Workplace communication tool Slack has launched a new feature to allow any Slack user to send direct messages to any other Slack user whether they're part of the same Slack server or not. Called Connect DMs, the feature will make it easier to conduct far more work messaging within the app, but the feature has raised immediate concerns over abuse and spam – problems that when raised led to immediate adjustments from Slack, suggesting it hadn't exactly thought these issues through before launching the Connect DMs feature.

Intel has announced it will build two new processor foundries in the USA that will make chips for other companies. Intel's service will offer customers the ability to choose customised chips based on their own but also on Intel's designs. Companies in Korea, Taiwan and China have dominated chip fabrication services, and in the geopolitical climate Intel's new offering is likely to become highly attractive to other US companies that design chips but get them manufactured overseas.

Researchers have found both Android's Play Store and Apple's App Store are hosting hundreds of apps known as "fleeceware". Researchers at security software maker Avast identified 204 apps with a combined 1 billion downloads that aim to attract users with free trials and then charge subscriptions far above typical rates, finding some charging as much as $66 a week after a three-day trial.

Leaked documents from Facebook have revealed the company's moderator guidelines allow users to make death threats against public figures – just as long as the message didn't tag them. The Guardian obtained a 300 page document with detailed guidelines on everything from how prominent someone has to be to be considered a public figure and how long someone has been dead before they can be bullied on the services – their cutoff is the year 1900.

Publishing platform Medium is effectively closing down its paid editorial operations to pivot away from owning its own publications. All internal editors are being offered five months salary to exit the company while Medium moves toward a more individualistic model like the newsletter platforms that are so hot right now. The move comes less than one month after employees failed to form a union by one vote.

New studies have confirmed once again that 5G networks pose no risk to human health. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency has reviewed 138 studies and found no evidence of health hazard, while emphasising that Wi-Fi sits 100 million times below a level of radiation required to cause harm and phone towers sit 500,000 times below.

In video games, Rocket League fans will soon be able to get a fix of their flying rocket car football action on mobiles with the announcement of Rocket League SideSwipe. The game will offer one on one or two vs two matches in a rapid two minute match format. The game will launch later in 2021.

And, finally, you may remember a viral video last year of dolphins in the canals of Venice that turned out to be inaccurately attributed to the Italian city. But there's good news today as sources captured real footage of dolphin's in canals near St Marks Square, which authorities had to coax back out into the Adriatic Sea.

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