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Google is killing its experimental social network Shoelace
Google’s experimental Area 120 unit launched Shoelace in mid-2019 as a way to help people get together in real life.
Opera's desktop browser now includes quick access to Instagram
Opera's desktop browser now has a built-in Instagram client to help you check your social feed on a whim.
Facebook is releasing a dedicated gaming app tomorrow
A Facebook Gaming app is launching earlier than expected as the social giant takes on Twitch and YouTube.
Judge denies Twitter effort to reveal US surveillance requests
A judge has ruled that Twitter's demand to reveal exact surveillance request numbers would risk national security.
Instagram Live streams are now viewable on the web
Instagram Live is now viewable on the web, just in time for many people staying at home.
Facebook's latest app experiment is a 'private space' for couples
We’ve asked Facebook if there are plans for a wider release.
YouTube may counter TikTok with a feed of video 'Shorts'
YouTube may be worried that TikTok is luring away its viewers. Sources talking to The Information claim YouTube is readying a Shorts feature in its mobile app that will include a remarkably familiar-sounding feed with short videos from fellow users. You could take advantage of YouTube's extensive song licensing to add the soundtrack of your choice, too. Shorts would be available by the end of 2020.
'Second Life' creator sells its ambitious social VR platform
Second Life creator Linden Lab's big VR push didn't pan out, it seems. The company has sold its Sansar social VR platform to a startup, Wookey Project Corp., in a bid to "streamline its focus" in favor of Second Life as well as money service provider Tilia. Sansar will revolve more around "premier virtual events" under its new ownership, the team said in a blog post.
Court rejects Trump's ongoing fight to block critics on Twitter
President Trump's attempt to overturn a ruling that prevents him from blocking Twitter critics has been shot down -- at least for now. An appeals court has denied the Trump administration's request for a review of the decision after a majority of judges decided a review wasn't necessary. Circuit Judge Barrington Parker described the original decision as a "straightforward application" of existing actions and precedent. If Trump is going to use his personal Twitter account for official statements (and he does), that account becomes a public forum where critics are allowed to voice their disagreements.
Facebook and Instagram lower video quality in Europe
Social networks are joining streaming services in reducing video quality to help European networks deal with demand from people staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Facebook spokesperson told Engadget that both Facebook itself and Instagram will "temporarily reduce" video bitrates in Europe. This will help partners handle "bandwidth constraints" and keep people in touch, the representative said. You can read the full statement below.
TikTok will stop using China-based moderators to screen foreign content
TikTok has already taken steps to reassure the world that the Chinese government doesn't control its app overseas, including the use of non-Chinese moderators for the US and plans for a transparency center. However, it's taking things one step further. The social media company said it will stop using China-based moderators to screen content in any other country, and that more than 100 moderators will have to either find other jobs inside parent company Bytedance or leave. Teams local to given areas should take over within a few weeks, TikTok said.
Facebook labels manipulated video of Biden 'endorsing' Trump as 'partly false'
Twitter isn't the only one flagging a manipulated Trump video to warn users. Facebook has labeled a video of presidential hopeful Joe Biden appearing to endorse Trump as "partly false information," citing independent fact-checking from Lead Stories. The company told Engadget in a statement that it was both "reducing [the video's] distribution" and applying warning labels, and that it was applying the treatment to a politician just as it would for a bogus video shared by anyone else.
Twitter will delete hate speech related to age, disability and disease
Last year, Twitter updated its harmful conduct policy to require the deletion of hate speech based on religion. Today, the company is updating its rules to include language the company says "dehumanizes" other people based on age, disability or disease. As before, the company won't ban or suspend people who wrote offending tweets before today's update. However, it will delete any past tweets if users report them.
WHO joins TikTok to fight coronavirus misinformation
The World Health Organization clearly has an interest in putting a stop to coronavirus misinformation, and that's leading it to online destinations it wouldn't have considered before. The WHO has joined TikTok, and its first videos are, unsurprisingly, aimed at both reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19 and setting the record straight. They explain how you can safeguard yourself and others against the virus, how to use a mask and whether or not you need a mask in the first place -- crucially, the WHO stresses that you don't need a mask if you aren't experiencing symptoms.
Ninja's Twitter account was hijacked
Tech giants and sports organizations aren't the only ones wrestling with high-profile Twitter account hijacks. An intruder compromised the account of well-known streamer Ninja (aka Tyler Blevins) in mid-day on February 22nd, trying to use opportunity to rack up followers, start a beef with Fortnite star Tfue and complain when an account (possibly the perpetrator's) was inevitably suspended. The attacker even tried to extort Ninja's wife and business partner, Jessica Blevins, though this clearly wasn't her first time dealing with a wannabe hacker -- she said the intruder "lasted five minutes."
Snapchat's latest AR filters turn the floor into lava
There have been immersive Snapchat Lenses before, but this latest batch can literally change the world around you. Snap has unveiled "Ground Transformation" Lenses that turn the ground into a lava pit or water -- yes, you can pretend the floor is lava like you're eight years old all over again. Both use machine learning to understand the geometry of the land and help apply special effects, such as reflections from the buildings around you.
Twitter makes it easier to thread your new tweets with older ones
You no longer have to go digging through your tweets to reply to one with an update. Twitter has added a feature that makes it easier to connect an in-progress tweet to an earlier post. When you're writing your latest missive, you'll just have to pull down to see earlier tweets and tap the "continue thread" or ellipsis button to find an older tweet to reply to.
'OurMine' group hijacks Twitter accounts for Olympics and FC Barcelona
No, the OurMine group isn't done defacing high-profile sites. Twitter has confirmed reports that OurMine hijacked accounts for both the Olympics and FC Barcelona on February 15th, using the opportunity to make a less-than-sincere offer to "improve your [account's] security" and, in the case of FC Barcelona, echo a rumor that star player Neymar would come back to the soccer team. Twitter said in a statement that OurMine had used a "third-party platform" to take control of the accounts, although it didn't name the platform or explain the group's methods. OurMine would only tell Business Insider that it used "security issues" with employees to gain access to a third-party app.
Facebook says it will tighten account security following 2018 hack
Facebook is promising to bolster its security processes in the wake of a 2018 hack that exposed data for 29 million users. The social network has proposed a settlement in a lawsuit over the breach that would see the company check more often for suspicious activity around the digital access tokens that let people use their accounts. There are other measures as part of the lawsuit, Bloomberg said.
Facebook buys startup using AI vision to find your location (updated)
Facebook might have just acquired a key ingredient for its augmented reality glasses. TechCrunch has discovered a filing indicating that Facebook has bought Scape Technologies, a London-based startup using computer vision to determine your location beyond the capabilities of GPS alone. Its cloud-based "Visual Positioning Service" translates images into 3D maps that deliver a precise outdoor location across entire cities -- important when you need to know exactly where a store is on a street block.
