Google starts rollout of Calendar spam protection

A nuisance that started rolling out on Google Calendar recently finally gets a new fix. Google started rolling out a new enabled-by-default spam filter. The system will automatically detect calendar invites sent to your Gmail address. If they see it's from someone you've never communicated with, it will block the invitations. You can revisit the email invite, respond to it, and add it to your calendar. If you're unclear if you have this new feature, Google has been sending out an email on top of the pop-up that shows up in the app.

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Pinterest relaunches 'Pinterest Academy' learning resource

Graphic: Pinterest

If you want to get better at using Pinterest as a marketing avenue, the platform launched its refreshed Pinterest Academy education resource. The e-learning site offers courses and insights to understand Pinterest better. The refreshed courses focus on the new elements of the platform with a larger focus on video (via Idea Pins) and the new visual elements.

There are over twice as many courses in the Pinterest Academy. It teaches everything from "foundational knowledge, like Pinterest ad formats or on-platform measurement tools" to Pinterest trends, which will come in handy if you're planning your strategy on the site. There are also new achievement badges you can show off when you complete an element/lesson. Pinterest Academy courses are available globally in English, with French, Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Portuguese languages coming later this year.

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Meta is reportedly planning to offer paid blue checkmarks for Facebook, Instagram

Photo: Gabrielle Henderson/Unsplash

Code within the Instagram app suggests Meta is planning to take cues from Elon Musk's Twitter by adding blue checkmarks in its app, which is verification on the social platform that Twitter now charges for. Reverse engineering professional Alessandro Paluzzi spotted a new mention in the codebase of both Facebook and Instagram suggesting it wants to add a "paid blue badge."

Meta has yet to confirm or deny the feature, but if true, it looks like the company is looking for a new way to monetize. It's a baffling source of revenue from a creator's perspective, given verification is crucial for ensuring prominent people or profiles are distinguished from copycats, scammers, and the like. What value would these blue checkmarks bring if people can just pay for them? Since this is hidden within the code, it may not even be released. But it gives us an idea of what Meta might be considering.

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Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum can easily pick up pet hair

The Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum hopes to make home cleanup a simpler task, especially if you're a household with pets. The company boasts how the Shark Stratos makes deep cleaning possible with its strongest suction on any cordless Shark stick vacuum. It also makes it possible to pick up any pet hair your beloved furry friends leave behind with its DuoClean Powerfins HairPro feature. And with its Clean Sense IQ infrared tech, this vacuum can sense hidden dirt and debris and boost its deep cleaning power. 

This stick vacuum prevents any odours or allergens from escaping with its Odour Neutralization Technology and Anti-Allergen Complete Seal. The former prevents bad odours from accumulating inside the vacuum, while the latter promises that the Shark Stratos picks up 99.97% of dust and allergens down to 0.3 microns. The Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum is available for $499.99.