apps

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The End Is Near for Skype
Microsoft Pulling
the Plug on Skype
Feb 28, 2025 10:37 AM CST

Microsoft Pulling the Plug on Skype

The app, an 'integral part of shaping modern communications,' to disappear May 5

(Newser) - Almost a quarter-century after "kickstarting the market for making calls over the internet," Skype is dropping like one of its early video calls, per TechCrunch . The phone and video service, started in 2003, will be ended May 5, according to a Friday statement from Microsoft, which bought Skype...

Duolingo Suspects Drake of Killing Its Mascot

App teases 'shocking (and possibly absurd) truth' behind Duo's demise

(Newser) - Users of the Duolingo language-learning app will know its owl mascot looks worse and worse the longer a user goes without using the app. But in a first, Duolingo says the owl, dubbed Duo, has now died. "Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating...

As Ban Approaches, Here Are TikTok's Options
Trump Aims to
Save TikTok: Report
UPDATED
Jan 16, 2025 2:00 AM CST

Trump Aims to Save TikTok: Report

Social media platform in danger of going dark this weekend

(Newser) - President-elect Trump is considering ways he could "preserve" TikTok once he takes office, according to a GOP congressman. If the Supreme Court upholds the US ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform, Trump "has been very clear" about what he'd do, Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's pick...

Migrants About to Be Detained? There's an App for That

App out of Mexico will let people warn family, consulates if detention in US seems imminent

(Newser) - Mexico is developing a cellphone app that will allow migrants to warn relatives and local consulates if they think they're about to be detained by the US immigration department, a senior official said Friday. The move is in response to President-elect Trump's threats to carry out mass deportations...

Most Downloaded Free App in US Is Out of China

Temu takes top spot in Apple's App Store rankings

(Newser) - Apple is out with its annual list of the most downloaded apps in the US via its App Store, and the winner this year is a freebie out of China, reports TechCrunch . Shopping app Temu holds on to the No. 1 spot, which it ripped away from TikTok last year....

Meditation App Made Hay Out of the Election

Silent ad amid the talking heads gives Calm a big boost in the App Store

(Newser) - There's not much to the ad. No sound, no visuals. Just a blue background and a few words. But after an overwhelming election campaign, the ad from the Calm meditation and mindfulness app feels like a soothing balm. And it's paying off. After the silent ad appeared during...

When Beryl Hit Houston, Locals Turned to Whataburger

Not just to eat, but also to check for power outages via the Whataburger app

(Newser) - We'll take a burger, small fries, and an update on Hurricane Beryl, please. That's what Whataburger customers in Houston are getting served up via the fast-food chain's app, which is providing what Quartz calls "a unique view into the storm's aftermath"—specifically, where the...

Tokyo Is Giving a 'Gentle Push' to People Looking for Love

Japanese city to launch a dating app to help with the 'marriage hunting' process

(Newser) - In Japan, where birth rates are low , it's not unusual to see local governments hosting matchmaking events to encourage people to hook up and start a family. Now, the country's capital is taking things a step further and launching a dating app, expected to be released this summer,...

The First Move on Bumble Is Anyone's Game Now

It's no longer required that women make initial contact after a match is made on the dating app

(Newser) - Ladies, the pressure is off. Women who are reluctant to make the first move after matching with someone on Bumble can now sit back and wait for their potential partner to send an initial message. The dating app's new "Opening Moves" feature allows women to create a question...

Your Ride to the Airport on Wednesday Could Get Tricky

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash won't offer rides to or from airports in 10 US cities in protest for fair wages

(Newser) - Looking to catch a flight on Valentine's Day to visit your love? You may not be able to count on catching an Uber or Lyft to the airport, depending on where you live. That's because drivers for the two ride-sharing apps, as well as for food delivery app...

Nextdoor Isn't the Neighborly App We Thought
Opinion: Nextdoor Isn't the
Neighborly App We Thought
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 10, 2024 12:45 PM CST

Opinion: Nextdoor Isn't the Neighborly App We Thought

Rick Reilly takes on the 'aspiring vigilantes' and petty complainers he says lurk on the platform

(Newser) - Imagine a friendly app where neighbors could check in on each other, offer sugar and eggs, and talk about pertinent area issues. Perhaps that was the original intent of Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social networking platform, but Rick Reilly, writing for the Washington Post , says it's turned into something else...

Google Says Bye-Bye to Bard, Hello to Gemini

Company retires its chatbot, releases an AI-driven upgrade that doubles as a digital assistant

(Newser) - There's a new chatbot/digital assistant in town, and it comes all in one package. In a "Siri meets ChatGPT" move, Google has retired its Bard chatbot and launched in its place the Gemini smartphone app, an artificial intelligence-driven tool announced Thursday that's now available to English speakers...

Apple, Google Pull App Linked to Sextortion Scams

Wizz, a Tinder-style app aimed at teens, says it's trying to remedy the 'technical hiccup'

(Newser) - A Tinder-style app geared toward teens has been yanked from both Apple and Google's app portals after warnings about sextortion. NBC News reports that, according to emails it viewed, Wizz was pulled on Tuesday from the Apple App Store following pushback from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation on...

The Downside of Grade-Tracking Apps

The Cut explores how parents can get too obsessed

(Newser) - Most public and private high schools these days use some version of learning-management software, tech that allows parents to check on their children's grades and whether they're keeping up with their schoolwork in general. The principle behind popular ones like Schoology is straightforward enough—"research has long...

When Seattle Phones Ping, It's a Sign Whales Are Near

The AP looks at a popular WhatsApp chat group that alerts members to sightings

(Newser) - Peter Bates was dropping his car at the mechanic this month when a notification pinged on his phone: Killer whales were approaching his Seattle neighborhood. He hopped on a bus toward the water, then an electric bike. He was pedaling along a shoreline trail when orcas' black fins and white...

In This City, an App Keeps Beach Harassers at Bay

Safer Plage app sends mediators to contend with obnoxious beachgoers in Marseille, France

(Newser) - Women in one French resort community are sick of being harassed while getting some rays on the beach—and now, there's an app to help them fend off such harassment. Time Out reports that the Safer Plage (Safer Beach) app has been downloaded more than 1,300 times since...

Venmo Changes Policy on Teen Accounts

Social payments app will let kids ages 13 to 17 join, get debit card—with parental OK

(Newser) - Teenagers will officially be allowed to open a Venmo account with a parent's permission, the company said Monday, expanding the popular social payments app to an age demographic that's likely to embrace it almost immediately. The Venmo Teen Account will be available for 13- to 17-year-olds and comes...

Senate Fears Federal Workers Are Using a 'Trojan Horse'

It passes bill that would bar the downloading, use of TikTok on government devices

(Newser) - TikTok has seen a smackdown of sorts across the nation, with multiple states banning use of the video hosting service on government devices. Now the Senate has voted in favor of a similar ban for federal employees, passing a bill that will need House approval before making its way to...

Mark Zuckerberg Has a Problem With Apple, Too

CEOs of Meta, Spotify, Fortnite also complain of company's 'monopoly'

(Newser) - Elon Musk may have eased his censure of Apple , but his initial attacks have ushered in a heap of criticism from elsewhere. Fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg echoed Musk's complaints that Apple has too great a hold on the app market on Wednesday. "Apple has sort of singled themselves...

Musk's Next Plans Apparently Include an 'Everything App'

On heels of Tesla/SpaceX CEO's renewed offer to buy Twitter, he references 'X'

(Newser) - With Elon Musk's plan to purchase Twitter apparently back on , he's now teasing his next move, and it sounds just as ambitious. Those intentions came via a rather cryptic-sounding tweet on Tuesday, and speculation on what he might mean is already making the rounds. "Buying Twitter is...

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