Happy Thursday, readers. Jordan Parker Erb here, with word that Twitter is working on longform tweets, a function that will let users surpass the 280-character limit.
Let's get to it.
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1. Get ready to tweet your heart out. Twitter is testing a new longform blogging feature, called Twitter Notes, that could launch in the coming weeks, TechCrunch first reported.
- Right now, the feature is limited to just a handful of writers in the United States, Canada, Ghana, and the United Kingdom. You can see an example of a Note here.
- Notes can be a whopping 2,500 words, can include photos, and can be edited after they're published (a feature Twitter users have long been asking for), according to the company's blog.
- The update will be the biggest change to word count since 2017, when Twitter announced it'd be upping the character limit from 140 to 280.
Here's the latest on Twitter Notes.
In other news:
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2. Amazon is working on giving Alexa the ability to mimic anyone's voice — dead or alive. An Amazon exec said his team has been instructing Alexa to pick up a voice from a short audio clip and convert it into longer audio output. Here's what we know.
3. One of PayPal's first employees shared his biggest takeaway from working with Elon Musk. The former employee said one of his biggest observations of Musk, who was PayPal's CEO, is that he's never doing only one thing at a time. Here's what else he said.
4. Every Wall Street firm should know these Big Tech execs. As Wall Street eyes bigger cloud projects, we put together a list of 14 experts from companies like Snowflake, Oracle, and Google Cloud who could make the jump from Silicon Valley to the Street. Meet them here.
5. A former Tesla worker rejected a $15 million payout. The employee's lawyers said the payout, which was awarded after the former Tesla elevator operator filed a racial abuse lawsuit, wasn't enough. Now, the employee and Tesla are heading back to court.
6. Sweetgreen is winning over Gen Z with TikTok. The salad chain already won over millennials. Now, Sweetgreen is using TikTok videos to expand its appeal to a younger generation. How Sweetgreen is wooing Gen Z.
7. Mark Zuckerberg just hinted at an operating system for Meta. In an interview with CNBC's "Mad Money," Zuckerberg said a Facebook operating system may be needed "in order to deliver on what we want to build." Here's what else he said.
8. These books can help you weather the crypto tailspin and become a smarter investor. Experts shared their top picks for books that can help you understand digital currencies and their current downturn. Check out their 27 book recommendations.
Odds and ends:
Meta
9. Meta just launched a store where users can buy designer clothes for their Avatars. The Meta Avatars Store will sell clothes from brands like Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne — but unlike designer clothes in real life, items will range from $2.99 to $8.99. What we know so far.
10. A new way to buy and sell NFTs is now available for the masses. An Insider reporter bought a superhero bunny on Coinbase's new NFT marketplace, but the experience still has her wondering what purpose NFTs truly serve. Read more from her experience.
What we're watching today:
- FedEx and others are reporting earnings. Keep up with earnings here.
- Tech Live London is happening today and tomorrow.
- Linux Security Summit kicks off today in Austin.
- TechCrunch's annual summer party is happening in Menlo Park, CA.
Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Lisa Ryan (tweet @lisarya) in New York.