10 things in tech you need to know today
1. WhatsApp has announced that it is dropping its subscription fee. It will instead earn money by allowing businesses to use the platform, which is similar to what Facebook is doing with Messenger.
2. Over 4,000 Apple employees were evacuated from three different facilities in Ireland yesterday following a bomb threat. Irish police searched two factories and an office but found no evidence of any explosive device.
3. A new report claims that Apple won't release a major update to the Apple Watch in March. Instead, it claims that a minor upgrade is on the way.
4. Samsung is reportedly working on developing its own version of Apple's Live Photos feature for the Galaxy S7. Samsung's version could be called either Timeless Photo or Vivid Photo.
5. Facebook is cracking down on extremist posts in Europe. The site launched a scheme called the "Initiative for Civil Courage Online."
6. Microsoft is developing a version of its Word Flow keyboard software for the iPhone. The keyboard comes built-in to Windows Phones, but the company is reportedly looking to bring it to the iPhone as well.
7. Apple's latest iOS 9.3 update could signal a change in the way it releases software. The incremental release has a lot of new features.
8. London office space Second Home has raised £7.5 million in new funding and will expand to Lisbon. The money comes from Yuri Millner, Martin Lau, and Index Ventures.
9. Apple rejected a proposal that called for increased diversity in its senior management and board. The company said the proposal was "unduly burdensome."
10. Apple is investigating a bug that causes the iPhone 6 to misreport the battery level. It happens when the time on the device is changed.