Facebook finds ‘no evidence’ of political bias in Trending Topics
Earlier this month, the Senate Commerce Committee launched an official inquiry into the methods and policies of Facebook’s Trending Topics team. After meeting with conservative leaders and conducting their own internal investigation, Facebook is ready to conclude there is “no evidence of systematic political bias in the selection or prominence of stories” that appear in the Trending Topics section.
In his open letter and report to Republican Senator and Commerce Committee chairman John Thune, Facebook’s General Counsel Colin Stretch went straight for the numbers, which it pulled from 90 days of data:
Our data analysis indicated that conservative and liberal topics are approved as trending topics at virtually identical rates. We were also unable to substantiate any of the specific allegations of politically-motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources. In fact, we confirmed that most of the subjects mentioned in media reports were included as trending topics on multiple occasions.
Although Facebook believes it acted appropriately in the past, Stretch’s statement does mention that the company can’t rule out “the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias” in the way its Trending Topics policies were carried out. Facebook also noted that, prior to July 2015, certain topics may have been excluded from the section if none of the 10 major news outlets had written stories on the about them. In order to prevent unintentional bias (or just more accusations of it) in the future, the social network behemoth has updated and clarified its internal policies as well as mandated additional refresher training for topic reviewers.
For his part, Senator Thune responded, saying his committee found the report acceptable and that Facebook’s openness in the face of a congressional inquiry was refreshing. “While the committee remains open to new information on this matter,” Thune wrote, “transparency – not regulation – remains the goal.” So, to keep up the appearance of transparency for now, Facebook has helpfully updated the relevant Help Center section.
Facebook auto-translates 200 million lines of text every day
Facebook reaches more than 1.6 billion users in every corner of the Earth. Making sure everybody understands one another, at least at the linguistic level, has fallen to the company’s machine learning algorithms. According to Alan Packer, Facebook’s Director of Engineering for language technology, the digital babelfish is doing a pretty great job of it.
Speaking at MIT’s Emtech Digital conference in San Francisco on Monday, Packer also noted that Facebook’s translation service understands more than 400 languages and dialects. What’s more, the service understands both the words themselves and their larger social context. If, for example, the system sees that the post it’s translating is asking for hotel recommendations in Paris, it could promote that post to the user’s French friends, suggest a specific Parisian pal for insights or search other public posts for those recommendations.
While Parker remained mum on whether a universally-translated Facebook experience could garner users more international connections, he did tell TechCrunch, “The mission of the translation team is removing language as a barrier to making the world more open and connected.” Of course, with the recent advent of 24-hour Facebook Live kitten cams, who needs words?
Source: TechCrunch
DJI drones can start streaming live aerial videos on Facebook
DJI has updated its Go app to add a feature it promised in April: the capability to stream videos over Facebook Live using compatible drones, including the latest Phantom and Inspire. Sure, you can already stream aerial footage of sprawling landscapes, events and whatever you usually cover on YouTube. But the new feature could help expose your work to even more people — plus, Facebook’s probably the best venue to show your videos to your parents and grandparents. Android users will have to wait a bit for the update to go live, but iOS users can update their apps and access the feature right now. In case you’d rather stream via Twitter, though, compatible DJI drones can do live broadcasts via Periscope, as well.
Source: DJI
Facebook Live adds nonstop, 24-hour video
As part of the social network’s wider push into live video, Facebook is expanding beyond on-the-ground journalism and in-car Star Wars toy reviews. TechCrunch reports Facebook Live will now also allow for 24-hour, nonstop streaming broadcasts.
The new feature is an upgrade from the 90-minute limit previously imposed on streams using Facebook’s Live API, but it comes with the drawback of not allowing for archiving or rewind streams to play back later. Which is unfortunate, considering the Facebook Live team just rolled out a feature to jump to the best bits based on reactions and comments. For now, however, the endless feeds seem to be mostly taking the place of the once-ubiquitous livecams like Explore.org’s Eagle Cam.
On top of the continuous streaming capability, Facebook also debuted a Live Video feature which TechCrunch calls “geogating” that allows producers to make a video available to users in a specific location — which could come in handy for sporting events with limited broadcasting rights. And speaking of sports-friendly features, Facebook recently rolled out multi-camera support and the ability to add on-screen graphics, so it’s only a matter of time before someone creates the first Facebook-only 24-hour live news channel.
Facebook offers a free VR audio tool thanks to a buyout
Facebook isn’t merely content to make a virtual reality camera rig and call it a day. The company has revealed that it acquired Two Big Ears, the creator of the VR audio app Spatial Workstation, and has set the software loose. As of now, Spatial Workstation is free — anyone with a Mac (Windows support is coming) can produce immersive sound for their 360-degree videos. Support for the company’s existing Pro and gaming products will phase out over 12 months, but you’ll eventually see the gaming tech merged into the Facebook-owned software.
This isn’t lightweight software — don’t go in expecting GarageBand for VR. However, it’s bound to be a big help for anyone serious about VR video, including Facebook. The more professional-sounding videos are out there, the more reasons you have to buy a Facebook-backed headset like the Oculus Rift or Gear VR.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Facebook, Two Big Ears
Facebook Live video replays will highlight the best moments
By now, you’ve certainly heard about Facebook’s live video push. As the company continues to revise the live-streaming feature, new tools are being added on the regular. TechCrunch reports that the social network will soon let viewers skip straight to the good parts when replaying that footage. Based on reactions and comments, Facebook will show you when the best portions of a video take place in the form of a visual timeline.
If you’re thinking that this looks a little familiar, SoundCloud offers a similar social-tracking tool for its audio player. Alongside the peaks and valleys of a song’s dynamic, you’re able to see comments from users about a specific part of a track. That doesn’t mean you’ll immediately now where the best verse is, but you’re able to see what others had to say at an exact time rather than comments on the overall song.
Facebook says that two-thirds of Live video views are replays after a broadcast has ended. With that in mind, this so-called engagement graph is meant to help guide viewing by pointing out highlights, especially clips that are several minutes long. The company is also showing reaction replays in real time so that even if you can’t watch live, you can gauge smiley faces and more as if you were. The feature is rolling out to select users now, but Facebook says the tool will remain exclusive to its live-streaming tool rather than making the leap to all videos hosted on the site.
Source: TechCrunch
E3 will hold a public gaming event this year
For years, E3 has largely been limited to game industry tradespeople and the press. That’s somewhat necessary (it’s difficult to wade through the show as it is), but it also locks out thousands of players dying to get a peek at the future of their favorite hobby. Thankfully, that’s about to change: the Entertainment Software Association has announced E3 Live, a free public event that gives you a taste of what you’re missing. The ticketed gathering, which runs alongside E3 itself (June 14th through 16th), promises the opportunity to “test-drive” new games, meet developers in person and try new experiences before anyone else.
Don’t expect it to be a perfect reflection of what you see behind closed doors. The initial participants include a few E3 mainstays, such as Ubisoft and Warner Bros., but there’s more of an emphasis on hardware here: HTC and Oculus will be showing off their virtual reality headsets, while Alienware will be pushing its gaming-friendly PCs. The remaining lineup includes the likes of Frito-Lay, Loot Crate, Monster and Twitch. If you were hoping to experience the grandeur of the Microsoft or Sony booths, you’ll have to keep waiting.
All the same, it’s a big step… and possibly a necessary one. Penny Arcade’s PAX gatherings draw attention partly because they represent a rare chance to show new and upcoming titles to everyday gamers — E3 Live gives the ESA a chance to join in the fun and possibly upstage its rival. It’s doubtful that this will steal all of PAX’s thunder (those events are nowhere near LA), but it’s definitely good news for anyone who lives and breathes gaming.
Source: E3 Live, ESA (PR Newswire)
Oculus update stops you from using VR apps with HTC’s Vive
HTC Vive and Oculus Rift owners generally have a lot in common, including access to many of the same apps and games. However, it looks like a gulf is opening up between the two virtual reality headsets. Oculus has released an app update whose improved “platform integrity checks” break support for Revive, an unofficial tool that lets Rift-specific apps (those in Oculus Home) run on HTC’s gear. If you ask Revive’s creators, they believe that Oculus is checking that its hardware is connected regardless of the app you’re using — previously, you only had to convince individual apps that there’s a Rift attached.
It’s possible to get around this barrier if you have an Oculus Rift (DK2 or the finished version) hooked up when you start an app, but this isn’t exactly practical for VR fans who only have money to spend on one device.
An Oculus spokesman speaking to Ars Technica maintains that the update wasn’t specifically targeted at Revive, and that the goal was solely to fight piracy of titles that developers “worked so hard to make.” There’s some truth to that (it’s easier to crack programs when there are no hardware checks), but there’s no question that this creates a chilling effect for Vive owners who just want to see what they’re missing. It’s also somewhat contradictory for Oculus. Founder Palmer Luckey said he didn’t want to lock people into his headsets, but that appears to be happening all the same — you may have to get used to copy protection dictating the VR experiences you’re allowed to have.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Reddit, Oculus
‘Walking Dead’ creator’s new show to debut on Facebook in Europe
Cinemax’s upcoming show Outcast will debut on Facebook Live in Europe and Africa tonight. Outcast is an adaptation of The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s comic book series of the same name. Dealing with the supernatural and demonic possession, the comics are dark, scary and pretty fun. The TV show apparently sticks closely to the original’s vision, offering straight-up horror and gore rather than The Walking Dead’s focus on drama.
Fox has purchased international syndication rights to the show, and will air episodes in 61 countries shortly after their US transmission. It’s using Facebook Live to promote the show in the territories where it has the rights. Only the pilot will stream in this way, and the series itself begins its regular TV run on June 3rd. This will be the first time Facebook’s burgeoning live video service has hosted a TV series, but Fox has already experimented with the platform, live streaming a London X-Men: Apocalypse event earlier this month. Outcast will go live at 10PM CET tonight in over 61 countries, including the UK, Germany, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.
Via: Variety
Source: Fox (Facebook)
Facebook’s Trending Topics may source more conservative news
According to a group who recently met with Facebook, the social media giant may very well be changing the way it chooses and identifies Trending Topics. This news arrives in light of a recent controversy regarding how and what the site identifies as trending news.
According to Rob Bluey, editor in chief of the Daily Signal, Facebook spoke on “revamping Trending Topics” during a recent meeting. A list of websites that could be included among Facebook’s algorithm was presented via The Daily Signal. They included Townhall, Newsmax and the Federalist.
Previously Facebook had disclosed a list of over 1,000 media outlets it uses in order to vet the stories that go up via the social networking site’s “Trending Topics” menu, prompting some important discussion on what kind of publications and website should be included.
It does seem as though important discourse is in the works to ensure fairness for all. But regardless of The Daily Signal’s stance on Facebook’s actions, Bluey is positive about the meeting and Facebook as a whole.
“I told Mark and some of the other executives that the Daily Signal wouldn’t be possible without Facebook. We launched two years ago, and Facebook is one of the platforms we use to reach our audience.”
Via: Recode
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