This week in tech: Threads goes up against Twitter, unrest at Intercom and coding camps for kids

This week saw the rivalry between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg move up a gear as Meta launched its new app Threads.

The Twitter rival is Instagram’s conversation app, taking your Instagram account and following all the same accounts on Threads. That means an instant community, which has proved appealing to many people, with the app notching up millions of users on its first couple of days.

But the app has not yet launched in the EU, with regulatory concerns being the prime suspect.

Perhaps the biggest indicator that Threads could be a serious rival for Twitter came in the form of a solicitor’s letter. The letter, sent from Twitter to Meta, alleged the company has violated Twitter’s “intellectual property rights”, and said Meta has “poached” dozens of former employees in the past year.

Extend EV grant to second-hand purchases, says PwC

---

Wave of innovation aims to make desalination sustainable

---

Smart heater gives greater control over comfort and cost

---

Helping stressed-out GPs manage staffing issues in the workplace

---

Want to know more about Threads? Check the Threads Q&A, and our review.

We may not have officially got Threads in Ireland, but this week did see the launch of Meta Verified for Instagram and Facebook.

And the US government has been joined as a party to Commercial Court proceedings by Meta over the Data Protection Commission’s decision that it must suspend the transfer and storage of user data from Europe to the United States.

Elsewhere, Irish tech company Intercom was facing pushback from employees after it reduced support for Pride this year, due to a new policy it says was introduced last year.

Twitter’s troubles don’t just end with Meta though. The company angered users by introducing limitations on how many posts people could view. The company is also facing legal action in the US after an Australian project management firm filed a lawsuit over alleged non-payment of bills for work done in four countries, including Ireland.

Apple, meanwhile, may have to scale back its ambitions for its mixed reality headset Vision Pro, making drastic cuts to production forecasts due to the complexity of the headset design and difficulties in production. It has also delayed plans for a more affordable version of the device sources said.

Apple broke through the $3 trillion valuation last week on investor optimism about the headset.

Closer to home, Irish company Corlytics has acquired Clausematch for an undisclosed sum.And Catalyst is creating 100 jobs across its business, with 50 to be located in Ireland.

It is all change at Irish tech unicorn Wayflyer as cofounder Jack Pierse said he was stepping away from the company to pursue other interests.

If you plan on raising a coding expert, there are summer camps out there to nurture their love of science and technology. And there are some at-home apps and websites that you could use to brush up on your skills too.

Karlin Lillington says Ireland’s new Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett, faces a weighty task this year, but warns any online restrictions have to be based on sound evidence, and not emotional argument.

This week’s tech review is a set a child-friendly, and very cute, headphones, the BuddyPhones PlayEars+. They have three different settings to limit audio, including a toddler-friendly lower limit.