Google has launched a new generative AI tool that it says will allow you to “remix your subjects, scenes and styles in fun, new ways”.

Initially available in the US only, Whisk combines the smarts of Google’s Gemini AI and Imagen models to put a slightly new spin on AI-assisted image generation.

In the ongoing battle with the likes of OpenAI, Microsoft and Apple for AI domination, the search giant also announced updated versions of its existing tools: Veo 2 for video creation and Imagen 3 for images.

How to Use Whisk

Announced in a blog from Google Labs – the company’s so-called “home for AI experiments” – Whisk will work a little differently to other AI image generators, breaking, the prompt line down to three basic choices: subject, scene and style.

“Instead of generating images with long, detailed text prompts,” it says, “Whisk lets you prompt with images. Simply drag in images, and start creating.”

An introductory video for the new tool (see below) shows a simplistic interface for creating images in three steps:

• Subject: Use text to describe the subject of the image, or drag in an  already existing photo or image;
• Scene: Choose the scenario where you want your subject to be placed. You also have the option to ‘roll the dice’ and let Whisk pick for you at random;
• Style: Tell Whisk how you want your image to look. Suggestions provided by Google Labs are ‘fantastical’, ‘enamel pin badge’ and ’90s vintage anime’.

“Not a Traditional Image Editor”

Google says that the Gemini model then works “behind the scenes” to write a more detailed prompt based on the three elements you have fed in. Imagen 3 creates the final image based on that longer prompt.

If the image is not as you expected or you want to nuance it further, you’re then given the option to see and edit the longer prompt that Gemini has created from your basic instructions.

“Artists and creatives… have been describing Whisk as a new type of creative tool — not a traditional image editor. We built it for rapid visual exploration, not pixel-perfect edits. It’s about exploring ideas in new and creative ways, allowing you to work through dozens of options and download the ones you love.” – Google Labs

Veo and Imagen Updates

Alongside the whisk ‘experiment’, Google also announced iterative updates to its Veo and Imagen tools.

With the quality of AI video generation improving at speed – as demonstrated by OpenAI’s recently released Sora – Veo 2 seeks to improve detail and realism from its predecessor. Google gives examples of how users can specify the use of cinematic effects like low-angle tracking shots, depth of fields and close ups to achieve better results.

“While video models often “hallucinate” unwanted details — extra fingers or unexpected objects, for example — Veo 2 produces these less frequently, making outputs more realistic.” – Google Labs

While with Imagen 3, the promise is of brighter, better composed images. Google says the tools will now follow prompts more faithfully and “render more diverse art styles with greater accuracy — from photorealism to impressionism, from abstract to anime”.

TikTok executives are hoping that Donald Trump will make social media great again, with the platform’s CEO reportedly meeting the president-elect in person on Monday.

Shou Zi Chew headed to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to try and persuade him to seek a reprieve for the popular video app that is currently set to be banned in the US from January 19th, 2025 – the day before Trump’s inauguration.

In addition to Chew’s meeting with the incoming 47th president, the company has filed an emergency application at the US Supreme Court petitioning it to block the law that establishes the ban.

The Clock is TikToking…

The pre-scheduled face-to-face meeting between Trump and Chew was initially reported by CNN, which was tipped off by “a person familiar with the meeting”.

It is understood that Chew has been making great efforts to secure an audience with the president-elect, with the ban deadline now little more than one month away.

It is, however, a not unexpected meeting of minds. Trump was vocal in his support for TikTok during his campaign to return to the White House, telling followers in a video on his Truth Media platform that: “For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote Trump”.

Chew was given further cause for cheer with the subject of TikTok’s future arising in Trump’s first major news conference since the election on Monday:

“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with it.” – Donald Trump

Why is Trump for TikTok?

Roll back half a decade to Donald Trump’s first term as president, and his views on TikTok appeared to be the polar opposite.

He and his government spearheaded a potential ban on the platform, citing security concerns around the Chinese-owned app.

Fast forward to 2024, though, and Trump has another social media service in his crosshairs – Facebook. The president-elect branded the Meta-owned platform as “very bad for our country” and an “enemy of the people” earlier this year, after it banned him in the wake of the January 6th Capitol riot.

A ban on TikTok in the US would undoubtedly be a boost for Mark Zuckerberg and could pave the way for a Meta ‘Super App’.

TikTok’s Supreme Court Press

TikTok’s two-pronged approach – the second being its application to the Supreme Court – to try and get the ban overturned was prompted by a failure earlier this month to convince the US appeals court to overturn the ban.

The document filed by TikTok Inc and ByteDance Ltd calls the ban a “massive and unprecedented speech restriction”. It leans on the contemporaneous timing of the ban with Trump’s inauguration, saying it will “silence the speech of [TikTok] and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern”.

“The court’s flawed legal rationales would open the door to upholding content-based speech bans in contexts far different than this one. Fear-mongering about national security cannot obscure the threat that the Act itself poses to all Americans.”

The allusion of TikTok as a ‘speech platform’ has been a running theme of the company’s resistance to a ban that it says encroaches First Amendment rights. It’s original appeal application in September said that the law is an “extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights”.

PayPal was founded back in 1998, and since then, it’s revolutionized online payments between individuals, businesses, and online marketplaces. However, whenever an online service—and particularly a financial service—gains massive popularity, the risk of scams skyrockets.

Whether you’re a frequent online shopper or a casual user sending money to individuals and businesses, understanding PayPal scams is crucial for protecting yourself from financial loss. This article will equip you with the knowledge and practical steps to avoid common scams and use PayPal securely.

Key Takeaways

• If possible, only deal with verified users on reputable websites. Look for buyer-seller protection programs when shopping online.
• Never send money for goods or services before receiving them unless the website holds your money while waiting for shipment.
• Beware of phishing scam emails and suspicious login requests. Don’t click on links or share login details via email, text, or phone calls.
• Enable two-factor authentication and turn on notifications so you can easily monitor account activity on PayPal and other money-sharing apps like Cash App.

How To Avoid PayPal Scams

Let’s take a look at some of the most common PayPal scams and how to avoid them.

PayPal support scams

This scam involves receiving an email, text, or phone call from someone claiming to be PayPal tech support or customer service. They’ll tell you there’s an issue with your account that needs to be resolved and ask you to log in via their website. If this scam happens on a phone call, they may request your login information over the phone.

Once you share your login information with them, they can log in to your PayPal account and transfer money to themselves.

How to avoid the PayPal support scam

Avoid clicking links in emails and messages. Similarly, never share your login information or verification code on a phone call. PayPal will never ask for your login info or verification code. If you’re uncertain about a message, email, or phone call, you can always log in to PayPal’s website or app to verify your information, notifications, and official messages.

Online marketplace scams

Online marketplaces, like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, OfferUp, and others, offer a convenient way to save money on everything from bicycles to clothing to couches. However, this also means buying from strangers online, which always carries risks.

This scam happens when you offer to buy an item on an online marketplace and have it shipped to you. The seller requests payment through PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or another service. You pay them, and they tell you that they’ll ship the item, but they never do. Instead, they’ve taken your money, and the item you thought you’d bought probably didn’t exist in the first place.

How to avoid online marketplace scams

Beware of fake profiles that were created recently, have little or no previous sales, and no reviews. Scammers create new profiles all the time to find their next victim.

Additionally, many online marketplaces have built-in payment methods for buyers to use. These payment options generally have security features like holding your payment while the seller ships the item, reporting fraud or scams, and disputing payments. These features remove many of the risks associated with third-party payment options like PayPal.

Romance scams

The romance scam—also known as the “catfish scam”—happens when you meet someone online who lives in another city, state, or country, and you build a romantic relationship together. Then, when it comes time to meet in person, they ask you to send them money for plane tickets, train tickets, hotels, etc., via PayPal.

You’re emotionally entangled, so you send them the money. Once the money is sent, they suddenly stop responding and may even block your number and/or social media accounts. They just perpetrated the romance scam and ran off with your money.

How to avoid romance scams

Sending money to someone you haven’t met in person, even if they seem perfect for you, is generally not a good idea. Instead of sending a potential long-distance love interest money up-front, offer to reimburse them for travel expenses after they make the trip.

Phishing scams

This is one of the most common scams in the book due to its ease and the minimal expense of performing it. This scam occurs when you receive an email or text message that appears to be from PayPal, asking you to click a link. The message may either tell you that you’ve won a giveaway, information is needed to fix an issue with your account, or there’s a payment waiting for you to accept.

When you click the link, you’ll be taken to a fake PayPal website where, if you enter your login info, the scammers will steal your credentials. They can then log in to your PayPal account and transfer money to themselves.

How to avoid phishing scams

If you receive an email or message that appears to be from PayPal, don’t click any links or enter your login info. Instead, log in to paypal.com or open the PayPal app to verify any payment requests, receipts of funds, or giveaway wins.

In general, PayPal will not contact you outside of their app or website, and they will never request your login credentials or other sensitive information like your bank details or social security number.

Login verification scams

Scammers never stop finding new ways to trick you into giving them your information or sending money. In the login verification scam, you’ll receive an email or message stating that an unknown device has tried to access your PayPal account, and you need to verify the legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of this login attempt.

This type of message is designed to make you feel worried about the security of your PayPal account and create urgency, so you’re more likely to click a link and log in to a fake PayPal website. At that point, the scammers obtain your login credentials. You might not even know it happened.

How to avoid login verification scams

If you receive an email or message asking you to verify suspicious activity on your account, don’t click any links. Instead, log in to your PayPal account on your own through the normal channels like their website or app. Then, in PayPal’s security settings, make sure only approved devices have access to your account.

Additionally, if you believe your username or password is compromised, reset your password right away. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Conclusion

With the increase in PayPal’s popularity since its inception in 1998, scams have become increasingly common. By staying up to date with the latest fraud tactics, such as phishing, romance, and online marketplace scams, you have a better chance of avoiding financial loss.

To ensure your safety online, never share your login information via email, messages, or phone calls, and don’t click suspicious links.

Want to find out more? Check out our articles on How to Avoid Crypto Scams and How to Avoid Venmo Scams.

FAQs

In today’s digital age, cybersecurity and identity protection are crucial. Norton doesn’t just help you remove malicious software from your computer—it also offers Norton Lifelock to help safeguard your sensitive personal information. However, unfortunately, scammers are always on the lookout for new ways to steal your details.

Whether you’re a subscriber to Norton Lifelock, a security-conscious individual, or are just looking to avoid online fraud, this article will equip you with the knowledge to identify and avoid Norton Lifelock scams.

Key Takeaways

• Never click on suspicious links or attachments in emails, texts, or pop-up messages claiming to be from Norton Lifelock.
• Don’t share login information, financial details, or remote access with anyone claiming to represent Norton Lifelock.
• Instead of sharing information over email, text, or phone, you should always log in to your Norton Lifelock account to verify all information and requests.
• If you think your information is compromised, contact the Norton Lifelock support team immediately to file a claim.

How To Avoid Norton Lifelock Scams

Scammers always seek new ways to steal money, data, or both from their victims. Being knowledgeable and careful is the only way to defend against scams. Let’s explore some of the most common Norton Lifelock scams—and how to avoid them.

Scare tactics scams

Scare tactics scams involve convincing victims that their information is compromised. The scammer will send you an email, text, or pop-up message that appears to be from Norton Lifelock. The message will claim that your identity has been stolen or that a company with your information has been hacked.

To protect your identity, the message urges you to click a fake link to log in to your account. But instead of logging in to Norton Lifelock’s actual website, you’re logging in to the scammer’s fake website. Once they have your login credentials, they can access your real account and steal personal information, such as credit reports, bank and brokerage details, and potentially even your social security number (SSN).

How to avoid scare tactics scams

If you receive a suspicious email or notification about a potential identity leak from Norton Lifelock, don’t panic, and don’t click any links. Instead, log in to your Norton Lifelock account and verify whether the notification is accurate. If it is, Norton Lifelock will guide you through the steps to rectify the situation. If the notification was fake, then you just avoided a potential scam.

Fake invoice scams

Fake invoice scams happen when you receive a bill from Norton Lifelock, generally in your email. The email will have a realistic-looking Norton email address containing an urgent payment request. When you click the link, you’re taken to a fake version of the Norton Lifelock website designed to look real. When you input your info, scammers steal it and run.

These emails may also contain legitimate-looking invoices with the Norton Lifelock logo, an invoice number, an invoice date, and line items with the required amount due. The invoice will note “late payment,” “unpaid fees,” or “monthly payment due.” It may also threaten the discontinuation of service and a higher risk of having your identity stolen.

How to avoid fake invoice scams

As always, don’t automatically trust emails and notifications that appear to be from Norton Lifelock, no matter how urgent or threatening they may sound. Instead, log in to your real Norton Lifelock account on its website (lifelock.norton.com) and access your notifications. This will allow you to determine their legitimacy with safety.

Customer service scams

The customer service scam involves fraudsters feigning to be Norton Lifelock customer service. They will contact you by phone or email and either inform you of an issue with your account, ask you to verify a transaction, or tell you your account isn’t secure enough.

They request your login credentials, like your email address and password, or a piece of information to verify your identity, such as your birthday or the last four digits of your social security number. They then use this information to access your account, steal your identity, or access your financial records.

How to avoid customer service scams

Norton Lifelock customer service will never request sensitive information over the phone, via email, or in a text message. If you do receive a notification from Norton Lifelock customer service, don’t click any links, and avoid sharing your information over the phone if you receive a call.

Instead, log in on the official website and take any necessary actions, like adding details to your profile, changing settings, or responding to customer service messages.

Conclusion

Scams are a challenging type of crime to predict, detect, and prevent because they’re always changing. Plus, the rise of online scams can make it difficult to know who to trust. By understanding the common tactics and remaining vigilant, you can protect yourself from Norton Lifelock scams.

Remember: never share your login information with anyone, no matter how urgent the issue might seem. Instead of clicking links in messages, log in to your Norton Lifelock account on your own. Finally, don’t trust emailed invoices—instead, verify all bills and payments on your account page.

For further reading, check out the ultimate guide to protecting your online identity.

FAQs

LinkedIn is a valuable tool for people at all stages of their career path, whether they’re looking for their first job or trying to move up the corporate ladder.

However, you may eventually want to delete your account to reduce your online footprint, move on to another networking platform, or another reason. Unfortunately, while opening a LinkedIn account is straightforward, it’s not as clear how to delete an account, which can lead to confusion when you try.

To help you out, this guide explains how to delete your LinkedIn account in a few easy steps.

Key Takeaways

• Once you know the steps, deleting your LinkedIn account is quick and easy.
• Before deleting your account, download any data you want to keep, such as messages, connections, and other profile information.
• If you have connections you’d like to stay in touch with, share other contact methods with them—such as your email address—before you delete the account.
• While your information isn’t visible on LinkedIn once you delete your account, search engines may still display residual details about the account until it updates its search data.

How To Delete Your LinkedIn Account: Step-by-Step Instructions

While deleting your LinkedIn account is easy, the steps are slightly different depending on where you’re deleting the account from.

Deleting Your LinkedIn Account on the Computer

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the screen on your LinkedIn homepage.
2. In the dropdown menu, click Settings & Privacy.
3. Scroll to Account management (in the Account preferences section) and click Close account.
4. Choose the reason you’re closing your account (e.g., “I have a privacy concern,” “I’m not getting any value from my membership,” or “Other”). Then, click Next.
5. Enter your password and click Close account.

Deleting Your LinkedIn Account on the Mobile App (iOS or Android)

1. Tap your profile picture.
2. Go to Settings, then select Account Preferences.
3. Under Account Management, tap Close Account, and press Continue.
4. Choose the reason for closing the account, then tap Next.
5. Enter your password and tap Done.

The complete deletion process takes time, so search engines may still display your profile information until search data is updated.

However, rest assured that once you delete your account, your profile is no longer visible on the platform, you’ll no longer be in any LinkedIn groups, and all endorsements and recommendations you’ve given get deleted.

Downloading Your LinkedIn Data Before Deleting Your Account

One of the biggest mistakes people make when deleting their LinkedIn accounts is forgetting to download their data from the platform first.

If you delete your account without downloading your data, some of what you’ll lose includes your:

• Messages
• Contacts
• Courses
• Recommendations and endorsements
• Profile data (education, job history, certifications, and skills)
• Job application details
• Settings preferences

This data is nice to have, whether for future reference or to help you set up a new account later.

To download your data from LinkedIn, follow these steps:

1. Visit your homepage and click the Me icon at the top of the screen.
2. From the drop-down menu, select Settings & Privacy.
3. Click Data Privacy on the left side of the screen.
4. Navigate to the section called How LinkedIn uses your data, and click Get a copy of your data.
5. Choose the data you want to download, and click Request Archive.

LinkedIn emails you a link within 24 hours that you use to download the information. Be sure to do this quickly, as the data is available to download for 72 hours only.

Also, because you’ll lose your meaningful connections when you delete your account, make sure to share your other social media accounts, email address, or other ways to contact you if you want them to stay in touch.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking for an effective solution for reducing your digital footprint or want to move to another platform, there are many cases where you’ll want to delete your LinkedIn account. The process is straightforward and clear, but ensure you download your data beforehand.

If you want to learn more about LinkedIn, check out our guides on making your LinkedIn profile stand out and the latest LinkedIn scams to avoid.

FAQs

President-elect Donald Trump has cybercriminals in his sights, it was suggested by Republican Rep. Mike Waltz on Sunday. Trump’s nomination for national security advisor made the remarks during an episode of CBS’s Face the Nation.

The news follows a high-profile espionage campaign allegedly conducted by the Chinese, known as “Salt Typhoon,” which recently saw data stolen from US telecommunications companies. Waltz did not specifically outline what Trump planned to do in response, instead setting out a general agenda.

With cyberattacks on the rise, the US waits to see how the incoming administration will respond to this escalating issue. While cybersecurity is a bipartisan concern, it’s likely that Trump will reject aspects of his predecessor’s “third rail of cybersecurity” policy, which aimed to create legislation to punish tech companies for complicity in cyberattacks.

Trump Nominee Vows to Punish Cybercriminals

Mike Waltz, Donald Trump’s pick for national security advisor in his upcoming administration, has suggested that the US is exploring ways to combat cybercrime, which is spiraling out of control.

The Republican rep. claimed that previous governments had chosen to prioritize bolstering their cybersecurity rather than on efforts to deter malicious actors. The comments come just a couple of weeks after a high-profile data breach allegedly committed by China, which impacted at least eight telecommunications and infrastructure firms.

Said Waltz: “We need to start going on the offense and start imposing, I think, higher costs and consequences to private actors and nation-state actors that continue to steal our data, that continue to spy on us,” Reuters reports.

New Administration Brings New Approach

Waltz’s remarks signal a change in approach for the US government. Previous administrations have placed emphasis on safeguarding critical infrastructure at the expense of preventative measures. In 2023, for instance, President Biden issued his National Cybersecurity Strategy, which sought to “rebalance the responsibility to defend cyberspace by shifting the burden for cybersecurity” onto “organizations that are most capable and and best-positioned to reduce risks for all of us,” as outlined by Brookings.

As part of this, the outgoing President introduced a “liability shift” from software users to vendors that sought to encourage large organizations to bake security best practices into their products, rather than relying on the discretion of the user. It is thought that President-elect Trump will not favor carrying this policy forward, as it involves regulation of the private sector.

With Elon Musk, the newly appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency, at his side, cutting red tape and regulations is expected to be high on the agenda. Both men are known advocates of light-touch regulation, and are unlikely to be supportive of legislation that pulls guardrails around the tech sector.

Fears Mount as Trump Nears Second Term

Data breaches are increasingly common in the US, with actors from Russia and China thought to be among the biggest culprits. The government has long maintained somewhat uneasy ties with both nations.

With Trump’s second term beginning in just over a month, there is concern that he will pursue an aggressive foreign policy that could potentially inflame relations with the Russians and Chinese even further. While nothing is set in stone, Waltz’s remarks hint at a certain direction.

Perhaps in an effort to foster some goodwill ahead of his departure from the Oval Office, President Biden on Friday renewed the Science and Technology Agreement, a decades-old agreement between the US and China that seeks to advance “US interests through newly established and strengthened provisions on transparency and data reciprocity.”

While Google may have scaled back some of its most luxurious perks (farewell free massages), it still remains one of the top tech companies to work for – and for good reason.

If working for one of the most well-respected tech companies isn’t enough, the Silicon Valley heavyweight offers extremely competitive salaries, and career progression opportunities –  while sweetening the deal with unique stock options and generous parental leave.

If you’re happy to bypass in-office privileges like on-site meals and fitness centers, the company also frequently hires for fully remote roles. However, with Google gradually curtailing job listings for fully remote workers, we recommend throwing your hat in the ring before its too late.

Fully Remote Jobs at Google for December 2024

The holiday season isn’t just about rest and reflection, it’s also a great time to set yourself up for the year ahead. At the time of writing, Google is accepting applications for 22 fully-remote positions. This is a noticeable drop from the 47 WFH-friendly roles it was advertising last month, making now a great time to try and secure a remote job at the company.

We’ve outlined some of the best roles below, alongside the locations they’re hiring in:

• Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager (California, USA)
• Key Account Executive, Google Cloud (Tennessee, USA)
• Data Center Mechanical/Thermal Cooling Engineer (Several locations across the USA)
• Cybersecurity Delivery Lead Consultant, Mandiant, Google Cloud (Several locations across the USA)
• CCAI Sales Specialist III, Regulated Industries, Google Cloud (Several locations across the USA)
• Senior Red Teamer, Google Public Sector (Virginia USA)
• Technical Lead, System Level Performance Simulation (Several locations across the USA)
• Technical Program Manager, Data Center Design (London, UK)
• Manufacturing Engineer, Product Lifecycle and Technical Operations (Thailand)
• Senior CPU Microarchitecture Lead (Several locations across the USA)
• Software Engineer, Commerce (Zürich, Switzerland)
• Post Quantum Cryptography Analyst, Public Sector (Virginia, USA)

If you’d like to browse through Google’s full list of remote-friendly, and hybrid opportunities, check out Google’s career page for more job listings.

Are Google’s Days of Remote Working Numbered?

Google first started to gradually rescind its flexible policies in March 2022, when the company asked its workers based in the San Francisco Bay Area and “several other US locations” to return back to the office for three days a week.

Google wasn’t a lone sheep when it came to cracking down on remote work, with several other big tech companies like Tesla and Apple also issuing return to office (RTO) mandates at a similar time.

However, when Google started enforcing this policy by tracking office badge attendance and penalizing workers in performance reviews in 2023, these actions were criticized by online employees, and openly challenged by the Alphabet Workers Union.

Skip to the current day, and Google’s hybrid working policy is going strong. The company is still hiring for fully-remote opportunities, but with these listings dwindling month-by-month, its clear that the search giant isn’t as committed to flexible work as many of its rivals. So, if landing a remote job in tech is on your to-do-list for 2024, which other companies should you be considering?

Which Companies Are Leading The Pack When It Comes to Remote Work?

If you’re looking to pursue the Silicon Valley dream without relocating to California, we’d recommend prioritizing companies that hold flexible work as a core value.

For example, Microsoft actively promotes flexible work models, and leverages its own 365 Workplace technology to empower employees to work in a way that suits them. While the company currently operates on a hybrid model, workers can adjust their schedule based on their needs and project requirements. The Washington based company also consistently hires more fully-remote workers than Apple, with tech leader advertising for 417 WFH-friendly positions this month alone.

Music streaming giant Spotify has an even more liberal stance on remote work, with the company allowing its 8.300 strong workforce to work from anywhere they want, whether that be at home, the office or anywhere in between. Similarly, online rental marketplace Airbnb is also remote friendly, offering its employees the chance to work from anywhere in the world.

This is really just scraping the surface though. If you’re intent in finding a job that’s on board with you working from the comfort of your own home – or even overseas – check out our full guide to the best companies with work from anywhere policies in 2024.

Meta has just launched Meta Motivo – a brand-new artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to bring lifelike realism to its avatars, with the potential to revolutionize the Metaverse experience.

While Meta hasn’t always been praised for its  avatars, according to the company this research breakthrough allows its virtual agents to have more natural and realistic movements and could pave the way for “fully immersive agents within the Metaverse”.

As the Silicon Valley company continues to pour billions into its AI efforts, Motivo is just one tool the company has recently added to its arsenal. We explain how exactly this development is likely to shape experiences within the Metaverse and discuss if now is a good time for your business to join the virtual world.

Meta’s New AI Model Makes Avatars Move More Realistically

Following a pretty major AI spending spree, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp owner Meta has recently unveiled a shiny new AI model that the company claims will enhance its Metaverse experience.

The model, Meta Motivo AI, sets out to make virtual environments more immersive and lifelike by making its virtual avatars, or ‘NPCs’, more realistic. According to Meta, the AI model solves the problem of digital avatars lacking control over their bodies, allowing them to act more naturally as a result.

“This breakthrough research could pave the way for fully immersive agents within the Metaverse, leading to more realistic NPCs, democratising character animation, and unlocking novel immersive experiences,” – Meta stated in a press release

Much of Meta Motivo’s success can be attributed to the novel algorithm that it’s been trained on. The AI algorithm runs off information from unlabeled datasets and uses zero-shot inference capabilities that enable it to learn human-like behaviors without being supervised.

According to Meta, this development allows Meta Motivo to solve a wide range of whole-body control tasks, including motion tracking, reward optimization, and goal pose reaching, “without any additional training or planning”.

Meta Doubles Down on Its AI Spend

Much like Silicon Valley’s other big players, Meta has been pouring billions of dollars into AI in recent years, with its capital expense forecast for 2024 hitting a record high of between $37 to $40 billion.

While these numbers may seem astronomical, it’s investment appears to be paying off. In addition to Meta Motivo, the company has also launched Meta Video Seal to try and tackle the deepfake crisis that’s eroding trust across the internet. The tool enables users to add watermarks to AI-generated videos, which are invisible to the human eye but are unable to be erased through blurring or cropping.

Like many other AI models that Meta has created, the company’s Video Seal is completely open-source. While this may seem at odds with the developer’s steep AI spending, the company believes that embracing open-source technology leads to improved innovation and security, due to increased scrutiny from its community of developers.

So, with Meta clearly making leap forwards in the spheres of virtual reality and AI, is it finally time for businesses to jump on the Metaverse wagon?

Should Your Business Be In the Metaverse?

While the Metaverse was a source of derision for many in its early years, billions of dollars in investments later, its reputation has seemed to have somewhat recovered.

Alongside Meta itself, several big tech players including Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia are currently investing in the company. The Metaverse has even collaborated with Microsoft Teams to create ‘Microsoft Mish’ – a platform that lets workers participate in shared immersive spaces.

However, claims that the Metaverse could transform the future of work seem unfounded for now. While the virtual reality platform’s users are growing – with Metaverse currently hosting 600 million active users worldwide – over 80% of Metaverse users to date are younger than 16. This is largely due to the popularity of the platform’s gaming ecosystem, with Metaverse’s most popular game currently being Roblox.

As Meta continues to improve the quality of its virtual world through consistent funding and open-source infrastructure, it’s likely that the boundary-breaking technology will influence the way businesses reach consumers in the coming years. Yet, for the majority of businesses content with carrying out affairs in the real world, we’d recommend holding off investing in a VR headset for now.

If you’re a California resident, you could be entitled to compensation from the Thomson Reuters CLEAR settlement, and you don’t even have to have used the service to be eligible.

The $27.5 million settlement is for allegedly selling personal information from California residents, violating the state’s privacy laws on data usage without consent.

Time is running out to claim your piece of the settlement, though, with the deadline of December 27th fast approaching. So, if you want to get a nice little gift in your stockings this year, make sure to keep scrolling to find out if you can claim part of the Thomson Reuters CLEAR settlement today.

Thomson Reuters CLEAR Class Action Settlement

Filed in 2020, the class action lawsuit against Thomson Reuters alleged that the technology conglomerate sold California user data to government agencies and corporation businesses.

The company did so through its CLEAR platform, the AI-powered solution that allows users to “access multiple databases to quickly investigate criminal cases and accurately identify potential fraud.”

As you can imagine, doing so flies in the face of data privacy regulations in California, which state that the sale of user data without proper consent can result in substantial fines for the offending business.

Are You Eligible for the Thomson Reuters CLEAR Settlement Pay Out?

If you’ve made it this far, there’s a good chance you are eligible for the pay out from the Thomson Reuters CLEAR settlement, with all California residents from December 3rd, 2016 to October 31st, 2024 having an opportunity to cash in.

That’s right, you don’t have to have used the CLEAR platform from Thomson Reuters and you no longer have to live in California to be eligible. As long as you had provable residence in California between those dates, you’re eligible for the payout.

Unfortunately, despite the size of the settlement, individual payouts aren’t going to get you in a new tax bracket. The average expected payout for those eligible is between $19 and $48, but hey, it’s more than nothing!

How to Claim the Thomson Reuters CLEAR Settlement Payout

While the payout may not be that large, the ease with which you can submit your claim and get a piece of the pie is substantial, making it more than worth it for even a meager payout.

All you have to do is head on over to the file claim website and fill out the form, which includes your name, address, phone number, email address, and preferred payment method. On top of that, you’ll have to electronically sign the document to confirm that you were, in fact, a California resident during that time period.

Find out if you’re eligible for the BuzzFeed settlement payout next

Another country has joined the battle against social media addiction, with Greece announcing restrictions for users under the age of 15.

It’s no secret that social media can encourage addictive behavior, particularly in young users. The problem has been consistent over the years, but social media platforms haven’t been able to find a way to curb the impact.

Now, countries are taking matters into their own hands by banning or restricting services like Facebook and Instagram for young users, and Greece is getting on board.

Greece Announces Social Media Restrictions for Young Users

The Greek government has announced that it will soon implement age-based restrictions on social media for users under the age of 15. The goal behind these new regulations is to limit the notable overexposure of social media among young users, which has been shown to have some seriously negative effects.

“It’s not only that children remain glued on social media. They are isolated and this carries a double risk: the risk of depression and the risk of digital isolation, where they think that they have a friend and create a fake, digital world without living on the outside world. There were children who had refused to go to school.” – Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs to Greek SKAI TV

The system will be broad, implementing everything from age checks and algorithm changes to awareness campaigns and time management tools for parents.

Other Countries Instituting Social Media Regulations for Youth

Greece isn’t the only country attempting to curb the overconsumption of social media in youth. In fact, there are a number of countries implementing age restrictions on social media platforms, with strategies ranging from full-on bans to opt-in methods with parental consent.

Here’s a list of the countries around the world that are currently trying to limit social media usage for young users:

• United States
• Australia
• United Kingdom
• Norway
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• South Korea
• Greece

Whether or not these restrictions and regulations will have any impact in any of these countries remains to be seen, as these efforts are quite new, with most campaigns launching early this year.

Is Social Media Addictive?

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been around for more than a decade at this point, and one thing has been glaringly obvious since their inception: These platforms are pretty addictive.

From medical experts noting the similar brain activity to using drugs to the aggressive overuse by many users, there have been many studies stating that social media has addictive tendencies.

Worse, many of these platforms seem to be employing these strategies on purpose, with Meta even being sued for designing its platforms to encourage addictive behavior in hopes of improving user numbers.

If you want to cut down on employee burnout, remote work could be the answer, with a new study showing that those with flexible working arrangements are less exhausted, the primary symptom of burnout.

There’s no shortage of statistics that show the value of remote work. From increased productivity to improved mental health, the popular employee perk has been found time and time again to be a boon for workers and employers alike.

Now, it seems that remote work could also improve employee retention, with this study pointing to substantial stress and burnout reduction for those lucky enough to work from home.

Remote Workers Are Less Burnt Out

In a study from WFH Research, researchers found a decidedly significant correlation between remote work and a lack of burnout symptoms.

In fact, remote workers exhibited an average of only 0.7 burnout symptoms, while in-office workers averaged 1.0 symptoms on average. One of the most notable symptoms of burnout is low energy or exhaustion, which in-office workers (35.3%) also experience far more than remote employees (27.1%).

That’s not all, though. The study also found that employees are far less likely to have negative feelings about their company if they work from home. Only 12.7% of remote employees expressed distaste with their employer, while 21.6% of in-office workers had negative feelings about work.

The Risk of Return-to-Office Mandates

The study didn’t just focus on how employees feel about remote work either. The research also dug into how employees react to return-to-office mandates, and let’s just say, the results are not great for those looking to get employees back to their commute.

According to the study, 41.4% of surveyed employees said they would start looking for a new job if they were asked to return to the office for five days a week, while 14.4% said that they would quit on the spot, leaving 44.3% that said they would comply.

Given that most businesses would probably see significant problems if more than half their staff decided it was time to move on, it’s safe to say that return-to-office mandates are not the way to go, particularly given the notable backlash that has taken place at business like Amazon and Dell.

The Value of Remote Work

Clearly, this study shows that remote work is a great for employees, but the reality is that remote work is also good for business owners when implemented.

In fact, our own productivity statistics show that remote work can increase revenue, improve productivity, and encourage employee retention. Remote work can even lower the carbon footprint of your business, if going green is a priority for your team.

All that to say, you might want to reconsider that return-to-office mandate, if only to make sure that your employees don’t leave your business.

Crypto scams are schemes where fraudsters trick you into giving up your cryptocurrency or personal information or encouraging you to invest in fake crypto projects for their own financial gain.

Since cryptocurrency is still a new market, scammers are busy exploiting new and experienced investors alike. Thankfully, crypto scams can be easily avoided if you have the right information.

In this article, we’ll show you exactly what crypto scams are, how to avoid them, and what to do if you’re worried you may have fallen prey to one.

Key Takeaways

• A crypto scam is when a scammer deceives you into giving up cryptocurrency or personal information or encourages you to invest in a fake cryptocurrency project.
• Common crypto scams include fake exchanges and wallets, phishing scams, rug pulls, and pump-and-dump schemes.
• Avoid falling into a crypto scam by identifying red flags such as promises of guaranteed returns, pressure to invest quickly, and unsolicited offers to invest.
• Only purchase crypto on regulated exchanges like Coinbase or Crypto.com, and always keep two-factor authentication enabled.

What Is a Crypto Scam?

A crypto scam is an online scheme where scammers trick you into giving up your crypto assets or personal information or encouraging you to invest in fake cryptocurrency projects that don’t exist.

Common types of cryptocurrency scams include:

• Fake exchanges and wallets: A scammer will design and publish a fake crypto marketplace that looks totally legitimate, with the ability to create a crypto wallet and apparently buy cryptos and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Once you transfer funds to purchase crypto, the scammer will take them and disappear.
• Phishing scams: A scammer will send an email or other message that contains a link to a fake URL. You’ll be prompted to input your login info to access your “account,” and the scammer will use these credentials to break into your crypto wallet and steal your funds.
• Rug pulls: A scammer with web development skills will create a new crypto coin and reach out to you for investment, promising high returns. When you do invest, they’ll simply pocket the funds.
• Pump-and-dump schemes: A scammer will artificially “pump” up the price of a cryptocurrency by spreading false information and attracting you and others to invest. Once the price is high enough, they’ll “dump” their shares, causing the value of your coins to plummet.

How To Avoid Crypto Scams

If you know what to look for and how to keep your digital wallet secure, crypto scams shouldn’t pose a problem. Below are the best strategies for recognizing and avoiding crypto scams.

Watch for red flags

Being aware of common warning signs can help you identify potential scams. Here are some important red flags to watch for:

• Promises of guaranteed returns: Legitimate cryptocurrencies never market their coins by promising guaranteed profits—scam coins often do.
• Pressure to invest quickly: Be aware of urgency tactics designed to rush you into rash decisions, such as limited-time offers or countdowns.
• Unsolicited offers: As a rule, ignore any unsolicited messages or emails about crypto investment opportunities. These usually entail a self-proclaimed “crypto expert” claiming exclusive knowledge of a promising investment and using phrases like “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” or “act now to secure your spot.”
• Giveaway scams: Unsolicited offers can also take the form of giveaway scams, where scammers claim you’re entitled to free cryptocurrency but require your personal information before you can receive the funds.
• Lack of documentation: Real cryptocurrencies will always have whitepapers and records of their initial coin offerings available. However, even this isn’t enough to prove legitimacy. Avoid cryptos that have no official documentation.
• Unusual payment methods: If you’re specifically asked to purchase crypto with a gift card or with another cryptocurrency—often through unsolicited emails, social media messages, or Telegram chats—you’re likely dealing with a crypto scammer.

Only use trusted platforms

Not all crypto platforms are created equal. Reputable, regulated platforms you can trust include Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Gemini. Cryptocurrency scams are most likely to occur on unregulated platforms such as Best Wallet, Margex, Uniswap, and PancakeSwap.

Legitimate, regulated exchanges are usually registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), demonstrate SOC 2 compliance, and require users to complete identity verification steps in line with KYC and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.

Not sure whether a given exchange or coin is legitimate? If it has any of the below aspects, it’s probably fake:

• Strange URLs with misspelled words or unusual characters.
• Poor website quality, with frequent typos or bad design.
• A huge amount of niche, unpopular coins available for trade.

Enable two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is when you’re required to provide a second piece of information in addition to your password, like a code sent to your phone, before you can access your digital wallet. In the event of a phishing attack where your password is compromised, two-factor authentication could be the final stop that prevents a scammer from accessing your crypto.

Consider using an authenticator app for the second step of your two-factor authentication. An authenticator app generates a new, unique code every 30 seconds, making it much harder for scammers to use your stolen password to access your crypto.

What To Do if You Get Scammed

The crypto market is still relatively new and highly unregulated. If you get scammed, it’s very unlikely you’ll ever be able to recover your funds. However, there are still a few steps you can take if you do end up falling victim to a crypto investment scam:

• Report the scam to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center, providing as much detail as possible.
• Secure your account immediately by changing your passwords and enabling two-factor authentication (if you haven’t yet).

Conclusion

Crypto scams are designed to trick you into giving up cryptocurrency or personal info or investing in fake coins.

To avoid them, look out for telltale signs such as promises of guaranteed returns, urgency tactics, and lack of official whitepapers. Only invest on trusted platforms like Coinbase and Crypto.com, and keep two-factor authentication enabled for extra security.

For further reading, check out our article on the recent Trump Free Crypto Telegram Scam—an unfortunate case study of a real-life crypto scam.

FAQs

Grok AI is a free AI model available from xAI. It offers paid plans as well, including a $30 per month plan called SuperGrok and another $30 per user, per month plan for businesses called Grok Business.

Created by Elon Musk, Grok is a unique AI model in that it’s a bit more irreverent than other AI models, with sarcastic responses that you would expect to generally find on social media.

Still, while Grok isn’t the most sought-after AI model on the market, it certainly has its use cases, which is why, in this guide, we’ll outline how much Grok costs and what you get with each plan.

What Is Grok AI?

Grok AI is a language model developed by xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company.

Grok is unique from other AI models in that, like its creator, it’s a bit sarcastic and lighthearted, providing sarcastic and somewhat entertaining answers with a bit of snark.

Grok is available in 29 different languages and offers two different modes for responses: Fast and Expert.

Grok’s biggest difference from tools like ChatGPT and Claude is its ability to tap into real-time knowledge from the X platform (formerly Twitter). This allows Grok to stay current on news stories and trending topics, giving it an edge in timely conversations.

Although a lot of people sign up to Grok to integrate it with their X account (and initially, this was the only way to use the chatbot), it’s now possible to use Grok as a standalone AI tool.

How Much Does Grok AI Cost?

Grok offers an assortment of different pricing options for both individual users and business accounts, with a variety of features in each for those specific use cases.

Here’s how all the Grok AI pricing plans match up against each other on cost:

• Grok – Free
• SuperGrok Lite – $10 per month
• SuperGrok – $30 per month
• Grok Business – $30 per user, per month
• SuperGrok Heavy – $300 per month
• Enterprise – Custom

Currently, you can get Grok’s SuperGrok’s plan free for your first three days. Once this trial is up, you’ll have to pay the standard $30 per month.

If you’re looking to save a bit of money and you’re open to a long-term commitment to Grok, you can sign up for a yearly contract to get a discount. The SuperGrok plan, for example, only costs $300 per year, which represents a 16% discount.

Is Grok free?

Grok has gone through a lot of pricing changes over the last few years. At first, there was no free version of the AI model, with Grok only available for paid users of X, the social media site also owned by Elon Musk.

However, since the release of Grok 3 in February 2025, Grok is now free to use for all X users, like most AI models. The change from a paid option to a free service was announced by xAI in an X post, joking that the chatbot will be free “until our servers melt.”

The free version of Grok allows for limited access to the AI model, with users estimating that you get about 10 requests every two hours. You’ll also only get access to Grok 3, with access to Grok 4 reserved for paid users only.

The Grok free plan also provides access to the Aurora image generation tool and the Voice function, so you can talk to it rather than type into it.

Should I Use Grok AI for My Project?

Grok’s integration with X gives it a distinct advantage in accessing real-time information, making it particularly valuable for projects that require up-to-the-minute data. But other tools like ChatGPT do offer limited web access through the use of plugins and API access.

On the technical side, Grok-2 is showing significant promise in various areas:

• Code generation: Grok-2 achieved an 88.4% pass rate on the HumanEval benchmark, making it competitive with other leading models for coding tasks.
• Reasoning capabilities: Grok-2 has demonstrated improved performance in areas like graduate-level science knowledge and math competition problems.
• Multimodal understanding: Grok-2 is strong in tasks that combine text and visual elements, such as the MathVista benchmark for visual math reasoning.

Grok’s latest model, Grok 4.2, was released in March 2026. According to xAI, the new version has the lowest hallucination rate on the market, strict prompt adherence, and advanced agentic capabilities including multi-agent support.

Grok, while newer than some GPT models, is competitive in certain areas. As xAI continues to actively develop and update Grok’s source code, base model weights, and capabilities, it could close the gap with more established AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

However, Grok’s exclusive availability through X Premium might not align with all project needs. Grok’s approach to content moderation is also less stringent than most competitors, which could be a double-edged sword depending on your project’s requirements and ethical considerations.

The lack of extensive third-party integrations is another factor to weigh, especially for projects requiring complex workflows or interconnected systems. This limitation impacts Grok’s versatility in certain enterprise environments.

When comparing Grok vs. ChatGPT, it’s evident that while Grok is making strides, it still has ground to cover. ChatGPT’s more mature ecosystem and broader application range currently give it an advantage for many projects.

Getting Started with Grok

Grok AI presents an intriguing option for AI-generated content, offering real-time knowledge and a unique personality at a competitive price point. While it may not yet be the go-to choice for all projects, its rapid development and integration with X make it worth watching.

As you weigh your options, consider exploring the best chatbots to find the perfect fit for your needs.

You might know Zoho from the Zoho CRM or the many other business applications offered by the tech corporation. Now, they’ve launched a new one: Zoho Payroll.

The new payroll solution will streamline and automate your core payroll needs, from compliance to taxes to benefits. Zoho’s applications consistently rank in our top ten lists, whether they’re for streamlining video call meetings or for automating invoices.

Here’s our first look at what to expect from Zoho’s brand-new payroll software: What functions it offers, how much it costs, and where it’s available.

What Zoho Payroll Handles

Zoho Payroll is designed to serve as an end-to-end payroll solution. This includes:

• Federal, state, and local tax compliance across all 50 states with automated calculating, paying, and filing of taxes
• Employee benefits
  • Healthcare
  • Retirement savings
  • Paid time off
  • Managing employee contributions to 401(k), 403(b), health savings accounts (HSA), and flexible spending accounts (FSA)
• Mobile-first employee self-service portal (iOS and Android)
• Integration with Zoho People, Zoho Expense, and Zoho Books to enable automatic data syncing

The self-service portal will let employees view their payslips, benefits contributions, and salary breakdowns, helps them change their tax withholding choices, and lets them exchange messages with HR.

How Zoho Payroll Addresses Key Challenges

Prashant Ganti — Head of Product Management, Finance and Operations Business Unit at Zoho Corp. — offered an exclusive statement to Tech.co, discussing the complexities and challenges of payroll management.

“Businesses are increasingly challenged by constantly changing tax regulations, making payroll management more difficult to manage. Many companies outsource certain aspects of payroll, which can be costly, and smaller companies often rely on manual processes which are prone to errors,” Ganti told Tech.co. “Zoho Payroll addresses these exact challenges by offering a comprehensive solution that automates payroll processing, ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and provides real-time payroll insights.

Ganti also highlighted one of the biggest reasons why our research team has recommended Zoho software in roundups such as our “Most Simple CRM Systems” guide: Zoho apps integrate very well with each other.

“What makes Zoho Payroll stand out is its integration with Zoho’s HR, accounting, and expense management solutions, providing interoperability between systems.” -Ganti

Zoho Payroll Pricing

Pricing for the new payroll solution starts at $39 per month, plus $6 per month per employee. This price is exclusive of local taxes, however.

How soon get you try it? Zoho Payroll is currently available for immediate use in all 50 US states. Those who want to give it a spin can try the software’s 14-day free trial today.

There’s a theory for why so many companies are pushing for an end to remote work policies, despite strong employee backlash at tech giants from Amazon to Dell. These companies, the theory goes, are trying to justify their hefty office leases — they’re paying for the space, so they need to use it.

Now, a new report has confirmed that this reasoning is behind at least some of these RTO mandates. One in three companies (38%) say that using the office space they pay for is a reason behind their RTO push.

It’s not the only factor, however, with a handful of other reasons such as “improving communication” coming in ahead of the real estate justification.

16% of Companies Say Leases Have “Major Impact” on RTO

The new report is out from Resume.org, and is based on a November 2024 poll that surveyed 900 business leaders at companies that went remote for the Covid pandemic but have since pivoted to RTO policies.

“For over half of companies leasing office space (or 35% of the total sample), current lease terms have impacted their RTO strategies. About 16% of companies report lease terms have a major impact on their RTO policy, while 38% say they play at least some role,” the report found.

Don’t expect anything to change soon. Some leases will expire in 2025, but, of the companies that currently hold leases, nearly half of them will see their lease extend to 2028 or later.

Other Reasons for RTO Pushes

The biggest reason companies cited for their return to the physical office space was fostering collaboration and teamwork, with 69% of surveyed companies saying this.

“The primary drivers for requiring employees to return to the office include fostering collaboration and teamwork (69%), improving communication (58%), strengthening company culture (51%), boosting productivity (47%), and simplifying employee management (41%)” -the report

Not covered by the report? Any of the benefits of fully remote work, from the time management upside for employees with small children or those with disabilities, to the productivity or happiness gains that some studies have found.

32% of Companies Are Concerned About Brain Drain Due to RTO

Some of the companies surveyed were worried about losing employees due to their more stringent in-office work policies — 6% were very concerned, while 26% were somewhat concerned.

However, more of them were unbothered. 36% said they were not very concerned, while 13% were “not at all” worried, and 18% remained unsure.

Fresh research just out from the University of Pittsburgh might sway those opinions: Return-to-office mandates are associated with “an exodus of high performers,” according to Fortune.

LinkedIn users will have noticed that more and more videos are popping up in their feed, with the social media platform gradually edging into a market dominated by Instagram and TikTok.

The Microsoft-owned platform has been encouraging video uploads, and users on the platform who have posted bite-sized video content are already reporting a huge spike in their interactions.

LinkedIn has always been viewed as the business-minded social platform with Instagram and TikTok gathering a far wider net of creators and users. But as TikTok’s future looks increasingly shaky in the US, LinkedIn is sneaking up behind it.

Why Is LinkedIn Going After Videos Now?

This isn’t LinkedIn’s first foray into video content. It launched live videos in 2019 and there was also a short lived Stories feature which disappeared in 2021. It has really been in this year, though, that the company has started promoting video content.

In March, TechCrunch reported that a strategy director at an influencer agency called McKinney had spotted LinkedIn’s short-form video feeds. He posted to show the new Video button, which reveals a feed of short video content that users can scroll through.

A couple of months later in August, LinkedIn made a big splash about its in-feed video carousels, and since then, a raft of tutorial videos have appeared made by creators to help the LinkedIn masses take advantage of this relatively new option. The emphasis is on B2B content but with a broad scope of topics from personal stories to product launches.

Is Its Video Push Working?

Meghana Dhar, a former shopping partnerships manager at Instagram, and now a creator with 15,000 LinkedIn followers, told Business Insider that her LinkedIn “engagement has just exploded” since she started posting videos. She added that she got 10,000 impressions for a written post but a piece to camera garnered her two million hits.

Perhaps it is because of Instagram and TikTok that video content is now the content of choice. It’s easy to consume and feels more personal. LinkedIn has seen this and wants a slice of the action, not least because it allows it to shake off its slightly fusty image as a place for suits and job ads.

Jamé Jackson is a LinkedIn community manager and told Business Insider. “I am on a personal mission to make LinkedIn a daily habit for people. We are so much more than just a platform for job searching.”

And it seems to be working. During the company’s October earnings call, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella said that “weekly immersive video views increased six times quarter-over-quarter and total video viewership on LinkedIn is up 36% year-over-year.”

How to Get the Best From LinkedIn Video

LinkedIn says that quality is important. Content should be business-focused but can be anything from an insider scoop to a fresh perspective on something in the news.

The company also says that users should “reflect how members already use LinkedIn to find new opportunities and make connections,” and make content that speaks to this. A clear message or call to action is key; and make sure you engage with the comments once the video is live.

However, what LinkedIn doesn’t have is a way for creators to make money from their content. Instead, it’s all about engagement and kudos instead of dollars, but could this change in the future?

WordPress and its CEO have been given a telling off by a California district judge after WP Engine, a third-party WordPress hosting service, said they were damaging its business.

The judge ordered WordPress.com parent company, Automattic, and also CEO, Matt Mullenweg, to stop restricting the hosting service’s access to the open-source project that develops the WordPress publishing platform, WordPress.org.

The preliminary injection could end what has turned into a very personal crusade for Mullenweg, who accused WP Engine of “strip-mining the WordPress ecosystem.”

What Has the Judge Decided?

The judge has served an injunction in favor of WP Engine, which argued that Automattic’s decision to block it from WordPress.org’s servers harmed its business. In particular, it saw WordPress effectively take control of WP Engine’s ACF Plugin. This meant that WP Engine customers couldn’t easily update or install either the plugins or themes that they needed.

Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín said Mullenweg’s “conduct is designed to induce breach or disruption.” He also wasn’t convinced by Automattic’s argument that WP Engine relied on WordPress.org to power its business.

The ruling says: “While Defendants characterize WP Engine’s harm as self-imposed because it built its business around a website ‘that it had no contractual right to use…’ Defendants’ role in helping that harm materialize through their recent targeted actions toward WP Engine, and no other competitor, cannot be ignored.”

The ruling stipulates that Automattic will have to take down a list of companies and customers who use WP Engine that it had published online. The Verge adds that it “…also has to remove the checkbox that asks WordPress users to verify they’re not affiliated with WP Engine when logging in.”

WP Engine posted after the ruling on X, stating: “We are grateful that the court has granted our motion for a preliminary injunction that restores access to and functionality of wordpress.org for WP Engine, its customers and its users.”

A Long-Running TIFF

This argument has been going on for a long while. It centers upon WP Engine’s use of the free, open-source WordPress software. It uses this to drive its own pre-packaged WordPress hosting service. And it is now a rival to WordPress.com itself with The Verge reporting that “…more than 200,000 websites us[e] the service to power their online presence.”

Mullenweg has argued, very publicly, that WP Engine is using his venture’s open-source software but are not giving back to the WordPress community.

“The company is controlled by Silver Lake, a private equity firm with $102 million in assets under management,” Mullenweg said. “Silver Lake doesn’t give a dang about your open source ideals — it just wants return on capital. So, it’s at this point I ask everyone in the WordPress community to go vote with your wallet. Who are you going to give your money to: someone who is going to nourish the ecosystem or someone who is going to frack every bit of value out of it until it withers?”

Lack of Commitment

Mullenweg added in a blog post that WP Engine had only contributed 40 hours per week to the WordPress.org open source project and said that it is “…setting a poor standard that others may look at and think is ok to replicate.”

Mullenweg argues that this could damage WordPress in the long term and gave the call to arms that the community “…must set a higher standard to ensure WordPress is here for the next 100 years.”

However, the plot thickens with allegations that Mullenweg demanded money off WP Engine for use of the WordPress trademark and that a volley of cease and desist letters went back and forth between the two companies. Mullenweg said in a blog post that WP Engine has to cough up what it owes for using the trademark or start contributing to the open source project.

The case will now go to trial and Automattic spokesperson Megan Fox told The Verge that the company looks forward to prevailing.

Fresh off the launch of its much anticipated video generator Sora, OpenAI is continuing its run up to the holidays with the general release of ChatGPT Canvas.

This tool allows users to place their responses from the ChatGPT chatbot into a shared and editable page or canvas.

This makes it easier to collaborate on projects – whether with AI or humans – and has huge possibilities for content creators and coders alike.

What Does ChatGPT Canvas Do?

Announced in October, Canvas is described by its creator as “a new interface for working with ChatGPT on writing and coding projects that go beyond simple chat.”

It works like a copy editor or code reviewer. This means users can highlight specific sections of their project, which they can then direct ChatGPT to focus on. OpenAI adds that you can enter both code and text, work directly in Canvas and it adds that there is “a menu of shortcuts for you to ask ChatGPT to adjust writing length, debug your code, and quickly perform other useful actions.”

Once you have assigned what edits you want, the AI tool gets going. OpenAI adds that there is also the option to restore previous versions of users’ projects.

How to Access ChatGPT Canvas

Users can either type “use Canvas” into their prompt windows or it will pop up automatically “when ChatGPT detects a scenario in which it could be helpful,” says OpenAI.

Initially available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users globally, the feature is now coming out of Beta and is accessible to all ChatGPT users. However, the general release has come with an upgrade that allows users to edit and translate code into Python. In addition, a “Run” option lets users execute the code they have written (or collaborated on) so that they can see the output as they work.

Another new option is the ability to embed Canvas into a Custom GPT (or customized AT chatbot), which means users can create a personalized tool that uses Canvas for specific tasks.

What’s Next for OpenAI?

ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro users are no doubt now exploring what Sora Turbo can deliver; but will it be available to all ChatGPT users? In an update, OpenAI said:

“We’re working on tailored pricing for different types of users, which we plan to make available early next year.”

This suggests Sora will come with a price tag. However, the coming days might see more launches unveiled as there are a few days left of OpenAI’s 12 days of launches. As the company said in a post on X at the start: “12 days. 12 livestreams. A bunch of new things, big and small. 12 Days of OpenAI starts tomorrow.” So there’s more to come.

Following on from the launch of new templates for Google Slides, Google Docs has now got 40 new page-less templates.

The new launches promise time savings for users as they make it quicker to create blog posts, press releases, business proposals, and journals, among other more specialist options.

Google is already taking on Microsoft 365’s suite with AI tools for Google Docs, including a generative AI option to help users rewrite their copy using a specified “tone”. This latest launch is targeting both enterprise and consumer users, and is going to be followed by more template options “in the coming months”.

What are the new launches?

Google has published a blog piece laying out exactly what Workspace users can now access. It promises that the templates are “high-quality, visually modern designs”.

It adds that they will “…help users save time since they don’t have to build documents from scratch” and this will “…enable them to be more productive with the latest Docs features in their daily processes”.

As well as the templates that will have a wide appeal across the enterprise space, there are also more specialized templates. These include a project roadmap, marketing plan, and sales emails for business users. HR teams have an interview guide, onboarding guide, and training manual, while those in education can now use a reading list and class notes templates for education users.

Additional Features

Using its Gemini AI capabilities, this month also sees Google launch a new feature called “Help me create”. Accessible using the Google Docs toolbar, this feature allows users to put in a prompt to describe exactly what they want their document to be. They can also pull in content from any files using @ filename”, whether text, cover images, in-line images or tables.

As Google explains: “A manager can create a vision document to keep their team on track by telling Gemini: Create an overview document of our team charter and goals based on [Team charter brainstorm notes], and include a cover image that shows team bonding in an office setting.”

How Do I Access the New Templates?

The new arrivals will start to appear from today for both rapid release and scheduled release domains, but Google does add that the roll-out could take up to 15 days.

To access the new templates, users can just select a new template building block when they open a blank Google Docs document. They can also use the Google Docs toolbar, selecting File > New > From the template gallery.

General Motors is pointing at time, resources and competition as the reasons it has decided to pull the plug on the development of the Cruise self-driving taxi.

As GM owns 90% of the company, the decision will likely push Cruise to collapse, reflecting the automotive giant’s wider strategy of scaling back its electric vehicle ambitions.

GM is now going to “refocus [its] autonomous driving development on personal vehicles”, it said, leaving Tesla and Waymo to vie for pole position in the robotaxi race.

GM Cuts Costs by Crashing Cruise

General Motors has invested more than $10 billion in Cruise and its autonomous vehicles since 2016, but recently, the costs have gotten too high.

There was a sign of a shift to come earlier this month when GM sold its stake in its joint venture battery plant in Michigan to its partner LG Energy Solution.

However, the Detroit-based car company announced in a statement published this week that it has decided to no longer fund work on the self-driving robotaxis, “given the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market.”

Instead, it will concentrate on autonomous personal vehicles and “its profitable business of making gasoline-powered pickup trucks and other large vehicles,” Reuters reports.

GM will fold Cruise’s business into its group focusing on driver assistance technology but has not said how much of the workforce it will retain. GM says this restructuring will save the company more than $1 billion annually.

Writing Already on The Wall

Cruise already slashed a quarter of its workforce – 900 jobs – in December last year. This was after GM decided to stop developing a robotaxi that had no steering wheel or human controls.

The decision to cease production was made after a Cruise robotaxi struck and injured a pedestrian in San Francisco in October 2023. GM ended up paying a substantial settlement to the injured person.

However, there was more grief for Cruise when it was accused of submitting a false report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to try to influence the investigation into the crash. In particular, the report pointed out that the pedestrian had been dragged more than 20ft (6m) by the vehicle.

Cruise was hit with a $500,000 criminal fine, and Cruise co-founder Kyle Vogt left the company in disgrace. Vogt has been disparaging of GM’s decision to cut funding, taking to X to declare that “GM are a bunch of dummies.”

Who Remains in the Robotaxi Race?

Cruise is now in the pit, and Ford and Volkswagen retired their self-driving car joint venture, Argo AI, from the race back in 2022. There are now only a handful of contenders jostling for road space.

Elon Musk unveiled his Cybercab in October to much fanfare (and then much grumbling from the film industry that he had stolen their ideas). The CEO of Tesla says that the robotaxi fleet could be on the roads “before 2027” but he is, by his own admittance, “optimistic with timeframes” and has been talking about this fleet since 2016.

A strong competitor – and ahead in the race – is Google-backed Waymo, which has around 700 vehicles on the roads in the US.

Baidu is also making headway into this market but a Biden ban on Chinese self-driving vehicle software will put a block to its plans in the US.

So, while there are businesses out there pursuing promising projects, they’re all several years away from having the kind of robotaxi fleet that would let you stake a claim to total market supremacy. Cruise’s ride, however, has well and truly come to an end.

Yelp has launched an array of new features for its users, including tools that use AI to give a breakdown of how restaurants, food and nightlife businesses perform in different categories.

As part of the company’s year-end updates, users will get more insights in each review, adding to the AI-powered summaries that already appear at the top of each listing.

In what is a tough time for food and beverage businesses, technology including food delivery tech is helping businesses survive. Yelp’s use of AI to create far more accurate reviews means customers can more easily find what they want, and will then be – hopefully – happier with their choice.

More Honed Categories for Reviews

The AI-powered review insights break down into different categories. These include service, ambiance and food quality.

Users will be able to view a sentiment score of between 1 and 100 for each of these categories. The score is also accompanied by a rating of positive, neutral, or critical.

How AI has come into play, explained Yelp’s Craig Saldanha to TechCrunch, is that the LLMs can pick the main sentiments from reviews and analyze them even if key words are missing. “These LLMs allow us to identify and categorize themes in reviews even when they aren’t explicitly mentioned in the review text. For example, a review that says, ‘drinks came out quickly’ would be categorized under ‘service,’ even though the word ‘service’ isn’t used,” he explained over email.

The new features will be added initially just for food, beverage and nightlife business in iOS.

More Details for Users

Alongside these new ratings are badges for users to show how tipping works in the establishment they are considering. Yelp has also added recognition labels for reviewers to show what they care about.

The company had already deployed AI to improve users’ home feeds to include videos from businesses and has now updated this to include “popular businesses around you,” the auto-playing of user videos, user reviews, and trending searches.

For business owners, Yelp has added a text or phone call option so that service professionals can call users directly (though the user’s phone number will be hidden).  And if users have a specific project on the go, they can “broadcast” it to the companies they have already be in touch with; and this will include updates if anything changes in what they need.

Businesses’ Yelp inboxes have also had an AI rehaul. The job cards have been redesigned and the company now offers AI-powered summaries of any of the jobs that come in for their attention.

Speed and Accuracy

Saldanha has spoken in interviews about how AI is allowing Yelp to really get to grips with the vast amount of data it has and then package it in a way that is really insightful for both businesses and consumers. As he told TechCrunch, Yelp “can now find that needle in the haystack.”

But the company’s rivals are also ramping up their AI roll-outs. Google Maps is already offering AI-generated insights in its Local Guides in the US, while Trip Advisor has an AI itinerary builder.

AI is going to play an increasing role in crunching users’ data – and categorizing information from reviews will be a key area for services like Yelp.