Across the internet, nearly a decade's worth of posts, comments, and blogs lament Duolingo's brusque bedside manner, which one Redditor half-jokingly described as an attempt at emotional blackmail to spur reengagement. The nagging goes beyond email subject lines and push notifications; inactive users might look down at their phones to find that the Duolingo app icon suddenly depicts a sadder and older version of the owl's face — or one that's melting into a carnivalesque nightmare. Parents have even complained that the capricious owl is attacking their children's brains and making them cry. Though it's widely accepted that Duolingo can be a real jerk, some have gone so far as to suggest the company's manipulative messaging is flat-out unethical.
For Duolingo, though, the relentless nagging seems to be a boon to its bottom line. Following the first quarter of 2024, the company reported 54% year-over-year growth in daily active users (to over 31 million), 45% growth in revenue, and record profitability. Not too shabby for an app whose affect has been described as "psychotic," "unhinged," and "abusive" — attributes that, if anything, the company appears to be leaning into. Haters may hate Duolingo's scolding, but more often than not, the company's largely under-30 user base laps it up. Love him or loathe him, the owl's got rizz.
The people gathered this late June evening are total strangers, matched through the app Timeleft. After answering a lengthy questionnaire about their personality, identity and dining preferences, participants are algorithmically matched with five others in their city for dinner on a Wednesday night, the restaurant kept a secret until that morning. There are no expectations, but a chance for connections to develop organically.
Apple is rolling out a new Environment for Apple Vision Pro today. The new Lake Vrangla Environment transports Vision Pro users to Norway. It’s available for all Vision Pro users starting today, rolling out as an over-the-air download.
Kino, the professional-level video recording app for iPhone from the makers of Halide, is getting its first major update that includes more color grades, toggle-able tap-to-focus, and an overhauled new user experience that makes the app a lot easier to understand.
The CNMC, as the regulator is known, said that Apple may have imposed unequal commercial conditions on developers of mobile applications sold at its app marketplace.
The practices could be considered a very serious violation of competition law and could carry a fine worth as much as 10% of the company's global revenues, the regulator said in a statement.
Ten percent, ten percent there, pretty soon, it may make more sense to Apple for the iPhone to become a real 'game console', and only invited 'partners' are invited to be third-party developers. Just like how mobile phones work before the iPhone.
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