GoKawiil
Tech News
Meta has agreed to pay as much as $17.1 billion and change how Instagram and Facebook operate, settling claims from 47 states, D.C. and U.S. territories that its platforms were built to addict and harm children. About $12 billion is due upfront, with the rest contingent on Snap, TikTok and YouTube accepting similar penalties and reforms.
YouTuber Sydney Watson suggested without evidence that Connecticut Sun center Brittney Griner might be a man playing in the WNBA, despite Griner being cisgender. The claim surfaces amid a broader right-wing campaign against trans athletes in women's sports, fueled by figures like former swimmer Riley Gaines and WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly opposed trans women competing in the league.
Leaker Evan Blass posted images on X suggesting Apple's rumored foldable iPhone Ultra will come in three colors, including an unexpected red variant, alongside previously rumored black and white options. The images reportedly show inconsistencies with iOS 27's interface, using an outdated iOS 26 battery icon, raising doubts about their authenticity even if AI-generated.
The College Board is introducing a new yearlong Advanced Placement course, AP Business with Personal Finance, set to debut nationally in the 2026-27 school year. The course combines core business topics like entrepreneurship, marketing and accounting with everyday money skills such as budgeting, saving and investing, using case studies and project-based learning. It aligns with national financial literacy standards from the Council for Economic Education and the Jump$tart Coalition.
Tailscale released Tailcat, a CLI and Go library that reuses pieces of Tailscale's data plane to create encrypted point-to-point connections like netcat, but without needing Tailscale's control plane or a user account. One machine runs a server and generates a short connection token, which the other side uses to connect; traffic is WireGuard-encrypted and initially routed through DERP relays before attempting a direct peer-to-peer upgrade via NAT traversal.
A developer launched a free beta retirement simulator that tests a user's savings and withdrawal plan against actual historical market returns spanning 125 years and 25 countries, rather than relying on average statistical projections. Users can input portfolio value, withdrawal rate, and time horizon to get a quick estimate of whether their money will last, with a more detailed plan builder also available. Paid plans are expected to follow after the beta period.
Meta has agreed to pay roughly $18 billion to resolve claims from 52 state attorneys general that its platforms harmed teen mental health, without admitting wrongdoing. As part of the deal, it will roll out default teen protections including a two-hour daily usage cap, a nighttime mode that disables feeds and Reels from midnight to 6 a.m., and muted notifications during school hours, while still allowing direct messaging.
During the recent earthquake response in Venezuela, volunteer Anton Wenemoser used the offline app CoMaps to navigate a hard-hit zone with no cell coverage. He later shared it with an El Salvador rescue team that had been relying on a more limited navigation tool, and the app's detailed, community-mapped data proved essential for logistics and coordination in the field.
IEEE's Computer and Software magazines have each received Publication Excellence awards from APEX, a well-regarded annual competition for communicators and publishers. The recognition covers two specific issues that the IEEE team singled out as standout examples of their editorial work.
Leaks ahead of Apple's confirmed September 9 event point to a foldable iPhone Ultra launching seven years after Samsung's first foldable phone. Reports describe a nearly crease-free inner display, an ultra-thin body powered by the A20 Pro chip and a vapor chamber for cooling, and a liquid-metal hinge built on technology Apple licensed more than 15 years ago.
A Korean leaker claims Samsung built several Galaxy S27 Ultra prototypes, including one with a 7,000mAh battery and versions that dropped the S Pen to fit it. Samsung is said to have abandoned that extreme option, instead settling on a 5,700mAh to 6,000mAh target, possibly using silicon-carbon battery technology.
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and implement new child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram to resolve a major legal fight over teen social media addiction. The deal, announced by state attorneys general, settles claims brought by 47 states and averts a continuation of the trial.