Crypto platform Ethereum last week switched its software architecture from a type of blockchain known as “proof of work” to one known as “proof of stake.” Called simply “the merge,” this move has been heralded as a watershed moment in the history of crypto—researchers say the new blockchain will consume 99.95 percent less energy than the old one. But will it lead to mainstream crypto adoption? The answer is anything but clear, the New York Times says.
The biggest rivalry in the creative apps market ended last Thursday when Adobe announced that it has struck a $20 billion deal to acquire Figma. The Verge reports that the acquisition will allow Adobe to incorporate Figma’s popular design tools into its portfolio of creative apps—to the dismay of many designers who are wary of Adobe’s Creative Cloud service controlling the market.
Microsoft released its first major update for Windows 11 on Tuesday. The update, CNet reports, includes new security, productivity, accessibility and gaming features.
Slack is rolling out a new collaborative feature dubbed Canvas, built on Salesforce's Quip technology, marking the first major technology integration since Slack was acquired by Salesforce last year. Slack is trying to take on tasks previously handled by productivity tools such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office, Axios reports.
SPONSORED
.jpg)
Spotify has officially added audiobooks, available as standalone purchases from a library with more than 300,000 titles, Engadget reports. The audiobook market is red hot: In 2021, U.S. audiobook revenue rose to $1.6 billion, a 25 percent increase.
Faced with intensifying competition from TikTok, Google-owned YouTube this week said it would introduce advertising on its video feature Shorts and give video creators 45 percent of the revenue, Reuters reports. TikTok has a $1 billion fund for paying creators.
A pair of hackers, calling themselves TeaPea, have told the BBC they carried out a destructive cyberattack against Holiday Inn owner Intercontinental Hotels Group just "for fun." Describing themselves as a couple from Vietnam, the hackers say they first tried a ransomware attack, then deleted large amounts of data when they were foiled. They accessed IHG's databases thanks to an easily found and weak password: Qwerty1234.
Over the last year, user-experience designer Peter Hershey has worked remotely from 14 countries. For those who want to embark on a similar journey, he offers in the Washington Post a beginner’s guide to being a digital nomad.
Amazon on Wednesday announced the latest versions of its Fire 8 tablets, four new models including the Fire HD 8, priced at $99. The new Fire 8 tablets are thinner, lighter and faster than the previous versions, CNBC reports.
NASA has released an audio clip of the sounds of space rocks smashing into the Red Planet captured by the Mars Insight lander's seismometer. Rather than a crash or boom, the sound of meteoroids hitting Mars is more like a "bloop," not unlike part of the Skype ringtone, ZDNet reports.