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WhatsApp founder Brian Acton sold his company to Facebook four years ago, and according to a recent exclusive interview with Forbes Magazine, he acknowledges that he sold user’s privacy along with it.
Acton and his partner sold WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014 for a stunning $22 billion, which was unheard of for an app at that time – especially one that had yet to make money off of its platform. Acton stayed on with the company until last year - when he left $850 million on the table from his stock options before they vested - to take a stand against the direction Facebook wanted to go with his popular messaging platform.
Acton claims that he pushed back as Facebook execs wanted to add commercial messaging and targeted ads, which he’s been against from the app’s conception. As the world’s biggest messaging service, WhatsApp provides ad-free, encrypted messaging, which made it appealing to its users. In fact, the encrypted technology had been part of the app’s structure from the start, because the founders were privacy advocates. Facebook didn’t feel the same way, according to Acton.
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Weight Watchers announced it will be changing its company name to WW in an effort to rebrand itself as a wellness company, as consumers today are focused on overall health rather than dieting. The new tagline is “Wellness that Works.”
According to CNBC, the weight loss giant plans to launch a new app that partners with Headspace, a popular meditation app, as well as launching a new program called “Wellness Wins” that rewards members for adopting healthier habits. They have also decided to remove all artificial ingredients from WW foods, including artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
WW will also be adding FitPoints to personalize the activity tracking system for each member, rewarding "high intensity and strength training" more than before in an acknowledgment that "100 calories burned walking is not the same as 100 calories burned lifting weights or running," WW told USA Today.
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Online retailer Yandy pulled a controversial costume it was selling for Halloween – the “Brave Red Maiden” costume, which is a sexy version of the iconic uniform of Hulu’s popular TV series The Handmaid’s Tale. The company decided to discontinue selling it after the costume sparked outrage on social media.
The costume included a red mini dress, cape, and white bonnet. The model in its photo was also wearing stiletto heels and showing off the costume’s more revealing features.
"An upsetting dystopian future has emerged where women no longer have a say," the online description read. "However, we say be bold and speak your mind in this exclusive Brave Red Maiden costume."
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Apple just unveiled the latest iteration of its popular wearable, the Apple Watch Series 4. The new version focuses on monitoring health, with the ability to take an ECG (electrocardiogram) that is FDC approved. The new watch can also detect hard falls with a barometric altimeter, and automatically calls 911 (or a preferred contact) if this happens to the wearer.
Electrical sensors are part of the design, which measures an ECG from your wrist. This is a significant feature for Apple, since it will be the first time an over-the-counter device can do this with approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Also new and unique to the Apple Watch Series 4 is the ability to detect an irregular heartbeat, which might be a sign of Atrial Fibrillation. According to Fast Company, this feature won’t be available right away, but later in the year when there is an upgrade.
In addition, a new accelerator and gyroscope detect if you have taken a hard fall and can call for help (provided you buy the cellular version of the watch).
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23andMe announced that it will now be offering more genetic details for customers who have DNA linked to ancestors from African, East Asian and Native American regions. The product offering, according to TechCrunch, offers more information specifically for people of color.
The new data regions include Southern East African, Congolese, Coastal West African, Ethiopian & Eritrean, Senegambian & Guinean, Nigerian, Somali, Sudanese, Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai Khmer & Myanmar.
23andMe customers will have access to this new data by early 2019, but there was some initial confusion that early customers will likely have to retake the test. According to a 23andMe spokesperson, while they are working on an upgrade for their health reports (for an extra fee), the new genetic data will be available for free to all customers.
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Shares of Weight Watchers fell in early August after the company reported a decline in subscribers since the previous quarter, down to 2.5 million from 2.6 million. However, shares picked back up at the end of August, thanks to Oppenheimer analyst Brian Nagel, who gave it an Outperform rating.
"Under the leadership of new CEO Mindy Grossman and her team,” Nagel said in a statement, “Weight Watchers is now tactfully introducing improved programming upon an enhanced digital infrastructure, so as to better connect with a larger and more diverse audience of subscribers," he wrote. "For investors, the new Weight Watchers strategy suggests the potential for a sustained, stronger and higher margin growth trajectory."
