Facebook tackles the question of whether social media is bad for us

As part of its “Hard Questions” series, Facebook took on the question of whether social media is good or bad for us. Citing a handful of academic studies, some done by Facebook researchers, Facebook Director of Research David Ginsberg and research scientist Moira Burke say that it can be both and it really depends on how you use it.

In general, the research seems to suggest that if you use social media like Facebook to connect with others, there can be benefits, but if you’re using it more passively and mostly just reading content, there can be some negative effects. In one study, researchers showed that students who read Facebook for 10 minutes were in a worse mood by the end of the day than students who posted or talked to friends on Facebook. In another, people who sent or received more messages, comments and Timeline posts said they experienced improvements in social support and fewer feelings of depression and loneliness.

Some of the negatives and positives that come out of engaging with social media seem to be linked to envy and self-affirmation. For example, one study showed that those who looked at their own profiles experienced greater self-affirmation than those that looked at a stranger’s profile.

You can check out more about Facebook’s research in the video below.

Facebook says it’s taking this research and implementing its findings in order to create a better experience for its users. “We employ social psychologists, social scientists and sociologists, and we collaborate with top scholars to better understand well-being and work to make Facebook a place that contributes in a positive way,” Ginsberg and Burke say. And they point to features like a better News Feed, the new Snooze option, its suicide prevention tools and its Take a Break feature as examples of putting this research into action.

This is a different approach than the one former Facebook President Sean Parker recently described. At an Axios event last month, Parker said that likes and comments were how Facebook and other social networks drew in more users, calling it a “vulnerability in human psychology” that he and Mark Zuckerberg understood and saying, “We did it anyway.”

In their blog post, Ginsberg and Burke conclude, “We don’t have all the answers, but given the prominent role social media now plays in many people’s lives, we want to help elevate the conversation. In the years ahead we’ll be doing more to dig into these questions, share our findings and improve our products.”

Source: Facebook

Apple Music’s next exclusives come from Noel Gallagher and Sam Smith

Apple isn’t slowing down on exclusives any time soon. It’s releasing Apple Music-only concert films from two British superstars, Noel Gallagher and Sam Smith. Gallagher’s Who Built the Moon Live recaptures an early November gig at London’s York Hall, where he played both cuts from his new album as well as the near-obligatory Oasis hits. Smith’s The Thrill of It All Live, meanwhile, relives an “intimate” London gig that delved into both his own catalog as well as guest spots on tracks from the likes of Disclosure.

Concert videos certainly aren’t new territory for Apple. It has had high-profile videos from Arcade Fire, P!nk and Taylor Swift, among others. However the one-two combo of Gallagher and Smith illustrates its strategy: it’s determined to become the go-to source for concert videos, to the point where it can launch two major exclusives from one country in one day. That’s not so hot if you don’t want to subscribe to its ecosystem, but it might give Apple an edge over Spotify, Tidal and others who’ve mostly had to rely on audio exclusives to attract listeners.

Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Apple (YouTube 1), (2)

Google Maps will now tell you when to get off the bus or train

A mass transit feature for the Android version of Google Maps that notifies you when you need to get off the bus is finally live. It also includes step-by-step navigation, departure times and ETAs for your next public transportation ride. You can also track your progress as you go, just like you can when walking, biking or driving.

Finding the feature is pretty simple: just drop into Google Maps on your Android phone, enter your destination, select directions for Transit and tap on the route you want to take. Hit the Start button and you’re golden.

Via: The Verge

Source: Google

iTunes isn’t coming to the Windows Store this year after all

iTunes for Windows users are going to be disappointed. Despite the promises of both Apple and Microsoft to bring the popular music and app software to the Microsoft Store this year, it appears as if we’ll all have to wait a little longer.

“We have been working with Microsoft to deliver the full iTunes experience to our customers and we need a little more time to get it right,” an Apple spokesperson told ZDNet via email. ZDNet notes that Windows 10 S users can only run apps that come from the Microsoft Store, meaning they can’t load iTunes any other way. The site also reports that while plans are likely still in place to put iTunes on Windows, neither Apple nor Microsoft has been clear about when, or even why it’s being held up. We’ve reached out to both companies for more details and will update this post when we hear back.

Source: ZDNet

Google Chrome beta delivers mute tool for autoplay videos

Months ago, a blog post by the good developers of Chrome let its users know that come January, users would be free of audio from autoplaying videos. As far as we know, those upgrades is still on track to arrive in early 2018 for all users, but you can get this feature (among others) today by downloading the Chrome 64 beta.

The autoplay-muting setting is located in the beta version’s permissions bar, which can be accessed from the icons next to the URL (either an ‘i’ for info or a green padlock), notes 9to5Google. You’ll have to do this with each and every website, but it should still block sound when navigating to other pages within the site.

The beta includes other upgrades too, like a stronger pop-up blocker and better protection from malicious prompts that try to automatically redirect users to other websites. It also adds HDR video playback for Windows 10 users in HDR mode, a “Split View” multitasking feature for Chrome OS and other developer tweaks. If you’re interested, download the beta here.

Via: 9to5Google, Gizmodo

Source: Google Chrome blog

MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Messenger Bag or iPhone Camera Bag From WaterField Designs

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win either a Vitesse Messenger Bag or an iPhone Camera Bag.

The Vitesse Messenger Bag, priced at $159 (or $169 with cycling strap) is made from a stylish waxed canvas in brown or navy. It holds up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro in an unpadded laptop pocket, and it also has several additional pockets that can hold an iPad and other accessories.

In addition to the laptop compartment, there are two waterproof zip pockets at the front, a main inner compartment, a hidden ultrasuede-lined phone pocket, and three accessory compartments for cables, battery packs, and other small devices.

The Vitesse is designed for commuting, with a nylon adjustable strap and optional stabilizer messenger strap, but it also looks nice enough to take into the office.

WaterField Designs’ iPhone Camera Bag, priced at $99 for black ballistic nylon or $129 for leather, is designed to hold an iPhone, mobile lenses, and a small tripod, while remaining compact and easy to carry.

There’s a pocket for holding a cell phone and battery, a mesh zipper pocket for accessories like cords, and a customizable lens pocket with four dividers that can be rearranged to fit each user’s needs.

The body of the camera bag is lined with foam to keep everything safe, secure, and protected from drops, and soft lining prevents scratches. Using a set of straps at the bottom, you can also attach a small mobile tripod. It can be used with either a shoulder strap or hooked into a belt using leather loops.

We have one of each of these bags from WaterField Designs to give away. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (December 15) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 22. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 22 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tags: giveaway, WaterField Designs
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iTunes Not Coming to Microsoft’s Windows Store in 2017

At its Build developer event earlier this year, Microsoft said Apple was planning to bring its iTunes app to the Windows 10 store, making it easier for Windows users to find the software.

At the time, Microsoft said the app would be available in the Windows Store “by the end of this year,” a deadline Apple now says it’s not going to be able to make.

“We have been working with Microsoft to deliver the full iTunes experience to our customers and we need a little more time to get it right,” an Apple spokesperson told ZDNet.

Both companies are still working to get iTunes into the Windows Store, according to ZDNet’s sources, but there is no updated timeline on when it might be available. Apple also did not provide details on why it’s taking so long to wrap up the transition to the Windows Store.

Most Windows users can download the iTunes software outside of the Windows Store, but Windows 10 S users will need to do without iTunes for the time being as that’s a version of Windows that can only run apps available in the Microsoft Store.

Tags: Microsoft, Windows 10, iTunes
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Apple to Open First Store in South Korea on December 30

Apple’s first official retail store in South Korea is set to open just before the end of the year on Saturday, December 30, reports Korean site ETNews [Google Translate].

Much of the work on the upcoming store in Seoul’s Gangnam district was finished in November, and the construction company that renovated it says that Apple’s plan is to open it up on December 30. Barring any special problems at the last stage of construction, the store is likely to open up on that date at 10:00 a.m. local time. Hiring and training for the store has also been completed.

Image via ETNews
Apple retail store chief Angela Ahrendts is rumored to be planning to attend the opening of the first Korean Apple Store, which ETNews says features the same modern design that’s been introduced in many Apple Stores around the world over the course of the last couple of years.

Specifically, the site says there’s a wide glass front and 18 product tables showing off iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. This is a two-floor store, and other areas like the “Today at Apple” meeting place and the Genius Grove may be located upstairs.

The store is located in the upscale Garosugil shopping district in Gangnam, which houses ritzy restaurants, cafes, and high-end stores.

Apple has recently opened several new locations in Asia, including Taiwan and Singapore. This particular store in South Korea could be Apple’s 500th store, so long as no additional Apple Stores open before December 30.

Apple currently has 499 Apple retail stores around the world, not counting Apple Watch boutiques and taking into account the recent closure of the Simi Valley Apple Store. Apple’s new Visitor’s Center at Apple Park was the 498th store, while the 499th is the new store located in Downtown Brooklyn, which opened in late November.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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Samsung to Announce New Flagship Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus Smartphones in February

Samsung is planning to unveil its next-generation Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus smartphones in February of 2018, just a few months after the launch of the iPhone X, reports Bloomberg.

The two devices could be introduced as early as late February with a launch following in early March. Last year, the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus were unveiled in late March and released in April.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8
The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are said to be similar to the current Galaxy models that are available, but with upgraded camera systems.

The two smartphones will likely also include upgraded processors and will continue to offer features like fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, and iris scanning. A feature equivalent to Face ID is not likely to be available, however, as Android manufacturers are further behind on development of 3D facial recognition techniques.

Samsung’s upcoming smartphones will directly compete with Apple’s latest flagship iPhone, the iPhone X.

Tag: Samsung
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Your 2017 Xbox One playing stats are likely nowhere close to Major Nelson’s

Want to see a nifty trick with your Xbox One console? Microsoft is now providing owners with a cool, personalized look at their gaming habits of 2017, specifically from the first day of 2017 to Halloween. It’s not exactly a “gaming year” given it doesn’t cover a full 12 months, and apparently omits two of the most-played months in the year: November and December (the holidays!). Still, it’s neat information nonetheless.

By heading here and logging into your Microsoft account, you’ll see a dollar bill-style page displaying your ten-month stats. Slapped in the middle is your Xbox avatar surrounded by your current Gamescore total (bottom), and the points you earned during 2017 (top).

To the left of your avatar, Microsoft lists your five most-played games, your total number of achievements, and the highest achievement in your most-played game. To the right, you’ll find your most-played genres by the hour (RPG, Action Adventure, Shooter, etc), your most-played month, and the number of friends you have (if any).

Scroll down, and you’ll find another section called “You And The Community.” Here you will see the number of achievements and Gamescores earned in your region during 2017 versus what gamers landed globally for the year. Here’s what the data reveals for 2017:

North America
Global
Gamerscore:
33,157,400,629
62,803,602,648
Achievements:
1,685,369,873
3,226,848,458

The data goes on to compare your rank versus your region, with this writer landing in the top 13 percent of the region’s Gamerscore, the top 10 percent of its achievements, and the top 33 percent of all hours played. Other information includes your total hours played, the region’s average for hours played (219 hours), and the world’s hours played average (191 hours).

Admittingly, this author could have contributed more hours to the national pool were it not for a great number of awesome PC games released in 2017, and the Nintendo Switch (cough Zelda cough). If anything, all this data serves as fuel for Xbox One owners to re-double their efforts for 2018 to increase their regional Gamerscores, achievement numbers, and hours played.

At the same time, the existence of these numbers is slightly creepy. Microsoft is keeping track of what games Xbox One owners are playing, the overall amount of time spent, the time spent in each genre, and the exact month gamers are playing the most. We already knew Microsoft collects this data (to some degree), but the Year In Review statistics is a stark reminder of that information gathering.

The Xbox One saw huge releases in 2017, including Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Star Wars Battlefront II, Prey, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Destiny 2, and more. Unfortunately, none of these were nominated as 2017’s Game of the Year, which The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch grabbed without much effort.

Finally, if you’re feeling the social vibe, you can share your 2017 stats on Facebook and Twitter. Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb posted his results on Twitter, revealing a 5,701 Gamerscore for 2017, and a huge 101,765 Gamerscore to date. If you thought a 30,000 Gamerscore total was a major accomplishment, Hyrb definitely has you beat. So does Raymond Cox.

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