Twitter rival Bluesky hits new milestone
Bluesky has hit a new milestone as it has passed over one million registered users. The social media platform, created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, has surged in popularity as an alternative to X after users sought to leave the Elon Musk-owned app. Under Mr Musk, Twitter has been rebranded as X. Bluesky hit the milestone on Tuesday, with Rose Wang, who works on strategy and operations at the platform, sharing a screenshot of the moment it gained over a million users. Bluesky still seems to be in its early stages, taking a careful approach and growing slowly as it caters to its cohort of initial adopters. Choosing this cautious approach, access to the app is extended via a waitlist and through invitations from existing users. The app was first announced by Mr Dorsey when he was still in charge of Twitter, tasking developers to build a “decentralised standard” for social media. “The biggest and long-term goal is to build a durable and open protocol for public conversation. That it not be owned by any one organisation but contributed by as many as possible. And that it is born and evolved on the internet with the same principles,” Mr Dorsey wrote on the app in 2020. Bluesky has seen upticks in requests for signups following Mr Musk’s takeover of X, as the Tesla titan brought about sweeping changes to his platform, including initiating mass layoffs, the removal of blue checkmarks for non-paying users and modifications to content rules. At one point in July, Bluesky had to halt sign-ups due to a huge surge in demand, following Mr Musk imposing limits on the number of tweets people could read on X – a move that was later reversed. Bluesky’s approach to carefully onboard users is also in contrast to Meta’s Threads platform, which has emerged as another one of Twitter’s competitors in recent times. Meta’s decision to cross-promote Threads to existing Instagram users led to the app racking up close to 30 million signups in less than 24 hours, and over 100 million users within the first five days. But even with the recent roll-out of a web app – a much-anticipated feature – Threads’ traffic appears to be on a worrying dip, with its number of daily active users much lower than during its heyday just after it launched. Read More Elon Musk’s Twitter slows down access to rival websites $44 billion and eight months later. It’s finally all over for Elon Musk Musk, Zuckerberg and the bitter battle for the future of social media Volcano discovery could power electric cars for decades, scientists say New invention will lead to ‘battery revolution’, scientists say Putin praises Musk days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack
2023-09-13 13:29
In closed forum, tech titans to give senators advice on artificial intelligence
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been talking for several months about accomplishing a potentially impossible task: Passing bipartisan legislation within the next year that both encourages the rapid development of artificial intelligence and also mitigates its biggest risks
2023-09-13 12:21
‘Final Fantasy’ Maker’s 30% Plunge May Be Just the Beginning
Square Enix Holdings Co. has shed nearly $2 billion of its value since Final Fantasy XVI, the latest
2023-09-13 11:50
Iranians hit by internet curbs in year since protests
Iran has imposed curbs on the internet in the year since protests erupted over Mahsa Amini's death, forcing people to find other ways to run their businesses or...
2023-09-13 11:19
BP Chief’s Surprise Exit Leaves Questions Over Green Strategy
The abrupt resignation of BP chief Bernard Looney marks the loss of an executive who pushed for a
2023-09-13 10:46
Crypto Firm Ripple Says Over 80% of Hiring This Year Outside US
Ripple Labs Inc. said more than 80% of its hiring this year will be outside the US, where
2023-09-13 09:29
MGM Resorts’ Hack Fallout Includes Paper Vouchers, Cash Bar
Scanning the largely empty casino floor at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Marina Lopez said
2023-09-13 09:18
Net Zero Watchdog Targeted by GOP Revamps Its Organization
A United Nations-backed group that helps investors figure out whether corporate net zero claims are credible is reorganizing
2023-09-13 07:46
Google’s Search Domination Began With Plan to Combat Rivals
Two decades ago, when Google was emerging as an Internet powerhouse, company officials were developing strategies to combat
2023-09-13 07:15
California Gets Ahead of SEC in Forcing Firms’ Carbon Disclosure
California state legislators passed a bill Tuesday that would leapfrog the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s efforts to
2023-09-13 05:56
Apple’s iPhone 15 Debut Includes Higher Price on Top Model
Apple Inc. introduced its latest iPhones at an event Tuesday, banking on new materials, camera upgrades and improved
2023-09-13 05:22
Putin praises Musk as ‘outstanding person’ days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack
Vladimir Putin heaped praise on Elon Musk as he called the billionaire an “outstanding person” and businessman. The Russian dictator complimented the Tesla CEO and X owner just days after Mr Musk said that he refused to let Ukraine use Starlink internet to launch a surprise attack on Russian forces in Crimea. The revelation was made in excerpts of a new biography on the South African-born entrepreneur that he had refused Ukraine support for a September 2022 attack on Russian naval vessels in Sevastopol. Mr Musk reportedly refused as he did not want to be complicit in a “major” act of war, and has been heavily criticised by Ukraine’s leadership. Mr Putin was not asked about the incident during an economic forum in Vladivostok but spoke about the rocket launching success of Mr Musk’s SpaceX company. “As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned... he is undoubtedly an outstanding person. This must be recognised, and I think it is recognised all over the world,” he said. “He (Musk) is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state.” Last October, Mr Musk was forced to deny a report that he had spoken to Mr Putin about Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. Ian Bremmer, head of the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy, had claimed that Mr Musk personally told him about the conversation with Mr Putin. “I have spoken to Putin only once and that was about 18 months ago. The subject matter was space,” Mr Musk tweeted. It came the same month Mr Musk asked his social media followers to vote on ways to resolve the bloody conflict. The suggestions included holding votes in Russian-annexed areas of Ukraine, an idea welcomed by the Kremlin. He also suggested that the rest of the world should “formally” recognise Crimea, which was illegally occupied by Moscow in 2014, as part of Russia. In response, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky posted his own poll asking users if they liked the world’s richest person more when he supported Ukraine. Read More Elon Musk: How many children does the Tesla CEO have? Fatherhood, rows with Amber Heard and ‘the woke mind virus’: six revelations from Elon Musk’s biography Elon Musk ‘hardly remembers’ his own ‘demon-like’ episodes, biographer claims Grimes says Elon Musk was ‘clueless’ about why she was upset by C-section photo Elon Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon Pope's Ukraine peace envoy heads to China on mission to help return Ukraine children taken to Russia Ranting Putin threatens Sunak and makes wild claim UK ‘backed nuclear plant raid’ Putin says legal cases against Donald Trump are ‘persecution of a political rival’
2023-09-13 04:57