Sam Altman of OpenAI

OpenAI in talks to raise new funding at $100bn valuation

The terms, valuation and timing of the funding round have not yet been finalised and could still change

Executive

UAE consumers worried about application failure during holiday season: Report

From staying connected with loved ones, to managing finances, consumers will heavily rely on diverse applications during their celebrations

Google

Google’s court loss to Epic Games may cost billions

Epic Games will now have a chance to submit a court filing on how it wants Google’s Play Store to be fixed

app

UAE consumers among the most demanding globally for seamless app experiences

Key findings from the research indicate a significant shift in consumer behavior and expectations

UAE PASS

MoIAT introduces mandatory use of UAE Pass to streamline services

The new digital national identity system helps improve the business ecosystem and facilitates access to government services

Google Lens and Bard

Google Lens is coming to Bard in Arabic

Bard is now making its existing English language features available to more than 40 new languages while launching new capabilities

Elon Musk - xAI - Grok

Elon Musk says X will offer video and audio calls

The announcement came after the platform updated its privacy policy to include the collection of biometric data

Tabby Shop

Tabby Shop: Digital shopping assistant now available in UAE, Saudi

The shopping tool makes navigating of products easy, enabling shoppers to sort and filter by colour, brand, price and materials

Messenger Lite

Messenger Lite for Android to shutdown in September

The app has been removed from Google Play Store for new users and will no longer be available for existing users after September 18

WhatsApp

New WhatsApp feature: Zuckerberg reveals update

The update will be available worldwide in the upcoming weeks

Zoom

Zoom outlook: Profit, sales projections raised, shares surge

Revenue for the year ending in January 2024 will be as much as $4.5bn

Threads desktop version

Threads desktop version may be launching soon

It is reported that the update could come as soon as this week

ADX and tawasul tieup to provide users realtime stock market updates on the superapp GettyImages-687689274

Abu Dhabi’s ADX, Tawasal SuperApp to offer real-time stock market updates

Tawasal is a secure multi-purpose messenger and super app, which offers free calls, chats, video conferencing and lifestyle services

WhatsApp image share

How to send high-definition images on WhatsApp?

The HD image share feature will be rolled out to users worldwide over the next few weeks

Instagram

Meta begins blocking news in Canada in response to new law

The move came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government passed the Online News Act, expected to come into effect before the end of this year

Twitter

Twitter changes logo to X, bids ‘adieu’ to its blue bird

Twitter’s brand toolkit page on its website calls the light-blue bird its most recognisable asset but that looks to change imminently

threads

Threads surpasses 100 million users: Here’s how it is different from Twitter

The Threads app which was launched under the Instagram umbrella is fast catching up to its competitor Twitter

Threads by Instagram

Threads by Instagram: Here’s how to use it

Threads provides a fresh platform for real-time updates and public discussions, catering to both creators and casual users

Meta

Meta launch of Twitter competitor ‘Threads’ expected soon

With the launch, Meta is seeking to take advantage Twitter’s problems since the social media platform was taken over by Elon Musk

TweetDeck

Twitter to make TweetDeck available only to paid, verified users

Several features have been placed behind a paywall in recent months, most notably Twitter’s iconic blue verified checkmarks

Twitter

Twitter temporarily caps number of tweets users can see each day

Elon Musk has made a series of changes to Twitter since buying the social media company in 2022

DEWA Head Office image Dubai Media Office

DEWA launches new summer campaign; promotes smart electricity, water use

The campaign encourages customers to benefit from DEWA’s smart services and programmes, understand their consumption patterns and prevent wastage

Apps 360

Etisalat by e& launches ‘Apps 360’ to digitally empower businesses

The app-building solution is offered in partnership with Builder.ai, an AI-powered software development platform

Tako TikTok

TikTok is testing an AI chatbot named Tako

The Tako test is currently available to a small number of employees, according to Daniel Buchuk, an analyst at Watchful

Meta

Meta unloads Giphy to Shutterstock at a loss of more than $260m

Facebook’s parent company Meta announced the sale of Giphy after its purchase of the GIF maker was blocked by competition regulators in the UK

WhatsApp

Say goodbye to typos: WhatsApp launches edit message feature

The edit history will not be displayed, ensuring that the original content remains private

Meta

Meta prepares more layoffs across Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram

The move is part of a cost-cutting push that will eventually whittle away 10,000 positions at the company

Cars24

Interview: Abhinav Gupta, CEO – Gulf region at Cars24

Reports suggest that the UAE ranks eighth globally for readiness in the electric vehicles market and is expected to grow 30 per cent annually until 2028

Twitter

Twitter becomes X Corp as Musk advances ‘everything app’ hopes

It’s unclear what the change means for Twitter, which has seen a sweeping overhaul since Musk bought the company for $44bn last year

Careem

UAE telecoms giant e& Group acquires $400m stake in Careem Super App

The company plans to use the proceeds from the new investment to accelerate its ambitious vision to create the first ‘everything app’