1. Twitter Accelerates with Bitcoin tips, NFTs, Recorded Spaces, Creator Funds, and More

Take: Twitter is rushing toward the “metaverse.” The company recently announced initiatives that would help creators in an ever-competitive market. Initiatives include support tipping with crypto, NFT authentication, and a brand new creators fund just like Clubhouses, to support creators with technical and marketing expertise.

2. 2021 Has Broken the Record for Zero-day Hacking Attacks

Take: According to MIT Technology Review, “a zero-day exploit is a way to launch a cyberattack via a previously unknown vulnerability”. And 2021 was full of them. According to several databases, At least 66 zero-days have been found in use this year, the double of 2020. The numbers prove that the number of sophisticated and equipped players in hacking are increasing.

3. Facebook Chief Technology Officer to Step Down

Take: Facebook has been failing to keep up with the numerous problems affecting users such as the mental health concerns over Instagram and drug cartels in Mexico. With that said, the change in leadership looks like a commitment to make things better. On the other hand, the new CTO will be Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, who was the head of hardware division before, indicating that Facebook’s game-plan will rely on next-generation hardware investments.

4. PayPal Launches its ‘Super App’ Combining Payments, Savings, Bill pay, Crypto, Shopping, and More

Take: While PayPal executives say that becoming a full-fledged bank is not the company’s objective, it is definitely aiming to become the super app for financial needs. The company just announced its digital wallet and payments app that offers direct payments, P2P money exchange, crypto markets, and more. PayPal is aiming for more customer acquisition from the neo-bank appetite.

5. Apple Is Working on iPhone Features to Help Detect Depression, Cognitive Decline

Take: Apple is doubling down on health-tech. Apple Watches and iPhones already track health data like sleep patterns, physical activity, blood oxygen levels, stress… Now, on top of that, the company wants to utilize facial data and texting patterns to detect mental illnesses. While the other tech giants like Google, with FitBit, are heavily investing in capturing customers’ healthcare needs, Apple seems to bear the torch for now.

6. Slack Releases Clips Video Tool, Announces 16 Salesforce Integrations

Take: Dreamforce, Salesforce’s customer conference, took place recently and shed light on the new Slack & Salesforce integrations. On top of that, Slack announced Clips, a new way to send short videos to explain instead of texting through the app, an attempt to commercialize asynchronous meetings in the era of Zoom fatigue.

7. Tencent Opens WeChat to Rivals’ Links as App Walls Crumble

Take: Beijing is not shying away from breaking down the tech giants of the East. The Chinese President recently announced that even the tech giants will have to do things “the Chinese way”. Tencent Holdings’ WeChat is now allowing users to link content from rival platforms such as Alibaba’s Taobao and ByteDance’s Douyin. With the announcement, Alibaba’s shares rose %2 as the company will be able to tap into the billion users of WeChat from now on.

8. Lucid Air Snags the Longest Range EV Title, Surpassing Tesla

Take: Electric vehicle market is a red ocean, and the competition is getting fiercer day by day. Lucid Group broke the record of longest range in EVs with its freshest product, Lucid Air. Range was one of Tesla’s competitive edges in the market, but that is no longer the case. The company announced their intention to go public this year.

9. SpaceX Launches the First All-Civilian Inspiration4 Mission to Space

Take: SpaceX’s project Inspiration4 is the first all-commercial and all-civilian space exploration. A billionaire, a community college professor, a physician assistant, and a data engineer spent three days revolving around the world. This notable initiative aims to pave the way to a “new era for human spaceflight and exploration.”

10. Inside GitLab’s IPO Filing

Take: Microsoft GitHub’s biggest competitor, GitLab filed for IPO recently. The company’s revenue increased %69 in the latest quarter while the net loss also soared. After Canva, GitLab wants to join the bull market of cloud software providers with its IPO. The company was actually aiming for an IPO around November 2020, however COVID delayed the plans.