Kakao vs Telegram

Investor Presentation Released: Kakao

AI parsed presentation narrative: Kakao is driving growth through its high-margin advertising business and expanding its AI-integrated ecosystem while simultaneously executing a significant efficiency-focused restructuring. The company is focusing on its core 'Talk Biz' advertising and commerce products to improve operating margins while navigating a period of traffic stabilization in its content divisions. Key tailwinds mentioned: Feed-based Advertising Adoption, Fintech and Mobility Growth.

Validating Telegram Mini App initData in PHP

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on securely validating Telegram Mini App initData in PHP. It covers parsing the raw query string, constructing the data_check_string, deriving the secret key via HMAC-SHA-256, performing timing-safe comparisons with hash_equals, and checking auth_date expiry. The article includes code examples and production hardening tips such as rate limiting, validating user shape, and avoiding logging sensitive data. The guide is intended for developers building Telegram Mini Apps and emphasizes treating initData as untrusted input.

• initData is parsed as a query string, with hash removed and remaining pairs sorted by key.
• The secret key is HMAC-SHA-256 of the string 'WebAppData' with the bot token, used as the HMAC key.
• Timing-safe comparison using hash_equals is required to prevent timing attacks.

WhatsApp strengthens account security with passkeys

Meta announced expanded WhatsApp account-security updates that add multiple passkeys per account, replace six-digit two-step verification PINs with longer alphanumeric passwords that allow letters, numbers and special characters, and provide richer incoming-call context (caller country/origin, WhatsApp nickname and whether you share a group), initially on Android. Passkeys enable biometric sign-in via Face ID or fingerprint and build on passkey support introduced in 2024; over one billion accounts have already added a passkey. WhatsApp says its end-to-end encryption protects more than three billion users. The features, described in a WhatsApp blog post and rolling out gradually alongside other changes (usernames and a paid “WhatsApp Plus” tier), aim to reduce phishing and account takeovers and align WhatsApp’s authentication with peers such as Signal and Telegram.

• WhatsApp is rolling out three security features: multiple passkeys per account; full alphanumeric two-step verification passwords with special characters replacing six-digit PINs; and richer incoming-call context (caller origin, WhatsApp nickname, and shared-group status), initially on Android.
• Passkeys support biometric sign-in (Face ID or fingerprint), build on passkey support introduced in 2024, and can be added to multiple devices/accounts.
• WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption protects more than three billion users, and over one billion accounts have already added a passkey.

Build a Personal AI-Powered Feed via Telegram

A Dev.to author outlines a simple how-to for escaping social media algorithms by creating a personal feed using AI automation and Telegram. The proposed approach: pick creators you value, use AI to monitor when they publish new videos, and have the AI forward new content to a Telegram bot for download. The author cites Abo Ziad (inspired by Ali Abdaal) as the idea source and plans to try the workflow for one month and report back. The post is a short practical guide rather than a technical deep dive or product announcement.

• The article recommends using Telegram combined with AI automation to build a personal, algorithm-free feed.
• Recommended workflow: choose preferred creators, use AI to monitor new video publishes, and send new videos to a Telegram bot for download.
• The author credits Abo Ziad (compared to Ali Abdaal) as the inspiration for the idea.