Instagram is reportedly working on a Twitter alternative

Image: Lia Haberman

Instagram is reportedly working on a new text-based app that could rival Twitter. According to a leaked marketing slide and details shared by Lia Haberman in her ICYMI Substack newsletter, the app, which is codenamed P92 or Barcelona, will let users sign in with their Instagram credentials and post text updates up to 500 characters with links, photos, and videos.

The app will look like a hybrid of Instagram and Twitter, based on two screenshots in the slide. It will also have moderation settings to control who can reply and mention your account. Plus, it will sync with your Instagram followers, handle, bio, verification, and blocked accounts.

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Meta and Magic Leap in talks to partner on VR optics and manufacturing

Photo: Magic Leap

Meta is reportedly in talks with Magic Leap to license the latter's optical tech and manufacturing process for Meta's virtual reality headsets. The Financial Times says the two companies are negotiating a multi-year deal that would not involve a joint headset. But it would help Meta reduce its reliance on China and compete with Apple and other rivals in the AR space.

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Meta’s first custom AI chip to launch in 2025

Image: Muhammad Asyfaul / Unsplash

Meta recently announced that it is developing its first custom chip for running artificial intelligence models. The chip—called Meta Training and Inference Accelerator or MTIA—is designed to handle inference workloads more efficiently and faster than CPUs. Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that AI agents are a vital opportunity for the company to serve billions of people. The chip and other infrastructure plans revealed Thursday could help Meta compete with other tech giants in the AI field.

The MTIA chip is expected to offer more compute power and customization for Meta’s internal workloads. It will work with GPUs to deliver better performance, lower latency, and higher efficiency for each workload. However, the chip is not expected to be ready until 2025.

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Meta opens Horizon Worlds to teens in Canada, the US

Image: Meta

Meta is making Horizon Worlds available to younger teens. The metaverse space will be accessible to teens aged 13 to 17 in Canada and the US in the coming weeks. Meta promises "robust" safety measures and parental controls. It wants to ensure the experience is "age-appropriate." And this gradual rollout will determine how well the protections are working.

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