Twitter will charge developers to access its API starting February 9th

Developers will soon have to pay Twitter to be able to use its API. The website has announced through its Twitter Dev account that it will no longer support free access to its API, both versions 1.1 and 2, starting on February 9th. It will launch a “paid basic tier” instead, but the company has yet to reveal how much it would cost. Twitter has been experimenting with new ways to make more money ever since Elon Musk took the helm. The biggest change so far has been Twitter Blue, which evolved into a $8-to-$11-a-month subscription service that allows users to purchase the website’s previously elusive blue checkmark. 

A New York Times report from last year said Musk and his advisers also discussed the possibility of adding paid direct messages and videos behind a paywall. They even reportedly considered reviving Vine, its short-form video app that it shut down back in 2016. Musk has been exploring all possible sources of income to be able to pay the loans he took when he purchased Twitter for $44 billion. As The Information notes, he borrowed $13 billion from a group of banks to close the deal, and they weren’t able to sell the debt to investors as planned. The company now has to pay $1.5 billion every year in interests alone.

Twitter showed signs that it had plans to change the way developers accessed its APIs when third-party clients like Tweetbot suddenly stopped working in January. Later, the company confirmed that it deliberately cut off their access due to “long-standing API rules,” even though it previously removed the section in its developer policies that discouraged app-makers from creating something similar to its core service. A few days after third-party Twitter clients went down, the website updated its developer agreement to ban access to its “Licensed Materials to create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications.”

“Twitter data are among the world’s most powerful data sets,” the company wrote in a follow-up tweet. “We’re committed to enabling fast & comprehensive access so you can continue to build with us.” While it’s pretty clear that Twitter intends to charge developers to use its API, it didn’t say if it would make exceptions for researchers. Twitter provides specialized access to its API for academic research, and people in academia have been using data from the website for their studies across various fields, including health and politics. 

The website promises to share more details about the new “paid basic tier” for its API next week.

Google Fi warns customers that their data has been compromised

Google has notified customers of its Fi mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service that hackers were able to access some of their information, according to TechCrunch. The tech giant said the bad actors infiltrated a third-party system used for customer support at Fi’s primary network provider. While Google didn’t name the provider outright, Fi relies on US Cellular and T-Mobile for connectivity. If you’ll recall, the latter admitted in mid-January that hackers had been taking data from its systems since November last year.

T-Mobile said the attackers got away with the information of around 37 million postpaid and prepaid customers before it discovered and contained the issue. Back then, the carrier insisted that no passwords, payment information and social security numbers were stolen. Google Fi is saying the same thing, adding that no PINs or text message/call contents were taken, as well. The hackers only apparently had access to users’ phone numbers, account status, SMS card serial numbers and some service plan information, like international roaming. 

Google reportedly told most users that they didn’t have to do anything and that it’s still working with Fi’s network provider to “identify and implement measures to secure the data on that third-party system and notify everyone potentially impacted.” That said, at least one customer claimed having more serious issues than most because of the breach. They shared a part of Google’s supposed email to them on Reddit, telling them that that their “mobile phone service was transferred from [their] SIM card to another SIM card” for almost two hours on January 1st. 

The customer said they received password reset notifications from Outlook, their crypto wallet account and two-factor authenticator Authy that day. They sent logs to 9to5Google to prove that the attackers had used their number to receive text messages that allowed them to access those accounts. Based on their Fi text history, the bad actors started resetting passwords and requesting two-factor authentication codes via SMS within one minute of transferring their SIM card. The customer was reportedly only able regain control of their accounts after turning network access on their iPhone off and back on, though it’s unclear if that’s what solved the issue. We’ve reached out to Google for a statement regarding the customers’ SIM swapping claim and will update this post when we hear back. 

Uber Eats now shows users which of their personal details couriers can see

The next time you order something from Uber Eats, you’ll be able to find out what personal information of yours a courier can see at each stage of the delivery process. The View as Delivery Person feature follows a View as Driver function Uber added in 2020. Starting today, Uber Eats users in the US and Canada can access the information from the recent order page and in the app’s privacy center (under the privacy menu on the account tab).

The delivery person will only know an approximate delivery location until they collect the order. Then they’ll typically have access to your first name, initial of your last name and exact delivery location. Uber will provide them with your delivery instructions and notes too. After the order is completed, the courier will once again only see a general delivery location in their app.

Moreover, the feature will tell you what kinds of details couriers can’t see, such as your phone number, payment details or driver rating. If you order products like alcohol or weed through Uber Eats, you need to prove you’re of legal age by sharing a picture of your ID. Couriers can’t see your ID details after they make the delivery, Uber says.

The idea is to provide users with more peace of mind and transparency, as Zach Singleton, Uber’s head of privacy and equity product, told The Verge. View as Driver was a popular privacy feature among users, according to Singleton, who noted that Uber receives thousands of support tickets from users who are concerned about how much personal information their driver or courier gets, as well as those eager to know more.

Safety is a critical concern for many Uber and Uber Eats users. Singleton added that women are “53 percent more likely to have a concern about the information that delivery people had when something uncomfortable has occurred.”

Google Meet adds emoji as a ‘non-disruptive’ way to react in calls

Google is making Meet more social with a new feature called in-meeting reactions. The idea is that users can send one of nine emoji reactions, including 💖👍 and 😂, which will appear on the recipient’s window and be visible to all in the meeting. If multiple users send emojis, they’ll appear as a burst on the left side of your screen. 

To use the function, you select the smile icon in the control bar, and can hover on the bar that pops up to select the skin tone of your choice for all emojis. Google calls it a “non-disruptive way to engage and participate in meetings without interrupting the speaker,” with “skin tones that best represent your identity.” Reactions will be on by default and can be turned off in the Admin console. The feature arrives starting on January 16th to web, Meet hardware devices and mobile, for all consumer and paid users.

Another feature arriving in the coming weeks is 360 degree backgrounds. Users on mobile will be able to insert 360 degree backgrounds that shift around based on your device’s gyroscope for a more immersive experience. Backgrounds include a beach to start with, then oasis, sky city, and mountain temples to follow. It’ll be available on mobile for iOS and Android, to consumers and paid users. 

Netflix inches further into livestreaming as it snags the SAG Awards

Netflix is slowly starting to make more waves in the world of livestreaming, as the company has snagged the rights to broadcast the Screen Actors Guild Awards. This year’s ceremony will take place on February 26th and stream on Netflix’s YouTube channe…

‘TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge’ hits iOS and Android as a Netflix mobile exclusive

If you’re looking for a game to play right now and you have a Netflix subscription, it’s worth checking out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. It just hit iOS and Android mobile as a mobile exclusive for Netflix members.Shredder’s Reveng…

DoorDash can now drop off your packages

Never mind asking DoorDash to deliver meals or groceries — it can now take items off your hands, too. The service has introduced a Package Pickup option that has a courier grab your prepaid packages from various carriers (including FedEx, UPS and USPS) and drop them off at the appropriate mailing location. You can use a prepaid shipping label if you have one, but you can also send shipping QR codes directly to the courier and skip the printer or box.

Package Pickup is available for up to five items at a time and costs a flat $5, or $3 if you’re a DashPass subscriber. DoorDash hopes to entice early adopters by offering the first pickup for free in January. Conveniently, it’s arriving in time to return unwanted or broken holiday gifts.

This is far from a new concept. Shyp was offering similar shipping options in 2015, right down to the $5 fee. And if you’re only interested in shuttling items across town, Uber Connect has been available since 2020. However, DoorDash is obviously counting on convenience as a selling point. You can use a familiar app to ship packages when you’d rather not make the trek to the local depot.

The new feature is also part of a larger trend of expanding delivery apps beyond food. It’s now relatively easy to use DoorDash, Uber and similar services to get convenience store essentials, prescriptions and even your Facebook Marketplace purchases. The expansion is ultimately a hedge against uncertainty in the pandemic recovery period (services can make money even if food deliveries tank), but you might not mind if it saves you from lengthy trips.