Welcome to another episode of “News You Probably Missed and Shouldn’t Have!” a news roundup, where we dig through the week’s forgotten stories like a raccoon rummaging through your trash. In this roundup, we piece together the quirky, the curious, and the downright strange tidbits that slipped through the cracks. Grab your coffee, sit back, and prepare for a wild ride through the headlines you didn’t know you missed.
Google Pay app bites the dust in the US
Google Pay, aka GPay, has waved goodbye to its US users. The app is no longer available stateside. But fear not, you can still tap to pay with your phone, just minus the familiar GPay logo. Now under the banner of the younger but supposedly more powerful sibling Google Wallet. Maybe the company believes switching from Pay to Wallet branding would make more people finally ditch their physical wallets. Or perhaps it hopes you won’t recognize your phone wallet and accidentally spend less.
Adobe says it doesn’t use its customers’ work to train AI
Adobe messed up and freaked everyone out by making it sound like it was stealing people’s art to train its generative AI tool. Now it is backtracking faster than a teenager caught using their parents’ credit card, saying “Whoa whoa whoa, no thievery here! Your artsy masterpieces are all yours.” Basically, Adobe is trying to be the cool kid at the party again, but everyone remembers that awkward silence it caused earlier.
NewJeans gets a court order to make Google reveal a YouTuber’s identity
K-Pop group NewJeans is throwing some shade… but legally! A mean YouTuber with the username “@Middle7” has been blasting them with nasty videos, and NewJeans wants to fight back. Since they can’t exactly call out “@Middle7” in the schoolyard (they’re K-Pop stars, not middle schoolers), they got a court order to sic Google on the YouTuber and reveal their real identity. Looks like “@Middle7” might be eating their keyboard soon!
Microsoft prepares to add your Android phone to Windows 11 File Explorer
Great news for Android users who also use a Windows 11 PC! Juggling files between your phone and computer might soon be a thing of the past. Microsoft is working on a feature that lets you see your Android phone directly in File Explorer, just like an external drive. Imagine being able to drag and drop photos or documents between your devices with ease! No more messing with tangled wires or funky transfer apps.
iOS 18 brings T9 dialing to the iPhone
Calling all iPhone users tired of hunting through contacts like a lost puppy! Rejoice, for iOS 18 brings the holy grail of T9 dialling. Need to call your friend Brian? Just tap in 2 (for B), 7 (for I), 2 (for A), and 6 (for N) on the keypad. Poof! Your iPhone magically pulls Brian to the top of the list, ready for a call. T9 dialing is like having a tiny fortune teller in your phone who can guess who you want to call based on a few button presses.
WhatsApp prepares to add a layer of privacy to your status updates
Ever accidentally posted a WhatsApp status update to your grandma that you meant for your besties? Fear not! An upcoming update will prompt you to confirm who can see your status before you hit share. Think of it as a “second chance” to avoid any awkward moments with distant relatives. WhatsApp is helping you be more judicious about what you share with the world, one status update at a time.
iPhone gets more charging limitations with iOS 18
iPhone users, now you can finally unplug from battery anxiety. Forget the stress of constantly plugging in your phone – you’re about to become a master of maximizing battery health! With iOS 18, you get more charging limitations, going all the way up to 95%. No more stress about leaving your phone plugged in throughout the night, while still ensuring you wake up with a near-full battery in the morning. This feature is a godsend for those who want their iPhone batteries to live forever.
Boost Mobile launches an affordable 5G phone
Calling all budget-minded phone lovers! Boost Mobile just dropped its latest phone, the Celero5G SC, and it’s designed to be easy on your wallet without skimping on features. A big screen, big battery, quality cameras, the phone has it all. Plus, it comes with a charger and cable, so you’re all set! And the best part? The carrier is giving away the Celero5G SC for FREE to new customers who switch to its network! Just visit your nearest Boost Mobile store. If you can’t visit a store, order the phone online for a nominal cost of $9.99.
T-Mobile fails to convince a customer to drop the FCC complaint
T-Mobile, the “Un-carrier,” tried to smooth-talk a customer out of complaining to the FCC about a price hike—like a magician trying to convince a rabbit it enjoyed disappearing in the hat—and failed spectacularly. The firm’s arguments and explanations appeared inaccurate and deceitful. It seemingly wanted to tangle the customer in heavy words but couldn’t quite pull off the feat. This whole situation is a hilarious public service announcement for always reading the fine print.
Nintendo Switch removes X integration with the latest update
Looks like pigeons everywhere can rejoice! No more epic Mario fails or Animal Crossing masterpieces clogging up their favorite social media platform X—well, at least not directly from the Switch. The latest update for Nintendo Switch ends X integration, blocking users from bragging about their achievements on the platform. Maybe this is Nintendo’s subtle way of encouraging us to actually talk to our friends about the games we love, instead of just live-posting every victory. Maybe this is the right way, as PlayStation and Xbox also removed X integration last year.
Four more states join DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple
The plot against Apple’s empire thickens! Four more states—Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington—have joined the Department of Justice’s lawsuit accusing Apple of being a smartphone bully. This brings the total number of accusers to 20! They’re all pointing the finger at Apple, saying it’s squeezing the competition out of the market with its App Store practices. Imagine if you could only buy games at a store that also made all the games! That’s kind of the beef these states have with Apple.
Xiaomi 14 Civi is an affordable selfie king with a flagship chipset
Xiaomi just unveiled the selfie king, the Xiaomi 14 Civi! This phone is all about capturing those flawless pics and looking oh-so-stylish while doing it. It features dual 32MP selfie cameras with wide and ultrawide angles. Basically, you can fit your entire squad (or a scenic background) into your selfies with ease. All this at an affordable price without compromising on performance—Xiaomi used the latest Snapdragon 8 gen 3 chipset instead of something dull like others do with their so-called “affordable flagships”.
YouTube Music prepares to let you upvote playlists
Get ready to unleash your inner music critic, folks! YouTube Music is rumored to be working on a feature that lets you upvote playlists. That’s right, after years of simply “liking” playlists (which let’s be honest, is basically meaningless), you’ll finally be able to shower your favorite musical curations with the digital equivalent of a standing ovation. Hopefully, this will not lead to a popularity contest for playlists with the chunkiest throwback hits and actually bring up Ultimate Workout Jams guaranteed to make you grunt.
Tile data breach exposes customer information
Someone managed to crack Tile’s defenses like a cheap padlock. They used an old employee’s login, like borrowing a forgotten key––except instead of your house, they got into Tile’s vault of customer info. Names, addresses, emails, and other personal information were leaked. Tile assures everyone their location data is safe, thankfully. So, if you use Tile to track your stuff, rest assured your phone (hopefully) still knows where it is, even if Tile forgot for a sec.
ChromeOS is copying more Android tech to bring AI features
Google is feeling a bit left out of the AI party, so it’s giving ChromeOS a makeover in an attempt to be cooler. The company is basically saying, “Hey Android, let’s share some toys!” This means ChromeOS is about to get a whole lot more Android-y, which translates to… more AI features? Imagine a Chromebook that can predict your next search before you even type it, or dodge pop-up ads like Neo from the Matrix. That’s the dream, at least.
Waymo robotaxi crashes into a pole
Waymo’s self-driving car must have gotten a little too into phoning it in! Seriously though, its robotaxi ran smack into a telephone pole. Luckily, it was an empty car with a dream of becoming a taxi driver, so no one got hurt. The accident was caused by a software glitch that rated telephone poles as low-damage hazards. It seems Waymo’s AI needs to brush up on the dangers of pointy roadside furniture! Let’s just hope the company gets things right soon, otherwise, its passengers might need a map to find a good chiropractor.
WhatsApp expands group video calls, adds new features
WhatsApp is making video calls more like Zoom, in a desperate attempt to be the life of the party instead of the awkward acquaintance at the back. The app now supports 32 people in group calls across all platforms. It has also improved screen sharing and added a speaker spotlight feature for group calls, which makes the person talking the loudest the star of the show, even if they’re just yelling about conspiracy theories. So basically, if you ever get stuck in a conversation with 32 of your closest friends or that weird uncle who keeps sharing minion memes, WhatsApp is now your go-to app.
Tesla shareholders sue Elon Musk for creating xAI
Elon Musk is in hot water again. This time, courtesy of shareholders of one of his companies. Tesla shareholders are suing him for allegedly competing with Tesla by launching a rival AI company xAI. Imagine investors being upset that their super-rich CEO is branching out into even more futuristic endeavors! Maybe they’re worried their self-driving Teslas will get jealous and try to unionize with xAI’s AI creations. This lawsuit promises to be a real doozy!
Big Tech is in for a double DMA-chine
Remember the DMA? That EU law that made Big Tech sweat a little? Get ready for round two! Another law is coming to town, aiming to put more reins on Google, Meta, and the gang. Indian lawmakers are drafting the Digital Competition Bill (DCB) intending to regulate the tech industry so bigger firms don’t run away with all the goodies. Looks like the party might be over for their Wild West ways in the digital world. We’ll have to see what hoops they have to jump through next!
Apple accused of paying less to female employees
Sounds like Apple might have bitten into a sour truth bomb. Two women filed a lawsuit claiming the company wasn’t paying their female employees as much as the men. The lawsuit says this alleged wage gap affected over 12,000 female workers in California for four years. Apparently, Apple based salaries on previous jobs and salary expectations, which can perpetuate existing pay gaps. The plaintiffs are calling for compensation for these women and a change to how Apple handles salaries. This could get messy for Apple, like a cracked under-warranty iPhone screen––expensive and inconvenient.
Intel has no idea why its i9 chips are crashing
Intel’s high-end Core i9 Raptor Lake chips have been crashing like a toddler’s tantrum in a toy store, and the company doesn’t know why. People were hyped that it found the culprit––a faulty eTVB (fancy overclocking thingy). But hold on to your RAM sticks! Turns out it was a hoax. Intel still hasn’t found the main cause of the crashes. So the eTVB fix might just be a temporary babysitter, not a permanent solution. While Intel’s on the case, no one knows when the real fix will come. In the meantime, keep your PC updated and maybe avoid any games that involve too much excitement for these sensitive chips.
2024-06-17 15:12:17