Author | Lightnews

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 22

For #iPhone users who want a preview of iOS 26 . . . check this out.
techcrunch.com/2025/07/22/i...

iOS 26 beta 4 arrives, with Liquid Glass tweaks and AI news summaries | TechCrunch

Apple launches iOS 26 beta 4 for developers with updates to Liquid Glass and AI notification summaries, ahead. A public beta is expected later this week.

techcrunch.com

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 21

people 🤦‍♀️
www.404media.co/a-startup-is...

A Startup is Selling Data Hacked from Peoples’ Computers to Debt Collectors

Infostealer data can include passwords, email and billing addresses, and the embarrassing websites you use. Farnsworth Intelligence is selling to divorce lawyers and other industries.

www.404media.co

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 18

Some product news: foldable iPhone may really be happening!
www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/...

The Folding iPhone Is Getting Real (and Might Use Samsung Parts)

More reports point to Apple launching a foldable iPhone in 2026, but it won't come cheap.

www.cnet.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 17

Admit it. #Apple and #Android phones have kind of always looked alike. But that's all changing. While Apple apps will fade into the glass, Google's will get brighter.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/t...

How Apple’s iOS 26 and Google’s Android 16 Will Change Our Phones

www.nytimes.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 16

Not as slaps as #gun-control advocates may want, but looks like there's a near future where a 3D-printed gun would be traceable. #tech
www.404media.co/3d-printing-...

3D Printing Patterns Might Make Ghost Guns More Traceable Than We Thought

Early studies show that 3D printers may leave behind similar toolmarks on repeated prints.

www.404media.co

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 15

Head spinning. Can #crypto be a form #socialmedia.
Please weigh in with your thoughts.
gizmodo.com/the-casino-s...

The Casino Social Media Platform That Wants to 'Kill' Facebook and TikTok

A little-known crypto platform just made history, raising $600 million in minutes with a bold plan to dethrone social media titans.

gizmodo.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 11

U.S.-only TikTok app? No U.S.-only TikTok app? The plot thickens.
www.searchenginejournal.com/tiktok-denie...

TikTok Denies Report Claiming It’s Building a Standalone US App

TikTok has denied a Reuters report claiming it's building a standalone U.S. app with a separate algorithm.

www.searchenginejournal.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 10

We all need to understand the problems with #AI #chatbots so we can use them better.

www.cnn.com/2025/07/10/t...

Grok’s antisemitic outbursts reflect a problem with AI chatbots | CNN Business

Grok, the chatbot created by Elon Musk’s xAI, began responding with violent posts this week after the company tweaked its system to allow it to offer users more “politically incorrect” answers.

www.cnn.com

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 8

Contemporary truth: Give us a disaster, and there will be fake videos. @politifact.bsky.social has some good tips for identifying viral fakes of the tragic flood in Texas.
www.politifact.com/article/2025...

Texas floods: How to spot fake disaster videos

Following the floods in Texas, online accounts tried to to take advantage of the moment by sharing dramatic videos of previous unrelated floods. Here is how fact-checkers spot the fake videos.

www.politifact.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jul 7

Sounds a lot like an Ebay fever-dream to us.
www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-...

TikTok Adds Countdown Bidding for Livestream Auctions

Another way to push its in-app shopping options.

www.socialmediatoday.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 26

We found this good explainer from Politifact about how to tell real footage from the U.S. bombing of Iran from the #AI generated slop that's all over social media.
If you have any more tips, let us know in comments.
www.politifact.com/article/2025...

How to verify footage amid US attack on Iran

Soon after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. bombed Iran, footage claiming to show the aftermath flooded social media. But many images and videos were AI-generated, taken out of context or rec...

www.politifact.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 25

Let's just hope that #Musk's #Grok #AI can outsmart Musk as he tried to retrain it to reflect his political views.
www.axios.com/2025/06/24/e...

Musk's Grok retraining is harder than it looks

AI researchers warn that efforts to politically shape LLMs are misguided and dangerous.

www.axios.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 24

Perplexity has had our attention for a while.
www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/t...

What is Perplexity, the AI startup said to be catching Meta and Apple’s attention | CNN Business

A nearly 3-year-old AI startup has reportedly caught the attention of two of the largest and most influential tech companies, underscoring the fierce competition for AI talent and push to become leade...

www.cnn.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 23

Lotsa reactions to this story about Google fixing its search bias in the EU to avoid fines.
1) Have you ever noticed that Google ranks itself in search results over competitors?
2) How worried is Google search about AI Chatbots replacing it?
Let us know in comments.
qz.com/google-propo...

Google proposes fixes to search to hold off E.U. fines

After losing an appeal on a $4.7 billion antitrust charge, the search giant offers up space to its rivals

qz.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 21

Sunday = Funday withSree Sreenivasan's (@sreenet.bsky.social) #NYTReadalong. This week's guest is novelist Sarah Hamdan, author of "What Will People Think." Fun begins at 8:30 a.m. ET. Find links to livestreams (watch live or later) and more info here: www.digimentors.group/post/nytread...

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 20

Wait. Employers are scaring workers with #AI threats because they don't think their employees are taking AI seriously?
Do you feel your job could be done lost to AI? Let us know in comments.
www.axios.com/2025/06/20/a...?

Why CEOs are using AI to scare workers

CEOs warn the new technology could make many workers obsolete, while urging them to start using it right away.

www.axios.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 19

What do you think #JDVance will do with his @bsky.app account?
techcrunch.com/2025/06/19/b...

Bluesky briefly suspended JD Vance's account after he joined | TechCrunch

Bluesky's automated impersonation detection system took down JD Vance's new account, but it was restored soon after.

techcrunch.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 18

While #TikTok is probably here to stay (i.e., no #ban likely as long as Trump is president), #Meta is expanding #Reels. Now all #Facebook videos will be Reels!

www.socialmediatoday.com/news/faceboo...

Facebook Announces That All Video Uploads Will Now Be Reels

Meta is leaning further into the Reels format.

www.socialmediatoday.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 17

Two days until the extension on the #TikTok ban runs out.
Trump is expected to extend the ban again. And billionaire Frank McCourt has an idea about how he can buy and then completely change how the platform functions.
Do you think his idea can actually work?
qz.com/frank-mccour...

Why Frank McCourt wants to spend $20 billion on TikTok

Frank McCourt unloaded a baseball empire in a tabloid frenzy. Now he's back with a moonshot to take over TikTok and remake the digital world

qz.com

Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 16

FREE LINK! Because it's really important for people to understand how NOT to make their conversations with #Meta's #AI public. DO NOT PUT private "conversations" in the "Discover" feed.

wapo.st/446pMJ6

Meta AI users confide on sex, God and Trump. Some don’t know it’s public.

Some people are unwittingly posting their private and sometimes mortifying conversations with the Meta AI chatbot to the world.

wapo.st

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 14

Always interesting things going on with #TIkTok, especially using #Capcut. And now #AI can finish off your photo. Some are cute, some are quite odd.
mashable.com/article/ai-f...

An absurd TikTok trend lets AI finish your photo

Arrest that dog!!!

mashable.com

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 13

Big news from #Instagram. 🤳 Coming soon! You'll be able to re-arrange your grid. I remember this functionality was on everyone's social media wishlist back in 2012. 👏
www.cnet.com/news/social-...

Instagram May Soon Let You Rearrange Your Grid. What to Know

The company isn't sharing a lot of details yet, but promises more flexibility.

www.cnet.com

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 12

Tonight's episode of "Shining Light on Shadows" will focus on mental health in seniors. Guest Jonathan Boorstein (@jonathanb10003.bsky.social) will share his experiences. Neil Parekh and Dawn Helmrich Neuburg co-host.
More information and links to livestreams: www.neilparekh.org/post/ep-31-j...

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 11

Well, evidently #Facebook isn't dead yet since it comes in 4th place when Android/iOS platform downloads are combined. Note that #Meta has 3 of the top 5 in the combined list.
#SocialMedia
www.socialmediatoday.com/news/threads...

Threads Continues To See Strong Download Momentum in May

Meta continues to dominate the social app top download charts.

www.socialmediatoday.com

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Digimentors @digimentors.bsky.social · Jun 10

"Content on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram will attract more advertising income this year than content from traditional media companies, according to research, marking a “huge cultural shift” for the media world."
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/j...

Social media creators to overtake traditional media in ad revenue this year

User-generated material to surpass advertising income from professional media amid change in viewing habits

www.theguardian.com