Pages sharing fake news on Facebook have been banned advertising
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Facebook continues its fight against the spread of misinformation with another important step to defeat those pages which promote it. If the platform identifies a page which is constantly sharing fake news, it will no longer allow it to buy ads.
If you share fake news, you can no longer advertise
Facebook is serious in its fight against fake news, so it improved its method of detecting them. Therefore, the platform is currently collaborating with several third-party organizations which perform fact-checking, and flag those pages and stories which promote false stories.
When such a page is detected, Facebook will ban it from advertising. In fact, the platform’s rules already prevent ads from promoting fake stories. Now, the ban moves further, and any page known to spread misinformation will no longer be able to promote any kind of ad.
Pages sharing false stories should no longer make money out of it
Facebook knows how fake news easily get viral. One person sharing a false story is enough to trick many others into thinking it is true, then leading to it spreading everywhere. This kind of news can also reach people more easily through ads, and Facebook doesn’t want this to happen anymore.
Therefore, one shared fake story is enough for a page to be refused advertising. Also, Facebook wants to stop these pages from earning money from fake news. However, if their ‘behavior’ starts improving, and they stop sharing these kinds of stories, the pages in question might be eligible for regaining permission to advertise.
Facebook’s strategies against fake news have gained rise since the 2016 US Presidential Election, when plenty of false information was given to people. Since then, its methods have improved. The platform also issued some campaigns where people were taught how to spot fake news, and how to flag them. Facebook condemns these pages, and blames them for the people’s lack of knowledge and information.
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Google has just launched the 8th Android version, Android Oreo
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Google has just announced the long-awaited Android 8 OS. As many speculations indicated, the operating system bears the name Oreo. As the company has promised, the system brought several upgrades to the already existing features, as well as brand new options. All of them make Android Oreo safer and Android Nougat, and offer a better user experience.
The major novelty in Android Oreo is probably Project Treble. This is an exciting option which makes it possible for manufacturers to create and deliver updates more quickly. Before, the process was a bit more complicated, as Google delivered code to the processor makers, and then it got to the phone manufacturers.
Another interesting feature is Rescue Party. This allows devices running Android Oreo to recover if they constantly crash, or if an app gives them a hard time. Rescue Party continue running the devices even after rebooting, to see if they have a chance to recover.
This can happen for five times and, if the device is still not working, the user is encouraged to send it back for a reboot. Also, devices with Android Oreo will boot faster. Tests show the booting actually takes place twice as fast as it took place in Android Nougat.
Redesign and improved features with Android Oreo
Although this is not a major change, Android Oreo also gets a redesign and a more neatly-looking interface. Users will gain more access from the navigation bar, as well as features like magnification. Also, they will be able to share files more quickly using web links.
The menu gets easier to use, as the OS will support tooltips. These are, in fact, pop-ups which describe apps and other items in the menu, displaying a short text when you tap them. However, the best thing is probably the fact that users no longer have to download certain apps, as they can open them directly from the browser.
Among other features, there is Picture in Picture, where you can view two apps at the same time, better battery life, better performance, several brand new emojis, or greatly improved security features.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nintendo Switch was the best selling console of July
(Mirror Daily, United States) – The NPD Group has just released the report for July 2017 regarding console sales. As you might have probably expected, the best selling console of the month is Nintendo Switch. This huge success is given mostly by the fact that Nintendo provided stores with more units. Also, Splatoon 2 might have also had an important contribution.
Nintendo Switch won the supremacy on the console market in July. The company wanted to prevent stores from running out of their Switch supplies, so they were bombarded with more units. These greatly satisfied the huge demand, propelling the console at the top. Splatoon 2 also became the best selling game of the month, and it paired perfectly with the unending Switch supply.
When comparing hardware sales in July 2017 with those from July 2016, the NPD Group noticed a huge increase. Mat Piscatella, an NPD analyst, explained how this increase was mostly caused by Switch and PS4 sales. Switch managed to become the top selling console in July, but the overall supremacy in 2017 is owned by PS4. The analyst didn’t mention anything regarding Xbox sales.
The big increase in hardware sales was given by Switch’s popularity
This year on average, hardware sales have reached around $1.6 billion so far. According to the NPD Group, this was given mostly by the sudden increase in Nintendo Switch sales. This constituted an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous years.
The same report also looked at the sale increase in the Accessories and Gamecards category. Each year, this category grew by 9 percent, until it reached an increase of $129 million. This happened after Switch and Xbox One accessories also reached top sales. In fact, gamepads were the best selling item for both consoles.
Even if Nintendo Switch might not turn into the best selling console of the year, it still managed to make great achievements in terms of both sales and performance. The company knew how to provide it with the most desired games, and offered fans just what they wanted.
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Google Play promotes apps with a good performance on Google Play
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Google will soon roll out a change on its Play Store which will help those apps with good ranking. More precisely, those which perform better will receive some sort of a privileged status, and will be favored in the Store over those with a poor performance.
Pushing the best-ranked apps on top of the Play Store list
Google wants to help users find the best apps out there, so the company is going to promote those apps with a good performance. More precisely, those apps which rarely crash and don’t consume too much of your battery will appear on top. At the same time, the others which have many reported bugs and an overall poorer performance will be somewhere lower on the list.
This is also a great move for the good apps, as they get a better exposure and an increasing number of users. Also, it should get the developers motivated to keep them up-to-date and less buggy. Google came up with this idea after finding out about half of those apps with a one-star rating have issues with stability.
Now poor apps get the chance to be improved
Also, this method of ranking is directed towards the other developers as well. If one of their apps gets poor ratings, and then gets pushed down in the Play Store as well, they might get motivated to solve the issues and maybe, in the end, reach the top of the list.
Google will thoroughly develop a system of quality signals. They will take into account several factors, including battery drainage, number of crashes, number of uninstalls, and many others, and give a ranking to the app. Any other details haven’t been released yet.
The company has already started rolling out this feature to some users, and the result have been relevant. Now, it hopes this algorithm will help users find the best apps, uninstall them less often, and never experience serious performance problems again.
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Killing Floor 2 will be released for Xbox, but not at full quality
(Mirror Daily, United States) – After coming as a PlayStation and PC exclusive title, Xbox One will receive the fierce first-person shooter Killing Floor 2. However, contrary to the expectations, it won’t be featured as a native 4K on Xbox’s brand new console, Xbox One X.
Killing Floor 2 coming to Xbox
In November 2016, Killing Floor 2 was released for PlayStation 4 and PC. The game received a warm welcome, as players enjoyed fighting for their life in a first-person shooter. Now, Xbox players can also enjoy the experience of fighting zombie-like creatures, starting August 29th.
The Xbox edition will be available for $39.99. It will come in a special pack, featuring both the original game and all the other packs released previously. These are The Summer Sideshow, The Descent, and The Tropical Bash.
Before the official announcement, the developer, Tripwire Interactive, revealed they were working on certain improvements for the Xbox One X version of Killing Floor 2. Among these improvements, they mentioned 4K support.
The game won’t run at 4K on Xbox’s latest console
However, some time after, they declared that the game won’t actually run at full quality on the powerful console. Therefore, if you are planning to play Killing Floor 2 at 4K, you will have to stick to PC as the only option available for such a quality.
The developers felt the need to explain themselves. They had indeed experimenting with rendering 4K on the latest console. However, they noticed how the frame rate drop could prevent players from enjoying a truly entertaining experience. Therefore, 1800p would provide a balance between graphics and gaming on Xbox One.
When it comes to Xbox One X, they didn’t specify any frame rate, but it will be higher than that available for Xbox One. Even so, Killing Floor 2 offers enough goodies and surprises to attract the attention of Xbox gamers.
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Pokemon Go Fest went bad, and players got so angry that they sued Niantic
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Niantic wanted to celebrate one year of Pokemon Go in a special way, but the company’s attempt was some sort of a disaster. The special event it organized should have given players the chance to collect rare Pokemon. Instead, it ended in many connection problems and Niantic offering refunds and other compensations. However, players think this wasn’t enough, and want to sue the company.
Players took legal action against Niantic
Since the Pokemon Go anniversary event was so disastrous, Niantic offered to give people refunds and game goodies to compensate for their failed experience. However, some of them felt like they deserved more, and decided to sue the company.
Jonathan Norton has already filed a lawsuit against Niantic. He declared that the company lured people with special Pokemon and other in-game rewards, but they didn’t receive anything. These promises were exactly the things which convinced so many players to join the event.
The Pokemon Go Fest went quite bad, and players were furious
In case you’re not aware of what had happened, here’s a brief description. Last weekend, on Pokemon Go Fest, Niantic promised to offered people the chance to catch tons of unique Pokemons. Instead, they received plenty of connection issues, so it’s understandable why they got upset.
After Norton decided to file the lawsuit, some other participants also decided to join him. However, they didn’t mention what compensation they are looking for. Some of them came from far away, so they had to spend money on their trip and accommodation. However, their attempt might seek more than that.
Niantic didn’t leave disappointed players like that. As mentioned above, the company refunded their tickets and offered them money to use in the game. It even went that far to spare them the effort to catch a Legendary Pokemon and offered them Lugia for free. However, some players were not content, and took legal actions against the company.
Image Source: Pixabay
The Redirect Method keep people away from watching propaganda videos
(Mirror Daily, United States) – YouTube is actively fighting against terrorism and extremism, and is constantly finding new ways to combat it. On Thursday, the platform announced a new method to take down online propaganda, which is also known as Redirect Method.
YouTube found a way to prevent people from watching propaganda videos. This way is inspired from the Redirect Method powered by Jigsaw. According to the keywords a person uses, the video streaming platform will counter extremism and terrorism by offering other kinds of suggestions.
The Redirect Method keeps people from viewing propaganda videos on YouTube
More precisely, if people search for videos displaying propaganda or extremist content, they will be redirected to something different. This method identifies the terrorism-related keywords and offers users other video suggestions. These suggestions include mainly anti-extremism videos which teach people not to fall the victims of propaganda.
The Redirect Method has been created by Google’s Jigsaw, together with Valens Global, Quantum Communications, and Moonshot CVE. Through it, companies are trying to understand how online propaganda works, and how extremists use technology to reach and recruit more people. Also, the Redirect Method is a means of persuading people to stay away from terrorism.
Companies withdrew their paid ads from YouTube due to extremist content on the platform
Online propaganda is an important issue, as it is the easiest way to bring recruits from all social categories. It has even reached YouTube and other important streaming platforms, which have already suffered in terms of profitability.
Many important companies chose to withdraw their ads after finding out some of them are displayed in videos with extremist content. This is only one of the reasons why companies stop investing in advertisements on the platform, but it’s probably the most prominent one. Among those which stopped collaborating with YouTube are L’Oreal, Marks and Spencer, or McDonald’s.
Image Source: Pixabay
Amazon wants to enter the social network business with Spark
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Amazon wants all shopping addicts to stay in touch, so the company decided to launch its own social network, Spark. This network is meant to bring all Amazon users together, and make it easier for them to find more people with the same interests.
Spark brings together shoppers with the same interests
Amazon decided that people who like shopping should have a place of their own to socialize and exchange ideas. Therefore, it came up with the idea of creating a social network called Spark. Here, people should be able to ask for advice regarding places where they can buy certain items, decoration or household ideas, or merely talk to other shoppers who like the same things.
The first time you access Spark, you will have to fill in a list of interests. Then, based on this list, Amazon will show you relevant posts and custom content coming from other customers who share your interests. You can even communicate with these people, by commenting on their posts or even by just sending them smiles.
You can also buy products directly from your feed
Apart from stories, customers can also share products. These products are available for sale on Amazon, and you can purchase them by just tapping on them. Those you can buy are market by an icon of a shopping bag placed next to them. You can post your own stories, or share whatever products you like from the field placed on top of your feed.
There’s no easy business to launch an entirely new social network. However, Spark is easy to use, and comes embedded into the Amazon app. Rumors say the company might be working on a new social app, namely a messaging service called Anytime. Amazon seems to be determined to occupy a place among social media companies, and is doing everything it takes to get there.
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The panic button should help you exit quickly any shady link you access
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Many smartphone users fell victims to all sorts of hackings while tapping on weird links or downloading questionable apps without thinking twice. Google wants to avoid such situations, and again comes to the help of Android users with a solution: a panic button.
How should this panic button work?
XDA-Developers and Bleeping Computer explained how Google wanted to help users which access malicious links, since it happens to the best of us. The company was planning to add a panic button to Android 7.1 which, upon tapping it, lets you make an emergency exit and escape danger.
Therefore, as soon as you realize something’s not right with the link you have just accessed, you can immediately get out of there. The panic button functions in the following way. As soon as you get alarmed, tap the back button four times. Then, Android enters in panic mode and exits all open apps. Therefore, you can still escape even if the app is threatening to take control of everything.
Smartphones are often targeted by hackers
This idea came just in time, since the danger is real. In April, a security firm discovered several hundred apps from the Play Store came with vulnerabilities, which made Android phones a sure target for hackers. It wasn’t the first time when this happened, and it won’t probably be the last time either.
Unfortunately for careless users, you cannot use the panic button yet. Google is either testing it at the moment, or maybe is waiting for a better time to launch it. Even so, there might be quite plenty of time until the company decided to roll the feature out. In the meantime, you can try to be a little more careful to what links you access, and avoid making your phone vulnerable to hackers.
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Play with Blocks and create 3D objects which you can insert into your VR games
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Google got really involved in the VR business, and is planning to make it easier for everybody to build their own 3D universe they have been only dreaming of. Blocks is a new app which allows you to create 3D objects right into virtual reality.
Your own 3D universe is just several clicks away
Have you always thought of drawing your own 3D world, but never got the chance or means to do it? Now Google wants to make it happen, and everything for free. Blocks is already available for the VR equipment Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
The app will resemble Quill, released by Oculus Story Studio, or Google’s other creative tool Tilt Brush. What is different about Blocks is that final creations won’t look like brushwork. As the name says, the objects will be blocky and will resemble Legos.
Blocks lets you be as creative as you like
You’ve never worked with 3D modelling? You shouldn’t worry, as Google announced the tool is easy to use, and requires no previous experience with other modelling tools. It should make you feel like you are playing, so nothing gets too complicated.
Also, if you feel that you lack inspiration, Blocks offers you some starting palettes and colors. You don’t start from a blank screen which then you should fill. Feel free to be as creative as it gets but, if you reached a dead end, you can always take a look at what other people have created, and maybe pick up some hints for what you should be doing next.
Once you’re done, you can take your object and insert it into a VR or AR game. If you want to show it to your friends, you can capture it in a GIF and image and keep it as a memory of your efforts. Even if you don’t want to integrate your creations into VR, Blocks might be a fun app which lets you be creative.
Image Source: Vimeo