For an app with over a billion users, WeChat doesn’t make a very strong first impression. When I opened up WeChat for the first time during freshman orientation at Indiana University (IU), I was amazed at how haphazard it was. The design looked outdated, drenched in a hideous shade of green. The media feed was… Continue reading The speakeasy economy of WeChat
Author: The Verge Online News
Pirates of Khadda Market
Nestled between two hills in Karachi, Pakistan, lies a very different kind of Silicon Valley. Known as Khadda Market, it is one of the many vibrant places that symbolize the city’s charm. From noon to midnight, it is alive with the buzz of crowded restaurants, supplicating panhandlers, weaving motorcycles, and pushy vendors. Many come to… Continue reading Pirates of Khadda Market
Google Fiber isn’t dead, it’s expanding
Google Fiber, the Alphabet division focused on offering high-speed internet access in the US, has ambitious plans to expand its fiber services in the next three to five years, the company announced in a blog post. It wants to launch fiber services in five new states, which include previously announced plans to enter Arizona and… Continue reading Google Fiber isn’t dead, it’s expanding
How Donald Trump changed Facebook
At one point in time, Facebook’s relationship with politicians was relatively uncontroversial. But after the 2016 US elections, everything changed. Early in the campaign, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump tested the limits of Facebook’s rules against hateful speech at the same time that the company became a vehicle of political exploitation by foreign actors. Facebook’s first… Continue reading How Donald Trump changed Facebook
Nights are getting way too hot to handle
Summer nights are getting increasingly dangerous thanks to climate change. By 2100, the risk of death from excessively hot nights is expected togrow six-fold compared to 2016 — even under the most optimistic predictions of future global warming, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health. Hot nights are becoming… Continue reading Nights are getting way too hot to handle
Ralph Nader urges regulators to recall Tesla’s ‘manslaughtering’ Full Self-Driving vehicles
Ralph Nader, a former presidential candidate and nationally recognized consumer protection advocate, called on federal regulators to recall Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) driver-assist feature, calling its deployment “one of the most dangerous and irresponsible actions by a car company in decades.” Nader, who first came to prominence with the 1965 publication of the bestselling book… Continue reading Ralph Nader urges regulators to recall Tesla’s ‘manslaughtering’ Full Self-Driving vehicles
‘Take that, Elon Musk’: Ford’s CEO takes a swipe at EV rival while announcing solar investment
Ford CEO Jim Farley took a swipe at Tesla CEO Elon Musk Wednesday while announcing a major investment in solar energy. The comment was intended to draw a comparison between Tesla’s long-delayed Cybertruck and Ford’s plug-in pickup, the F-150 Lightning. Farley was speaking at a Ford plant in Michigan to announce a deal with DTE… Continue reading ‘Take that, Elon Musk’: Ford’s CEO takes a swipe at EV rival while announcing solar investment
New Splatoon 3 video shows off new Splatoon card game
Gather your paint cans, squids. With Splatoon 3 right around the corner, Nintendo’s released the most in-depth look at what to expect from the closest thing to an esport that the company actually still cares about. (Sorry, Smash.) The 30-minute-long presentation covered (it’s a paint joke!) everything from new weapons to new stages and even… Continue reading New Splatoon 3 video shows off new Splatoon card game
Elon Musk changes plans, sells $6.9 billion in Tesla shares with Twitter trial looming
With so much of the world’s richest man’s wealth tied up in shares of his electric car company, Tesla is a part of the deal Elon doesn’t want to do anymore for more reasons than just a few subpoenas. Six SEC filings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) revealed Elon Musk sold more Tesla shares… Continue reading Elon Musk changes plans, sells $6.9 billion in Tesla shares with Twitter trial looming
Waymo designed new features to improve AV access for passengers with disabilities
Waymo is introducing a raft of new features designed to make its fleet of autonomous taxis more accessible to passengers with visual impairments and other disabilities. The new features are sure to draw attention when they start hitting the streets. They include displaying the rider’s initials on the rooftop dome as a visual way to… Continue reading Waymo designed new features to improve AV access for passengers with disabilities