Tag: app-subdomain-redirection:duolingo

[Updated] Duolingo would have fired almost all of its employees… to replace them with an AI

It seems that artificial intelligence does an equally good job and much cheaper… that’s what they believe at Luis von Ahn’s company.

It is the most important language learning application in the world, millions of people use it daily to learn new languages. Its usefulness is undeniable and its gamification of learning has helped millions of users around the globe.

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But now a big shadow looms over it. At least if we pay attention to the information that has been appearing on social media these days. According to these, Duolingo would be firing all its translators.

“How? But if it’s a language learning app and these are necessary”. Well, it seems that artificial intelligence does an equally good and much cheaper job… or so they believe at Luis von Ahn’s company. A few months ago they proudly showcased their GPT-4 integration, and now it seems they are laying off dozens of workers.

Translators to supervise AI texts

In late year, we could read on Reddit the first accusations of layoffs. A user, wrote on the Duolingo subreddit 11 days ago: “In December 2023, Duolingo “fired” a large percentage of its translation contractors. Of course, this is because they realized that AI can do these translations in a fraction of the time. It also saves them money. As a user, how do you feel knowing that sentences and translations are done by AI instead of humans? Does it matter?”.

On Twitter we saw more comments on that side. Taking screenshots of the public accusations against Duolingo and its new business line. For example, user Reid Southen, whose tweet we leave below:

“Duolingo has laid off a large percentage of its hired translators, and those who remain are limited to reviewing AI translations to ensure they are ‘acceptable’. This is the world we are creating. Removing the humanity from how we learn to connect with humanity,” says Reid Southen in his tweet.

The profession of translator, one of the most punished and denigrated by the current system, seems to have to survive another technological advance that goes against it: artificial intelligence and its ability to competently translate texts.

Update

Duolingo has contacted us following the publication of this news to provide us with some details about the layoffs, which clarifies the current situation a bit. This is what they tell us from the American company:

“We can confirm that some Duolingo workers have not been renewed upon the completion of their projects at the end of 2023. But these are not layoffs. This affected a small minority of Duolingo workers, as the majority have been retained,” their communication agency explains.

Thus, what becomes clear is that Duolingo has not actively fired the translators, but rather did not renew certain parts of the staff after completing their assignments. Undoubtedly, the situation is quite different from what was initially portrayed.

Melting Duolingo app icon worries users, what is the deal?

Duolingo has caught the attention of its users due to a rather unexpected change. The app’s beloved owl mascot, Duo, has started to appear as if it’s melting, leaving many users puzzled. What is the reason behind this change? Should you be worried?

Duolingo has been a popular choice for language learners, offering lessons in more than 40 languages. It’s known for its engaging classes and user-friendly approach to language acquisition. However, something strange has recently happened to Duo, the app’s cheerful owl mascot. Users have noticed that Duo appears to be in a state of “melting.”

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The big question is, “Why is the Duolingo app’s logo undergoing this unusual change?” Fortunately, Duolingo hasn’t left its users in the dark. The developers have acknowledged the issue and explained that there is nothing to worry about.

Duolingo gave a statement to Distractify and said, “The melting Duo you see is a new app icon that learners will see for a limited time. If learners have the latest version of the Duolingo app downloaded, they should see melting Duo as the app icon. The purpose of the new app icon is to encourage learners to open the app.”

The program divides language courses into bite-sized chunks, making learning more manageable and enjoyable. Users may enhance their language abilities quickly thanks to interactive classes and simple exercises.

Due to its simple layout and efficient language learning methods, Duolingo has amassed a significant following as a free smartphone app. Some users, however, may be disturbed by the melting logo that now graces their app’s icon.

Any solutions?

The good news is that Duolingo provides a straightforward option for customers who prefer not to have the melting Duo as their app symbol. If you have a Super Duolingo or Duoling Max subscription, you may change the melted Duolingo app icon to a Super or Max-themed one. To make this modification, go to the home screen of the Duolingo app, press the Duo symbol in the upper right corner, scroll down to the Super App symbol or Max App Icon, and hit “Turn On.” This simple technique allows you to customize your app icon to your liking.

Those who are members of Duolingo’s Streak Society can also modify the app icon. Go to the Duolingo home screen, look for the fire/streak icon at the top, scroll down to the Streak Society section, and click “Change App Icon.” If you want to go back to the original melted Duolingo app icon, just hit the “Change App Icon” option again and select “Restore Original Icon.”

Do you want to learn music? Try Duolingo: yes, you read that right

Don’t worry, you just have to follow the notes that scroll across the screen, but it can still be quite a challenge if you’re not very good at music.

We have all used Duolingo at some point, either to learn a language in depth or to acquire basic vocabulary for an upcoming trip. The app is rightfully used by millions of people worldwide.

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Duolingo will launch its new music course this fall. The educational technology company first announced in September that it was gearing up to add music lessons to its repertoire, promising hundreds of lessons that can teach you music with the help of over 200 melodies.

Duolingo, of course, has turned musical learning into a playful experience, dividing the lessons into levels that you have to complete and deducting points (or hearts) every time you input an incorrect answer.

How will Duolingo’s music app work?

You will start by familiarizing yourself with the sounds of the C and D notes in C major using a digital piano. Duolingo will have you match the sounds of each note with its location on a staff, so you will know how they sound and can identify them on sheet music when you’re done.

It will move on to the next notes in later lessons, but before you can proceed, Duolingo will test you on what you have learned so far by having you play familiar tunes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

Don’t worry, you just have to follow the notes moving across the screen, but it can still be quite a challenge for musically challenged people like me. If the first lessons seem too basic for you, you can move on to the more advanced stages of the course.

New ways of learning, not just music

In addition to creating a new music course, Duolingo has also updated its mathematics curriculum to help you acquire “advanced real-world math skills,” such as the ability to quickly calculate tips and hourly wages.

You can now join the waiting list for the music course if you want to start learning as soon as it becomes available. Initially, Duolingo Music will only be available in English and Spanish on iOS devices, but the company says they “hope to bring the course to more students very soon”.

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Duolingo Users Beware: Troubling News Has Surfaced

Users of the language-learning site Duolingo have a painful lesson to go over right now: no one is safe on the internet because of…

Who hasn’t used Duolingo at some point to learn a second language? As the world’s most famous app for learning new languages, the ones affected by today’s news number in the millions. Myself included.

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According to Bleeping Computer, some 26 million app accounts are directly affected.

The public and private data was obtained through an application programming interface (API) and offered on a hacker forum in January.

Usernames and real names, email addresses, phone numbers and courses studied were part of the collection offered for 1.500 dollars.

Data that, fortunately, nobody wants

Now, this data has resurfaced on a different forum, at a substantially lower price, just a few dollars.

The API that provided this user data is still publicly available. Usernames queries retrieve public profile details, while submitting an email address reveals private data such as profile pictures, location, and whether a Facebook or Google account is linked, as discovered by researchers.

Collectively, this data can aid scammers and hackers in crafting more personalized phishing attempts.

Unfortunately, Duolingo users can’t expect much protection from the service. When this data first emerged, the company categorized the lost data as “public profile information.”

What can be done?

The usual. Avoid opening emails from unknown senders whenever possible and, above all, do not click on links or download files from them.

You can also anonymize your online profiles. Remove your real name, disconnect your Google and Facebook accounts, and upload a generic avatar image.

Consider using a secondary email address or one created specifically for this purpose. This way, it will be easier for you to avoid falling into hackers’ traps. By the way, you can download the app for free here.

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From Local to Global: The New Yorker Who Challenged the Financial Fabric of the World

Purisima didn't like New York in 2006. She didn't like it at all. First, a dog bit him on a bus. Later, a couple of Chinese tourists took a photo of her being treated. And on top of that, in the end, they overcharged him for a coffee at the airport.

In life you have to have guts. That’s for sure. If you want to get something, you’d better pull out all the stops and risk being told no, like when James Cameron simply added a “$” to the word “Alien” to justify the film’s sequel. In this same line of thinking is Anton Purisima, the man who decided to sue New York for literally more than all the money in the world.

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Money, money, money

Purisima did not like New York in 2006. She didn’t like it at all. First, a dog bit her on a bus. Then, a couple of Chinese tourists took a picture of her while she was being treated. And finally, he was overcharged for a coffee at the airport. The man couldn’t take it anymore and decided to teach New York a lesson by denouncing it for two million dollars. That is, a two followed by 36 zeros.

Let’s keep in mind that right now there is an estimated 46 trillion in the world in total, between virtual and real money. For whatever reason, paying four times all the money in the world to a gentleman for a dog bite and an expensive coffee didn’t seem like it was going to happen. Spoiler: it didn’t happen, of course. It must be said that Purisima was (and is) a professional plaintiff, who since 2004 has already made 47 lawsuits against cities like Philadelphia or New Jersey.

Another thing is that they work out well for him: most of these lawsuits end up being dismissed and do not even go to trial. To put in value what this man was trying to achieve: The Mona Lisa costs 100 million, building the Burj Khalifa 1500 million. Both could have been obtained as if they were small change. There is nothing comparable to the humiliation of being bitten by a dog, apparently.

And that was his defense: in the 22 pages he took to trial, the plaintiff claimed that his pain “could not be repaired with money,” so he justified asking for as much as possible. And if it counts, it counts. This is not to say that you can’t sue the owner of a dangerous dog, but man, if you can, for a little less than all the money there has ever been on the planet. As an idea.

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Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

How to use Duolingo in 5 simple steps

Duolingo is a popular language learning app that enables users to learn a new language in a fun way. By gamifying the learning process, Duolingo makes learning new languages easier, more efficient, and, most importantly, fun. But is the app really effective? And where do you start with learning a new language?

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In this guide, we’ll share with you the best ways to get the most benefit from the app, as well as how to use Duolingo.

Is it actually possible to learn a new language with Duolingo?

With frequent use of the app, users can learn the basics of a new language. Duolingo was specifically developed to teach users the basics of a new language. Through daily use of the app, users can learn basic vocabulary and sentence structures for the targeted language. However, it won’t be easy to become 100% fluent in a language through only the app, as sayings, phrases, and the context in real conversations can vary. 

Duolingo is great for covering the basics and getting you started. However, practicing conversations with a native speaker of the language will be beneficial once you’ve completed the basics using Duolingo.

What’s the best way to progress through Duolingo?

To make the most of your learning experience on Duolingo, it’s recommended that you keep revising old work while also learning new material. This keeps things fresh while also ensuring you revise old content and really get a grasp of them before simply moving on.

The best way to do this is to learn a new skill and progress with it until you reach level one. Once you’ve reached level one in a new skill, go back to a previous skill and work on leveling it up. Circulate through the various skills by learning a new skill and then upgrading a previous skill. Doing this ensures that you revise the previous lessons, keeping the material fresh in your mind and ready to build on as you progress through the modules and skills.

How to use Duolingo

  1. Download the app and create an account

    How to use Duolingo

    First, you’ll need to download the app from the relevant app store. Currently, Duolingo is free to download on Android, iPhone, and Windows. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the app, create an account by adding your email address and password.

  2. Choose a language to learn

    How to use Duolingo

    Next, you can choose what language you want to learn and you can learn more than one at a time. However, for first-time users, focusing on one language is recommended until you have it down before starting a new one. Currently, there are 19 different languages available, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more.

  3. Set reminders

    How to use Duolingo

    Working on a new language daily is the best way to ensure you become fluent in the basics. Set reminders by going to the ‘Notification’ settings. Here you can set a daily time for the app to remind you to take your lesson for the day.

  4. Click home to return to your skill tree

    How to use Duolingo

    Tap on the ‘Home’ icon to return to the main screen. Here you will see the skill tree for the language you selected. This skill tree consists of different modules, each with its own lessons and progress.

    Each unit consists of five lessons; your progress through these lessons is tracked so you can continue with them at any time. As you complete lessons and modules, they will level up and increase in difficulty. More will also be unlocked to help you progress through your learning.

  5. Click on a skill unit and start learning

    How to use Duolingo

    You can start with any module you want by simply tapping on it. Once you’ve tapped on it, you’ll be given lessons that consist of exercises, explanations, and more. Once you’ve completed a module, there will be a test. If you pass the test, you’ll be rewarded with crowns, and the lesson will level up.

    Tip: Remember to cycle through previous work as well as new work to keep a good pace going. Keep building on your previous knowledge by leveling up modules you’ve already covered.

Learn another language easily

Duolingo is a great app for learning the basics of any new language. Are you planning a trip to the Spanish Riviera? Duolingo can help you learn Ukrainian or Spanish quickly and easily so that you can communicate with the locals. Struggling with your French classes? Duolingo can give you the jumpstart you need to learn and exceed in your classes. No matter what your situation, take a look at Duolingo if you want to learn a new language for free.

Duolingo shows support for Ukraine and those studying its language

In an official statement from its CEO, popular language app Duolingo expresses solidarity with Ukraine by donating all of the ad revenue from people studying Ukrainian via the app to Ukraine relief movements. This is a huge help as the app has detected a 485% increase in users studying the language in the wake of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

While it’s not the only language app around, Duolingo is among the more popular options and offers tons of helpful features. In providing support to its Ukrainian language students, the app hopes to further lessen the burden on people during these trying times.

Duolingo has noted that the sudden spike of interest in Ukrainian mainly comes from the US and Poland, which is currently welcoming and hosting Ukrainian refugees. Thus, to further aid both students and refugees, all ad revenue from studying the language will be donated to organizations like the United Nations Refugee Agency and the International Rescue Committee, which are part of the relief efforts. 

Additionally, the app will partner up with these organizations to distribute codes so refugees and hosts can use Duolingo Plus for free. It will also be providing fee waivers so English proficiency tests for university applications are more accessible for Ukrainian students. Duolingo learning streaks will be frozen for users in Ukraine, too, so they don’t have to worry about maintaining their daily progress.

On the other hand, Duolingo remains completely free in Russia and Belarus, but all monetization will be disabled to avoid paying any taxes to the Russian government. The escalation of the Western European conflict can mean a lot of changes to how some apps will operate, but this is exactly a good time to pick up some useful skills that they can teach.