The Morning After: Meta’s Threads tops 100 million users in under a week
In just four days of the app going live on Wednesday evening, Threads already has more than 100 million users, according to Quiver Quantitative’s Threads Tracker. Thread is a sibling app to Instagram, making it easy for that platform’s existing billion-plus users to sign up — unless they live in the European Union.
It’s a huge audience already, but it’s still very, very early days for Threads. You can only search for usernames, there are no hashtags and, seemingly specific to me, I can’t upload videos or images.
The worst part of early Threads, however, is the lack of a chronological feed. Instead, its algorithmic feed is bloated with brands, influencers and celebrities – none of which I care about. And if someone you do follow replies to those accounts, that appears in your feed. It’s already making my finger hover dangerously close to the mute and unfollow for several Engadget colleagues who will remain nameless. For now.
We’ve covered our questions about Threads here, but how’s your experience so far?
– Mat Smith
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The secret is… turpentine?
According to one study by The Conversation, drug companies produce more carbon dioxide equivalents per million dollars than the automotive industry. In short, drug companies need to reduce their carbon emissions. Here’s a step in the right direction: Scientists from the University of Bath in the UK may have found a way of converting β-pinene, a component in turpentine, into pharmaceutical precursors used to synthesize paracetamol and ibuprofen. What’s notable is that the paper industry produces 350,000 metric tons of turpentine by-product per year.
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A turntable that already exists.
Linn
Jony Ive’s design agency, LoveFrom, has worked on typefaces, a charity clown nose and “the future of Airbnb.” But there hasn’t been any hardware since Ive departed Apple, until now. Now, it’s redesigned Linn’s Sondek LP12 to celebrate the modular turntable’s 50th anniversary. Ive told Fast Company that the LoveFrom team’s admiration for Linn made it a “very gentle and modest project.” Perhaps because of that, LoveFrom carried out the work pro bono. Don’t mention Bono.
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‘How Do You Live?’ heads to Japanese theaters next week.
Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, How Do You Live?, is coming to IMAX theaters. The milestone marks a first for Miyazaki and his animation studios. Past Studio Ghibli films did not receive the IMAX treatment during their original theatrical runs. The movie is also supposed to be Miyazaki’s swan song (again), but details have been sparse until now. Studio Ghibli has not released a trailer for the film or bought any TV spots. The only promotion it has done so far is the single poster the studio shared last month. It doesn’t even have an international release date yet.
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You can also order iPhone cases and chargers celebrating the beloved anime.
Casetify
Casetify is launching a new series of Apple-device accessories based on Neon Genesis Evangelion. The Project-CSTF: Protection from Impact collection lets you drape your iPhone, AirPods or Apple Watch in cases that show off your love of the acclaimed mid-’90s anime series. Like this hulking AirPods Pro case, which is definitely not pocketable.
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