Jack Dorsey gives another rambling interview – this time to Bloomberg Businessweek. What does Twitter’s second-time CEO have to say? “It's early” in the company’s turnaround effort, and he’s “really confident in what's ahead.” Oddly, Dorsey “an inhibition of usage” on what he calls “safety concerns” -- not the fact that many mainstream users find Twitter to be confusing and light on value.

LivingSocial plans to cut 280 employees, the struggling ecommerce startup announced on Wednesday. After shutting down a customer services center in Tucson, AZ, LivingSocial plans to outsource call center duties to an unnamed U.S.-based service provider. “The company has been downsizing for a while now, and most recently laid off 200 people in October last year,” TechCrunch notes.

Potentially simplifying its sign-in process, Amazon has filed a patent application for a process that would let shoppers make a purchase by taking a selfie. “The application is related to a separate patent Amazon holds for a technology that allows a device to authenticate a user via a photo or video, but not necessarily to complete a transaction,” Re/code reports.

Challenging the pricier Oculus Rift, Sony plans to start selling its PlayStation VR headset for $399, in October. Facebook’s headset is expected to sell for $599. “This places the barrier of entry for PSVR dramatically lower for gamers looking to take a whack at virtual reality,” TechCrunch writes. The HTC Vive, meanwhile is expected to sell for $799.

Virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana are not very helpful in emergencies, The New York Times reports, citing a new study. After testing nine phrases indicating crises on smartphones with voice-activated assistants, Stanford researchers found mixed results. “No virtual assistant recognized every crisis, or consistently responded sensitively or with referrals to helplines, the police or professional assistance.”

Virtual realty technology company Voke just raised $12.5 million in capital, led by Intel Capital. Voke specializes in live streams of sports and music events, GeekWire notes. “The company’s two co-founders … worked together to found the Virtual Reality and Computer Integrated Manufacturing Lab at Washington State University, before leaving for Silicon Valley.”

Microsoft’s online store will no longer accept Bitcoin. When the tech giant added Bitcoin support in late 2014, the cryptocurrency was a big deal. “Bitcoin is somewhat less of a hot topic these days, with most news concerning the worrying split between the cryptocurrency's top developers,” Mashable notes.

Some Australian researchers have determined that Twitter analysis was slightly better than FEMA's own models in predicting the location and severity of damage that resulted from Superstorm Sandy. “The main advantage of the technique is that it is a ‘virtually zero-cost solution,’ Manuel Cebrian, co-author of the report, tells Science magazine.

As Apple goes toe-to-toe with the government over encryption, Facebook, Google, and Snapchat are reportedly increasing their own privacy technology. “The projects could antagonize authorities just as much as Apple’s more secure iPhones,” The Guardian reports, citing sources. “They also indicate the industry may be willing to back up their public support for Apple with concrete action.”

This spring, USA Today Network plans to launch a regularly scheduled VR news show named, “VRtually There.” Topics will include politics, sports, technology and finance. “VR provides a unique opportunity to tell the stories of news in new and different ways,” Niko Chauls, director of applied technologies for the USA Today Network, tells The Wall Street Journal.