quietly

Quietly Unveiled: TikTok Shop Now Boasts Image Search, Taking On Google’s Dominance

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You could open up the TikTok app and snap a picture of it to find similar items available for purchase on TikTok Shop. The ability to use image search for shopping is something that Google has offered for years with Google Lens, its visual search tool. TikTok recently revealed that TikTok Shop now has more than 15 million sellers worldwide, including over 500,000 in the U.S. It spent more than $400 million on platform safety and created a team of more than 7,500 people to help keep TikTok Shop safe. TikTok has been betting big on e-commerce, as it sees TikTok Shop as its next big potential revenue source.

Communities Introduced on Messenger by Meta with Little Fanfare

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Meta is quietly rolling out a new “Communities” feature on Messenger, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The rollout comes as Meta introduced Communities on WhatsApp back in 2022. They could create dedicated group chats for topics like upcoming events, security alerts, trash pickup schedules, and more. Although the feature works similarly to Communities on WhatsApp, Meta says there is one key differentiator, which is the fact that Messenger Communities are connected to Facebook’s social graph. On a help page, Meta says Communities on Messenger are designed for more public conversations when compared to Facebook groups.

“Metalab’s Shift: From Silent Creators to Active Investors in the Internet World”

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Metalab goes from quietly building the internet to investing in itNearly 20 years after finding success in helping startups build products, Canadian interface design firm Metalab launches Metalab Ventures to invest in many of those product-led startups. Then Metalab “lets them loose” to grow, CEO Luke Des Cotes told TechCrunch. With Metalab Ventures, the venture arm will play the role of a long-term value investor, essentially “putting our money where our mouth is,” Des Cotes said. When determining who to invest in Metalab Ventures, the process includes getting to know the founders and if the firm can add value. “We’ve already operated very much like a venture fund,” Des Cotes said.

“Silent Debut: Amazon Introduces Bazaar for Quick Fashion and Lifestyle Offerings in India”

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Amazon has quietly introduced a “special store” called Bazaar in India, featuring affordable and trendy fashion and lifestyle products, as it ramps up efforts against Walmart-owned Flipkart and Reliance’s Ajio, which have made deeper inroads in the Indian fast-fashion market. “India e-commerce category mix is changing; Mobiles and Consumer electronics share is declining. Fashion has seen the strongest growth since FY19, and now holds the highest category share,” Bernstein analysts wrote in a note last month. India is a key overseas market for Amazon, which has invested more than $11 billion in the country to date. The fast-fashion e-commerce market has gained significant traction in India in recent years, with local startups drawing inspiration from global pioneers like Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo.

“Silent Removal: China Takes Down Proposed Gaming Regulations from Online Platform”

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Beijing has quietly pulled the proposed curbs on the video game industry from the official website, weeks after the draft guidelines wiped tens of billions of dollars off the market value of local titans. The link to the draft rules was no longer accessible as of this morning, as first reported by Reuters. The move follows Beijing also removing a key official – the head of the publication bureau of Communist Party’s Propaganda Department – over the handling of the release of the draft rules, which caught investors and gaming giants by surprise. Local media reported in recent weeks — after the wipeout — that authorities may be open to walking back on some of the proposed rules. Last month, China’s video game regulator proposed new measures to curb excessive time and money spent on computer and smartphone games.