Every day we wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for work. Following are a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into a single cup of coffee. These are the things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
So sit back, grab a cup, and start your morning off right with a few “Quick Bytes” from Innovation & Tech Today.
Twitter Bans Rival, Journalist Accounts Without Warning
In what looks to be a 180-degree pivot from what Elon Musk has purported to be an advocate for, the new Twitter owner has suspended accounts of rival social media platform Mastodon and several journalists.
Without warning or explanation, Twitter suspended the accounts of Mastadon, former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, The New York Times’ Ryan Mac, CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, Mashable’s Matt Binder, and journalist Aaron Rupar Thursday.
At least some of the accounts suspended had shared screenshots and observations about Mastodon’s suspension.
NASA’s Webb Unveils Young Stars in Early Stages of Formation
Scientists taking a “deep dive” into one of Webb’s first images have discovered dozens of energetic jets and outflows from young stars previously hidden by dust clouds. The discovery marks the beginning of a new era of investigating how stars like our Sun form, and how the radiation from nearby massive stars might affect the development of planets.
The Cosmic Cliffs, a region at the edge of a gigantic, gaseous cavity within the star cluster NGC 3324, has long intrigued astronomers as a hotbed for star formation.
Recently, by analyzing data from a specific wavelength of infrared light (4.7 microns), astronomers discovered two dozen previously unknown outflows from extremely young stars revealed by molecular hydrogen. Webb’s observations uncovered a gallery of objects ranging from small fountains to burbling behemoths that extend light-years from the forming stars. Many of these protostars are poised to become low mass stars, like our Sun.
Majority of Twitter Users Want Elon Musk to Step Down
A Twitter poll created by Elon Musk shows 57.5% of more 17 million voters want him to step down as CEO.
Musk launched the poll Sunday and vowed to abide by its results. The poll closed Monday at 6 a.m. ET.
It is unclear what Musk’s role would be going forward given that he still owns the company.
“No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor,” Musk tweeted Sunday.
EU Charges Meta with Anti-Trust Violations
Meta Platforms Inc. is yet again in the crosshairs of governmental regulatory bodies. The latest charge comes from the European Union (EU), which has accused the company of unfairly tying its online classified ad service to the Facebook social network.
The European Commission, the bloc’s antitrust enforcer, on Monday said the U.S. tech company automatically gives Facebook users access to its Marketplace service, potentially pushing aside competing classified-ad services.
According to the commission, the company’s terms and conditions authorize Meta to use advertising data from third parties to benefit its Marketplace service.
The charge is the result of an investigation into Meta that began in 2021.
