The Nothing Phone 2a wants to make budget phones exciting again

Photo: Nothing

Budget phones are often overlooked for their lacklustre features, but the Nothing Phone 2a tries to break that stereotype. As Nothing's third phone and their first foray into the realm of budget-friendly devices, the Phone 2a impresses with its accessible pricing.  

It offers considerable value, starting at just €329 (around CA$484) for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model and €379 (~CA$559) for the 12GB and 256GB variant. Preorders are now open, with shipping slated for March 12.

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Former Twitter execs sue Musk and X for US$128 million in unpaid severance

Four former executives of Twitter, including ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, are suing Elon Musk and the company, now known as X, for over US$128 million (around CA$174 million) in allegedly unpaid severance benefits. The lawsuit stems from the tumultuous takeover of Twitter by Musk in October 2022.

Upon acquiring Twitter, Musk swiftly fired Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde, and General Counsel Sean Edgett. The lawsuit claims Musk harboured "special ire" towards the group due to their role in the legal battle forcing him to complete the acquisition after attempting to withdraw. Each executive seeks specific amounts in severance, totalling US$128 million: Agrawal - US$57.4 million (~CA$77.9 million), Segal - US$44.5 million (~CA$60.4 million), Gadde - US$20 million (~CA$27.1 million), and Edgett - US$6.8 million (~CA$9.2 million).

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Microsoft ends support for Android apps on Windows 11

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft announced it will discontinue support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), effectively ending Android app functionality on Windows 11. The change takes effect March 5, 2025. Existing users can continue using previously downloaded Android apps from the Amazon Appstore until the support end date. However, new app downloads won't be possible, and searching for the Amazon Appstore or Android apps in the Microsoft Store will be unavailable starting tomorrow, March 6.

This move comes as a surprise, considering Microsoft's ongoing efforts to improve WSA. While the feature aimed to compete with Apple's ability to run iOS apps on M1 Macs, the reliance on the Amazon Appstore instead of the Google Play Store limited its potential. The lack of access to popular apps likely played a significant role in Microsoft's decision.

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Google Drive on iOS gains user-friendly search filters

Image: Google

Google announced an update to their Google Drive app for iOS, bringing intuitive search filters via dropdown menus for file type, owner, and last modified date. These filters appear before and after a search, with dynamic recommendations popping up as you type. The update caters to all Google Drive users, including individual and Workspace subscribers. While currently exclusive to iOS, Google confirms a similar update is on the way for Android users.

These new filters address the pain point of locating specific files when you're unsure of their exact name or location. For example, if you're looking for a recently saved video, you can simply select "Videos" under the file type filter, then choose a custom date range under "last modified" to pinpoint your search. 

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