Tech Digest daily roundup: Meta plans text-based Twitter rival
Meta has shown staff plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter, sources have told the BBC. It could allow users to follow accounts they already follow on Instagram, Meta’s image-sharing app. And it could potentially allow them to bring over followers from decentralised platforms such as Mastodon. A Meta spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that the platform was in development. “We’re exploring a standalone decentralised social network for sharing text updates,” they said. “We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.” BBC
The University of Manchester has said data has “likely been copied” during a cyberattack on its computer systems. It is not yet clear what information has been accessed by the attackers, but staff and students have been advised to watch out for any suspicious emails. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and National Crime Agency are among the authorities working with the university’s own experts to resolve the incident. A statement said: “We are working to understand what data have been accessed and will update you as more information becomes available.” Sky News
General Motors will follow crosstown rival Ford Motors in partnering with Tesla to use the electric vehicle leader’s North American charging network and technologies. Under the deal, GM vehicles will be able to access 12,000 fast chargers using an adapter and the Detroit automaker’s EV charging app, starting next year. GM, like Ford, will also begin installing a charging port used by Tesla known as NACS, or the North American Charging Standard, instead of the current industry-standard CCS, in its EVs starting in 2025. CNBC
When the Cybertruck was announced in November 2019, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he expected production to start in late 2021. But leaked Tesla documents examined by Wired suggest that the company was still struggling with the performance of basic elements of a preproduction “alpha” version of the truck in January 2022 including its braking, body sealing, and suspension. Over a million customers are thought to have put down a $100 deposit to reserve the Cybertruck since its infamous 2019 unveiling. The Verge
For years, US financial regulators couldn’t agree on what to do about cryptocurrency. They wanted to do something, but couldn’t agree on what crypto was – a security, like a stock or bond, or a commodity, like a raw material or agricultural product, or neither? – and which agency would have jurisdiction. This week, Gary Gensler, a longtime critic of crypto and the chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), appears to have found the answer – by launching a crackdown on crypto exchanges, the platforms on which investors buy and sell digital currencies. The Guardian
Apple’s iOS operating system is exceptionally intuitive and easy to use, but that doesn’t mean the platform is completely free of annoying quirks. Take QR codes, for example. Apple introduced support for scanning QR codes with the iPhone’s Camera app in iOS 11, but when viewing a code, the link popup would appear as a pesky push notification at the top of the interface. In iOS 17, though, Apple appears to have come up with a universal solution for all iPhone sizes and finger lengths. As spotted by 9to5Mac, when you scan a QR code in iOS 17, the link button instantly appears at the bottom of the Camera app interface. Tech Radar
