Facebook talks tipping, Apple gives the MacBook a makeover, Android is surprisingly secure, Netflix is open to offline viewing, and Mark Zuckerberg was once young and stupid just like you.

Facebook Considers a Digital Tip Jar

Facebook is considering allowing individual users to earn revenue from their posts, with a digital tip jar one possibility. Other options include branded content, donations, and sharing advertising revenue.

This has been revealed thanks to a survey sent out to users this week, as reported by The Verge. It asks whether recipients would be interested in any of the methods outlined above, and makes it clear this is about posts made on personal accounts.

Facebook already monetizes content by selling advertising across the site. But it's the company making all the money, not the people creating the content. If it acted on the ideas contained in this survey then Facebook would be following in the footsteps of YouTube and, to a lesser extent, Twitch.

It should be noted that this is only a user survey at present, and doesn't indicate Facebook has any immediate plans to allow users like you and I to profit from posting. However, with the recent drop in activity on its platform, Facebook needs to do something to get us all sharing once again.

Apple Improves the MacBook Line

Apple has updated the MacBook, upping the specs to make it even faster than it already was. There were rumors of Apple changing the design slightly, introducing a new hinge and adding extra USB Type-C ports. But no, the design is staying the same, with the improvement all being made under the hood.

Upgrades include a "sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors up to 1.3 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz," "faster 1866 MHz memory," the "Intel HD Graphics 515" offering "up to 25 percent faster graphics performance," and "faster PCIe-based flash storage". In other words, everything is faster.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of marketing, and the man who mocked owners of old PCs, said:

"MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac we have ever made and it’s our vision for the future of the notebook. Customers are going to love this update to MacBook, with the latest processors, faster graphics, faster flash storage, longer battery life and a beautiful rose gold finish."

The only cosmetic change is the addition of a new color called "Rose Gold". Which everybody other than Apple will instantly recognize as pink. Why you would want a pink MacBook is beyond me, but each to their own.

Google Protects Android Users

For all of the various malware scares involving Android, Google is surprisingly adept at keeping users safe. As revealed in its Android Security 2015 Annual Report, the vast majority of Android users will never have encountered malware or other Potentially Harmful Apps (PHAs).

Just 0.15 percent of devices that only get apps from Google Play has PHAs installed on them. Even people who venture outside of Google Play are extremely safe, with just 0.5 percent of those devices being affected by PHAs. Which suggests we should all stop worrying quite so much.

Netflix Considers Offline Viewing

At the moment Netflix doesn't let its users download streaming content to watch offline. Unlike Amazon, which lets Prime subscribers download videos for offline viewing. However, the company should “keep an open mind on this," at least according to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

He made the comment in a reply to a question asked during the company’s Q1 2016 earnings. And while it's just his opinion rather than company policy, it suggests offline viewing is at least a possibility for Netflix in the future. For now, Netflix is too busy fighting VPNs.

When Mark Zuckerberg Was a Bro

And finally, while Mark Zuckerberg is now the boss of a huge corporation with 1.6 billion users and a desire to change the world, he was once young and stupid, just like the rest of us. OK, maybe not stupid -- he did invent Facebook, after all -- but definitely young. And different.

Zuckerberg can now be seen striding confidently on stage taking pot shots at politicians, but in 2005, when Facebook was still The Facebook, things were different. This interview, which has recently resurfaced, speaks for itself. This is Mark Zuckerberg, the beer-swilling Facebook bro. [H/T Semil Shah]

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

Would you use a digital top jar on Facebook? Are you pleased with the latest MacBook makeover? Have you ever encountered malware on Android? Should Netflix offer offline viewing? What do you think of the young Mark Zuckerberg?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.

Tech News Digest is a daily column paring the technology news of the day down into bite-sized chunks that are easy to read and perfect for sharing.

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