10 June 2020

Social media platforms must protect democracy, even from the president


It began with a simple blue label: “Get the facts about mail-in ballots.”

Last month, President Donald Trump tweeted allegations — shown time and again to be unfounded — that voting by mail leads to fraud. When Twitter, in accordance with its policies on civic integrity and coronavirus misinformation, fact-checked and labeled the false claims, Trump threatened to shut social media companies down.

Twitter subsequently hid one of the president’s tweets about ongoing protests against police brutality behind an interstitial warning on the grounds that it was glorifying violence. Trump then issued a muddled and largely unenforceable executive order to muzzle social media companies. By Monday, Facebook had been drawn into the fray, with many employees staging a virtual walkout to protest the company’s inaction on Trump’s posts.

Trump’s social media posts are but the latest installment in a long, ugly history of voter suppression and violence against protestors, much of it targeting Black communities in the United States. Put together, the events of the past week bring into stark relief how social media has become a front in such attacks on democracy — and show how much more must be done to address digital disinformation.

A lot has been made of Twitter’s decision to hide one of the president’s tweets on the grounds that it glorifies violence. The tweet, which read, in part, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” referenced a phrase coined by a Miami police chief known for his aggressive, racist policing policies in Black neighborhoods in the 1960s. Yet when Trump also tweeted that protestors were “professionally managed” and “ANTIFA led anarchists” — spreading rumors that looting and rioting was being organized by antifa activists — neither post was labeled, hidden or removed. Facebook, meanwhile, chose not to take action on any of the posts, which were also placed on its network.

Similarly, Twitter’s labeling of Trump’s “ballot fraud” disinformation is also a very new development. Last Tuesday’s tweets marked the first time Twitter has fact-checked Trump — but it was far from the first time the president had peddled such claims. Just a week before, he tweeted false information that the secretaries of state of Michigan and Nevada were engaging in illegal fraud when they tried to expand access to mail-in ballots, threatening to cut funding to those states. He also posted on Facebook that voting by mail would lead to “massive fraud and abuse” as well as “the end of our great Republican party,” despite there being no link between voting by mail and fraud, nor any evidence that mail-in ballots benefit either political party. At the time, neither Twitter nor Facebook took action.

Trump’s attempts to use digital disinformation to discredit voting by mail in the midst of a pandemic are especially concerning given his campaign’s history with voter suppression. In the lead-up to the 2016 election, a senior Trump campaign official was quoted as saying the organization had “three major voter suppression operations under way.” As part of this, the campaign used “dark posts” on Facebook — posts only visible to certain users — to target Black voters in particular, encouraging them to stay home on Election Day (a tactic eerily echoed by Russian interference efforts on social media). Going into the 2020 election, the Trump campaign and the Republican party are planning a massive campaign to limit voting by mail; spreading disinformation about voter fraud in order to decrease trust in political processes is part and parcel of this strategy.

Twitter and Facebook’s policies on violence and civic participation go some way toward addressing these issues, on social media at least. Platforms ban the glorification and incitement of violence, and both platforms ban communications that contain incorrect information about when, where and how to vote, as well as paid advertisements that discourage voting. However, these policies have typically been unevenly applied. While neither company had previously moderated posts by the president, Facebook in particular has drawn ire for explicitly exempting content by politicians from fact-checking. Its complete inaction on Trump’s latest dangerous posts shows the instability of such policies, which led to the Monday walkout by Facebook employees and condemnation from civil rights leaders.

Twitter and Facebook enacted their policies on civic engagement and violence in response to overwhelming public outcry over the effects of digital disinformation. No one, not even the President of the United States, should be exempt from them. Twitter took a small step toward acknowledging this by fact-checking and hiding the president’s harmful tweets. In the future, however, both Twitter and Facebook need to consistently administer their policies, even — and perhaps, especially — when they apply to figures in power.


You can now install the first beta of Android 11


After a series of developer previews, Google today released the first beta of Android 11 and with that, it is also making these pre-release versions available for over-the-air updates. This time around, the list of supported devices only includes the Pixel 2, 3, 3a and 4.

If you’re brave enough to try this early version (and I wouldn’t do so on your daily driver until a few more people have tested it), you can now enroll here. Like always, Google is also making OS images available for download and an updated emulator is available, too.

Google says the beta focuses on three key themes: people, controls and privacy.

Like in previous updates, Google once again worked on improving notifications — in this case, conversation notifications, which now appear in a dedicated section at the top of the pull-down shade. From there, you will be able to take actions right from inside the notification or ask the OS to remind you of this conversation at a later time. Also new is built-in support in the notification system for what are essentially chat bubbles, which messaging apps can now use to notify you even as you are working (or playing) in another app.

Another new feature is consolidated keyboard suggestions. With these, Autofill apps and Input Method Editors (think password managers and third-party keyboards), can now securely offer context-specific entries in the suggestion strip. Until now, enabling autofill for a password manager, for example, often involved delving into multiple settings and the whole experienced often felt like a bit of a hack.

For those users who rely on voice to control their phones, Android now uses a new on-device system that aims to understand what is on the screen and then automatically generates labels and access points for voice commands.

As for controls, Google is now letting you long-press the power button to bring up controls for your smart home devices (though companies that want to appear in this new menu need to make use of Google’s new API for this). In one of the next beta releases, Google will also enable media controls that will make it easier to switch the output device for their audio and video content.

In terms of privacy, Google is adding one-time permissions so that an app only gets access to your microphone, camera or location once, as well as auto-resets for permissions when you haven’t used an app for a while.

A few months ago, Google said that developers would need to get a user’s approval to access background location. That caused a bit of a stir among developers and now Google will keep its current policies in place until 2021 to give developers more time to update their apps.

In addition to these user-facing features, Google is also launching a series of updates aimed at Android developers. You can read more about them here.


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Google updates its Android developer tools


Last week, Google postponed its Android 11 event, because, as the company rightly noted, “now is not the time to celebrate.” Today, however, it went ahead and launched both the first beta of Android 11 and provided updates about a slew of tools that should make developing for Android a bit easier for developers. It’s not holding a splashy celebration with live keynotes, though. Instead, the company posted a set of videos, a blog post and updated sites for the various features.

“We have cancelled the virtual launch event to allow people to focus on important discussions around racial justice in the United States,” Google says in today’s blog post. “Instead, we are releasing the Android 11 Beta today in a much different form, via short-form videos and web pages that you can consume at your own pace when the time is right for you.”

As always, Android Studio, Google’s IDE for Android development, is at the core of these updates and the company released both the beta of Android Studio 4.1 and the canary release of Android Studio 4.2 today.

When I talked to Android director Stephanie Cuthbertson, she specifically highlighted wireless debugging over ADB with Android 11 in Android Studio as a major time saver for developers (and that’s something developers have asked for for a very long time). Also new is that the Android Emulator — which itself has seen quite a few performance enhancements in recent iterations — is now hosted directly inside the IDE and developers can now also run on-device tests side-by-side to speed up their workflow.

The team also did quite a bit of work on making the overall build and deployment processes fast, in large part thanks to smartly using caching in Gradle, the build tool Android Studio uses, and native Kotlin annotation processing — and it’s worth remembering that Kotlin is now essentially the preferred language for Android development, so that’s where Google is putting a lot of its resources even as it continues to support Java.

No developer announcement would be complete without some machine learning part, so Google also today announced that developers can now import their ML Kit and TensorFlow Lite models directly in the IDE.

For game developers, Google is introducing a new user interface for its performance profilers and more.

It’s been a while since Google announced Jetpack Compose, its new UI toolkit for Android, and while it’s still now quite ready for production usage, today’s update sees the introduction of Jetpack Compose Developer Preview 2, with new features like animations, constraint layouts and more. Don’t get too excited yet, though, as Google’s current plan is to release an alpha of Compose this summer and a 1.0 next year.

Today, about 70 percent of the top 1000 apps in the Google Play store use the Kotlin language. With today’s update — and Kotlin 1.4 — Google now supports Kotlin coroutines, which make writing concurrent calls a lot easier. Google is now making coroutines an official recommendation and some of its own Jetpack libraries already use this technology.

On the Google Play side, the company is launching a redesigned Google Play Console today. In addition to the new design, which Google promises will make the console “clearer and easier to use,” there are also now features to help you understand your performance insights better, get guidance on policy changes, and more.

 


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You can now install the first beta of Android 11


After a series of developer previews, Google today released the first beta of Android 11 and with that, it is also making these pre-release versions available for over-the-air updates. This time around, the list of supported devices only includes the Pixel 2, 3, 3a and 4.

If you’re brave enough to try this early version (and I wouldn’t do so on your daily driver until a few more people have tested it), you can now enroll here. Like always, Google is also making OS images available for download and an updated emulator is available, too.

Google says the beta focuses on three key themes: people, controls and privacy.

Like in previous updates, Google once again worked on improving notifications — in this case, conversation notifications, which now appear in a dedicated section at the top of the pull-down shade. From there, you will be able to take actions right from inside the notification or ask the OS to remind you of this conversation at a later time. Also new is built-in support in the notification system for what are essentially chat bubbles, which messaging apps can now use to notify you even as you are working (or playing) in another app.

Another new feature is consolidated keyboard suggestions. With these, Autofill apps and Input Method Editors (think password managers and third-party keyboards), can now securely offer context-specific entries in the suggestion strip. Until now, enabling autofill for a password manager, for example, often involved delving into multiple settings and the whole experienced often felt like a bit of a hack.

For those users who rely on voice to control their phones, Android now uses a new on-device system that aims to understand what is on the screen and then automatically generates labels and access points for voice commands.

As for controls, Google is now letting you long-press the power button to bring up controls for your smart home devices (though companies that want to appear in this new menu need to make use of Google’s new API for this). In one of the next beta releases, Google will also enable media controls that will make it easier to switch the output device for their audio and video content.

In terms of privacy, Google is adding one-time permissions so that an app only gets access to your microphone, camera or location once, as well as auto-resets for permissions when you haven’t used an app for a while.

A few months ago, Google said that developers would need to get a user’s approval to access background location. That caused a bit of a stir among developers and now Google will keep its current policies in place until 2021 to give developers more time to update their apps.

In addition to these user-facing features, Google is also launching a series of updates aimed at Android developers. You can read more about them here.


Read Full Article

You can now install the first beta of Android 11


After a series of developer previews, Google today released the first beta of Android 11 and with that, it is also making these pre-release versions available for over-the-air updates. This time around, the list of supported devices only includes the Pixel 2, 3, 3a and 4.

If you’re brave enough to try this early version (and I wouldn’t do so on your daily driver until a few more people have tested it), you can now enroll here. Like always, Google is also making OS images available for download and an updated emulator is available, too.

Google says the beta focuses on three key themes: people, controls and privacy.

Like in previous updates, Google once again worked on improving notifications — in this case, conversation notifications, which now appear in a dedicated section at the top of the pull-down shade. From there, you will be able to take actions right from inside the notification or ask the OS to remind you of this conversation at a later time. Also new is built-in support in the notification system for what are essentially chat bubbles, which messaging apps can now use to notify you even as you are working (or playing) in another app.

Another new feature is consolidated keyboard suggestions. With these, Autofill apps and Input Method Editors (think password managers and third-party keyboards), can now securely offer context-specific entries in the suggestion strip. Until now, enabling autofill for a password manager, for example, often involved delving into multiple settings and the whole experienced often felt like a bit of a hack.

For those users who rely on voice to control their phones, Android now uses a new on-device system that aims to understand what is on the screen and then automatically generates labels and access points for voice commands.

As for controls, Google is now letting you long-press the power button to bring up controls for your smart home devices (though companies that want to appear in this new menu need to make use of Google’s new API for this). In one of the next beta releases, Google will also enable media controls that will make it easier to switch the output device for their audio and video content.

In terms of privacy, Google is adding one-time permissions so that an app only gets access to your microphone, camera or location once, as well as auto-resets for permissions when you haven’t used an app for a while.

A few months ago, Google said that developers would need to get a user’s approval to access background location. That caused a bit of a stir among developers and now Google will keep its current policies in place until 2021 to give developers more time to update their apps.

In addition to these user-facing features, Google is also launching a series of updates aimed at Android developers. You can read more about them here.


Read Full Article

How to turn your dissatisfaction into action | Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

How to turn your dissatisfaction into action | Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

After the devastating rebel invasion of Sierra Leone in 1999 and the Ebola epidemic in 2014, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, refused to be paralyzed by her frustration with the status quo. Instead, she used her anger as a catalyst for action. In this inspiring talk, she shares how she transformed her city by taking the risks necessary to bring about dramatic change -- and shows how you can find power in your dissatisfaction.

Click the above link to download the TED talk.

Huawei’s new handset goes international June 25, with all of the camera and none of the Google


The Huawei P40 Pro+ has already been on the market in China for a few days now. And in spite of various legal woes, the handset is set for international available on June 25. Given…everything the company is dealing with, it should come as no surprise that availablity outside of its home country will be fairly limited to select markets, including the U.K. and Europe.

It won’t be available through the standard channels in the U.S., naturally. And what’s more, it won’t have any Google services, in light of the hardware maker’s on-going fight with the United States government. Instead — like other Huawei flagships — it will rely on the company’s own forked version of Android, devoid of mainstay applications like Gmail, Google Maps and the Play Store.

For most other intents and purposes, however, Huawei is down, but not out. In spite of tremendous pressure, the company continues to produce some of the the most bleeding edge mobile hardware on the market. Here that primarily comes down to a fantastic camera module. Like nearly every other part of the smartphone ecosystem, it’s increasingly difficult to stand out from the pack with regard to imaging, but by most accounts, Huawei has managed to do it with the P40 Pro+.

For starters, there’s a 10x (!) optical zoom (with up to 100x digital and all of the image issues that brings), which very much pushes the boundaries of what a handset can do. There are five cameras, in total, including that eight-megapixel 10x lens. The others include a 50-megapixel standard, 40-megapixel ultra wide, eight-megapixel with 3x optical and a time-of-flight sensor for increasingly important depth-sensing.

[gallery ids="2000624,2000625,2000626,2000627,2000628,2000629,2000630,2000631"]

The handset will run ~$1,658 when it launches later this month. It’s the latest sign that Huawei will continue pushing forward, even as it deals with increasing international pressure. Until the company manages to fully replace Google’s offerings in house, however, the current set up will likely be too much of a compromise for many potential buyers.


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The 10 Best Shows to Watch on Apple TV+


apple-tv-shows

Apple TV+ boasts lots of great content, but what should you watch first? In this article, we list the best shows to watch on Apple TV+. So you’ll know what to watch first when you sign up for the free trial…

1. The Morning Show

The Morning Show was Apple’s flagship title when Apple TV+ launched. And who’s surprised? It stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell—all showing off their acting chops with spectacular performances. Although it might take a couple of episodes to get going, The Morning Show builds into a captivating drama.

It introduces us to the cast and crew of a morning news show just as everything unravels when one of the hosts is fired for sexual misconduct. Jennifer Aniston’s character remains on the air, but she then needs to fight to stay relevant alongside a fiery new co-host.

2. For All Mankind

The premise behind this show is simple: What if the Russians had won the space race? It wouldn’t have looked good for the US, that’s for sure. The makers behind For All Mankind believe it might have led NASA to take greater risks in order to prove itself on the global stage.

Set in an alternate history, For All Mankind follows the historical figures and family members central to NASA’s operations during this time. It tracks the NASA program across the following years, bringing together the whole team’s hard work for a gripping finale.

3. Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was a prolific 19th-century poet and rebel. This half-hour comedy-drama shines a modern light on her various escapades as Emily frustrates those around her in search of the independence she desires.

The show is inventive and visually splendid, with poetry burning onto the screen as Emily pens it onto scraps of paper. It’s an invigorating watch and a wonderful way to celebrate the life of a great writer.

4. Defending Jacob

Based on the novel of the same name, Defending Jacob follows the Barber family after Andy and Laurie’s son, Jacob, is accused of murdering his classmate. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Andy was initially tasked to investigate the case.

This dark show is somber, well-paced, and filled with twists and turns. It begs you to ask if you could suspect your own children of such atrocities. Sure, Jacob seems off-kilter, but can he really be a murderer?

5. Home Before Dark

Hilde Lisko is a reporter investigating an unsolved murder in her new town. She’s also a nine-year-old girl. This show is loosely based on the life of Hilde Lysiak; it’s an entertaining drama that comes to life through the impressive performance of its young star.

Home Before Dark is a 10-part series—each episode being an hour long—that traces Hilde’s steps as she breathes life back into a cold murder case. If you’re looking for shows to watch after Stranger Things, this is the best option on Apple TV+.

6. Servant

After a tragic loss, the affluent Turner family hires a nanny to help raise their newborn son. But this newcomer is not who or what she seems. Shortly after the nanny’s arrival, all manner of inexplicable events begin to transpire. And husband Sean is determined to get to the bottom of them.

A production credit from M. Night Shyamalan isn’t the guarantee of quality that it once was. Nonetheless, Servant is a creepy, mysterious, and well-acted drama that is beautifully shot. Each half-hour episode finds a way to be deeply unsettling while still drawing you back for more.

7. Trying

Nikki and Jason are trying to have a baby. But when complications make that look like an impossible scenario they start looking at adoption instead. That means they need to sort their lives out first. They may be in their 30s, but that doesn’t mean they have it all together.

This British comedy-drama is charming and witty, filled with lovable characters that you can’t help but root for. You’ll find yourself burning through the 30-minute episodes in no time at all. Especially seeing as there are only eight of them.

8. Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet

This wacky comedy follows the creators of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. It’s the most popular multiplayer video game of all time. But the creative director is an egocentric child, the lead engineer is chronically under-appreciated, and the executive producer is woefully incapable of managing all of these larger-than-life personalities.

As you might expect from a show made by the creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mythic Quest is hilariously off the wall. But it also offers a couple of standout dramatic moments in the form of a flashback episode and a quarantine special.

If you’re looking for the best TV shows to binge-watch during lockdown, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet is a good option.

9. Little America

Through eight half-hour episodes, Little America tells the true stories of different immigrants and the struggles they experienced building a life for themselves in the US of A. As an anthology series, each episode stands alone. They’re all based on different stories from the Little America collection in Epic Magazine.

In the first episode, a young boy finds himself managing his family’s motel on his own. In the final episode, a gay Syrian man departs his home country in search of asylum in America. There’s a great deal of range across this Apple TV+ original, and you can expect to feel an equally diverse range of emotions as you watch it.

10. Visible: Out on Television

Visible: Out on Television is a five-part documentary series that explores LGBTQ representation on American television. The show begins with “The Dark Ages,” back when broadcasters couldn’t show homosexuality in a positive light. It then moves through the decades to explore representation in contemporary shows.

Bolstered by star-studded interviews, Visible weaves a touching narrative that highlights the power of television on national culture. As you journey through the years, you’ll find yourself heartbroken by tales of hate, but also uplifted by those of triumph and success.

Apple TV+: Quality Over Quantity

Apple TV+ boasts some incredibly high-quality shows that are worth watching. Yet there is still less content than you can expect to find elsewhere. This is because almost everything on Apple TV+ is original while other services fill their libraries with older content sourced elsewhere.

The contrast is particularly evident with Disney+. Although Disney+ launched at a similar time to Apple TV+, it came with a huge catalog of existing movies and TV shows. So, when you’ve watched everything available on Apple TV+, take a look at the best movies and TV shows to watch on Disney+.

Read the full article: The 10 Best Shows to Watch on Apple TV+


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Huawei’s new handset goes international June 25, with all of the camera and none of the Google


The Huawei P40 Pro+ has already been on the market in China for a few days now. And in spite of various legal woes, the handset is set for international available on June 25. Given…everything the company is dealing with, it should come as no surprise that availablity outside of its home country will be fairly limited to select markets, including the U.K. and Europe.

It won’t be available through the standard channels in the U.S., naturally. And what’s more, it won’t have any Google services, in light of the hardware maker’s on-going fight with the United States government. Instead — like other Huawei flagships — it will rely on the company’s own forked version of Android, devoid of mainstay applications like Gmail, Google Maps and the Play Store.

For most other intents and purposes, however, Huawei is down, but not out. In spite of tremendous pressure, the company continues to produce some of the the most bleeding edge mobile hardware on the market. Here that primarily comes down to a fantastic camera module. Like nearly every other part of the smartphone ecosystem, it’s increasingly difficult to stand out from the pack with regard to imaging, but by most accounts, Huawei has managed to do it with the P40 Pro+.

For starters, there’s a 10x (!) optical zoom (with up to 100x digital and all of the image issues that brings), which very much pushes the boundaries of what a handset can do. There are five cameras, in total, including that eight-megapixel 10x lens. The others include a 50-megapixel standard, 40-megapixel ultra wide, eight-megapixel with 3x optical and a time-of-flight sensor for increasingly important depth-sensing.

[gallery ids="2000624,2000625,2000626,2000627,2000628,2000629,2000630,2000631"]

The handset will run ~$1,658 when it launches later this month. It’s the latest sign that Huawei will continue pushing forward, even as it deals with increasing international pressure. Until the company manages to fully replace Google’s offerings in house, however, the current set up will likely be too much of a compromise for many potential buyers.


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How to Download Speaker Notes in Google Slides


With Creator Studio, you can easily convert your Google Slides presentation into animated GIFs and video slideshows. The add-on can also extract speaker notes from your slides and export them as a text file in Google Drive.

Download Speaker Notes in Google Slides

To get started, open your deck in Google Slides, go to the Addons menu and choose Creator Studio. Next, select the Speaker Notes menu and you’ll see just the speaker notes of all slides in a popup window that you can download and print.

How are Speaker Notes Generated

Internally, the app uses Google Apps Script to export Speaker Notes from your Google presentation and writes them to a text file inside Google Drive.

const downloadSpeakerNotes = () => {
  // Get the current Google Slide
  const presentation = SlidesApp.getActivePresentation();

  // Find all the slides in the current presentation
  const slides = presentation.getSlides();

  // Iterate through each slide and extract the notes
  const notes = slides
    .map((slide, index) => {
      const note = slide
        .getNotesPage()
        .getSpeakerNotesShape()
        .getText()
        .asString();
      return { index, note };
    })
    // Filter slides that have no speaker notes
    .filter(({ note }) => note)
    .map(({ note, index }) => {
      return [`Slide #${index + 1}`, '---', note].join('\n');
    })
    .join('\n');

  // Create a file in Google Drive for storing notes
  const file = DriveApp.createFile('Speaker Notes', notes);

  // Print the file download URL in the Logger window
  Logger.log(file.getDownloadUrl());
};

Export Speaker Notes PDF in Google Slides

Google Slides has a built-in option for exporting your slides as a PDF file and this can be configured to also include the speaker notes.

Open your deck in Google Slides, go to the File menu and choose Print Settings and Preview. Here choose the “1 slide with note” option and click the “Download PDF” button to export your speaker notes as PDF.

It just works but the only downside with this approach is that it generates a bloated PDF that isn’t perfect for printing. Also, the slides are always includd with the speakers notes in the PDF, there’s currently no option to save the speaker notes only.

Speaker Notes as PDF


Tech giants must open up about the coronavirus ‘infodemic’, say EU lawmakers


Platforms still aren’t doing enough to tackle disinformation related to the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission said today.

In a Communication it is pressing tech platforms to produce monthly reports about their efforts in this area, asking for more detailed data on actions being taken to promote authoritative content; improve users’ awareness; and limit coronavirus disinformation and advertising related to it.

It also wants to see increased cooperation from platforms towards researchers, and fact-checkers in all EU Members States (for all languages), along with increased transparency around the implementation of policies to inform users in instances where they interact with disinformation

In recent years the Commission has pressed platforms for action to tackle misinformation — signing up tech giants and adtech players to a voluntary Code of Practice on disinformation focused on disrupting ad revenues and empowering reporting of fakes.

Since then, its assessment of platforms’ efforts to tackle malicious fakes has been lukewarm to say the least, with repeat calls for them to do more. It has also repeatedly called out a problematic ongoing lack of transparency related to these self regulatory efforts.

The coronavirus crisis has further amped up political pressure on platforms over their handling of online disinformation — and tech giants such as Google have responded with some measures aimed at pro-actively surfacing authoritative health information alongside coronavirus content (initially focused on the US, in its case).

Back in April, Facebook also said it would alert users who have interacted with certain types of coronavirus misinformation — displaying a debunking pop-up with messaging from the World Health Organization.

However the Commission said today that it wants to see more evidence that such measures are working.

EU lawmakers are also in the process of drafting new rules for digital services and platforms that could redrawn the line of liability and heap new responsibilities on tech businesses related to the content they host. A draft of this incoming Digital Services Act (DSA) is slated by the end of the year, after a public consultation kicked off last week.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been accompanied by a massive ‘infodemic’,” commissioner Josep Borrell said at a press briefing today. “We have witnessed a wave of false and misleading information, hoaxes and conspiracy theories, as well as targeted influence operations by foreign actors.”

Borrell gave examples of disinformation that risks public health which the Commission has seen spreading online in Europe such as bogus claims that drinking bleach can cure the coronavirus or that washing hands does not help.

He also pointed to vandalism of 5G infrastructure being fuelled by COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

“Some of this is aimed at harming the European Union and its Member States, trying to undermine our democracies, the credibility of the European Union and of national authorities,” he added. “What is more, disinformation in times of the coronavirus can kill. Misleading health information, consumer fraud, cyber crime or targeted disinformation campaigns by foreign actors pose several potential risks to our citizens, their health, to their trust in public institutions.”

Commenting in a statement, the Commission’s VP for values and transparency, VÄ›ra Jourová, added: “Disinformation waves have hit Europe during the Coronavirus pandemic. They originated from within as well as outside the EU. To fight disinformation, we need to mobilise all relevant players from online platforms to public authorities, and support independent fact checkers and media. While online platforms have taken positive steps during the pandemic, they need to step up their efforts. Our actions are strongly embedded in fundamental rights, in particular freedom of expression and information.”

“I believe that the fact that worked with the platforms and we designed with them the Code of Practice on disinformation helped to roll out new policies quicker,” she said, discussing coronavirus disinformation and what more platforms need to do, during a press briefing.

“Again platforms need to do more and our Code was just the first step. There is room for improvement. For instance we know only as much as platforms tell us — this is not good enough. They have to open up and offer more evidence that the measures they have taken are working well. They also have to enable the public to identify new threats independently. We invite them now to provide monthly reports with more granular information than ever before.”

Removing financial incentives for those who seek to benefit from disinformation is “crucial”, per Jourová, who said the Commission is taking steps to “gain a better understanding of the flow of advertising revenues linked to disinformation”. 

“We need to ensure transparency and accountability,” she added. “Citizens need to know how information is reaching them and where it comes from.”

Jourová announced that TikTok has agreed to join its EU Code of Practice on disinformation — saying she expected it to conclude the formalities “very soon”.

She added that the Commission is also “negotiating” with Facebook-owned WhatsApp about signing up.

She emphasized that EU lawmakers are not asking platforms to take down general disinformation (with some exceptions related to COVID-19; such as where bogus products or advice might cause public harm) — but rather to surface quality, fact-checked information so users are able to get the facts for themselves.

Jourová lauded Twitter’s recent decision to add labels to some of US president Donald Trump’s tweets — citing it as the sort of action it’s looking for from platforms. 

“Twitter is a very good example of what we support,” she said. “Twitter did not remove any declaration of president Trump they just added the facts. And this is what I call plurality and possibility of the competition of free speech. Because we should not rely on just one authoritative declaration when it’s possible to add some facts which might look at it from a different angle. So this is the competition of speeches. 

“We never wanted the platforms to remove the content — unless, and here comes the COVID-related situation — unless it is manifestly and clearly harmful to the health of the people. Which is the case of many strange advices and dangerous advices were published through social media.”

During the press briefing the commissioners were pressed on how little resource the Commission has is putting in to disinformation task forces — with an annual strategic communication budget of only around €5M last year.

Jourová responded by saying that the system of collaboration it’s established to tackle the problem is fed by pooled resources from EU Member States, civic society and the platforms themselves.

“The platforms are investing a lot in creating the task forces, their special units to fulfil the commitments — what we expect from them to do also in this communication — we are engaging civil society and fact checkers, we are engaging the research sector. So you have to speak about much wider field and many other capacities which we are deploying to do that,” she said, adding also that in the COVID disinformation context the health sector is also being engaged to combat junk content. 

“I have always said that the fight against disinformation is not about censorship — it’s not about removing the false claims and removing disinformation and misinformation. Those who are responsible for the subject has to proactively defend their facts, has to proactively bring trustworthy information,” she continued.

While disinformation is not generally considered illegal across the EU (with some exceptions in certain Member States), Jourová argued that fakes “can cause significant harm” — though she also suggestion the Commission will avoid laying down any hard legal lines here, as it works to update digital regulation.

“For the disinformation, our logic will be to look into how big the potential public harm might be,” she said, giving a hint of how it’s looking at the issue in relation to the forthcoming DSA. “I do not foresee that we will come with hard regulation on that. Because it is too sensitive to assess this information and have some rules — it is playing with the freedom of speech and I really want to come with a balanced proposal. So in DSA you will see the regulatory action very probably against illegal content — because what’s illegal offline must be clearly illegal online and the platforms have to proactively work in this direction. But for disinformation we will have to consider the efficient way how to decrease the harmful impact of disinformation.

“We will focus on its impact before elections, because we see that disinformation — well targeted and designed — can do harm to the free and fair elections. So these are very serious issues we will have to cover.”

Jourová warned that the next health-related disinformation battleground in Europe will be vaccination.

She also named China and Russia as foreign entities that the Commission has confirmed as being behind state-backed disinformation campaigns targeting the region.


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Intraday Trading Calls for 11-June-2020

Intraday Trading Calls for 11-June-2020

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Live Intraday Trading on 10-June-2020 (Profit 7100)

Live Intraday Trading on 10-June-2020 (Profit 7100)

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How To Move The Taskbar To Bottom Of Screen In Windows 10


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The Windows 10 taskbar does multiple jobs. It provides quick access to running programs, displays date and clock, is the house for Start and Cortana, and shows the status of volume, network, and battery with the help of respective icons. Most users prefer seeing the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. We are so […]

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Solar Generators vs. Fuel Generators: Which One Is Best for You?


gas-vs-solar

Solar power has started to go mainstream. But if you’re not quite ready to power your home primarily solar electricity, why not try using solar energy to replace your backup power?

You may already be familiar with gas or diesel powered generators. Solar generators are cleaner, safer, and may even make more financial sense. How do solar generators compare to gas generators? Let’s break down how these two types of backup energy work.

How Does a Solar Generator Work?

Solar electricity generators consist of photovoltaic (PV) panels, a charge regulator, batteries, and an inverter.

The PV panels convert sunlight into electricity and sends it off to the charge regulator.

Meanwhile, the charge regulator pumps the electricity into the batteries and stops when they are fully charged.

The PV panels provide direct current (DC) electricity, but the electronics in your home need alternating current (AC) electricity. The inverter takes the DC electricity from the batteries and converts it into AC electricity.

What are the Benefits of a Solar Generator?

  • Solar electric generators are silent. Since there are no moving parts, you don’t deal with the noise that comes from a gas or diesel powered machine.
  • Solar generators require less maintenance. Parts that don’t move don’t wear out so fast.
  • Solar generators don’t require fossil fuels. That means energy does less damage on its way to your home, safer air to breathe, and fewer greenhouse gases.
  • Once the solar generator is up to full speed, it will run day and night without any input from you. During the day, the electricity charges the batteries and excess powers your equipment. At night, the batteries power your equipment. As long as there’s enough daylight every day, it just goes on and on.

How Does a Gas Generator Work?

A gas generator converts the chemical energy of gasoline into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy.

It does this using an engine and an alternator. The gas combusts in the engine, turning the crankshaft just like in a car. Instead of turning the wheels of a car, though, it turns the rotor in the alternator.

The rotor is a coil of copper wire. The copper wire spins past stationary magnets. As copper wire passes over magnets, the magnets induce a slight electrical charge in the wire. Do this very fast and you generate a significant amount of electricity. It’s a fairly complex system with lots of moving parts.

What are the Benefits of a Gas Generator?

  • Gas generators can be really compact and still put out a large amount of electricity relative to solar power.
  • Gas generators are easy to operate and get going. Fill with gas, pull the cord or press the starter button, and you’ve got power. As long as you can keep putting gas in it, it’ll keep running and putting out a lot of power.
  • Gas generators require less space. It only takes one or two people to load most home-use generators in the back of a truck, and there remains plenty of room for other things.
  • Gas generators are mass-produced and pretty simple to build, so they are less expensive than solar generators of the same ability.

Which Type of Generator Do You Need?

There are so many different situations where you might need a generator that it’s impossible to cover them all. What we can do is take a look at a couple different scenarios.

Scenario One: Backup Power for Power Outages

house blizzard
Image Credit: Sam Beasley/Unsplash

You’re thinking about being prepared for the next big hurricane or blizzard. You want to make sure that if the power goes out, you can run the most necessary things in your house, like a heater and some lights. You may not have a lot of space to work with. Maybe you’ve got a small yard or just a balcony.

Here you want something that’s easy to store and quick to set up. You want to put out a few thousand Watts at 2 Amps or more. You want it to work right now and for as long as necessary. Hopefully, that’s no more than a day or two. When the grid power comes back, you can pack it up and get it out of the way.

In this scenario, the gas generator shines. A gas generator that would do the job is about the same size as a large luggage bag or maybe a footlocker. If you know the storm is coming, you can get a jerry can or two of gas to have on hand.

All it takes to set it up is to put it near enough to your home to run an extension cord, but far enough that the exhaust fumes don’t come into the house. The gas generator will instantly provide enough power to run your most necessary things, and maybe a few nice-to-haves as well.

Once the storm is done and the power is back up, you simply turn it off, let it cool down, drain the gas that’s left, and put it back into storage. Sure, they need a little maintenance every now and again, but nothing more than a gas-powered lawn mower needs.

Scenario Two: Camping with the Family

camping at night with light
Image Credit: Bobby Burch/Unsplash

You’ve got a small travel trailer, maybe even just a tent. You and the family go camping for maybe a week or two every summer. You don’t really need any electrical devices, but it’d sure be nice to have a little TV for the rainy days, and have a little more light at night.

Maybe you need to keep a phone charged just in case there’s an emergency back in the urban world. You need maybe a few hundred watts at under 2 Amps. All you want to do is enjoy this great planet and hear yourself think, or not think. Whichever.

In this scenario, the solar generator makes the most sense. Once you get to your campsite, you will spend a little longer setting it up than a gas generator. But once it’s set up, you can forget about it. It’ll spend the rest of the day gathering sunlight and making electricity for you.

A solar generator will give you the power you need for those twilight hours and it will do so with complete silence. Now you can listen to the call of the loons, breathe the fresh air, and have enough light for some fun shadow puppet time with the kids.

The next time you even think about the generator is when you’re packing it up to put in the SUV and head home. No fuel to drain, no jerry cans to lug, no gas smell in the car for the next three weeks. And you’ve left the campsite closer to how you found it.

What Size Generator Will Supply Enough Power?

Now that you know what kind of generator you want, you can figure out what size of generator will do the job. To figure that out, you will need to understand a bit about generator ratings.

Gas or solar generators are rated in different ways. You want to know the peak Amperage either can handle. For gas generators, you’re eyeing their Wattage (W) rating. Often, the Watts will be in the thousands so it’s expressed as Kilowatts (kW).

For solar generators, you’re looking for the Amp hour (Ah) rating, because the electricity generally comes out of a battery.

Now, what do those things mean?

Amps, Amp-hours, and Watts

  • An Amp (A), or Ampere, is the unit of measure for electrical current. The electrical current is the rate of flow—how much can flow at once. To calculate the peak Amps you’ll need, find out the Amp rating of all the devices you’d want to run, add them up, and then look for an Amp rating that could run them all at once. The calculation looks like this: Item 1 Amps + Item 2 Amps + Item 3 Amps … = Total Amps
  • An Amp hour is how much electricity can flow from the battery at a usable voltage, typically for a 20 hour period. You’ll often see it expressed as something like 100Ah. Divide that 100Ah by 20 hours. You’re left with 5A. The calculation looks like this: 100Ah ÷ 20h = 5A for 20 hours
  • A Watt (W) is the unit of measure for the amount of work 1 Volt (V) of electricity at 1 Amp (A) can do per second. Here’s the calculation: 1 Volt x 1 Amp = 1 Watt

When considering Watts, be careful!  Usually the Wattage rating that you first see is how many running Watts the generator can handle. Some electrical devices have a starting Watt rating that’s much higher than its running Wattage. For example, a dishwasher may run at 1200W but require 3000W to start up. Make sure your gas generator can handle bursts like that.

Maybe You Don’t Need So Much Power

If you’re just trying to power a laptop and a phone, a full-blown solar or gas generator can be overkill. Fortunately solar power now comes in many different forms. Just like there are small portable external battery packs for your phone, there are larger car battery-sized options that can power more. Or you can find panels built directly into flashlights that double as external battery packs. There are many ways now to generate power at home or in the field.

Read the full article: Solar Generators vs. Fuel Generators: Which One Is Best for You?


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Where to Score Cheap Movie Rentals and Discounts: The 5 Best Options


buy-rent-movies

While it’s very convenient to buy or rent movies online, if you’re not careful, it can become an expensive habit.

If you’re used to digital rentals, the thought of getting movies offline might seem like a return to the bad old days when there was a Blockbuster on every corner. However, if you’re looking for the most cost-efficient ways to watch movies, offline is the way to go.

So, in this article, we list the various ways to buy or rent movies cheaply offline. Allowing you to save money.

Why Buying Movies Offline Is Cheaper

There are many ways to get movies for cheap without being stuck with digital copies:

  • On online auction sites like eBay, people sell entire collections of DVDs for dirt cheap.
  • At offline real-world sales, you can often find movie collections for next to nothing.
  • Libraries offer free movies with your free membership.
  • You can often buy movies at retail stores cheaper than you can rent them online.

Note that by “offline movies,” we mean renting or purchasing the movies on DVD or Blu-ray. While you might purchase the movies online, the difference is that you aren’t buying a digital copy that you stream over the internet—the movie is watchable offline.

Let’s look at various options to help you build your movie collection on the cheap.

1. Buy Movies From Bargain Bins

store-discounts

Even though video rental stores are (mostly) gone, plenty of physical businesses still sell movies. Stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy all sell DVDs and Blu-rays. While you’ll find the latest releases at full price, most of them have discount bins full of movies that are on sale for just a few dollars each.

In these bins, you can often buy a movie for less than the price of the digital rental. That represents a large savings if you decide to watch the movie again down the road, plus you can easily bring it to a friend’s house or let them borrow it.

The benefits of buying discounted discs include:

  • Instead of renting, you actually own the movie and can watch as often as you like.
  • There are lots of stores in every town that have a steady supply of movies for sale.
  • The quality of discounted physical movies is often better than discounted movies from digital sources.
  • You might find a new favorite “so bad it’s good” movie in the bin.

2. Borrow Movies From the Library

Rack of movies at the library
Image Credit: Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

Of course, free is even better than cheap. If you’re in search of a no-cost movie rental, your local library is worth a visit.

Most libraries have a collection of movies, ranging from children’s movies and documentaries to classics and blockbusters. Libraries receive donations all the time, so the selection often changes. Stop by your local library and you might be able to grab a few titles on your watchlist for free.

The benefits of borrowing from a library:

  • You can usually keep several movies for a few weeks at a time.
  • The offerings are varied, making it a great option if you’re not picky about what you want to watch.
  • If you’re out of town, some libraries allow you to pay a small fee to get a library card there.

3. Rent Movies From Redbox

Redbox Online DVD Ordering

While Redbox now offers on-demand movie streaming, the company got its start with offline rentals and still supports them. In the US, you’ll find Redbox rental kiosks outside grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and similar locations.

Simply browse through the list of movies, choose one you’d like to rent, and grab the disc from the machine. It costs $1.80/night for a DVD or $2/night for a Blu-ray, with some 4K Blu-ray discs available as well.

As long as you return it to any Redbox location before 9pm the next day, you’ll only pay for one day’s rental. If you need it for longer, simply drop it off when you’re able to. Using the Redbox website, you can browse the available movies and then “reserve” one in a local kiosk so you can pick it up even faster.

If you’re diligent about returning the movie right away, Redbox is the cheapest way to watch new releases without having to pay a fortune for the privilege.

The benefits of renting from Redbox:

  • Get the latest releases at the cheapest price.
  • No membership fees required.
  • A broad selection that updates frequently.
  • Blu-ray quality doesn’t cost much more.

As an alternative, DVD Netflix represents good value for money too if you don’t want to go out to rent the movies yourself.

4. Buy Cheap Movie Bundles on eBay

eBay Lot of DVDs

People often sell huge lots of movies on eBay after having a spring clean or wanting to downsize a DVD collection. Because of this, it’s easy to find huge boxes of assorted movies at a low cost per movie.

Whether you want to participate in an auction or just buy it now, buying movies in bulk like this is a great way to add to your collection.

Of course, this method isn’t perfect. Big lots might have duplicates, ancient movies, or strange titles you don’t care about. However, aside from a few stinkers, most bundles should provide you with a ton of movies to watch at a lower price than renting online.

When shopping for box lots of DVDs on eBay, always zoom into the photo and scan the titles included. Make sure you’re interested in at least some and there aren’t too many duplicates. Keep an eye on shipping costs, which can make the purchase less of a bargain.

And if you can’t afford to buy hundreds of movies at once, look for some smaller DVD lots. You can usually find a few dozen movies in a bundle and still get a good deal.

The benefits of buying on eBay:

  • Buying in bulk results in a low cost per movie.
  • You might find some rare or hidden gem movies included in a collection.
  • Enjoy the fun of the “grab bag” as you sort through the bundle.

5. Visit Auctions and Yard Sales

yard-sale
Image Credit: Paul McKinnon/Shutterstock

Of course, instead of waiting for people to sell their movie collections on eBay, you could always get the same (or better) deals at psychical auctions or yard sales.

AuctionZip is a great site to find local estate auctions near you in the US or Canada. You’ll also probably find listings in your local newspaper or in regional Facebook groups.

Auctions aren’t just for rich people. Most auctions near you will likely be reasonably priced estate sales, where you’ll find the entire contents of a household going up for sale in boxed lots.

The auction listing usually lists the kind of items available. For movies, you’ll want to search ads that contain words like “entertainment” or “media.” Alternatively, you can just show up on the day of the auction and browse through the boxes during the “preview” part.

There’s no obligation for you to stay and buy anything. If you see a big box of DVDs, buy a bidder card, wait until the box comes up, and start bidding! The odds are pretty good that you’ll get the box of movies for cheap.

Yard sales are another great way to buy movies in person. When the weather is nice, you’ll probably find dozens of yard sales going on in your community, and DVDs are a common item for people to sell in yard sales.

These movies are often far cheaper than you could find at an auction or on eBay. Usually the folks running the yard sale are getting rid of the movies because they’ve already watched them and want to make room for more. You may be able to barter on a whole box of them for less than a dollar per DVD.

Whether you just want to grab a couple of individual movies that catch your eye, or boost your physical collection by picking up a huge haul, yard sales are a great resource.

The benefits of buying at auctions or yard sales:

  • Enjoy the fun of the hunt.
  • Get large collections of movies at a low cost.
  • You’re giving the money to someone in your local community instead of a giant retailer.
  • Enjoy talking about the movies with their former owners.

It’s Cheaper to Buy or Rent Movies Offline

We’ve looked at some of the cheapest places to rent or buy movies. As long as you still have a DVD or Blu-ray player, these methods (plus a little patience) allow you to watch tons of films at a far lower cost than renting or buying digitally. And in most cases, they’re yours to keep and watch as many times as you want.

Of course, compared to all these options, renting movies online is extremely convenient. It’s up to your preferences whether spending $5+ on an easy movie rental is better than bothering with the trip to Redbox or hunting on eBay.

If you decide to stick with digital rentals, have a look at the best places to rent movies online to find the best value. And if you don’t want to spend any money at all, here are the best free movie streaming sites to check out.

Image Credit: Pavel L Photo and Video/Shutterstock

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How to Change Your PSN Name


In 2006, Sony launched the PlayStation Network (PSN). People signed up in droves, and everyone chose a PSN name as their online ID. However, many people didn’t realize that this would be permanent, as Sony refused to let you change your PSN name.

In October 2018, Sony announced that it was finally going to let you change your PSN name. The option was initially launched in beta as part of the PlayStation Preview Program, but now everyone can change their PSN name, either on a PS4 or the web.

How to Change Your PSN Name

To change your PSN name on your PS4:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Select Account Management > Account Information > Profile > Online ID.
  3. Enter a new PSN name of your choosing (or one of the suggestions).
  4. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the change.

To change your PSN name on a web browser:

  1. Sign into your PlayStation Network account and select PSN Profile.
  2. Select the Edit button next to your Online ID.
  3. Enter a new PSN name of your choosing.
  4. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the change.

Changing your PSN name doesn’t mean you lose your old one. And you can revert back to an old PSN name by contacting PlayStation Support. You can also display your old PSN name next to your new PSN name for 30 days to help your friends notice the change.

Unfortunately, changing your PSN name comes with some risks. While games released after April 1, 2018 support the feature, older titles do not. And some may cause critical issues. Sony recommends checking this list of tested games before changing your PSN name.

Be Sure to Choose Your New PSN Name Wisely

You can change your PSN name once for free, but after that, all subsequent name changes will cost you money. PlayStation Plus subscribers will pay $4.99, while everyone else will pay $9.99. So it would be a good idea to get your PSN name change right the first time.

This is long overdue, as Xbox owners have been able to change their gamertags for a while now. Still, it gives all of you PS4 owners who chose terrible PSN names when you were young a chance to start over. And you can then play the best PS4 exclusives.

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