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📱WhatsApp Adds Voicemail-Style Messaging for Missed Calls

📱WhatsApp Adds Voicemail-Style Messaging for Missed Calls

Plus: ☁️ Meta Strikes $10 Billion Google Cloud Deal

Innovation Village
August 25, 2025

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Today’s Menu ☕️

📱Missed a Call? WhatsApp Now Lets You Leave a Voicemail-Like Message
☁️ Meta Strikes $10 Billion Google Cloud Deal to Power AI Ambitions
🧸 How Labubu Made Pop Mart CEO Wang Ning a Billionaire
📲 YouTube Music Turns 10 with New Discovery and Social Features for Fans
💸Lendable MSME Fintech Credit Fund 2 secures $10M investment from FMO
💰FCMB and TLG Capital deploy Private Debt Fund Series 1

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📱SOCIAL MEDIA

Missed a Call? WhatsApp Now Lets You Leave a Voicemail-Like Message

WhatsApp is testing a new voicemail-like feature that lets users leave a quick audio message directly from the call screen when someone misses their call. Instead of exiting the call and navigating to the chat window, callers can now choose to “Record Voice Message” alongside the existing “Cancel” and “Call Again” options. The note appears in the recipient’s chat just like a regular voice message, but with the added context of being tied to the missed call.

Currently limited to Android beta testers, the update not only streamlines communication but also reinforces WhatsApp’s focus on speed, convenience, and security with end-to-end encryption. While widespread rollout could introduce challenges such as chat clutter or extra storage use, the feature transforms missed calls into opportunities for immediate, meaningful follow-ups—whether for work, reminders, or casual updates……continue reading

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☁️ CLOUD COMPUTING

Meta Strikes $10 Billion Google Cloud Deal to Power AI Ambitions

Meta Platforms has struck a landmark six-year deal with Google Cloud worth more than $10 billion, a move that underscores its intensifying investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The agreement will see Meta rely on Google’s servers, storage, and networking to support the expansion of its Llama AI models and broader AI ambitions, even as it continues to work with Amazon and Microsoft.

For Google Cloud, the win further boosts its momentum in the AI-driven cloud market, where it is steadily gaining ground against larger rivals. Despite their rivalry in digital advertising, Meta’s partnership with Google reflects the enormous scale and cost of building AI infrastructure, where collaboration among competitors has become both necessary and strategic..…continue reading

🧸 ENTERPRENEURSHIP

How Labubu Made Pop Mart CEO Wang Ning a Billionaire

Labubu, the sharp-toothed, bunny-eared elf created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, has become more than a toy—it’s a global phenomenon. After partnering with Pop Mart in 2019, the once-niche character exploded into mainstream culture through the blind-box craze, celebrity endorsements, and viral social media buzz. By 2025, Labubu alone generated over $670 million in sales, propelling Pop Mart’s rapid international expansion and turning its founder, Wang Ning, into a multibillionaire.

From limited-edition collectibles auctioned for six figures to plans for animations and theme parks, Labubu has grown into a cultural powerhouse. Yet its success also sparked controversy over counterfeits and consumer behavior, cementing it as a symbol of how imagination, commerce, and strategy can reshape global markets.......continue reading

📲APPS

YouTube Music Turns 10 with New Discovery and Social Features for Fans

YouTube Music is marking its tenth anniversary with a set of features that highlight how far the platform has come from its early days as a simple streaming alternative. The updates focus on deepening community and discovery, including Taste Match playlists that merge friends’ music preferences, Your Daily Discover recommendations that explain why songs are suggested, and fan badges like “First to Watch” that reward loyalty.

A partnership with Bandsintown also brings live concert details, merch drops, and release alerts directly into the app, ensuring fans stay connected with their favorite artists. Together, these changes show YouTube Music’s evolution into a space where streaming, discovery, and social engagement all converge....…continue reading

💸 INVESTMENT

Lendable MSME Fintech Credit Fund 2 secures $10M investment from FMO

FMO, the Dutch development finance institution, has committed $10 million to the Lendable MSME Fintech Credit Fund 2 (LMFCF2), a debt fund managed by DynoLabs Asset Management. Building on the success of its predecessor, LMFCF2 will provide senior secured and unsecured loans to fintechs across Africa, Asia, and now Latin America.

The fund targets companies driving financial inclusion — from MSME lenders and payment platforms to asset-backed financiers — ensuring that capital reaches underserved communities, small businesses, and low-income individuals who are often excluded from traditional banking...…continue reading