Into the fold? What’s next for Instagram as founders leave
SAN FRANCISCO — When Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger sold Instagram to Facebook in 2012, the photo-sharing startup’s fiercely loyal fans worried about what would happen to their beloved app under the social media giant’s wings.
None of their worst fears materialized. But now that its founders have announced they are leaving in a swirl of well wishes and vague explanations, some of the same worries are bubbling up again — and then some. Will Instagram disappear? Get cluttered with ads and status updates? Suck up personal data for advertising the way its parent does? Lose its cool?
Worst of all: Will it just become another Facebook?
“It’s probably a bigger challenge (for Facebook) than most people realize,” said Omar Akhtar, an analyst at the technology research firm Altimeter. “Instagram is the only platform that is growing. And a lot of people didn’t necessarily make the connection between Instagram and Facebook.”
Instagram had just 31 million users when Facebook snapped it up for $1 billion; now it has a billion. It had no ads back then; it now features both display and video ads, although they’re still restrained compared to Facebook. But that could quickly change. Facebook’s growth has started to slow, and Wall Street has been pushing the company to find new ways to increase revenue.
Japan preschools using tablets to prep tots for digital age
YOSHIKAWA, Japan — It’s drawing time at this suburban nursery school in Japan, but instead of crayons, tiny fingers are tapping on colors on iPad screens and taking selfies. Digital schooling has arrived in this nation long known for its zealous commitment to “three R’s” education.
Coby Preschool, in a small town northeast of Tokyo, is among nearly 400 kindergartens and nursery schools in Japan that are using smartphone software applications designed especially for preschoolers called KitS.
That’s only about 1 percent of this nation’s kindergartens and nursery schools. But it’s a start. Coby is helping lead a national initiative in “digital play.”
Parents everywhere worry their children might fall behind, and Japan is no exception.
The government has recently made strengthening technology education national policy even as it struggles to meet its goal of supplying one digital device — computer or tablet — for every three children.
CBS taps media industry veteran Parsons as interim chairman
NEW YORK — CBS says it has named media industry veteran Richard Parsons as interim chairman of the board as the company moves to reshape itself following the ouster of longtime chief Les Moonves.
Parsons is the former chairman of Time Warner and Citicorp. He was added to the board of CBS earlier this month along with five others as the company pursues an independent investigation into Moonves.
Moonves resigned just after six women joined others who had previously accused the long-time television executive with sexual misconduct.
CBS also said Tuesday that two other board members were stepping down. Bruce Gordon and William Cohen had been on the company’s board since it became a standalone public company in 2006.
Iran says US wants to overthrow govt, rejects two-way talks
UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after President Donald Trump denounced Iran’s leaders and predicted stepped-up U.S. sanctions would get Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.
Addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating the rules of international law and “state obligations” from the Obama administration by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the U.S. and five other major powers.
“On what basis and criteria can we enter into an agreement with an administration misbehaving such as this?” Rouhani asked. “It is ironic that the U.S. government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks.”
Rouhani invited the U.S. to come back to negotiations within the U.N. Security Council, which endorsed the nuclear deal. There, he said, both sides can listen to each other.
“Beginning the dialogue starts with ending threats and unjust sanctions that negate the principles of ethics and international law,” he said. “What Iran says is clear: no war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying. Just acting according to the law and the fulfillment of obligations.”
Woman says ex pressed for baby, didn’t know her plan to kill
FARGO, N.D. — A North Dakota woman convicted of killing her pregnant neighbor by cutting the baby from her womb testified Tuesday that her boyfriend had pressured her to “produce a baby” after figuring out she had lied about being pregnant.
Brooke Crews told the court that she had concocted a phony pregnancy to keep from losing William Hoehn, who is on trial for conspiracy in the August 2017 death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind. Hoehn has admitted helping to cover up the crime but says he didn’t know that Crews had planned to kill Greywind and take her baby. Crews testified that she never “explicitly” told Hoehn that was her plan.
Crews said Hoehn appeared surprised when he entered the bathroom in their apartment and discovered she had cut Greywind’s baby from her body. Crews said Hoehn then retrieved a rope and tightened it around Greywind’s neck, saying: “If she wasn’t dead before, she is now.”
Greywind’s daughter survived and is being raised by family.
Hoehn spoke regularly with his attorney, Daniel Borgen, during Crews’ testimony but showed little emotion. Crews was crying and sniffling throughout.
