Five stories not to miss
1 Facebook to pay for data
Facebook is launching an Android app that will pay users for data on how they use other apps and platforms. The Study app – similar to previous data harvesting tools banned by Apple – will pay participants an as-yet undisclosed fee for monitoring what apps they have on board, how long they spend on each app, the device type and where it’s being used. Read what Nicole Kobie thinks of the idea on p23.
2 Google heads back into painful text territory
Google was revealed to be planning another crack at a messaging service – following the failures of Google Talk, Hangouts and many others – with the company hoping to oust the phone companies’ ageing SMS system. Rich Communication Services (RCS Chat) has been mooted for years, but Google hopes to kickstart take-up by making the feature available in the UK and France in June as an upgrade to the Android messaging app.
3 Kano PC launches DIY Windows kit
Microsoft plans to work with educational company Kano on a build-your-own Windows 10 S laptop for children that will launch in October in the UK. Intended to teach children how to build hardware and experiment with software, the $299 Kano PC kit is set to include everything needed to build an 11.6in touchscreen laptop with an Intel Atom processor, 4GB of RAM, 4GB of storage and wireless options.
4 Slack takes a bow despite losses
Slack defied investment logic with a direct stock exchange listing that valued the collaboration company at $16bn. The direct-to-market flotation broke the traditional path of an initial public offering (IPO) and came despite the company having lost more than $100m a year for the past three years, and against a backdrop of slowing growth.
5 Huawei promises Android Q amid falling sales
Under-fire Huawei said it would be updating its P30 handsets and some of its other popular smartphones to Android Q, despite an upcoming ban on the company receiving Google updates due to come into effect in August. Still facing pressure from US authorities over snooping allegations, and with many companies choosing to boycott the firm, Huawei is braced for a 40% to 60% drop in international sales.