Friday, 30 June 2023
How Blood Type Can Increase Your Risk of COVID-19 - CNET
Recent research shows that one particular blood type heightens the risk of infection.from CNET https://ift.tt/MINlKS8
Have an easy breezy summer with a Levoit tower fan for 15% off
SAVE $10.54: The LEVOIT Classic 36-inch white tower fan is on sale for $59.45 (its lowest price yet) at Amazon. That's a discount of 15% off its regular price of $69.99.
We know these rising summer temperatures have you daydreaming about winter, and with a full-on heat wave happening in many parts of the country, it's important to have a way to cool off. Thankfully, Amazon heard you cursing at your weather app and delivered a sale on a tower fan.
As of June 30, you can get the Levoit Classic 36-inch white tower fan for $10.54 off at Amazon. We know this isn't a jaw-dropping discount, but it's actually this model's lowest price ever (ahead of the discounts that may be coming for Prime Day 2023, anyways).
The tower fan has whisper-quiet noise levels, an Advanced Sleep Mode that adjusts the fan's speed to your sleep stages, an LED display, remote control, and 90-degree oscillation for maximum coverage of your living space. It also has a 23-foot maximum range, which should tell you something about the mighty power of this fan. Design-wise, this isn't the coolest and most high-tech tower fan we've seen, but it's relatively slim and weighs only 8.5 pounds. You won't regret buying it once that cool, luxurious air starts blasting and you can escape (however briefly) from the scorching sun.
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Thursday, 29 June 2023
How We Test Mattresses - CNET
Go behind the scenes of our mattress testing process and learn what we look for when we test each bed.from CNET https://ift.tt/CzHE3r6
The captivating allure of TikTok's glass bottles breaking on steps trend
Internet trends have taught us that the strangest things can be compelling. Livestreamed construction. Obscure NBA highlights set to indie music. Hell, in 2016 nearly 1 million people watched live as Buzzfeed squished a watermelon excruciatingly slowly, one rubber band at a time.
A recent TikTok trend has entered into this storied internet oeuvre: watching glass things roll down stairs and, importantly, seeing both if and how they break.
And, I have to say, it's pretty freaking captivating. A few different accounts have begun posting these sorts of videos and it's a thrilling mash-up of ASMR and Dudes Rock, the internet meme for things that are wonderfully stupid and wholesome. Some people are into it for the oddly soothing sounds of glass tumbling and breaking, while others, like myself, get the same sensation as watching someone toss a big rock off a bridge into water. Like any content in the Dudes Rock diaspora, the appeal here is not limited to men. It's just the kind of stuff that makes your lizard brain think, "Sweet."
Glass jars and bottles filled with different things, rolling down steps? That's sweet. It's hard to explain if you haven't seen it but you should really watch these videos.
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There's something oddly soothing about watching glass bottles and jars go down stairs. There's the mystery of what will last. There's the satisfying clang of a break. It's hypnotizing and all over my, and other folks', For You Page. Lots of people love it.
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In the wake of this whole thing becoming a trend, folks have jumped on the wave by stitching the original videos and reacting to each bottle or jar. There are people who predict if a bottle will break, some who react to breaks, and, of course, lots of jokes about the trend.
And while this is a pretty specific trend, it's not really niche anymore. Some of the bottle breaking videos are racking up more than five million views. Reaction videos are getting more than a million. And in a sign of a thing really becoming a trend, yes, the brands have started making parody bottle-break videos.
If you use TikTok it's likely you'll soon come across these videos if you haven't already. Personally, I enjoy watching along and predicting if bottles will break. The key, I think, is to see if the bottle or jar has thick glass ridges — those typically hold up better. But my favorite is when a beer bottle shatters perfectly on Step 1. It's produces a wonderful, immediate whoosh of destruction.
Just remember, if you do this at home, please be careful. Broken glass is, in fact, quite sharp. And please do not do this in a public space, like, say, the steps in your apartment building. The last thing you want to do is go to the hospital and tell the doctor, "Well doc, it all started with a TikTok video."
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Grab a Dyson vacuum on sale for up to 29% off at Amazon ahead of Prime Day
As of June 29, several Dyson vacuums are on sale at Amazon ahead of Prime Day. See our favorite deals below.
For a fresh summer home free of dust and allergens, a great vacuum cleaner is a must—and you truly can't get much better than a Dyson. Whether you need to suck up all the dust that's been sitting in your home for the past six months or you need some help purifying the air for your kids and babies, you'll be happy to know that as of June 29, several Dyson vacuum favorites are on sale —ahead of Prime Day! See our favorite deals below.
Best cordless vacuum deal
Why we like it
The Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is lightweight, cordless, and designed for effortless cleaning. It's fully equipped with powerful suction, a battery life of up to 40 minutes, and a HEPA filter that purifies the air as you clean the inside of your home. Easily convert the Dyson V8 into a handheld vacuum to use on couches, pillows, countertops, and the inside of your car. This vacuum is designed to pick up pet hair and long hair without becoming tangled. Once you're finished, quickly empty the vacuum's dust cup mess-free with its no-touch system.
Best slim vacuum deal
Why we like it
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Vacuum Cleaner comes with a laser that highlights microscopic pieces of debris that the human eye would miss, ultimately leading to a deeper clean by showing you the spots that need attention. It has a 60-minute battery life, a 0.1-gallon dust bin, and an eight-cyclone motor for cleaning despite its slim size, and you can store it easily. It comes with two interchangeable cleaner heads, too: the Laser Slim Fluffy and the Motorbar.
Best large space vacuum deal
Why we like it
Complete with lasers, mighty suction, and 120 minutes of run time, the Dyson Outsize+ Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is ideal for large spaces. It boasts a hair screw tool that picks up dog (and human) hair, six-layer filtration, and a Digital Motorbar XL cleaner head that's 25% wider than previous models but is still lightweight enough to tote around the house.
Best high-tech vacuum deal
Why we like it
One of Dyson's most-high tech vacuums yet, the Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner contains a laser light that illuminates dust you can't see with the naked eye, and the vacuum itself is powerful and efficient. The V15 also comes with seven attachments in total (including another full-sized head), two of which contain an "anti-tangle comb" meant to keep hair strands from getting caught in the mess. It also has an LCD screen on the top of the vacuum that displays the number of dust particles of different sizes for the truly dust-paranoid among us.
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Wednesday, 28 June 2023
The best early Prime Day Kindle deals include a refurbished latest-gen Paperwhite under $80
UPDATE: Jun. 28, 2023, 12:30 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest Kindle deals for Amazon Prime Day 2023:
If you're adding books to your reading list way faster than you're finishing them, you might want to try an e-reader. The convenience of having a slim, portable device that can store an entire library might give you one fewer reason to flake on your annual reading goals — plus, there's nothing like seeing that Goodreads number go up.
The most popular e-reader by far is the Kindle, and historically, one of the best times to grab it is during an Amazon Prime savings event like Prime Day, which will be held on July 11 and July 12 this year. As always, we expect the biggest Amazon device (and therefore Kindle) markdowns to be reserved for those two days, but that doesn't mean you have to wait to score some savings.
After all, summer is officially here, and some poolside time with the TBR list beckons. Fair warning: the Kindle deals available to shop now are sparse (we're just coming off a week of great Kindle markdowns). Still, we're expecting more deals in the coming weeks, and will be updating this post with all the best ones to jump on before Prime Day officially begins, so be sure to check back if you don't see anything you like.
Kindle deals
Why we like it
Now through June 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT, when you grab more than one Kindle, you save $20 off your entire order. Is it the biggest discount in the world? Absolutely not. But if you were planning on grabbing one for yourself and a gift for a friend or family member, this is the best way this week to save on the Oasis and classic Kindle Kids.
Kindle Paperwhite deals
Why we like it
Amazon seems to be holding out on Kindle deals until closer to actual Prime Day. But amid the tumbleweeds of the e-reader section of early Amazon device deals, a few refurbished models stand out. Opting for a like-new version of the classic 8GB Paperwhite (the latest version) on sale for $79.99 can save you $60 over the full price of a brand-new one. Historically, new 8GB Paperwhites haven't dropped below $94.99.
More refurbished Kindle deals
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Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) — $89.99
$134.99(save $45) -
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB) — $114.99
$169.99(save $55) -
Kindle Oasis (8GB) — $139.99
$209.99(save $70) -
Kindle Oasis (32GB) — $149.99
$239.99(save $90)
Kindle Oasis deals
Check back soon for more Kindle Oasis deals.
Kindle Kids deals
Check back soon for more Kindle Kids deals.
Kindle cover deals
Why we like it
To be clear, this is by no means a jaw-dropping deal. According to the price tracker camelcamelcamel, the cover has been about $10 off for most of the year. But at the time of writing, this is the only cover we saw marked down. If you're looking to get your Kindle Scribe in a case ASAP, this will save you some money, but if you can, we'd recommend waiting a bit longer for some better deals.
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Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Best Cheap Home Security Cameras for 2023: Indoor and Outdoor - CNET
These budget-friendly security cameras will help you monitor and protect your home inside and out.from CNET https://ift.tt/NgBqu0v
Your Paramount Plus Subscription Just Got More Expensive - CNET
The streamer's subscription price has increased as it integrates with Showtime.from CNET https://ift.tt/8pwc43z
Bobby Axelrod returns in 'Billions' Season 7 trailer
The seventh and final season of Billions is officially upon us.
Showtime's hit series returns for a final showdown this summer, and based on the season's trailer, things are going to get messy. The drama series initially followed U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhodes (Paul Giamatti) as he tried to out hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) for insider trading. And while Axelrod was nowhere to be seen after Billions's fifth season, he's finally back and ready to rumble in this epic finale.
Billions also stars David Costabile, Asia Kate Dillon, Dola Rashad, Jeffrey DeMunn, Sakina Jaffrey, Daniel Breaker, and Toney Goins.
How to watch: Season 7 of Billions will stream on Paramount+ with a Showtime addition starting Aug. 11. New episodes will be released every Friday on streaming, and Sundays on air.
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Monday, 26 June 2023
Xbox is giving away a Barbie DreamHouse console. I need it.
Everyone is getting in on the buzz around Barbie before the film's July 21 premiere. Today, Xbox announced a series of Barbie-related promotions, and it's what gamer girl (or guy) dreams are made of.
The star of the campaign is a one-of-a-kind Xbox Series S built into Barbie's DreamHouse. The miniature includes details from Barbie's humble hot pink abode, complete with a B-shaped pool float. You can try your luck on July 10 on Xbox's Twitter account and via Microsoft Rewards. Barbie-and-Ken-themed Wireless Controller faceplates will also be available as part of the giveaway.
Looking for something free and available to all? Forza Horizon 5 players can drive in style in Barbie's pink 1956 Chevrolet Corvette EV Corvette or Ken's 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup. These babies are available for download at no charge in the game's Message Center. A July 14 livestream "from the World of Barbie" will include races between Barbie and Ken's rides in Forza Horizon 5, as well as career testimonials from women designers who have worked on the game.
They've outfitted a diverse line of Barbie with Xbox-themed duds and accessories like the Xbox Series S console, a Wireless Controller, and an Adaptive Controller. These dolls are also winnable via an international sweepstakes, though no details were given about how to enter.
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The 7 Best Cheap Meal Delivery Services of 2023 - CNET
There are affordable meal delivery options to keep you and the crew stress-free and well fed. We've tested to find the best budget meal subscriptions and services for 2023.from CNET https://ift.tt/LCVzwUQ
Sunday, 25 June 2023
How to watch Wimbledon online for free from anywhere in the world
SAVE 49%: Livestream Wimbledon for free with ExpressVPN. A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a money-back guarantee.
Novak Djokovic has already won the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year, so the big question is whether anyone can stop the star from claiming his fifth Wimbledon title in a row. There's only one way to find out.
Tennis fans all over the world will be looking for the best way to watch this year's Wimbledon. This is where we can help. If you're interested in watching Wimbledon for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
What is Wimbledon?
The Wimbledon Championships (or just Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is regarded by many fans as the most prestigious of the bunch. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon (London) since 1877, and is the only major played on outdoor grass courts.
The current singles champions are Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina.
When is Wimbledon?
Qualifying for Wimbledon takes place between June 26 and June 29.
The main draw starts on July 3 and runs through to the men's singles final on July 16. That's a lot of tennis, and we wouldn't want you to miss a thing.
How to watch Wimbledon for free
The good news for tennis fans all over the world is that it is possible to watch Wimbledon for free. You just need to be willing to follow a few simple steps.
Free streaming of Wimbledon is being offered by these countries:
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Australia — 9Now
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New Zealand — TVNZ
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UK — BBC iPlayer
The problem is that you need to be connecting from these countries to watch on these platforms. The only way to get around this geo-restriction is with a VPN. These cybersecurity services can hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in another country, meaning you can unblock streaming sites from around the world.
Stream Wimbledon for free from anywhere in the world by following this process:
-
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that is offering free streaming of Wimbledon (Australia, New Zealand, or UK)
-
Connect to your preferred streaming platform (9Now, TVNZ, or BBC iPlayer)
-
Watch Wimbledon from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees and free trials. By using these offers, you can watch Wimbledon without committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to unblock your preferred streaming site and watch Wimbledon without actually spending anything.
This is a sneaky trick, but it works.
What is the best VPN for streaming Wimbledon?
There are plenty of VPNs that can reliably unblock streaming sites from around the world, but ExpressVPN is tough to beat. ExpressVPN remains the top choice for streaming sport, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 94 countries
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
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Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
-
Up to five simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82, saving you 49% on list price. This discounted plan includes an extra three months of coverage and a year of unlimited cloud backup for free. Subscribers also get a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can watch Wimbledon and then recover your investment after the tournament has finished.
Watch Wimbledon for free with ExpressVPN.
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How to watch the Tour de France online for free from anywhere in the world
SAVE 49%: Livestream the Tour de France for free with ExpressVPN. A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a money-back guarantee.
For anyone curious about how tough the Tour de France really is, we recommend checking out Tour de France: Unchained on Netflix. It provides an up-close account of what these cyclists go through. It's incredible, and looks absolutely tortuous.
The conclusion you quickly reach is that it's much better to be sat at home, watching these incredible athletes put their bodies through hell. This is where we can help. If you're interested in watching the Tour de France for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
What is the Tour de France?
The Tour de France is an annual men's multi-stage bicycle race held in France (and occasionally passing through nearby countries). This prestigious race is the oldest of the Grand Tours, and consists of 21 stages taking place over the course of 23 days.
The reigning champion is Jonas Vingegaard.
When is the Tour de France?
The first stage of the Tour de France starts from Bilbao (Spain) on July 1. Riders will complete one stage every day over the span of three weeks, except for two rest days on July 10 and July 17. The race will conclude on the Champs-Élysées on July 23.
How to watch the Tour de France for free
The good news is that cycling fans from around the world can watch this year's Tour de France for free. That's because free streaming of the famous race is being offered by these countries:
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Belgium — RTBF
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France — France TV
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UK — ITVX
There's just one problem: You'll be blocked by these streaming platforms if you try to connect from outside the country.
Fortunately, you get around this geo-restriction is with a VPN. These popular cybersecurity services can hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in another country, meaning you can unblock streaming sites from around the world. That might sound complicated, but the process is actually really simple.
Livestream the Tour de France for free from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
-
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that is offering free streaming of the Tour de France (Belgium, France, or UK)
-
Connect to your preferred streaming platform (RTBF, France TV, or ITVX)
-
Watch the Tour de France from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for unblocking streaming sites are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials and money-back guarantees. By using these offers, you can watch the Tour de France without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but you have plenty of time to watch the Tour de France without actually spending anything.
What is the best VPN for streaming the Tour de France?
Multiple VPNs can reliably unblock streaming sites from around the world, but ExpressVPN is the top choice. ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming sport, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 94 countries
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to five simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82, saving you 49% on list price. This discounted plan includes an extra three months of coverage and a year of unlimited cloud backup for free. Subscribers also get a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can watch the Tour de France and then recover your investment after the race has concluded.
Watch the Tour de France for free with ExpressVPN.
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'Quordle' today: Here are the answers and hints for June 26
If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need.
What is Quordle?
Quordle is a five-letter word guessing game similar to Wordle, except each guess applies letters to four words at the same time. You get nine guesses instead of six to correctly guess all four words. It looks like playing four Wordle games at the same time, and that is essentially what it is. But it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds.
Is Quordle harder than Wordle?
Yes, though not diabolically so.
Where did Quordle come from?
Amid the Wordle boom of late 2021 and early 2022, when everyone was learning to love free, in-browser, once-a-day word guessing games, creator Freddie Meyer says he took inspiration from one of the first big Wordle variations, Dordle — the one where you essentially play two Wordles at once. He took things up a notch, and released Quordle on January 30. Meyer's creation was covered in The Guardian six days later, and now, according to Meyer, it attracts millions of daily users. Today, Meyer earns modest revenue from Patreon, where dedicated Quordle fans can donate to keep their favorite puzzle game running.
How is Quordle pronounced?
“Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like "curdle.”
Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?
Yes and no.
Your starting strategy should be the same as with Wordle. In fact, if you have a favorite Wordle opening word, there’s no reason to change that here. We suggest something rich in vowels, featuring common letters like C, R, and N. But you do you.
After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle.
What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?
Solving a Wordle puzzle can famously come down to a series of single letter-change variations. If you’ve narrowed it down to “-IGHT,” you could guess “MIGHT” “NIGHT” “LIGHT” and “SIGHT” and one of those will probably be the solution — though this is also a famous way to end up losing in Wordle, particularly if you play on “hard mode.” In Quordle, however, this sort of single-letter winnowing is a deadly trap, and it hints at the important strategic difference between Wordle and Quordle: In Quordle, you can't afford to waste guesses unless you're eliminating as many letters as possible at all times.
Guessing a completely random word that you already know isn't the solution, just to eliminate three or four possible letters you haven’t tried yet, is thought of as a desperate, latch-ditch move in Wordle. In Quordle, however, it's a normal part of the player's strategic toolset.
Is there a way to get the answer faster?
In my experience Quordle can be a slow game, sometimes dragging out longer than it would take to play Wordle four times. But a sort of blunt-force guessing approach can speed things up. The following strategy also works with Wordle if you only want the solution, and don’t care about having the fewest possible guesses:
Try starting with a series of words that puts all the vowels (including Y) on the board, along with some other common letters. We've had good luck with the three words: “NOTES,” “ACRID,” and “LUMPY.” YouTuber DougMansLand suggests four words: “CANOE,” “SKIRT,” “PLUMB,” and “FUDGY.”
Most of the alphabet is now eliminated, and you’ll only have the ability to make one or two wrong guesses if you use this strategy. But in most cases you’ll have all the information you need to guess the remaining words without any wrong guesses.
If strategy isn't helping, and you're still stumped, here are some hints:
Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?
No.
Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?
No.
What do today’s Quordle words start with?
S, R, I, and O.
What are the answers for today’s Quordle?
Are you sure you want to know?
There’s still time to turn back.
OK, you asked for it. The answers are:
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SCARE
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RIGHT
-
IRATE
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ORBIT
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Best High-Yield Savings Accounts for College Students - CNET
Students can get a jumpstart on their savings with one of these no-fee savings accounts.from CNET https://ift.tt/slHb1vm
USA vs. Jamaica Livestream: How to Watch CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 Soccer From Anywhere - CNET
The USMNT kick off their CONCACAF Gold Cup title defense against the Reggae Boyz at Soldier Field.from CNET https://ift.tt/ydreUb2
EV Battery Swaps: Now as Fast as Filling Your Tank - CNET
Startup Ample's new robotic swapping stations can change a battery in five minutes.from CNET https://ift.tt/rc18zpj
Marvel Netflix and others drop out of SDCC
With the ongoing WGA strike and the looming SAG-AFTRA strike (if agreements aren't reached by June 30), San Diego Comic-Con will look a lot different this year. If actors join writers and showrunners in striking, that means they won't be sitting on panels — and as such, studios are pulling out of the con.
Marvel, Lucas Films and their parent company Disney aren't planning any SDCC panels, Variety reported. Netflix, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and HBO are also sitting out the con, which is scheduled to begin July 19.
Others have a "wait and see" attitude. NBC, for instance, will only hold its panels if there's no actors strike (though that may not be the case for its streaming service, Peacock). Warner Bros. apparently hasn't made a decision, but its streaming service Max will apparently bring animation titles to SDCC. The same is true for Paramount Pictures and a panel for the upcoming animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Apple, meanwhile, hasn't said whether it will go forward with its panels, according to Variety. Amazon plans to have "some" kind of presence, with The Boys: Gen V and the next season of The Wheel of Time slated for this fall.
"With regard to the strike and its possible effects on Comic-Con, we tend to refrain from speculation or forecasting," an SDCC spokesperson told Variety in a statement. "I will say, our hope is for a speedy resolution that will prove beneficial to all parties and allow everyone to continue the work they love. Until then, we continue to diligently work on our summer event in the hopes of making it as fun, educational, and celebratory as in years past."
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Saturday, 24 June 2023
Online misinformation runs rampant during coup attempt in Russia
The potential coup attempt in Russia by a paramilitary organization may already be over, but the misinformation sure did flow during the breaking global event.
On Friday, news quickly spread that the Kremlin-aligned private army known as Wagner Group, led by "Putin's chef" Yevgeny Prigozhin, was leaving the war in Ukraine and marching towards Moscow. This breaking news caught many by surprise, and people flocked to social media in an effort to make sense of what appeared to be a coup attempt.
However, with information sparse as events in Russia were still unfolding, misinformation and wild speculation ran rampant online, showing that modern day social media and internet news sources are still highly flawed and lacking.
A major issue with this particular event is that many of the most popular platforms in the country aren't ones that get much use in the western world. Telegram, for example, is extremely popular in non-English speaking countries like Russia. Much of the breaking news surrounding the coup attempt was first being posted there, and in Russian.
English speakers not only had to understand the language, but be familiar with which Telegram channels were legitimate sources of information. Due to lackadaisical moderation on the platform, many English-language users that are on Telegram tend to be far right-wingers and biased towards Putin's regime. These accounts are not the best sources of information, if they even have any actual on-the-ground info to begin with.
Much of what flowed on Telegram eventually did make its way to English-speaking users in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere via Twitter. And that poses yet another problem. Since Elon Musk acquired the platform, Twitter has gone through changes that don't exactly bode well for it as an invaluable breaking news resource like it once was.
For example, prior to Musk, the blue checkmark meant that a user was verified by Twitter as the journalist or expert that the individual claimed they were. Remember, the purpose of the checkmark was to make sure these users couldn't be impersonated. Now, however, anyone who pays $8 per month for Twitter's premium subscription service, Twitter Blue, gets a blue checkmark.
Furthermore, those paid blue checkmark users now get priority placement in Twitter's For You feed algorithm, and in the replies to other users' tweets. And, echoing the issue on Telegram, many Twitter Blue subscribers are not far, ideologically speaking, from the Putin regime.
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)
"It's probably not good that during a major breaking news event, the ongoing Wagner mutiny in Russia, the majority of viral false and misleading claims are from accounts with Twitter Blue subscription, whose posts are promoted by Twitter's algorithm," observed Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist that covers disinformation and conspiracy theories at BBC Verify.
The issues on Twitter became so obvious that they quickly even became meme-fodder on the platform. For example, many blue checkmark users began spreading information in long tweet threads about the Russian coup, regardless of the fact that they had no expertise on the matter.
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)
It also didn't help that Elon Musk, who owns the platform and has more than 144 million followers, decided not to use his reach to promote experts or journalists on the ground. Instead, Musk deemed a cryptocurrency and tech entrepreneur who hosts larger Twitter Spaces audio chats, the provider of the "best coverage of the situation," and referred his followers to their account.
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)
And unfortunately for those most affected, like people living in Russia, online information was hard to come by as well. Internet observatory NetBlocks reported that the country's major telecommunications providers were blocking users from accessing Google's popular news aggregator, Google News.
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Wagner Group now appears to have reversed course and will no longer march towards Moscow. Instead, the paramilitary group will join the Kremlin and again turn their focus to Ukraine, the country that Russia has invaded, to continue a war that has been subjected to its own disinformation campaigns. However, this potential coup, which lasted less than 24 hours, put a big spotlight on how the internet may be worse off than ever before when it comes to spreading accurate information during breaking global news events.
from Mashable https://ift.tt/jYMXm0a