Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky hits 1m user milestone. 2 other stories and a trivia

This line-up of stories will help you discover the latest happenings around the tech world, today

1. Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky hits 1m user milestone

Bluesky, the decentralized social network backed by tech visionary Jack Dorsey, has crossed a significant milestone, hitting 1 million users.

While this number might appear modest in comparison to major social media platforms, it marks a notable achievement for Bluesky, considering its invite-only access.

Rose Wang, a member of the Bluesky team, revealed that the service’s app recorded one million downloads in July.

Bluesky is known for its unique approach to social networking, allowing users to customize their timelines through personalized algorithms and opting for an ad-free experience, with a paid domain service to verify user identities.

Unlike its competitor, Meta’s Threads, which launched with widespread accessibility, Bluesky has been methodically distributing invite codes, leading to its gradual user base expansion.

While Threads by Meta reached 100 million users within a week of its July launch, Bluesky’s approach emphasizes privacy and customization, which resonates with a specific user base.

The competition between these alternative social networks highlights the diversity of user preferences in the evolving social media landscape.

Tech Trivia: Which operating system uses DLL files as resource libraries?

A. Linux

B. Windows

C. iOS

D. macOS

Answer: see end of post

2. Thrift for Good closes $50K Grant from She’s Next

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) have announced Jennifer Sault, Founder of Thrift for Good, as the recipient of the She’s Next grant program in the UAE.

The grant, amounting to $50,000, aims to support and empower woman-owned small businesses in the region.

Jennifer Sault’s Thrift for Good operates as a charity shop in Dubai, rehoming preloved clothes and items to raise funds for children’s charities worldwide.

The initiative aligns with the increasing emphasis on sustainability in the local business landscape, with most She’s Next applicants showcasing sustainable practices.

The grant includes a year of business coaching from the International Trade Centre (ITC), a United Nations and World Trade Organisation agency, along with $3,000 in Amazon Web Services credits.

The program’s jury evaluated applicants based on entrepreneurial progression, robust business metrics, digital presence, and problem-solving capabilities.

This recognition of woman-owned businesses in the UAE reflects Visa and FAB’s commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth and innovation in the region.

3. ABB to invest $280M in Sweden’s robotics factory

ABB, a leading Swiss engineering and technology group, is set to invest $280 million in a new robotics factory in Sweden.

The move is a response to increasing demand driven by companies shifting their production from Asia closer to their domestic markets.

The new robotics factory, to be located in Vasteras, eastern Sweden, is expected to open its doors in 2026, and boast 50% more production capacity compared to the previous site and will employ approximately 1,300 people.

ABB’s decision to invest in this new facility is driven by customer demand and anticipated market growth.

The European robotics and automation market is projected to grow by 7% per year between 2023 and the end of 2027, fueled by companies reshoring their production from Asia.

This move aligns with the broader trend of companies reevaluating their manufacturing footprint due to rising tensions between global superpowers, such as the United States and China.

ABB also aims to enhance its customer service by providing more locally manufactured products, addressing supply chain bottlenecks, and catering to the increasing demand for robots amid labor shortages.

The factory will play a crucial role in supporting European customers in industries like automotive, electronics, logistics, healthcare, e-commerce, and pharmaceuticals as they embrace automation and AI technologies for long-term success.

Trivia answer: Windows

DLL Stands for “Dynamic Link Library.” A DLL is a compiled library of functions, data, and other resources that programs running in Windows may use. Any program can access the code in a DLL, and multiple programs may access a DLL at the same time.

Accessing a shared code library means that programs don’t need to include that code in their executable files, which helps them to use less storage space and system memory.

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