Gizmodo reports: “It’s no secret that TikTok has been working on a new photo-sharing app to compete with Instagram and grow its social media empire. While one may look at TikTok’s success and deduce the task will be a piece of cake if the purported name of the new app, “TikTok Notes,” is indeed correct, the company has a long way to go.”
Polygon reports: “You can pretty much do anything in Fortnite these days. You can hunt down Greek gods, watch the solar eclipse virtually, or unleash a Waterbending fury as a character from Avatar: The Last Airbender. And starting Tuesday, players will once again be able to attend a virtual version of Coachella, the popular music festival, in the game.”
TechCrunch reports: “Uber Eats is launching a TikTok-like short-form video feed to boost discovery and help restaurants showcase their dishes. Uber Eats’ Sr. Director of Product, Awaneesh Verma, told TechCrunch exclusively in an interview that the new feed is being tested in New York, San Francisco, and Toronto. The company plans to launch the feed worldwide in the future.”
GamesBeat reports: “Chipotle Mexican Grill announced today it’s partnering with Bandai Namco to offer a new promotion for Tekken 8 players. Starting today, Tekken players — or at least the first several thousand who order — who purchase food digitally from the restaurant using the promotional code “EWGF623” can earn a certain amount of Tekken Coins via a promotional code.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “For years, women’s sports was an afterthought for TV, frequently relegated to ESPN2, Fox Sports 2 or ESPNNews, if they were able to secure TV rights at all. It was a self-reinforcing cycle of denial: Women’s sports didn’t rate, so the demand for the rights wasn’t there. But the games rarely got play on the biggest platforms, so the untapped potential could never be met.”
Games Industry Biz reports: “Microsoft has seen more changes behind the scenes, including the creation of two new teams dedicated to experiences and platforms, as well as game preservation. Windows Central reported that Xbox Emerging Technologies — a relatively new team believed to be primarily focused on AI — has now been moved into the Xbox hardware division, which is led by Roanne Sones, in order to “accelerate innovation in that space.”
Engadget reports: “Spotify is following the lead of many companies over the last year and dipping its toe into the world of AI prompts. The platform has announced AI Playlist, a new beta feature that lets you create playlists with a few words that get into the music vibe you want, such as “an indie folk playlist to give my brain a big warm hug.”
Eurogamer reports: “Apple has loosened its App Store restrictions to permit more emulation software. In an update posted at the end of last week, Apple confirmed it will now permit “retro game console emulator apps”, although the app designers are “responsible for all such software offered in [their] app”, “including ensuring that such software complies with […] all applicable laws”.”
Engadget reports: “Stability AI just unveiled Stable Audio 2.0, an upgraded version of its music-generation platform. This system lets users create up to three minutes of audio via text prompt. That’s around the length of an actual song, so it’ll also whip up an intro, a full chord progression and an outro.”
CNET reports: “Facebook is taking a page out of TikTok’s playbook. The social media giant is launching an updated video player that incorporates all video lengths and formats, including Reels, longer videos and live videos. As part of the update, horizontal videos can be opened up in full-screen mode, and a slider will appear to let you skip ahead in longer videos.”
