Welcome back to the Week in Review. This week, we look at the effects of the looming ban on TikTok in the US, including “TikTok refugees” who have switched to the Chinese app RedNote, the influx of English speakers learning Mandarin on Duolingo , and more! Let’s get into it.

The Supreme Court upheld the law will TikTok is effectively banned tomorrow. The decision marks the end of TikTok’s month-long legal battle against a law that essentially forces the app to shut down unless it abandons its US operations. Starting Sunday, it will be illegal for app stores and internet hosting services to distribute TikTok. The company warned that the app would “go dark” on Sunday, but it was unclear exactly what would happen if the ban took effect.

American users are flocking to RedNotea Chinese short form video app also known as Xiaohongshu, making it No. 1 free app in the US App Store. RedNote hits a lot of the right notes for creators looking for an alternative to TikTok: It has a layout similar to Pinterest, it’s often thought of as China’s answer to Instagram, and it boasts plenty of social features. shopping. But the transition not easy for some people.

TikTok users use Duolingo to learn Chinese in increasing numbers amid their adoption of RedNote before the TikTok ban. According to Duolingo, the app sees almost 216% growth in new Mandarin students in the US compared to this time last year, with a sharp spike in mid-January as RedNote adoption began.

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Mark Cuban wants to fund the next TikTok: The entrepreneur and investor said he is willing to fund an alternative to TikTok built on Bluesky’s AT Protocol, signaling the potential for an open social web powered by the same technology that underpins Bluesky’s social network. . Read more

Bluesky gets a photo-sharing app: An independent developer has built a photo-sharing app for Bluesky called Flashes. At launch, the app could tap into growing consumer demand for alternatives to Big Tech’s social media monopoly. Read more

“ChatGPT, remind me to do my taxes”: OpenAI has a new way to make ChatGPT work for you. Paying ChatGPT users can now ask the AI ​​assistant to schedule reminders or recurring requests with a new beta feature called Tasks. Read more

How to break Meta: After Meta’s decision to remove its third-party review system and remove its content moderation policies, many people are looking for how to get rid of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. We have put together a handy guide. Read more

UnitedHealth keeps the data breach notice: Change Healthcare, which lost more than 100 million people’s sensitive health data in a ransomware attack last year, said it had finished notifying those affected – but we know it was hidden UnitedHealth’s notice of the breach was several months. Read more

Nintendo finally announced the Switch 2: Nintendo has shared the first images of the successor to the wildly popular Nintendo Switch, which shows off a larger console with a larger display, updated Joy-Con controllers, and a less colorful design than its predecessor. this. Read more

The CEO of Sonos is gone: Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is leaving the company after eight years on the job following a failed update to its software platform that was riddled with bugs and removed some long-standing features. Read more

Looking for a TikTok replacement? Try this: Although there is no 1:1 substitute for TikTok, there are some viable options to consider that offer a similar experience. We’ve put together a list of different apps worth checking out to scratch that itch. Read more

Even AI doesn’t like to be interrupted: Google NotebookLM’s AI-generated podcast feature needs some “friendliness tuning” after it was found to be “adversarial” and snippy when interrupted by human callers. Read more

Apple stops AI notification summaries: The company has faced backlash for creating inaccurate news alerts on news and entertainment apps. Apple said it has also introduced changes to summaries in general to provide greater transparency. Read more

OpenAI has entered the local news game: Axios announced a partnership with OpenAI. As part of the deal, OpenAI will fund Axios’ expansion of its local newsletters to four new cities: Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Boulder, and Huntsville. Read more

Take the steps of screen time: A new iOS app called Steppin blocks your social media applications unless you walk a certain number of steps per day. By achieving daily step goals, users can unlock time on their most used social media platforms. Read more