Apple takes a stand against FBI
Google and Apple, longtime enemies, are united by the FBI's iPhone privacy case. https://t.co/hRRlXLexpc
— FutureShift (@futureshift) February 19, 2016
Big news this week is the announcement from Apple that the company will not comply with an FBI request to create a backdoor for unlocking iPhones. Although the FBI claims that this capability will only be used on one phone – a phone involved in the San Bernardino case – Tim Cook stressed in an open letter that once this back door software was created, it would be impossible to control. Since the announcement from Apple, other tech giants have come out in support of the company’s decision to refuse.
Facebook bringing ads to Messenger
Facebook plans to launch ads in Messenger in the first half of this year, report says https://t.co/sU6SQ5Me9u pic.twitter.com/K5elKMgHU2
— Forbes (@Forbes) February 19, 2016
Soon we’ll be seeing ads in the Facebook Messenger app. A leaked document obtained by TechCrunch revealed a plan where businesses will be able to send ads to customers as messages where the customer has already initiated a message with the company. With 800 million monthly active users, Messenger is one of Facebook’s most popular products.
Smart watches are outselling Swiss watches
Swiss Watch Sales In Trouble Due To Smart Watches https://t.co/HututbeNrR
— VR World (@VRworlddotcom) February 19, 2016
Stats for the fourth quarter of 2015 reveal that smart watches outsold Swiss watches during the holidays. Apple and Samsung claim the most sales of the 8.1 million smart watches that were shipped. This is the first time ever that smart watch sales have outperformed Swiss watches.
New uses for Yik Yak
"The kind of honest responses we’re getting are hard to get through Facebook or Twitter." https://t.co/9yC5rKAv42
— Nieman Lab (@NiemanLab) February 18, 2016
The BBC is using Yik Yak to communicate with millennials. The location-based, anonymous app theoretically produces more honest responses and engagements than other apps like WhatsApp and WeChat. By reaching millennials on platforms they are already on, the BBC has been able to generate engagement to enhance a special week of coverage of mental health. While the app has received a lot of criticism for the consequences of anonymity, the BBC has been able to put the controversial feature to work, expanding the possibilities for news engagement with millennials.