Tweeting teenagers propel Pheed to top of Apple app charts
The latest in a long line of social networking platforms, Pheed has jumped to the top of the list as the number one free app in the Apple App Store under social networking.
It appears the app’s surge in popularity is down to it being mentioned by a number of teenagers on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Already being described as the new Twitter, Pheed allows users to share all forms of digital content, including text, photos, videos, audio, and voice- notes.
In a shift away from other sites, all content uploaded to a user’s Pheed channel is completely owned and controlled by the user. The app claims to allow users to copyright their own digital content.
Users can also put content behind a paywall and split the proceeds with Pheed.
Pheed founder OD Kobo told Tech Cocktail the concept was inspired by a host of other social media sites.
“So the concept of Pheed was from bouncing around ideas like ‘oh I really love that filtering,’ for example, that’s on Tumblr. ‘Why don’t they do that on Twitter?’ Or ‘I love Soundshare’ — why don’t they do more stuff like that?’ We just looked at everything as users, and what we’re missing, and what we’d like to have in a product,” he said.
Meanwhile, Apple has said it may compensate US parents whose children made in-app purchases without their permission.
The technology giant is being sued over claims it failed to properly publicise that child-targeted games in its App Store included the facility.
Apple said it will need to tell more than 23m iTunes account holders that they qualify.
Under the proposal, those who have been effected would receive an email from Apple offering at least $5 (€3.83) in credit if they could confirm that a minor had charged their account without permission.
The legal actions stems from a Californian-based user who took the action in Apr 2011 after his daughter racked up a series of charges without his permission. She was able to do this as a number of titles in Apple’s store allowed children to purchase app’s without having to enter a password. Apple has since tackled the issue.
However, prior to iOS 4.3, if a user entered a password to buy an app, the system allowed them to make unlimited sales without authentication for a 15 minute window.
