YouTube update gives users more insight and control over recommendations

YouTube today announced a series of changes designed to give users more control over what videos appear on the Homepage and in its Up Next suggestions — the latter which are typically powered by an algorithm. The company also says it will offer more visibility to users as to why they’re being shown a recommended video — a peek into the YouTube algorithm that wasn’t before possible.

One new feature is designed to make it easier to explore topics and related videos from both the YouTube Homepage and in the Up Next video section. The app will now display personalized suggestions based on what videos are related to those you’re watching, videos published by the channel you’re watching, or others that YouTube thinks will be of interest.

This feature is rolling out to signed-in users in English on the YouTube app for Android and will be available on iOS, desktop and other languages soon, the company says.

If YouTube’s suggestions aren’t right — and they often aren’t — users will now be able to access controls that explicitly tell the service to stop suggesting videos from a particular channel.

This will be available from the three-dot menu next to a video on the Homepage or Up Next. From there, you’ll click “Don’t recommend channel.” From that point forward, no videos from that channel will be shown.

However, you’ll still be able to see the videos if you Subscribe, do a search for them, or visit the Channel page directly — they aren’t being hidden from you entirely, in other words. The videos may also still appear on the Trending tab, at times.

This feature is available globally now on the YouTube app for Android and iOS starting today, and will be available on desktop soon.

Lastly, and perhaps most notably, YouTube is giving users slight visibility into how its algorithm works.

Before, people may not have understood why certain videos were recommended to them. Another new feature will detail the reasons why a video made the list.

Now, underneath a video suggestion, YouTube will say why it was selected.

“Sometimes, we recommend videos from channels you haven’t seen before based on what other viewers with similar interests have liked and watched in the past,” explains the company in its announcement. ” Our goal is to explain why these videos surface on your homepage in order to help you find videos from new channels you might like,” says YouTube.

For example, the explanation might say that viewers who also watch one of your favorite channels also watch the channel that the video recommendation is coming from.

YouTube’s algorithm is likely far more complex than just “viewers who like this also like that,” but it’s a start, at least.

This feature is launching globally on the YouTube app for iOS today, and will be available on Android and desktop soon.

The changes come at a time when YouTube — and other large social media companies — are under pressure from government regulators over how they manage their platforms. Beyond issues around privacy and security, the spread of hate speech and disinformation, platform providers are also being criticized for their reliance on opaque algorithms that determine what is shown to their end users.

YouTube, in particular, came under fire for how its own Recommendations algorithm was leveraged by child predators in the creation of pedophilia wormhole. YouTube responded by shutting off the comments on kids’ videos where the criminals were sharing timestamps. But it stopped there.

“The company refused to turn off recommendations on videos featuring young children in leotards and bathing suits even after researchers demonstrated YouTube’s algorithm was recommending these videos to pedophiles,” wrote consumer advocacy groups in a letter to the FTC this week, urging the agency to take action against YouTube to protect children.

The FTC hasn’t commented on its investigation, as per policy, but confirmed it received the letter.

Explaining to end users how Recommendations work is only part of the problem.

The other issue that YouTube’s algorithm can end up creating “filter bubbles,” which can lead users to down dark paths, at times.

For instance, a recent story in The New York Times detailed how a person who came to YouTube for self-help videos was increasingly shown ever more radical and extremist content, thanks to the algorithm’s recommendations which pointed him to right-wing commentary, then to conspiracy videos, and finally racist content.

The ability to explicitly silence some YouTube recommendations may help those who care enough to control their experience, but won’t likely solve the problem of those who just follow the algorithm’s suggestions. However, if YouTube were to eventually use this as a new signal — a downvote of sorts — it could influence the algorithm in other more subtle ways.

 

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Oppo shows first under-screen camera in bid to eliminated the hated notch

Ever since the notch was first added to smartphones, everyone in the world except the deeply deluded and my editor have wished it gone. Oppo has done it — or at least shown that it can be done — with a demonstration unit at Mobile World Congress in Shanghai. iPhone users can console themselves that Oppo kind of sounds like Apple.

Oppo and Xiaomi both teased their upcoming under-screen cameras in recent weeks, but it’s one thing to put out a video and quite another to show a working model to the public. And Oppo’s device was unmistakably present in Shanghai.

Unfortunately, if you were hoping that the first device would knock it out of the park… not quite. Eyes-on photos and impressions from Engadget China show that the transparent LCD used to cover the camera assembly is, or can be, noticeably different from its surroundings. Of course the team there was trying to capture it, and from straight on when you’re not looking for it this effect may not be particularly pronounced. But it’s there.

The camera itself, since it loses a lot of incoming light to the LCD layer, has a larger sensor with bigger pixels on it to better capture that light. This suggests a lower resolution for the unit than other front-facing cameras, and obviously shooting through an extra layer will reduce sharpness and increase artifacting. Oppo says it is working on reducing these in software, but there’s only so much you can do. The sample photos don’t look so hot.

It’s not going to set the world on fire, but Oppo’s less visible camera is a step towards a notchless future, and that I can support. No word on when it’ll actually be available for purchase, or in what models — perhaps Xiaomi will take the opportunity to announce its under-screen camera with a few more of the relevant details.

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Oppo shows first under-screen camera in bid to eliminated the hated notch

Ever since the notch was first added to smartphones, everyone in the world except the deeply deluded and my editor have wished it gone. Oppo has done it — or at least shown that it can be done — with a demonstration unit at Mobile World Congress in Shanghai. iPhone users can console themselves that Oppo kind of sounds like Apple.

Oppo and Xiaomi both teased their upcoming under-screen cameras in recent weeks, but it’s one thing to put out a video and quite another to show a working model to the public. And Oppo’s device was unmistakably present in Shanghai.

Unfortunately, if you were hoping that the first device would knock it out of the park… not quite. Eyes-on photos and impressions from Engadget China show that the transparent LCD used to cover the camera assembly is, or can be, noticeably different from its surroundings. Of course the team there was trying to capture it, and from straight on when you’re not looking for it this effect may not be particularly pronounced. But it’s there.

The camera itself, since it loses a lot of incoming light to the LCD layer, has a larger sensor with bigger pixels on it to better capture that light. This suggests a lower resolution for the unit than other front-facing cameras, and obviously shooting through an extra layer will reduce sharpness and increase artifacting. Oppo says it is working on reducing these in software, but there’s only so much you can do. The sample photos don’t look so hot.

It’s not going to set the world on fire, but Oppo’s less visible camera is a step towards a notchless future, and that I can support. No word on when it’ll actually be available for purchase, or in what models — perhaps Xiaomi will take the opportunity to announce its under-screen camera with a few more of the relevant details.

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Verizon gets FCC approval for a 60 day network lockdown on new phones

Verizon (disclosure: the company that owns the company that owns TC) celebrated an FCC victory this week, as the agency approved a request for a temporary network lockdown on new phones.

The carrier request the feature in February as part of a “safety check period.” The ruling presents a kind of temporary waiver on an FCC dating back to 2008. As the agency auctioned off the C block of the 700MHz spectrum to the carrier, it put a ruling in place requiring it to keep unlocked devices open to all compatible carriers.

This year Verizon argued successfully that this presents a security loophole and that a two-month waiting period would effectively help it implement a kind of fraud safety check. The company argued back in February that offering all phones unlocked upon sale has led to theft that impacts customers at a rate of around 7,000 a month.

“As a result of this activity, these customers have to deal with the inconvenience and hassle of identity theft, and Verizon sustains financial losses,” the company wrote. “While we actively work with law enforcement to stop this growing trend, it’s time that we take a stand to protect our customers.”

The FCC agreed. “This limited waiver will not undermine the underlying policy objectives of the handset unlocking rule and will, in fact, better serve the public interest,” the ruling reads. “The locking rule was adopted to enable consumers to migrate from one service provider to another on compatible networks. Allowing handsets to be locked for 60 days will not interfere significantly with this policy objective.”

Verizon says the waiting period is set to go into effect “very soon.”

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TransferWise’s new debit card for the US fires the starting gun on a new war for travelers

International money transfer service TransferWise, has made a significant incursion into the US market today, launching a MasterCard debit card alongside a multicurrency account. Mirroring the card it has already launched in the UK and Europe last year, the card will work in over 40 currencies without balance limits, and conversion fees will be competitive with current exchange rates. A similar card aimed at businesses will follow the consumer launch.

Co-founder Taavet Hinrikus told me that the card effectively makes the average person able to act like a millionaire when they are traveling. “Alternative ‘travel’ cards are four times more expensive for every dollar spent and are only available to the top 10% of people who pass credit checks and also pay hundreds of dollars per year,” he said.

He believes this card will democratize the whole market. That means it’s likely that US tourists in Europe or elsewhere will be hugely attracted to this card because they will be charged as if they were a local person, in the local currencies, without all the normal fees.

Transferwise is also pushing an immigration angle to the launch featuring Tan France (pictured), star of “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy”.

Key features of the account and debit card include international bank details for the UK, the US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, meaning account and routing numbers that are unique to the account holder. Additionally, if a holder swipes a card in a currency they don’t have in their account, the card knows to choose the cheapest option from their available balances. The card is also free to get, with now no subscription, no sign-up fees, and no monthly maintenance fee. Holders can also freeze/unfreeze the card from the Transferwise app and receive push notifications every time they spend. It will also sync with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

Hinrikus added: “Our goal is to offer bank details for every country in the world through one account — the world’s first global account — and we’re starting with five of the world’s top currencies. The 40-currency debit card completes the package, so we’re excited to be releasing the card in the US.

Earlier this year TransferWise said it was now valued at $3.5 billion after closing a $292 million secondary funding round. In November it reported an annual post-tax net profit of $8 million for the year ending March 2018. At the time it said it had five million users transacting $5 billion across its platform a month.

While Transferwise competes with the smaller Revolut and WorldRemit, as well as incumbents like Western Union and MoneyGram, with the launch of this new card it will also be breathing down the neck of Paypal.

Its investors include Old Mutual, Institutional Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Lead Edge Capital, Lone Pine Capital, Vitruvian Partners, BlackRock, Valar Ventures, Baillie Gifford, PayPal founder Max Levchin, and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, among others.

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The 7 Best Sports Management Games You Can Play Today

Sports management games are big business. Several of the genre’s leading titles are listed among the most successful game franchises of all time.

The problem is sorting the wheat from the chaff, as there are good and bad titles out there. Here are the best sports management games you can play today.

1. Football Manager 2019

Football Manager is one of the world’s best-known sports manager games. Originally called Championship Manager, the franchise’s first title hit the shelves in 1992. Each annual release is consistently one of the best-selling PC games of the year, especially in Europe.

In the 2019 edition, users can take charge of teams from 116 leagues across 51 nations. There’s also a mountain of community-made content that adds more leagues, players, staff, and clubs.

New features in 2019 include a revamped training tool, a new tactics module, the introduction of VAR (video assistant referee), and—for the first time in a decade—a fully licensed German Bundesliga.

Buy: Football Manager 2019 on Steam ($49.99)

2. Tennis Elbow Manager 2

Tennis Elbow Manager 2 sees you assume the dual role of a tennis coach and a tennis player. As a coach, you can manage up to nine players. The aim is to get one of them to the world number one spot, then keep them there.

The depth of the game is impressive. It features more than 3,500 players (starting in 1973 in the men’s game and 1983 in the women’s game) with careers progressing up to 2042. The game also offers more than 400 global tennis tournaments from the ATP and WTA tours, and junior tours.

As a coach, you need to plan training sessions, bring in sponsors, organize your team members’ schedules, and more. If you want, you can even play in the games yourself. The game has a complete 3D match engine.

Buy: Tennis Elbow Manager 2 on Steam ($29.99)

3. Out of the Park Baseball 20

Out of the Park is to baseball what Football Manager is to soccer. The stats-driven game lets you assume control of your favorite baseball franchise and lead the team to glory.

The game is licensed by the MLB, MiLB and the MLBPA, so you’re going to see up-to-date rosters, real players, logos, staffs, and team names. When playing the game, you can either take control of a team from the current season or dig through 150 years of baseball history and assume control of one of the many classic teams.

New features in the latest release include a revitalized 3D match engine, the ability to start a new game based on the current real-life mid-season league positions, and four new international leagues (Germany, France, Spain, and the Czech Republic) with real teams and players.

Buy: Out of the Park Baseball 20 on Steam ($39.99)

4. ESport Manager

There’s something very meta about a computer game in which you manage people playing computer games. It’s certainly a sports simulation game with a difference.

In ESport Manager, you create a team of players then take responsibility for their training, social media presence, sponsorship contracts, and overall development. You also have a training base that you can improve with new facilities, training tools, and buildings.

All of the esport competitions you will play in revolve around first-person shooter (FPS) and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) gameplay. Ahead of each competition, you need to prepare your tactics, select your weapons, and pick your players.

We know it won’t be everyone’s ideal game, but for anyone interested in esports, it’s a fun way to spend a few hours.

NB: MOBA is one of the niche video game genres worth playing.

Buy: ESport Manager on Steam ($9.99)

5. Rugby League Team Manager 2018

Rugby League Team Manager 2018 is in the same mold as Football Manager and Out of the Park Baseball. It’s primarily a stats-driven game in which you can manage your favorite rugby league sides from around the world.

The game is licensed by the most significant leagues in both hemispheres, meaning you can control 226 clubs, have access to 7,000 senior players and 2,000 alliance players, and can play in official domestic and international competitions. You also have complete control over your staff and can upgrade your stadium and training facilities.

The latest 2018 version of the game includes a new 3D match engine, a new player progression system, better training options, and more in-depth club finances.

Buy: Rugby League Team Manager 2018 on Steam ($39.99)

6. Motorsport Manager

Motorsport Manager has been available since 2016, but it’s still comfortably the best F1 management simulation game on the market. It’s arguably the finest game in the sector since MicroProse released the timeless Grand Prix Manager 2 in 1996.

The only downside is that the game does not have official licensing, but if you can look past that, it’s a game that racing fans will love.

You are responsible for an entire motorsport team, including all the staff, the R&D process, and in-race strategies.

Some of the extra downloadable content is worth buying. There’s an endurance series add-on and a GT racing add-on.

Buy: Motorsport Manager on Steam ($34.99)

7. Total Extreme Wrestling

We could recommend some newer games, but if you’re a fan of the WWE and enjoy playing the best sports management games, Total Extreme Wrestling is a sure-fire winner.

Don’t let the slightly cheesy graphics fool you; this is a full-featured game that can sustain you for months.

The goal is to build a wrestling company from the ground up; there are hundreds of wrestlers to choose from, and their stats develop over time. You’re responsible for booking events, you can influence the storylines, develop the prestige of a belt, work with referees and announcers, and enjoy dozens of different match types.

Backstage characters are also supported, and there’s a character editor for additional customization.

Buy: Total Extreme Wrestling on Steam ($19.99)

Share Your Favorite Sports Management Games

Sports management games and sports simulation games are huge genres. There are dozens of hidden gems out there, so feel free to let us know about your favorite sports management games in the comments below.

If this list has made you nostalgic for an older game, here are the best remastered video games worth playing again.

Read the full article: The 7 Best Sports Management Games You Can Play Today

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How to Check Your Windows Experience Score on Windows 10

Remember the Windows Experience Index? The Windows Experience Index was a quick way for Windows users to figure out their overall computer performance and where any immediate bottlenecks were.

Microsoft removed the graphic version of the Windows Experience Index in Windows 8.1. But the underlying tool, the Windows System Assessment Tool, lives on. Better still, you can access the old performance ratings easily.

Here’s how you can check your Windows Experience Index on Windows 10.

1. Run WinSAT to Generate Windows Experience Index

The Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) remains tucked away in Windows 10. You can use WinSAT to generate a Windows Experience Index for your processor, graphics card, memory speed, and more.

The following process generates a Windows Experience Index then exports it to an XML file.

1. Type command in your Start Menu search bar, right-click the Best Match and select Run as Administrator.
2. When the Command Prompt opens, input the following command: winsat formal
3. Wait for the process to complete. When it finishes, you can find the XML file in C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore.
4. Look for a set of files containing the date you are running the test on. Open the XML file that looks like “[date of test] Formal.Assessment (Recent).WinSAT.xml”.
5. When prompted, select your internet browser to view the XML file. Your browser will make the XML data readable.

The Windows Experience Index is close to the top of the file.

2. Use the Windows PowerShell

You can also use the WinSAT command in Windows PowerShell. The command works roughly the same and gives you a much cleaner output.

1. Type powershell into your Start Menu search bar, right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as Administrator.
2. When PowerShell opens, input the following command: Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSat

Your overall Windows Experience Index is listed alongside WinSPRLevel.

3. Use the Performance Monitor and System Diagnostics

The Windows Performance Monitor also lets you view your Windows Experience Index. Here’s how you find the score or perform a system scan if there is no existing score.

1. Type performance into your Start Menu search bar and select Performance Monitor.
2. Under Performance, head to Data Collector Sets > System > System Diagnostics. Right-click System Diagnostics and select Start. The System Diagnostic will run, collecting information regarding your system.
3. Now, head to Report > System > System Diagnostics > [computer name]. After selecting your computer name, the System Diagnostic Report will appear. Scroll down the report until you find the Hardware Configuration
4. Expand the Desktop Rating, then the two additional dropdowns, and there you find your Windows Experience Index.

4. Winaero WEI Tool

The Winaero WEI Tool is a basic but handy tool you can use to generate a visual Windows Experience Index. Winaero WEI Tool is lightweight and takes seconds to give your system a score. It has a few handy screenshot tools built-in, too.

Download: Winaero WEI Tool for Windows (Free)

Alternatives to Windows Experience Index

The Windows Experience Index was never a fantastic way to judge your system performance. It has a single severe limitation. Your Windows Experience Index value comes from your lowest performing piece of hardware. In my case, my disk speeds bring my overall score down, despite receiving high scores for CPU, Direct 3D, Graphics, and Memory.

A single low score can alert you to a bottleneck in your system. My system score drops because I have multiple drives, some of which are old, lumbering hard drives.

Overall, the Windows Experience Index isn’t the best way to figure out your system performance, or where you could improve it, either. Here are two alternatives to the Windows Experience Index that give you the information you need.

1. SiSoftware Sandra

SiSoftware Sandra (System ANaylzer, Diagnostic, and Reporting Assistant) is a system benchmarking tool you can use to test your hardware against other users. Sandra has an online reference database that you can use to compare individual aspects of your system, like your processor or internet connection, then compare against other systems to figure out if a system upgrade is worthwhile.

Download: Sandra for Windows (Free)

2. UserBenchmark

Another useful option is UserBenchmark. UserBenchmark runs a suite of benchmarking tools on your system, then opens the results in your default internet browser. You can then compare your results with the thousands of other UserBenchmark users, figuring out how your system ranks in comparison.

UserBenchmark is handy if you want to see how other users with similar hardware make improvements. For instance, if someone is using a different type of RAM with the same CPU as you, or if someone uses a faster hard drive to increase their score. Scroll down in your UserBenchmark results and find the Typical [motherboard type] Combinations. From here, you can see the percentage of users using alternative hardware in combination with your current motherboard.

Want to benchmark specific parts of your system hardware? Check out Dan Price’s rundown of the ten best free benchmark programs for Windows 10

Download: UserBenchmark for Windows (Free)

Is the Windows Experience Index Reliable?

When you look at the information that SiSoftware Sandra and UserBenchmark offer, the Windows Experience Index seems lacking. The overview that the alternatives give you, in comparison with other hardware you can use to improve your system, mean that the numbers dished out by the Windows Experience Index don’t tell you much.

In fairness, Microsoft doesn’t advertise the Windows Experience Index. Also, Microsoft has removed the Windows Experience Index from the Microsoft Games panel. As you have seen, you won’t find your score unless you make an effort.

Maybe there’s a good reason the Windows Experience Index features on the list of six Windows features MakeUseOf would rather forget.

Read the full article: How to Check Your Windows Experience Score on Windows 10

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How to Make a Snapchat Geofilter on a Budget

A Snapchat geofilter is a great way to identify a specific location, and can also be used to advertise an event or local business. Creating a geofilter isn’t as hard or expensive as it sounds. So, in this article we explain how to make a Snapchat geofilter on a budget.

1. Canva

A geofilter is just one of the things you can create using Canva. It offers tons of Snapchat geofilter templates that you can use to create your own. It’s a pretty straightforward process, even if you don’t know how to make a Snapchat geofilter. Once you choose a template, you can edit the text to match your event or location. You can also customize colors and fonts to make your geofilter even more unique.

If you prefer, you can make one from scratch as well. Simply use the same size as one of the templates, delete its contents, and use the same measurements. You can then add your own text, shapes, and colors from there. Hit the Download button in the top right portion of the screen to make your own Snapchat geofilter free of charge.

2. Pepper

Pepper offers an easy way to get started. When you access the website, you can choose from many of the best Snapchat geofilter templates relating to different themes. Birthdays, weddings, and holidays are just some of your options. Pepper also allows you to use a blank canvas if you want to design your filter from scratch.

Once you choose a template (or start with a blank page), head over to the Graphics tab to add fun pictures to your filter. Pepper has hundreds of different graphics pertaining to food, sports, flowers, emojis, and more. When you’re ready to add a title to your geofilter, click the Text tab. Pepper has limited options in terms of font styles, but you’ll likely find one that suits your event or location.

Finalize your design by selecting Get Your Filter in the upper righthand corner of the screen. Pepper will give you the choice to download your design for $9.99 or to have it automatically uploaded to Snapchat for $4.99. Just keep in mind that Snapchat charges an additional fee when uploading your filter. Pepper takes this fee into account if you choose the automatic submission option.

3. SwipeStudio

Purchase a template on SwipeStudio to get started with your geofilter. Starting from scratch costs $6.99, while the other designs can range anywhere from $6.99 to $13.99. When you purchase your design, you’ll have to pay the Snapchat fee as well.

The templates have several themes, making them perfect for beginners. Quickly get started on a geofilter design for a wedding, baby shower, prom, graduation, business, and more.

Once you pick a template or create your own design, you can add text, graphic elements, your own images, or even a Bitmoji. SwipeStudio offers a fun collection of fonts; while some are cursive and elegant, others are bold and bubbly. You also have the option of choosing from several types of elements that pertain to celebrations, numbers, decor, and more. If you can’t find your desired image in any of the categories, try searching for it instead.

4. Adobe Spark

Not only can you create social media graphics using Adobe Spark, it also works as a free Snapchat geofilter maker as well. After you make an account, search for “Snapchat” in the template library. Adobe Spark will display about 30 geofilter templates for you to use, making it a little more limited in terms of premade designs.

Once you settle on a design, feel free to customize the text, fonts, and colors. Clicking one of the variations on the right menu bar will automatically change the design using a preset style. This makes it even simpler to use for those who have no training in graphic design.

When you finish, all you need to do is select the Download button in the top-right corner of the editor. You won’t incur any costs from Adobe, you’ll just have to pay Snapchat’s fee that’s based on how large of an area you want your geofilter to reach.

5. FilterPop

Geofilters on FilterPop can cost anywhere from $6.99 to $49.99, depending on which type of design you choose to customize. If you own a business, you can subscribe for a fee, which allows you to display your geofilter daily, weekly, or monthly. Choose from templates for businesses, weddings, birthdays, and other events or locations.

After you choose a template, you can start customizing your geofilter. Like the other Snapchat geofilter makers, you have the choice of several fonts and colors. For even more flair, you can add shadow and glitter effects to the text as well. Insert graphics by hitting the Emoji button, and if you have your own logo or Bitmoji, Filterpop lets you add that too.

Select Save Design and Add to Snapchat when you’re done, and FilterPop will redirect you to a page where you choose the time and location of your geofilter. FilterPop will adjust the price of your filter based on those extra Snapchat fees.

6. Snappy Ink

Snappy Ink offers only 20 templates, with the designs aimed at birthday parties and weddings. However, if you can’t find the right template, you can always choose to create a geofilter from scratch instead.

This Snapchat geofilter creator separates your editing options into different tabs. The Emoji or Caricature tab pulls up dozens of icons, emojis, cartoons, and symbols that you can arrange on your design. The Add Image and Add text tabs are self-explanatory—they allow you to insert your own images or phrases into the design.

Click Finalize Design to download your filter for free or submit it directly to Snapchat. If you choose to submit it to Snapchat, you’ll only have to pay the additional uploading fees from Snapchat itself.

Learn How to Make a Snapchat Geofilter for Less

A Snapchat geofilter doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars. With these options, you can create your geofilter for free, or for a low price. Just remember that you’ll have to pay Snapchat for uploading fees whether you created your geofilter for free or not.

If you’re an avid Snapchat user, it might bug you to think that someone has blocked you. In order to confirm your suspicions, check out our article explaining how to tell if someone has blocked you on Snapchat.

Read the full article: How to Make a Snapchat Geofilter on a Budget

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How to Control Plex Using Amazon Alexa

10 New Linux Ubuntu 19.04 Features and How to Use Them

Twice a year, Canonical releases a new version of Ubuntu. With Ubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” now available to download, you might be wondering whether to upgrade, or keep things as they are.

Ten top new Linux Ubuntu features are on offer. Read on to find out what they are and how Ubuntu 19.04 might just surprise you!

Here’s Why You Should Upgrade to Ubuntu 19.04

Ubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” was released in April 2019. We can tell this from the version name: 19.04. Ubuntu is released in the fourth and tenth months of the year. As a result, the previous version was numbered Ubuntu 18.10.

Prior to that, Canonical released Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. As a long-term support release, Ubuntu 18.04 is the version you should install if you need more reliability. LTS releases are regularly updated for security, which is why you should be already using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

As if updating for security and stability purposes wasn’t enough, we have 10 reasons to upgrade to Ubuntu 19.04. We’ve split these into two groups; five main reasons, and a quintet of cool, smaller tweaks.

First up, five key improvements you’ll find using Ubuntu 19.04 for the first time:

1. Linux Kernel 5.0
2. New desktop theme
3. Smartphone-style application permission control
4. Live patching
5. Mesa 19 GPU driver

If that wasn’t enough, we have five smaller tweaks to share with you:

1. Tabbed terminal
2. Night light granula controls
3. New audio settings
4. Desktop animations
5. GNOME search improvement

Let’s spend a few minutes looking at what’s new in Ubuntu 19.04.

1. Linux Kernel 5.0 Included

Most importantly, Ubuntu 19.04 uses Linux Kernel 5.0. This is the latest version of the kernel to be widely used and delivers superior hardware support and performance.

Features in Linux Kernel 5.0 include improved graphics card support too, including Nvidia Xavier and AMD Radeon FreeSync. Laptop drivers for x86 machines have been updated, and power management is improved. Both are particularly useful for anyone running Ubuntu on a laptop; power management can be difficult for Linux laptop users.

There’s also Fscrypt Adiantum for fast data encryption on low-end devices.

Of course, you don’t have to update to Ubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” to enjoy the benefits of Linux Kernel 5.0. Here’s how to upgrade your Linux kernel in Ubuntu without updating.

2. New Theme: Yaru

Okay, so it’s not totally new, but in Ubuntu 19.04 the Yaru theme has better support than in Ubuntu 18.10. It has a superior look in “Disco Dingo”, with better integration for third party application icons.

Overall, Yaru is slick and modern, and in keeping with previous Ubuntu themes, relies on that maroon color scheme.

Yaru runs on the GNOME 3.32 desktop environment, although keep in mind that on Ubuntu, GNOME is heavily customized. This means that some features of GNOME 3.32 are unavailable in Ubuntu (such as HiDPI fractional scaling).

3. Application Permission Control

One feature that GNOME 3.32 brings to Ubuntu 19.04, however, is smartphone-style application permissions. You’ve probably had to alter permissions on a smartphone app after installation. Previously, such tweaking was only available on a system-wide basis, but in Ubuntu 19.04 it can be done per app.

This means that you can prevent an app from displaying notifications, for example, as well as determine what file types it has access to.

Application permission control in GNOME-based Linux distros is expected to improve with subsequent releases.

4. Live Patching

Live patching in Ubuntu has previously been available to server administrators; Ubuntu 19.04 extends this to desktop users.

A new Livepatch tab is now visible in the Software & Updates screen. If patches are available, these will apply kernel updates without restarting your computer.

Livepatch is free to use with an Ubuntu One account, although business users will need to pay for the service.

5. Mesa 19 Open Source GPU Driver

AMD graphics users will find that the Mesa 19 open source GPU driver is available in Ubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo”.

Mesa is an open source OpenGL implementation, consisting of hardware and software drivers. The Gallium3D component adds video acceleration and compute support. Ultimately, if you run the latest games in Linux, or edit video, the Mesa 19 driver will be a welcome addition to your Ubuntu set up.

Again, this feature is thanks to the inclusion of the Linux Kernel 5.0.

5 Cool Smaller Tweaks in the New Ubuntu

In addition to these key five developments in the latest Ubuntu release, a further five useful enhancements are included.

1. Tabbed Terminal

Running multiple terminal sessions can be a pain, if not confusing at times. Ubuntu 19.04 features a new tabbed terminal interface, making it easier to control various bash apps, commands, and SSH sessions.

For bash addicts, this is a major productivity boost.

2. New Look Audio Settings

Similarly, the audio settings have a new look, with better controls more suited to a modern multimedia PC. Access any audio device connected or set up on your system and adjust the settings as required.

3. Desktop Animation Improvements

GNOME 3.32 brings some smoother desktop window animations into the mix. These help to enhance the Yaru desktop theme. Thanks to updated graphic drivers, scrolling looks superb on almost any resolution.

4. Night Light Granula Controls

While not a new feature, Night Light has new granular controls, helping you to set the brightness based on time. Different color temperatures can be set based on the time of day, with preset Sunset to Sunrise and manual options.

5. Faster GNOME Search

Finally, another GNOME improvement is retained for Ubuntu 19.04. The GNOME search feature relies on improved file indexing, making it faster than ever. Will this end the drawn-out search for mislaid files and folders? Only time will tell!

Upgrade for New Linux Ubuntu Features Today!

Although some new features were introduced in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and Ubuntu 18.10, they’ve been improved for Ubuntu 19.04. As such, it’s worth checking out the latest version, if only to see if these features improve your experience.

If you don’t already use Ubuntu or you want to install from scratch, simply download the Ubuntu 19.04 disk image.

Meanwhile, if all of this seems interesting but you don’t use Linux, check our Linux beginners guide.

Read the full article: 10 New Linux Ubuntu 19.04 Features and How to Use Them

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Slack vs. Twist: Which Chat App Is Right for Your Team?

Facebook squeezes money from Instagram with new ads in Explore

Half of Instagram’s billion-plus users open its Explore tab each month to find fresh content and creators. Now the Facebook-owned app will do more to carry its weight by injecting ads into Instagram Explore for the first time. But rather than bombard users with marketing right on the Explore grid, Instagram will instead only show ads after users tap into a post and then start scrolling through similar imagery.

The move feels like a respectful way to monetize Explore without annoying users too much or breaking the high visual quality of the space. Instagram’s director of business product marketing Susan Bucker Rose tells me she believes the ads will feel natural because users already come to Explore “in the mindset of discovery. They want to be exposed to new accounts, people, and brands.”

Instagram will test the ad slots itself at first to promote its ailing IGTV feature before they “launch to a handful of brands over the coming weeks” Rose says. That includes both big name corporations and smaller advertisers looking to drive conversions, video views, or reach. Instagram hopes to roll the ad format out broadly in the next few months.

Advertisers will buy the slots through the same Facebook ads manager and API they use to buy Instagram feed and Stories space. At first advertisers will have to opt in to placing their ads in Instagram Explore too, but eventually that will be the default with an opportunity to opt out.

Here’s how ads work in Instagram Explore. When you open the tab it will look the same as always with a scrollable grid of posts with high engagement that are personalized based on your interests. When you tap into a photo or video, you’ll first see that full-screen. But if you keep scrolling down, Instagram will show you a contextual feed of content similar to the original post where it will insert photo and video ads. And if you tap into one of the themed video channels and then keep scrolling after watching the clip to check out more videos in the same vein, you may see Instagram video ads.

Instagram describes the introduction as “slowly and thoughtfully” — which makes it sound like the volume of ads will ramp up over time.

Explore was first launched in 2012, some two years after Instagram itself, as a merger of the app’s search and “popular” tabs, with an aim of using algorithms that were informed by your existing interests to give you a new way to discover new people and themes to follow in the app beyond those you might pick up by way of you own social circles. It’s had a few revamps, such as the addition of topical channels and hashtags, and the addition of Stories, the format that has proven to be such a hit on Instagram itself. There won’t be any ads in Stories that recently started appearing in Explore.

But interestingly, through all of that, Instagram stayed hands-off when it came to advertising and Explore. The idea is that the content that each person sees in Explore is individualized, with algorithms detecting the kinds of things you like to show you photos, videos and subjects you might most want to see. Apparently Instagram didn’t want to deter browsing of this content.

On the other side of the coin, this has meant that up to now, individuals and brands have not been able to proactively request or pay to be in anyone’s specific Explore tab — although that doesn’t mean that people don’t game this situation (just Google “how to get on Instagram Explore” and you will find many how-to’s to show you the way).

The move to bring ads into the Explore experience has some logic to it. Even before monetization made its way to Instagram in the form of feed advertising, shoppable links and sponsored content posted by influencers, brands and businesses had started using the platform to promote products and to connect with customers. Instagram says that today, 80 percent of its users follow at least one business on Instagram. Now instead of trying desperately to game the Explore algorithm, Instagram can just sell businesses space instead.

With Facebook’s News Feed usage in danger as attention shifts to Stories that it’s still learning to monetize, the company is leaning more on Instagram to keep revenue growing. But Instagram must be sure not to suffocate the golden goose with too many ads.

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Facebook squeezes money from Instagram with new ads in Explore

Half of Instagram’s billion-plus users open its Explore tab each month to find fresh content and creators. Now the Facebook-owned app will due more to carry its weight by injecting ads into Instagram Explore for the first time. But rather than bombard users with marketing right on the Explore grid, Instagram will instead only show ads after users tap into a post and then start scrolling through similar imagery.

The move feels like a respectful way to monetize Explore without annoying users too much or breaking the high visual quality of the space. Instagram’s director of business product marketing Susan Bucker Rose tells me she believes the ads will feel natural becaus users already come to Explore “in the mindset of discovery. They want to be exposed to new accounts, people, and brands.”

Instagram will test the ad slots itself at first to promote its ailing IGTV product before they “launch to a handful of brands over the coming weeks” Rose says. That includes both big name corporations and smaller advertisers looking to drive conversions, video views, or reach. Instagram hopes to roll the ad format out broadly in the next few months.

Advertisers will buy the slots through the same Facebook ads manager and API they use to buy Instagram feed and Stories space. At first advertisers will have to opt in to placing their ads in Instagram Explore too, but eventually that will be the default with an opportunity to opt out.

Here’s how ads work in Instagram Explore. When you open the tab it will look the same as always with a scrollable grid of posts with high engagement that’s personalized based on your interests. When you tap into a photo or video, you’ll first see that full-screen. But if you keep scrolling down, Instagram will show you a contextual feed of content similar to the original post where it will insert photo and video ads. And if you tap into one of the themed video channels and then keep scrolling after watching the clip, you may see Instagram video ads.

Instagram describes the introduction as “slowly and thoughtfully” — which makes it sound like the volume of ads will ramp up over time.

Explore was first launched in 2012, some two years after Instagram itself, as a merger of the app’s search and “popular” tabs, with an aim of using algorithms that were informed by your existing interests to give you a new way to discover new people and themes to follow in the app beyond those you might pick up by way of you own social circles. It’s had a few revamps, such as the addition of topical channels and hashtags, and the addition of Stories, the format that has proven to be such a hit on Instagram itself. There won’t be any ads in Stories that recently started appearing in Explore.

But interestingly, through all of that, Instagram appeared to stay hands-off when it came to advertising and Explore. The idea is that the content that each person sees in Explore is individualised, with algorithms detecting the kinds of things you like to show you photos, videos and subjects you might most want to see.

On the other side of the coin, this has meant that up to now, individuals and brands have not been able to proactively request or pay to be in anyone’s specific Explore tab — although that doesn’t mean that people don’t game this situation (just Google “how to get on Instagram Explore” and you will find many how-to’s to show you the way).

The move to bring ads into the Explore experience has some logic to it. Even before monetization made its way to Instagram in the form of feed advertising, shoppable links and sponsored content posted by influencers, brands and businesses had started using the platform to promote products and to connect with customers. Instagram says that today, 80 percent of its users follow at least one business on Instagram. Now instead of trying desperately to game the Explore algorithm, Instagram can just sell businesses space instead.

With Facebook’s News Feed usage in danger as attention shifts to Stories that it’s still learning to monetize, the company is leaning more on Instagram to keep revenue growing. But Instagram must be sure not to suffocate the golden goose with too many ads.

Read Full Article

Europe should ban AI for mass surveillance and social credit scoring, says advisory group

An independent expert group tasked with advising the European Commission to inform its regulatory response to artificial intelligence — to underpin EU lawmakers’ stated aim of ensuring AI developments are “human centric” — has published its policy and investment recommendations.

This follows earlier ethics guidelines for “trustworthy AI”, put out by the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) for AI back in April, when the Commission also called for participants to test the draft rules.

The AI HLEG’s full policy recommendations comprise a highly detailed 50-page document — which can be downloaded from this web page. The group, which was set up in June 2018, is made up of a mix of industry AI experts, civic society representatives, political advisers and policy wonks, academics and legal experts.

The document includes warnings on the use of AI for mass surveillance and scoring of EU citizens, such as China’s social credit system, with the group calling for an outright ban on “AI-enabled mass scale scoring of individuals”. It also urges governments to commit to not engage in blanket surveillance of populations for national security purposes. (So perhaps it’s just as well the UK has voted to leave the EU, given the swingeing state surveillance powers it passed into law at the end of 2016.) 

“While there may be a strong temptation for governments to ‘secure society’ by building a pervasive surveillance system based on AI systems, this would be extremely dangerous if pushed to extreme levels,” the HLEG writes. “Governments should commit not to engage in mass surveillance of individuals and to deploy and procure only Trustworthy AI systems, designed to be respectful of the law and fundamental rights, aligned with ethical principles and socio-technically robust.”

The group also calls for commercial surveillance of individuals and societies to be “countered” — suggesting the EU’s response to the potency and potential for misuse of AI technologies should include ensuring that online people-tracking is “strictly in line with fundamental rights such as privacy”, including (the group specifies) when it concerns ‘free’ services (albeit with a slight caveat on the need to consider how business models are impacted).

Last week the UK’s data protection watchdog fired an even more specific shot across the bows of the online behavioral ad industry — warning that adtech’s mass-scale processing of web users’ personal data for targeting ads does not comply with EU privacy standards. The industry was told its rights-infringing practices must change, even if the Information Commissioner’s Office isn’t about to bring down the hammer just yet. But the reform warning was clear.

As EU policymakers work on fashioning a rights-respecting regulatory framework for AI, seeking to steer  the next ten years+ of cutting-edge tech developments in the region, the wider attention and scrutiny that will draw to digital practices and business models looks set to drive a clean up of problematic digital practices that have been able to proliferate under no or very light touch regulation, prior to now.

The HLEG also calls for support for developing mechanisms for the protection of personal data, and for individuals to “control and be empowered by their data” — which they argue would address “some aspects of the requirements of trustworthy AI”.

“Tools should be developed to provide a technological implementation of the GDPR and develop privacy preserving/privacy by design technical methods to explain criteria, causality in personal data processing of AI systems (such as federated machine learning),” they write.

“Support technological development of anonymisation and encryption techniques and develop standards for secure data exchange based on personal data control. Promote the education of the general public in personal data management, including individuals’ awareness of and empowerment in AI personal data-based decision-making processes. Create technology solutions to provide individuals with information and control over how their data is being used, for example for research, on consent management and transparency across European borders, as well as any improvements and outcomes that have come from this, and develop standards for secure data exchange based on personal data control.”

Other policy suggestions among the many included in the HLEG’s report are that AI systems which interact with humans should include a mandatory self-identification. Which would mean no sneaky Google Duplex human-speech mimicking bots. In such a case the bot would have to introduce itself up front — thereby giving the human caller a chance to disengage.

The HLEG also recommends establishing a “European Strategy for Better and Safer AI for Children”. Concern and queasiness about rampant datafication of children, including via commercial tracking of their use of online services, has been raised  in multiple EU member states.

“The integrity and agency of future generations should be ensured by providing Europe’s children with a childhood where they can grow and learn untouched by unsolicited monitoring, profiling and interest invested habitualisation and manipulation,” the group writes. “Children should be ensured a free and unmonitored space of development and upon moving into adulthood should be provided with a “clean slate” of any public or private storage of data related to them. Equally, children’s formal education should be free from commercial and other interests.”

Member states and the Commission should also devise ways to continuously “analyse, measure and score the societal impact of AI”, suggests the HLEG — to keep tabs on positive and negative impacts so that policies can be adapted to take account of shifting effects.

“A variety of indices can be considered to measure and score AI’s societal impact such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Social Scoreboard Indicators of the European Social Pillar. The EU statistical programme of Eurostat, as well as other relevant EU Agencies, should be included in this mechanism to ensure that the information generated is trusted, of high and verifiable quality, sustainable and continuously available,” it suggests. “AI-based solutions can help the monitoring and measuring its societal impact.”

The report is also heavy on pushing for the Commission to bolster investment in AI — calling particularly for more help for startups and SMEs to access funding and advice, including via the InvestEU program.

Another suggestion is the creation of an EU-wide network of AI business incubators to connect academia and industry. “This could be coupled with the creation of EU-wide Open Innovation Labs, which could be built further on the structure of the Digital Innovation Hub network,” it continues. 

There are also calls to encourage public sector uptake of AI, such as by fostering digitalisation by transforming public data into a digital format; providing data literacy education to government agencies; creating European large annotated public non-personal databases for “high quality AI”; and funding and facilitating the development of AI tools that can assist in detecting biases and undue prejudice in governmental decision-making.

Another chunk of the report covers recommendations to try to bolster AI research in Europe — such as strengthening and creating additional Centres of Excellence which address strategic research topics and become “a European level multiplier for a specific AI topic”.

Investment in AI infrastructures, such as distributed clusters and edge computing, large RAM and fast networks, and a network of testing facilities and sandboxes is also urged; along with support for an EU-wide data repository “through common annotation and standardisation” — to work against data siloing, as well as trusted data spaces for specific sectors such as healthcare, automative and agri-food.

The push by the HLEG to accelerate uptake of AI has drawn some criticism, with digital rights group Access Now’s European policy manager, Fanny Hidvegi, writing that: “What we need now is not more AI uptake across all sectors in Europe, but rather clarity on safeguards, red lines, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the automated decision making systems — and AI more broadly — developed and deployed in Europe respect human rights.”

Other ideas in the HLEG’s report include developing and implementing a European curriculum for AI; and monitoring and restricting the development of automated lethal weapons — including technologies such as cyber attack tools which are not “actual weapons” but which the group points out “can have lethal consequences if deployed. 

The HLEG further suggests EU policymakers refrain from giving AI systems or robots legal personhood, writing: “We believe this to be fundamentally inconsistent with the principle of human agency, accountability and responsibility, and to pose a significant moral hazard.”

The report can downloaded in full here.

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