HiTechEdge

Tag: TechCrunch

  • Threads Decouples a Bit From Instagram, Users Can Delete Accounts Separately

    Threads Decouples a Bit From Instagram, Users Can Delete Accounts Separately

    Meta is making a major change to Threads, giving users the ability to delete a Threads account without also losing their Instagram account.

    Threads is currently tied to an Instagram account, with no way for users to delete one without also deleting the other. According to TechCrunch, that is about to change, with Meta finally giving users a way to delete their Threads account independently.

    “Technically, it was extremely challenging to allow deletion of a separate Threads account without also deleting your overall Instagram account out of the gate. So we paid particular attention to ensuring the user could still exercise their deletion rights, by deactivating the account to sort of hide all content, setting it to private or deleting individual threads,” said Michel Protti, Meta’s chief privacy officer for product.

    The company says the new feature will be available by December.

  • Epic Shutting Down Chinese Version of Fortnite

    Epic Shutting Down Chinese Version of Fortnite

    Epic is shutting down the Chinese version of its blockbuster game Fortnite.

    Like other games made for the Chinese market, Epic had to make a customized version of Fortnite that met the local laws and requirements. Despite its investment, the company is shutting down its efforts, and will no longer accept new users starting November 1, according to TechCrunch. The game will shut down November 15.

    Epic released a brief statement announcing the shutdown. The announcement did not go into detail about the company’s motivations, although Beijing’s recent crackdowns on the gaming industry are likely a factor.

  • ProtonMail Logs User’s IP at Behest of Authorities

    ProtonMail Logs User’s IP at Behest of Authorities

    ProtonMail is having a PR crisis as a result the revelation that the company logged a user’s IP address at the behest of authorities.

    ProtonMail has built its reputation as one of the most private and secure email services, providing end-to-end encryption. Despite that, French authorities wanted information on an activist being monitored.

    According to TechCrunch, ProtonMail did not initially cooperate with the French authorities. In response, the French enlisted the aid of authorities in Switzerland, where ProtonMail is based. While the company doesn’t log IP addresses by default, it will do so if local authorities require it to.

    With Swiss authorities aiding their French counterparts, ProtonMail was compelled to log the user’s IP and turn it over. In doing so, the company showed the privacy it provides has its limits — that limit being whatever the Swiss government says it is.

  • Better Late Than Never — Hulu Starts Embracing HDR

    Better Late Than Never — Hulu Starts Embracing HDR

    Hulu is finally beginning to roll out HDR, years after other platforms have done so.

    Hulu is one of the top streaming platforms on the market, and its live TV service is widely considered the main competitor to YouTube TV. Despite its position in the market, the company has been slow to adopt improved technology, including HDR.

    According to TechCrunch, however, the company is finally embracing HDR, with the rollout beginning August 19. For now, only the company’s high-profile original content will get the upgrade, although Hulu intends on eventually bringing it to its entire catalog.

    The company’s plans are good news for Hulu subscribers, even if the implementation will take more time.

  • Lookout TikTok: Reddit Adds TikTok-Style Video Feed to iOS App

    Lookout TikTok: Reddit Adds TikTok-Style Video Feed to iOS App

    Reddit has added a TikTok-style video feed its iOS app, the latest social media company to emulate the popular platform.

    TikTok is one of the most popular and fastest-growing social media platforms, driven by its short, viral videos that have made stars and fortunes. Other platforms have sought to cash in on the trend, and Reddit is the latest to do so.

    According to TechCrunch, Reddit has added a video feed button to its iOS app, just to the right of the search bar. While the company has been experimenting with this feature for some time, this marks an increased effort to make the feed much more prominent than it has been in the past. 

    “Reddit’s mission is to bring community and belonging to everyone in the world, and subsequently, Reddit’s video team’s mission is to bring community through video,” a Reddit spokesperson told TechCrunch. “Over the course of the last year, our goal was to build a unified video player, and re-envision the player interface to match what users (new and old) expect when it comes to an in-app video player — especially commenting, viewing, engaging and discovering new content and communities through video.”

  • Fandango Merges Vudu With Its Own Streaming Service

    Fandango Merges Vudu With Its Own Streaming Service

    A little over a year after purchasing Vudu from Walmart, Fandango is merging the service with its own under the Vudu name.

    Vudu was Walmart’s foray into the streaming TV market, before selling it to Fandango in April 2020. Fandango, known for selling movie tickets, has operated its own streaming service, but it has failed to gain as much traction as Vudu, let alone their larger rivals.

    The company clearly sees combining the two services, under the Vudu name, as the best option moving forward. The company told TechCrunch the Vudu brand has a loyal following that is quite a bit larger than the FandangoNOW user base.

    Existing FandangoNOW customers will automatically be transferred to the new service, without losing any of their existing content. Customers will have access to more than 200,000 movies and TV shows, for rent or purchase, in addition to thousands of streaming titles for free.

    A stronger Vudu is good news for consumers, and the streaming industry at large.

  • Clubhouse Branching Out Into Direct Messaging

    Clubhouse Branching Out Into Direct Messaging

    Clubhouse is adding a much-requested feature, giving users the ability to direct message each other.

    Clubhouse is the popular, invitation-only, audio-only social media platform. The app has gained users at a phenomenal rate, and has been a popular option among many tech icons.

    The platform is now adding direct messaging, according to TechCrunch. The new feature, called Backchannel, allows users to send one-on-one messages, as well as group messages.

    The feature is currently live on both iOS and Android.

  • India Stepping Up Pressure on WhatsApp Over Privacy Changes

    India Stepping Up Pressure on WhatsApp Over Privacy Changes

    India is ramping up its pressure on WhatsApp, wanting the company to abandon its recent privacy changes.

    Facebook unleashed a firestorm of controversy when it announced it would start sharing WhatsApp user data with other Facebook-owned companies. In addition to losing subscribers to other, more privacy-conscious apps, multiple countries have started pushing back.

    Germany was the first to outright ban the changes, with Hamburg’s data protection commissioner securing a three-month emergency order to stop the new changes from going into effect in Germany.

    India had likewise expressed concerns over WhatsApp’s changes, but now the country is stepping up the pressure. According to TechCrunch, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has written a letter to WhatsApp, and given the company seven days to respond.

    “In fulfilment of its sovereign responsibility to protect the rights and interests of Indian citizens, the government of India will consider various options available to it under laws in India,” the letter reads.

    “It is not just problematic, but also irresponsible, for WhatsApp to leverage this position to impose unfair terms and conditions on Indian users, particularly those that discriminate against Indian users vis-à-vis users in Europe.”


    It remains to be seen how WhatsApp and Facebook will respond.