Facebook, Google and Twitter agree to delete some hate speech
Germany has long complained that major internet services don’t do enough to fight hate speech, and it now looks like those companies are going to do something about it. Facebook, Google and Twitter have all promised Germany that, “as a rule,” they’ll delete criminal forms of hate speech (such as inciting people to violence) within 24 hours. The push for action comes primarily in response to increased racism following Europe’s refugee crisis, but it’s not unexpected in light of the country’s decades-old battle with hate.
The move is slightly surprising when you consider the tendency of these services to fight censorship tooth and nail. Facebook, for instance, has denied that it recently broke German law by leaving hate speech online. However, the two sides clearly share some common ground. Facebook, Google and Twitter already have policies forbidding hate speech — to some extent, they’re just reconciling those guidelines with Germany’s policies.
[Image credit: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images]
Source: Reuters
Playdate: ‘Star Wars’ week celebration, episode one!
Get ready for a week almost 40 years in the making: over the next five days, Engadget Playdate is all about Star Wars. The movies, the toys and, most of all, the video games. Join us as we trip over our nostalgia in preparation for The Force Awakens. We’ll be revisiting the best of Star Wars gaming in chronological order, starting with the prequel trilogy’s Republic Commando and Star Wars: Starfighter
Want some say in what we’ll play next? Join us at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific at Twitch.tv/Joystiq and tell us what your favorite Star Wars game is. Not interested in joining in the discussion? You also watch the show on the Engadget Gaming homepage, right here in this post or, as always, in our archives at a later date.
http://player.twitch.tv/?channel=joystiq
[We’re streaming these games at 720p though OBS, so rest assured they’ll look much better on your PC at home.]
Play as Cloud in ‘Super Smash Bros.’ today, Bayonetta later
Final Fantasy VII‘s Cloud takes his Buster Sword to Super Smash Bros. today, Nintendo announced during its final presentation dedicated to the rapid-fire fighting game. The company revealed Cloud as a Super Smash Bros. character in November, during its Nintendo Direct livestream. Cloud will be available for $6 in the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game.
The final downloadable character entering the Super Smash Bros. ring is the witch Bayonetta, Nintendo announced today. She’ll join the fray in February. Cloud and Bayonetta are also getting Amiibo figurines.
In other Super Smash Bros. news, a Geno costume from Super Mario RPG is available today for players’ Mii fighters. Tails and Knuckles costumes join the game in February.
You can download Cloud in #SmashBros for #3DS & #WiiU in a few hours! Illustration: Tetsuya Nomura (SQUARE ENIX) pic.twitter.com/4LIiwJCxeQ
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 15, 2015
#Bayonetta comes to #SmashBros in Feb! Illustration: Eiji Funahashi (PlatinumGames) Video: https://t.co/gERjJWHovG pic.twitter.com/Gmj5jcRIEH
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 15, 2015
HTC One X9 makes another appearance in leaked photos
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HTC‘s next flagship device is said to be the HTC One X9 – so far, it’s proven to be a pretty poorly kept secret with official teasers, TENAA certification and now a new set of photos leaking out. As expected, the set of leaked images show a device exactly the same as in previous leaks which suggests this is probably what the One X9 is going to look like whenever it is released in 2016. It’s said that the device will have a 2.2GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage and 13MP camera – note however that previous rumours have made the the One X9 out to be a much more powerful device so we’re probably not going to know who’s right for some time.
The design of the One X9 is decidedly reserved, much like the design of the recently released One A9, and depending on your view on HTC’s predicament in the smartphone world, this may be exactly what the Taiwanese manufacturer needs to do to get its books back in the black. Whether the One X9 is the one to lead the charge is anyone’s guess, but we’ll find out one way or another if this doesn’t end up panning out.
What do you think about the HTC One X9? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: CNMO via TalkAndroid
The post HTC One X9 makes another appearance in leaked photos appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
[TA Deals] Save 86% on a lifetime subscription to VPNSecure
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Google announces 9 new Android Wear watch faces from iconic designers
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Google’s blog has announced 9 new Android Wear
- Ted Baker: Reveal your sophisticated side with ten gorgeous designs.
- Melissa Joy Manning: Rock a different birthstone for every month of the year.
- Vivienne Tam: Watch Opera Girl twirl, take a selfie, and more.
- Nicole Miller: Stay on track and in style with Nicole Miller’s pop art.
- Y-3: Sport the styles of Yohji Yamamoto, inspired by the beauty of human movement.
- Mango: Add instant chic to any outfit with this ready-to-wear watch face.
- Zoe Jordan: Free your time of clutter with the clean lines of modern design.
- Harajuku Kawaii!: Express your playful side with this adorable and vibrant watch face.
- ASICS: Motivate yourself to stay active with the help of your fitness buddy.
Direct yourself to the Play Store for all the new listings and give a couple of them a shot. There might be something in there that scream “THIS IS ME 100%!”.
Source: Google
The post Google announces 9 new Android Wear watch faces from iconic designers appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google’s Now on Tap gets more helpful for the holidays
With Android Marshmallow, Google debuted a super useful feature called Now on Tap – an efficient way to ping a search from any screen. It enhances the power of the search giant and gets us to the information we need that much quicker.
As it typically goes with new features, there’s lots of room for improvement. With the holidays in full swing, Google made a couple updates to Now on Tap to make it a valuable assistant during this busy time.
For instance, if we’re traveling or picking up a family member who is, we can simply toggle Now on Tap to quickly ping the flight status.
Or we can quickly check the status of gifts we’ve ordered. From the package’s confirmation email, you can toggle Now on Tap to get the tracking details.
The great thing about Now on Tap is that it overlays the search information on top of the app you’re currently using. Just dismiss the results to go back to what you were doing.
Google says it’s adding in a Share button to the results “over the coming days”. Also, the following language packages are available with Now on Tap: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Korean. Of course, more languages and features will be added later.
Source: Google Blogspot
The post Google’s Now on Tap gets more helpful for the holidays appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Spotify will reveal your ‘Star Wars’ soul mate
With three days to go before the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Spotify has become the latest company to piggyback on the marketing bandwagon. The streaming service is giving users the chance to see which character, new or old, has the same taste in music as you. All you need to do is visit the stand-alone website “Spotify Star Wars,” log in, sit back and hope for the best. The site analyzes listening data and assigns you a character based on your most visited artists. The character-match algorithm is a little nonsensical, though. For example, if you’re into teen pop, you’re paired with Luke Skywalker, or if neo soul is your thing, Padme Amidala is your girl. The parallels are difficult to predict.
Not surprisingly, Spotify isn’t the first service to offer Star Wars themed marketing tie-ins. Just weeks ago, Google teamed up with Disney, allowing you to side with the light or dark side of the force. Once you select your allegiance, the site changed all of your Google services, from Maps to YouTube status bars, in order to reflect your Jedi choices. Regarding Star Wars’ latest takeover of Spotify, five dollars says if you like electronic music, you’re getting a droid.
Source: Spotify
Facebook helps you find highly-rated local businesses
Facebook is putting those business ratings you’ve been entering on its Pages to work. With a new Professional Services portal, the social network lets you search for the highest-rated businesses if your area in a variety of categories. When you need to find a contractor, plumber, doctor, event planner, mechanic or dog groomer (just to name a few), the new Facebook page is ready to help.
By offering this new search tool, Facebook is taking on the likes of Angie’s List, Yelp and others that also compile user ratings and feedback for local businesses and services. Selecting one of the categories will display businesses in order of their rating (out of 5 stars) along with a snippet of a customer review. There’s also a map on the results page, so you can see exactly what part of town each option is located. Under the map, you’re also given a list of nearby cities, in case you can’t find a solid choice where you live.
Additionally, there are more than just the few categories you’re presented with on the main page. Once inside, the search tool can be used to find restaurants, bars and more — not just a range of professional services. And as you might expect, the results list pulls in details from Pages like websites, contact info, hours of operation and more. If you want to give it a shot, the directory is ready to accept your queries.
Via: Search Engine Land, TechCrunch
Source: Facebook
Outlook for iOS now supports 3D Touch
Microsoft’s Outlook for iOS has quickly become one of the platform’s best options for managing your inbox, and today it got a handy new feature: 3D Touch support. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can now press on the home screen icon to reveal options for quickly sending an email, adding an event to your calendar, or jumping straight into your calendar view. It doesn’t seem that any 3D Touch gestures have been added anywhere else in the app, though — you’re limited to these quick actions from the home screen.
In a decidedly less useful nod to the classic days of offices gone by, Microsoft has also gone ahead and made it easy to print emails and full conversation threads directly from the message view. The days when it made sense to print emails have long since passed, but if you’re someone who really still needs to deal with dead paper, the feature is there waiting for you. Just make sure you consider the environment before hitting print.
Via: Microsoft News
Source: iTunes Store
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