The WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app, available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Nokia, which allows users to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. The Santa Clara-based startup boasts more than 450 million active users, and as Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the company’s release, “WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable....

So what does this move mean for Facebook’s grand scheme? Here’s a list of takeaways. These reviewers will also help us get better at removing things we don’t allow on Facebook like hate speech and child exploitation. And we’ll keep working with local community groups and law enforcement who are in the best position to help someone if they need it — either because they’re about to harm themselves, or because they’re in danger from someone else....

Hoffman’s company, News for Democracy, created at least fourteen Facebook Pages during the US 2018 Midterm elections, according to a study conducted by New York University. These were intended to promote Democrat candidates in key states, but were allegedly masquerading as news pages. The News for Democracy pages, which were modelled on the exploits of Russian troll farms during the 2016 Presidential election, failed to disclose who they were run and owned by – standard practice for all Facebook Pages....

I was so happy to receive word last night that today Timely announced the official launch of Timely and moving to the domain http://Timely.is. The new site will enable users to have unlimited free accounts and collaborators (you can tweet from multiple accounts if you have one for personal and work). Ethan Bloch of Flowtown pointed me to http://timely.flowtown.com/#/howitworks which gives their algorithm. Timley also integrates to bit.ly and provides stats on retweets....

CEO David Goldberg, who cofounded FreshNeck with his brother Bryan, believes they address the need for a variety of professional and formal wear accessories for men, without breaking the bank and overflowing closets and drawers. Like Netflix, members can use their accessories as long as they want before exchanging them for “fresh” items. Tech Cocktail asked David Goldberg about his plans for FreshNeck and his experience as a startup entrepreneur....

Gojee, the gorgeous food recipe site, today launched iOS and Android apps to help you plan meals and ogle desserts on the go. One of Gojee’s neat features is that you can tell it what’s in your pantry. Then when a recipe pops up, it separates ingredients by “Your Ingredients” and “You Need.” So if you’re at the grocery store, you can pull up the Gojee app and quickly see what to throw in your shopping cart....

Like many companies, Google employees have been relying on web conferencing services to collaborate on projects since the world went into lockdown back in 2020, but it’s definitely one of the keenest to get people back into physical offices spaces. However, whether it really is the right time to be making the leap from remote to hybrid working – or going back to the office full-time – remains an open question....

So, what do they plan to do with all your information? Use it to get more! Absorbing (Parts of) Nest As news broke today, it turns out Google is absorbing parts of Nest, the increasingly popular smart home device company. While Nest will continue to make, sell, and market their technology, their developers will begin work on Google’s Internet of Things platform in hopes of making it more comprehensive and effective....

The malware apps saw between 4.5 million and 18.5 million downloads, as security company Check Point reports. Check Point was able to report the troublemaking apps, and Google has since removed them from their official app store, Google Play. How It Works Some of the apps had been around for years, but all were consistently updated, meaning that this malware campaign was a resounding success up until now. Here are the full details from the company that cracked the case:...

Once again, the best part of Google’s hardware offerings have a lot to do with the software updates Google is focusing on, which include Photo AI, personalization, security, and users’ digital wellbeing. But you’re here for the hardware. So here’s what to expect from the new Pixel Slate and the new Google Home Hub. New Google Pixel Slate Revealed In terms of features, there’s a lot to the new Google Pixel Slate....

It’s the latest in a series of major Google overhauls that affect businesses which appear on the site’s search results. This particular shake-up is a change to Google’s algorithm that favors sites which are deemed “mobile-friendly.” Alternatively, this means that sites which offer difficult views on smartphones can be demoted to a lower position in Google search results. Whenever Google makes a change to its algorithm, traffic to Web sites are affected....

If you think that is not the case, just check out the data. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, three in ten U.S jobs are being held by the self-employed. That’s right, entrepreneurship is apparently taking off in a big way. The number of workers moving towards self-employment has been steadily increasing over the last few years, with no signs of slowing down. In fact, the rest of the workforce is moving to better support self-employed and remote workers....

Read more – PureVPN review Security from Identity Theft The average person might not feel they’re at risk if they’re hanging out at their favorite Internet café browsing social media or doing some online banking, but if the network you’re connected to isn’t secure it’s almost like handing your credit card over to a thief and telling them to max it out. Well, ok, maybe not quite as bad but it’s close....

Fixr, an online marketplace for services, used federal data to give a snapshot of software development wages in each state. Annual pay for the position ranges from $64,980 in North Dakota to $119,180 in California. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national workforce in 2012 included slightly more than 1 million software developers, who typically have bachelor’s degrees in computer science and work for computer services firms and software publishers....

Financial Assistance Franchising is a relatively low-cost method of expanding a business. Not only does the franchisee make an initial payment to become part of your business, but they also continue to pay you, as their parent-business, a percentage of their revenue. The majority of the financial risk lies in the hands of the franchisee who also covers the cost of setting up their business unit and training their own staff....

Project Include, a diversity-focused initiative, has been working hard to bring new life to how diversity is approached in tech. Freada Kapor, PhD, has also been working with Project Include to help bring tangible solutions for increasing diversity awareness and inclusion into the industry. A partner with the Kapor Center for Social Impact, Kapor has an extensive professional career (lasting over four decades) focusing on the intersection of diversity and tech....

Sleep deprivation has been proven to hurt your social and family life, and it’s no mystery why. You’re short with people, your temper is flaring, and your mental energy, or what’s left of it, is being spent on yawning and lucid napping rather than on those you care about. This portion of your life is clearly going to falter. However, we tend to exclude our professional aspirations from the list of things we sacrifice....

Millions of dollars have been invested in civic technology in recent years. According to a report by the Knight Foundation, $431 million was invested in civic tech organizations from 2008 to 2012, and the field grew at an annual rate of 23 percent. With this technology, government can now be more transparent. It has also enabled government change from the top-down, allowing more civic involvement in the democratic process. Here’s a look at some ways technology is impacting government transparency: Civic crowdfunding New tools allow citizens to address civic issues in a way they’ve never been able to before....

Remember these important tips so that you can keep yourself honest when it comes to setting expectations for yourself. Hard Work Pays Off If you were told from an early age that you wouldn’t amount to anything, you’re not alone. Self-inflicted limitations tend to be a result. If your whole early skill set is based around making ends meet, you might be less likely to dream big, both for yourself and your business....

WordPress is the most used Content Management System (CMS) to date and is actually used to power 25 percent of all websites on the internet. To that end, it’s a natural choice for anybody who wants to create an online job board to attract talent. Check out some of the necessary information and best steps for creating a job board in WordPress: Choose a good domain and hosting service There are a lot of things to consider when starting a job board, much like the decisions you would have to make when starting a website or blog....