Facebook tests bill splitting feature in Messenger

Facebook/Meta

Facebook wants to make it easier to split bills with others through Messenger. Meta announced that it is trying out Split Payments in the US. It is meant to be a "free and fast way to share the cost of bills and expenses." This coming week, users in the US can charge their friends through a group chat or the Payments Hub in Messenger.

Users will need to hit the "Get Started" button in group chats to initiate the process. They can then divide the sum of money evenly or in whatever amount they prefer. The user can also include themselves in the payment and add a customizable message. The money will be sent through Facebook Pay, and after they submit, their request will be sent to the group chat's room.

Source: Engadget

Meta will delay Facebook, Instagram message encryption to 2023

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Meta was initially scheduled to release end-to-end encrypted messaging on Facebook Messenger and Instagram as soon as next year. But now, we learn that this plan is delayed to "sometime in 2023." The company delivered the update through a commentary Meta's safety head Antigone Davis wrote for The Telegraph. Davis wrote they're taking the extra time to "get this right."

The company said it is working with privacy and safety experts, governments, and civil society to work on this feature so that privacy and safety will work hand in hand. Davis writes about Meta's approaches to detect abuse and prevent harm proactively, including looking at suspicious patterns of activities on non-encrypted data and user reports. 

Via: Engadget

Meta reportedly plans to have physical stores for its hardware

Meta, a.k.a. the company previously known as Facebook, might be looking at opening brick-and-mortar shops. The New York Times reported that the company had been discussing this option since last year and before it rebranded into Meta. Nothing has been finalized about the plans, though, and Meta could still scrap it.

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Facebook is now Meta, and its reportedly working on a smartwatch with a built-in camera

If you've checked your tech news today, you know that Facebook is changing its company name to Meta, reflecting its plans on a "Metaverse," where it is building a mixed reality platform that places all its apps in one place. Think a bit like the world in Ready Player One, at least the oversimplified version of that analogy.

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