Tech Hangover: Don’t be shitty to Instacart workers, especially right now

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

We get it, you have a life. There’s no way you can read all of the day’s news in one single shot, let alone visit every web page, which is why we’re here to help. Well, sort of.

There’s a ton of tech news we weren’t able to cover throughout the day (hey, give us a break, we’re a small independent outfit), so to help you stay up to speed with everything we didn’t get to, we rounded up some of the biggest stories, which should help you keep up to date. Hence the tech hangover. 

Here’s some tech news you probably missed out on today (and when we say you, we mean us, but also…you).

People are luring Instacart shoppers with big tips — and then changing them to zero 

In another episode on why humans are the absolute worst. Check out the new scheme people are doing to bait and switch Instacart workers.

Demand for grocery delivery is surging amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and many customers are struggling to get the items they want or even a time slot for a delivery. Some people are dealing with that by offering big tips, as high as $50 or more, to entice Instacart workers to pick up their orders. But some of those people have turned the tactic into a bait-and-switch, offering up the big tip and then taking it away as soon as the person who risked their health to get them their groceries has made the delivery. – CNN

Webcams have become impossible to find, and prices are skyrocketing

First, it was toilet paper. Then hand sanitizer and face masks. Not to mention, the Nintendo Switch.  What’s the hot new item now? Webcams. That’s right – freaking webcams.

Most laptops come with a built-in webcam, but if you’re working at home from a desktop or maybe just looking to touch up the mediocre quality of whatever camera you’re stuck with, external webcams are still a crucial accessory. But with so many people now firmly settled into work-from-home life, they’ve become nearly impossible to find. – The Verge

No one’s getting new emoji in 2021 because of the pandemic 

This truly isn’t the end of the world.

The pandemic is even affecting emoji. The Unicode Consortium, the group behind emoji releases, announced today that it’s delaying its version planned for 2021, meaning that devices won’t receive new emoji next year and instead will get a release in 2022. – The Verge

Apple developing ‘Clips’ feature for using apps without requiring full downloads 

This is pretty cool. So essentially you can try an app before downloading it. That’s pretty neat.

Apple is working on a new way to offer specific parts of third-party apps across the system without needing to have them installed, 9to5Mac has learned based on an early build of iOS 14. The feature would allow users to experience parts of an app’s functionality by scanning a QR Code. – 9to5Mac

Google launches braille keyboard for Android devices 

It’s always comforting to hear tech companies innovating technology for the visually impaired. This is a huge step. Good job, Google.

Google today announced the launch of a virtual braille keyboard for Android that’s designed to enable those with low vision or blindness to type on their phones without additional hardware. – Venture Beat

Fleeceware apps discovered on the iOS App Store

The full list of apps fleecing iOS users is here in this post. Check it out and make sure none of them are installed on your iPhone.

More than 3.5 million iOS users have installed “fleeceware” apps on their devices, UK security firm Sophos warned in a report published earlier this week. The term fleeceware is a new addition to the cyber-security jargon and describes apps engaging in a new form of online fraud. – ZDNet

And in just case you missed some of our stuff earlier, here’s what you may have missed:

• These light switches make your dumb lights smart. Right now a 4-pack is just $39
• How to snooze notifications on Slack so alerts don’t drive you up the wall
• eBay is blowing out a bunch of TCL 4K TVs on the cheap in this limited time deal
• Score 3 free months of Amazon Music Unlimited for absolutely nothing
• Disney Plus is absolutely killing it with over 50 million subscribers
• Google is telling its employees to stop using Zoom citing security reasons

Notable Mentions

The Humble Phone Call Has Made a Comeback 

We Mapped How the Coronavirus Is Driving New Surveillance Programs Around the World 

‘Screen time’ has gone from sin to survival tool

Our Government Runs on a 60-Year-Old Coding Language, and Now It’s Falling Apart 

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.