Oculus Quest unboxing
We take a look at what's in the box of the Oculus Quest, Facebook's computer-less virtual reality headset. The Oculus Quest is now available in South Africa.
A preferred partner ripped off Instagram user data, right under Facebook’s nose
Facebook’s decision to rebrand its Instagram and WhatsApp apps as part of the Facebook empire, seems ironically well-timed as the data privacy sins of the parent were revealed to be as common at the photo-sharing app. Last week it emerged that Instagram allowed its users’ personal data to be violated by an outside company which harvested large amounts of info it wasn’t supposed t...[Read More]
Regulating Facebook, Google and Amazon is hard given their bewildering complexity
With the rise of internet juggernauts Google, Facebook, Amazon and others, this insight seems obvious now. But over the past two decades, a fundamentally new business model emerged which even Castells had not foreseen – one in which attracting users onto digital platforms takes precedence over everything else, including what the user might say, do, or buy on that platform.
Not to be left out of the gloom, Facebook is testing Dark Mode for Android
You can already do it in Facebook Messenger, now it looks as though the mobile Facebook app is the next to take a ride on the Dark Mode train. A leak, spotted by a reliable app researcher, shows that Facebook has begun implementing features that -- when completed -- will constitute a Dark Mode for the service
Instagram adds to Facebook’s rash of privacy failures after now-former marketing partner sucked up huge amounts of user data
Faceboook-owned Instagram has terminated its relationship with a marketing company called Hyp3r after it was found that the company was ignoring privacy rules and collecting user data it wasn't supposed to have. What makes this worse is that the company was listed as a preferred Facebook Marketing Partner for the past year.
Brand new: Instagram and WhatsApp will now be labelled as ‘from Facebook’
Facebook has faced increasing scrutiny from the public and regulators because of digital privacy, and wants to rebrand its other apps: Instagram and WhatsApp.
Facebook’s mind-reading tech, codenamed Moonshot, will let you type with your brain
Facebook envisions a future in which people will be able to type out words and send messages using only their minds with project Moonshot.
Facebook’s attempts to capture financial services through a cryptocurrency is a step too far, as US lawmakers find their teeth
During hearings into Facebook's new Libra cryptocurrency, she grilled David Marcus, the head of its Calibra wallet, which is how its users will interact with Libra. "So, we are discussing a currency controlled by an undemocratically selected coalition of largely massive corporations. Do you believe currency is a public good?"
A major flaw allowed children to chat with random people on Facebook’s Messenger Kids
Facebook’s messenger app for kids, designed to let them chat safely with humans that are approved by their guardians, allowed them to connect with random adults.
Bring on the nostalgia-phones: WhatsApp is now available for loads of KaiOS devices
Though Stuff is typically all about the biggest and best of the smartphone world, we've got a soft spot for more basic devices. The only complaint? App support, specifically the sort that lets us remain in touch with friends and family. That's about to change, with the launch of WhatsApp for KaiOS devices around the world.
Is Instagram’s removal of its ‘like’ counter a turning point in social media?
Instagram’s recent decision to remove its “like” counter from its platform in select geographic regions is an interesting, perhaps long overdue, measure. Although recently users in Canada reported seeing the “like” counter back on for a day, the counter is currently off. The roll-out is a techno-social experiment, and there are advantages — and a few unintended consequences — of such an action.
All the hype around Libra is a red herring. Facebook’s main game is Calibra
It’s more likely that blockchain, and even Libra, is a means to a end; Calibra is about Facebook wanting to be not only the world’s biggest social media platform but also the globe’s go-to marketplace, putting Amazon, eBay, Apple and Google in the shade.