Durov's Code

⛔️ Playing by the Rules

Chinese AI chatbots have temporarily disabled image recognition → to avoid helping students cheat during the country’s all-important college entrance exams.

@durovs_code

😎 The world’s biggest game of Tetris is coming to Dubai

Red Bull and The Tetris Company are turning the 150-meter Dubai Frame into a giant Tetris board → and drones will play the game live.

It’s part of Red Bull’s global Tetris tournament. The qualifiers are already live on the website, where players can compete in online Tetris. The top scorers will be flown to Dubai in December to control real drones as Tetriminos on the facade of the Frame.

Flights and accommodation are covered — and the winner takes home $5,000.

@durovs_code

😆 What was that?

The very public fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump just became the biggest story of the day.

In our latest column, Durov’s Code breaks down what really went wrong between the billionaire and the U.S. President.

From their political bromance to the sudden break — and what it might mean next — read the full story here →

@durovs_code

🤐 Not friends anymore

Elon Musk says SpaceX will phase out Crew Dragon → after Trump suggested cutting all government contracts with his companies.

@durovs_code

🤷‍♂️ AI on Hold

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is reportedly delaying the rollout → of Apple Intelligence. Experts link the slowdown to lingering U.S.–China trade tensions rooted in Trump-era policy.

@durovs_code

🎧 Curious rumors...

Apple is expected to unveil five new AirPods features at the upcoming WWDC. Here’s what’s known so far →

@durovs_code

👍 A Solid Opportunity

Telegram is about to launch a series of contests for Android developers, according to an announcement in the official Telegram Contests channel.

Winners could land a spot on the Telegram team — with potential earnings of up to $1M per year before taxes.

Further details haven’t been disclosed yet.

@durovs_code

🍏 Fatality

A U.S. appeals court has rejected Apple’s request to delay App Store → rule changes, clearing the way for companies like Epic and Spotify to add external payment links.

@durovs_code

🛸 Another WhatsApp update

WhatsApp is working on a new feature that lets users build their own AI chatbot → directly in the app.

The tool will allow full customization of tone, personality, and avatar for a more personalized experience.

@durovs_code

😽 The Cockatoo Strikes Back

Australia’s first homegrown rocket launch was halted after its payload fairings unexpectedly fell off → possibly due to a power surge caused by a cockatoo pulling on ground cables.

@durovs_code

🧠 Total Life Domination

OpenAI plans to turn ChatGPT into a super assistant → that knows you, understands your priorities, and helps with virtually any task — across apps, email, voice, and more.

@durovs_code

😘 Telegram just got an upgrade

The first summer update is here → and it’s packed with new messaging tools.

Users can now message channels privately, trim voice notes before sending, share high-res photos, browse topics with new tabs, and more.

@durovs_code

😾 TikTok tracks the TikToks

TikTok has officially launched TikTok for Artists → a dashboard that lets musicians and their teams track how songs perform on the app, promote upcoming releases, and see who’s actually listening. Now live in 30+ countries, including the UAE.

@durovs_code

👍 Where have we seen this before?

WhatsApp is preparing to roll out usernames → a feature currently in development and spotted in the latest iOS beta.

@durovs_code

😄 Yumms!

French modder zukaingame played Super Mario Bros. using a Big Mac and chicken nuggets as a functioning controller.

He connected the burger and nuggets to a circuit board and used them as buttons.

@durovs_code

😏 A knife in Telegram’s back?

Elon Musk’s X just rolled out its new messenger, XChat, in beta — and social media is already calling it a Telegram rival.

The new tool → promises end-to-end encryption, vanishing messages, and voice calls to anyone without needing their phone number.

@durovs_code

❤️ This weekend in #TECH

💘 Microsoft is giving Notepad a Markdown glow-up.

💘 Hugging Face introduced two open-source humanoid robots — the full-size HopeJR and the desktop Reachy Mini.

💘 Apple’s upcoming WWDC might be underwhelming for AI fans. The real innovations are expected in 2026 — if Apple can catch up by then.

@durovs_code

😀 AI, but make it manual

Turns out Builder.ai’s → “AI assistant” Natasha was just hundreds of Indian developers writing code by hand.

The bankrupt UK startup had raised hundreds of millions — including from Microsoft — despite media calling out the lie as far back as 2019.

@durovs_code

🦴 Trump’s tariffs temporarily reinstated

A U.S. appeals court → has paused a lower court’s decision that struck down Trump-era tariffs, allowing them to remain in effect while the case proceeds.

@durovs_code

⚡️ Telegram raises $1.7B through new bonds

Telegram has successfully raised $1.7 billion by issuing new convertible bonds — $955M of which will be used to buy back 2021 bonds nearing maturity in 2026.

💘 The 5-year bonds offer a 9% annual yield and can convert into shares with a 20% discount if Telegram goes public.

💘 Bloomberg reports an additional $745M in fresh investment.

💘 According to Pavel Durov, strong demand for the messenger allowed Telegram to expand the offering beyond the initial $1.5B target.

💘 The funds will enable Telegram to repay its remaining 2021 bonds, which mature at the end of 2026.

Durov calls investor interest “phenomenal” and predicts a strong financial future for Telegram. The new bonds mature in June 2030.

@durovs_code