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Facebook removes posts promoting anti-quarantine protests
Facebook removed posts promoting anti-quarantine events that violate social distancing orders in at least three states.
The Trump administration plans to ban flavored e-cigs to curb teen vaping
The Trump administration announced today that it may ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes in an attempt to curb teen vaping, The New York Times reports. In a press release, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shared that the FDA plans to finalize a policy to remove most non-tobacco-flavored e-cigs from the market. The FDA is expected to share specifics on the plan in the coming weeks.
Facebook releases tools to flag harmful content on GitHub
Facebook wants to rid the internet of garbage. But it can't do that alone. So today, it's making two of its photo- and video-flagging technologies open-source and available on GitHub. It hopes the algorithms will help others find and remove harmful content -- like child exploitation, terrorist propaganda and graphic violence.
EU law could fine sites for not removing terrorist content within an hour
The European Union has been clear on its stance that terrorist content is most harmful in the first hour it appears online. Yesterday, the European Parliament voted in favor of a new rule that could require internet companies to remove terrorist content within one hour after receiving an order from authorities. Companies that repeatedly fail to abide by the law could be fined up to four percent of their global revenue.
Diablo 3 Director Jay Wilson: Auction Houses 'really hurt' game
Former Diablo 3 Game Director Jay Wilson admitted during a talk at GDC 2013 in San Francisco that both of Diablo 3's Auction Houses (both the real-money and the in-game gold item auction house) "really hurt the game." Wilson said that before Blizzard launched the game, the company had a few assumptions about how the Auction Houses would work: He thought they would help reduce fraud, that they'd provide a wanted service to players, that only a small percentage of players would use it and that the price of items would limit how many were listed and sold.But he said that once the game went live, Blizzard realized it was completely wrong about those last two points. It turns out that nearly every one of the game's players (of which there are still about 1 million per day, and about 3 million per month, according to Wilson) made use of either house, and that over 50 percent of players used it regularly. That, said Wilson, made money a much higher motivator than the game's original motivation to simply kill Diablo, and "damaged item rewards" in the game. While a lot of the buzz around the game attacked the real money Auction House, "gold does much more damage than the other one does," according to Wilson, because more players use it and prices fluctuate much more."I think we would turn it off if we could," Wilson said during his talk. But the problem is "not as easy as that;" with all of Blizzard's current players, he says the company "has no idea" how many players like the system or hate it. Blizzard, Wilson said, doesn't want to remove a feature that lots of players will be unhappy to see go. But he did say that the team is working on a viable solution, without giving any other details about what that would be like.
WRUP: What would you eliminate?
This week, we asked our writers what "feature" in WoW they'd like to remove. Heck, it seems like everyone has a pet peeve or an annoying game dynamic they're eager to see go away. So let's round it all up in one place and get it over with. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) I'm playing catch-up with writing and other projects, and more raiding on Sunday. And if I have time, maybe I'll squeeze some Mass Effect into there because I miss the sci-fi. As for killing features, I'm pretty sure that lockouts on heroics in TBC and Wrath don't really need to be there anymore.
Scalado Remove clears up your photos, we go hands-on (video)
It's a familiar scenario. You're traveling with a friend and she poses in front of a famous monument. You're ready to take her picture with your phone but there's a constant stream of people and vehicles getting in and out of your shot. What are your options? You could wait for the right lull in traffic to press the shutter key or you could use Remove -- Scalado's patented new object removal technology. Remove captures several images in a row, analyses them and automatically creates a composite photo devoid of unwanted details. Better yet, it highlights potential objects and lets you eliminate them manually. The folks at Scalado -- best known for such camera innovations as zero shutter lag and Rewind -- are planning to showcase Remove at Mobile World Congress later this month but luckily for you, we got an exclusive first look at an early build of the Remove app for Android. We installed the app (designed for Gingerbread) on two of Samsung's flagship devices -- our Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ and our global Galaxy S II. The primary UI is simple and looks pretty much like any other basic camera app. Just tap the on-screen shutter key and Remove quickly takes several pictures in a row (the Nexus is about twice as fast as the GS2 here, interestingly). You can touch a second time to stop capture or let the app finish on its own. Remove then magically displays the resulting composite shot which you can save to the gallery by tapping the checkbox at the top right corner of the screen. There's also a toggle in the same location which lets you switch to a secondary UI that allows you to pick which unwanted details to remove (or keep) from each frame. Of course you can load and re-tweak previous captures at any time to restore (or eliminate) objects after the fact. Remove introduces a completely new way to capture that special moment, and while we experienced occasional issues with the responsiveness of the UI and noticed a couple minor bugs, the app is relatively intuitive and works rather well for a prototype. Take a look at our gallery of sample images and screenshots below and hit the break for the full PR treatment, including Scalado's concept video.
Amazon axes copied content, duplicate Kindle Store ebooks get the boot
If we take a can of Spam and call it "Engadget's precooked pork meat product," you'll still know it's the same mystery meat you ate for lunch, right? Under the idea of "private label rights," authors can do just that: sell their works to others who can rebrand and resell them. This week, Amazon cracked down on duplicate ebooks in its Kindle Store, pulling titles because they "diminish the experience for customers." One copycat who got the smack down called it a "kick in the pants" when his 22 titles got yanked. He did, however, admit he had the swift one coming. Aping authors can expect more book banning Kung Fu as Amazon continues to rid itself of "undifferentiated or barely differentiated versions of e-books." Hi-yah!
We Have a Tabard: Don't go away mad, just go away
Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back every Friday for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.The above video by Propostris and Gigi, while awesome, is not safe for work.As I've mentioned before, building a guild can be very challenging. Recruiting and retention efforts are critical. Sometimes you find members, however, that may seem to fit in, but in the end they do not. You must strike a balance between having enough guilides to get things done and a team that works well together. Your guild rules and personal interactions help determine which members are valuable members of the team and who needs a /gkick.I have found that having a lot of guild members is generally not better than having quality guild members. There are many ways in which guild members can not fit. Sometimes folks activity times do not mesh with the guild. It doesn't really do any good to have folks tagged up but stuck PUGging raids because they can't be there for raid times. This person may not need to be removed, but don't be surprised if he or she leaves to find a guild with raid times more suited to their play times.
Maybe Ulduar drakes aren't going away in 3.2 after all
We had a bit of a minor freakout when we heard that the Rusted and Ironbound protodrakes might be getting removed as rewards for the Ulduar meta achievements in Patch 3.2, and then even more of one when the slow trickle of information about 3.2 turned into a firehose. Bornakk mentioned the change initially with the caveat that it was their intention to remove the drakes eventually, but that he'd seek definite confirmation either way as to whether it was happening in 3.2 or not. There's been no update about it in the past few weeks. Well, after a thorough reading of the 3.2 patch notes, I don't see a single trace of anything saying the drakes are getting removed. At the risk of counting my protochickens before they hatch, I think we might be safe, given how fast 3.2 looks like it's coming out. This is at least a relief for my guild, who's doing pretty well on 10-man hard-mode progression but ... is there a word worse than "dismal"? ... on 25-man hard-modes. Maybe there's hope for us yet.Should we get the soul-crushing confirmation that they'll be removed with 3.2, we'll be sure to let you know. There's still a lot of time for change on this one, though -- maybe it was an accidental omission, maybe it'll get decided on later -- but for now, you can breathe a little easier knowing you might be able to keep hacking away at those hard modes to get your undeniably awesome drakes even after the Argent Coliseum is commanding your guild's attention. Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!
Exploitation and the demise of Heroic Leap
There was a time in the beta of Wrath of the Lich King that Warriors everywhere were excited little special snowflakes. They had not one but two, count 'em two, special talents: Heroic Leap and Titan's Grip.While the dual wielding goodness/badness that is Titan's Grip continues today, Heroic Leap was removed mid-beta with Warriors everywhere screaming and crying. Yours truly shed a tear. I loved leveling through the Howling Fjord and Dragonblight with Heroic Leap at my side. One press of a button and bam – I'd be raining down upon my enemies with my plate shining and dual two-handers blaring.Its demise has always been speculated upon. Many thought that the skill just provided one too many ways for a warrior to quickly move about the world. Others thought that it was due to it being too over powered in PvP. Still others thought it had to do with exploitation of the terrain.
Mac 101: Remove unwanted System Preference panes
Sometimes applications can install extras in the form of System Preference panes. However, when you remove the app from your Mac, you might be left with extraneous System Preference panes. To uninstall System Preference panes, just right-click (or control + click if you have a one button mouse) on the preference pane icon and select "remove x preference pane."When you click "remove," the preference pane will be instantly moved to the OS X Trash can where you can completely remove it from your system by emptying the trash. Please note that this will only work on System Preference panes located in the "Other" section of System Preferences.Want to see more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section today!
Bornakk hints that Tier 3 might be removed from the game
With solid confirmation that Naxx will be "floating" off to Northrend (and not exist in two places at once) also comes a strong hint by Bornakk that they will be removing the ability to get Tier-3 armor pieces along with the rest of the current Naxx loot. Bornakk says that "For players who want the look and the stats of tier 3 armor at level 80, hopefully they are already farming the dungeon for them." This is a very strong indication that post WotLK, the current Tier 3 gear will be no longer available.Before today it has been pure speculation that this removal of loot would or would not happen. The only time that the WoW Insider staff can think of this happening before (save for the holiday and special events) is with a few old mount models getting changed. And that is nothing compared to entire loot tables being removed from the game. Note that the changes in patch 2.3 to old world loot were just that – changes, not removal.In many ways this removal does make since, given that the armor models will be reused in Wrath of the Lich King's version of Naxx. While there is similar looking and colored gear floating around WoW, none of it is really twenty levels apart and powerful each in their own right.However with that said, the removal of items from the game like this stirs a mixed reaction in me.
Is this a 'sign' of things to come for Vista?
We're not saying a sign in some little computer shop in Milford, New Hampshire is an indication of popular opinion, but there's a reason those presidential candidates always end up in small towns on the campaign trail. Whatever the case may be, the folks at A&D computer are here to help... uninstall Vista from your PC. Hey, uninstalling unwieldy OSs is all well and good, but personally, we'd like to know more about this notebook repair.
HOWTO: Expurgate your Dictionary
OS X's built-in dictionary has naughty words. Who knew? The following gallery will walk you through the steps it takes to censor your dictionary and prevent innocent young 'uns from looking up the proper meanings of these words. You'll need the Property List Editor, which is available as part of Apple's free Developer Tools. %Gallery-2531%Update: Parental Controls are a built-in but optional feature of OS X Tiger. They will be an even bigger built-in but optional feature of OS X Leopard. Those readers who feel that the existence of these controls are disturbing in and of themselves may want to take their concerns directly to Apple, who has built and implemented them in their operating system. Otherwise, non-native English speakers please take note that the post was written in a light hearted tone.
Outa-Space homebrew lets you remove PSP functionality
Do you feel like your PSP does too much? Maybe you want to remove some of it's functionality, so it can be more of an antiquated machine. You can remove these features from your PSP flash memory: Un-needed fonts Camera / GPS functionality Network Update Certificate Utility The photo menu The music menu The video menu The XMB's web browser RSS functionality. And why would you want to get rid of any of these? Well, the PSP's internal memory is only so large, and some homebrew users might be interested in making incredibly large gameboots. Certainly, this is an interesting concept: a homebrew program that removes functionality, instead of adding it.See also:Would Sony eliminate PSP features?[Via PSP3D]
Losing Faith in Miss Video Game competition
Faith, of The Girl Gamer, has lost faith in the Miss Video Game competition and decided she can no longer be a part of the "farce and possible scam." After being an early supporter of the competition, which is billed as an event to raise the profile of female gamers, she began digging up information on the company involved and became concerned there were legal issues with the contest.Faith describes that things were suspect from the beginning for the simple fact this competition has no contract or release to sign. Originally the contestants needed to be 18 and over, this rule apparently was ignored as contestants started showing up on the site who were under the age of majority. Faith could not find a business license for the company to operate, eventually she received one from Miss Video Game Inc. stating that the license was issued Nov. 29, 2006 -- two months after the contest began. MVG also informed her that a company called Titan Gaming would handle the online portion of the competition, no such company exists. When attempting to contact the company with the information MVG provided, the email bounced back.The lengthy article goes on to describe increasing evidence that caused Faith to remove herself from the competition. The pageant doesn't require sponsors because they are "backed by a privately owned company that wishes to remain anonymous." She describes numerous problems with the MVG website itself and wonders how if this company can't coordinate a website, how's it going to run a live event? The questions surrounding the event are plenty and we here at Joystiq have also been researching our own concerns regarding the competition. Gamer girl beware.
Charter cable customers in St. Louis could lose KMOV HD signal
Apparently, love isn't the only game that requires a bit of give and take, as just months after Charter blessed its St. Louis, Missouri customers with two new sparkling HD channels (TNT-HD and MHD), the firm is now about to remove one. Charter Communications has reportedly hit a wall in discussions with Belo. Corp. (which owns KMOV) in regard to the fees that the station wishes to collect from Charter. Although Charter hasn't had any issues receiving permission from other locals to broadcast their HD signals, KMOV is playing hardball, suggesting that Charter pay up to compensate for the "value gained" by having the HD flavor of their station available to users. Of course, the cable company complains that charging for signals that can be received over the air gratis is absurd, and neither party seems to be budging just yet. St. Louis Charter subscribers could lose the signal "as early as tomorrow" unless any band-aids get applied today, but either way, you'll soon be receiving a letter in the mail explaining why there's a sudden black hole where KMOV used to be if things aren't permanently resolved.
Windows app cracks iTMS v6 DRM
JHymn users might remember that iTunes 6 broke the DRM-stripping tool, and it seems that Apple's done a good job of keeping FairPlay locked down - until someone cooked up QTFairUse6 for Windows. Yes, it's a Windows app, but it can apparently strip purchases from iTMS version 6.0.4 and above of their constraining DRM. QTFairUse6 isn't pretty either - it's a python script that involves some tinkering, but this might be good news to those who believe that if you love something, you should set it free.[via Engadget]
All your workouts are belong to Nikeplus
We're not sure how a one-sentence support document made it into Apple's support knowledgebase, but this strange doc somehow snuck past the velvet rope. It simply states: "There is no way to remove workout data from the nikeplus website", with a 'stay tuned for more info' bit at the end to finish off what is probably the shortest support document we have ever seen. Getting to the topic, however: it seems just a bit strange that there is no way to remove workout information from this supposedly revolutionary new service/iPod accessory. It's not like we're suddenly terrified about Nike's trampling of user privacy, but we wouldn't be surprised if a few tin foil hat fashion aficionados raised at least some sort of a flag over this.
