WhatsApp has introduced some new updates to Status, the feature introduced in 2017 as an answer to Snapchat and Instagram Stories. One of the key additions is a feature called Voice Status that gives you the ability set voice notes up to 30 seconds long as status updates. The company calls it a more personal way of providing updates, particularly if you're more comfortable talking rather than typing or creating a video.

Another key update is a feature called Private Audience Selector that lets you choose who can view your status updates. It lets you select your audience for every status update you do, providing more granular control and convenience than the current privacy settings. 

If you're more of an emoji person, WhatsApp has also introduced Status Reactions, providing "a quick and easy way to respond to status updates from your friends or close contacts," WhatsApp wrote. It lets you reply to any status simply by swiping up on it and tapping one of eight emojis, rather than use other means like text, voice messages and stickers.

Meanwhile, Status Profile Rings put a ring around your profile when you share a status update, and is visible in chat lists, group participant lists and contact info. Finally, you'll now see a preview of a link when you post it on your status, giving your contacts a better idea of what it is before they click. 

Some of the new features (status reactions, profile rings and link previews) were announced previously, but are now being highlighted as a group of Status updates, WaBetaInfo notes. The new features are rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone "in the coming weeks."

Developers will soon have to pay Twitter to be able to use its API. The website has announced through its Twitter Dev account that it will no longer support free access to its API, both versions 1.1 and 2, starting on February 9th. It will launch a "paid basic tier" instead, but the company has yet to reveal how much it would cost. Twitter has been experimenting with new ways to make more money ever since Elon Musk took the helm. The biggest change so far has been Twitter Blue, which evolved into a $8-to-$11-a-month subscription service that allows users to purchase the website's previously elusive blue checkmark. 

A New York Times report from last year said Musk and his advisers also discussed the possibility of adding paid direct messages and videos behind a paywall. They even reportedly considered reviving Vine, its short-form video app that it shut down back in 2016. Musk has been exploring all possible sources of income to be able to pay the loans he took when he purchased Twitter for $44 billion. As The Information notes, he borrowed $13 billion from a group of banks to close the deal, and they weren't able to sell the debt to investors as planned. The company now has to pay $1.5 billion every year in interests alone.

Twitter showed signs that it had plans to change the way developers accessed its APIs when third-party clients like Tweetbot suddenly stopped working in January. Later, the company confirmed that it deliberately cut off their access due to "long-standing API rules," even though it previously removed the section in its developer policies that discouraged app-makers from creating something similar to its core service. A few days after third-party Twitter clients went down, the website updated its developer agreement to ban access to its "Licensed Materials to create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications."

"Twitter data are among the world’s most powerful data sets," the company wrote in a follow-up tweet. "We're committed to enabling fast & comprehensive access so you can continue to build with us." While it's pretty clear that Twitter intends to charge developers to use its API, it didn't say if it would make exceptions for researchers. Twitter provides specialized access to its API for academic research, and people in academia have been using data from the website for their studies across various fields, including health and politics. 

The website promises to share more details about the new "paid basic tier" for its API next week.

Google has notified customers of its Fi mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service that hackers were able to access some of their information, according to TechCrunch. The tech giant said the bad actors infiltrated a third-party system used for customer support at Fi's primary network provider. While Google didn't name the provider outright, Fi relies on US Cellular and T-Mobile for connectivity. If you'll recall, the latter admitted in mid-January that hackers had been taking data from its systems since November last year.

T-Mobile said the attackers got away with the information of around 37 million postpaid and prepaid customers before it discovered and contained the issue. Back then, the carrier insisted that no passwords, payment information and social security numbers were stolen. Google Fi is saying the same thing, adding that no PINs or text message/call contents were taken, as well. The hackers only apparently had access to users' phone numbers, account status, SMS card serial numbers and some service plan information, like international roaming. 

Google reportedly told most users that they didn't have to do anything and that it's still working with Fi's network provider to "identify and implement measures to secure the data on that third-party system and notify everyone potentially impacted." That said, at least one customer claimed having more serious issues than most because of the breach. They shared a part of Google's supposed email to them on Reddit, telling them that that their "mobile phone service was transferred from [their] SIM card to another SIM card" for almost two hours on January 1st. 

The customer said they received password reset notifications from Outlook, their crypto wallet account and two-factor authenticator Authy that day. They sent logs to 9to5Google to prove that the attackers had used their number to receive text messages that allowed them to access those accounts. Based on their Fi text history, the bad actors started resetting passwords and requesting two-factor authentication codes via SMS within one minute of transferring their SIM card. The customer was reportedly only able regain control of their accounts after turning network access on their iPhone off and back on, though it's unclear if that's what solved the issue. We've reached out to Google for a statement regarding the customers' SIM swapping claim and will update this post when we hear back. 

At the moment, Amazon Prime customers can enjoy free grocery delivery via the company's Fresh service for checkouts worth $35 and above. It's a reasonable and pretty affordable minimum purchase requirement, even for those live alone. But starting on February 28th, people would have to add a lot more items to their cart if they don't want to pay extra to get their order delivered to their doorstep. As The Verge has noticed, the e-commerce giant has updated its Fresh grocery page to note that only orders worth above $150 will be delivered for free within a two-hour window by the end of next month. 

Amazon will deliver orders between $100 and $150 for $4, while orders between $50 and $100 will incur a $7 service charge. If a customer's items come up to less than $50, they'll have to pay a whopping $10. Since the Fresh service is only available to subscribers already paying for Amazon Prime, which raised its annual fee to $139 from $119 last year, it will become a much pricier option by the time March arrives. 

A company spokesperson told The Verge that it's "introducing a service fee on some Amazon Fresh delivery orders to help keep prices low in [its] online and physical grocery stores as [it] better cover[s] grocery delivery costs and continue to enable offering a consistent, fast, and high-quality delivery experience." The spokesperson continued: "We will continue to offer convenient two-hour delivery windows for all orders, and customers in some areas will be able to select a longer delivery window for a reduced fee."

Based on that statement, Amazon could jack up grocery prices if it doesn't charge delivery fees. But as it is, customers will end up paying more anyway — a lot of people can't afford its $150 minimum requirement these days, and those who can may not be able to consume everything they bought before they go bad or are no longer, well, fresh. Amazon has started notifying customers via email about the new service fees, and some social media users are pointing out how outrageous the price jump is to get free delivery. 

Customers have come to rely on Amazon Fresh for grocery deliveries when the pandemic started, including folks on the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program. People who have SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) debit cards can order via Fresh even without a Prime subscription, making it a good (and in some cases, the only) option for people with disabilities. But now they'd have to pay extra on top of their purchase. According to Amazon's website, they can't even use their EBT cards to pay for the shipping fee and will have to provide another form of payment. 

The next time you order something from Uber Eats, you'll be able to find out what personal information of yours a courier can see at each stage of the delivery process. The View as Delivery Person feature follows a View as Driver function Uber added in 2020. Starting today, Uber Eats users in the US and Canada can access the information from the recent order page and in the app's privacy center (under the privacy menu on the account tab).

The delivery person will only know an approximate delivery location until they collect the order. Then they'll typically have access to your first name, initial of your last name and exact delivery location. Uber will provide them with your delivery instructions and notes too. After the order is completed, the courier will once again only see a general delivery location in their app.

Moreover, the feature will tell you what kinds of details couriers can't see, such as your phone number, payment details or driver rating. If you order products like alcohol or weed through Uber Eats, you need to prove you're of legal age by sharing a picture of your ID. Couriers can't see your ID details after they make the delivery, Uber says.

The idea is to provide users with more peace of mind and transparency, as Zach Singleton, Uber’s head of privacy and equity product, told The Verge. View as Driver was a popular privacy feature among users, according to Singleton, who noted that Uber receives thousands of support tickets from users who are concerned about how much personal information their driver or courier gets, as well as those eager to know more.

Safety is a critical concern for many Uber and Uber Eats users. Singleton added that women are “53 percent more likely to have a concern about the information that delivery people had when something uncomfortable has occurred.”

DoorDash and Starbucks plan to expand their delivery partnership to all 50 US states by March this year, the companies announced Tuesday. Following a pilot that began last year in Atlanta, Houston and Sacramento (and later expanded to Seattle, Portland and New York City), people in North California, Texas, Georgia and Florida can now turn to DoorDash when they want a Starbucks coffee delivered to them.

According to Starbucks, it will offer 95 percent of the items found on in-store menus through DoorDash. You can also customize your order just like when you order in person. The app allows you to specify whether you want syrup in your drink, your milk preference and your choice of expresso roast. DoorDash also promises prompt delivery of coffee orders but stops short of a specific guarantee. DashPass customers won’t need to pay additional delivery fees to get their pumpkin spice latte orders to their door. For everyone else, DoorDash’s standard delivery and service fees apply.

Uber Eats has offered nationwide delivery of Starbucks orders since 2019, making the timing of the DoorDash expansion somewhat puzzling. By all accounts, the era of massive growth delivery firms saw during the first two years of the pandemic has come to an end. Between the easing of lockdown restrictions in many jurisdictions and cost of living increases, fewer people are using delivery apps.

Warner Bros. Discovery is increasing the price of an HBO Max subscription for the first time. As of today, new users on the ad-free plan will pay $16 per month. Existing subscribers, who are currently paying $15 per month, will have to pony up an extra buck starting on their next billing cycle, but not before February 11th.

“This price increase of one dollar will allow us to continue to invest in providing even more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users,” WBD told Variety in a statement. It's not clear whether the price of the ad-supported plan is going up. That currently costs $10 per month.

HBO Max debuted in May 2020, so it has gone almost three years without a price increase. WBD is planning to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ this spring, so the timing of the price hike is intriguing, given that the company hasn't indicated how much the combined service will cost or even the name of it. A report last month suggested that the fused streaming service may simply be called "Max."

In the meantime, subscribers might be forgiven for feeling aggrieved about the price increase. Since WarnerMedia and Discovery merged to create WBD last year, the company has been slashing costs at HBO Max. It has canceledsomeprojects, removedtitlesit owns from the platform and canned unreleased exclusive movies in favor of tax writeoffs. Despite adding more recent shows, films and other content to the platform in recent months, there's a case to be made that WBD is charging more for less.

Google is making Meet more social with a new feature called in-meeting reactions. The idea is that users can send one of nine emoji reactions, including 💖👍 and 😂, which will appear on the recipient's window and be visible to all in the meeting. If multiple users send emojis, they'll appear as a burst on the left side of your screen. 

To use the function, you select the smile icon in the control bar, and can hover on the bar that pops up to select the skin tone of your choice for all emojis. Google calls it a "non-disruptive way to engage and participate in meetings without interrupting the speaker," with "skin tones that best represent your identity." Reactions will be on by default and can be turned off in the Admin console. The feature arrives starting on January 16th to web, Meet hardware devices and mobile, for all consumer and paid users.

Another feature arriving in the coming weeks is 360 degree backgrounds. Users on mobile will be able to insert 360 degree backgrounds that shift around based on your device's gyroscope for a more immersive experience. Backgrounds include a beach to start with, then oasis, sky city, and mountain temples to follow. It'll be available on mobile for iOS and Android, to consumers and paid users. 

Netflix is slowly starting to make more waves in the world of livestreaming, as the company has snagged the rights to broadcast the Screen Actors Guild Awards. This year’s ceremony will take place on February 26th and stream on Netflix’s YouTube channel. Starting next year, Netflix will livestream the SAG Awards globally on its own platform as part of a multi-year deal. Until last year, the ceremony aired on TBS and TNT.

“The SAG Awards are beloved by the creative community and viewers alike, and now even more fans around the world will be able to celebrate these talented actors,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s head of global TV, told Variety in a statement. “As we begin to explore live streaming on Netflix, we look forward to partnering with SAG-AFTRA to elevate and expand this special ceremony as a global live event in 2024 and the years to come.”

The SAG Awards are a key precursor for the Oscars. They offer a glimpse into how Academy Awards voters are leaning, particularly for the acting categories. TV performances are honored at the event too. The Netflix announcement comes on the same day that this year’s SAG Awards nominees were revealed — on Netflix's Instagram account.

Netflix has only just started dipping its toes into livestreaming as it pursues more ways to engage subscribers and bring in new ones. In November, the company announced its first livestream event for its own platform. It will broadcast a Chris Rock standup special on March 4th.

If you’re looking for a game to play right now and you have a Netflix subscription, it’s worth checking out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. It just hit iOS and Android mobile as a mobile exclusive for Netflix members.

Shredder’s Revenge brings classic TMNT side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups like Turtles in Time bang up to date. Not only does it have gorgeous pixel art, but you can hurl enemies at the screen like in the old days. As soon as the mobile version dropped, I downloaded it and, within 30 seconds, I had joined a party of five other people to dish out swift justice to Bebop, Rocksteady and the Foot Clan. Along with the turtles, April O'Neil, Master Splinter and Casey Jones are playable characters

The game ran without a hitch on my iPhone 12 in the couple of levels I played. The touch controls work well enough, but I don’t think I’d want to play the entire thing that way. An external controller is a better option if you have one handy. In any case, Shredder’s Revenge was one of my favorite games of 2022. I love the idea of being able to play it anywhere without lugging my Steam Deck or Switch around.

Netflix recently addedKentucky Route Zero and Twelve Minutes to its growing and impressive lineup of mobile games. In the coming months, Vikings: Valhalla and Valiant Hearts: Coming Home will be available on the service.