ShinyShiny tech roundup: Facebook plans new name for ‘metaverse’ age


Facebook is planning to change its company name next week to reflect its focus on building the metaverse, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The coming name change, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about at the company’s annual Connect conference on October 28th, but could unveil sooner, is meant to signal the tech giant’s ambition to be known for more than social media and all the ills that entail. The rebrand would likely position the blue Facebook app as one of many products under a parent company overseeing groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and more. A spokesperson for Facebook declined to comment for this story. The Verge

@my.data.not.yours Reply to @ladyisabellemae #privacy #fyp #foryoupage #amazon #alexa #dataprivacy #bigtech #bigbrother #trending #bigdata #privacyrevolution #update ♬ Spongebob – Dante9k

A woman has discovered Amazon has thousands of recordings of her, accessed through her home devices. She has shared a video about the discovery on her TikTok channel @my.data.not.yours through which she has looked into many issues including Twitch data, Facebook information, TikTok privacy and Amazon. In this video (see above) the woman explains she requested all the information Amazon has on her through her two Amazon Dot devices and one Amazon Echo device as well as smartphones. Several Zip files came through and when she clicked on the audio file she says she discovered thousands of recordings of her. Honey 

Image: Fisher Price

Fisher-Price’s Chatter Telephone was an instant sensation among children when it debuted in 1961 and now, Mattel is reviving the nostalgic toy for adults. Now equipped with Bluetooth, the mobile phone can make and receive calls through the user’s existing phone plan. The Chatter Telephone still features the iconic smiling face, red wheels, connected handset and the retro rotary dial. Pre-orders are available only at BestBuy.com for $60, but a release date has yet to be announced. Daily Mail 

Instagram is finally going to let you post photos and videos under one minute in length using the app’s desktop version, the company announced Tuesday. Previously, the desktop version of Instagram allowed people to scroll through their feeds, check DMs, and reply to them. Other than that, the web browser didn’t provide many other functions. Along with the desktop feed creation, Instagram is rolling out a wealth of new features to the app. Last week, we reported that Instagram will now let creators test and practice their Live content. Mashable

WhatsApp’s group calls have been a blessing in the pandemic to connect with friends and family. The company has introduced many features related to it, including increasing the limit to eight people. Now the firm has rolled out a new button directly into the group chat that lets you join ongoing calls. The company said the feature is “a new spontaneous way to connect with their family and friends groups.” You can watch the new button in action in the video below. The Next Web

 

Almost 45 million people have been on the receiving end of potential scam texts or calls in the last three months, new Ofcom research reveals. More than eight in 10 (82%) said they had received a suspicious message, in the form of either a text, recorded message or live phone call to a landline or mobile. This represents an estimated 44.6 million adults in the UK. Scams are more commonly attempted via text messages with seven in 10 people (71%) saying they have received a suspicious text, and three quarters (75%) of those aged 16-34 saying they were targeted. Tech Digest 

 

Chris Price