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Download of the Week Software

WhatsApp finally gets usernames, letting users hide their phone numbers

WhatsApp is rolling out unique usernames, letting users connect without sharing their phone number. To claim yours, update to the latest version of WhatsApp, go to Settings > Account > Username, and pick an available handle. The feature is rolling out gradually, with broader availability expected later this year.

By Ivan Franco, June 30, 2026, 11:46 AM

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Meta has been secretly relying on Google's AI for customer service, ad tools, and content moderation – then got cut off

Google had to cut Meta off from Gemini because Meta was using too much of it

By Rob Thubron, June 29, 2026, 11:24 AM 7 comments

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REI pulls AI-generated bike ad after Meta turns it into a two-handlebar monstrosity

AI-generated ads are getting harder to spot, unless they add handlebars to both ends of a bike

By Rob Thubron, June 25, 2026, 7:38 AM 8 comments

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Gaming Hardware

Virtuix's full-body VR treadmill just got official Meta Quest support

Omni One $2,600 VR treadmill pairs with Meta Quest headsets for full-body VR movement

By Skye Jacobs, June 24, 2026, 6:15 AM

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The Web Tech Culture

Meta is building a prediction market app, but it will launch without real-money bets

Another Zuck carbon copy could be on the way

Ripple effect: Never one to miss an opportunity to jump on a bandwagon (or steal someone else's idea), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has directed a small team to create a prediction market app. The big difference is that it won't use actual money for trades – though that could change at some point.

Full story By Rob Thubron, June 24, 2026, 5:19 AM

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Wearable Tech Electronics

Meta just launched its own-branded smart glasses for $299

Three form factors available in 26 size and color combinations

By Daniel Sims, June 23, 2026, 11:16 PM

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Meta hits pause on AI training project after employee data became visible company-wide

The company-wide initiative collected keystrokes, mouse activity, and workplace interactions

By Skye Jacobs, June 23, 2026, 11:50 AM

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The Web Tech Culture

Meta wants a child safety bill rewritten to shield it from lawsuits over harm to kids

Meta and Google already lost their first child safety trial this year, with $6 million in damages

By Skye Jacobs, June 19, 2026, 10:51 AM 11 comments

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The Web Tech Culture

UK confirms social media ban for kids is coming – Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat respond

Keir Starmer says he won't compromise on children's safety, but Australia's experience shows bans are hard to enforce

By Rob Thubron, June 16, 2026, 8:33 AM 47 comments

In Hindsight: Tech Quotes That Got the Future Right and Wrong

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FEATURE By Julio Franco and Graham Singer, June 8, 2026, 5:20 AM TechSpot Tech Culture

Tech leaders love predicting the future. Sometimes they nail it, sometimes they miss spectacularly, and sometimes they leave behind quotes that only get better with age.

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Hackers tricked Meta's AI chatbot into handing over Instagram accounts, including Obama's

All that was needed was a VPN and a target's username, the chatbot did the rest

By Daniel Sims, June 2, 2026, 7:51 AM

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Meta's AI training effort is capturing employee emails and browsing history, not just mouse clicks

Internal documents show Meta's AI training logs browsing history, clipboard actions, and employee communications across 200+ apps

By Skye Jacobs, June 1, 2026, 2:20 PM

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Tech layoffs have already passed 100,000 in 2026 as the industry cuts jobs to fund AI

Meta, Cisco, Intuit, and PayPal lead a wave – 2026 is shaping up to be brutal

A hot potato: Tech sector job losses in early 2026 have already surged past 100,000, and the past month suggests the trend is not subsiding. While AI automation is likely not the sole cause, aggregated reports suggest it is the leading factor, with Meta's transition into an "AI-first" company headlining May's damage to the job market.

Full story By Daniel Sims, May 22, 2026, 9:50 AM 24 comments

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Meta launches Forum, an app for Facebook Groups offered as a Reddit alternative

Facebook Groups gets another standalone app, years after Meta shut the last one down

By Rob Thubron, May 22, 2026, 9:26 AM

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The Web Tech Culture

Meta settles a lawsuit that said it addicted students and left schools to deal with the damage

The Kentucky district claimed addictive design features forced schools to divert resources from education

By Rob Thubron, May 22, 2026, 8:08 AM 7 comments

meta layoffs work

Meta is reassigning 7,000 workers to AI jobs while laying off thousands more

At Meta, employees are either losing jobs to AI or being reassigned to build it

By Rob Thubron, May 19, 2026, 7:12 AM

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The Web Industry

European Court of Justice rules Meta must compensate Italian publishers for content use

Newspapers have the right to "fair compensation" from US Big Tech, the EU said

By Alfonso Maruccia, May 15, 2026, 2:55 PM 17 comments

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The Web Tech Culture

The EU is going after TikTok and Meta over addictive algorithms and child safety failures

As always, Brussels is especially thinking about the children

By Alfonso Maruccia, May 13, 2026, 1:53 PM 45 comments

meta layoffs tracking surveillance workplace

AI Tech Culture

Meta is using its own employees' activity to train AI, and laying off 8,000 of them at the same time

Employees are calling the changes "incredibly demoralizing"

By Skye Jacobs, May 12, 2026, 11:53 AM 13 comments

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Image generation is now the feature that moves the needle for AI apps

What gets people to download an AI app in 2026 has less to do with smarter models and more to do with images

By Skye Jacobs, May 7, 2026, 6:15 AM

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Meta is using AI facial analysis to identify underage users on Facebook and Instagram

The company insists this is "not facial recognition"

By Kishalaya Kundu, May 5, 2026, 11:31 AM

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Meta says New Mexico lawsuit could force Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp out of the state

Trial could force Meta to add age verification, kill infinite scroll, and limit encryption for minors

By Skye Jacobs, May 4, 2026, 7:47 AM

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Wearable Tech Security

Meta contractor fires 1,100 AI trainers after they revealed Ray-Ban glasses recorded private and intimate footage

The same firm that helped train ChatGPT is now at the center of Meta's smart glasses privacy scandal

By Daniel Sims, May 1, 2026, 12:12 AM 23 comments

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Meta's AI bill keeps growing as spending forecast jumps to $145 billion

Shares fell after the company raised its capex outlook, despite reporting its fastest revenue growth since 2021

By Rob Thubron, April 30, 2026, 7:46 AM

whatsapp privacy investigation encryption meta

Security Industry

A federal agent said WhatsApp's encryption is a lie. Then the investigation was shut down

A 10-month Commerce Department probe concluded Meta could view all WhatsApp messages in unencrypted form

By Skye Jacobs, April 29, 2026, 11:06 AM 21 comments