End-to-end encrypted Facebook Messenger chats have long been held back by a lack of features, but that might not be a problem for much longer. Meta is rolling out a large Messenger update that brings many of the service's features to encrypted conversations. You can use reactions, stickers (including GIFs), message-specific replies and forwarding. You'll also see typing indicators, verified user badges and screenshot notifications.

The upgrade also lets you save photos and videos, and edit media before you send it. Meta has also finished bringing encrypted group chats and calls to Messenger, so you shouldn't have to worry that a family discussion might be exposed to snoops.

Meta doesn't expect end-to-end encryption to be the default for Facebook Messenger and Instagram until 2023. You'll need to use WhatsApp if you expect that convenience in the meantime. Still, the feature update could go a long way toward fulfilling Mark Zuckerberg's goal of a more "privacy-focused" social network where fewer people see what you're doing.

Not that governments are thrilled. Officials from the UK and other countries have railed against end-to-end encryption, arguing that it hurts law enforcement's ability to fight child exploitation, extremism and other threats. However, Meta isn't likely to back down — the company has rejected calls to weaken encryption, noting that backdoors would compromise safety and security (by giving hackers easier access) on top of any privacy concerns. Expect the tech firm to continue bolstering encrypted chat features for a while to come.

Astronomers are still finding strange objects that defy expectations. According to BBC News, researchers from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have discovered a strange spinning Milky Way object about 4,000 light-years away. The repeating transient sent a giant burst of polarized radio energy for a full minute every 18 minutes, and was appearing and disappearing over the course of a few hours of observations — for context, a pulsar's burst lasts a few seconds or less.

The curiosity is smaller than the Sun, but is one of the brightest radio objects in the sky during its bursts. The disappearances were also unique, according to team lead Dr. Natasha Hurley-Walker. Curtin student Tyrone O'Doherty first spotted the object using the combination of Australia's Murchison Widefield Array and a new observation method.

There might be an existing explanation. Hurley-Walker said the data matched a predicted (but as-yet undiscovered) object known as an ultra-long period magnetar. That is, it's a neutron star spinning at a relatively lethargic pace. Even if that's the case, though, scientists want to know why the object is converting magnetic energy to radio waves at such an efficient rate. It could also be a white dwarf with an unusually strong magnetic field, or something else altogether.

The frenzy appears to have subsided, but Hurley-Walker is still tracking the object in case it exhibits the odd behavior again. She also plans to sift through the Murchison array's archives to learn if there were similar objects before. Whatever this entity might be, the findings are significant — they could shape our understanding of stars and the universe at large.

It's not just the dark web marketplace operators who face the law — sometimes it's the people who facilitate access to those marketplaces. Israeli national and Brazil resident Tal Prihar has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his alleged role in a dark web money laundering scheme. He and co-defendant Michael Phan reportedly received the equivalent of $8.4 million in Bitcoin kickbacks for agreeing to link illegal dark net marketplaces from their news site DeepDotWeb. To hide the cryptocurrency's origins, Prihar laundered the money by transferring payments to other Bitcoin accounts and conventional bank accounts tied to shell companies.

Prihar pleaded guilty in March 2021, and had already agreed to forfeit $8.4 million. Phan is still in the midst of extradition from Israel to face a money laundering charge.

The relatively stiff sentence might be a message to others who'd serve as brokers for illegal dark web outlets. If you knowingly point users to contraband (including illegal guns, hacking tools and drugs) and receive payment for it, you're apparently as culpable as anyone selling those underground items. Whether or not this is an effective deterrent, it's clear the feds don't want to look soft.

Spotify already has an answer to Neil Young's ultimatum following outrage over allegations Joe Rogan is spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. As The Wall Street Journalreports, Spotify is in the midst of removing Young's music from the streaming service worldwide. His (very large) catalog was still available as of this writing, but we'd suggest listening to Harvest one more time just in case.

Young has reportedly been in talks with Spotify and his label Warner Records since posting an open letter threatening to pull his albums. The artist made the formal request on Wednesday (January 26th), and the music is apparently poised to disappear within "several hours."

In a statement to Engadget, Spotify said it "regret[ted]" Young's decision and hoped to have him back "soon." It also defended its anti-misinformation practices, claiming it accepted a "great responsibility" in juggling both listener safety and creator freedom. The company added it had pulled over 20,000 podcast COVID-related episodes since the pandemic began. It didn't say why it was still hosting Joe Rogan Experience episodes that contained misinformation, though, including unsupported claims from Dr. Robert Malone that "psychosis" led people to believe vaccines were effective.

Spotify also didn't offer reasons for its decision. However, the company is believed to have paid over $100 million to land a multi-year distribution deal with Rogan. While the exact terms of the agreement aren't clear, Spotify might suffer financial and legal consequences if it pulls Rogan's episodes.

You can read Spotify's full statement below:

We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators. We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.

Apple is honoring Black History Month once again, and that includes a special treat for Watch owners. The company has released a special edition $99 Black Unity Braided Solo Loop that weaves the Pan-African flag's colors into the stretchable black band. There's also a free, matching Unity Lights face you can download (using your iPhone) to show support — it's reportedly the first watch face to use '2D ray tracing' to simulate light, creating a distinctive aura around the minute and hour hands.

There's no special edition Apple Watch model this year. However, last year's was really a standard gray aluminum model with a bundled strap. This is an acknowledgment that you're more likely to buy the strap for your existing wearable.

The tech firm is also curating Black content across its services through February, and that includes material it's creating for fitness mavens. There will be new Black History Month workouts in Fitness+ with complementary soundtracks, a Time to Walk episode with Black Lives Matter co-founder Ayo Tometi and a Time to Run episode that includes civil rights landmarks in Atlanta. Whether or not you subscribe, there's a Unity Challenge Apple Watch owners can earn by closing their Move ring seven days in a row.

You won't have to run an unpolished beta to try Android apps on Windows 11. Microsoft's Panos Panay has teased the release of a Windows 11 public preview in February that will bring Android apps to the Microsoft Store. The company didn't say how many apps would be available in this test, but they'll be titles you would find in the Amazon Appstore.

The preview should still be helpful if you're content to stick to Windows apps. You can expect taskbar upgrades that include call mute controls, simpler window sharing and weather. Microsoft has redesigned the Media Player and Notepad apps, too.

You may want to hurry if you're still uncertain about upgrading to the new OS, though. Microsoft has warned the free Windows 11 upgrade rollout is "entering its final phase" sooner than the originally planned mid-2022 target. While that hints uptake has been strong, it also suggests you might have to pay for the upgrade if you don't decide relatively soon.

Android app support was one of the headlining features for Windows 11 at its reveal event, but is only reaching mainstream users several months after the new Windows version's launch. Nonetheless, it might be an important addition for both Microsoft and users. This will help if you'd like to use common Android apps on your PC, of course, but it could also spark interest in both touchscreen Windows 11 PCs and the Microsoft Store.

If you're a streamer, you can't always reach for your keyboard (or a control deck) to activate a scene or effect. Thankfully, you might not have to. Elgato has released a Stream Deck Pedal that provides three customizable foot pedals to steer your apps and other broadcasting tools hands-free. You can manage Twitch or YouTube, change cameras, start an OBS transition or otherwise control your stream in a stealthy manner.

You can set app-specific profiles if you're routinely juggling multiple tools, and plugins control everything from Hue lights to Spotify and Twitter. There's adjustable pedal pressure, too, if you prefer a delicate tap or a firm stomp. And Elgato is keen to point out the use for offline creative work thanks to definable hotkey actions for software like audiovisual editing suites.

Accordingly, Elgato has introduced a Discord plugin for Stream Deck devices. You can use any of the Corsair brand's peripherals to change channels (including to voice), use push-to-talk, mute your mic or otherwise navigate a server.

The Stream Deck Pedal sells for $115. That's potentially a steep price if you're a new or part-time streamer, but it could be justifiable if you're either building a full-time career or just want to add some polish that brings in extra viewers. This could also be particularly helpful if you're a musician, VR gamer or other specialty streamer — you don't have reach for your PC (and interrupt your flow) just to perform a simple task.

Software glitches in Meta's free internet service are leading to unwanted charges for users, according to documents obtained by whistleblower Francis Haugen and shared with The Wall Street Journal. Paid features, like videos, have been appearing in the service's free mode, even though clips are either supposed to stay hidden or warn users of data charges. When users tap the content, they face carrier bills that can be especially difficult to pay for the service's target audience of users in developing countries.

The slip-up appears to have been lucrative for carriers. Meta estimated carriers were charging free users about $7.8 million per month as of last summer. The issue was particularly serious in Pakistan, where users have reportedly been charged a total $1.9 million per month.

A Meta spokesperson said it had received reports about the problem and had "continued work" on fixing the software flaws. New versions of the free mode explicitly label it as "text only" rather than implying it will never cost any money. The representative said the document estimating $7.8 million per month in charges wasn't based on carrier billing information, and that the overcharges were closer to $3 million per month.

Meta, like Google, has a strong interest in pushing free internet access. Most of its recent growth comes from developing countries where many people are hopping online for the first time. While the free service doesn't limit users to only visiting Facebook and other services it owns, it increases the chances internet newcomers will sign up and spur Meta's growth.

There are other concerns about Meta's free offerings beyond surprise billing. The company has been criticized for making it too easy to pay for data through in-app systems (instead of direct purchases from carriers) and after-the-fact "loans" in some countries. It has also been accused of pushing users of its Discover product towards content on its own services, while not doing enough to make external content easily accessible. While the company has claimed it will treat all internet traffic —whether to its own products or elsewhere — equally, the leaked document itself states that Discover “is not functioning consistent with our commitments.” 

Don't expect the worldwide chip shortage to end any time soon. Bloomberg and The Washington Post note the US Commerce Department has published a semiconductor supply chain report estimating that the global shortage will last until at least the second half of 2022. "We aren't even close to being out of the woods" with supply problems, Department Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

Many companies are particularly sensitive to problems, too. The median chip inventory for a client company plunged from 40 days in 2019 to under five days in 2021. Even a relatively short (weeks-long) disruption overseas could shut down an American factory, the Department said.

The shortage is particularly damaging to broadband companies, car makers and medical device producers, according to the report. Despite early claims, there wasn't evidence hoarding contributed to the shortfalls. Demand was higher, too, with median interest about 17 percent higher in 2021 than it was two years earlier. The Commerce Department's study was comprehensive, obtaining supply chain data from almost all major semiconductor firms and companies across a range of industries.

Officials concluded the government couldn't directly end the shortage. Private companies were "best positioned" to overcome challenges by increasing production, optimizing their designs and limiting the impact on their supply chains. However, Raimondo used this as an opportunity to plug President Biden's proposed $52 billion subsidy through the US Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). The investment could help "rebuild American manufacturing" and boost domestic supply chains for "years ahead," she said.

Factories resulting from USICA money wouldn't be ready for years, however, and the bill itself has been delayed. While it passed a crucial Senate vote, the House bill is only expected to surface by this week at the earliest. It could take longer to both clear the House and evolve into a final form Biden can sign into law. For now, the tech industry largely has to solve this dilemma on its own.

Now that the Lucid Air is a practical reality, there's a looming question: how well does it fare in a drag race against the other well-known electric luxury sedan, Tesla's Model S Plaid? You now have a better idea. DragTimes has shared a long-teased video of a quarter-mile faceoff between the Air and Model S Plaid, and the outcome is at once expected but still full of insights.

It won't shock you to hear the Model S Plaid wins three of the four runs, including one with a rolling start. It has a shorter claimed 0-60MPH time (1.99 seconds versus 2.5), and its lighter curb weight (4,828lbs versus about 5,200lbs), helps offset the horsepower deficiency. The Tesla didn't have its drag strip prep mode enabled, either. If you're fortunate enough to cross-shop these EVs, the Model S is still your pick for raw acceleration.

The Lucid Air still holds up well, though, and it even won a race when the Model S Plaid's launch mode wasn't engaged. That added power still matters, to put it another way — and this is worth considering if you're more interested in green light races (where a launch mode likely won't be an option) than drag strips. Lucid also pointed out that you can precondition the Air for better straight-line performance, and that it's currently focused more on "luxury and efficiency" than speed.

The conditions weren't ideal between relatively chilly temperatures for the Houston-area strip and strong winds. You'll likely see faster times elsewhere. Even so, the video is worthwhile as a rare chance to see how different electric car platforms manage in real conditions. It also shows just how far EVs have come — these are figures you'd have previously associated with higher-end supercars, not four-door people carriers.