5th July 2024

Weekly Prompt: noplace, the new text-based social media sensation and more

noplace: the new text-based social media sensation tops the App store

noplace, a new app drawing inspiration from MySpace and Twitter, has quickly soared to the top of the Apple App Store charts shortly after its public launch. Founded by Tiffany Zhong, a serial entrepreneur and investor with a keen eye for consumer trends, noplace initially gained traction during its invite-only phase before expanding to a wider audience. Designed for Gen Z users seeking an interactive and customisable social experience, noplace focuses on a text-based feed where users can share real-time updates about their activities, interests, and thoughts.

Users can create vibrant, personalised profiles with custom colours and "stars," which function as tags for indicating hobbies, favourite books, or music preferences. A nod to MySpace, noplace also includes a "top 10 friends" section reminiscent of early social networking days.

The app features two main feeds: one displaying updates from friends and another showcasing global posts, both presented in reverse chronological order. Notably, noplace utilises AI technology to provide summaries of missed updates, promoting spontaneous and unfiltered social interaction rather than algorithm-driven content curation.

Critically, noplace does not support photo or video uploads, distinguishing it from image-centric platforms like Instagram. Instead, it emphasises direct textual communication and community engagement. Privacy settings are limited, with users under 18 accessing a moderated feed to ensure safety.

With its straightforward approach and emphasis on genuine social interaction, noplace has captured the imagination of users disillusioned with overly curated content on other platforms. As noplace continues to evolve and potentially expands to Android, it aims to carve out a niche in the competitive social media landscape dominated by giants like Meta and TikTok.

Sources: Android Authority,  Business Insider, TechCrunch

Additional prompts

Snapchat is introducing new ways for users to personalise their accounts. The updates, which are mostly available for Snapchat+ subscribers, allow users to do things like design a personalised house on Snap Map, share super quick Snaps and edit their Bitmoji, among other things. The move is an effort for Snap to separate itself from other platforms while also enticing people to sign up for its subscription service, now used by 9 million people. Read more

Happy Birthday, Threads! As Threads celebrates its one-year anniversary, Meta's rival to X has reached over 175 million monthly active users, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Looking ahead, Meta is considering introducing ads on Threads in 2025. Read more

TikTok is gearing up in the AI race with the development of a new chatbot named Genie. Based on a recent filing in the U.S., TikTok appears poised to introduce its AI chatbot to Western users. This tool will allow users to ask questions within the app and receive instant responses, among other functionalities. TikTok has been quietly developing this AI chatbot for some time, having previously launched its "Tako" chatbot tool to users in the Philippines in May last year. Read more

WhatsApp is developing a personalized AI avatar generator that should allow users to make personalized avatars of themselves for use in any imagined setting. The in-development feature, will seemingly use a combination of user-supplied images, text prompts, and Meta’s AI Llama model to generate the images. Read more

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    Mindshare Global