The One Time Oversharing on Facebook is Okay
Sharing is caring (or at least it might get you out of a lawsuit). Facebook abandoned its plan to alter the company’s share structure as investors sought control over the world’s largest social media platform. This plan would have allowed CEO Mark Zuckerberg to keep voting control even while selling most of his shares to fund philanthropic efforts. A lawsuit filed against Facebook by shareholders is set to start this week, and Zuckerberg would have had to answer some difficult questions in a very public setting had Facebook not scrapped the new share class. He may have less control of Facebook, but let’s not forget he’s committed to donate 99% of his family’s wealth during his life. #GivingBack (Source: Bloomberg Tech)
Back to the Basics
Androids are stepping up their game. In an effort to vamp up its numbers, Twitter is testing an Android app for Twitter Lite – but instead of less calories, it uses less mobile data, a great opportunity for emerging markets where networks are much slower and costly. The test mode is currently running in the Philippines. “One of our goals is to make sure Twitter is accessible to anyone in the world,” CEO Jack Dorsey said. “And Twitter Lite exactly hits on this particular goal.” And just when we thought Twitter couldn’t get any more basic… (Source: TechCrunch)
Seas the Day
Sea Machines Robotics Inc. has been developing computer systems for work boats to make them remote-controllable or autonomous for the past three years. Equipped with a metal-encased computer and digital GPS unit, the company’s new autonomous vessel, called Steadfast, is actually an old Coast Guard boat bought from an auction. While autonomous maritime vehicles don’t draw as much attention as self-driving cars, they are becoming more and more regular on the water. A small industry of startups is slowly but surely growing in the Boston Harbor. Does this mean future competition for big tech companies? Oh ship! (Source: Bloomberg Tech)