When adding text code from a 3rd party source into a platform, the process is an unavoidable and time-consuming chore. Developers currently spend a large part of their day reviewing things like “NPM” packages, and such. There are developer libraries and text code platforms like JetBrains and Visual Studio, but these don’t entirely solve the […]
In the wake of recent racist attacks, Instagram rolls out more anti-abuse features
Instagram today is rolling out a set of new features aimed at helping people protect their accounts from abuse, including offensive and unwanted comments and messages. The company will introduce tools for filtering abusive direct message (DM) requests as well as a way for users to limit other people from posting comments or sending DMs […]
Signal now lets you choose disappearing messages by default for new chats
The encrypted chat app Signal is adding a few new options for users looking to lock down their messages. The app will now allow anyone to turn on a default timer for disappearing messages, automatically applying the settings to any newly initiated conversations. Signal’s disappearing messages option deletes chats for both the sender and receiver […]
Wix launches a no-code app builder for $200 per month
This morning, Wix announced a new product for business owners called Branded App by Wix, which allows users to develop native apps without writing code. The publicly-traded company provides tools for people and businesses to manage their online presence, but it’s most well-known for its drag-and-drop website builder. Now, the platform is expanding its user-friendly […]
Match beta test targets dating app complaints like frustration with swiping, ghosting
Match today is introducing new features that aim to address some of users’ complaints with modern-day dating apps — like how much time it takes to find a relevant match and how frustrating it is when users ghost one another after the initial conversation fades. As part of a new strategy to better position Match […]
Instagram tests ads in its Shop tab
Instagram is further investing in its e-commerce business, Instagram Shops, with the launch of a new advertising product, Ads in Instagram Shop. The company says it’s currently testing the new format, which includes both single images and the option for an image carousel, with select U.S.-based advertisers ahead of an expansion to other markets in […]
Senators press Facebook for answers about why it cut off misinformation researchers
Facebook’s decision to close accounts connected to a misinformation research project last week prompted a broad outcry from the company’s critics — and now Congress is getting involved. A handful of lawmakers criticized the decision at the time, slamming Facebook for being hostile toward efforts to make the platform’s opaque algorithms and ad targeting methods […]
This Week in Apps: In-app events hit the App Store, TikTok tries Stories, Apple reveals new child safety plan
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a record 218 billion downloads and $143 billion in global consumer spend in 2020. Consumers last year also spent 3.5 trillion minutes using apps on Android devices alone. […]
商用l利用も可能な音声合成ツール「VOICEVOX」が公開。現時点では窓の杜からダウンロード可能
音声合成ソフトは商用利用に制限があるものが多いが、ヒホ（ヒロシバ）氏が8月1日に公開した「VOICEVOX」は、商用・非商用問わず無料で利用できるのが特徴。入力したテキストから音声を生成し、アクセントの調整や文字単位でのイントネーションの簡単な調整などが行える。現時点での音声は女性の声（お姉さん風、幼女風）2種類となっている。公開されているファイルサイズはおよそ3.26GBと大きめ。公式はGoogleドライブ上に置かれていたが、ダウンロード制限に達していることが多いことから、一時的に窓の杜からダウン…
‘-‘ という中身が無いのに70万回もダウンロードされてる謎のnpmパッケージ
2020年初めに公開された「-」という名前のJavaScript/TypeScriptパッケージが、これまでに約72万回もダウンロードされているそうだ。パッケージは三つのファイルから構成されているものの、ほとんど中身のないものとのこと。中身のないこの 「-」を使用している他のnpmパッケージは50個以上存在しているという。しかし、それらを見ても「-」が必要なものではないという。元記事では「-」が約72万回のダウンロードを記録した理由として、npmコマンドを入力するときの誤入力にあるのではないかとして…