Mobile

Pinterest’s ad product tries to overcome ATT: The platform's new tool combines its data with advertisers’ for more precise tracking.

BeReal is the newest kid on the social media block. The app has already captured the attention of Gen Z, and its growing popularity has sparked copycat features from Snapchat, Instagram and, yes, even TikTok. But do brands of all stripes need to embrace BeReal—or is it not ready for primetime just yet

Instacart, Uber, and Lyft try to make gig work more appealing: With workers still hard to come by, all three are adjusting pay and emphasizing flexibility to improve recruitment.

Tech cold war between US and China intensifies: As Chinese president Xi Jinping solidifies his third term, US federal regulators have intensified the ban of telecom equipment considered to be security threat

While other publishers have struggled in the wake of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT), Apple Search Ads has tripled its market share of mobile advertising since the first half of 2020, according to AppsFlyer’s latest “Performance Index.”

iPhone charger removal results in $19 million fine: Apple gets dinged in Brazil for forcing new iPhone users to fork out more cash for necessary chargers—it’s the latest case against its consumer hostile decisions.

TikTok enters the streaming music arena: TikTok is timing its streaming super app and services takeover at a time when key player Spotify’s value is declining and ByteDance is on the rise.

Roku’s smart home play: It’s leaning on its installed base of connected TVs as hubs for affordable smart home cameras, doorbells, and lights.

It turns out podcast exclusivity may not be the move: Layoffs at Spotify revealed that exclusivity drastically reduced Gimlet Media’s listeners.

The ad industry lost 8,700 jobs last month: Legal, tech, and economic issues have created a perfect storm that the industry will struggle to crawl out of.

Teens represent untapped demand but they could be left exposed to losses and vulnerable to manipulation.

Microsoft’s shrinking Surfaces: Microsoft’s hardware offerings were meager this year as the company focused on popular products while remaining mum on its more daring moonshots.

With Apple TV+, ad-supported streaming becomes the norm: Apple’s service is one of the last to hop on the AVOD trend, but its ad ambitions go much further.

More than 90% of US digital coupon users will access the vouchers via smartphone this year. That figure is increasing slowly as tablet coupon adoption remains fairly stagnant.

Twitter’s edit feature paves its super app path: Paid subscribers can now edit tweets, and the feature could open up a new revenue stream and payments backbone necessary to fuel super app aspirations.

It looks like gambling is coming to ESPN: Disney is reported to be close to striking a deal with sportsbook DraftKings.

Google goes ambient: New Pixel phones, the first ever Pixel smartwatch, and a future tablet that transforms into a smart display are all touchpoints to Google’s wider IoT and ambient computing aspirations.

Google Cloud’s $100B opportunity: Data residency and sovereignty in regions like Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Greece could be Google Cloud’s competitive advantage in its pivot to a network provider.

Designed in California, made in India: AirPods join iPads and iPhones as the next products to be made in India. The acceleration away from China opens up opportunities for alternative manufacturing hubs.

He wants to create the US version of WeChat. Twitter can help him do this, but there could be regulatory hurdles ahead.