Engadget

02.11.2022 16:31 Tumblr changed enormously in 2018 after it started blocking all adult content, reportedly because images of child sexual abuse were posted on the website. It deleted tons of sex blogs and communities to comply with its new rule, and its already dwindling community never quite recovered since. Now, the website has updated its community guidelines so that the naked human form is once again allowed. Under its new policy, users can post images and videos with nudity, as well as text with mature subject matter and sexual themes, but they still can't post visual depictions of sexually explicit acts or any content with an overt focus on genitalia. In its full Community Guidelines page, Tumblr explained that by "visual depictions," it means pictures, videos, GIFs, drawings, CGI and any other kind of visual media. Artwork considered historically significant is an exemption, so long as it's properly labeled. Content with nudity and sexual themes now allowed under the new policy will also have to be labeled so that users can filter them out. In addition to the continued ban on visual depictions of sexually explicit acts, users can't post links to adult affiliate networks or anything that promotes escort or erotic services. They also aren't allowed to post images with extreme violence and gore or any kind of content that promotes pedophilia, including images of children when the "intent of the blog is sexually suggestive." Any blog that violates those rules will be removed. Tumblr also admits that the list isn't exhaustive and that further interpretation is up to the company. Tumblr was one of the few sites that not only tolerated but seemingly embraced its sex worker and adult artist communities, so it caught considerable flak when, with little warning, it banned adult content four years ago. Earlier this year, it reached a settlement with New York City's Commission on Human Rights, which found that the ban disproportionately impacted LGBTQ+ users. As part of the settlement terms, Tumblr had to bring in an expert to review its moderation algorithms for potential bias. In September this year, it launched Community Labels with the category "sexual themes," hinting that it was going to loosen its rules and would allow some adult content on the website again. That's exactly what happened, but it doesn't look like Tumblr is open to supporting porn communities anytime soon. Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic , explained why in a post on his blog. Credit card companies are anti-porn, he wrote in the post, pointing out that they had cut off payments for advertising on Pornhub. "App stores, particularly Apple's, are anti-porn," he continued. The website can't take a chance when most of its users are on mobile. Tumblr also has no means to ensure that individuals featured in sexually explicit content are of legal age and had consented to being pictured or filmed. "I agree with 'go nuts, show nuts' in principle," he said, "but the casually porn-friendly era of the early internet is currently impossible."

02.11.2022 16:31 What’s stopping me getting an iPad Pro? The cost, for one. And a belief that anything I’d want to use an iPad for, I can already do with my eighth-generation vanilla model. That said, Nathan Ingraham’s review of the M2 iPad Pro did make me check if my bank balance could sustain the purchase. It can’t.Apple’s top-end iPad hasn’t changed much since last year, with the same compromises around displays evident if you get the smaller model. In fact, aside from the M2, it’s pretty much the same as before, for better and, occasionally, worse. The major changes are all enabled by the even brawnier silicon inside that chassis.That includes Stage Manager, the multitasking setup Apple hopes will unlock the iPad’s clearly hidden potential. Certainly, the system has not been warmly received by all iPad users, and Nathan found it lacking the usual level of elegance. Oh, and you can now shoot video in ProRes 4K at 30 fps. Useful? Not for many. Cool? Undoubtedly.Unfortunately, such an iterative upgrade gave Nathan plenty of time to look for things that really should be fixed on a tablet that can cost well north of $2,000. That includes the awkward front camera placement − it’s clear for all to see it’ll be moved to the “top” side, like the new iPad, at some point.– Dan CooperThe biggest stories you might have missedAudio-Technica resurrects its Sound Burger portable turntable from the '80sThe best home theater gear worth gifting in 2022 NASA's first test of its next-generation heat shield is delayed until at least November 9thYouTube brings Showtime, Paramount+ and other streaming services into its main appSony has sold over 25 million PS5sAnd expects to sell a bunch more before March.EngadgetSony’s most recent financial results revealed it has sold more than 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles. That’s a staggering figure given the hardware’s high price, poor availability and strong competition. The company says it’s not even done and expects to shift a significant number of units through the holiday season. That’s the only way it’ll be able to hit an ambitious target to shift 18 million units in the financial year, which ends March 2023.Continue Reading. Microsoft now implies it will support Call of Duty on PlayStation foreverIt needs to quell objections to its proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard.Microsoft’s purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard has met resistance from fans and rivals for obvious monopoly concerns. Once it owns franchises, like Call of Duty, Microsoft could pull those titles to funnel buyers toward buying an Xbox. But Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has promised that isn’t the case, saying it will support PlayStation for “as long as there’s a PlayStation.” That may not be enough to quell regulators, however, who are still picking through the deal to see if it’s going to hand the software giant too much power.Continue Reading. SpaceX may send Starship on its first orbital flight in DecemberA NASA official said it expects to see the flight take place next month.SpaceXWe may see the first orbital flight for SpaceX’s Starship craft as early as December, according to a senior NASA official. The trip, if successful, will see Starship launch from Boca Chica in Texas, orbit for a while, then land back in the ocean near Hawaii. It would also mean SpaceX has satisfied the FAA’s stringent requirements to ensure a launch is safe, both for SpaceX itself and the environment.Continue Reading. Twitter has removed 1,500 accounts following a coordinated trolling campaignThe company’s head of safety said the tweets weren’t widely seen.Shortly after Elon Musk took over Twitter, a campaign of coordinated trolling started, to make people think the platform had relaxed its moderation policies. This included a surge of hate speech and hateful conduct on the site, forcing Twitter to address it. The company’s head of safety has revealed the platform has removed 1,500 accounts identified to be part of the campaign. Yoel Roth added that many instances of hate speech were not widely seen, and that work was continuing to address gaps in its enforcement policies.Continue Reading.Elon Musk says Twitter Blue will cost $8 and be required for verificationPerks include fewer adverts and the ability to post longer videos.Elon Musk says Twitter Blue will be a prerequisite for users looking to be verified, and its price will increase to $8 a month. The Twitter CEO added that Blue users will gain priority in replies, mentions and Twitter’s search feature. Some high-profile users, including author Stephen King and gaming account Nibellion, have already denounced the change. It remains to be seen if users will pay, or if this will just encourage more to look for greener social media pastures.Continue Reading.

02.11.2022 16:31 You can add the standalone Street View app to Google's growing product graveyard. Upon decompiling the latest version of the application for Android, 9to5Google found shutdown notices that the company has yet to publish. In those notices, the tech giant is announcing that the Street View app is going away and that support will end on March 21st, 2023. Spokesperson Madison Gouveia has confirmed to The Verge that the app truly is getting the ax. Gouveia also told the publication that Google will pull Street View from app stores in the coming weeks. Google announced that it was spinning off Street View into its own app back in 2015. Available for both Android and iOS, it lets you upload your own spherical photos from your phone or from spherical cameras. Last year, the company also introduced Photo Paths, which lets you contribute a series of 2D photos for roads and locations that haven't been documented by a Street View car in the past. Street View will continue being a key Google Maps feature, so you can still virtually explore all the places the tech giant had documented with its cameras. You can also keep adding Photo Spheres within Maps and publishing 360-degree videos using Street View Studio. As 9to5Google notes, though, there will be no way to add Photo Paths anymore after Google completely shuts down the dedicated Street View app. Previously submitted Photo Path images, however, will continue being viewable within Google Maps.

02.11.2022 11:11 Kids love to use smart speakers, but it's all too easy for things to go horribly wrong — including content that's decidedly not family-friendly. Google is trying to address those worries by both revising parental controls for Assistant and providing more child-oriented responses. To start, an update will let you disable some Assistant features, restrict the services children can use and establish downtime hours. You can bar kids from making calls, or limit them to watching YouTube Kids on a Nest Hub.The controls will be available in the "coming weeks" through the Google Assistant, Google Home and Family Link apps for Android and iOS. They'll be available in the Assistant settings for your child's account.Google is simultaneously encouraging kids to ask more questions. It's adding a "Kids Dictionary" to Assistant that provides age-suitable answers on speakers, displays and mobile devices. If your young one asks what a telescope is, for instance, you'll get a simple explanation rather than discussions of optics and electromagnetic radiation. There are also four new "kid-friendly" voices that are slower, more expressive and otherwise better-matched to childhood development.Google is relatively late to these kinds of features. Amazon's Alexa has had parental controls for a while, and can help kids read stories. Even so, this is good news if you've wanted more choice in kid-oriented smart speakers and displays. You can likely get the device that meets your grown-up needs without worrying quite so much about your little ones.

02.11.2022 11:11 The Xiaomi 12S Ultra surprised us with its 1-inch camera sensor and Leica co-branding back in July, but it turns out that the Chinese brand was working on something far more ambitious at the same time. Earlier today, the "Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept Phone" was unveiled with an appearance almost identical to the namesake flagship device, but with a second 1-inch 50.3-megapixel sensor occupying the middle of the camera island instead. Let that sink in for a bit. Not only that, but this new sensor is designed to work with an interchangeable Leica M lens.Here's @Xiaomi's promo video for the wild "12S Ultra Concept Phone," which can mount any interchangeable @leica_camera M lens over its *second* 1-inch sensor. More here: https://t.co/CQkL6dayllpic.twitter.com/YEQNHdI4IE— Richard Lai November 2, 2022Interestingly, Xiaomi has instead chosen to shield this additional 1-inch sensor — also a Sony IMX989 with 10-bit RAW support — underneath a large, circular piece of durable sapphire glass, as opposed to cutting out an opening for it as you'd find on traditional interchangeable lens cameras. While this would protect the sensor against dust and larger foreign objects, we do wonder how this extra layer of glass would affect the overall optical transmittance. But hey, better safe than sorry. Meanwhile, the 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera that was originally positioned in the middle of the camera island has been shifted to the side, taking up the space that once housed a 48-megapixel periscopic telephoto camera.Agatha TangAs shown in Xiaomi's video, in order to install an interchangeable lens onto this 5G concept phone, you must first unscrew the protection ring around the rear camera island, then by way of an adapter, you'll be able to mount any Leica M lens. As captured by a Xiaomi staffer in the above photo, the full assembly with a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH lens looks rather impressive from the side. Previously, the closest thing to this intriguing combination would be one of those Yongnuo 4G-connected Android cameras . Or you may travel further back in time and reminisce the good old days with the Samsung Galaxy NX.XiaomiXiaomi stopped short at saying whether the 12S Ultra Concept Phone will ever be mass produced. All we know is that this project was developed alongside the actual 12S Ultra, and in the end, only 10 units of the former were made. A few of those samples were seeded to some lucky influencers for some quick hands-on time, but with each unit costing around 300,000 yuan or about $41,210 to make, they better not drop them.Phone

02.11.2022 11:11 T-Mobile may be joining rivals Verizon and AT&T by introducing an $35 charge for all new postpaid activations and upgrades, according to The T-Mo Report and some Redditors. According to T-Mobile internal documents, it's introducing a "Device Connection Charge" for "all activations and upgrades for mobile, Beyond the Smartphone and broadband devices."Before, the Uncarrier charged activation fees only if you received in-store customer support for new activations, with online orders exempt. Now, all new postpaid activations are charged, whether or not you were assisted. This includes updating to a new device, adding a Bring-Your-Own-Device line, or ordering a Home Internet line, according to The T-Mo Report.T-Mobile has always tried to separate itself from regular telecoms, but charging customers for essentially nothing doesn't sound very Uncarrier-like, if the reports are accurate. And you can't take your business to Sprint, as it no longer exists thanks to its merger with T-Mobile. When that deal was finalized, T-Mobile said things would be "better for customers," but constant activation charges would definitely not be better.Worse, it appears to be justifying the new fee in a dubious way, saying it's "simplifying" the system to bring a "more consistent and straightforward experience for customers." In other words, you'll no longer need to wonder if you'll get soaked for the charge or not — you definitely will. Engadget has reached out to T-Mobile to confirm the report's accuracy.

02.11.2022 06:50 Google has laid Hangouts to rest, a couple of years after it first announced that it was going to push people to use Chat, its Slack-like app, instead. After allowing users to move to Chat on their own in 2021, Google phased out the Hangouts Chat app for Android and iOS in July. Users were shown a prompt telling them that "Hangouts has been replaced by Google Chat" and to switch to either the standalone Chat app or the Chat experience within Gmail. As TechCrunch notes, the last version of the messaging service, Hangouts for the web, is now also going away for good.When users access the Hangouts website, they might see a message that says: "Starting November 1, 2022, Hangouts on the web will redirect to Chat on Web. We recommend moving to Chat now." We can still access the website without being automatically redirected, but there's a link to Google Chat that we can click to load the new messaging experience. The website might completely disappear in the coming days. Chat used to be one of Google's business offerings before the company switched up its messaging strategy and made it available to everyone. The company says Chat "opens up new and better ways" to collaborate with features that weren't available on Hangouts. Users can edit Docs, Slides or Sheets side-by-side within Chat. Teams at work or groups of friends can also work on documents and manage tasks using Spaces, which is a dedicated place they can use for topic-based collaboration. And since Gmail features Chat integration, people can easily access conversations without having to open the Chat website. Google previously said that those who want to keep a copy of their Hangouts data will have to use its Takeout tool before the service is gone for good. We still see Hangouts on Takeout, so those who want to do some last-minute data-saving may want to do so now while it's still possible.

02.11.2022 06:50 Just two years after the launch of the original EOS R6, Canon has unveiled its successor, the $2,500 EOS R6 Mark II. It brings a number of key improvements, like a higher-resolution 24.2-megapixel sensor and faster shooting speeds. Most importantly, Canon has significantly reduced the previous model’s issues with overheating.The EOS R6 was the best camera in this important price range when it launched, thanks to the speed, powerful video features and excellent Dual Pixel hybrid autofocus. However, once Sony’s $2,500 A7 IV came along with comparable abilities, more resolution and no overheating problems, the R6 lost that particular crown.At a preview event in San Diego, Canon let me shoot with R6 Mark II prototypes for a couple of days in a variety of sports situations. As it’s not a production model and still had a few bugs, this isn’t a final review – but it gave us a chance to share some early impressions.Body and handlingThe EOS R6 II isn’t just a slightly updated ‘A’ version of the original. It has significant physical and performance changes, starting with the new 24.2-megapixel sensor. It’s not, as rumors suggested, the stacked backside-illuminated sensor from the EOS R3; there’s a reason that model costs so much. But it does offer some benefits over the 20-megapixel chip on the R6.Canon promises improved image quality beyond just the extra megapixels, thanks to the updated image processing. It also offers improved low-light sensitivity despite the slightly smaller pixels. And Canon says that rolling shutter is reduced over the R6.The R6 features some changes on the outside as well. The power/lock/off switch is now positioned at the right where it’s easier to access yet harder to hit by accident. It also has a new video/photo mode switch that keeps those functions, and all their settings, separate. Flipping it also changes the menus, and Canon has introduced a convenient video-specific Q menu.Steve Dent/EngadgetOtherwise, it's roughly the same weight and size as the R6, and has an identical grip, menus, control layout and handling. It also uses its predecessor's, nice flip-out display for vlogging or selfies, dual UHS II card slots and 3.67-million-dot electronic viewfinder. And, of course, it comes with microphone and headphone ports, along with a USB-C socket and a microHDMI jack. It has a new in-body stabilization system, but it offers the same 8 stops of shake reduction as the EOS R6.The battery is identical, too, but Canon has boosted efficiency, from 510 shots max on the R6 to 760 on the R6 Mark II. In one day, I shot over 2,000 photos without changing the battery, mostly using the mechanical shutter – quite impressive.Performance and image qualityMechanical shutter bursts speeds are unchanged at 12fps , which is good considering the extra resolution. However, you can now fire RAW shots in silent mode at an exuberant 40 fps. What’s more, the R6 II now comes with a pre-shooting option that captures RAW files for a half second before you push the shutter. That lets you catch a moment even if you react slowly, albeit at the expense of some battery life. When trying the feature, I found that it perhaps let me capture a few shots that I might’ve missed otherwise.Steve Dent/EngadgetThose speeds are superb, but if photos are marred by excessive rolling shutter , they aren’t that useful. Luckily, rolling shutter is present but better controlled than on the R6, and much less severe than I saw on the A7 IV. It can take a fairly large number of shots before the buffer fills, and it resets fairly quickly with fast UHS-II V90 cards. Still, it would have been nice to see a CFexpress slot for faster shooting and better quality video files.The autofocus on the R6 II is more advanced than any Canon model to date, including the R3, the company says. It now handles people, animals and vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trains and horses. And it now has an auto-select option that lets the AI decide what to track, which should be a requirement on every mirrorless camera.The AI smoothly tracked my subject’s eyes, but it occasionally got lost and wasn’t quite up to Sony’s high standards. In regular spot continuous mode , the autofocus seemed as accurate as the R6, nailing shots in most circumstances. It was occasionally confused by the background or close subjects, but again, this was a prototype unit; these issues could be improved by the December release date.Image quality is also hard to judge at this point, as RAW files aren’t yet ready to be seen. But JPEG files looked great, with usual Canon-like warm skin tones and accurate hues. Low-light capability was surprisingly solid, with noise well-controlled at ISO 6400 and even beyond.VideoMy biggest issue with the original EOS R6 was video, and specifically the overheating issues. That model could only shoot 4K 60p for 30 minutes, and only for another 10 minutes or so after it cooled enough to shoot again. Suffice to say, that’s a serious problem for professional shooters.Those issues are effectively gone, and Canon also removed the 30-minute time limit for recording. You can now shoot 4K 60p uncropped for 40 minutes and it can normally go well beyond that. Cropped 4K 60p has a 50 minute limit, and supersampled 4K 30p has no limitations.Steve Dent/EngadgetIt also has better video specs overall. Internally, you can shoot 4K 60 fps supersampled from a 5.1K portion of the sensor . 4K at 30 fps is supersampled from 6K using the full sensor width. And it now supports 180 fps for 1080p, up from 120 fps before. Capture files are still limited to MP4 and Quicktime with no ProRes internally – likely a limitation of the UHS II cards. Like photos, there's a no pre-shooting option that captures 3 or 5 seconds of video in a loop before you push the record button. Additionally, the camera supports 10-bit 4K video and increased dynamic range with either HDR PQ or CLog3. And you can even shoot 6K RAW to an external Atomos recorder, though that feature wasn’t ready yet for testing.As with photos, AF for video tracks humans, animals and vehicles. In my limited testing, it performed well, only occasionally focusing on the background. So far, subject tracking isn’t quite as reliable as I saw on the A7 IV, but again, it may improve with some firmware or other tweaks.Video was sharp and I didn’t run into any overheating issues in San Diego, where temperatures hit about 80 degrees in the sun. 1080p 180p video seems a bit soft, as it’s captured with some pixel binning, and cropped 4K also lacked sharpness compared to full-frame 4K. I was happy with the colors, and low-light video capability was good to excellent.Wrap-upSteve Dent/EngadgetBy minimizing heat issues, the R6 II is already a big improvement over the original R6. But it also looks like a better camera for photography thanks to the higher resolution, faster speeds and improved image quality – with no stacked sensor required.Canon’s entire RF ecosystem keeps getting better, too. Its latest lens is the impressive 135mm f/1.8, joining 26 other full-frame prime and zoom lenses. So, this system has become surprisingly mature, considering it only launched four years ago. I can’t give you a final evaluation for key features like image quality and autofocus, as it’s still in the prototype stage. However, we expect to revisit the Canon EOS R6 Mark II in the form of a full review once it launches in December.

02.11.2022 06:50 Twitter may soon charge users $8 a month for verification, but Elon Musk reportedly plans to give all users a long-requested feature for free: the edit button. According to Platformer’s Casey Newton, the move is in the works alongside the more sweeping changes to Twitter Blue that Musk previewed Tuesday.For now, Twitter’s edit button is only available to subscribers in the current version of Twitter Blue, which costs $4.99 a month and is only live in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The feature gives users a 30-minute window to change their tweets, and includes a revision history.Musk so far hasn’t publicly talked about his plans for the edit button since taking control of the company. But the feature was one of the first Twitter-related topics he raised after he first acquired a large stake in the company this spring. And Twitter confirmed it was working on the feature just hours after Musk polled his followers on whether the platform should have an edit feature. At the same time, Musk is also planning more substantial changes to Twitter’s subscription service. He's said he qill allow anyone to get verified if they pay $8 a month, and will also show subscribers fewer ads. He’s also reportedly planning to nix the ad-free articles that’s currently included as perk with Twitter Blue, but wants to work with publishers to allow subscribers behind their paywalls.

01.11.2022 20:30 Gaming mice are different — faster, lighter, more responsive than standard mice — which means they're usually more expensive, too. Right now Amazon has five of the mice that made the cut in our productivity tests at discounts between 24 and 47 percent off. Some of the prices are the lowest we've seen so far. Our weekend editor Igor Bonifacic bought the Superlight for himself and uses it for both gaming and everyday computing. While he was impressed with the lightweight feel and accuracy, he also noted that it has "one of the best scroll wheels" he's ever used. Note that the mouse is not Bluetooth-compatible but uses radio frequency wireless connectivity for faster speeds. You'll need to use the included dongle, which stores in a clever magnetized compartment for travel. At $110, it's the lowest price we've seen so far and a full $50 off the usual MSRP. Also on sale is the Viper Ultimate from Razer. In our testing, we gave it high marks for being a truly ambidextrous mouse with a light, 74-gram design that "glides across the desk, making it a pleasure to use for extended periods." It packs 70 hours of use on a charge and has eight programmable buttons to carry out in-game operations. At the usual list price of $130, it's pricey but worth it. At this sale price of $60, it's a much easier buy. Buy Razer Viper Ultimate at Amazon - $60Two more gaming mice, the G502 Lightspeed from Logitech and Razer's Orochi V2 are also discounted right now. The G502 comes with a bevy of gaming-focused features like removable weights and 11 customizable buttons. It's $60 off right now for an all-time-low of $90. For take-it-with-you gaming, the Orochi is a compact ultraportable with six buttons and a whopping 950-hour battery life. Snag this one for 30 percent off in the white or grey colorway. While not a gaming mouse, Microsoft's Arc Mouse is a sleek and stylish travel pick that pops into an ergonomic arc, then packs flat when you need to take it with you. It's a Bluetooth mouse, with a trackpad area that allows for clicks as well as touch-generated scrolling. It takes two AAA batteries that'll last about six months. At 24 percent off, it's a great mobile mouse for less than $55. If you want a more ergonomic work experience or need a mouse that's both precise and speedy for gaming, this is an ideal time for an upgrade.Buy Logitech G502 at Amazon - $90Buy Razer Orochi at Amazon - $46Buy Microsoft Arc at Amazon - $53Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

01.11.2022 20:30 It's been a long, long time coming, but the legendary civilization management sim Dwarf Fortress at last has a Steam and Itch.io release date. It will be available on both storefronts on December 6th for $30. While that might seem steep for a game that has already been around for 16 years and is available for free elsewhere, the latest version has some major upgrades.For one thing, you won't need to deal with Dwarf Fortress' famously primitive visuals anymore. The ASCII graphics have been upgraded to a pixel art tileset. Other new features include a fresh soundtrack and sound effects, a revamped user interface and menus, a tutorial for newcomers and other quality of life improvements. All of these are designed to help make the game more approachable.Tarn and Zach Adams have been working on the game for 20 years at their studio, Bay 12. They teamed up with publisher Kitfox Games for this upgraded version, which has an official title of Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress.The main Fortress mode and the Legends mode will be available at the outset, with the original game's Adventure and Arena modes arriving later. Even then, Bay 12 is far from done, as the studio has plans for major changes for the map system as well as procedurally generated myths and magic systems. There's "no end in sight" for the project, according to a press release.If all of that seems too fancy for you, there's still the option to download the original version of Dwarf Fortress from Bay 12's website in all its ASCII glory at no cost. Until now, fans have supported Bay 12 and the game's development through donations.

01.11.2022 20:30 Twitter is increasing the price of its subscription service. Moving forward, Twitter Blue will cost $8 per month in the US, with pricing in other countries adjusted for the purchasing power of consumers in those markets, Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk announced today. The $3 jump from Blue's current $5 per month fee amounts to a 60 percent price increase. At the same time, Twitter plans to add new perks to the service. As a subscriber, you'll see fewer ads and have the ability to post longer videos and audio — which Twitter had tested prior to Musk's takeover. It will also give you priority in replies, mentions and Twitter's search feature, perks Musk claims are essential to reducing the amount of spam on the platform. "Twitter's current lords peasants system for who has or doesn't have a blue checkmark is bullshit," Musk said, all but confirming verification will be tied to Twitter Blue subscriptions. Lastly, Twitter Blue will include the ability to bypass paywalls — though that will come later and will depend on Twitter forging the necessary publisher partnerships. Twitter’s current lords peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.— Elon Musk November 1, 2022Tuesday's announcement comes after days of speculation on how Twitter could change under Musk's ownership. On Sunday, two separate reports said the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was considering increasing the price of Twitter Blue to as much as $20 per month and making the subscription a requirement for verification. Musk appeared to reconsider pricing after a tweet from author Stephen King criticizing the plan went viral. "We need to pay the bills somehow," Musk said. "Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?" Musk claimed the changes to Twitter Blue would also give the company a way to support content creators. On Monday, the owner of Nibellion, one of Twitter's most prolific and popular gaming news accounts, said he was abandoning the platform, citing Musk's takeover of the company and the difficulty he encountered monetizing his work. “I have miscalculated the value of my Twitter activity and realize that it is nothing worth supporting by itself for the vast majority of people," Nibel said. "It is not me who is popular, but it is that work that is useful. It is not valuable by itself, but a comfortable timesaver, and I get that now.” Accounts like Nibel are the lifeblood of Twitter. While they only represent about 25 percent of the user base, they account for more than 97 percent of tweets you see on the platform. Tweaks to Twitter Blue are likely only the start of the changes Musk has planned for Twitter. According to The New York Times, Musk has ordered company-wide layoffs that could affect as much as 50 percent of Twitter's 7,500-person workforce. He is also reportedly considering bringing back Vine, the company's long-defunct short-form video service. In the meantime, Musk did not say when the changes to Twitter Blue would begin rolling out.

01.11.2022 20:30 Audio-Technica is bringing back its iconic Sound Burger portable turntable. After nearly 40 years and countless clones, the updated model adds a few new features to make it more appealing to modern listeners. To start, the 2022 Sound Burger includes Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in lithium-ion battery with USB-C charging. In other words, you won’t need to source a trio of C-cell batteries to power the new model. According to Audio-Technica, you can expect to get about 12 hours of continuous playback from the 2022 Sound Burger before it needs to be charged.The company has tweaked the design of the turntable in a few other ways. For one, you won’t find an extendable cord hanger for your headphones. Speaking of headphones, the 2022 model doesn’t come with a complimentary pair like its predecessor. However, it will ship with an RCA cable if you prefer to physically connect the turntable to your sound system. The 2022 model also comes stock with an Audio-Technica ATN3600L stylus. Otherwise, this is in many ways the same turntable a lot of people fondly remember. Like its predecessor, it features a DC motor with a belt drive that can play 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, meaning you can use it to listen to both full-length LPs and singles. It also looks just as good as it did back in 1983.The 2022 Sound Burger is available to buy starting today for $199/£200/€229. That’s a reasonable price when you consider a vintage model can set you back as much as $500 on eBay. No word yet if Audio-Technica plans to bring back the Mister Disc branding for the US release.

01.11.2022 20:30 The former New York Post employee who hijacked the outlet’s content management system and Twitter account to post a series of racist and sexist headlines last week has apologized for his actions. “I deserved to get fired for a very volatile, irresponsible, and disgusting action and an utmost betrayal of the New York Post,” Miguel Gonzalez told the Daily Beast, revealing his identity to the outlet and public.The 25-year-old claims he went on his publishing spree after suffering an “emotional tantrum,” further claiming his actions weren’t politically motivated. Among the things Gonzalez posted on October 27th were fake headlines calling for the murder of President Joe Biden and House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “I let my own stupidity get the best of me,” he told the outlet.@nypost hacked. Here you go

01.11.2022 20:30 YouTube is bringing premium streaming services into its main app with a new feature called Primetime Channels. You'll see TV shows, movies and sports the likes of Showtime, Starz, Paramount+ and AMC+ alongside videos from your favorite creators.Folks in the US can sign up for Primetime Channels starting today through the Movies and TV section. There are more than 30 services you can subscribe to at the jump, with more on the way. NBA League Pass is among those that will be available soon.Primetime Channels homepages will include trailers, cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage alongside episodes and movies. You'll be able to search for films and shows from channels through the main YouTube search panel. As The Verge notes, if a movie or show is available on a service you're signed up to, you'll see a green "watch now" icon. Otherwise, the icon will read "pay to watch."YouTubeYour YouTube recommendations will include films and shows from Primetime Channels as well. So, if you search for a trailer for something you're interested in, and the series or movie is available on a channel you're subscribed to, it might pop up in your recommendations to help you start watching it right away. You'll be able to like or dislike a movie or episode and leave comments, but content from Primetime Channels won't have view counts.There are some catches, according to The Verge. If you already have a subscription to Paramount+, Shudder or one of the other Primetime Channels, you can't simply link your accounts. You'll need to cancel your membership and sign up through YouTube. However, services you've signed up to through YouTube TV will carry over. However you slice it, that seems overly convoluted.YouTube is clearly attempting to become the hub for all your streaming needs to help it better compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max. It aims to bring more things for you to watch to Primetime Channels, along with more features. The platform is also planning an international rollout of the feature.One thing that Primetime Channels doesn't seem to offer, at least for the time being, is live TV. You may still need to go to YouTube TV for that. Given that YouTube TV has a fraction of the number of subscribers Netflix has , it seems smart to try another tactic as the battle for consumers' attention and dollars rages on.