Technology

Snapchat on Wednesday announced a new method for its creators to make money on the platform, as part of the company’s push to compete with leading social media apps including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Dubbed “Spotlight Challenges,” the new initiative will allow Snapchat users to win cash prizes for producing top-performing Spotlight Snaps with specific Lenses, Sounds or Topics. Winning creators will take home a share of the total prize amount for each Spotlight Challenge, which will typically range from $1,000 USD to $25,000 USD, though the company notes there will be larger amounts for particular challenges. The minimum cash prize a Snapchatter will win is $250 USD. In order to participate, users must visit the Trending Page and select the challenge they would like to enter. The spec...

Buying an upgraded version of a gadget can be complicated. It’s not always immediately clear what’s changed or if those changes are even useful to you; this can happen with iterative phone updates or, more recently, the latest generation of game consoles from Sony and Microsoft. In the case of the latest Switch, though, Nintendo made things easy: all that matters is how much you care about the screen. The new $350 OLED Switch is functionally identical to the version that launched in 2017. It plays all of the same games, has the same interface, and uses the same controllers. Those games don’t have any kind of performance boost; no better frame rates or higher resolution. And aside from some small tweaks — an improved kickstand, a slightly redesigned dock, more storage — the hardware doesn’t...

When Ifeoma Ozoma came forward with allegations of discrimination and racism at Pinterest, she was prepared. She had a list of reporters on deck to share her story. She’d already hired a lawyer. Then she started hearing from other tech workers who also wanted to speak out. “The general lack of awareness around options and resources was shocking,” she says. Now, she’s aiming to fix that. On Wednesday, Ozoma launched the Tech Worker Handbook — a comprehensive online resource to help employees who want to speak out. “Deciding to go toe-to-toe with a powerful and well-resourced corporation is difficult for many reasons,” the website reads. “Access to information about how to find legal counsel, file a complaint with a governmental organization, work with the media, secure personal information,...

Microsoft’s Xbox team is partnering with Adidas to create limited-edition Xbox sneakers. The collaboration will see Adidas produce an Xbox sneaker to mark 20 years since the original release of the Xbox console. The sneakers include the Xbox logo and translucent green details. While this appears to be a limited-edition sneaker that Microsoft will use for giveaways, there will also be a separate Xbox-inspired sneaker available for purchase later this year. “This is just the beginning of our partnership with adidas, and over the next few months we’ll continue to mark our 20th anniversary by launching additional sneakers inspired by past and present Xbox console generations, including the first-ever sneaker available for purchase by our fans later this year,” explains James Monosmith, a marke...

If you think your PC is infected with some kind of malware or you just want to do a scan as part of a digital cleanup, Windows has a built-in security tool that can help you on your way — no third-party software to install or pay for. It’s called Windows Security. Once upon a time, Windows Security was called Windows Defender Security Center, but the app is largely similar. Searching “Windows Defender” in the Start menu will bring up Windows Security, and even now, Microsoft often refers to its actual antivirus scanning as Windows Defender. Microsoft’s built-in anti-malware software used to be thought of as totally worthless, but these days, it can hang with big names like Kaspersky and Avast in independent tests (blocking 99.7% of threats). Microsoft has also been pushing security with Wi...

Google has announced several new features for its Nest thermostats centered around helping the smart home become a bigger partner in the battle against climate change. These features are wrapped up in a new service called Nest Renew. The service will use intelligent automation to allow the thermostats to communicate with energy providers and make it easier for Nest users to know when there is cleaner and / or cheaper energy on their local power grid. The device will then automatically adjust to use that energy at optimal times without you having to do a thing. Nest Renew is the “First program of its kind,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and it is entirely opt-in. It includes five main features: Energy Shift — automatic shifting of heating and cooling to times when energy is cheaper and / o...

Messaging app Telegram gained a “record” 70 million new users on Monday, as Facebook experienced a nearly six-hour long outage across its services, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced. Encrypted messaging app Signal also reported gaining “millions” of new users on the same day. Both apps compete mainly with Facebook’s WhatsApp, although the outage also took down Facebook Messenger, and left users unable to send messages on Instagram. 70 million new users is an increase of over 10 percent compared to the 500 million monthly active users Telegram had as of January this year, the last time it reported a similar surge in new signups. Coincidentally, this last increase in users was also helped by problems at Facebook. In January, WhatsApp mishandled the introduction of a new privacy policy, lead...

After years of focusing on phones, HMD is releasing its first Android tablet under the Nokia brand name — something we haven’t seen since the real Nokia launched the N1 Android tablet back in 2014. The T20 is a 10.4-inch tablet designed to be used for working and studying from home. Pricing starts at $249.99 in the US where it will be available from November 17th, while in the UK the tablet will be available from today starting at £179.99 for the Wi-Fi version, or £199.99 for the LTE model. As you might expect from its affordable price point, the Nokia T20 is not a powerhouse of an Android tablet. It’s powered by a modest Unisoc Tiger T610 processor, and in the US and UK comes with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of expandable storage. HMD reckons its 8,200mAh battery is good for 15 hours of web surf...

Polar is making a number of updates to its family of sport watches today. This includes the launch of the Polar Grit X Pro for outdoor multisport enthusiasts, alongside feature and design tweaks to the company’s “premium” Vantage V2 multisport watch and Polar Unite fitness watch. The Grit X Pro is an update to the Grit X launched last year. For an extra $70/€70, the $499.90/€499.90 Pro model adds a tougher sapphire lens and a durable yet supple FKM watch band. Otherwise, you’re pretty much looking at the same specs as last year: GPS/A-GPS, waterproof to 100 meters, turn-by-turn navigation when linked with Komoot, and what’s considered to be one of the most accurate heart rate sensors available on any watch. Grit X watches will last for up to 40 hours of battery life in full GPS and heart-r...

Amazon has added a valuable new feature to Alexa: you can now opt to have more time to finish your statement or question before Alexa responds to you. The feature could be useful if you wish you had a bit longer before Alexa replied to what you were saying, but it’s also a useful accessibility feature, particularly for people with speech impediments who may need more time to say something. If you want to enable this, you can turn it on in the Alexa app. The company has also added the ability for Android users to type requests in the Alexa app. This feature might be handy for when you don’t want to use your voice to ask Alexa a question, but it too could be a boon for accessibility. This feature, which was first added to the iOS version of the Alexa app in December 2020, is in public previe...

Apple today released a firmware update for its AirPods Pro and AirPods Max that introduces new options for finding the pricey products if you happen to misplace them. These capabilities were first promised for iOS 15 but didn’t quite make the launch; thankfully, it didn’t take Apple much longer after that to roll them out. Both 9to5Mac and MacRumors reported on today’s release. Using Apple’s Find My app, it was already possible to view the location where your AirPods were last paired with your iPhone or play a sound to make them easier to dig out of the couch cushions. But this new update greatly expands that functionality. Now you can activate Lost Mode and have millions of other iPhones, iPads, and Macs aid in the search should your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max go missing. If they come wit...