SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is looking to carve out its own spot on the audio social networking scene that has seen invitation-only startup Clubhouse rocket to popularity, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Executives at Facebook have ordered employees to create a version of Clubhouse, an app which lets users drop into virtual “rooms” to voice-chat about any topic, the New York Times said, citing unnamed people familiar with the situation.
Clubhouse has attracted an array of big names, from celebrities to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg himself, who stopped in on the app recently to talk about augmented and virtual realities.
Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday that he agreed to “do Clubhouse with @kanyewest,” causing an instant stir in rooms at the social network.
Clubhouse exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic when people could not get together in person — but now the once-niche platform has far higher goals.
Launched less than a year ago, Clubhouse — which recently encountered censorship trouble in China — is looking to establish itself as the standard-bearer for digital audio.
The concept is simple: once you’re invited to join, you can start or listen to conversations in digital “rooms,” ranging from a major talk by someone famous to a chat within a small group.
No posts, no photos, no videos — just audio.
The app is available only on Apple devices for now.
The New York Times quoted a Facebook spokeswoman as saying the Internet firm has “been connecting people through audio and video technologies for many years and (is) always exploring new ways to improve that experience for people.”
Facebook to follow audio social network Clubhouse
https://arab.news/898d7
Facebook to follow audio social network Clubhouse
- Executives at Facebook have ordered employees to create a version of
- Clubhouse app lets users drop into virtual “rooms” to voice-chat about any topic
Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage
- Anniversary special coverage and film won four Awards of Excellence across multiple categories
LONDON: Arab News won seven prizes at the 27th European Newspaper Awards — four for its 50th anniversary coverage and three for other projects — bringing its total to 160 awards since the 2018 relaunch.
The anniversary coverage earned an Award of Excellence in “Supplement for special occasions and anniversary editions,” plus wins in “Multimedia storytelling” for its special web section and two in “Film” and “Animated films” for its documentary.
Additional honors went to the “Spotlight — 2024 in Review” and “Opinion — 2024” print series in the “Sectional front pages nationwide newspaper” category, and a “Visualization” prize for an image from “Opinion — 2024.”
Launched in 1999 by organizer Norbert Kupper, the awards celebrate print and digital innovation. This year’s contest drew newspapers from 22 countries and more than 3,000 entries across 20 categories, despite fewer print submissions due to rising editorial collaborations.
“It’s testament to the skill, versatility and collaboration between the creative and editorial teams at Arab News that the seven awards at this year’s ENAs spanned print, digital and film categories,” commented Omar Nashashibi, head of creative design at Arab News. “These wouldn’t be possible without the world-class contributors we partner with, and the leadership, vision and support of Editor-In-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.”
Creative Director Simon Khalil called the film wins especially meaningful. “This recognition means a great deal because this film was never just about marking an anniversary, it was about capturing a defining moment in the evolution of Arab News and the region it represents.
“Telling the story, and drama of the 2018 relaunch, the digital transformation, and the courage to become ‘The Voice of a Changing Region’ was both a responsibility and a privilege.”
Past highlights include the “King Charles III Coronation” special coverage, “Kingdom vs. Captagon” investigation and FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 special edition.
See more award-winning projects at arabnews.com/greatesthits.
