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Instagram Stories Reaches 100 Million Daily Active Users

Jonathan Antonio
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Instagram Stories Reaches 100 Million Daily Active Users

After only two months, Instagram Stories has over 100 million daily active users. That means more than two thirds of the daily active user population for Snap Inc, previously known as Snapchat, are currently using Instagram Stories.

When Instagram Stories was released many analysts called the new feature a copy of Snapchat stories. The recently added feature is nearly identical to the central feed of Snapchat; a feature that helped launch the company into a multibillion dollar business. The videos are only available for 24 hours from the time of posting and encourages users to post more frequently than traditional social media platforms.

Instagram has more than 500 million daily active users and while the app has been around slightly longer than Snapchat, Instagram’s new feature differs from the traditional features on the social network. Instagram placed a row of avatars at the top of a users’ news feed. Each bubble represents an account that you follow on Instagram or can discover on the social media app. Each bubble contains a photo and/or video clip that a user shared within the past 24 hours. In order for a user to access the Instagram story, all they have to do is tap a bubble and their story will open in full screen. Unlike the newsfeed, there are no hearts in the Instagram stories. But similar to Snapchat, users can reply by sending messages.

This is not the first time Instagram has followed in the footsteps of their competition. Instagram first started off as a place for users to share photos and connect with friends and family. But, after the rise of the Vine app, a social media application that allowed for users to upload six second video clips, Instagram quickly added a new feature allowing users to share 10 second video clips. A week after Instagram added that new feature, Vine video sharing plummeted on the app by 70 percent.

However, it is important to point out that Instagram Stories does not mark the end of Snapchat. Snapchat users have not abandoned the social network for Instagram Stories, which is a good sign for a company that is reportedly on the verge of going public. Snap Inc. is attempting to sell shares of the company as early as late March. Snapchat is working on achieving a $25 billion dollar valuation.

Fitbit Doesn’t Improve Weight Loss, Study Finds

Brent Edward
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Fitbit Doesn’t Improve Weight Loss, Study Finds

According to a new study by Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, fitness trackers do not actually encourage a healthier lifestyle. The study, which was published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, found that men and women who wore Fitbit Zip, a fitness tracker, did not show improvements in weight loss or blood pressure.

The study involved splitting 800 participants into four different groups. One group’s participants were given approximately $2.92 and a Fitbit Zip. Two of the groups were given $11 for every week that they managed between 50,000 and 70,000 steps, but one of those groups had to donate their earnings to charity. The fourth group was only given information about exercise but without a Fitbit Zip. Participants that were given money experienced the biggest increase in physical activity, a few months later. However, after a year, 90% of the participants had given up on using their fitness trackers. In fact, despite being more active, Fitbit Zip users didn’t show improvements in weight loss or blood pressure.

“These are basically measuring devices,” said Eric Finkelstein, a professor at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, who led the research. Finkelstein argued that, “knowing how active you are doesn’t translate into getting people to do more and the novelty of having that information wears off pretty quickly.”

The results of the study reinforce previous studies on fitness trackers. Last month, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found that adding wearable activity tracking devices to a diet and fitness program didn’t actually result in additional weight loss. In fact, those participants who did not wear devices lost approximately five more pounds than those who wore them. However, both groups did lose weight, changed their eating habits and activity levels.

Finkelstein argued that “trackers can encourage people to take more steps, but it still seems like the random extra steps aren’t enough to really improve your health.” Consequently, the results of the study shows it requires more than just a leisure walk but, more rigorous exercise.

Since the study was published, Fitbit issued a statement on Tuesday asserting their fitness products are helping millions of people lose weight. “We are confident in the positive results our millions of users have seen from using Fitbit products.” Fitbit added that they are continuing to develop and improve their fitness tracking equipment.

Clown Sightings: Study Reveals the Science Behind Creepy Clowns

Megan Diane
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Clown Sightings: Study Reveals the Science Behind Creepy Clowns

Researchers have decided to study the psychology behind what makes people afraid and have found clowns as one of the scariest professions in the world.

In the journal of New Ideas in Psychology, Francis T. McAndrew studied the “nature of creepiness”. The study surveyed 1341 different individuals and asked the participants what they found “creepy”. Researchers asked subjects to rate the creepiness level of 44 different types of physical and behavioral traits.

The results demonstrated that people find men, abnormal physical traits, strange patterns of eye contact, odd emotional responses and unpredictable behavior as creepy. In addition, subjects chose “clown” as the creepiest listed profession.

McAndrew basically argues that people are afraid of what they do not understand. “This study is consistent with the notion that the perception of creepiness is a response to the ambiguity of threat.”

The result comes after a wave of clown sightings across America. Since last August, there have been dozens of reports of threatening clowns nearby schools, homes and colleges. Many people have dismissed these clown sightings as mere pranks, but police officers have arrested dozens of people in connection with these clown sightings.

A 14-year-old was arrested in California when he threatened high school students and faculty on an Instagram page called “Fontana’s Killer Clowns.” Police say the teenager wanted to scare people and go viral on social media.

In addition, a mother in San Francisco fought off a person dressed as a clown, who grabbed her one-year-old daughter. “I thought he was going to kiss her hand. Instead, he pulled her arm literally, so I pulled her arm back and I kicked him,” said Tiffany Martin.

The creepiness of clowns has even reached the White House. When asked if President Barack Obama was aware of the numerous clown sightings across the United States, White House Press Secretary responded by saying, “I don’t know that the president has been briefed on this particular situation.”

Some people are so threatened by the numerous clown sightings that they are organizing neighborhood watch groups. Recently, hundreds of students at Penn State University launched a manhunt after a clown was reportedly seen on campus.

In defense of the multiple clown sightings, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey released a statement  saying, “It is troubling because it’s a distraction for our clowns who just want to make people laugh and smile.”

Phone Carriers Are Now Accepting Exchanges of Replacement Galaxy Note 7 Devices

Reginald Edward
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Phone Carriers Are Now Accepting Exchanges of Replacement Galaxy Note 7 Devices

Following a recent report of a replacement Galaxy Note 7 device explosion on a domestic Southwest airplane, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint are now accepting exchanges of replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices.

Sprint provided a statement saying, “Sprint is working collaboratively with Samsung to better understand the most recent concerns regarding replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.”

Sprint added that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating the Note 7 replacement device. “If a Sprint customer with a replacement Note 7 has any concerns regarding their device, we will exchange it for any other device at any Sprint retail store during the investigation window.” Sprint also plans on providing additional information as soon as the investigation is complete.

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are following in the footsteps of Sprint. If you currently own a Note 7, they will allow you to exchange for any other device they sell. All you have to do is visit one of their retail locations.

On October 5th, a replacement Galaxy Note 7 caused passengers and crew members on a Southwest flight departing from Louisville, Kentucky to evacuate. During the boarding process, Note 7 owner, Brian Green, was asked by flight attendants to turn off his cell phone, then his smartphone began to catch fire.

As the phone was powering down, the Note 7 began to smoke, at which point Green dropped the phone on the ground. Green said the phone was letting out a “grey-green angry smoke.” A friend of Green went back on to the flight to grab his belongings and was able to capture a photo of the device as it was burning a hole through the airplane’s carpet. The flight was canceled and Southwest rebooked all of the passengers for later flights.

Samsung issued a statement regarding the Galaxy Note 7 explosion saying that they are currently investigating the issue. “We cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note 7. We are working with the authorities and Southwest now to recover the device and confirm the cause.”

Last September, Samsung announced a global recall of the Note 7 along with stopping all future sales of the device following reports of battery explosions. Every Note 7 sold before September 15th is effected by the recall and must either be returned or replaced. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said owners of affected Note 7s should power off their cell phones and return them. In addition, the FAA has advised against using or charging the Note 7 while on flights.

Once the recall was announced, Samsung issued an official statement on the recall saying that the issue is related to the type of batteries used in some Note 7s. Low-quality battery cells have a history of overheating when overcharged or used frequently. A report by South Korean manufacturing regulators showed that “an error in production that placed pressure on plates contained within battery cells. That in turn brought negative and positive poles into contact, triggering excessive heat.”

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