If you’ve used Cash App in the past six years, you may be entitled to compensation as part of a class-action settlement. The company set up a $15 million fund to cover for breaches that leaked a large portion of user personal data. You can file a claim through a dedicated settlement website, and depending on what you can prove, you could get up to $2,500. If there’s a downside beyond your private financial data being leaked, it’s that you only have until November 19.
Google is reportedly developing an AI agent for Chrome that will act as a live assistant for your everyday browsing. It’s codenamed Jarvis, because of course it is, it’ll help you with common tasks like researching, shopping, and booking flights. Maybe you could tell it to look at every price comparison website, aggregate the results, and pick the cheapest option. Maybe, in the future, it could even make it possible to buy, use and enjoy the thing you want to buy while sitting at your computer.
If you’ve ever noticed that one of your Instagram videos now looks worse than before, there’s a reason for it. Instagram head Adam Mosseri revealed that the platform intentionally reduces video quality for clips that don’t grab people’s attention. It seems Instagram is putting its finger on the scales for those who have already discovered the secret to virality, while still working on it.
The last Apple computer to be as beautiful as it gets was the iMac G4. Now, rumors are pointing to the same design being used in the company’s long-rumored smart home display. On the one hand, great, who wouldn’t want to see what Apple could do with that design? On the other, Apple’s weak commitment to the smart home means it’ll probably be a waste of money.
The endless battle between Apple and Masimo has seen the bigger company win in its most recent courtroom struggle. Apple successfully argued that some of Masimo’s watches infringe on Apple’s design patents, but only managed to win $250 (no typo) in damages. Sadly, Apple didn’t win a case big enough to stop Masimo from selling its watches. The sound you won’t hear right now is champagne corks not popping in the hallowed halls of Apple Park.
With TikTok just days away from being banned in the US, users of the app are pushing some previously lesser-known apps to the top of Apple and Google’s stores. The app that has benefited the most so far is a Chinese social media app called “RedNote” or Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book.”
The TikTok-like app for shortform videos is currently the number one app in Apple’s App Store and 34th in Google’s Play Store. RedNote is gaining popularity as several TikTok creators have begun posting about their experiences trying out the Chinese app. Meanwhile, on RedNote, several creators have shared videos about welcoming “TikTok refugees” to the service.
The app is set up similarly to TikTok, with the ability to scroll vertically through a feed of shortform videos based on your interests. Most of the app’s interface is in Chinese, so navigating can be a little confusing, though there are some helpful videos on TikTok that explain how to change the app’s language to English.
Although RedNote appears to have come out of nowhere, the app has been popular in China for years. CNBC reports that the more than a decade-old app is seen as a challenger to ByteDance’s Douyin and e-commerce giant Alibaba, which has about 300 million users.
RedNote isn’t the only app that’s been promoted by curious TikTok users. Another ByteDance app, Lemon8, is also trending in both Apple and Google’s stores, where it ranks second and first, respectively. But while TikTok has boosted the app multiple times, Lemon8 could suffer the same fate as TikTok if the Supreme Court sides with the Biden administration, which is likely.
Another video app called Flipp, which describes itself as “where social meets shopping,” is also trending in both app stores. The app, from Los Angeles-based Humans, Inc., offers shortform videos and an in-app storefront. It’s currently ranked 14th in Google’s store and fourth in Apple’s. The company was valued at more than $1 billion last year, according to Crunchbase.