Technology

After announcing Telegram Premium earlier this month, the messaging app has finally rolled out the paid tier, which gives users access to extra features for $4.99 / month (via TechCrunch). All the features are outlined in a post on Telegram’s blog, with some of its bigger draws including faster downloads and a larger maximum file upload size of 4GB (rather than the standard 2GB). Premium subscribers will also get double the limits imposed on standard users. Instead of joining up to 500 channels, subscribers are capped at 1,000 channels. The same goes for other features on Telegram — subscribers can create 20 chat folders with 200 chats each, save up to 10 stickers, pin up to 10 chats, and add a total of four accounts to Telegram instead of three. Premium users also get to have longer bios ...

On Friday, TikTok announced that it had started routing American users’ data to US-based servers owned by Oracle. But a timely report from BuzzFeed News calls into question what TikTok’s promise really delivers, claiming TikTok employees based in China have “repeatedly” accessed US users’ data over the course of at least several months. In recordings of internal staff meetings and presentations obtained by BuzzFeed News, TikTok employees reportedly mentioned having to ask their colleagues in China to access US user data, as they weren’t able to access this data themselves. One member of TikTok’s trust and safety department team allegedly stated that “Everything is seen in China,” while another employee said a China-based engineer “had access to everything.” These events reportedly occurred...

When it comes to colorful controller designs, Xbox’s game has been on point for years. Ever since the Xbox One generation, Microsoft has released many fun variations of its controllers — including limited editions and the Xbox Design Lab — and this momentum has not slowed with the Xbox Series X / S consoles. Meanwhile, the third-party range of Xbox controllers is more expansive than ever, and brands like PowerA are hitting budget-friendly prices with slick new colorways of its own, like the recently released pastel range of the $37.99 PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox and PC. Marshmallowy vibes for days. The controllers have smooth, satin finishes on the front, lightly textured backs, and glossy accents on the shoulders and bumpers. Announced back in March as a spring collection, t...

Google is known for its close-knit — and sometimes secretive — company culture, but one wouldn’t suspect an actual cult running things behind the scenes. Well, one Google contractor claims that’s exactly the case, as detailed in this unusual report from The New York Times. Kevin Lloyd, a contractor hired to work as a video producer for Google Developer Studio (GDS), alleges at least 12 members of an obscure religious sect work for GDS and hold an inappropriate level of influence over the work environment. Lloyd claims he was wrongly fired for calling out the group’s behavior and has filed a lawsuit against Google and his contracting agency ASG for wrongful termination, retaliation, emotional distress, and failure to protect him against discrimination. The religious group in question is kno...

After 43 bids at an eBay auction, the last chance to purchase lunch with 91-year-old billionaire Warren Buffett sold for $19 million USD to an anonymous buyer. Proceeds from the “Power Lunch with Warren Buffett” will benefit Glide, a San Francisco-based charity organization dedicated to offering refuge and support for the homeless. The charity lunch idea was first conceived by Buffett’s late wife Susie who volunteered at the organization. Held annually since 2000, with a hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to risks posed by Covid-19,  this year’s lunch marks the 21st and last time Buffett will partner with Glide for the opportunity. This year’s lunch was eBay’s most expensive item ever sold for charity, and the previous record “Power Lunch” purchase of $4.57 million USD was sold to TRON found...

WhatsApp has rolled out several new features this past week, including the ability to mute people during group calls (via Android Central). This sanity-saving feature seems helpful not just for muting people who forget to do it themselves, but also if you’re in the same room as someone who’s also on the call and don’t want to hear an echo of what they say. While some conferencing apps, like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, let hosts mute all participants (or specific ones), they typically don’t offer a way for individual users to mute whoever they want during a call. This feature offers a new level of control that’s probably best saved for chaotic meetings that involve up to the maximum of eight people on video calls — or up to 32 on voice calls. Some new features for group calls on @WhatsApp: Yo...

WhatsApp has rolled out several new features this past week, including the ability to mute people during group calls (via Android Central). This sanity-saving feature seems helpful not just for muting people who forget to do it themselves, but also if you’re in the same room as someone who’s also on the call and don’t want to hear an echo of what they say. While some conferencing apps, like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, let hosts mute all participants (or specific ones), they typically don’t offer a way for individual users to mute whoever they want during a call. This feature offers a new level of control that’s probably best saved for chaotic meetings that involve up to the maximum of eight people on video calls — or up to 32 on voice calls. Some new features for group calls on @WhatsApp: Yo...

Workers at Apple’s Towson Town Center store in Maryland have voted to unionize, with 65 yeses and 33 nos. Around 110 employees were eligible to vote in the election. The store is the first Apple retail location in the US to hold a union election, after organizers in Atlanta withdrew their petition to hold a union vote, which had been scheduled to take place in early May. Organizing at the Towson store has been done by a group of employees that called themselves AppleCORE (an acronym for Coalition of Organized Retail Employees). The workers have said they want to expand their rights, specifically asking for a say when it came to pay, hours, and safety. AppleCORE is associated with a larger, established union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Apple hasn’t we...

A former Amazon Web Services (AWS) engineer has been found guilty of hacking into customers’ cloud storage systems and stealing data linked to the massive 2019 Capital One breach. A US District Court in Seattle convicted Paige Thompson of seven counts of computer and wire fraud on Friday, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Thompson, who also went by the name “Erratic” online, was arrested for carrying out the Capital One hack in July 2019. The breach was one of the largest ever recorded, exposing the names, birth dates, social security numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers of over 100 million people in the US and Canada. Capital One has since been fined $80 million for allegedly failing to secure users’ data and settled with affected customers for $190 million. A press r...

Last January, Lego promised its 90th anniversary would be one to remember: the company agreed to revive one of its classic Lego themes (like Space, Castle, and Pirates) with a new, adult-grade Lego set. But it turns out we’re not just getting one nostalgia bomb today — the company has decided to bring back classic Space and classic Castle at the same time. First, Lego is revealing the Galaxy Explorer, an upsized version of the original iconic Lego spaceship that will go up for pre-order today. And second, it’s announcing the Lion Knights’ Castle, which — at $400 and 4,514 pieces — is easily the most intricate and impressive castle playset the company’s ever produced. To see more about the Lego Galaxy Explorer instead, tap here. For days now, I’ve been pouring over the high-resolution photo...

Last January, Lego promised its 90th anniversary would be one to remember: the company agreed to revive one of its classic Lego themes (like Space, Castle, and Pirates) with a new, adult-grade Lego set. But it turns out we’re not just getting one nostalgia bomb today — the company has decided to bring back classic Space and classic Castle at the same time. First, Lego is revealing the Galaxy Explorer, a $100 upscaled version of the original iconic Lego spaceship that will go up for pre-order today. And second, it’s announcing the Lion Knights’ Castle, which — at $400 and 4,514 pieces — is easily the most intricate and impressive castle playset the company’s ever produced. For more about Lego’s new castle instead, tap here. For days now, I’ve been pouring over the high-resolution photos of ...