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Ello launching on iOS this month

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Ello is a social network that was founded after people got outraged by the amount of user data collection and ads that Facebook was doing and serving to them. The users who had become fed up with all the privacy concerns that are still plaguing Facebook users decided that it would be a great idea to launch an ad-free social network and thus launched Ello. Ello has had a time of glory, so to speak, last year, but since then, interest and coverage has died down somewhat.

The lack of news about Ello and about what features it offers could be attributed to the fact that mobile apps for the social network are very late. There used to be an Android version of Ello online from developer David Kanda, but it’s no longer available. Android and iOS users still don’t have an official Ello app that they can use on their Android, iPhone or iPad. The time has come for Ello to expand, and thus the company has announced the availability of Ello for iOS.

According to a report from Photo Tribune, the iOS Ello app would go live on June 18, when it will be published in the iTunes app store. Although Ello is still more of a beta than a final version of the social network, there are already thousands of users online, enjoying the ad-free, tracking-free network that puts users ahead of revenue. The business plan for Ello isn’t too successful, seeing as the company gathers revenue from funding and paid for features as it is a for profit public benefit corporation.

The lack of advertising space on Ello has most certainly impacted its growth, seeing as it is difficult to get funding partners and affiliates if you don’t offer advertising space on a social network. Nonetheless, Ello is growing and the developers behind the network are constantly working on adding new features that users can enjoy, ad-free. With the iOS Ello app in the works, the traction of the network should definitely pick up in the following few months. Are any Ello users among GeekReply readers? If so, let’s connect!

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Android

Airchat, developed by Naval Ravikant, is a social application that focuses on conversation rather than written messages

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Airchat is a recently developed social media application that promotes and encourages users to engage in open and spontaneous conversations.

Last year, a previous iteration of Airchat was released. However, yesterday the team, which included Naval Ravikant, the founder of AngelList, and Brian Norgard, a former product executive for Tinder, rebuilt the application and reintroduced it on both iOS and Android platforms. At present, Airchat is exclusively accessible via invitation. However, it has already achieved a ranking of #27 in the social networking category on Apple’s App Store.

Airchat has a user interface that is visually familiar and easy to understand. Users can follow other users, navigate through a feed of posts, and interact with those posts by replying, liking, and sharing them. The distinction comes from the fact that the content consists of audio recordings for both posts and replies, which are subsequently converted into written form by the application.

Airchat automatically starts sending messages, which you can quickly navigate through by vertically swiping up and down. If you have the desire, you have the option to pause the audio and only read the text. Additionally, users have the capability to exchange photographs and videos. However, it appears that audio is the main point of interest for everyone, and Ravikant explains that it has the potential to significantly change the way social apps function, especially when contrasted to text-based platforms.

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Upon my recent enrollment in Airchat, the majority of the messages I encountered pertained to the application itself. Notably, Ravikant and Norgard actively engaged in responding to inquiries and seeking input from users.

“All humans are inherently capable of harmonious interactions with one another; it simply necessitates the use of our innate communication abilities,” Ravikant stated. “The prevalence of online text-only media has created the false belief that people are unable to get along, when in reality, everyone is capable of getting along.”

Past instances have seen digital entrepreneurs placing their bets on speech as the upcoming significant trend in social media. However, Airchat’s utilization of asynchronous, threaded messages provides a distinct experience compared to the transient live chat rooms that briefly gained popularity on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. Norgard claimed that this method eliminates the obstacle of stage fright when it comes to participation, as individuals have the freedom to make multiple attempts at producing a message without anybody being aware.

Indeed, he stated that during discussions with the first users, the team discovered that the majority of individuals currently utilizing AirChat exhibit introverted and timid characteristics.

Personally, I have not yet persuaded myself to publish anything. I was primarily intrigued by observing how other individuals were utilizing the application. Additionally, I had a complex emotional connection with the auditory perception of my own speech.

However, there is value in listening to Ravikant and Norgard articulate their perspective instead of solely relying on written transcriptions, as the latter may overlook subtle aspects such as excitement and tone. I am particularly interested in observing how deadpan humor and shitposting are conveyed, or not, in audio format.

I also encountered some difficulty with the velocity. The application automatically sets the audio playing to double the normal speed, which I found to be artificial, especially considering that the main purpose is to promote human interaction. To reset the speed, simply press and hold the pause button. However, when the speed is set to 1x, I observed that I would begin to skim through longer postings while listening, and I would often jump forward before listening to the entire audio. However, perhaps that is acceptable.

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However, Ravikant’s conviction in the efficacy of speech to reduce hostility does not always obviate the requirement for content-filtering functionalities. According to him, the feed operates based on intricate regulations that aim to conceal spam, trolls, and those that either you or they may prefer not to receive messages from. However, at the time of publication, he had not yet replied to a subsequent user inquiry regarding content moderation.

When questioned about monetization, namely the introduction of advertisements, whether in audio format or otherwise, Ravikant stated that the company is currently not under any obligation to generate revenue. (He characterized himself as “not the exclusive investor” but rather as a significant stakeholder in the company.)

“Monetization is of little importance to me,” he stated. “We will operate this project with minimal financial resources if necessary.”

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iOS

Apple News is now doing a trial of a game that bears some resemblance to NYT Connections

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Apple News is now conducting a trial of a new game called Quartiles for iOS 17.5. The objective of the game is for players to arrange a grid of 20 syllables into 5 words, each consisting of four syllables. The New York Times’ most recent successful release, Connections, has a striking resemblance to the UI of Quartiles, as Gadget Hacks has noted. Did Apple News plagiarize or copy the New York Times?

Quartiles differ from connections in that they do not involve the organization of 16 words into four contiguous groups of four. It can be compared to Boggle, as it evaluates your skill in constructing words from their constituent parts. However, the act of discovering sets of four has become particularly captivating to us lately. Currently, Connections has surpassed all other games and is currently the second most popular game in the Times, following Wordle.

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Apple introduced crossword puzzles and small crossword puzzles as a new feature exclusively for Apple News+ subscribers last year. Despite the unconventional nature of a news aggregator investing in gaming, the New York Times has found success in doing so. In 2022, the newspaper acquired the game Wordle for an undisclosed amount in the range of seven figures. This acquisition resulted in the addition of “tens of millions” of new users within a single quarter. According to recent data from the Times, consumers have been dedicating a greater amount of time to playing the newspaper’s games compared to reading the news.

Apple is currently conducting beta testing for Quartiles; however, this does not guarantee its inclusion in iOS 17.5. Considering the fact that the New York Times is discreetly operating a gaming studio at present, it would be advantageous for Apple to provide a selection of fresh, preferably square-shaped games.

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Apple notifies people in 92 countries about targeted espionage attempts conducted by mercenaries

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On Wednesday, Apple sent threat notices to iPhone owners in 92 different countries, warning them that mercenary spyware may have been using them as targets for espionage operations.

The corporation issued notifications to individuals in 92 countries at 12pm Pacific Time on Wednesday. The disclosure does not reveal the identity of the attackers or the countries in which users received notifications.

Apple has identified that you are the target of a mercenary malware attack aimed at remotely compromising the iPhone linked to your Apple ID. This information was conveyed in the warning sent to impacted customers.

It is probable that this attack is especially directed at you due to your identity or occupation. Apple expressed a strong belief in the warning, stating that while it is not feasible to attain complete certainty in detecting such assaults, they have a high level of confidence. Accordingly, you should heed this warning carefully.

According to an updated Apple support page, the company sends these types of notifications several times a year and has informed users about such dangers in more than 150 countries since 2021.

In October of last year, it also issued an identical warning to several journalists and lawmakers in India. Following that, the nonprofit advocacy group Amnesty International revealed the discovery of the intrusive spyware Pegasus on the iPhones of well-known journalists in India. According to sources familiar with the situation, people in India are among the recipients of Apple’s most recent warning messages.

The notifications regarding spyware are being received at a moment when numerous countries are making preparations for their upcoming elections. Lately, numerous technology companies have issued warnings over the increasing attempts by governments to influence certain election results. Apple’s notifications, however, did not comment on their timing.

The business informed affected clients that they cannot disclose further details regarding the cause of the notification, as doing so may enable mercenary spyware attackers to modify their tactics and avoid detection in the future.

The prior description of the attackers as “state-sponsored” has been substituted with the term “mercenary spyware attacks.”

The advisory to clients states that mercenary spyware attacks, such as those employing Pegasus from the NSO Group, are extremely uncommon and significantly more advanced than typical cybercriminal activities or consumer malware.

Apple stated that it depends exclusively on internal threat intelligence information and investigations to identify such threats. “While our investigations cannot guarantee complete certainty, Apple threat notifications are highly reliable alerts indicating that a user has been specifically targeted by a professional spyware attack and should be treated with the utmost seriousness,” the statement stated.

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