TikTok might be developing a new Instagram competitor

Mashable
A 12-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen showing various social media apps including TikTok, Facebook and X on February 25, 2024 in Bath, England. This week the UK government issued new guidance backing headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times. Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use over concerns. The amount of time children spend on screens each day rocketed during the Covid pandemic by more than 50 per cent, the equivalent of an extra hour and twenty minutes. Researchers say that unmoderated screen time can have long-lasting effects on a child's mental and physical health. Recently TikTok announced that every account belonging to a user below age 18 have a 60-minute daily screen time limit automatically set.

Between tech behemoth Instagram copying its best features (successfully) and a potential ban looming, TikTok is being attacked on all fronts — but it's fighting back.

TikTok might be developing a new "TikTok Photos" app, according to The SpAndroid, who spotted references to "TikTok Photos" in the back-end code of the current TikTok app. A potential new welcome message allegedly reads: "TikTok

Children of the Sun brings FPS puzzles to Steam on April 9

Engadget

Children of the Sun is a bullet-bending puzzle game set in a trippy world of cults and revenge, and it's due to hit PC via Steam on April 9. In Children of the Sun, players line up a single sniper shot and then control the bullet as it ricochets among the cultists in their sights. The goal is to take everyone out with the most speed, elegance and creativity, curving the bullet around the

Grid’s framed, nostalgia-inducing gadgets are up to 40 percent off

The Verge
The framed edition of the atomic purple Game Boy Color is nearly $30 off for a limited time. | Image: Grid

Of all the tech-centric artwork I’ve seen over the years, few pieces have grabbed me as much as Grid Studio’s framed gadgets and gizmos. The company has been slinging the collage-like pieces for several years now, taking oft-forgotten devices once destined for the

Undocumented immigrants are boosting the labor market and helping the US avoid recession, experts say

Tech Insider
career fair

Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

  • Undocumented immigration has boosted the labor market, helping steer the US away from a recession, some experts say.
  • A study from the Brookings Institution argued that total immigration numbers are higher than other major agencies estimate due to undercounting of undocumented individuals.
  • Morgan Stanley's chief US economist has also recently cited
Economy

The SAT is now digital for the first time. One test expert says the new format makes the test easier.

Tech Insider
SAT prep books on a shelf
The SAT is now digital and may be easier.

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  • A new digital SAT is now being offered for the first time. 
  • The test is shorter, adaptive, and tests real-world skills.
  • One test expert says it's easier than past versions but clarifies it's still not an easy test. 

In March, the first US high school students took the SAT exam — digitally.

This switch to digital comes as many top-tier

Discord will soon offer more games and apps inside its chats

Engadget

Discord has been experimenting with embedding apps and games directly in chats for a while, via the Activities feature. Now the company is set to launch a dedicated SDK for developers to join the chat-based fun. The Embedded App SDK rolls out on March 18 and allows devs to build experiences that are embedded in an iframe within Discord.

Putt Party app running on Discord.
Discord

“Plenty of Discord Developers out there have had

Layoffs could be coming as debt-laden firms navigate the pain of higher rates, economists say

Tech Insider
layoffs

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  • The economy could be primed for a surge in layoffs by the end of 2024, economic experts say.
  • That's because aggressive Fed rate hikes haven't been fully felt across the economy.
  • Unemployment could rise to around 5% by year-end, according to economist David Rosenberg.

A wave of layoffs could be coming as companies deal with the reality of higher interest rates, economists

Economy