Meta is investing $115 million to stand up a new training programme for data ​centre technician jobs, as the social media company races to build the infrastructure ‌to power its AI ambitions.

The cost-free program, America’s Workforce Academy, ‌will end in guaranteed job offers to graduates, the company said in a statement.

A Meta spokesperson said the program will provide generalist training for data centre technicians. Jobs on offer will be full-time roles ​with general contractors working on Meta’s data centre buildout, she added.

The spokesperson declined ​to specify how many positions would be available, with which firms and ⁠whether they would be union jobs.

The Associated Builders and Contractors, a construction trade group, ​said it expects to train thousands of people over the course of the program.

The AI ​revolution is bringing change but also historic opportunities, said Dina Powell McCormick, Meta president and vice-chairman.

The investment is a small part of the $600 billion total Meta has pledged to invest in U.S. infrastructure and jobs ​over the next three years, as it builds out massive data centres to power CEO ​Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive bets on AI agent technologies.

Zuckerberg has said his goal is to build AI assistants that ‌can ⁠take action autonomously on their users’ behalf to create apps, book appointments and complete transactions.

He embarked on a big-ticket hiring spree last year to enable that vision for “personal superintelligence,” offering $100 million signing bonuses to AI researchers from rival firms like OpenAI.

More recently, he has been ​carrying out an AI-related restructuring ​inside Meta, laying ⁠off 10% of the workforce, or about 8,000 employees, and reassigning nearly as many others to new units aimed at improving the ​company’s AI models and tools.

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Bitcoin steadied on Tuesday after top corporate holder Strategy bought into a recent dip in prices and as tensions in the Middle East cooled, offering cryptocurrency markets some relief.

Institutional investors continued to sell spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, albeit at a slightly slower pace than seen in prior weeks.

Bitcoin gained 0.7% to $63,434.4 by 06:25 GMT. The crypto steadied this week after dropping more than 17% last week, amid a broad and extended rout in the sector.

Crypto markets tracked gains in broader risk assets after Israel and Iran agreed to halt strikes on each other.

Top corporate Bitcoin holder Strategy Inc on Monday disclosed it had purchased 1,550 Bitcoin for a total of $101 million, bringing its total stockpile to 845,256 coins.

The purchase was much bigger than Strategy’s sale of 32 Bitcoin on June 1, and was in line with chairman Michael Saylor’s promises of buying up a greater amount of Bitcoin than the company would sell.

But Strategy still faces heightened debt and equity obligations for the capital raised to fund its massive Bitcoin purchases– a trend that could invite more sales in the future. The company had sold 32 Bitcoin last week largely to fund dividend payments on some preferred stocks.

Strategy’s sale last week was among the many sell signals for Bitcoin, given that it marked the company’s first sale of its holdings since late-2022.

Institutional investors extended their selling of Bitcoin ETFs this week, albeit at a slower pace than seen in the past three weeks.

Investors pulled out $91.4 million from spot ETFs on Monday, a much smaller outflow than the $325.7 million seen on Friday.

Bitcoin ETFs were still nursing three straight weeks of outflows, and lost a whopping $1.7 billion last week– their worst outflow since February 2025.

A storm of factors soured sentiment towards crypto, including risk aversion due to the Gulf war, concerns over rising interest rates, and shifting investor interest towards artificial intelligence stocks.

Broader crypto prices rose on Tuesday, although overall gains were limited as sentiment towards crypto remained skittish.

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Bitcoin rose slightly on Monday, steadying after logging steep losses over the past week, with sentiment towards cryptocurrencies remaining fragile amid continued institutional selling and heightened Middle East tensions.

Bitcoin gained 1.5% to $63,053.7 by 06:23 GMT. The crypto wiped out around 18% last week in its worst weekly performance this year.

Bitcoin was battered by sustained, steadily increasing institutional selling over the past four weeks, which was reflected chiefly in capital outflows from spot exchange-traded funds.

Institutional selling came amid waning appetite for crypto, spurred by risk aversion over the Iran war and its impact on interest rates.

Investors were also seen pivoting into assets with artificial intelligence exposure, specifically equities, amid growing optimism towards the sector over crypto. Still, Bitcoin found some relief as the AI rally came to a halt on Friday and Monday.

Broader crypto prices largely gained on Monday, tracking a mild recovery in Bitcoin. But bigger gains were limited by persistent risk-aversion, especially amid a resurgence of action in the Middle East.

But escalating action in the Middle East, with Iran and U.S. trading strikes over the past week, largely diminished hopes for peace. Oil prices surged on this notion, spooking broader markets.

Concerns over the U.S. central bank potentially raising or maintaining high interest rates also grew following stronger-than-expected U.S. nonfarm payrolls data on Friday. Strength in the labour market gives the country’s central bank more headroom to hike rates– a scenario that bodes poorly for non-yielding, speculative assets like crypto.

Among altcoins, Ether advanced 3.4% to $1,666.44, recovering from a near 20% wipeout.

XRP and Solana added 1.3% each, while Cardano and BNB advanced 0.4% and 1.3%, respectively.

Among memecoins, Dogecoin gained 0.8%.

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OpenAI is reportedly planning the largest overhaul of ChatGPT since it triggered the artificial intelligence wave.

As the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday, the startup aims to turn the chatbot into a “super app” that includes coding tools and AI agents in a bid to generate revenue ahead of an initial public offering.

These changes are part of a wider reorganization as OpenAI tries to land lucrative business clients as it competes with Anthropic, the report added, citing interviews with more than a dozen current and former employees.

The FT characterizes this effort as a departure for OpenAI, as it focuses more on its coding tool Codex based on the idea that the future of AI is in agents rather than chatbots.

Chat is dead, one senior OpenAI employee told the FT.

The report added that OpenAI executives see ChatGPT, which has attracted close to 1 billion users since its debut, as a way to introduce customers to higher-value products. Most people use the chatbot for free, the FT said.

The report said the upgrades, due to start in the coming weeks, will initially show up as changes to the ChatGPT website and mobile apps, guiding customers to use coding, image-generation and apps from outside partners.

It will transcend the actual surface. What we’re building towards is where you have your own personal agent that is capable of helping you. Across everything in your life, be it personally or at work, Thibault Sottiaux, who previously ran Codex and now oversees all of OpenAI’s core product and platform, told the FT: You can connect through it on your mobile, desktop or web. When you’re in the car, you can talk to it.

The FT report follows a story from The Wall Street Journal in March about OpenAI’s plans to combine the ChatGPT app, Codex and browser into a desktop super app.

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The tech industry is abuzz with numerous app launches that promise to revolutionize the way we live, work, and play. From innovative gaming apps to productivity tools, there is something for everyone in the ever-evolving world of mobile applications. So, what are some of the latest app launches that you should keep an eye on?

Virtual Reality Gaming Apps: With the growing popularity of virtual reality (VR) technology, gaming apps that offer immersive and realistic experiences are in high demand. Keep an eye out for upcoming VR gaming apps that promise to take your gaming experience to the next level.

AI-Powered Productivity Tools: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we work, and app developers are leveraging this technology to create powerful productivity tools. Keep an eye out for AI-powered apps that can help streamline your workflow and boost your efficiency.

Health and Wellness Apps: In today’s fast-paced world, taking care of our health and well-being has never been more important. Keep an eye out for health and wellness apps that offer personalized fitness plans, nutrition tracking, and mental wellness support.

Stay Ahead of the Curve with Latest App News

By staying informed about the latest app launches, you can stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of cutting-edge technology and innovations. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business owner looking to expand your reach, or simply someone who loves trying out new apps, keeping up with app launch news is essential.

So, where can you find the latest app launch news? Here are a few reliable sources to check out:

Tech News Websites: Websites like TechCrunch, Mashable, and Gizmodo are great sources of app launch news, providing in-depth coverage and analysis of the latest developments in the tech world.

App Stores: Keep an eye on the app stores for announcements about new app launches, updates, and featured apps that are worth checking out.

Social Media: Follow tech influencers, app developers, and tech companies on social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay updated on the latest app launches and tech trends.

The Definitive Guide to Generating Massive Buzz with Your App Launch News

The app stores overflow with millions of choices. Developers release thousands each month, making it tough to catch anyone’s eye. Your app launch news can shift that. Treat it as a big event, not just a note. This guide shows you how to build hype, grab media spots, and drive downloads. We’ll cover pre-launch plans, pitch tips, launch day moves, and ways to keep the talk going.

Pre-Launch Strategy – Laying the Foundation for Media Coverage

Start early to set up your app launch news for success. Think of this phase as building a solid base. Without it, your efforts later might flop. Focus on tools that make your story easy to share.

Building the Essential Media Assets Kit

Journalists need quick access to visuals and details. Skip this, and they move on to the next pitch. Aim for top-notch items that show your app’s value.

Create high-resolution screenshots first. Show key screens in action, like user flows or unique features. Keep files under 5MB for fast downloads.

Next, make a short demo video. Aim for 30 to 60 seconds. Highlight what sets your app apart, such as smooth navigation or fun interactions. Use simple edits—no fancy effects needed.

Don’t forget brand guidelines. Share your logo in vector format, plus the colour palette and fonts. This ensures stories match your look. Store everything in a shared folder, like Google Drive, with clear labels.

Screenshots: 5-7 images, varied angles.

Video: One main clip, hosted on YouTube or Vimeo.

Guidelines: PDF with rules for use.

These assets speed up coverage. Reporters grab them and run with your app launch news.

Identifying and Segmenting Tier-One Targets

Pick the right outlets to boost your reach. General tech sites get flooded with pitches. Target spots that fit your app’s niche for better odds.

For a fitness app, seek health blogs over broad news. FinTech tools? Aim at finance journals. This match makes your story relevant.

Build a tiered list. A-list includes big names like TechCrunch or niche leaders. B-list covers mid-size blogs for backups.

Use tools like Hunter.io for emails or LinkedIn to find contacts. Search for “app reviewer” plus your niche. Track 50-100 targets in a spreadsheet.

The Power of the Embargo Strategy

An embargo lets you control the timing of your app launch news. Send info early, but hold publication until launch day. This creates a wave of stories at once.

It’s ethical if you explain rules upfront. Offer pre-release builds or details under NDA. Reporters get a head start; you get synced buzz.

Structure the agreement simply. State the date and time—no exceptions. Include contact for questions.

Set clear times across time zones. Use tools like World Time Buddy. This tactic turns a solo release into a media storm.

Crafting the Perfect Press Release and Pitch Angles

Now shape your message. A bland release gets ignored. Make it sharp and tied to real needs. This section breaks down how to hook editors with your app launch news.

The News Hook: Beyond “We Launched an App”

Skip the obvious. “New app out now” bores everyone. Find a strong angle that answers “why care?”

Tie it to trends. Does your app fix a pain point, like slow payments in e-commerce? Or use the latest iOS update for better privacy?

The “why now” matters. Link to events, such as rising remote work or a viral social issue. For instance, if eco-apps boom, highlight your green tracking feature.

Hooks build interest:

Solve inefficiency: “Cuts meal planning time by 50%.”

Trend tie-in: “Uses AI like ChatGPT for daily tips.”

Cultural nod: “Responds to post-pandemic fitness shifts.”

These make your app launch news feel timely and vital.

Personalising the Pitch Email for Maximum Open Rates

Mass blasts fail. Tailor each email to stand out in inboxes. Reporters get 100+ daily—make yours count.

Subject line: Short and specific. “Your Fitness Coverage Meets FitTrack’s AI Edge.”

Body: Reference their work. “I saw your piece on wearable tech last week. FitTrack builds on that with…”

Explain fit: Why this app suits their readers. Keep under 150 words. End with a call: “Demo attached—thoughts?”

Personal touches lift opens by 30%, per email stats.

Tips for success:

Use their name.

Link to one article.

Offer value, like exclusive access.

This approach lands your app launch news in the right hands.

Execution – Maximising Launch Day Impact

Launch day hits fast. Coordinate everything for peak noise. Your app launch news should explode across channels.

The Multi-Channel Distribution Blitz

Time is key. Wire services like PR Newswire go out first, say 8am. Follow with direct emails by 9am.

Pair with your channels. Post a teaser on social media at 7am. Countdown builds tension.

Use apps like Buffer for schedules. Track mentions with Google Alerts.

This blitz ensures wide reach. Stories pop up together, creating urgency.

Leveraging Influencers and App Store Optimisation (ASO) Synergy

Influencers add cred. Pick 5-10 with 10k+ followers in your niche. Send early access for honest reviews.

ASO boosts visibility. Keywords in titles and descriptions help rankings. Early downloads from buzz push you up.

Journalists spot rising charts. It proves demand. One influencer’s post can spark 1,000 installs overnight.

Social proof loops back: More reviews mean more media interest in your app launch news.

Handling Interview Requests and Crisis Communications Preparation

Prepare spokespeople now. Train your CEO on five key points: problem solved, unique tech, user benefits, future plans, call to download.

Create a Q&A doc. Cover basics like “How did you build this?” and tough ones like “Competitor differences?”

For crises, like bad reviews, have responses ready. “We value feedback and patch soon.” Monitor App Store and Twitter.

This keeps your app launch news positive amid the rush.

Post-Launch Momentum – Sustaining the News Cycle

Don’t stop at day one. Nudge coverage into weeks. Turn one-off stories into ongoing chat.

Turning Initial Coverage into Follow-Up Stories

Thank reporters fast. Share their links on your socials. This builds ties.

For non-responders, follow up gently. “Missed our launch? Here’s an update on first-day wins.”

Offer exclusives. Tease v1.1 features for deeper dives. This extends your app launch news life.

Utilising Data from Early Success for Next-Stage Pitching

Gather metrics quick. Track downloads, retention via analytics tools like Firebase.

New angle: “App Hits 5,000 Users Day One—Here’s How.” Pitch with charts.

Real numbers hook editors. “40% retention beats industry average of 25%,” say.

This data fuels fresh app launch news waves.

Engaging with Community Feedback Across Platforms

Reply to comments everywhere. On Reddit, thank posters. In reviews, fix issues publicly.

Quote good feedback in updates. “Users love the quick setup—thanks!”

This shows growth. Writers notice active teams. It draws feature stories on your app’s rise.

Key takeaways:

Build media kits early, personalise every pitch, use embargoes for timing, leverage influencers for proof, and mine user data for more stories.

Conclusion

A strong app launch news plan turns a release into a milestone. Prep assets, target smart, craft sharp pitches, execute with flair, and follow through with data. Buzz builds from relationships and real wins, not luck.

In conclusion, staying informed about app launch news is essential for anyone who wants to stay ahead in the fast-paced world of technology. By keeping an eye on the latest developments, you can discover exciting new apps, explore innovative technologies, and enhance your digital experience. So, don’t miss out on the latest app launch news – stay informed, stay curious, and embrace the future of technology.

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Deel has added a stablecoin wallet for contractors as demand grows for dollar-backed pay in markets facing currency volatility.

The Deel stablecoin wallet lets eligible contractors hold earnings in a dollar-backed balance, earn rewards and spend from the same platform they use to get paid.

The wallet is launching first in Latin America, with early access beginning in Argentina.

Contractors in other Latin American markets will be added over the next few weeks, followed by APAC, MENA and Africa.

Contractors who have completed know-your-customer checks on Deel are eligible.

Contractors can hold earnings as DLUSD, an internal USD-denominated digital balance designed to track the value of the US dollar on a one-to-one basis and be redeemable within Deel.

They can also opt into Earn to be eligible for rewards generated through Morpho, with no lock-up period. Contractors can move funds back to their Deel balance and withdraw them at any time.

A Deel Card, coming later this month, will allow contractors to spend from their stablecoin balance internationally.

According to Deel, 85 percent of contractors in Argentina chose to be paid in USD rather than local currency in 2025.

Thierry Edde, Head of Crypto at Deel, said: Millions of contractors around the world watch their earnings lose value the moment they land. Today we give them the infrastructure to change that.

A dollar-backed balance inside the platform they already use to get paid, rewards that accrue automatically, and a card to spend anywhere. No new account or learning curve required. This is another important step in building the financial infrastructure global workers deserve, Edde said.

The wallet is powered by Stripe’s stablecoin infrastructure. DLUSD is created through Bridge’s Open Issuance infrastructure, while Privy handles the wallet layer.

Rewards can accrue through Morpho, supported by Sentora’s vault.

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Bitcoin tumbled to a four-month low on Thursday, extending recent losses sparked by heavy exchange-traded fund outflows and a sale by top corporate holder Strategy. Investors have also been pivoting away from cryptocurrencies and into more topical sectors, such as artificial intelligence-linked stocks.

The cryptocurrency was last down 3.4% to $63,478.0 at 21:30 GMT, its lowest level since early February. Its recent losses have seen it fall back to levels around 50% below its October record high.

Bitcoin’s deep losses came amid sustained capital outflows from spot ETFs. Data from SoSoValue showed outflows of around $396 million from Bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday, adding to a nearly $1.02 billion outflow seen at the beginning of the week.

This week’s outflows came after institutional investors pulled out a combined $3.7 billion from Bitcoin ETFs over the last three week, driven by increased risk aversion in the face of macroeconomic disruptions coming from the Iran-U.S. war.

Strategy also sent bearish signals to the market this week after it marked its first Bitcoin sale since late 2022. While the amount of Bitcoin sold was small, the move raised renewed questions over the long-term viability of Strategy’s treasury model, especially given that it is contingent on Bitcoin prices continuing to rise steadily.

Strategy’s move once again highlighted a long-known issue in the Bitcoin market. When BTC simply sits passively on corporate balance sheets, it does not generate cash flow, yield, or liquidity on its own. That means companies holding large Bitcoin reserves have to eventually sell parts of it to fund their obligations, analysts at Yield Basis said.

This becomes particularly clear during periods of deleveraging. If BTC functions purely as a reserve asset, spot sales remain the primary liquidity mechanism whenever companies come under pressure. And when market conditions are tight, even relatively small treasury sales can have a long-reaching effect, as investors start pricing in the possibility of additional forced selling across the market, the analysts said.

ETF outflows were also driven by investors pivoting into AI stocks from non-yielding crypto assets, given that the former offer fundamentals and exposure to a fast-growing technology.

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Meta Platforms on Wednesday unveiled an artificial intelligence agent aimed at helping businesses carry out day-to-day operations, positioning the social media company as a player in the enterprise AI market.

Announced at the company’s WhatsApp-focused Conversations conference in ​London, the new product expands on existing business messaging services by enabling “agentic” capabilities in which the assistant can take actions on businesses’ ‌behalf, like booking calendar appointments and closing sales.

Meta said more than 1 million businesses were already using earlier chatbot versions of such agents on WhatsApp and Messenger. The new version will be added to Instagram as well and rolled out worldwide to businesses of all sizes.

The move hints at Meta’s ambitions to compete with rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google in the market ​for enterprise applications of its AI tools, leveraging the reach of its social media apps to try to convince companies to consolidate their ads and ​other workflows.

This is definitely an enterprise play, Naomi Gleit, Meta’s head of product, told Reuters in an interview on the ⁠sidelines of the conference.

Shares of Meta rose more than 3% in morning trading.

The Business Agent can be customized to respond to queries on those apps, channelling a ​company’s tone and handling tasks such as answering frequently asked questions, qualifying leads and escalating complex queries to human staff when needed.

Businesses will initially be able to access ​the tool for free, with paid subscription options planned in the coming months.

We actually want to take actions now. We actually want it to be able to complete the payment, to process the booking, to place the order, going beyond rule-based automations for legacy bots, Gleit said.

Alongside the new Business Agent offerings inside Meta’s apps, the company is also launching a broader Business Agent Platform aimed ​at giving businesses tools to build custom AI agents to help them manage their operations elsewhere.

The platform is connected to hundreds of non-Meta systems like Shopify, Zendesk and Shopee, ​where those agents can be deployed, and provides larger businesses with enterprise-grade controls, guardrails and measurement, the company said.

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Apple has agreed to submit the financials of its India ‌business to the country’s antitrust body as part of an investigation that found the U.S. firm abused its market position, taking the long-delayed case a step closer to a potential penalty decision, an agency order shows.

The case is Apple’s most high-profile regulatory issue in India, a key growth ​market where it has rapidly expanded iPhone production as it diversifies beyond China. The iPhone accounts for 9% ​of India’s smartphone market, from nearly 2% five years ago, according to Counterpoint Research data.

Apple has ​long argued the case should be paused because it is separately seeking to quash India’s new antitrust penalty law ​that empowers the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to penalise companies on the basis of their international, not just Indian, turnover. Apple says the CCI had asked ‌for worldwide ⁠financial details, which could lead to a fine of up to $38 billion.

The CCI has repeatedly disagreed with that position, saying it only needed Apple’s India financials to start with and the U.S. company was trying to delay the case through a parallel court appeal. A judge last month told Apple to “cooperate”.

The case against Apple started in 2021 and includes a non-profit group, Tinder-owner Match and a group of Indian startups called the Alliance ​of Digital India Foundation (ADIF).

The groups brought the case amid concerns about Apple’s proprietary in-app billing ​system, among other ⁠issues.

During the May 21 hearing, ADIF urged the CCI against further delays, the order showed.

Apple has also been asked to submit its objections, if any, to the investigation findings, which say Apple’s App Store is “an unavoidable trading partner” for app makers, who were not ⁠permitted to ​use any third-party payment service for in-app purchases.

Apple says it is a ​small player in India where phones that use Google’s Android system are dominant.

In 2022, the Competition Commission of India slapped a fine of $113 million on Google for using its “dominant ​position” to force app developers to use its in-app payment system.

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Charles Schwab has introduced cryptocurrency futures trading available nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week on its thinkorswim platforms, according to a press release statement issued today.

The brokerage now offers select cryptocurrency futures for Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and Ripple products on all thinkorswim platforms. This marks Schwab’s first product available for trading around the clock. The expansion comes as the $154 billion market cap firm continues to solidify its position as a prominent player in the Capital Markets industry.

Schwab has expanded fractional trading capabilities across all platforms to include most U.S. stocks and ETFs, with a new minimum investment of $1. Clients can now select a dollar amount rather than number of shares directly within the trade ticket.

The company reported $12.61 trillion in total client assets and 10.3 million daily average trades in April 2026.

Additional enhancements include expected price range information for marginable securities on Schwab.com’s Research page. The Positions page now displays more fundamental data about client positions.

On Schwab Mobile, clients can adjust dividend reinvestment enrolment settings for stocks, ETFs and mutual funds through the app’s Positions page. The Options Chain screen now defaults to all expirations collapsed.

A diverse range of clients seek out Schwab for the best-in-class trading experience we offer, said James Kostulias, Managing Director and Head of Trading Services at Charles Schwab.

Upcoming features for thinkorswim desktop include Specified Lots, allowing clients to choose which tax lots are designated for each sale through the Order Rules section. The paperMoney desktop version will add an Order Gadget providing pre-confirmation insight into individual pricing for options legs, maximum profit and loss calculations, and breakeven estimates.

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