Reels lets users create 15-second videos and spruce them up with various audio and visual effects. Starting today, users will have access to Reels straight from the Instagram camera — the option should appear at the bottom. You’ll also be able to browse Reels from other creators directly in the Explore tab. In an announcement today, Facebook said Reels comes with a bevy of editing tools including a catalog of tunes and AR effects....

The company officially revealed the redesigned version of its iOS app today. Dubbed Project LightSpeed, Facebook essentially started from scratch to reduce the iOS app’s code from over 1.7 million lines of code to just 360,000 That’s a reduction of 84 percent. The result: The app is now just one-fourth of its original size, and is expected to load twice as fast. It will also just run faster in general, which is particularly good news for older iPhones....

The new Face Recognition setting will replace Tag Suggestions, which ostensibly notified you if someone uploaded a photo of you (or who Facebook presumed was you) and offered to automatically tag you in it. The feature was first introduced in 2017, but not everyone got it at the time. Now Facebook is switching over for everyone, and those who’re getting the new setting will have it turned off. Facebook’s AI Applied Research Lead, Srinivas Narayanan, was quick to point out that you might not be able to use all of Facebook’s lovely features that use your face — meaning, the aforementioned feature that lets you know if anyone’s uploaded a pic but hasn’t tagged you in it (I’m pretty sure that’s some kind of social media cardinal sin): I’d make a joke about putting the “face” in “Facebook,” but considering Facebook’s being hit with a class action lawsuit over its allegedly illegal storage of the biometric data of millions of users without their consent… that feels as though it would be in rather poor taste....

Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended indefinitely in the wake of the US Capitol riots over fears that he would use the platforms to encourage further violence. The social network had already blocked Trump from posting for 24 hours, but then extended the ban until at least Joe Biden replaced him as president on January 20. “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said in a blog post at the time....

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report on Aug. 24, 2021, detailing current and planned use of facial recognition technology by federal agencies. The GAO surveyed 24 departments and agencies – from the Department of Defense to the Small Business Administration – and found that 18 reported using the technology and 10 reported plans to expand their use of it. The report comes more than a year after the U....

The site, called Flashpoint, is run by Blue Maxima, and essentially preserves many older bits of gaming ephemera for the users to play. If you know me at all, you know I’m a big fan of game preservation for the sake of historical record, if not always for the games themselves. Blue Maxima’s works echoes the likes of the Internet Archive and the Ruffle Flash emulator, maintaining this history of lesser-known games, lest they slip through the internet’s proverbial cracks....

However, as more services become automated, “computer says no” could mean being turned down for a job, a mortgage, or even healthcare treatment without any explanation. No laughing matter. It’s the responsibility of all data scientists — myself included — to ensure that the datasets used to train AI/ML models are accurate, complete, and unbiased. In addition to that, it’s also incredibly important that we make sure the factors used by algorithms to derive a decision are transparent to the people affected....

We all want a pair of headphones that can withstand the knockaround world of everyday life, yet still deliver audiophile-quality sound. For many models, that’s a much tougher bar to clear than you’d think, especially for headphones tasked with handling the physical rigors of a workout regimen. TREBLAB has made a name for itself producing premium headphones at affordable prices — and their new xFit Bluetooth Sports headphones are carrying on that tradition, delivering great, reliable sound even as they withstand gym-level punishment....

The findings — published by the country’s cybersecurity agency ANSSI (Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes d’Information) — is based on its investigation into two different sets of attacks — one involving the use of PlugX malware, and an other that relies on legitimate tools (CertMig, ProcDump, Netscan) and credential theft. ANSSI said the campaign dated as far back as 2017. “The main purpose of these activities seems to be credentials gathering, thanks to spear phishing emails, and phishing websites,” it added....

If you don’t spend much time online, you may not recognize these names. But on TikTok, their stories became sensationalized, memeified, hashtagged and rehashed. The most recent is “#WestElmCaleb.” Women took to TikTok to share their experiences of being peppered with affection, strung along and ultimately ghosted by a New York City-based designer named Caleb, who became the exemplar for the worst aspects of online dating culture. Together, these stories represent the emergence of what I call the “TikTok tabloid,” in which users collectively manufacture and dramatize stories like an investigative gossip reel....

But this was Tupac the hologram, foul-mouthed and lifelike, performing before a “shocked and then amazed” crowd. Since humans first delighted in the sound of music, advancements in technology have managed to make musical expression immortal. Throughout history, innovators have strived to create original, accessible, and eternal performances. As engineering knowledge developed, musical instrument design advanced. Many classical composers introduced pioneering instrumentations into their scores, adding depth, and color that broadened the listening experience....

At the start of July, the German government doubled its subsidy contribution to new EV buyers. Along with manufacturer support it meant that buyers could get around €9,000 ($10,000) toward a new zero emission vehicle. There is a caveat, though: getting an EV for free only applies to leased vehicles, not an outright purchase. Taking the subsidies into account, one vehicle dealership chain in Germany has been able to offer the new 80 kW Renault Zoe for free....

It’s pretty likely you’re able to pull up an anecdote about the life of a top entrepreneur without much effort. From Bill Gates’ divorce proceedings to Elon Musk’s opinion on crypto and Richard Branson’s love for kitesurfing, there’s no doubt that high-level executives are now expected to be public figures. More than ever, it’s people – not companies – moving the world of business forward. There is a reason why a February 2021 Harris Poll indicates that 85% of Americans believe that CEO reputation significantly impacts the perception and valuation of a company....

Headphones and earbuds of all types have been trumpeting about noise cancellation for years. That often means passive noise cancellation, which is basically the seal created when an earbud fills the ear canal, blocking out many sounds from reaching the eardrum. It’s crude, but often effective. However, blocking your hearing isn’t always practical or safe, which led to active noise cancellation systems that are now often found in more expensive headphones....

Earlier this week, Google backtracked on its ban of Ethereum app and wallet MetaMask after removing it from its Play Store just a week earlier. The wallet app conveyed the U-turn in a tweet on New Year’s Day. — MetaMask (@metamask_io) January 1, 2020 MetaMask was banned last week after the Big G reportedly believed that the app was mining cryptocurrency. If you’re not up to speed on Google Play Store terms of use, mining apps aren’t allowed on the platform....

Specifically, Google is expanding the augmented reality (AR) capabilities within Maps. Last year, Google introduced Live View, a feature that used AR to guide you around a city. Soon, the company will roll out a new feature that will help you be able to visualize the location of specific businesses and landmarks — how far they are, and the direction you need to travel to reach them. For example, if you’re trying to get to the Eifel Tower in Paris, you’ll see a little blue dot telling you which way to go within a live feed from your phone’s camera....

Up until now, Photos did that by default, but that won’t be the case going forward. Indeed, users should soon see a notice about the change within the app. That said, the change appears to be temporary (even though it remains unclear until when it’ll last) and won’t affect previous backups. “Due to COVID-19, people are sharing more photos and videos,” a Google rep said in the Photos Help Community....

Google might have a way out, for those who are happy to use its solutions. The company has developed One Tap, a new system that lets you sign up on sites and in apps with a single touch on devices you’re logged into with a Google account. Developers will need to integrate this into their products so you can use it. The idea is that not only will you be able to sign up quicker without having to fill out a form on Android, but you’ll also be prompted to sign back in with just a tap via the account you registered with....

NEW: Semantic Reactor has been officially released! Add it to Google Sheets here. Most people are better at describing the world in language than they are at describing the world in code (well… most people). It would be nice, then, if machine learning could help bridge the gap between the two. That’s where “Semantic ML” comes in, an umbrella term for machine learning techniques that capture the semantic meaning of words or phrases....

In an announcement on its blog, the company revealed Zoom will be available on any Assistant-powered smart displays — including Google’s own Nest Hub Max — by the end of the year. The integration boasts pretty much the full spectrum of features you can expect from it, including the ability to start calls with voice commands. It’s practically the same functionalities Assistant-powered smart displays already offer for Google Meet. The move is… interesting....