Tesla troubles, Elon Musk's X stuck in place, Hinge and Grindr win the dating wars: Tech news rounup
Hinge and Grindr are leaving Bumble and Tinder in the dust
Younger generations are deleting dating apps and seeking long-term love and IRL meet-cutes. Tinder is struggling because those would-be users don’t want casual hookups; Bumble has missed the mark when it’s sought to expand its customer base beyond millennial women.
Tesla’s oldest cars don’t seem to be selling well
Tesla’s model lineup has been very stagnant for a very long time. New models have shown up, diversifying the options on showroom floors, but the company’s oldest offerings have remained largely the same since their introduction. The age of the Model S and Model X has clearly been hitting sales, but now Tesla is trying to hide that story with its sales reporting.
A hacker posted 10 billion passwords — probably the biggest leak ever
A hacker exposed nearly 10 billion passwords in what’s been dubbed as possibly the largest such leak of all time.
The user “ObamaCare” posted the passwords in a file titled “RockYou2024” to an online hacking forum on July 4, according to the Cybernews, raising the concern that other hackers could use the data for cyber attacks. The massive dataset adds 1.5 billion new plain text passwords obtained from data leaks to a previous compilation posted in the same forum in 2021, similarly titled “RockYou2021.”
The Biden administration is handing out $1.7 billion to help firms like GM and Stellantis make EVs
The Biden Administration announced Thursday it would dole out $1.7 billion to help automakers convert at-risk or shuttered manufacturing and assembly plants to make electric vehicles or hybrids.
X’s growth is stuck in place since Elon Musk bought it
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, now X, has been a struggle — and now it looks like the platform’s user growth has stalled.
According to figures seen by the Financial Times, X said its number of global daily active users was 251 million in the second quarter of this year — just 1.6% above what it was a year ago. Before Musk acquired the social media platform for $44 billion in October 2022, Twitter had experienced double-digit year-over-year growth, including 33.8% growth in the second quarter of 2022.
Lucid’s EV sales are growing. But the company could collapse in less than a year
Lucid Motors on Monday posted strong deliveries for the April to June period as the electric vehicle maker continues its restructuring and bets its future on a new SUV.
Microsoft tells China employees to only use iPhones and ditch Android
Microsoft employees based in China are reportedly being required to ditch Androids for iPhones as part of the company’s cybersecurity measures.
Bloomberg, citing an internal memo, reports that starting in September, staff in China will be required to use Apple products for identity verification on work computers and phones. The requirement is to ensure hundreds of China-based staff use the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass app, Bloomberg reports. It’s part of the tech giant’s global Secure Future Initiative.
Tesla’s EV market share in the U.S. fell below 50% for the first time. Investors don’t seem to mind
For the first time, Tesla’s share of the electric vehicle market has fallen to less than 50% in a quarter. But investors don’t seem to mind much.
Tesla’s U.S. sales declined by 6.3% during the second quarter of 2024, even as rivals like General Motors and Hyundai Motor saw their EV sales grow, propelling the industry to a record 330,463 units sold, according to Cox Automotive. Electric vehicles as a whole accounted for 8% of total auto sales between April and June, up from 7.2% in 2023.
Tesla is replacing Cybertruck motors for free — but don’t call it a recall
Tesla is replacing one of the electric motors in the Cybertruck after less than a year on the road. While the Elon Musk-led manufacturer states the new drive unit is more efficient and reliable, this isn’t a typical upgrade for trucks that have yet to roll out the assembly line. Tesla is contacting owners of already delivered Cybertrucks to direct them to to a service center where the motor will be replaced free of charge.
Tesla’s China rival BYD will sidestep tariffs by making EVs in Turkey
China’s largest electric vehicle company has signed a deal to build a $1 billion factory in Turkey as it continues to expand around the world.
BYD — or Build Your Dreams — is expected to build a factory capable of producing 150,000 EVs and plug-in hybrids annually, as well as a research and development center. Work on the facility is planned to start in late 2026, according a statement from Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir on social media. As many as 5,000 jobs are expected to be created.