Anti-pipeline activists claim Facebook censored their live video
Facebook has long had a tough time walking a fine line when it comes to political material, and the pressure isn’t about to let up any time soon. Unicorn Riot maintains that Facebook censored their live stream of a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, deleting the Livestream.com link shortly before two of its reporters were caught up in a mass arrest. Comments and posts popped up security alerts when they contained the link, and Facebook’s debugger insisted that the web address ran afoul of “community standards.”
As you might guess, Facebook disagrees with the notion that there were any sinister motivations. It tells Motherboard that its automated spam filter pulled the link “in error.” The social network restored the link once it had a chance to investigate, and has since apologized. “We sometimes get things wrong,” it says, noting that there are “million of [spam] reports” every week. We’ve reached out to Facebook ourselves for comment and will let you know if it has more to add.
While the evidence appears to support Facebook’s claims, the incident still underscores problems the site has whenever it pulls politically sensitive material. Whether it’s a ban (such as the Terror of War photo) or an error (like with the shooting of Philando Castile), any removal is virtually guaranteed to fan accusations of censorship. Facebook has over 1.7 billion users — it’s by far the most popular place to share content online, and even a relatively rare glitch is bound to be noticed by many people. So long as Facebook’s automated systems (and increasingly rarely, human overseers) are less than bulletproof, these sorts of incidents are more a matter of “when” than “if.”
Via: Motherboard
Source: Unicorn Riot, Anti-Media
Watch what it takes to build a 350HP combat robot right here
Our dreams of watching giant robots battle it out in front of us have almost come true. The folks behind the MegaBots Kickstarter have released the first trailer for their upcoming web series that follows the trials and tribulations of building a 10-ton, 350HP combat robot. The team hired an Emmy-nominated video team to capture all the gory details, and it sounds like the main event — a hand-to-hand battle against Japan’s Kuratas robot — will be the season finale.
The first episode of real-life Titanfall will drop September 28th on the MegaBots YouTube channel and Facebook page. After that, release cadence will be every two weeks. But because the team is still filming, it warns that exact timing could be a little hit or miss for each subsequent episode. Check out the video below for your first taste of the chaos.
Source: Kickstarter
FIIL Diva Pro Review: The Bluetooth headphones from the future
Thanks to Apple’s war on the headphone jack, wireless headsets are about to blow up in a big way – and the FIIL Diva Pro has the specs to stand out from the crowd. With touch-sensitive controls, active noise cancellation, 4GB of onboard storage and a stylish illuminated logo, the Diva Pro blends beauty with brains. (It’s even smart enough to pause your music when you take it off your ears, and resume when you replace it.)
But at almost $300 before discounts, the Diva Pro is entering a space heretofore reserved for more established players like Bose. Does this futuristic headset live up to the challenge? Find out in MrMobile’s FIIL Diva Pro review!
PRODUCTS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
- FIIL Diva Pro at Kickstarter
- Bose QuietComfort 35
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Evening brief: More Note 7 bans, Android Wear’s holding pattern and Spotify keeps growing
Here’s all of the important news you may have missed in the Android world today.
The Note 7 recall story just keeps rolling along, with the MTA (New York) and NJT (New Jersey) transit organizations telling riders not to use their Note 7s on trains, no matter how unenforceable that may be. In other news about products that people don’t use, Android Wear watches from Google’s biggest partners won’t be coming until 2017, according to a new report.
On the upside, Spotify now has 40 million subscribers and is easily the biggest music streaming service in the world. Qualcomm has announced some new camera tech that promises better photos (as soon as manufacturers use it), and Google is ponying up the big bucks for hackers who can find exploits in the Nexus 6P and 5X. Here’s all of the biggest news for you to get caught up on.
MTA and NJT tell travelers not to use Note 7s in transit or at stations
New York’s MTA and New Jersey Transit are the latest bodies to tell Galaxy Note 7 owners not to use their devices while they travel over battery explosion fears. The former says there’ve been no incidents of Notes blowing up on MTA property. However, developments like this cast doubt on whether the Note 7’s reputation will ever recover, or whether travel restrictions will be raised even after “safe” units are in customers’ hands.
No new Android Wear watches from LG, Huawei or Moto this year
A report from CNET reveals that both Moto and Huawei are holding out for the arrival of new tech, while LG’s waiting to see what sticks with consumers. For its part, Google is expected to launch its own-branded smartwatches along with its new Pixel phones later in the year. More
Honor 8 in blue in short supply in the UK
Current supplies of the blue model are set to run out soon, we’re told, following news that the phone has sold more than 1.5 million units in its first two months of availability. More
Spotify hits 40 million subscribers, and is rising fast
Spotify’s CEO announced today that his company now has 40 million paid subscribers, up from 30 million six months ago. Spotify has the most popular streaming music service in the world, outpacing competitors like Apple Music (which announced 17 million users last week), TIDAL, Deezer, and others.
Google ponying up big money to good hackers
Google is offering prizes to hackers who can find exploits in the Nexus 6P and 5X as part of a new Project Zero bounty meant to encourage crafty coders to do the right thing. There are three prizes: $200k, $100k, and $50k. Don’t spend it all at once!
Qualcomm has new dual-camera tech for manufacturers to use
Much like Huawei has done with the P9 and Honor 8, Qualcomm has announced new “Clear Sight” dual camera technology that lets a color and monochrome camera work together to produce even better photos. It’s available to any manufacturer shipping Snapdragon 820 or 821 phones. More
Android OEMs are dying, again
Another day, another editorial on the woeful state of Android manufacturers. Seems like we hear the death knell of companies like HTC and Sony Mobile every year around this time. Remind us to check on the status of this claim next year with our HTC 11.
There won’t be any big new Android Wear smartwatches this year
Wearables may not be the next big thing after all.
LG, Lenovo, and Huawei aren’t going to release new Android Wear smartwatches in 2016, according to CNET, which seems to imply they are in no hurry to put out new hardware, as consumer demand might not be so demanding.
When Apple introduced the Apple Watch last week, it became clear the company was no longer positioning the wearable as a fashion accessory but rather a fitness device, likely because consumers are more interested in buying fitness bands (cheap ones, specifically). Three out of four wearable devices worn in the US are fitness bands, over half of which are affordable products made by Fitbit.
- Apple Watch Series 2 review: Fitness first
That statistic comes from a Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s May 2016 wearable report, while a more recent report from research firm CCS Insight also found that consumers would rather spend their money on inexpensive fitness bands. It’s therefore no surprise to hear three of the biggest Android Wear manufacturers have no plans to release new, pricey smartwatches this year.
Keep in mind these companies usually announce new products at the annual IFA show in Berlin, but none of them did in 2016. We didn’t see a third-generation Moto 360, nor did we see a new Huawei Watch. CNET suggested Android Wear partners are reluctant to release new hardware because of a lack of consumer interest and the inability to attract the average consumer.
For instance, Samsung told CNET most smartwatch consumers are male early adopters. Also, the inability to add LTE radios could be hindering manufacturers. While they could technically include LTE radios, they’d be giving up battery life gains, and their Android Wear products would be even more heftier than they already are, which is like going backwards in tech innovation.
Google is expected to unleash Android Wear 2.0 this autumn, so it’ll be interesting to see how it launches that update, especially with no new smartwatches coming out to run it. Although Google is rumoured to be developing a Nexus smartwatch, it still doesn’t look good that the only new product showcasing the software would be a Google-made product.
It looks like Android Wear partners need some encouragement to innovate.
New Microsoft Band device won’t debut this year and maybe never will
Amid reports that Android Wear partners aren’t releasing any new hardware this year, it now looks like Microsoft won’t update its line of Band fitness devices in 2016 either.
According to ZDNet, the Microsoft Band 2 might even be the last Band ever released, though the Microsoft Health service backing the fitness device will continue to be supported. Microsoft even released a statement saying it will continue to invest and innovate in the Microsoft Health, and it admitted plans to continue selling Microsoft Band 2 but stopped short of confirming whether a Band 3 is coming.
Microsoft apparently has no plans to release a new Band this calendar year, and it recently dissolved the team that was working on getting Band to run Windows 10. Plus, Microsoft has been grappling with Band 2 quality issues (some skins have been splitting) and ended up giving it a $75 price cut. Microsoft could always release a Band 3 running firmware in the future, though ZDNet has its doubts.
Keep ind mind CNET has reported that LG, Lenovo, and Huawei aren’t going to release new Android Wear smartwatches in 2017, and it suggested Android Wear partners are reluctant to release new hardware due to a lack of consumer interest and the inability to attract the average consumer. For instance, Samsung told CNET most smartwatch consumers are male early adopters.
Microsoft launched the Band 2 on 6 October. It includes a barometer sensor, onboard GPS, heart-rate monitoring, tracking for running, biking, golfing, cycling, etc, and the ability to work with Windows Phone, Android, and iPhone.
Google commits to zero-waste data centers
So much of the world runs on Google, be it Docs, Gmail, YouTube or just search. But few of us know that much of what keeps the whole thing chugging along is the company’s data centers, located all around the globe. And, as you might expect, it takes a lot of power and resources to do all that data churn, which is potentially quite wasteful. Thankfully, however, the search giant has committed to a new initiative called Zero Waste to Landfills so that all of the waste from those data centers will be reused or diverted to a more sustainable route.
Already, six of Google’s data centers have achieved a 100 percent diversion rate, and globally about 86 percent of the waste is being treated sustainably. According to the company, its data center in Mayes County, Oklahoma was the first to achieve the Zero Waste to Landfill goal. Google was able to do this by finding projects that do double duty, extend the life of existing infrastructure and adapting to the ever-changing world of waste operations. For example, around 52 percent of components in machine upgrades in 2015 were refurbished.
Google’s sustainability efforts doesn’t just stop at its servers either. According to Jim Miller, vice president of global operations at Google, the company is also trying a zero waste approach to food served in its kitchens too, such as serving baked goods made with the discarded parts of a coffee plant. “It is certainly a challenge to change in the way we make things and use them, but it’s not impossible,” says Miller in a blog post.
Of course, Google is not the only Silicon Valley company making a commitment to a greener planet. Apple has reported that all of its data centers around the world already run on 100 percent clean energy, and it also has a goal of 100 percent renewable energy across its offices. 93 percent of its energy in 2015 came from renewable energy, from initiatives such as a 32-megawatt solar project spread across its Singapore facilities.
Source: Google (1), (2)
Google will resize email to fit your phone’s screen
Sure, you can open elaborately-crafted email using Gmail on your phone, but that doesn’t mean you want to. Most web-based messages are formatted for the desktop, and Gmail doesn’t tweak them to fit the confines of a mobile screen. Mercifully, you won’t have to squint quite so much in the days ahead: Google is introducing support for responsive design in Gmail before the end of September. If a message supports the adaptive technology, Google’s email app will automatically resize it to help you read the contents and tap links. You won’t notice the upgrade with every message, but it should give you more incentive to deal with a message right away instead of waiting until you’re at your computer.
Source: Official Gmail Blog
CBS delays streaming ‘Star Trek’ debut until May 2017
CBS said its new Star Trek series would debut in January, but since it’s September and we still haven’t even heard about the cast, that date seemed to be in doubt. Today CBS confirmed a delay, essentially swapping debut windows between Star Trek: Discovery and its upcoming spinoff of The Good Wife, which will both be available exclusively in the US on the streaming CBS All Access service (outside the US and Canada, it will be on Netflix).
Star Trek: Discovery will launch in May 2017, while the new The Good Wife show will launch with a CBS TV broadcast in January, before jumping to All Access streaming. There’s also a new streaming edition of Big Brother called Over the Top that will launch on September 28th.
Executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller said in a statement that “We aim to dream big and deliver, and that means making sure the demands of physical and post-production for a show that takes place entirely in space, and the need to meet an air date, don’t result in compromised quality. Before heading into production, we evaluated these realities with our partners at CBS and they agreed: Star Trek deserves the very best, and these extra few months will help us achieve a vision we can all be proud of.”
If it aims to convince more skeptical viewers to sign up — and maybe grab that $4 commercial-free option — a delay to make sure everything is working could be a good idea.
Source: CBS
Apple Hires Former Time Warner Cable Exec for Cloud Services Team
Former Time Warner Cable executive Peter Stern has joined Apple to work on the cloud services team, reports The Wall Street Journal. Stern will serve as a vice president, reporting to iTunes chief Eddy Cue.
During his tenure at Time Warner Cable, Stern was involved in talks with Apple about a potential deal for a joint television service that would be offered on the Apple TV. No such deal was able to be established, however, as Apple has had ongoing negotiation difficulties with content providers. Stern left Time Warner Cable following its acquisition by Charter Communications earlier this year.
He served in senior strategy and corporate development roles at the cable company as it maneuvered through multiple takeover attempts over the past few years.
Most recently, as chief product, people and strategy officer, Mr. Stern helped implement a strategy focused on customer service that helped Time Warner Cable grow its cable TV subscribers last year after nearly a decade of losses.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Stern is a vocal proponent for eliminating proprietary cable boxes provided by cable companies. He believes content providers should “be more open” to offering TV channels as apps across a wide range of devices.
Given his expertise in the cable industry, Stern may help Eddy Cue negotiate deals with media companies for a future television service. Cloud services also encompasses Apple Music, iTunes, and other iCloud-based products, so his hiring does not necessarily suggest a renewed interest in television streaming.
Tags: Eddy Cue, iCloud
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