Highlights of the Month – July
4 min read
4 min read
by Milica Stankić
Thanks to a recent update, Google Bard, the AI chatbot, now speaks in over 40 languages. Users can hear generated responses aloud, aiding in pronunciation. Language support includes Arabic, Chinese, German, and Spanish. Bard’s availability expands to Europe, resolving privacy concerns with the EU. Tone customization options simple, long, short, professional, or casual are now available. Productivity tools include conversation pinning, link response sharing, Python code export to Replit, and Google Lens integration for image analysis. Bard can serve as a reverse image search engine. The update is currently in multiple languages, except for the English-exclusive tone options and Google Lens support. Plans to expand to new languages are in progress.
Meta surprises users by launching its Twitter-esque message board app, ‘Threads,’ on Google Play and App Store in select regions. The app allows users to transfer their Instagram usernames and engages in public DM-style conversations. While the name choice raises eyebrows due to a previous messaging app with the same name, Meta proceeds with the new Threads app. The platform aims to provide a space for communities to discuss various topics and connect with their favorite creators. With the growing restrictions on viewing tweets, the timely appearance of Threads offers an alternative conversational home for users. Within days of its launch, Meta’s Threads app has already amassed over 100 million sign-ups, making it the fastest-growing app in history. The app’s swift rise in popularity surpasses previous records and presents a potential challenger to Twitter’s dominance in the social media landscape.
Meta introduces upgrades to the Facebook video platform, aiming to simplify video creation and engagement. Integrating features from Instagram Reels into the Facebook Feed allows for more dynamic video capabilities within the Facebook experience. Users can combine audio, music, and text seamlessly with new editing tools, manipulate clips, and enjoy improved audio capabilities. Additionally, Meta rebrands the Facebook Watch section as the Video tab, providing a centralized destination for all Facebook video content, including Reels, longer videos, and live streams. The updated Explore feature recommends relevant and popular videos while integrating Instagram Reels and Facebook enables seamless viewing and interaction. Meta plans further improvements for the integration, focusing on empowering creators and enhancing user control.
Microsoft bids farewell to Calibri and introduces Aptos, a modern sans-serif font inspired by mid-20th-century Swiss typography, as the new default font for Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. Developed by renowned type designer Steve Matteson, creator of Segoe, Aptos combines crisp stroke endings with subtle softening for a balanced and contemporary appearance. While Calibri will remain accessible, Aptos will gradually become the default font for all Microsoft Office users in the coming months. As part of Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to enhance user experience, Aptos arrives alongside a redesigned font picker, new themes, colors, and backgrounds, reflecting a broader wave of expressive and inclusive features in Microsoft 365.
Twitter begins paying popular creators who are Twitter Blue subscribers through its ad revenue sharing program, announced by Elon Musk earlier this year. Payouts, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, are based on ads placed in replies to tweets, with eligibility requiring a minimum of 5 million impressions on tweets in the past three months. As Meta’s Threads app gains momentum and Twitter faces challenges, the timing of the revenue-sharing program aims to retain top tweeters and stimulate user engagement. Twitter plans to expand access to the program in the near future, potentially offering more users the opportunity to monetize their content.
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