Netflix calls on the FCC to fix ‘unreasonable’ data caps
Like most people, the execs at Netflix think data caps on home internet service are unreasonable. Unlike most people, however, Netflix has a directly line to the Federal Communications Commission and the company has asked the agency to reject those data caps on the basis that they limit individual consumers’ ability to watch video online.
According to Ars Technica, that’s the gist of a filing that Netflix submitted to the FCC last week during a review of the Telecommunications Act. The review is a mandated part of the act and is meant to ensure that new technologies are rolled out to regular citizens in a reasonable way. If something like high-speed internet isn’t reaching the people in a timely fashion, the FCC actually has the power to force providers to hurry it up. In this case, however, Netflix is claiming that data caps are essentially blocking access to unfettered video streaming.
“Data caps (especially low data caps) and usage-based pricing (‘UBP’) discourage a consumer’s consumption of broadband, and may impede the ability of some households to watch Internet television in a manner and amount that they would like,” Netflix wrote. “For this reason, the Commission should hold that data caps on fixed-line networks and low data caps on mobile networks may unreasonably limit Internet television viewing and are inconsistent with Section 706.”
On the one hand, cable companies often use data caps as a way to limit streaming video and push viewers back onto their own TV service — a practice that Netflix claims is discriminatory and creates an incentive for ISPs and cable providers to keep their data caps low. On the other hand, Netflix obviously has a lot to gain by making sure everyone has unlimited access to all the Stranger Things they can binge on. Netflix also argued that a 300GB monthly cap on home internet service is barely enough for the average user in the US, even before you factor in non-video use like gaming or even standard web browsing. “Today’s ‘above-average’ Internet consumer is tomorrow’s average Internet consumer,” Netflix wrote.
Still, it is currently unclear how much power the FCC actually has to remove or raise data caps in this situation. In the past, the FCC has invoked the same Section 706 in order to boost the minimum broadband speeds, but more recently the Commission lost out on its attempt to protect municipal broadband service. For their part, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association responded that factors like “broadband subscription, performance consistency, and usage allowances” were “only tangentially relevant to broadband deployment or availability” and thus not covered by Section 706.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: FCC.gov
Facebook works with Israel to curb posts inciting violence
Facebook is no stranger to fighting terrorism online, but it’s about to take those efforts one step further. In the wake of lawsuits from terror victims’ families, the social network is partnering with Israel on ways to track and pull content that incites violence. The country claims that a year-long surge in Palestinian violence was partly sparked by social posts, and hopes that tighter controls on those posts will help douse those flames. The two aren’t saying exactly what they’ll do, but Facebook has stressed its belief that it can fight extremism through a “strong partnership” between public and private organizations.
Whatever the plan, Facebook is likely feeling pressure to cooperate. Although monitoring pro-violence posts would be consistent with its more aggressive anti-terrorism stance in recent times, it also has to worry about proposed Israeli legislation that would force social services to censor pro-violence content themselves. The country might well be depending on that anxiety to have Facebook take voluntary action.
The alliance won’t please digital rights advocates, who see it as a fast track to censorship. Just what constitutes inciting violence in a case like this — will Facebook only block explicit calls for death and destruction, or will it be asked to silence anyone who objects to an Israeli presence in disputed areas? And needless to say, many Palestinians will argue that it’s the Israeli presence that’s at fault. They’d see agitation on Facebook as the symptom, not the cause. Regardless of the exact circumstances, Facebook may not have much of a choice.
Source: The Guardian
What’s on your HDTV: ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘ReCore’
The latest Marvel movie is here, as Captain America: Civil War arrives on Blu-ray and in 3D this week. It’s been out for a couple of weeks on some VOD services, but now you can grab a copy for the archives, or check out Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping from the Lonely Island crew or even a remastered 30th anniversary release of The Transformers: The Movie. Meanwhile, the fall TV system is winding up, as NBC’s Blindspot returns along with South Park on Comedy Central.
Gamers are getting some of the biggest releases, as Keiji Inafune’s ReCore is available for PC and Xbox One and The Witness appears on XB1. Dead Rising 1 & 2 and BioShock: The Collection are remastered for new-gen consoles and Don’t Starve Together’s co-op action hits the PlayStation 4. On streaming, Amazon has season one of Fleabag, while Netflix splits its haul between the end-of-life documentary Extremis, and the sci-fi thriller ARQ. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
- Captain America:Civil War (3D)
- The Conjuring 2
- The Big Bang Theory (S9)
- Aliens (30th Anniversary)
- The Transformers: The Movie (30th Anniversary)
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
- The Return of Godzilla
- De Palma
- Longmire (S4)
- Luther (S4), Netflix (9/17)
- The Walking Dead (S6), Netflix, (9/15)
- Penny Dreadful (S3), Netflix (9/17)
- Dead Rising (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Dead Rising 2 (PS4, Xbox One)
- ReCore (PC, Xbox One)
- The Witness (Xbox One)
- RIVE (PC, PS4)
- Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Don’t Starve Together (PS4)
- Unholy Heights (PS4)
- Perfect Woman (Xbox One)
- Bioshock: The Collection (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
- NASCAR Heat Evolution (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 8 (PC, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Monday
- Monday Night Football: Steelers vs. Washington, ESPN, 7PM
- Monday Night Football:Rams/49ers, ESPN, 10:15PM
- Dancing With the Stars (season premiere), ABC, 8PM
- So You Think You Can Dance (season finale), Fox, 8PM
- Sacred Sites (series premiere), Smithsonian Channel, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- X Factor UK, Axs, 8PM
- American Ninja Warrior (season finale), NBC, 8PM
- CBS Fall Preview, CBS, 8:30PM
- Mary + Jane, MTV, 10PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- Cheer Squad, Freeform, 10PM
- Adventure Capitalists (season finale), CNBC, 10PM
- Running Wild with Bear Grylls (season finale), NBC, 10PM
- Sacred Steel (series premiere), Discovery, 10PM
- Major Crimes, TNT, 10PM
- $100,000 Pyramid (season finale), ABC, 10PM
- Loosely Exactly Nicole, MTV, 10:30PM
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TBS, 10:30PM
Tuesday
- Extremis, Netflix, 3AM
- 16 for ’16: Chisholm/McCain (series premiere), PBS, 8PM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Undrafted (season premiere), NFL Network, 8PM
- Inside the NFL (season premiere), Showtime 9PM
- Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove (series premiere), Discovery, 9PM
- From Dusk till Dawn, El Rey, 9PM
- Forged in Fire, History, 9PM
- MadTV, CW, 9PM
- Black Market, Viceland, 10PM
- Atlanta, FX, 10PM
- Better Late than Never (season finale), NBC, 10PM
- A Season with Florida State Football, Showtime, 10PM
- Adam Ruins Everything, TruTV, 10PM
- One Shot, BET, 10PM
Wednesday
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us, CW, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Unsung: Martha Wash, TV One, 8PM
- The Timeline, NFL Network, 8PM
- America’s Got Talent (season finale), NBC, 8PM
- Forces of Nature (series premiere), PBS, 8PM
- Suits (summer finale), USA, 9PM
- Dating Naked (season finale), VH1, 9PM
- Dual Survival, Discovery, 9PM
- Whose Line is it Anyway?, CW, 9PM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 9PM
- You’re the Worst, FXX, 10PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- Mr. Robot, USA, 10PM
- Blindspot (season premiere), NBC, 10PM
- American Horror Story (season premiere), FX, 10PM
- South Park (Season premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
- Still Alive (series premiere), Discovery, 10PM
- Weediquette, Viceland, 10PM
- Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, HBO, 10PM
- American Gothic, CBS, 10PM
- Gaycation, Viceland, 10:30PM
- Legends of Chamberlain Heights (series premiere), Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Unlocking the Truth, MTV, 11PM
Thursday
- Ripper Street (season finale), BBC America, 6PM
- Jets/Bills football, CBS, 8:25PM
- Beauty and the Beast (series finale), CW, 9PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
- Better Things, FX, 10PM
- Queen of the South (season finale), USA, 10PM
Friday
- ARQ, Netflix, 3AM
- The White Helmets, Netflix, 3AM
- Cedric the Entertainer: Live from the Ville, Netflix, 3AM
- Creative Galaxy (season premiere), Amazon Prime, 3AM
- Fleabag (S1), Amazon Prime, 3AM
- Z Nation (season premiere), Syfy, 8PM
- Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us (season finale), CW, 9PM
- A Football Life: Curtis Martin (season premiere), 9PM
- Dark Matter (season premiere), Syfy, 10PM
- Quarry, Cinemax, 10PM
- High Maintenance: Meth(od) (series premiere), HBO, 11PM
- The Eric Andre Show, Cartoon Network, 12AM
- The Half Hour: Ali Siddiq/Cy Amundson, Comedy Central, 12AM
Saturday
- The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years, Hulu, 3AM
- Ohio State/Oklahoma college football, Fox, 7PM
- Sister Cities, Lifetime, 8PM
Sunday
- Patriots/Vikings Sunday Night Football, NBC, 8:20PM
- 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, ABC, 8PM
- The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Showtime, 8PM
- Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV, 8PM
- Royal Wives at War PBS, 8PM
- The Case Of: Jon Benet Ramsey (series premiere), CBS, 9PM
- Fear the Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
- Ray Donovan (season finale), Showtime, 9PM
- Poldark Revealed, PBS, 9PM
- Masters of Sex, Showtime, 10PM
- Ballers, HBO, 10PM
- Power, Starz, 10PM
- The Strain, FX, 10PM
- Survivor’s Remorse, Starz, 10PM
- Vice Principals (season finale), HBO, 10:30PM
- Motive, USA, 11PM
- Geeking Out, AMC, 11:59PM
(All times listed are ET)
Twitter Dropping Handles and Media Attachments From 140-Character Limit Starting September 19
Twitter’s planned update that will make additional characters available for tweets is coming on September 19, reports The Verge. As was announced in May, Twitter will stop counting Twitter handles, photos, GIFs, polls, and other media content within the 140-character limit allowed for each tweet, leaving more room for text.
All @names, such as @MacRumors, will no longer count towards the 140-character count, nor will media attachments, retweets, or quoted tweets, but links will still eat up 23 characters.
Twitter declined to comment publicly on The Verge’s leaked release date, nor is a source for the launch date given, but the change has been in the works for months. Twitter announced the news early to give its developer partners time to make any needed updates to products using the Twitter API.
Twitter has used a 140-character restriction for each tweet since it launched in 2006. Reports earlier this year suggested the microblogging site was considering eliminating the 140-character limit altogether, but Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey later said the limit will remain in place. Still, Twitter has been exploring ways to allow people to better express themselves and has said it has additional plans to make existing uses easier and enable new ones.
Tag: Twitter
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Nintendo’s Super Mario Run Sticker Pack Launches Ahead of iOS 10
Nintendo today released its promised Super Mario Run sticker pack designed for the Messages App Store, offering Nintendo fans a selection of high-quality Super Mario stickers to share.
The Super Mario Run sticker pack can be downloaded on an iOS device, but it is not listed in the dedicated Messages App Store nor can it be installed on a device running an iOS 10 beta or the iOS 10 golden master.
When iOS 10 becomes available to the public tomorrow morning, the Super Mario Run sticker pack, along with other sticker packs, will be accessible. We expect to see iOS 10 released right around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 13.
Unveiled at Apple’s September 9 event, Super Mario Run is an upcoming Mario-themed endless runner. In the game, Mario runs forward continuously while players jump to collect coins and avoid enemies, and there’s also a “Toad Rally” battle mode for competing against other players.
Apple is promoting Super Mario Run heavily, including offering a new “Notify” system in the App Store that will let players know when it’s released. According to the Super Mario Run Stickers app, Super Mario Run will see an official launch in December of 2016.
Discuss this article in our forums
Messages App Store Launches Ahead of Tomorrow’s iOS 10 Release
Ahead of the public launch of iOS 10 coming tomorrow, Apple today made the Messages App Store live, aggregating all of the apps, games, and sticker packs that can be used in the Messages app and making them available for download.
The Messages App Store looks almost identical to the iOS App Store, so the interface will be immediately familiar to iOS 10 users. There are featured apps and stickers displayed at the top of the store, along with editorial picks like “10 iMessage Apps We Love” and “Games in Messages? Sweet!”
Apps for the Messages App Store are already available, including titles like Games With Friends, Tic Tac Toe, Star Walk, Carrot Weather, Yelp, IMDB, OpenTable, Zen Brush 2, and more.
A number of sticker packs are also available from well-known app developers, including Pac-Man, Star Wars, Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, Crossy Road, and more. iOS 10 sticker packs and apps started rolling out earlier today.
On devices running iOS 10, the Messages App Store and apps compatible with iOS 10 are immediately available. The Messages App Store is accessible by following these steps:
– Open the Messages app
– Tap the App Store icon to open the app interface
– Tap the icon at the bottom that looks like four circles
– Tap the “+” button to open the Messages App Store
The Messages App Store is a little bit sparse right now because apps are still being released, but when iOS 10 becomes available tomorrow, there will be dozens if not hundreds of apps and sticker packs ready to download.
iOS 10 is expected to debut at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, September 13.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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The PlayStation VR demo disc has 17 games in North America
Last week Sony outlined the eight demos that will be bundled with PlayStation VR for European customers. Now, the company has revealed a bigger lineup of free games that’ll be included on the VR demo disc in the US and Canada.
Like the European bundle, there are demos for Battlezone, Driveclub VR, RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, EVE: Valkyrie, Tumble VR, Wayward Sky, Headmaster. PlayStation VR Worlds is also part of the package, and that includes a few full games, like London Heist.
Additional demos exclusive to the North American bundle are Job Simulator, Harmonix Music VR, Rez Infinite, Within, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, Thumper, Here They Lie, Resident Evil 7, Gnog, and Allumette, an animated VR film.
The big difference between both bundles is strange, and it seems Europe is getting stiffed. But if you are angry with the discrepancies remember: Everyone will still be able try out several free VR experiences.
Source: PS Blog
Save 60% on these great Android games right now!
For a limited time, you can score 60% off on a variety of awesome games at Google Play. From Hitman GO to Goat Simulator, Rayman Classic and more, there are a bunch of titles here that you will want to pick up at the discounted price if you don’t already own it. All of the games include in this sale are less than $3, and most of them come in at the $2 price which is awesome.
Some of the included titles for this 60% savings are:
- Hitman Go – $0.99
- Goat Simulator – $1.99
- The Room Three – $1.99
- Rayman Classic – $0.99
- DuckTales Remastered – $1.99
There are a bunch of other great apps in this sale as well, so be sure to hit the link below to check them all out. Once you’ve saved your money and made your purchases, be sure to head into the comments and let us know which ones you picked up!
See at Google Play
Instagram now lets anyone moderate comments: Here’s how it works
Instagram lets celebrities moderate their comments on photos and videos, and now it’s giving everyone else the same filtering tool.
The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app initially released the ability to hide offensive and inappropriate comments to high-volume accounts, such as model Chrissy Teigen, who was notably very excited about the change, but it’s finally giving all its 500 million users the same opportunity.
In a blog post, CEO Kevin Systrom said, “All different types of people – from diverse backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and more – call Instagram home, but sometimes the comments on their posts can be unkind … So, today, we’re taking the next step to ensure Instagram remains a positive place to express yourself. The first feature we’re introducing is a keyword moderation tool that anyone can use.”
Here’s everything we know about how Instagram’s new keyword moderation tool works.
When did Instagram start letting celebs moderate comments?
It’s unclear, but as you can see from Teigen’s tweet, she’s been allowed to moderate comments since at least early August 2016.
thank you, @instagram. pic.twitter.com/bp6dCNZHvi
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 2, 2016
Why is Instagram now letting all users moderate comments?
According to Systrom, Instagram is working toward making the photo-sharing app “a safe place for self-expression”, so it is committed to building features that safeguard the community, though he admitted tools aren’t “the only solution for this complex problem”.
How can you moderate comments on Instagram?
In order to moderate comments on your Instagram posts, follow these steps:Mobile app
- Tap the gear icon on your profile.
- Tap Comments. You’ll then see a screen with a new Comments tool. It lets you list words you consider offensive or inappropriate. Comments with these words will be hidden from your posts. You can choose your own list of words or use default words Instagram has provided.
- Enable the Hide Inappropriate Comments option to hide keywords often reported as inappropriate.
- Alternatively, under the Custom Keywords section, manually enter words you consider offensive or inappropriate.
Web
- On your profile from the web, click Edit Profile.
- Click Comments. You’ll then see a screen with a new Comments tool. It lets you list words you consider offensive or inappropriate. Comments with these words will be hidden from your posts. You can choose your own list of words or use default words Instagram has provided.
- Enable the Hide Inappropriate Comments option to hide keywords often reported as inappropriate.
- Alternatively, under the Custom Keywords section, manually enter words you consider offensive or inappropriate.
- Click Submit when finished.
What happens when you moderate comments?
After you’ve used Instagram’s keyword moderation tool, you and your followers will no longer be able to see comments (on your own posts) that contain language you’ve deemed (or Instagram has deemed) offensive or inappropriate.
Want to know more?
Check out Instagram’s blog post for more details.
Google Cardboard Camera app for iOS lets you take VR pics with sound
Google has been going after virtual reality, with the latest example being that Cardboard Camera is now available for iOS.
Google’s new camera app, originally launched for Android last December, works specifically with Google Cardboard-certified viewers. The idea is that – with Cardboard Camera – your iPhone can turn into a VR camera. Cardboard Camera captures something called “VR photos”, which are basically three-dimensional panoramas with slightly different views for each eye.
You can even record sound, adding another layer of dimension to the whole immersive experience. Afterward, slot your iPhone into a Cardboard-certified viewer to see your new VR photo. The headset basically lets you explore this new type of image in all directions. Also, starting Monday, you can also share your VR photos with friends and family on both iPhone and Android devices.
All you have to do is select multiple photos to create a virtual photo album, then tap the share icon, and Cardboard Camera will generate a link that can be emailed, messaged, or posted in apps and on the web, according to Google. Of course, your friends will need a Cardboard-certified VR viewer like Google Cardboard to actually see your VR photos.
Check out Pocket-lint’s Cardboard Camera guide for more information about how the app works. Cardboard Camera is free to download and use.
Also, here’s a list of all the Cardboard-certified viewers available. Pocket-lint has this round-up of all the best Cardboard rivals available, as well.
