WhatsApp to Share Data with Facebook: Two years ago, the CEO of WhatsApp promised users the Facebook acquisition would not affect their digital privacy. Today, the popular app has reversed this policy.

The popular messaging app with over 1 billion users has reversed it’s privacy policy by announcing that it will start to disclose phone number and analytics data to its users with Facebook. By connecting to the social media giant, Facebook will enrich the information collected on users across its multi-app business that also consists of Instagram. Part of the changes will include allowing businesses to communicate with customers through the platform, and allowing Facebook to use a person’s phone number to make new friend suggestion, and better-tailor advertising. The new policy is likely to receive criticism as Whatsapp had publicly promised their data would not be shared with Facebook amidst concerns there could be misuse.

(Image source: iFixit)

Bad News for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Owners: The Inevitable ‘Touch Disease’ May Require Costly Repairs

 iPhone repair specialists are reporting a common occurrence of a “flashing grey bar” and unresponsive or intermittently responsive touch screen in the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 models. As the 2014 models continue to age, a problem dubbed “touch disease” is developing and is already becoming a candidate for a potential massive product recall and class action lawsuit as Apple’s warranty has expired on these models. According to iFixit, some independent repair shops are charging $200 to fix the problem which resides in the placement of the two touch screen controller chips and how the chips attach to the phone’s logic board.

Silicon Valley LendUP Raises $50 Million for Subprime Credit Cards

LendUp Global, the startup lender that reinvented the payday loan and is backed by Y-Combinator, has raised $47.5 million in a deal to expand credit cards to those consumers who are less creditworthy. According to the Wall Street Journal, users of LendUp’s L Card, a previous iteration of the subprime card, can borrow between $300 to $1,000 at an annual percentage rate of 19% -29% with an annual fee of $60 per year.

Gawker Media’s Founder Says Goodbye after Website is forced to Shut Down Following Peter Thiel Scandal & Hulk Hogan Lawsuit 

On August 22, 2016, Gawker Media shut down forever following a scandal in which tech billionaire Peter Thiel funded a lawsuit brought on by Hulk Hogan. Thiel was offended by Gawker Media publishing opinions on his personal life, and paid Hogan to bring a lawsuit against the media company. Hogan prevailed in a $140 million trial court judgment. In the letter, Nick Denton, Gawker’s Founder states: “It is a fitting conclusion to this experiment in what happens when you let journalists say what they really think.” You can read the full transcript here.

Parrot’s 50 MPH Disco Drone to Ship in September for $1299

The Disco Drone that Parrot ships next month is able to reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour and stay in the air for up to 45 minutes. The Disco weighs 1.6 pounds and has features such as a first-person view headset and 14-megapixel full HD frontal camera. The Parrot CockPit Glasses work like VR by inserting your smartphone into the glasses.

(image source: Parrot)