Facebook will begin demoting ‘engagement bait’ posts in News Feed

Scrolling through your Facebook News Feed, you’ll probably come across posts telling you to like or comment if you share some sort of similar sentiment — “LIKE this if you’re an Aries!” — or telling you to share it so you can earn a chance at winning a prize. Well, you might start seeing a lot less of those types of posts because Facebook is now cracking down on “engagement bait.” Facebook said, “We will demote posts that go against one of our key News Feed values — authenticity…We want to reduce the spread of content that is spammy, sensational or misleading in order to promote more meaningful and authentic conversations on Facebook.”

Facebook trained a machine learning model to spot engagement bait by feeding it hundreds of thousands of posts categorized as engagement bait or not. Now, its News Feed algorithm will demote posts that use engagement bait and over the next few weeks, it will also begin to more strictly demote Pages that repeatedly use engagement bait to artificially boost their reach.

Types of posts that won’t be subject to demotion include posts that ask for advice or recommendations, circulations of missing child reports or money raising efforts.

This is the latest move Facebook has made in its battle against clickbait. It has already demoted posts with fake videos and tweaked its algorithm to bury fake news and clickbaity stories. Facebook says these efforts are meant to “foster more authentic engagement,” which, according to its latest “Hard Questions” post, might influence how enjoyable or taxing social media can be.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Facebook

UK asks Amazon and eBay to ban tiny ‘prison’ phones

Justice secretary David Lidington has called on Amazon, eBay and Gumtree to block all sales of miniature mobile phones. These tiny handsets, often less than eight centimetres long, can be bought for £25 online and easily smuggled into prisons. Many are advertised with the slogan “Beat the BOSS,” a reference to the Body Orifice Security Scanners (BOSS) used by prison officers to detect knives, firearm components and other small metallic objects. During a speech for the British think tank Reform, Lidington said he had written to all three asking that they take down products clearly intended to “evade detection measures in prison.”

“It’s pretty clear to me that these miniature phones are being manufactured and sold with the purpose of being smuggled into prisons,” he said. “Why after all are they also advertised as being without any metal components?” Lidington said everyone, including retailers, had an interest in tackling organised crime. Miniature phones can be sold for up to £500 in prison, forcing desperate inmates into a lifetime of crippling debt. It’s a tempting business for gangs operating both inside and outside of prison — if you’re arrested, for instance, and agree to smuggle a phone on your way in, you could be rewarded with a small paycheck upon your release.

The UK government has other countermeasures in the pipeline. Lidington mentioned the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Bill — a proposed piece of legislation, sponsored by MP Maria Caulfield, that would give network operators the power to detect and block mobile phones inside British prisons. Last year, law enforcement seized 7,000 SIM cards and roughly 35 handsets per day. “The fact is, our prisons are facing a clear and present danger from well organised individuals and criminal networks.” he said. “These are networks that are every bit as professionally operated as a legitimate business, but they happen to be engaged in criminal activity.”

Mobile phones, however, are just one way criminals are using technology to outmanoeuvre the justice system. Drones have become a popular means of dropping off drugs, phones and other contraband behind prison walls. Police, however, have caught on to the practice and started busting the criminals behind the deliveries. In April, the UK government assembled a “specialist squad” tasked with taking down quadcopter smugglers. The problem, of course, is keeping up with technology and the inventive minds in the criminal underworld. Tackling drones and tiny phones is one problem; predicting the next prison-busting trend is another entirely.

Source: GOV.UK

Toyota plans to offer more than 10 EV models by the early 2020s

Toyota recently hinted that it was finally ready to embrace pure electric cars, and now we have a better sense of what that commitment entails. The automaker has outlined its goals for low- and zero-emission cars in the next decade, and it expects to field “more than 10” EVs worldwide by the early 2020s, starting with China before spreading to markets like Europe, Japan and the US. And by 2025, every Toyota and Lexus will either be EV-only or have an electrified option like a hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell.

Not that the company’s goals are especially ambitious. It hopes to have sold somewhere over 1 million zero-emission cars (either pure EVs or hydrogen models) by 2030, and 5.5 million with some kind of electric powerplant. That sounds like a lot, but it’s fairly modest in practice. Ford has said that it wants at least 10 percent of its sales to be EVs by 2020, while GM hopes to have 20 EVs on the market by 2023. And of course, Tesla may well beat Toyota’s numbers far in advance. There were roughly half a million Model 3 reservations by August, and that’s not including other EV models.

Nonetheless, the targets are important. Even though Toyota is hedging its bets by making hydrogen a part of its future, it’s treating EVs as a significant part of its lineup. And when Toyota is clearly one of the world’s largest car brands, that’s bound to make an impact on what people drive. You may at least consider an electrified car where it wasn’t an option before.

Source: Toyota

Amazon Echo Spot review: As smart as it is cute

When Amazon unveiled the Echo Show earlier this year, we questioned if we really needed an Echo with a touchscreen. Surprisingly, the display turned out to be quite useful — it was good for video, making calls or just displaying bite-sized information. But its peculiar mall-kiosk design left a lot to be desired, especially for people thinking of putting it in a central location in their home.

A few months later, however, Amazon unveiled the Echo Show’s smaller, more adorable sibling: the Echo Spot. It has all the same functionality as the Show, except it’s wrapped in a much cuter package. Yet, its small size is also something of a downside, as it’s not ideal for watching video. That makes its $130 asking price a little harder to swallow.

Hardware

The Echo Spot is quite possibly the cutest product Amazon has ever made. Its circular display and spherical body lend it the charm of a retro alarm clock. Of course, the Echo Spot can also be used in other rooms in the house — it’s pretty useful in the kitchen too — but it’ll look right at home on your nightstand.

Sticking with the alarm clock theme, the Spot is relatively compact and lightweight. It measures 4.1 x 3.8 x 3.6 inches and weighs 14.8 ounces (0.9 pound), making it easy to move around. The whole thing is fashioned out of a sturdy matte plastic, available in either black or white. I’m a fan of the white model myself — the contrasting black bezels surrounding the circular display add some visual interest.

That display is indeed a full circle; there’s no so-called flat tire at the bottom. It measures 2.5 inches across and has a 480 x 480 resolution. That might sound terrible, but for such a tiny screen, it’s more than adequate. Plus, the Spot isn’t something you’ll be staring at for hours on end, so the low resolution gets a pass.

Otherwise, I really like the Spot’s screen. It’s bright, colorful and the viewing angles are wide. I found that the small display was perfectly functional for showing basic information like the weather, a calendar overview, trending headlines and to-do lists. It also works well for video calling — there’s a VGA camera above the display just for that — though I wouldn’t advise using it for watching longer videos (more on that in a moment).

Swiping down from the top of the display reveals a settings menu, where you can enable Bluetooth, change WiFi settings and disable the camera, among other things. This is also where you adjust the Spot’s brightness levels, which is important for dimming the lights when you’re sleeping. You can also choose up to 12 different clock faces in both analog and digital designs. If you like, you can use your own personal photos as your clock’s wallpaper — just upload your chosen image using the Alexa app or Prime Photos. Of course, the touchscreen also works for swiping through lists or playing and pausing media. You’ll still be using Alexa for the majority of tasks, but the touchscreen adds an extra layer of functionality.

The Spot has three buttons on top: two for the volume and one that disables the microphone and the camera. On the back is a 3.5mm audio jack that acts as a line out for dedicated speakers or headphones. Internally, there’s a 2×2 microphone array plus WiFi and Bluetooth radios. When Alexa is listening, a blue circle appears on the display; when the microphone is muted, that circle turns red.

In use

Like other Echo devices, the Spot is easy to set up. The screen makes that process especially easy. Simply plug it in, and on-screen instructions will walk you through. When prompted for a WiFi password and your Amazon login credentials, you can use the Spot’s touchscreen keyboard to enter those in. If you like, you can also use the Alexa app (available on iOS and Android) to set up the Spot, but it’s not necessary. Once you’re done, the device plays a short welcome video.

At this point, it would seem that the Echo Spot functions a lot like a regular Alexa-powered Echo. Using the Alexa app, I connected my Google Calendar for setting up appointments. I also hooked up my Spotify and Amazon Music accounts. You can ask it for the time or the weather, play music or just ask Alexa some basic search queries. The Spot also works with compatible smart home appliances, and supports a wide assortment of so-called skills, like making lists, setting reminders and even playing Jeopardy. But, as with the Show, the benefit of the Spot is that you can also see Alexa’s answers on-screen, which is often more helpful than just listening to them.

For example, when you ask Alexa for the weather, the Spot will show you the highs and lows of the day, as well as the weather for the next six days (along with the chances of precipitation). When adding items to your shopping list, the device reveals the other items in your list without you having to ask. If you’re setting up a second alarm 30 minutes after your first one (I have multiple wake-up alarms; don’t judge me), it’ll show you the one you already set. In other words, the Spot’s display sometimes expands on what Alexa gives you, with more information than you initially asked for. It’s not necessary, but it sure is convenient.

Even when the screen doesn’t elaborate on Alexa’s answer, being able to look and interact with the display is useful. When you ask for trending topics, for example, the Spot shows you a scrolling list of headlines while reciting the first three. You can then ask Alexa to read any one of them in more depth, or you could just scroll and tap through the list yourself. As I found, reading it on your own is often faster than having Alexa do it for you.

By default, the Echo Spot rotates between the time, weather, upcoming calendar appointments, your to-do list, a selection of trending stories and a list of “Things to try,” which amount to suggestions on how to use the device.

As for voice commands, the Spot had few problems recognizing my voice, even when I was speaking from across the room. However, it did struggle to pick up what I was saying if there was a lot of surrounding noise. When I had the Echo Spot’s volume maxed out playing a song, for example, I had to get a few feet closer so that it could hear me.

You can already make voice calls and send messages with the screen-less Echos, but the display and camera on the Spot means video calls are now possible. You can make video calls with anyone with an Echo Spot or Show, as well as anyone with the Alexa app installed on their phone.

I tested this feature by using the Spot to call two of my colleagues, Cherlynn and Nate, who have the Alexa app on their phones. Cherlynn also owns a second-generation Echo. When I tried calling her, her Echo rang, but her phone did not. While I could talk to her, then, we couldn’t see each other. She tried switching the call to her phone, but it didn’t work. It seems that if you’re making a call from an Echo to another person, it prioritizes their Echo over the phone. That makes sense to an extent, but I’d rather be able to choose how I answer the call.

When I tried calling Nate, however, his phone rang. He answered by launching the Alexa app, at which point both cameras immediately kicked in and we could see each other. It worked well — the video quality was crisp and smooth, partially thanks to the fact that we both had decent WiFi connections. The audio quality was good, too. I can see the Spot being useful for helping families keep in touch, though bear in mind that you’d have to force everyone to download the Alexa app to make it work.

The Echo Spot also doubles as an intercom when paired with other Echos in your house. So, if you’re in the bedroom and you have an Echo in the kitchen, you can say “Drop in on the kitchen” and communicate with anyone on the other side. If the other Echo is a Spot or a Show, the cameras will turn on as well. If you’d rather not have the camera on but you still want to chat, you can always hit the camera off button or disable it in settings.

Another handy feature on the Spot (as well as the Show) is the ability to use it as a monitor for a webcam. That includes the Amazon CloudCam of course, but it also works with Nest, Ring and any other camera that has the “Works with Alexa” label. I happen to have a CloudCam already installed, so I could say “Alexa, show me the family room” to get a peek at what my cat was up to when I wasn’t around.

Music and media

Like other Echo devices, the Spot can be used for music playback. Say “play holiday tunes,” for example, and it’ll play a pre-curated list of Christmas songs from Amazon Music. Since there’s a display, you can also view album art, check out the top playlists on Spotify or tap the screen to play and pause. I especially like that certain songs on Amazon Music will show scrolling lyrics, so you can sing along.

That said, the Spot’s 1.5-inch speaker is not for audiophiles. The sound quality is OK, but not great. It’s at least better than I expected — it’s crisper and fuller than the Dot, and even bests the speakers on my Macbook Air — but the bass is middling and none of the instruments really stand out. For casual listening, the Echo Spot is decent, but those who want better sound should connect to external speakers via Bluetooth or the line-out port.

As I mentioned earlier, another thing you can do with the Spot is watch videos. You can watch content from Amazon Prime, movie trailers or short “flash briefing” news videos (from sources like Reuters and Bloomberg TV). As you can imagine, watching anything on a tiny, circular screen isn’t going to be a great experience. You can zoom in on the video so it fills the screen or zoom out if you’d like to see more. But no matter what, that circular display will never show you the full view of the video; there will always be parts on the sides that get cut off.

While I could imagine myself watching 30-minute sitcoms on the larger Echo Show, I can’t imagine doing that on the Spot. The screen is just too small. But with shorter news snippets or movie trailers, I didn’t think the experience was so bad. That’s because shorter videos are often intended for conveying information in small bites, which is what the Echo Spot is particularly good at in the first place.

That makes it a shame that YouTube is missing on the Echo Spot. This is not really Amazon’s fault per se, as it seems like Google pulled its support, but it’s still a downside to keep in mind.

The competition

There aren’t a lot of devices like the Echo Spot, but perhaps its most direct rival is its bigger stablemate, the Echo Show. The Show only costs $20 more, and for the money you get a larger display that’s better suited for watching video. The sound quality is better, too. On the other hand, you could save about $50 by getting the $80 screen-less second-gen Echo or save even more with the $30 Echo Dot, if having a screen isn’t important.

And if you’re considering screen-less Echos at all, it’s worth looking at Google’s offerings, too. The Google Home speaker cost $79 while the Home Mini is only $29. Sure, Google Assistant isn’t quite as mature a product as Alexa, but Google might be a better choice if you’re already entrenched in its ecosystem.

Wrap-up

I adore the Echo Spot. It looks great on my nightstand, and I love using it in the kitchen to look up recipes or add to my grocery list. The screen enhances the standard Alexa experience; I love being able to see the information rather than just listen to it. Video-calling is also a bonus. Plus, who knows what other uses Amazon and third-party developers will add to the display over time. For me, it’s worth the $50 premium over the screen-less Echos.

Yet, right now, the Spot really is just a smart alarm clock. The tiny display isn’t great for much beyond short videos, and even though I find the screen useful, it’s not really necessary. Even though it’s not Amazon’s fault, the lack of YouTube could also be a dealbreaker for some. So, while I really do like the Echo Spot, I’d recommend waiting for its price to drop.

Reddit app update brings more of the website to mobile

Reddit launched its mobile app last year and today it’s getting a major update. The iOS and Android versions are getting a bunch of new features for both users and moderators that will more closely align the app’s functionality with that of the web version.

First up, iPhone and iPad users will now be able to peruse images, gifs and videos in theater mode, which will allow them to view media in landscape mode and swipe left and right to see older or newer media posts. The iOS version of the app will also now support live comments, give users the option to use Safari as their in-app browser rather than Reddit’s native one and allow users to talk one on one through a new chat feature. Android users are also getting the “speed read” button that iOS users have, which lets you quickly navigate through the top comments in any discussion.

Both iOS and Android users are also getting the ability to differentiate their posts by adding flair while “Cake Day” icons — which acknowledge a user’s Reddit anniversary — and trophies — which are earned through various accomplishments — will now be available through the app. Additionally, user names of those who have created content being shared by others will be visible on the app’s home feed.

There are also a handful of updates geared towards moderators that will be available on both iOS and Android. A new mod mode function will let moderators approve, remove or flag content through mobile where they’ll also now be able to access modmail. Mod queue is also coming to the app, allowing mods to use bulk actions, as is the ability to invite new moderators, accept or decline invitations to be a mod and add or remove approved submitters to a community.

Those are quite a lot of changes. However, Reddit has also been pretty focused on tweaking its web version this year, so it only makes sense for it to bring more functionality to its app, especially as more and more Redditors begin to use it. This update is available now and Reddit says more are on the way.

Selfies become public art in ‘As We Are’

Selfies can be a small act of self-promotion, but it’s nothing compared to what artist Matthew Mohr can do for you. He has built a sculpture called As We Are that projects your face onto a 14-foot high interactive sculpture at the Columbus, Ohio convention center. “It is an open-ended, conceptual piece that explores how we represent ourselves individually and collectively,” Mohr said in an artist’s statement. “As We Are presents Columbus as a welcoming, diverse culture where visitors and residents can engage on multiple levels.”

Mohr came up with the concept and several companies executed the engineering and fabrication, LED displays, 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and diversity research and branding. As We Are is built with 3,000 custom designed LED displays, with over 850,000 lights in total. The panels are wrapped 360-degrees around a head-shaped skeleton, with the tightest radius at the bridge of the nose. The sculpture cost around $1.4 million, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

At the back is a photo booth with 32 digital cameras that can capture your head from any angle. If you decide to brave the experience, you can enter and take snaps until you get one you like. The system will then process your 3D doppleganger and project it onto the installation in about three minutes.

The head shape is based on the average human head across multiple cultures and ethnicities, so the “selfies” don’t look exactly like the subjects. “It’s amazing how people have different reactions to it — some are wowed, and some are taken aback, and some are having a mini existential crisis,” Mohr told Architects and Artisans. “But by and large, most people love it; it’s fun, but it’s really an intense experience.”

Columbus’ convention authority hopes that the installation, along with other artworks, will make the center more attractive both to tourists and locals. When not giving participants an exhibitionist-like thrill, it displays the diversity of the city by showing previous portraits “based on a range of skin tones,” according to Mohr. By putting seemingly insignificant moments like selfies on such a large scale and in public, it also functions on a higher level.

“The experience of seeing one’s portrait on a fourteen foot, 3D head in a public place may be daunting to some and brings to question our willingness to share.” Mohr notes. “It is intended to provide amusement and evoke larger discussions around the phenomena of social media, diversity, and the power dynamic of public art.”

Via: This is Colossal

Source: Matthew Mohr Studios

Pandora’s on-demand music service works over your Xfinity cable box

Xfinity X1 users have been able to access the free version of Pandora, but now they’re also getting support for both Pandora Premium and Pandora Plus. In an update available now, users will be able to get Pandora music going on X1 just by saying “Pandora” into the X1 voice remote and Premium subscribers can search and play any song, album, station or playlist they wish. To get to a specific song, they’ll just have to say something like, “Play ‘Santa’s Coming for Us’ by Sia on Pandora.” X1 also now supports Pandora Plus, which lets subscribers listen to stations ad-free with additional skips and replays. The update also includes a simpler sign-in experience and a new display design.

Pandora expanded Premium, which launched earlier this year, and Plus support to Sonos speakers last month. While there’s still no web app, that expansion along with the one announced today give its paid subscribers more listening options, which have until now been largely limited to just iOS and Android.

Source: Pandora

The best subscriptions and gift cards to buy as (last-minute) gifts

Need a last-minute gift? No one will argue if you buy them a gift card to a streaming service. Included in our holiday gift guide are all the usual suspects: Apple Music, Amazon Prime, Netflix in UHD, Hulu, Sling TV and HBO Now. (And there were many others that we considered that didn’t quite make the cut, but that still make for solid options.) Assuming you order soon, you also still have time to pick up a streamer with which your loved one can actually enjoy these services. We recommend two in particular: the Apple TV 4K at the high end, and the Roku Ultra in the $100 range.

Source: Engadget Holiday Gift Guide 2017

Apple has finally caught up with iPhone X demand

The iPhone X was an elusive unicorn on launch. If you didn’t snag one of the earliest pre-orders or get lucky waiting in line, you were looking at a weeks-long wait — more than a few people flipped their units for a tidy profit. Now, however? They’re practically growing on trees. Multiple Apple online stores (including the US, UK, Canada and Japan) list the iPhone as in stock and delivering within 1-2 days if you commit to a purchase. Carriers and third-party stores are carrying the phone, too.

Clearly, Apple has caught up to demand — and that’s no mean feat given the iPhone X’s later-than-usual November release (reportedly to make sure there was enough supply) and fears that production would make it a rarity until sometime in 2018. This does leave lingering questions, though. Does this mean Apple sold a gigantic amount of phones, or is interest cooling off? And more importantly, does this improved production bode well for more affordable iPhone X-style modes down the line? Until Apple posts its quarterly figures (which aren’t likely to break down iPhone sales by model), the answers to both are one big “maybe.”

Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Apple

Official Reddit App for iOS Gains Chat Function, Live Comments, Theater Mode and More

The official app for social news and discussion site Reddit is receiving a major update today, introducing several new features and interface tweaks to allow the app to better compete with popular third-party apps like Apollo.

There’s a new Theater Mode designed to let iOS users view GIFs, photos, and videos in full-screen in either portrait or landscape mode, and there is a new option to open links in Safari View Controller instead of using the native in-app browser.

Live comments and a new chat feature, which has been in beta testing on the main Reddit site, is launching in the iOS app starting today. Live comments allow breaking news and hot topics to be discussed in real time, while chat allows for one to one conversations for those who opt into the beta test.

“Flair,” used as a sort of informational label for identifying posts on Reddit, can now be added on mobile, and a cake icon will be displayed on a user’s “cake day,” aka the anniversary of when a person first joined Reddit. In-feed usernames for original posters will make it more clear who first shared content on the site.

For moderators, there’s a new “Mod Mode” that can be switched on to allow moderators to approve, remove, and flag content on the site, and a “Mod Queue” feature allows for easier management of large subreddits. There’s access to Modmail 2 and beta moderator features. Banning, muting, and other existing actions have been simplified.

Today’s update to the Reddit app is the most significant update it’s seen since the company took over Alien Blue and then retired it in favor of an official Reddit app back in April of 2016.

Reddit told TechCrunch that it is focusing more on the mobile experience as many younger Reddit users prefer mobile devices. 58 percent of Reddit users that are 18 to 34 prefer to use mobile web and mobile apps for viewing the site.

Reddit is now up to 330 million monthly active users, with over 9 million posts per month.

Reddit can be downloaded from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Reddit
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