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Meta Lays Off Employees Across Teams At WhatsApp, Instagram And More

suimt — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:47:00 +0000

New Delhi: Social media giant Meta has laid off employees across multiple teams, including at WhatsApp and Instagram, as part of an apparent restructuring exercise, reports said on Thursday.

Meta did not immediately comment on how many employees were impacted in the latest round of job cuts.

In a statement to TechCrunch, the company confirmed multiple teams were hit by layoffs.

“A few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy,” a Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying.

“This includes moving some teams to different locations, and moving some employees to different roles. In situations like this when a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees,” the spokesperson added.

Employees working on Reality Labs, Instagram and WhatsApp were affected by the layoffs, according to reports.

Several Meta employees took to social media platforms to announce they have been laid off.

Jane Manchun Wong, who was part of the Threads team, posted: “I’m still trying to process this but I’m informed that my role at Meta has been impacted. Thank you to everyone, especially my Threads and Instagram teammates, for my wild journey at Meta”.

“If anyone is interested in working together esp on software/security engineering, please reach out via my email, LinkedIn, etc noted on my personal website,” she wrote on Threads.

Earlier this year, Meta laid off employees at its Reality Labs division.

The social media company run by Mark Zuckerberg first laid off 11,000 employees in 2022. In 2023, Meta laid off another 10,000 employees and withdrew 5,000 open roles it had yet to fill, as part of CEO Zuckerberg’s “year of efficiency”.

October Pixel Drop Brings New Features and Updates to Pixel Phones, Tablet and Watch

Ashish Singh — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:34:57 +0000

Pixel device owners will definitely be busy discovering several new features thanks to the release of Android 15. However, Google’s latest October Pixel Drop brings even more features to new and recent devices. As usual, this quarterly update applies to several devices ranging from the Pixel 6 to latest Pixel 9 Pro Fold along with Google’s ecosystem products like the Pixel Watch and Buds series TWS earphones as well. It’s wise to keep in mind that while Google has added several features for older devices across the Pixel range, features like Gemini Live are only available on select devices, languages and countries.

Google’s October Pixel Drop) begins rollout today in a phased manner. If you don’t see it yet, don’t panic, it should show up soon.

Gemini Updates

For starters, Gemini Live is now more accessible if you own a pair of Pixel Buds. Google Pixel Buds Pro or A-series owners can now simply say “Hey Google, let’s talk” to start a conversation with the AI assistant via their earphones, which was recently made available for all Pixel users, free of charge. The regular Gemini assistant now also works with the Pixel Screenshots app letting you find things in your screenshots at the press of a button.

Updates for Pixel Phones

The Audio Magic Eraser tool that debuted with the Pixel 8 Pro last year and arrived in an “improved” form with the Pixel 9 series is now rolling out to Pixel 8 series smartphones. Pixel 9 series owners (except for the 9 Pro Fold of course) will now see improved photography and video recording with richer and more accurate colours.

Google claims to have added some major improvements to Astrophotography in Night Sight mode and it’s available for users from the Pixel 6 onwards. Night Sight also makes its way to Instagram letting Pixel owners snap Night Sight captures directly from the Instagram app.

The Temperature app available on the Pixel 8 Pro, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL models will now let you use the viewfinder as a guide to see what exactly you are pointing it at. Google also added themed recommendations for widgets in the form of widget categories (Social, Entertainment and more).

Updates for Pixel Watch and Tablets

All Pixel Watch owners can now set a new individual contact tile with quick actions to call, message or open a contact. Users can also send or react with emojis (for the Gmail app) directly from their Pixel Watch. Google’s Loss of Pulse Detection feature, which is available only on the Pixel Watch 3, is now available for users in Belgium, Italy and Spain.

It’s now easier to seamlessly transfer media (instead of using the cast icon) from Pixel Tablet or a Pixel 9 Pro Fold to a Pixel phone. A new feature will be arriving in the coming weeks, but it basically lets users cast media from one device to another by simply bringing a Pixel phone closer to a Pixel tablet. Pixel tablet users will also be happy to know that notifications will sync across their Pixel phone and tablet meaning that they simply need to dismiss a notification on one device and not two devices separately.

October Pixel Drop Brings New Features and Updates to Pixel Phones, Tablet and Watch

Ashish Singh — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:34:57 +0000

Google’s October Pixel Drop) begins rollout today in a phased manner. If you don’t see it yet, don’t panic, it should show up soon.

Gemini Updates

Updates for Pixel Phones

Updates for Pixel Watch and Tablets

October Pixel Drop Brings New Features and Updates to Pixel Phones, Tablet and Watch

Ashish Singh — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:34:57 +0000

Google’s October Pixel Drop) begins rollout today in a phased manner. If you don’t see it yet, don’t panic, it should show up soon.

Gemini Updates

Updates for Pixel Phones

Updates for Pixel Watch and Tablets

Instagram’s Threads Rolls Out Activity Status Indicator for Real-Time Engagement With Others

Ashish Singh — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:24:55 +0000

Threads — Instagram’s microblogging platform and a competitor to X (formerly Twitter) — is rolling out a new feature that lets users see if others are online. Similar functionality is already present on Meta’s other social media apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, and Threads is the latest in line to add it. Like its availability on other apps, only users who have turned on this feature will be able to see the activity status of other users.

Activity Status Indicator on Threads

In a post on Threads, platform head Adam Mosseri shared the rollout of this feature on the microblogging platform. The official says it has been introduced as a “way to find others to engage with” in real-time. It was suggested that the activity indicator feature could help in engaging in conversations by knowing when others are online.

The feature is turned on by default on Threads and users will be able to see the online status of others. Furthermore, it is not linked to the existing activity status indicator on Instagram, as per Threads. Both features work independently of each other; turning it off on Instagram won’t do the same on Threads, and vice versa.

Once enabled, a green dot will appear next to the user’s profile picture, signalling that they are online. To turn it on:

Head over to the profile section on Threads
Select the hamburger icon from the top-right corner of the screen
Tap on Privacy and the Online Status option
Choose between the following options: Anyone, Followers, Followers you follow back, and No one

The feature can be turned off by following the aforementioned steps and selecting the last option. Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify its availability on Threads for iOS.

While Threads may have introduced this feature to benefit users, the comment section below Mosseri’s post was filled with requests for other features. Some of the most frequently requested features included a chronological feed, breaking events in real-time, and the ability to send direct messages (DMs) to other users.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Vivo Y300 Plus With Snapdragon 695 SoC, 5,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Specifications

YouTube Update Brings Sleep Timer, Resizable Miniplayer And More Features

Meta AI Expanded to the UK and Five Other Countries; to Be Available Within Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

Ashish Singh — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 06:48:14 +0000

Meta announced the expansion of Meta AI, the company’s in-house artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, to six new countries on Wednesday. The UK has been included in the list of countries which are getting access to the AI chatbot now. The social media giant also highlighted that the AI platform will be expanded to 15 more countries soon, taking the number of total supported countries to 43. Apart from introducing Meta AI within its social media apps, the company also added voice-based AI capabilities to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in the UK and Australia.

Adding an update to its July post, where Meta AI was first expanded to new regions including India, the social media giant stated that the AI chatbot has been rolled out to six new countries — Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Philippines, and the UK. Additionally, support for the Tagalog language which is spoken in the Philippines was also added. To use the AI assistant, users in these countries can simply update Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and they should see the new Meta AI icon.

Additionally, the company also added that the chatbot will be expanded to 15 more countries soon including Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Yemen. It is believed that Meta AI will be rolled out to these locales before the end of the ongoing year. The AI will also be updated to support Arabic, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese languages.

The UK and Australia are also getting Meta AI capabilities on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with the current rollout. However, the company has restricted the AI assistant to voice-only features. That means the recently announced computer vision-based features will not be available to users in those countries.

Meta AI Expanded to the UK and Five Other Countries; to Be Available Within Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

Ashish Singh — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 06:48:14 +0000

Meta announced the expansion of Meta AI, the company’s in-house artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, to six new countries on Wednesday. The UK has been included in the list of countries which are getting access to the AI chatbot now. The social media giant also highlighted that the AI platform will be expanded to 15 more countries soon, taking the number of total supported countries to 43. Apart from introducing Meta AI within its social media apps, the company also added voice-based AI capabilities to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in the UK and Australia.

Adding an update to its July post, where Meta AI was first expanded to new regions including India, the social media giant stated that the AI chatbot has been rolled out to six new countries — Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Philippines, and the UK. Additionally, support for the Tagalog language which is spoken in the Philippines was also added. To use the AI assistant, users in these countries can simply update Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and they should see the new Meta AI icon.

Additionally, the company also added that the chatbot will be expanded to 15 more countries soon including Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Yemen. It is believed that Meta AI will be rolled out to these locales before the end of the ongoing year. The AI will also be updated to support Arabic, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese languages.

The UK and Australia are also getting Meta AI capabilities on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with the current rollout. However, the company has restricted the AI assistant to voice-only features. That means the recently announced computer vision-based features will not be available to users in those countries.

Meta Testing New Feature That Allows You to Post Instagram Reels Directly on Threads

Ashish Singh — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 13:56:19 +0000

Threads was launched a year ago as Meta’s direct micro-blogging rival to Elon Musk’s X (formerly known as Twitter). As the platform continues to grow, Meta is eyeing to add a range of fresh functionalities to the app. The social media giant seems to be working on a new feature to let users post Instagram Reels directly to Threads. The new feature could be part of Meta’s plan to enable cross-posting functionality to maximise content sharing between its suite of apps.

Threads May Soon Get a Cross-Posting Feature

Noted developer Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) claimed that Threads is testing a new feature that will let users share Instagram Reels and posts directly to Threads. As per the screenshot shared by Paluzzi, the drop-down menu on Threads includes a new Instagram option along with the existing GIF, Voice, and Poll.

Photo Credit: Alessandro Paluzzi

Tapping the new Instagram button in the compose box in Threads will display a grid with Instagram posts and Reels. Users can then choose which Reels and posts they want to share on Threads. Meta reportedly confirmed to TechCrunch that it is indeed testing the feature.

At present, many users post their Instagram posts and Reels on Threads to increase engagement for their content and grow their followers. The arrival of the new button is expected to help users boost user engagement and enhance content visibility.

Notably, Meta has been working to promote cross-posting from Facebook and Instagram to Threads since last year. It already automatically displays Thread posts on Instagram and Facebook. It is running a test that lets users cross-post images from Instagram to Threads

Meta has been bringing new features to its fast-growing Threads platform. Recently, the company was spotted testing a temporary post feature that would allow users to publish posts that disappear after a certain period.

Meta Rolls Out AI-Powered ‘Imagine’ Feature to Facebook, Instagram and Messenger

Ashish Singh — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 08:49:26 +0000

Meta AI features were a major highlight during the company’s annual Meta Connect event on Wednesday. The company introduced the new voice chat feature and added new artificial intelligence features to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The social media giant also expanded the experimental ‘Imagine’ feature to Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The feature was unveiled earlier this year, allowing users to recreate their profile picture in different AI-generated styles. This is now being rolled out to all users. Additionally, Meta is also testing a feature that will auto-generate images and recommend users to share them to their feed.

In a newsroom post, the social media giant shared details about how this feature would work. So far, users can use Meta AI to generate images from text prompts. Users can also share an image as an input and ask the AI to generate images based on that. However, the company did not let users use their images of their profile pictures to generate images.

This is now changing as at the Meta Connect 2024, the company announced that the ‘Imagine’ feature will be available to all Facebook and Instagram users and this feature will allow users to create posts as well as Stories.

Put simply, users can now ask Meta AI to ‘Imagine’ them as a superhero, a royal monarch, or an astronaut, and the AI will do so. Based on the images shared by the company, it appears the AI-generated images will not be very realistic and instead appear digitally created. Meta is also adding AI-generated watermarks on these images as well.

In Instagram DM and Messenger, users will be now able to use AI to generate personalised chat themes. Users could earlier change the background colour and chat bubble, but this will offer a higher level of customisation.

Additionally, Meta is also testing a recommendation feature involving the Imagine feature. The company plans to show images auto-generated AI images of the user’s profile picture in the feed of Instagram and Facebook. The generated images will be based on the user’s interests or current trends. If the user likes the image, they can share it on their feed or Stories. They can also tap on the image to make changes to the suggested image.

Mishi Khan criticises Arshad Nadeem over viral video, calls out ‘arrogance’

Diksha — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:07:16 +0000

Listen to article

Former Pakistani actress and host Mishi Khan has expressed her discontent over a viral video featuring Arshad Nadeem, the gold medallist of the Paris Olympics 2024.

The video, which has been circulating widely on social media, shows Nadeem dismissing a local reporter’s questions in Mian Channu.

In the brief clip, the reporter asks Nadeem how he feels after becoming a champion.

Instead of responding, Nadeem walks away, leaving the reporter to follow him with a microphone, repeatedly asking why he is unwilling to speak on such a joyous occasion.

Nadeem simply replies that he is in a hurry and then exits the scene.

Read also: Actress Mishi Khan supports Khalilur Rehman’s daughter amid troll attack

As the video gained traction online, many users defended Nadeem, arguing that the media should respect individuals’ privacy and not intrude on their personal space.

However, Mishi Khan was not as forgiving. Reacting to the video, Khan took to social media to criticise Nadeem’s behaviour, suggesting that fame and success may have led to an attitude of arrogance.

“Money makes people cuckoo,” she remarked, adding sarcastically, “Sure, you were in a hurry, but you could have answered. Wow! What arrogance.”

Khan’s comments have sparked a debate online, with some agreeing with her stance, while others defend Nadeem’s actions, citing his right to privacy and the pressure he may be under as a public figure.