Tech Digest daily roundup: Number of Facebook users falls for first time
Social media giant Facebook has seen its daily active users (DAUs) drop for the first time in its 18-year history. Facebook’s parent company Meta Networks says DAUs fell to 1.929bn in the three months to the end of December, compared to 1.930bn in the previous quarter. The firm also warned of slowing revenue growth in the face of competition from rivals like TikTok and YouTube, while advertisers are also cutting spending. Meta’s shares slumped by more than 20% in after-hours trading in New York. The slide in Meta’s share price wiped around $200bn (£147.5bn) off the company’s stock market value. BBC
Spotify on Wednesday forecast current-quarter subscribers lower than Wall Street expectations, but executives sought to reassure investors that growth had not cratered even as it deals with the fallout from the controversy around The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The company’s shares fell as much as 18% in late trading after Spotify reported the subscriber outlook. In an interview with Reuters after the report, Spotify’s chief financial officer, Paul Vogel, said this year would not be that much different than last in terms of users and subscribers. “While we have not given full year guidance anymore on subscribers … we don’t expect a material difference in the net additions for either users or subscribers in 2022 relative to 2021,” Vogel told Reuters. Guardian
A ransomware attack targeting KP Snacks may lead to a shortage of several popular crisp and nuts brands. Popular snacks from the British company, including Skips, Nik Naks, Hula Hoops, McCoy’s crisps and KP Nuts themselves, are a staple in British grocery stores, but their presence on shelves may be in question. According to messages sent to local shops and published by industry news outlet Better Retailing, deliveries could face delays and cancellations up until “the end of March at the earliest”. “At this stage, we cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods,” the letter from KP Snacks explains. Sky News
The arrival of the rumored iPad Air 5 seems more likely than ever as it appears that Apple has imported two never-before-seen iPad models to India ahead of its next Apple Event this Spring. That’s according to a new report from 91mobiles, which revealed that the devices were shipped “for testing purposes.” It is likely that one of the unreleased tablets was the updated entry-level iPad (also referred to as the iPad 10), while the other model could be the A15-powered iPad Air 5. The report also claims that the company imported a new budget-friendly iPhone (possibly the rumored iPhone SE 3). Tom’s Guide
Property company Ediston is to roll out rapid EV charging to its retail sites across the UK under a tie-up with Osprey Charging Network. The partnership will open up rapid destination charging to customers visiting stores such as Aldi and Costa. The partnership, which includes plans for two high-power charging hubs, will open up rapid destination charging to customers visiting stores such as Aldi and Costa. Initially, 10 sites will go live, each hosting up to six 75kW Tritium chargers. The first site is a hub located at Haddington Retail Park, East Lothian, currently under construction. Fleet World
The FBI has confirmed purchasing NSO Group’s powerful spyware tool Pegasus, whose chronic abuse to surveil journalists, dissidents and human rights activists has long been established. It suggested its motivation was to “stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft.” The agency added in a statement Wednesday that it obtained a limited license from the Israeli firm “for product testing and evaluation only,” never using it operationally or to support any investigation. But critics wondered why the premier U.S. law enforcement agency would need to pay for access to a notorious surveillance tool that has been extensively researched by public interest cyber sleuths if its interest was so limited. AP News
