The list also reminds users that its store is filled with experiences for everyone, whether you’re a gamer or a professional daydreamer. The best iPhone apps for 2024 cover a range of different genres, from task management to photo editing, and the final list isn’t just meant for the iPhone. 

The announcement includes top apps for Apple users across different devices, so if you want something new for your Macbook or need an app to make your Apple Vision Pro purchase worthwhile, then these are Apple’s recommendations for apps that have captivated its audiences worldwide.

Image: Disney Speedstorm

Finalists for Apple’s Top Apps in 2024—Did Your Favorites Make the List?

“Every year, Apple honors the very best apps and games of the year through the App Store Awards — a recognition of exceptional user experience, design, and innovation from developers across the world,” Apple said in its announcement, and it’s true. Some of these apps from the iPhone maker’s list last year have become a staple for many of us and this year’s finalists will likely achieve the same success.

The App Store Awards for 2024 include a list of 45 different apps that stand out in 12 categories, and the winners in each category will be announced in the coming weeks. We’ll keep our eyes out for the list of winners, but it’s still interesting to see what the competition looks like.

Let’s get to know the finalists a little bit better.

Finalists for iPhone App of the Year 

The iPhone has been Apple’s primary product line for over a decade, and it remains the platform where its customers look for, and use, the full range of apps the most. The company’s finalists for the best iPhone apps in 2024 include three top names.

• Kino: A camera app from Lux that allows users to record and edit cinematic videos to use as customers desire. 
• Runna: With a 4.9 rating, the Runna app is designed to help runners develop a personalized training plan to achieve their activity goals.
• Tripsy: A travel planning app, Tripsy is a one-stop shop for all the travel-related organizations you need for your trip, from planning out the itinerary to tracking expenses. 

Finalist for iPhone Game of the Year

Smartphone gaming is always a fast-moving category with multiple app releases every year, so it’s clear why there’s a specific App Store award for top apps for Apple users to consider. 

• AFK Journey: A fantasy RPG app that you might have seen ads for everywhere, this is an app for gamers who like world-building and exploring lore. 
• The WereCleaner: This “stealth-comedy” gaming app follows the journey of a werewolf janitor who has to clean up messes as quickly as possible in absurd scenarios. It’s a fun game and it has received much love from enthralled smartphone gamers.
• Zenless Zone Zero: A Hoyoverse app is to be expected in the gaming category and this time, Zenless Zone Zero has captivated audiences with its unique combat system and unique graphics. The 3.9 rating is not the best look, but it still has an extensive ecosystem of gaming for those who like to commit to the long haul.

Finalists for iPad App of the Year 

Turning to the iPad, there are a couple of apps that have received recognition for making a mark on the user base. It also includes an app for kids, which is another category that has grown in strength over the years.

• Bluey: Let’s Play: The Australian show Bluey has captivated the attention of children everywhere and the app allows them to enter the world of these anthropomorphic dogs and explore their imagination as they play along.
• Moises: This AI-supported app allows musicians to separate the vocals from the instruments in any song. This makes it easier to isolate the notes and learn the chords or create alternate backing tracks. 
• Procreate Dreams: A well-known name among creatives, the app allows users to “create rich 2D animations, expressive videos, and breathtaking stories.” Simplifying animation and providing the tools needed to bring an idea to life, Procreate Dreams is a great app for artists and other creators.

Finalists for iPad Game of the Year 

It’s no surprise that the iPad also offers a collection of gaming opportunities to its users. The games in this list have a lot of fast-moving parts and elaborate storytelling that promises to keep users engaged. 

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage: There’s no need to introduce this game series as it has a long, successful history to boast of. Available for the traditional PlayStation and Xbox consoles, this can also be played on the iPad.
• Disney Speedstorm: A Disney hero-based battle racing game by Gameloft, this app has largely fallen under the radar despite its fun gameplay and collection of well-loved characters.
• Squad Busters: A brightly colored multi-player experience, Squad Busters is another game that takes characters from other popular Supercell titles to battle it out with other players to gather the most gems and build Ultra characters.

Image: Sonic Dream Team

Finalists for Apple Arcade Game of the Year 

The App Store Awards for 2024 also have a separate category of games that are available for free via the Arcade subscription service.

• Balatro+: Balatro’s arrival on mobile has been much talked about this year. The Poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder includes some unique gameplay and is so addictive that it’s a top contender for app of the year.
• Outlanders 2: Town-builder games are a unique category of gaming that provides hours and hours of content that you can play as passively or actively as you want. If you’ve ever wanted to be a leader without having to face the pressures of it in the real world, this is a good game for you.
• Sonic Dream Team: Sonic returns once more with his squad of familiar faces, working to race through hurdles to eventually defeat the boss, Dr. Crabulous. 

Finalists for Mac App of the Year 

Moving away from the iPad and iPhone must-have apps for 2024, we now have the top apps you can find for the desktop. These apps reflect the kind of tools that you are likely to find useful in your day-to-day routine of tasks and responsibilities.

• Adobe Lightroom: A staple for any creative who is required to edit images and work on developing photos, Lightroom has spent years holding its position at the top of its category.
• OmniFocus 4: A task management software for professionals, the app provides an easy way for users to organize their projects and stay on track with all of their work in one place with the promise of end-to-end encryption.
• Shapr3D: Working on 3D models is no easy task but the app provides a way for everyone from hobbyists to professionals to turn their design ideas into more structured models.

Image: Stray

Finalists for Mac Game of the Year 

Do you ever play games on your Mac? It’s not a category we usually consider, but now might be a great time to start PC gaming with the nominations of Apple’s top apps for 2024.

• Frostpunk 2: This is another world-building game but one that’s set in an icy post-apocalyptic landscape. The 45$ title has some great effects and an immersive atmosphere that can keep gamers hooked.
• Stray: Keeping with the futuristic theme but through a cyberpunk lens, this game takes you on a journey from the perspective of a stray cat in a neon-lit world. 
• Thank Goodness You’re Here!: Another unique game for players to consider, the story allows gamers to play the role of a traveling salesman who is tasked with odd jobs to help the eccentric residents of the fictional town of Barnsworth.

Finalists for Apple Watch App of the Year 

Yes, you heard correctly, we also have a category of the best apps designed for the Apple Watch. If you’re using your smartwatch to only track your steps, then you’re not letting your fancy Apple Watch live up to its full potential.

• LookUp: An English dictionary app powered by Oxford English Dictionary for those who want to expand their vocabulary, this app is a great tool to keep around.
• Lumy: If you want to stay “in tune with the sun,” Lumy is a neat way to track the weather or check when the best time for your next photoshoot is going to be.
• Watch to 5K: Another helpful tool for aspiring runners, the app promises to help users train to run 5k in 9 weeks with just your Apple Watch. 

Finalists for Apple Vision Pro App of the Year 

A new category for Apple users to ponder over, the Cupertino company has also announced its finalists for the apps that have made the best use of the Vision Pro headset’s spatial computing powers.

• JigSpace: Creating 3D models is one thing but viewing it on a computer screen doesn’t provide a complete view of the work. JigSpace provides a very interactive way to view 3D and augmented reality models.
• NBA: Taking the experience of watching sports to the next level, allowing those with a subscription to watch over 5 broadcasts live, the NBA app is a top pick for sports fans.
• What If…? An Immersive Story: Marvel already has a huge fan following, and this app allows users to be transported into its cinematic world through the mixed reality and virtual reality experience.

Image: THRASHER

Finalists for Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year 

Next for the Apple Vision Pro, we have the gaming category finalists as well. These apps explore the next stage of gaming where we move away from flat monitors and screens to a more expansive experience.

• Loóna: Everyone can do a little bit of de-stressing after a long day at work, and to cater to that need, this app provides a collection of spatial puzzles with which to relax.
• THRASHER: Arcade Odyssey: Submerging users in an alien world, the psychedelic-themed game allows players to navigate the strange world physically and fight to survive.
• Vacation Simulator: If you want to go on vacation from the comfort of your home, the game allows users to arrive at different destinations and interact with the unique characters that populate its virtual world.

Finalists for Apple TV App of the Year 

The Apple TV service also gets its own category of top apps that are customized for the platform. 

• DROPOUT By CollegeHumor: If you are looking for humorous content that can add some joy to your day, this is a great place to find something both original and funny.
• F1 TV: Netflix might have hooked everyone on to F1 with its drama-fueled Drive to Survive series, but for more in-depth reality-based content on Formula 1 racing, this is the best place to be.
• Zoom: The pandemic-era superstar gets a nice shoutout on Apple’s list of top apps of 2024, for its role in “keeping groups connected in innovative ways.”

Image: Apple

Finalists for Tops Apps with a Cultural Impact 

Apple’s final category of the best apps is the longest one, giving credit to multiple apps that have created a difference in the lives of its customers. No, Bluesky didn’t make it to the iOS list, but we still have an expansive list of apps that have made a mark this year.

• Arco – Tactical Action RPG: This story-based gaming app has been recognized by Apple for “letting players shape their own story.”
• The Bear: The interactive game has received appreciation for providing a relaxing experience for users at bedtime.
• BetterSleep: Having a sleep routine is one of the best changes you can make in your daily schedule and this app is designed to simplify the process.
• Brawl Stars: Whether you prefer PvP or PvE gaming, this battle-type game has something for everyone.
• DailyArt: Celebrating art and all of the many artists who have made an impact on the world, DailyArt is a great way to learn more about art history.
• Do You Really Want to Know 2: HIV is an ailment that is extremely feared and misunderstood, but this top app provides a way to address the misconceptions through stories.
• EF Hello: Duolingo isn’t the only language learning app on the market and it’s time we acknowledge that by appreciating the other ones making a difference to the daily lives of users.
• NYT Games: Wordle was a turning point in word game history, and the growing number of NYT games shows just how interested users are in the daily-play format of puzzles.
• Oko: Navigating the physical world is not always easy, especially when you’re in an unfamiliar location, which is why the Oko app gets a place on the list for “making street-crossing safer and more accessible to all.”
• Partiful: If you love hosting events and going all out when you do, Partiful provides a fun way to organize and announce these plans.
• Pinterest: Possibly the best app to seek inspiration for many, Pinterest has long been a top app for designing mood boards and putting concepts together.
• The Wreck: A 3D visual novel that tells us about the highs and lows of being human, the app is an intimate narrative that takes us through the life of the 36-year-old protagonist Junon.

The winners of Apple’s Top Apps in 2024 will be announced in the coming weeks, but if you’re interested in picking your own winner, why not give them all a shot and tell us which ones deserve the title the most out of the finalists?

The post Top Apps of 2024? Apple Has Got Its Own List of Chart Toppers appeared first on Technowize.

When Elon Musk initially took over the platform, many users were already dissatisfied with the direction it was taking and the pointed lack of regulation that was seen on it. Many apps tried to market themselves as the “X alternative” back then, but ultimately they all failed to establish themselves in any real sense. 

Meta also came out with its Threads app in an attempt to homogenize the social media app space entirely with offerings of its own, but unsurprisingly, the company failed to really replace Twitter/X.

Image: Bluesky

What Is the X Alternative Bluesky That Everyone Is Talking About?

Social media platform Bluesky was founded by then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019. It initially started as an internal project funded by Twitter, with the goal of creating an open-source network that Twitter could eventually adopt. 

After Musk took over Twitter in 2022, Bluesky formally separated from the platform as well. The company began to function independently under CEO Jay Graber, but until this year, it was an invite-only platform so it remained closed to the public as its creators tried to workshop it into something that was ready for the larger world.

In February, the company became open to everyone, gaining over 800,000 users at the time. Since then, many beloved public figures like Weird Al Yankovic, Guillermo Del Toro, Ben Stiller, and Stephen King have migrated to the platform, with news portals like The Washington Post and NPR also making the move. Last week, Graber took to the platform to report that it was growing by 10,000 users every 10 to 15 minutes.

me watching Bluesky’s user count grow by another million in a day

hello and welcome to all 19M of you!

[image or embed]

— Bluesky (@bsky.app) November 18, 2024 at 8:21 AM

The platform uses an open-source framework that it built up, Authenticated Transfer Protocol (AT Protocol), which allows account portability and interoperability between different apps. The decentralized nature of the protocol allows it to expand beyond the control of a single entity, freeing users to have a greater say over the app and its algorithm. Users can move their accounts and their connections to different apps that also adopt the same protocol. 

How Does Bluesky Work?

X alternative Bluesky looks and feels just like the Bird app, however, it is a lot more simplistic in both design and content. You can create 256-character text posts and include images with them to share with your followers. Just like Twitter/X, you can still like, reply, and reshare posts to the platform or share it externally. 

There’s a Discovery page where you can look at recent posts or scroll through the personalized feed of accounts you follow. Bluesky does not have a group chat option but it did introduce a direct messaging feature in case you want to chat with a user privately. 

When you create an account, you can pick a username which will be displayed as “@username.bsky.social” to those who see your profile. If you want a separate display name, you can add that in as well, with a picture or customized avatar. If you have a separate domain already, Bluesky will allow you to drop the “bsky.social” attachment to your handle and add your own. 

Image: The layout and aesthetic of Bluesky is quite similar to Twitter/X.

Exploring Why Users Are Switching to Bluesky

Elon Musk’s takeover of X/Twitter signaled the downfall of the platform for many, and while it is still as full of active users as ever before, many have found themselves unsatisfied by the direction the platform has taken over the last year and the form of negative “free-speech” that now populates the site.

It’s quite common to see any given post on the app being flooded with negativity and hate speech. The polarized opinions on anything, from topics from video games to tech news, have created an unpleasant atmosphere for users and Bluesky now appears to be providing the light at the end of the tunnel. 

It won’t be long before the unpleasantness of Twitter/X migrates to Bluesky as well, but the newer app has a more efficient blocking system that can help you gain some space from the blocked user. This list of blocked accounts is public but if you only mute an account, this detail remains private. Don’t like how your quote is being used in another post? Bluesky will give you a way to remove yourself from the conversation. 

Bluesky has had its fair share of complaints over the lack of moderation on the app, but the company is expected to bring a more advanced automation tool to tag and take down content that violates guidelines. The bots have already begun arriving in hoards and spreading inappropriate content on the platform.

Additionally, X users are moving to Bluesky because they can comfortably migrate their accounts and followers without losing any of them. Also, there is no central algorithm that determines what you see, so customizing your feed to present content that you specifically opted into is much easier. Creating lists and grouping accounts that match your interests is also very convenient. 

It has to be said that the Twitter/X CEO’s involvement in the government has also encouraged many to participate in the mass exodus. 

Bluesky Promises to Remain Ad-Free

Musk’s strategy of pay-to-be-verified eliminates any sense of authenticity that the original accounts of different organizations previously held. The X alternative, Bluesky, has no such system. The link to the domain name adds a lens of authenticity to official accounts. It also promises to be entirely ad-free. 

A paid version will eventually make an appearance to support the platform in exchange for features like higher-quality videos or profile customization, but it is said that these accounts will not be prompted or popularized any more than other platforms.

The Bluesky platform’s growth marks a significant moment in the history of social media, but it is unclear if it’ll truly be able to take over the spot that Twitter/X holds currently. There is a risk of creating another eco chamber of opinions that the older has created, but the decentralized, interest-based feeds could do something to mitigate that.

If you’re interested in giving the platform a shot, Bluesky is available both on Android and iOS and can be accessed through the web as well. All in all, the rising popularity of the new social media app has reminded users why the tweet-style posts gained popularity in the first place and how different the in-app experience once used to be. Will Bluesky be able to sustain this growth and retain its users?

The post A Solution or Another Echo Chamber? X Alternative Bluesky Blossoms appeared first on Technowize.

Creators on Instagram are already at a disadvantage when they try to break into an oversaturated field, but now it appears that not only do they need to fight the algorithm to be seen, but they also need to work harder to ensure their video quality matches that of creators who are already popular.

Instagram’s video quality changes may not be a pressing issue for the large majority of us who don’t post for the public, but it still affects how we as users consume content and should be acknowledged and understood. 

Image: Pexels

This Just In—Instagram Admits to Boosting the Video Quality of Popular Posts

Yes, Instagram improves the video quality for popular posts to showcase the content in the best light. On the other hand, on videos with low view counts where people scroll away early on after encountering the content, the quality of the video gets downgraded. 

Explaining the system in an Instagram post that was re-shared to Threads, Mosseri stated, “In general, we want to show the highest-quality video we can if someone is watching a story or a reel or a photo. But if something isn’t watched for a long time and the vast majority of views are in the beginning—we will move to a lower-quality video. And then if it’s watched again a lot then we’ll re-render the higher quality video.”

TechCrunch pointed out that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Instagram—or Meta to be more precise—admit that they regulate the configurations of a video on the basis of how it performs. Last year in May, Meta uploaded a blog explaining its first ASIC for video transcoding. 

In the post, the company explained that the overall watch time on its apps is generated by only a small percentage of the videos that are uploaded, so Meta uses different encoding configurations to process and optimize the video for sharing. This allows them to support—and profit from—popular creators who are already generating views.

This earlier explanation went under the radar but the new post that is gaining a lot of traction on Threads has sparked off many angry responses towards the platform. Mosseri also explained that if someone is watching the videos on a slower internet connection, the videos will automatically switch to lower quality so they can load quickly. “The goal is to show people the highest quality content that we can.”

Does It Matter If Instagram Reduces the Video Quality?

As a general principle, the content of the video matters more than how high-definition the video looks to be, however, many will admit to preferring crisp and clear content over something that looks low-budget. Now, many users have expressed their disapproval of this mechanism on Threads, explaining that creators who want their content to reach a wider audience will have a much harder time making it happen.

Popular Instagrammers already have the budget to buy expensive equipment, record high-quality videos, and hire experts to edit and ensure their content is appealing to their followers. For a young artist or novice creator who is trying to share their work and find their audience, top-notch video quality will be considerably more unattainable to begin with, and Instagram reducing the video quality will further hurt their reach.

According to a follow-up statement on the issue, Mosseri explains the concern is fair but the difference in quality isn’t “huge” and viewers still continue to engage with content based on what is in it. “Quality seems to be much more important to the original creator, who is more likely to delete the video if it looks poor than to their viewers.”

Altering quality based on popularity is not a move that is being prioritized on the basis of malice or a desire to suppress creators. It is more likely that Instagram only has the bandwidth to ensure some of the videos on its platform are high quality, and it chooses to support the videos that are already being viewed, interacted with and watched to the end. 

In order to reserve its computing power for those who can put it to good use, Meta waits for a video to perform well and then extends its resources to support its performance. While the explanation still sounds like we have been presented with an unfair system, taking all the obscure low-quality reels saved and shared into consideration, content quality still trumps video quality at the end of the day.

The post Instagram Admits to Solely Boosting the Video Quality of Popular Posts appeared first on Technowize.

In the Sonos app update, the old user-friendly features were removed or altered to become extremely dysfunctional. The new features that were introduced were full of bugs and faced considerable functionality issues. With this disastrous move, the brand lost the trust of its loyal customers and failed to impress new buyers.

As the company still faces repercussions of the backlash, Sonos outlined seven new commitments on Tuesday to fix the issues of the app update and regain the trust of the customers.

Image: Sonos

The Sonos App’s Turnaround Plan

On Tuesday, the Sonos app outlined its turnaround plan which included “seven commitments.” These commitments ranged from business importance to customer feedback. The seven commitments included being considerate of customer requirements when introducing changes, shifting more focus towards the customer experience, establishing a customer advisory board to have regular feedback from the customers, and a few more assertive yet vague statements.

The company also plans to appoint an ombudsperson, a person who will be responsible for the proper communication and transparency between the employees and executive leadership. This person will ensure that employees can escalate their concerns to executives during production. The ombudsperson will also publish a report to management and employees twice a year regarding transparency and communication.

To regain the trust of the customers, the company has also committed to extend the manufacturer’s warranty for all the home theater and plug-in-speaker devices that are currently under the warranty period. Sonos guarantees that the app will be updated every 2-4 weeks to enhance the user experience and soon, 100% of the old features will be restored.

As per the company statement, the executive management will not accept any bonus payout for the October 2024-September 2025 financial year unless the company resolves all the issues and regains trust among the customers.

Shortcomings of the Sonos App

The app update has faced significant backlash and criticism from loyal customers, and the company has acknowledged that the new version was a major mistake. The many issues of the Sonos app update include connectivity issues with devices, old playlists of users disappearing, the app crashing on Android mobiles, and many features like sleep, alarm, and Wi-Fi channels being removed. Many users were unable to access their MP3s while others faced issues in switching between different devices.

Sonos has a large customer base when it comes to their home theaters and speakers. Even after the release of the disastrous app updates, many users believe in the hardware from the company and they are still waiting for the app to be fixed. 

While customers still face some issues, the company is trying its best to fix them, and these seven commitments look to be a great step forward. 

The post Sonos Shares a Roadmap of the Turnaround Plan for Its App appeared first on Technowize.

As moderators try to change the settings, they are redirected to the support page where they need to request the approval of the admin. Laura Nestler, VP of community claimed that the rule has been changed to curb moderators from violating rules and breaking the platform.

Reddit Communities Rule Changes Pose Restrictions

Reddit’s changed policy has made the approval of admin mandatory for the change in community settings. This policy change is seen as a step towards restricting sitewide protests. The company has already taken complete control of major subreddits that participated and led the protests.

However, the company has also asked its moderators to honor the expectations of communities by making public communities accessible to all and keeping private communities as they are. On the other hand, the platform itself is limiting access for non-paid users.                       

What is the Reddit Sitewide Protest About?

Subreddit moderators are protesting against the API changes made by the company last year. To show disagreement and protest, moderators of more than 8000 subreddits changed their community setting from public to private leading to a major site-wide outage and impacting the overall performance of the platform. 

The company said that the conversion of communities from public to private has led to several stability issues. Many moderators claimed subreddits as NSFW (Not Safe for Work) which impacted the ads in communities and their search appearance reduced gradually.

The daily traffic count of Reddit was impacted because of the sitewide protests which is seen as a major reason behind the decision to change rules for the community settings.

Why are Reddit Moderators Protesting the Community Rule Change?

In April 2023, Reddit made several API changes on their platform leading to sitewide protests. The major API changes include the introduction of paid access, limiting free access usage, and replacing API terms for third-party users to retrieve data.

Reddit introduced premier access for paid users to provide them with higher usage limits and extra capabilities which received backlash from several users and moderators. The API changes made for third-party users also failed as many third-party apps closed permanently claiming the company had not responded to them.

To encourage premium access, Reddit limited free usage access by limiting the number of queries which also received backlash and led to the subreddit protest by changing the community settings and marking them as NSFW.

The post Reddit Changes Community Rules to Restrict Sitewide Protests appeared first on Technowize.

The bold dating app After was founded in October 2023 by Katie Dissanayake, who has had a lot of experience working within the world of online dating. Her experience working on the Hud app has likely shaped work on the new one, so you can be sure that you’re getting a good deal by giving this app a shot. The app is free to use but those who want more out of it can also use the paid features to make the most of the experience.

“After” Anti-ghosting Dating App Promises to Give Users Closure

Online dating apps are available by the dozen. Whether you want to date based on a religious match or have niche interests that you want catered to such as a love for anime, there’s likely an app out there to suit your needs. Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge remain at the top of their game as some of the most common and widely used apps, but these apps have also worn users out enough that they have begun to look for something “more.”

Apps like Duolicious, while extremely odd and unhinged, give its specific users some kind of hope at finding people who are just like them. Even Bumble has been doing everything it can to try and stick to its “ladies first” policy while also integrating AI features to help people find better matches and give them the incentive they need to keep the conversation moving forward. 

How Will the Dating App Tackle Ghosting?

With the new trendsetting dating app After, users will be able to find matches just like they do on any other app, but if the conversation dies out, they will be “nudged” to keep it going. If there are no messages on the app for a while, the match will then lapse. Before the users can use the app again, they will be prompted to choose a reason why they let the match expire. 

The app will then create a gentle message to share with the user explaining why it didn’t work out and how they shouldn’t let the end of this relationship define them. This way, After, the anti-ghosting app will ensure that the parties receive some closure on the relationship and don’t have to wait around hoping for another shot. This will also provide accountability among users, guiding them to close the shutters firmly on open commitments before fully moving on to other ones.

The bold dating app, After, will also prompt users to send messages to each other when they find a match. In cases both parties hesitate to send a message, the match will lapse again. This way, you’ll only have an inbox full of actual conversations. The app also has some other support systems for users, such as telling them how to improve their profile if they are low on the matches or mental check-ins for users when the app feels too much for them. The dating app is aiming to tackle ghosting, but that is just one aspect of its strategy. 

The app is attempting to create a networking platform where its users enjoy using the app as much as possible rather than feel burdened by the task of meeting people online. For now, the Austin-based dating app After will only work in the region but its expansion plans will take it across the expanse of Texas soon enough. With enough interest in the app, who knows, we might see it grow beyond the boundaries of the U.S. to bring love to seekers globally. 

The post Meet “After,” a New Anti-ghosting Dating App Taking Over Austin appeared first on Technowize.

Initially, this appeared unlikely after the game was briefly banned from game stores, but the developer confirmed that the game would receive an iPhone and Android release during an AMA session on Reddit. On September 5, Playstack released an abstract trailer reasserting that Balatro’s mobile release was scheduled for September 26, 2024.

Image: Balatro out on mobile

Balatro Mobile Release Confirmed—The Joker is Back

The odd and “edgy” trailer used to mark Balatro’s official release on smartphones is just as captivating as we’d expect from the game. From the slinky and suave fonts to the spinning banana shots, the trailer screams quirky in the best way, just like Vampire Survivor’s PlayStation release trailer was last month. 

The 51-second trailer only gives us a release date in the last 4 seconds, but if we’ve waited so many months for Balatro’s iOS and Android launch, what’s a few more seconds? If you’re really short on time, the game makers have a condensed, fast-forwarded 10-second trailer, just to give you a sense of having seen it. What’s not to love?

Didn’t have time to watch the trailer for the mobile version yet?

We got you… pic.twitter.com/ziHQI0Bju7

— Balatro (@BalatroGame) September 6, 2024

The game is available to pre-order on iOS and pre-register on Android, and if you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber, you’ll have the game automatically available to you on its release—all you need to do is find it. Just as the trailer suggests, you should get set to win some games and lose some games, all while your productivity crashes through the floor and the Jimbo stonks skyrocket.

I’m just gonna throw this out there, if you’ve been as frustrated with Snap as I have and you want to try something a little different, Balatro is coming to mobile this month and it’s very easy to pick up and play for a few mins at a time, like snap. pic.twitter.com/wvvCXEjCzu

— Peaceful Sea (@peacefulseattv) September 5, 2024

The Balatro developer’s game update has not revealed the price of the experience on the newer platforms yet, but it is currently available on Steam for $14.99 USD, and could follow a similar pricing for its iOS and Android launch.

Balatro iOS/Android Launch Sparks Big Expectations

If you’re not a fan of card games, trust that we weren’t originally, either. Traditional card games often have us bored and ready to give up after a new hour of play, never to be opened again. Certain games have managed to break through that barrier and Balatro happens to be one of them. Supposedly inspired by Luck Be a Landlord and compared to other roguelike deck builders like Roguebook and Slay The Spire, the game has a unique charm of its own.

When the game was released, it reportedly made over $1 million USD within eight hours, a feat that recent releases like Concord could only dream of. The game sold 500,000 copies within the first 10 days and by March 18, the game makers sold 1 million copies. Recently, in August, the game crossed the 2 million mark for the total number of copies sold. One-man developer LocalThunk had expected to sell about 10 copies and return to an IT job, but success found them first. Balatro reached an all-time peak of 37,977 concurrent players on Steam, and that’s only counting the players on a single platform.

Balatro hit a bump on the road to success when it was mistaken for a gambling game and removed from multiple storefronts. The publisher issued a notice clarifying that “Balatro was developed by someone who is staunchly anti-gambling, and painstaking care has been taken to ensure that the game does not feature gambling mechanics of any kind.” Anyone who can play the game will agree that it’s more a strategy game than anything sinister. 

Despite the issue, fans kept fawning over the game and they will likely continue to do so with the Balatro mobile release. A whole new category of gamers should soon be able to access the game, increasing its reach. Fans of the game have repeatedly iterated that it would be a perfect fit for mobile, especially considering the convenience of touch controls that many players on the handheld have enjoyed. Add the fact that they’re updating elements of the gameplay in 2025 and returning players should have even more reasons to invest in a new copy.

The post Jimbo Makes a Big Announcement—Ready for Balatro’s Mobile Release? appeared first on Technowize.

The user feedback on Duolicios has been very mixed and it still only has a very limited number of members, but if you’re an “edgelord” looking for someone to match your crazy, then it might be of some use to you.

Presenting a Duolicious Review: How Does One Truly Capture Such an Enigma?

The Duolicios dating app was released just over two months ago on Android on March 24, 2024, but it all began with a post on 4chan in July 2023. The discord server for the project was reportedly launched in January 2023, and it promised personality-based matches for those who are chronically online. More welcoming to the Reddit and 4chan crowd than the Instagram and TikTok audience, the app has been designed for those who “want to date an e-girl or e-boy with the same brain rot as you.”

Sorry for the outages. Apparently we’re #7 on Google Play now. It was only meant to be a meme app pic.twitter.com/CdwByJdxgz

— Duolicious (@DuoliciousApp) May 9, 2024

How Does The Duolicious Algorithm Work?

What’s most interesting about the app is that it claims to have a highly elaborate system of personality and preference testing to find a match that suits you. The Duolicious dating app utilizes the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of the testing and claims to be a Big Five-based dating app too. 

Depending on how much you trust ChatGPT, you might react differently to the information that the questions were used in a role-play with the AI to create a statistical model that is used to test your compatibility with another user. The app maker admits the algorithm isn’t complex enough just yet, but the idea of psychoanalyzing ChatGPT does not lend itself to being taken seriously. 

All the guys dming me on Duolicious are like this pic.twitter.com/nNmPyhCSra

— tekkanin (@Idofront) June 12, 2024

It all still sounds highly complex with its database of 2005 questions, but there are some fun ones thrown in there to make it feel less like a job interview. All in all, the app measures 47 different traits that include your political ideologies to create a comprehensive profile for you.

How Do You Find a Match to Make the Most of the Duolicious Experience?

When it comes to using the Duolicious app for dating, seriously or not, the more questions you answer, the better you’re able to test your compatibility with a match on the platform. You have the option of setting up your account with images and considering it’s a 4chan dating app, you can fill the images section up with rage-bait memes or present actual pictures of yourself if you’re so inclined. 

Now you can verify your Duolicious profile by taking a selfie!

Like many of our users, the feature is currently beta. Try it and let us know what works well, and what doesn’t! pic.twitter.com/Jh2ZjsEaWl

— Duolicious (@DuoliciousApp) June 13, 2024

A large number of users prefer to use fake names and photos but to verify your account, you do have to take a few selfies that aren’t shared publicly. You can also share which questions are publicly visible on your profile to encourage a match to get to know you better.

One detail that has to be mentioned in our Duolicious review, is that when you actually get to messaging a match, your intro message to them cannot be something that has already been used before. Not just a message that you have used before, you’re also barred from a “Hi” or “Hello” if anyone else on the app has used it first. It’s an interesting measure to ensure originality and that a user is committed to striking up a conversation, but it also gets old quickly. 

Image: Duolicious on GooglePlay

Duolicious User Feedback—How Are the Redditors Reacting to the App?

Before we get to our opinions on the Duolicious review, we might need to consider how the actual target audience feels about the app. There were actually quite a few takers and early adopters of the app. Despite some early issues many Redditors and 4chan-ers gave the app a chance, which led to some of the most meme-filled, outlandish dating profiles we’ve ever seen, but at the same time, it was interesting to see the ecosystem grow. 

gender ratio on the duolicious from the leak pic.twitter.com/yZMwFUKAOv

— yayo (@yayopill) May 12, 2024

Duolicious (aka the femcel dating app) is for the feds. Like every time you answer a question about goodnight texts or bookstore dates it hits you with one of these pic.twitter.com/grkyKiXhC5

— Jason (@TheJasMan2) May 8, 2024

Unfortunately, as one might have expected, the male-to-female ratio of users on the platform is entirely skewed with a majority of male users. Many have complained about struggling to still find a match despite the more curated pool of users. What makes it more complex is the difficulty in trusting the accounts you find. Catfishers and those who just want to cause some chaos have opted to use the Duolicious dating app to create misleading profiles, which is regrettable but not unexpected. Anything marketed as a “femcel dating app” is bound to attract a very specific crowd.

Others have also complained of being ghosted on the regular so at the end of the day, the dating experience is not too different from any of the other apps that have flooded the market. Redditors have regularly uploaded their profiles to Reddit to ask if they could be doing anything differently to get more matches, but there’s not much their advice can do to help relationship seekers. 

Final Thoughts on the Duolicious Review

We’ve covered some popular anime dating apps before and this one just follows the same line of reasoning—that there is a market for everything. If you’re looking for a platform to be as offensive as you want one-on-one with another like-minded individual, then Duolicious might be very specifically designed to serve that need. However, you can still get banned from the app for multiple reasons so tread freely but with caution. It’s a balance with no clear equation.

While the entire thing reads like a social experiment, there’s something to be said about the complex task of running such an app with the expectation of no moderation being both the selling point and the problem all at once. We may not have the right skill sets necessary to survive on the platform, but we’ll have to conclude the Duolicious review by stating that it’s a fascinating evolution of internet culture at play. The app may not be for everyone, but it is designed for a very specific someone that might just be you. 

The post It’s Finally Time for 4channers to Find Love—Duolicious Review appeared first on Technowize.

A quick search on Bing or DuckDuckGo will tell you that you can still access Reddit if you specifically search for the website, but the recent posts or popular threads don’t come out on top as easily.

Image: Snoo, the Reddit mascot

Reddit Moves to Block Search Engines Other than Google

Reddit has updated its robot.txt file to block search engine scrapers or crawlers from accessing the contents of their site and collecting the information available on the platform. If you thought this was a move in support of privacy and rejection of the selling of data, it’s not. This update prevents search engines from crawling the website for information that it might present in response to a search query. It also stops search engines from being able to use the data available on the website to train its AI models without paying the company for the information first. That privilege is exclusively held by Google right now.

What Is the Reddit-Google Deal About?

Earlier this year, around February, Reddit and Google signed a deal that would allow the tech company to use data from Reddit to train its AI. Reports suggest Google is paying the social media platform $60 million USD per year for that data, and in exchange for it, it also appears to be boosting the position of Reddit’s results on its webpage. A significant number of searches now yield Reddit as a top result, often outranking the original articles shared to Reddit for discussion. 

Reddit outranking the @ThisHouseFresh article for “How Google is killing independent sites like ours” is probably the most “so sad it’s funny” example of how bad they are that I’ve seen yet. pic.twitter.com/L1ca9JEUct

— Chris M. Walker (@cmwalker) February 20, 2024

Timeline:
– Google boosts Reddit in search by over 400%
– Google announces a 60M deal with Reddit right after
– Reddit announces it seeks to go public 48-72 hours after
– Reddit blocks all scraping for competition search engines shortly after

Anti CompetitiveBehavior https://t.co/Hzrw0zkjDo

— Ori Zilbershtein (@OriZilbershtein) July 24, 2024

Reddit blocks all search engines except Google, breaking Bing.

As much as Google’s anti-competitive behavior is angering, I’m playing the world’s smallest violin for Bing, whose content theft to power AI is threatening the open web too. https://t.co/7xy9jpuLBP#Bing #Google

— Jez (@JezCorden) July 25, 2024

Google’s AI Summary feature had faced some criticism earlier for providing misleading results when it was released. One of their solutions to the problem was to limit “the inclusion of satire and humor content.” A lot of such information comes from websites like Reddit and other discussion forums where user response drives the content, as well as satirical news sources like The Onion. Now we have to wonder how Google is using the data it acquires from Reddit to train its AI and where exactly this information plays a role in the capabilities of its AI services. 

Reddit’s exclusive shift to Google may cause more users who traditionally turn to Reddit to switch browsers following the move to block other search engines. It may also cause a drop in stray users arriving on relevant threads now that they can’t comfortably use their preferred browsers to get there. The company does not appear to be too worried about this possibility. 

Reddit Says the Search Engine Ban is Not a Result of Their Deal with Google

Reddit’s approach to search engine scrapers from sources apart from Google might make it sound like an exclusive deal, but the company isn’t planning on refusing offers other companies make to pay and use its data. In an update on the r/redditdev subreddit, user traceroo provided an explanation of the changes in the company’s Public Content Policy. “We’ve seen an uptick in obviously commercial entities who scrape Reddit and argue that they are not bound by our terms or policies. Worse, they hide behind robots.txt and say that they can use Reddit content for any use case they want,” the user explained in the post. 

In the next few weeks, we’ll be updating our robots.txt instructions to be as clear as possible: if you are using an automated agent to access Reddit, you need to abide by our terms and policies, and you need to talk to us. We believe in the open internet, but we do not believe in the misuse of public content. 

It’s a brazen move from Reddit as the search engine block might reduce the number of people who stumble into a particular thread while looking for information, whether that is the latest Android games on the market or what exactly is happening with the latest CrowdStike bug. 

Reddit is full of polarized opinions and edgy memes, but there are also useful threads where people provide knowledgeable insight into topics that other websites may not have covered as candidly. We wouldn’t go so far as to call it a good source of information but it’s definitely an extensive source of information, powered by a lot of users who are genuinely willing to share links and help out.

Image: While Bing and Google were always designed to put different search results on top, the direct access to Reddit posts make Google easier to use in this particular case.

Is the Reddit Restriction on Search Engines Working?

According to 404 Media, if you use alternate search engines and search for “site:reddit.com,” you will no longer be able to see the most recent posts that were made on Reddit. DuckDuckGo still shows you Reddit links, but the engine cannot access any further details about the linked content. 

From our own search on Bing, older content from a month or two ago can still show up in the results easily, but Reddit’s restriction on search engine scrapers will prevent it from crawling and presenting newer content. You can also use the independent platform Kagi to access information considering it buys sections of its search index from Google, but other engines may fall behind.

Microsoft spokesperson Caitlin Roulston told The Verge, “Microsoft respects the robots.txt standard and we honor the directions provided by websites that do not want content on their pages to be used with our generative AI models.” Bing has reportedly stopped crawling Reddit since July 1, 2024, which is when the robots.txt file was updated. 

Will Reddit’s decision to block other search engines finally prompt them to enter into an agreement just like the Reddit-Google deal? We’ll certainly be on the lookout for more updates on this story.

The post Pay Up or Miss Out—Reddit’s Search Engine Block Goes Up appeared first on Technowize.

A University of California drop-out has taken it upon herself to find and fix all that’s lost in today’s social media void. Tiffany Zhong, who once co-hosted the Nothing Show with Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, is now on a mission to make her MySpace copycat app, noplace, a viral sensation with Gen Z and Millennials.

The goal of noplace app (formerly nospace) is to recapture the essence of genuine social media interactions without jumping through the hoops of a zillion ads and tricky algorithms. That’s not all – the app promises to provide an experience similar to the halcyon days of MySpace and Facebook (or Orkut, for those living in Brazil and India). It may also come as a relief to parents who are tired of explaining what MySpace is.

If you believe Zhong doesn’t know what she’s doing, you’re wrong. Sure, a dozen carcasses of failed social media apps for GenZ lie ahead of noplace. However, noplace has got one thing right – interjecting itself into the ‘Y2K era is coming back in style’ business.

noplace taps right into the heart of nostalgia and individuality that once ruled the early days of social media. One can personalize their profile, showcase their interests ranging from poetry to Minecraft, and befriend like-minded users. The ‘authentic selves’ part is represented in hobbies, fandoms, and personal quirks that pull up on the profile in the form of ‘stars’.

“The vision for what we’re building is actually becoming a social search engine,” Tiffany Zhong, the app founder explains. “Everyone thinks it’s like a social network, but because people are asking questions already, we’re building features where you can ask questions and get crowdsourced responses.”

Zhong, who was on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2020, contends noplace is where you’ll rediscover the joy and simplicity of online interactions.

“I think that part of the magical, fun part of the internet is gone now. Everything is very uniform.”

(Image: noplace App)

One can also find friends based on shared interests, collect badges, share what music they’re listening to with others and chat privately. There’s also a “friends only” feed for your closest friends, and a global chronological feed for every active user in real-time. Along with the friends-only feed, the app also features a “top 10 friends” section, similar to MySpace’s “Top 8” – representing noplace’s commitment to celebrating authentic interactions on social media.

noplace has put its spin on gamification where the more you use the app, the higher you climb. To unlock new levels you need to post and interact with other users, use custom features, and boost other user’s posts.

All profiles are public on the noplace app raising several safety concerns. It is designed for users aged 13+, all one has to do is enter their date of birth. Since all profiles are public, users can DM each other through chats. This means anyone, anywhere, can contact a user as young as thirteen. While noplace does moderate its global feed, the app can’t control predators from sending a friendly hello to a child on the app.

noplace has enjoyed a tumultuous welcome in the past few weeks, and this rise in users puts safety concerns on Zhong’s top priority list. In addition to safety concerns, noplace app also wants to enhance its feature by creating a more authentic environment where users can connect with one another without the pressure of chasing follower counts or curating an unattainable online persona.

“You’re just chasing follower count versus being your true self,” Zhong observes. “It makes sense how social networks have evolved that way, but it’s media platforms. It’s not a social network anymore.”

There’s also the question of whether noplace can foster a sense of belonging among younger generations. We live in a highly fragmented and individualized world, where algorithms decide what our common ground for the day should be. Zhong claims users won’t struggle to find communities based on interests and likes on the app.

(Image: noplace App)

This free-spirited app is all about creating an expressive environment. noplace employs a dedicated moderation team and an internal dashboard to monitor content, ensuring that users under the age of 18 receive a more heavily moderated feed. Moreover, the app’s community guidelines page lists restrictions on content related to violence, gore, promotion of illicit substances, and explicit material, creating a balance between individualistic expression and more responsible content creation.

As more users flock to the app, so will the skepticism flung towards it. Some users have questioned the app’s ability to avoid algorithms that lure you to repetitive content, while others have expressed concerns over the lack of safety concerns, as well as the longevity of its appeal to Gen Z and millennials.

All of these questions will only be answered in the long-term if Zhong manages to address issues in the right time. So far, the app founder has secured $19 million in funding from notable backers such as Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six Fund and Forerunner Ventures.

noplace has a pre-money valuation of $75 million, and while it’s future still hangs in the balance, it continues to gain traction among young users who seek an alternative to Instagram, Snapchat and other mainstream social media platforms.

The post noplace, the Anti-algorithm App and It’s Colorful Rise appeared first on Technowize.