Technologies

Twitter will let users tip with bitcoin, explores way to showcase NFTs

The social media company is rolling out its tipping feature globally today.

Twitter said Thursday that users worldwide will be able to tip others with bitcoin, the popular digital currency. The company is also exploring a way for users to track and showcase nonfungible tokens, a new form of crypto assets, on the platform.

NFTs can be used to represent the ownership of unique digital or physical items such as art, music and even a tweet. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, for example, sold his first tweet as a NFT for $2.9 million.

Dorsey, who also runs payment company Square, is a well-known fan of cryptocurrency so it isn’t entirely surprising Twitter is examining how the social network fits into this space. Twitter product manager Esther Crawford said digital currencies make it easier for people around the world to get paid, noting that 2 billion people don’t use traditional banking services.

«We want everyone to have access to pathways to get paid,» she said during a press conference. «Digital currencies that encourage more people to participate in the economy and help people send each other money across borders and with as little friction as possible, help us get there.» Twitter has been testing tipping but will roll it out globally first to iPhone users and then on Android. Twitter said users can provide their bitcoin address or use a payments app called Strike to send bitcoin tips. Users can also tip with other third-party payment services, including Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal and Venmo.

Crawford said Twitter is looking into NFT authentication. That could come in the form of a badge or the shape of an avatar that gives insight about the origin of a NFT.

The release of the new features underscores how quickly Twitter has been testing new products as it tries to entice more people to use its site. The company has also been doubling down on live audio and said it’s putting together a fund for creators who use its live-audio product, Spaces. It’s also planning to let people record and replay live audio chats.

Twitter is testing more safety features as well, including a tool that’ll autoblock accounts that are similar to the ones users have already blocked, the ability to remove yourself from a conversation, and a way to filter out tweets with offensive words. It’s also exploring a tool that’ll give users a heads-up if they’re about to enter a potentially heated discussion.

Kayvon Beykpour, Twitter’s head of consumer product, said the company will be gathering feedback as it tests more features.

«We’re trying to push the envelope to evolve the product [and] solve really important and tricky problems,» he said.

Technologies

Facebook Brings Back Local Job Listings: How to Apply

One of Facebook’s most practical features from 2022 is being revived by Meta.

On the hunt for work? A Local Jobs search is being rolled out by Meta to make it easier for people in the US to discover and apply for nearby work directly on Facebook. The feature is inside Facebook Marketplace, Groups and Pages, Meta said last week, letting employers post openings and job seekers filter roles by distance, category or employment type.

You can apply or message employers directly through Facebook Messenger, while employers can publish job listings with just a few taps — similar to how you would post items for sale on Marketplace.

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Facebook offered a Jobs feature before discontinuing it in 2022, pushing business hiring toward its other platforms. Its return suggests Meta is attempting to expand Facebook’s usefulness beyond social networking and to position it once again as a hub for community-driven opportunities.

«We’ve always been about connecting with people, whether through shared interests or key life events,» the press release states. «Now, if you’re looking for entry-level, trade and service industry employment in your community, Facebook can help you connect with local people and small businesses who are hiring.»

How to get started with Local Jobs on Facebook

According to Meta, Local Jobs will appear as a dedicated section in Facebook Marketplace starting this week. If you’re 18 or older, you can:

Tap the Marketplace tab on the Facebook app or website.
Select Jobs to browse available positions nearby.
Use filters for job type, category and distance.
Tap Apply or message the employer directly via Messenger.

Businesses and page admins can post jobs by creating a new listing in Marketplace or from their Facebook Page. Listings can include job details, pay range, and scheduling information and will appear in local searches automatically.

The Local Jobs feature is rolling out across the US now, with Meta saying it plans to expand it in the months ahead.

Technologies

Tesla Has a New Range of Affordable Electric Cars: How Much They Cost

The new, stripped-back versions of the Model Y and Model 3 have a more affordable starting price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 22 #598

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 22, No. 598.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one — I definitely have at least two of these in my house. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Catch all.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A mess of items.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BATE, LICE, SLUM, CAPE, HOLE, CARE, BARE, THEN, SLAM, SAMBA, BACK

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

TAPE, COIN, PENCIL, BATTERY, SHOELACE, THUMBTACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUNKDRAWER. To find it, look for the J that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.