News

Digital Dubai Issues World’s First Secured Digital Certificates

The technology uses Soulbound Token technology to prevent duplication.

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2023

Nour Nasir

Digital Dubai

Digital Dubai recently issued the world’s first secured digital certificates. The technology is built using Soulbound Token technology, an advanced next-generation non-fungible token.

Soulbound Tokens use blockchain technology to represent a person’s identity and can be used for medical records, employment history, or any type of information concerning a person or entity. The certificates are permanently linked to a user’s personal account in their digital wallet, and ownership cannot be transferred to another party, sold, or disposed of.

“The accelerated pace of technological advancements has made the future closer than ever before, and here in Dubai, we are proud to have an agile government that wastes no time in embracing developments and putting them into practice to drive digital transformation and shape the future today,” says Digital Dubai’s director general Hamad Al Mansoori.

Also Read: Riyadh Air Makes Multi-Billion Dollar Deal With Boeing

The first secured digital certificate was issued by Dubai Cyber Innovation Park, an affiliate of the Dubai Electronic Security Centre at Digital Dubai. Tokens were granted to the first group of graduates from the Chief Information Security Officer Executive program, in which 17 government and semi-government entities participated.

News

Will Upcoming Changes Turn Instagram Into A TikTok Clone?

Updates are rolling out for the grid layout and Reels length, while new editing tools clearly imitate those of the rival Chinese platform.

Published

3 days ago

January 24, 2025

Nour Nasir

Instagram

Instagram recently faced backlash for swapping its iconic square grid for rectangles, disrupting the aesthetic of thousands of carefully curated profiles. However, the Meta-owned platform isn’t stopping there, after announcing more incoming TikTok-like changes designed to give users greater control over their profiles.

“We launched a new tall grid on profiles this week and I got a lot of feedback, both positive and quite negative,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared in an Instagram caption on Monday. “The goal is a simpler, cleaner place that maintains, and even increases, creator control”.

Here are some of the details about further changes we can expect:

Customizable Grids: Users will soon be able to tweak how their posts appear on the grid, including adjusting image crops and reordering posts entirely.
Direct-To-Grid Posts: A new option will allow users to post directly to their profile grid without automatically adding it to their main feed.
Highlights Relocation: Instagram’s Highlights feature will move from above the grid into a dedicated tab, while also becoming part of the profile grid itself.
Longer Reels: Reels are getting a significant upgrade, with the maximum video length jumping from 90 seconds to 3 minutes.

The updates are part of Instagram’s ongoing effort to compete with TikTok, which narrowly avoided a US ban following a 75-day delay granted by President Donald Trump. With the Chinese video platform’s future remaining uncertain, Instagram seems eager to capture disillusioned users by offering features that feel increasingly similar to those of its rival.

Also Read: How To Find & Cancel Pending Instagram Requests

In fact, Instagram’s recent changes go beyond just the app’s layout: On Sunday, parent company Meta launched the standalone Edits app, a clear imitation of TikTok’s popular video-editing tool, CapCut. Additionally, Meta has been enticing creators with cash bonuses to encourage them to post their videos on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s clear Instagram is shifting its strategy to appeal to the short-form video crowd. Whether these changes will win over users or continue to spark discontent remains to be seen.