Software

X, formerly Twitter, now sorts posts by like counts instead of order when users log out. Social media profiles display posts, formerly tweets, in chronological order when logged in, but by performance when logged out. The change was noticed by 9to5Google. Since posts with more views but fewer likes appear …

New York City is the latest city to ban TikTok to prevent Chinese security threats. The Verge reported the immediate ban, which requires agencies to remove the app from city-owned hardware within 30 days. NYC Cyber Command, which tracks cyber threats for the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation, recommended …

U.S. and Australian government cybersecurity agencies warn that common security vulnerabilities in websites and web apps can be exploited to commit large-scale data breaches. CISA, the National Security Agency, and the Australian Cyber Security Centre warned Thursday that insecure direct object references (IDORs) allow hackers to access or modify sensitive …

Volkswagen’s $700 million investment in China’s electric vehicle startup XPeng is this week’s auto industry news. This partnership could set a precedent for Western automakers looking to leverage Chinese firms’ EV expertise, while Chinese firms can benefit from their foreign allies’ global distribution. Volkswagen will produce two battery-powered models using …

A few weeks ago, Uncork Capital announced that it had closed on $400 million in capital commitments for two new funds: $200 million for a seed-stage vehicle and $200 million for an opportunity-style fund that mostly supports startups in its portfolio. The funds are twice what Uncork raised in 2019 …

Peacock has lagged behind streaming competitors. On Thursday, the streaming service reported a 9% increase in subscribers to 24 million from 22 million in its second quarter. Peacock trails Netflix, which added 5.9 million subscribers in the same quarter. Disney+ lost four million subscribers in Q2 2023, but its total …

Mastodon, an open-source decentralized social network and one of many Twitter, er X, competitors, has traditionally shunned advertising. According to founder and CEO Eugen Rochko, Patreon has funded the company mostly. Mastodon announced on Wednesday that it will sell merchandise to raise funds for development. Dopatwo will design Mastodon t-shirts, …

Today, WhatsApp introduced short personal video recording and sharing in chats. The messaging app says voice messages changed how people communicate by providing a quick and secure way to share their voice, so it’s adding instant video messages. WhatsApp wrote that video messages are a real-time way to respond to …

According to a new Reuters report, Tesla overstated its EVs’ range estimates, causing owners to flood its service center. Elon Musk ordered algorithms to boost range numbers, according to anonymous sources and industry experts. Service requests skyrocketed with sales. Tesla created a “diversion team” to handle “range cases”—owners complaining of …

Twitter’s X rebrand has failed. The company didn’t secure the intellectual property rights to the X brand, Reuters reported, and the site’s haphazard rollout had parts referencing “X” while others still encouraged you to “search Twitter” or “Tweet.” Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters sign was removed without a permit, prompting police …