THE NEWS WRAP: Twitter upgrade allow tweets to be shared as direct messages

Twitter has unveiled a new feature allowing users to forward tweets as direct messages as part of its latest update.

The new feature appears on the Twitter website, as well as the iOS and Android apps. It is also available as part of TweetDeck for the web, Chrome and Windows, with a Mac version promised soon.

Depending on version, the feature is available by either long-pressing on the tweet you want to share or tapping the More icon, and then choosing “Share via Direct Message”.

Xiaomi says it will be the world’s biggest mobile phone maker in five to 10 years

Xiaomi founder and chief executive Lei Jun has claimed Xiaomi will be the world’s largest mobile phone maker in five to 10 years, according to The Guardian.

“I believe that no one thought the Xiaomi from three years ago, which just made its first phone, would later rank as the third largest player,” Lei said.

“India is becoming our largest overseas market. Within five or 10 years, we have the opportunity to become the number one smartphone company in the world.”

The comments quickly earned a rebuke from the world’s second largest mobile phone maker by volume, Apple. In an interview its general council, Bruce Sewell, said “it is easy to say, it is more difficult to do”.

Uber’s massive fundraising drive forges ahead

The recent controversy Uber found itself embroiled in doesn’t appear to be lessening the company’s appeal to investors, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Uber is moving forward with its plans to raise one of the largest venture capital funding rounds in history. Some of the world’s top investors packed into a room at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas earlier this week to see Uber founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick, the headline act of a two day closed-door tech conference organised by Uber investor Goldman Sachs.

It’s still unclear whether any investors have committed to the round.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 33.27 to 17,719.00. The Australian Dollar is currently trading at US86 cents.

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