Clubhouse

(Screenshot: TechNode) (Screenshot: TechNode) The hit audio-only social network Clubhouse appears not to be accessible in mainland China as of 7:30 p.m. Monday evening. As of writing, TechNode reporters and contacts opening the app receive an error message reading “An SSL error has occurred and a secure connection to the server cannot be made.” The main field of the app, which normally displays a list of conversations and activity, is empty except the suggestion to “Start a new room to get a conversation going!” Why it matters: While Chinese internet regulation can be unpredictable, Clubhouse is probably gone for good from Chinese networks. Context: The hit app has provided a rare, unfiltered space for online discussion mainland China. In recent days, thousands of users flooded into Chinese-language groups discussing normally off-limits topics, leading many to predict that it was only a matter of time before the app was blocked. David Cohen is the acting editor in chief of TechNode. Since 2010, he has covered China as a writer and editor at outlets including the Diplomat, the Jamestown Foundation, and China Policy. He’s always... More by David Cohen

Back in late January, Clubhouse—an audio-based social networking startup—confirmed it had closed on a $100 million Series B round (led by Andreesen Horowitz), reportedly at a $1 billion valuation. However, despite the company’s newly minted unicorn status, the invite-only iPhone app remained largely under the radar outside of Silicon Valley circles. That changed on Jan. 31, when an unexpected conversation between Tesla founder Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev brought Clubhouse into the mainstream lexicon, sparking a secondary market for invite codes in the process (each user receives a limited number of invitations to dole out during the pre-launch period). With the drop-in audio platform gaining momentum—roughly a third of the app’s 3.5 million-plus downloads came within the last week—it seemed like an opportune time to explore if/how Clubhouse is likely to affect the sports ecosystem (the company declined an opportunity to share its thoughts). Conversations with a tech-savvy venture capitalist and a sports media investor/adviser painted vastly differing views on the subject.Our Take: Peter Rojas (partner, Betaworks Ventures) has long been a believer that social audio can play a prominent role within the existing media landscape. Back in 2015, he invested in a mobile voice-messaging app called Unmute…

If you are looking for stocks that might have recorded significant gains over the course of the past month, then it might be a good idea to start tracking Clubhouse Media Group Inc (OTC: CMGR) stock. The stock has gone up by as huge as threefold over the course of the past month but the rally in the stock is possibly due to a case of mistaken identity. The stock has surged in recent days since investors might have confused it with the Clubhouse audio app. The audio app in question has been the subject of considerable media coverage in recent weeks and that might have led to many investors flocking to the Clubhouse Media Group stock. As per the company’s profile, the company is involved in the social media branding business and it has no relation whatsoever with the Clubhouse audio app. Hence, investors who might be thinking of investing in the Clubhouse Media stock could consider treading with caution. Weekend Contributor. Writing for business and finance publishers has become his passion over the last decades after he completed a master’s degree in Financial Management. Sharing some opinions and forecasts to thousands of readers is a routine job for…

Grimes and Lil Uzi Vert are thinking of a master plan and it apparently involves getting ‘brain chips’ together.  The musicians have clearly struck up a close friendship while working on music in recent weeks and now, they’re taking it to the next level thanks to Grimes’ boyfriend Elon Musk and his computer chip company Neuralink.  Elon is working to pioneer implanting brain chips that could potentially help people cure neurological conditions.  On Saturday, Lil Uzi simply tweeted ‘Neuralink’ which caught Grimes’ attention.  ‘Let’s get brain chips,’ she replied, to which the rapper agreed: ‘I’m ready when we doing it ?’  Grimes, real name Claire Boucher, already has it all planned out as she suggested: ‘Let’s aim for chips by 2022. it’s experimental surgery but if it succeeds we’ll have the knowledge of the Gods haha.’  It was more than enough to convince Lil Uzi, who eagerly replied: ‘Okay !!! I will call u for more detail.’  So far, the Neuralink bods have implanted their brain chips inside a pig called Gertrude and used them to record data about how brain signals are interpreted by body movements. Elon revealed last week that they’ve since been putting implants in monkeys so…

By Allison Nolan The new social media platform Clubhouse has been making waves in recent weeks. Some industry experts are saying it might be the next major social media platform. So, I was eager to accept my invitation to join and see what all the fuss is about. This is an audio-only app where users can join chat rooms to listen or participate in the conversation by raising their hand and being invited by the moderator(s) to speak. It is exciting to join this platform in the early stages and listen to, and even ask questions of, some incredibly knowledgeable and prolific people. The wide range of topics for discussion is phenomenal. And if you don’t find a room discussing something of interest to you, you can just start your own! Although I have only spent limited time on the platform so far, I am finding an abundance of people who are showing up in a truly authentic way and who are motivated by content and connection. I have really enjoyed contributing to conversations, and it is wonderful to be able to give support and do my best to inspire and elevate others. And I really appreciate those who have…

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The Robinhood investment app is see on a smartphone in this photo illustration on June 24, 2020 in Washington,DC. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images Stock trading app Robinhood removed temporary trading restrictions on all stocks including GameStop and AMC Entertainment Holdings after a tumultuous week for markets. The company issued an update on its website late on Thursday, saying: "There are currently no temporary limits to increasing your positions." Earlier in the day, Robinhood users were only able to trade 500 GameStop shares and 5,500 AMC shares, according to Reuters.   A wave of retail investors inspired by the Reddit board WallStreetBets piled in on GameStop shares and other heavily shorted stocks last week, resulting in huge losses for some hedge funds. In a bid to try to manage the situation, Robinhood restricted trading in certain volatile stocks Thursday last week including GameStop, Express, Koss, and legacy phone makers Nokia and Blackberry. Robinhood limited trading in 13 equities in total, allowing clients to sell positions but not open new ones in certain securities, provoking fury from users. On Sunday, Vlad Tenev, co-founder and co-CEO of Robinhood, took to invitation-only audio chat app Clubhouse to defend the company's decision…

Millions of eyes will be on the Super Bowl kickoff Sunday. And there may be a kickoff of a different sort that same day, where small businesses, wrestling with the pandemic's headwinds and challenges, may begin their digital payments journeys.As announced this week, on Feb. 7, which of course is Super Bowl Sunday, Visa’s Authorize.net will partially waive its transactional fees and completely waive its monthly gateway account fees to reduce the costs for smaller businesses based in North America that want to accept digital payments. Visa has said those costs can approach $10,000 for smaller firms.Michele Herron, senior vice president, strategy, marketing and SMB segment leader at Visa, told Karen Webster that the promotion would help companies move more fully online to meet their customers’ payment preferences and expectations. In its announcement, the company said that, in partnership with the NFL, the payment management platform would waive the gateway fee (which is charged monthly) for the life of these new accounts, and transactional fees will be waived for the first 100,000 transactions.The promotion comes as the pandemic has altered the very way small businesses interact with their end customers. The payments network said that 82 percent of small- to…

Good morning, Today’s top story is the latest episode in the battle between the government of India and Twitter over tweets and accounts related to the farmer protests. Twitter could face legal action if it ignores this one, officials have told ET. And following yesterday's news that Jeff Bezos will step down as Amazon CEO later this year, we look at what the decision could mean for the company's business in India, and why his successor Andy Jassy has been known as the most important person in tech for much of the past decade. Elsewhere, an audio-only social media platform is making all the right noises among inhabitants of India's startup ecosystem. Here’s a look at the top tech news to start your day. 1. Twitter vs GoI: the gloves are coming off The government of India has issued a notice to Twitter, warning the firm to comply with its order to block certain accounts and tweets related to the growing farmer protests (into which Rihanna unwittingly waded on Tuesday). The warning came two days after Twitter blocked around 200 high-profile accounts in India in response to the government’s request, only to lift the restriction just hours later. Twitter later…

The popular voice-based app Clubhouse has become one of the hottest trends among social media platforms, with celebrities signing on. Names like 21 Savage, Ne-Yo, and Lakeith Stanfield have hopped on the app, but fans of Cardi B are wondering why it’s taking so long for her to get on Clubhouse. https://archive.vn/o/jOZ66/https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1357047747451359232 The rapper took to Twitter on Wednesday to respond to why she hasn’t signed up, saying, “People keep asking me to join clubhouse knowing damn well my mouth gets me in trouble.” To anyone who’s spent any time on Clubhouse, Cardi is right to be wary. In recent months, a number of artists, including Mulatto, Meek Mill, and Kevin Hart, have been brewed controversy with things they’ve said on the app. While a Clubhouse appearance is unlikely from the Bronx rapper, one thing fans can definitely expect from her is new music. She recently announced that her first song of the year, and follow-up to her recent No. 1 single “WAP,” would arrive at the end of the week. The track is titled “Up” and will most likely appear on her highly-anticipated sophomore album, set to drop later this year. Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx…