Talking Tech: The neverending Twitter-Elon Musk saga
It's the last Thursday before Thanksgiving. Brett Molina here, gathering the top stories in tech so I don't obsess over all the yummy food I will stuff into my face next week.
Hey, did you know that Elon Musk bought Twitter? And that he's running Twitter (or according to some, running Twitter into the ground)?
I kid, of course, only because it feels like we have a new story every day on what I like to call "The Adventures of Elon Musk, featuring Twitter." Here's what you missed if you haven't been keeping up (or maybe actively avoiding the daily rush of news):
Musk's ultimatum. Thursday marks a big moment for Twitter's employees. The billionaire has given a deadline to either go "extremely hardcore" and continue working there, or leave with a three-month severance.
Pay to get verified? Musk rolled out an updated version of Twitter Blue, which costs $8 a month and gives anyone a blue checkmark. One problem: A lot of users have taken advantage by creating fake accounts.
Musk has "too much work." During a business forum in Bali, Musk lamented on having to manage not just Twitter, but Tesla, SpaceX and the myriad other projects he's tackling. “My workload has recently increased quite a lot,” Musk said jokingly, reports the Associated Press. "I mean, oh, man. I have too much work on my plate, that is for sure."
Tired of Twitter? Mastodon has emerged as a potential alternative.
What else happened in tech?
Google's big settlement. The company has agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states over location tracking.
FBI director's TikTok warning. He says the app poses a national security threat.
Move over, Pewdiepie. MrBeast is now the most-followed individual YouTube creator.
A solution to breastfeeding woes? Emulait, a startup, has created a bottle that mimics a nursing person's breast.
Thursday tech tip
Does it feel like your email inbox or text messages have been littered with spam? Yeah, it's not fun. Take these steps to combat everything from cyberthieves trying to scam you to targeted ads.
One more thing
Maybe I'm thinking a lot about the Thanksgiving feast, or I'm just generally hungry. Regardless, these 7-Layer Nacho Fries from Taco Bell are looking real good right now.
Thanks for reading! See you next week.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.