuters. There is no evidence mobile operator Kyivstar released a video that mentions 400,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers, and the company has called the clip a fake. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts (here).

Persons: Kyivstar, “, Tik Tok, Read Organizations: Facebook, Reuters, New York Times Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Instagram, Ukraine

☆ ‘We are casualties of this’: A film influencer with 470,000 TikTok followers on scrambling to take second jobs, making up for lost income, and facing online hate as Hollywood’s strikes drag on
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Jasmine Paige Moore, a TikTok creator, tells Insider about giving up content creation and returning to bartending during the strike. This first-person as-told-to story is based on an August interview with Jasmine Paige Moore, a content creator with nearly 470,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 23,000 on Instagram. Within the first few days of the Hollywood actors' strike, a friend of mine — a fellow content creator with a large following on TikTok — faced backlash from users online. "We as content creators should be helping to educate each other, not tearing each other down," I wrote. And what this whole experience has done more than anything is show me that the content creator community has really not had a voice during this strike.

Persons: Jasmine Paige Moore, TikTok —, he'd, I didn't, I've, AFTRA, they'll, We've, Con, Barbie, what's, we're, influencers, There's, haven't, they've, —, Reed Alexander Organizations: SAG, bartending, Hollywood, San Diego Comic, Warner Bros, Guild of America Locations: influencers, I'm, bartending

☆ Triller has pitched its app as a TikTok replacement, but says it won't try to generate revenue directly from its namesake product
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Triller said it won't try to generate revenue directly in the short-video app it was named after. The company does not perceive the Triller app as core to how it makes money, Green told Insider. Triller will therefore book costs tied to the Triller app as sales, marketing, general, or administrative expenses rather than as a cost of revenue, it wrote in its securities filing. These costs could include paying talent and influencers to drive adoption of the Triller app, or paying to license music for the app as a brand-building tool, it wrote. In 2022, Triller said it grew overall revenue by roughly 80% year over year to $47.7 million.

Persons: Triller, Julius, Michael Green, Trump, Trump's TikTok, Mahi de Silva, isn't, we're, I'm, it's, Green, FITE Organizations: Tech, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Beijing

☆ This Ugandan earns a bonus for each person he gets to sign up for Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning crypto project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The business-to-business software firm, which has a market cap of $11.5 billion, gave users the option of logging in with their World ID beginning in June. Social media app Discord also uses World ID for verification. But ultimately, the foundation envisions a future where a World ID could be used to facilitate nationwide votes, among other use cases involving banking and e-commerce. Ava Labs president John Wu tells CNBC that the self-custody feature of the Worldcoin ID is also critical. Despite his concerns, Mwangi ultimately chose to enroll in the project because he believed in the wider mission of the World ID.

Persons: Keneth Byarugaba, Byarugaba, Namureba Abel, Abel, Muvya Muthama, Muthama, Sam Altman, Peter Mwangi, I'm, Mwangi, They're, Worldcoin, John Wu, Wu, Ricardo Macieira, Annegret Hilse, hasn't, Byarugaba indoctrinates, it's, isn't, CNBC's Jordan Smith Organizations: Worldcoin, CNBC, cryptocurrency, Social, FBI, Reuters Locations: Uganda, Kampala, Nairobi, Kenya, web3, Chile, Europe, Berlin

☆ DTC brands are struggling to turn a profit. Shopify and some software startups aim to solve this by paying customers to shop.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some are leaning away from the heavy discounting and confusing rewards programs of the past and instead turning to new tech that offers customers cash back for shopping. When shoppers purchase from brands that partner with Catch, they'll get 5-10% back in credit to spend at that store. While DTC brands historically spent a lot to acquire new customers , changes to iOS tracking have made targeted ads less effective. Credit-card companies have also been doing cash-back rewards for years, but those programs don't really benefit brands. PostscriptFondue is another startup looking to revamp loyalty programs by zeroing in on cash-back rewards.

Persons: Nico Perdomo, Denia Ebersole, they'll, It's, Perdomo, Shopify, Harley Finkelstein, that's, Laura Kennedy, William Herlands, Abraham Lucey, Adam Turner, Oren Charnoff, Fondue, Kennedy, Alex Beller, Charnoff Organizations: DTC, Grow, American Express, zeroing, Barstool

☆ Shopify's ecosystem is about to face a major test: Large partners like Klaviyo are eying an IPO, while smaller startups may struggle to compete
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As Shopify's app ecosystem matures, it's becoming a make-or-break moment for some developers and partners. If they succeed in the public markets, it's a positive sign for the Shopify ecosystem. Upcoming IPOs will be a testSome Shopify ecosystem companies are eying the public markets, even in a year when IPO activity has been slow. That will make it even more important for Shopify's app partners to ensure their solution is differentiated from competitors. "This shared focus is why we're committed to ensuring a healthy Shopify ecosystem that fosters innovation, scale, and speed."

Persons: Shopify, it's, it'll, Amit Jhawar, Ben Parr, Parr, lockdowns, Sid Murlidhar, we're, Chris Wattie, Jhawar, Glen Coates, It'll, Chris Grouchy, Convictional, Roger Kirkness, Rick Watson Organizations: Shopify, Reuters, Shopify Ventures, Global, RMW Commerce Consulting Locations: Klaviyo, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Shopify

☆ Triller is finally heading to the public markets after trimming losses and tweaking its investor pitch. Here are 3 main takeaways from the hundreds of pages it filed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Triller's preliminary S-1 filing to go public on the New York Stock Exchange has been released. The company reported a smaller net loss in 2022 than in 2021 and around $48 million in 2022 revenue. In its S-1, the company featured images of celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and DJ Khaled inside Triller products. One metric notably absent from Triller's S-1 is active user counts across its platforms. In its S-1, the company wrote it had "established more than 550 million user accounts" across its offerings, which it defined as anyone who created an account.

Persons: Triller, It's, it's, Snoop Dogg, Josh Richards, Richards, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Charli D'Amelio, D'Amelio, TikTok, Julius, Triller's, Mike Lu, Ryan Kavanaugh's, Bobby Sarnevesht Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Seachange, SEC, Triller, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Meta, Inc, TechCrunch, Billboard, Media Locations: NFTs, TikTok, Triller

☆ Why cell phone service is down in Maui — and when it could be restored
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Cell service is down. Although strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. The smoke and flames can also attenuate signals because of the particulate density in the air.”If a tower collapses, cell networks could take months to restore. This means satellite phones, which often feature large antennas, can help provide voice, SMS, and data services anywhere on Earth, even without cell service. Although it’s unclear how long cell phone service could be down in affected regions, companies have been able to bring connectivity to disaster regions in the past.

Persons: Gov, Sylvia Luke, ”, Glenn O’Donnell, Forrester, “, O’Donnell, Dimitris Mavrakis, ” Mavrakis, Apple, Hurricane Maria, Hawaii’s Organizations: CNN, Wireless, ABI Research, Mobile, Emergency Management Team, FEMA, Verizon, Motorola, Huawei, Apple Watch, Google Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Hurricane

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