The Fleets failed
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The Fleets failed
Twitter kills its Instagram Stories/Snapchat ripoff that failed to gain momentum.
Summary
Twitter is killing Fleets, its own version of Stories that failed to gain momentum.
The feature allowed users to share photos, videos, and individual tweets as Fleets that would only last for 24 hours.
I have yet to hear anyone complaining that Fleets are going away, so that should tell you everything about Fleets’ success.
Yesterday, Twitter sent out this tweet:
According to this tone and language, it’s clear Twitter couldn’t care any less about its Stories rip-off just like you do.
That’s right, folks. As of August 3rd, Twitter’s Fleets will be officially dead. The feature was originally released late last year as another avenue where people could share content they might not be comfortable with keeping on the internet for a long time. It’s a place where content dies after 24 hours (like Instagram and Snapchat), which can be appealing to those hesitant to share more personal aspects of life or spicey takes that don’t deserve a full-blown tweet.
Evidently, this is something Twitter users didn’t want or need. It was a rarity to see someone uses Fleets extensively, and Twitter never bothered to add any robust editing tools for images and text to draw people in. The product remained pretty much stagnant throughout its eight months of life, and it’ll now die unmissed by practically everyone.
Fleets did try to serve at least one purpose: get more people to share more stuff on Twitter. Many users simply create an account and interact with what other people are saying and doing. That’s all well and good, but it fails to meet Twitter’s goals of driving user adoption.
So what’s next in Twitter’s playbook? That remains to be seen. Right now, it looks like the company will lean into Spaces, its live audio chatroom feature built off the concept of Clubhouse. That feature seems to be doing well enough, but it’s unclear how it’ll play out in the long term.
I, for one, will simply keep tweeting and demanding that they add an edit button. I’ll also forget about Fleets in two months as if they never happened, as you probably will too.
1. Apple drops third betas of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS Monterey, and tvOS 15
It was Beta 3 Day for all of Apple’s big new software updates that will ship this fall. Yesterday, Apple dropped new betas of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS Monterey, and tvOS 15.
What stole the show wasn’t one single beta, but an experience within an app that spans two different betas. I’m talking, of course, about Safari which has seen some meaningful improvements. In iOS 15, the address bar is still on the bottom, but it now stays at the bottom after you tap on it (a.k.a. it knows how to take the reservation, and hold the reservation). There’s also a new menu that springs to life when you long-press on the search bar which includes a refresh button.
In macOS Monterey, Safari gets a more traditional tab design with the list of open windows sitting beneath the address bar. This calls back designs of the past, but it should make users happy since many have been complaining about the experience of using Safar in Monterey.
There’s plenty of new stuff to go through in each beta that was released, and for that I’d refer you to 9to5Mac who I always read when new betas drop.
2. Google releases third Android 12 beta
Google also had a third beta to drop yesterday: Android 12. The new beta lots of tweaks to the Material You design onboard, some more minor changes to system apps and interfaces, and some straight-up new features like screenshot scrolling and an enhanced auto-rotate that uses the orientation of your face. If you want all the latest, XDA-Developers has a great rounded of all the nitty-gritty changes.
3. Microsoft introduces Windows 365, a cloud version of the OS
Microsoft will soon let you run Windows 10 (or 11, when it comes out) in your web browser. The company has announced Windows 365 which will be available to businesses and let them access a full-fledged PC right from a browser like Chrome or Edge. It’ll launch on August 2nd, and it’s something I’ll be digging into when it’s released. The Verge has a good article on it which you should read.
4. Is Microsoft reviving Clippy?
Microsoft told people on Twitter that if a certain tweet got 20,000 likes, it would replace the paperclip emoji in Microsoft 365 with Clippy, the infamous Office assistant from years ago. At the time of writing this newsletter, the tweet sits at over 87,000 likes, so it looks like ol’ Clippy could be making a revival.
5. WhatsApp will finally support multiple devices… eventually
Every time I use WhatsApp, it annoys me that it doesn’t work on all of my devices without my phone. Luckily, the latest beta version of the app adds support for up to four different devices that use your account independent of your phone. It’s taken this long to roll the feature out due to the app’s end-to-end encryption which is a challenge when handling multiple devices. Fortunately, it seems that WhatsApp has figured it out. Currently, there’s no word on when the feature will roll out to the general public.
6. Clubhouse now lets you DM other users
Clubhouse’s DM feature, Backchannel, is rolling out now to all users. The feature, available on both iOS and Android, allows users to text people one-on-one or in groups. There’s no way to share any sort of media beyond links, however, so don’t think you’ll be doing all of your messaging through the live audio app any time soon.
7. TikTok has been downloaded over 3 billion times
A new study has confirmed TikTok has been downloaded more than 3 billion times globally, an achievement previously only met by Facebook-owned apps. It was the most downloaded and highest-grossing non-game app globally in H1 2021, and had its biggest quarter-over-quarter revenue spike in Q2 2021 grossing $534.6 million compared to $384.7 million last year. So in case you didn’t already know how big TikTok was, now you do.
8. LG will make you pay $100,000 if you want a rollable TV
LG’s rollable OLED television is finally gonna go on sale in the US, but it’ll cost you $100,000. That’s the price tag the company has put on its 65-inch TV that can retract into its case when you’re not watching it. Picture quality has been surpassed by other LG TVs, and you pretty much only get baseline specs you’d expect in a flagship television. What you’re paying for is the rollable factor, so if that’s important to you, get ready to spend some serious cash. The OLED R TV should go on sale next month.
9. OnePlus refuses to sell the baseline OnePlus 9 Pro in the US
If you’ve tried to buy a OnePlus 9 Pro in the United States and have only been presented with the $1,069 12GB RAM/256GB storage option, you’ll be stuck picking that model every time from now on. That’s because OnePlus has confirmed due to “unforeseen supply constraints,” they won’t be able to bring the $949 8GB RAM/128GB storage to the States. It’s a bit of a shame, but I’m sure it won’t take a major toll on the company since OnePlus phones are still a rarity in North America.
10. Amazon was thinking about making a wearable for kids powered by Alexa
Amazon has been reported to have been working on a wearable for children that was powered by Alexa. Bloomberg says the device, codenamed “Seeker,” would’ve cost $99 and offer features like GPS for security and voice activation. It could’ve served as an extension of the various other kid-friendly services Amazon offers. I recommend reading Bloomberg’s full article for more details.
11. Apple offering four free months of Apple Music to vets and active military
If you’re a veteran or active military, Apple has a special offer for you if you enjoy listening to music. Through August 1st, you can get four free months of Apple Music so long as you verify through your ID.me account during setup. If you’re already a subscriber of Apple Music, Apple will give you an extra free month as a courtesy.
12. The foldable Pixel phone re-enters the news cycle
The Elec has shared a new report in which it claims a few upcoming foldable phones, including the foldable Google Pixel, will use Samsung’s ultra-thin glass. The report mentions devices like the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, but attention is on the Pixel because of how little is known about the device. It’s apparently still on track to be released this year with an internal 7.6-inch display, but rumors have yet to heat up. At the very least, we got another mention of it, so it still looks like it exists.