Author: Frank Salvato
YouTube has updated its advertiser-friendly monetization guidelines to allow creators to earn full ad revenue on videos covering “controversial” but non-graphic and sensitively presented topics such as abortion, domestic violence, self-harm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, and sexual harassment, expanding eligibility for ad earnings while still restricting monetization for content involving child abuse, child trafficking, and eating disorders; the changes, announced via a Creator Insider video and effective immediately, stem from creator feedback that previous policies were too restrictive and demonetized dramatized or personal narrative content that advertisers are now comfortable supporting in a non-graphic format. Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/16/youtube-relaxes-monetization-guidelines-for-some-controversial-topics/https://www.newsday.com/business/youtube-monetization-update-policy-controversial-issues-h53571https://apnews.com/article/youtube-monetization-update-policy-controversial-issues-545e27e27e26e0baefb937c86620b676 Key Takeaways YouTube…
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged mounting political pressure and growing public concern about youth safety online by stating that “no options are off the table” when considering potential restrictions on social media use for children under the age of 16. The UK government has launched a formal consultation on whether to impose an Australian-style ban for younger teens, including exploring measures such as raising the digital age of consent, limiting addictive app features, and even outright prohibitions. Ministers will review a range of proposals and gather views from parents, educators, and young people, and plan to visit Australia,…
A groundbreaking milestone in ocean and storm science has been achieved with the first successful collection of in-situ data from inside a Category 5 hurricane by autonomous ocean robots developed by the UK-based company Oshen. These four-foot long, wind- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicles (called C-Stars) were deployed in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Southern Mississippi during Hurricane Humberto. Multiple C-Stars penetrated the eyewall of the storm, transmitting high-resolution, real-time measurements of wind speed, air pressure, sea surface temperature, and humidity back to forecasters. One of the units recorded a minimum sea-level…
A 24-year-old man from Springfield, Tennessee named Nicholas Moore admitted in federal court that he repeatedly hacked into the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic filing system and other federal government networks, stole victims’ personal information using stolen login credentials, and publicly shared screenshots of that data on his Instagram account. Court filings show Moore accessed the Supreme Court system at least 25 times, as well as AmeriCorps and the Department of Veterans Affairs health portal, between 2023 and 2024, exposing names, addresses, security details, health information, and other sensitive material before pleading guilty to a misdemeanor computer fraud charge that carries…
A new trend in software development shows a surge in so-called micro-apps — small, specialized applications created by individuals without traditional coding skills, often using AI-powered tools rather than purchasing traditional software. These micro-apps are typically designed for a narrow, personal purpose and may only be used temporarily before being discarded. Driven by advances in generative AI and accessible development platforms, people are rapidly “vibe coding” solutions, from dining-recommendation tools to chore trackers, effectively democratizing app creation and reducing reliance on subscription-based mainstream apps. This shift suggests a broader redistribution of software creation power from professional developers and big tech…
Iran’s government-ordered internet shutdown, now stretching well beyond a week since January 8, 2026, has become one of the longest and most comprehensive national blackouts in the country’s history as authorities seek to suppress widespread protests that began in late December 2025. According to cybersecurity monitor NetBlocks, nearly the entire nation remains cut off from global internet access, a tactic Tehran has used repeatedly during periods of civil unrest. Independent analysts warn that the blackout is designed not only to hinder domestic organization and communication but also to obscure the scale of the government’s violent crackdown on demonstrators, which human…
A California-based aerospace startup called Galactic Resource Utilization Space (GRU Space) has begun accepting reservations for what it bills as the first real hotel on the Moon, offering wealthy travelers the chance to lock in a future lunar stay with deposits ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000, with a target opening date around 2032 that hinges on ambitious construction timelines and the development of novel lunar habitat technologies. The company is backed by Y Combinator and investors tied to SpaceX and Anduril, and it plans to use proprietary modules and in-situ resource utilization to build durable lunar structures, though critics note…
Meta’s social media platform Threads now has more daily mobile users than Elon Musk’s X on iOS and Android devices, according to recent data from market analytics firm Similarweb. Threads reportedly reached roughly 141.5 million daily active mobile users as of early January 2026, compared with about 125 million for X, marking a notable shift in user behavior on mobile platforms. The increase comes after steady growth for Threads, driven in part by heavy cross-promotion via Instagram and Facebook as well as frequent introduction of new features designed to boost engagement, such as interest-based communities, direct messaging enhancements and long-form…
Apple has confirmed that sophisticated cyberattacks exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities are actively targeting a large number of iPhones, with full protection only available through the latest iOS 26 update — leaving hundreds of millions of users on older versions at serious risk. Reports say Apple rushed emergency patches that only work for iPhones upgraded to iOS 26, while devices still running legacy software are not receiving equivalent fixes. Experts warn these mercenary spyware campaigns can silently compromise devices without any visible user interaction, making updates and strong defenses critical. Adoption of iOS 26 has lagged, which means many users remain exposed…
Google is updating its Wallet app on Android and Wear OS to include a complete transaction history and search feature, replacing the old limited view that only showed the last ten tap-to-pay transactions on a single device. The new update, tied to Google Play Services version 26.01, will let Wallet users see all their payment activity — including transactions from other linked devices and online purchases using virtual card numbers — in one consolidated list, making it easier to track spending without resorting to bank apps. Early reports indicate this unified history and search capability will arrive gradually as Google…