Apps
Instagram possibly letting users pay for a blue badge
Copied from Twitter’s playbook

Twitter got the internet into an uproar after implementing a way to pay for a coveted blue checkmark. Despite the controversy, other social media platforms are potentially introducing similar systems soon. As spotted in new code, Instagram has started referencing paid badges, hinting at a similar feature in the future.
First noticed by developer Alessandro Paluzzi (who spotted other unannounced developments in the past), Instagram’s coding includes mentions of an “IG_NME_PAID_BLUE_BADGE_IDV,” via TechCrunch. Additionally, Paluzzi found references to a Facebook version of the same code. To cap things off, he also discovered a few references to an upcoming subscription product from the current code.
A word of caution, though: Small references inside code might not mean much for the platform’s future plans. Paluzzi himself says that the feature is essentially unconfirmed for now, especially without a prototype.
Given the controversy surrounding the paid blue checkmark, it’s likely that Facebook and Instagram are waiting if Twitter’s experiment translates to better revenue in the long run. Though the initial Twitter Blue brouhaha simmered down for now, the new feature — along with Musk’s other changes to Twitter — are still experiments to test the new ownership’s vision for the platform.
For their part, both Facebook and Instagram have experimented with additional features to expand their offerings to their users. It’s not unheard of for either platform to draw inspiration from the winning features of other social media platforms.
SEE ALSO: Twitter reverses Facebook, Instagram ban


Maya is offering subscribers many ways to save this summer season by using the digital bank app.
Those who have not downloaded Maya yet will get a free Maya Card when they open an account and deposit PhP 1,000.
For cash ins and bank transfers, Maya helps people get rid of transaction fees and enjoy cashbacks.
Customers who cash in via InstaPay will get up to PhP 25 cashback. Those who use Maya Center, meanwhile, get a full cashback on their 1% cash in fee, capped at PhP 150.
There’s also no cash in fee for linked banks and over-the-counter transactions up to PhP 8,000.
Need to pay for something but do not have enough funds at the moment? Maya may also be used to get instant credit of up to PhP 18,000 for eligible users.
Throughout summer, users should also be on the lookout for these exclusive deals:
- Zalora: 20% off discount for new users, 18% off for existing users on purchases using Maya; 15% off on Michaela Bags
- Robinsons Malls: Up to PhP 200 cashback using Maya QR, minimum spend PhP 1,000
- SM Store: Raffle entry for every cash in or Maya QR scan-to-pay; prizes are PhP 3,000 Maya credits, Apple Airpods Pro 2, Apple iPhone 14
- Boozy: PhP 150 off sitewide using promo code MAYA150 upon checkout
- Airpaz: 3% discount on flight and hotel bookings using Maya, minimum spend PhP 1,600

Is it on Huawei AppGallery?
This is the question we get asked most when people are curious about a Huawei smartphone.
It’s no secret to anyone the challenges that Huawei faces. But they’ve done a wonderful job beefing up their own library of apps. The essentials are there. And now, we’re happy to report that they also added these apps for your mobile gaming pleasure.
These are: Roblox, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Genshin Impact.
Here’s how easy it is to download these apps through the Huawei AppGallery.
WATCH HOW TO DOWNLOAD HERE.
Roblox
Roblox describes itself as “the ultimate virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends”.
It appears to be very popular with kids. And some K-Pop groups have even launched partnerships with the game during their mini album releases.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang or simply Mobile Legends is a game many of you should be familiar with, especially if you live in Southeast Asia.
It’s become the de facto MOBA game for many in the region. So much so that huge tournaments have been held over the past few years.
Call of Duty: Mobile
Call of Duty is already a popular franchise on its own. It also found huge success in Asia with its mobile version.
Call of Duty is no stranger to seasonal content as even their flagship titles operate in the same manner year after year. This is likely why players keep coming back.
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact took the world by storm when it first launched in 2020. The anime-like art style along with the engaging gameplay and story made it a huge hit.
HoYoverse continues to provide fresh content to this day, expanding the already vast world in the game.

The race for artificial intelligence is a hot trail. Amid the unbridled popularity of ChatGPT, several companies have started pushing their own language models out the gate. Google, eager to compete in the emerging industry, has now opened Bard to users.
Today, Google has started issuing invitations to Google One subscribers for a chance to try the new chatbot. Subscribers can enter a waitlist to test the technology for themselves.
In essence, Bard acts the same as ChatGPT. Users can talk to the bot conversationally, and it will respond perfectly, as if you were talking to another human being. It’s a language learning model. By talking to so many users, the model can learn the best way to reply to certain prompts.
Although Google has access to its search engine, Bard is currently meant to complement it. The company warns users that the chatbot is still prone to occasional mistakes. As an example, it gave the wrong scientific name for a plant. While this example is innocuous, there can be more nefarious errors that the developers are still trying to fix. With a wider test now open to the public, Google hopes to fix more egregious mistakes ahead of a wider launch.
For now, if you subscribe to Google’s premium subscription service, you can wait in line to try out the new technology.
SEE ALSO: Google is working on a ChatGPT competitor called Bard
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