WhatsApp’s secret codes for ‘love rats’, James Dyson loses libel case
WhatsApp has announced ‘secret codes’ which adds extra layer of security for your most private chats, by completely hiding them from the conversation list. The new feature will hide chosen conversations, which can only be revealed by typing a password into the search bar. This builds on the relatively new ability to lock chats. While that prevented people from accessing the contents of those chats, it still showed the existence of that chat to anyone who had access to the app. Now, if you’re worried about snoopers, any chats you want to keep completely off the record (and you can use your imagination about who might be using this feature) can be hidden.
James Dyson has lost his libel claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. In the Daily Mirror article, the journalist Brian Reade referred to the engineer as “the vacuum-cleaner tycoon who championed Vote Leave due to the economic opportunities it would bring to British industry before moving his global head office to Singapore”…However, in a ruling on Friday, Mr Justice Jay dismissed the inventor’s claim, saying “in the present case the claimant cannot demonstrate that he has suffered financial loss as a result of these publications.” The Guardian
Hackers are increasing their attacks on Booking.com customers by posting adverts on dark web forums asking for help finding victims. Cyber-criminals are offering up to $2,000 (£1,600) for login details of hotels as they continue to target the people who are staying with them. Since at least March, customers have been tricked into sending money to cyber-criminals. New research shows the sneaky tactics being used by the unknown hackers. BBC
The App Store Awards 2023 nominations were announced a couple of weeks ago, and now the winners have been revealed. Here are the winners and all you need to know. The App Store launched in 2008 with 500 apps, and there are now 1.8 million. It’s important to remember that these are curated and approved by Apple so you know they’re safe and well-crafted.
PokPok, a winner of a Cultural Impact award.
The winners are important and will justly feel honored, but just as interesting is the emphasis on Cultural Impact, five winners chosen for the way they drive positive change. Key among these is Pok Pok, an app I’ve admired for a while now and which is a digital toy room for children, which was chosen not least because of its calming feel and non-addictive design, plus its mission for inclusivity. Forbes
With Twitter losing advertisers left and right because of Elon Musk’s tweets, contrition from the billionaire would have been expected. Yet on stage at an event in New York this week, he was anything but. Musk had a blunt three word missive for companies that had stopped advertising with his social network: “Go f— yourself.” Speaking at a New York Times event before an audience of business executives and billionaires, the Twitter chief accused companies of trying to “blackmail” him and suppressing free speech. Telegraph
Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with a $1bn (£791m) class action lawsuit for his involvement in promoting non-fungible tokens. The Portuguese footballing legend had launched his own collection of NFTs through Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, in the run-up to last year’s World Cup. NFTs are a form of digital art with varying levels of uniqueness, and Ronaldo’s range featured animated statues depicting iconic moments in his life. Sky News
