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Meta is shutting down Threads in Turkey on April 29 after an interim injunction from the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) against automatic data-sharing with Instagram. The TCA ruled that linking Threads and Instagram without user opt-in “will lead to irreparable harms” and that Meta “abused its dominant position” in the industry with the practice. The TCA also suggested that the linking exists primarily to increase the company’s “market power.”

Rather than make any changes to how Instagram and Threads integrate in the region, Meta’s pulling the nascent social media app. The company says this is merely a temporary measure as it works to appeal the injunction, but there’s no timetable for that. In the meantime, Meta suggests that users in Turkey either deactivate their accounts or delete them entirely. Those who deactivate will have their posts and interactions restored “if Threads returns” to the country.

Turkish regulators aren’t the only people who think the automatic linking between Threads and Instagram is, at best, a bit creepy. It’s been a point of contention since the platform launched last year. The apps were so tied together that users couldn’t even delete a Threads account without nuking their Instagram account, though Meta patched this several months back.

Meta also began promoting Threads posts on Facebook and Instagram without user consent, eventually allowing people to opt out of the, uh, “feature.” This is the type of automatic data-sharing that bristled the TCA, leading to the recent injunction.

Also, this isn’t the first regulatory battle between Meta and Turkey. The country fined Meta $18.6 million back in 2022 for data-sharing across its apps, according to a report by TechCrunch. This is an alleged violation of the country’s competition laws. The country asked Meta to submit documents detailing its efforts to stop violation of these laws, but Turkish regulators said the explanations were lacking. As such, the country slapped Meta with additional fines, to the tune of $160,000 each day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-shutting-down-threads-in-turkey-following-injunction-against-data-sharing-with-instagram-154725011.html?src=rss 

Traditional hard drives typically contain useful components. But dismantling them manually would be too labor-intensive. As things stand, old hard drives tend to go through a shredder and it’s often down to luck whether there’s anything usable left after that process. A company called Garner Products claims to have a better solution with its DiskMantler.

This machine (spotted by Ars Technica) uses a mix of shock, harmonics and vibration to shake apart a hard drive. The process loosens screws and other fasteners — no matter what kind of oddly shaped screw heads are used — to free up parts like circuit boards, drive assemblies, actuators and rare-earth magnets. The process reportedly takes between eight and 90 seconds for most hard drives, and around two minutes for welded helium drives.

The DiskManter can seemingly disassemble as many as 500 hard drives a day and only a fifth or so of the planet’s e-waste is recycled. So at least for now, Garner’s recycling efforts may seem a bit like a drop in the ocean. However, if the company can help to retrieve valuable components such as rare-earth magnets without having to break them down into elements and starting the production process over, that surely has to be a net positive.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-a-recycling-machine-shake-apart-old-hard-drives-to-recover-components-163442500.html?src=rss 

Google is expected to launch a new Pixel 8a phone at its I/O conference next month, but if you’re willing to buy last year’s model, a new sale has dropped the Pixel 7a down to the lowest price we’ve tracked. The handset is now available for $349, which is $150 less than Google’s list price and $25 below the prior low we’ve seen in recent months. The only better deals we’ve found for an unlocked model have required you to trade in another device. This discount applies to the black, light blue and white colorways and is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Google’s online store. Google says the offer will run through May 4. 

The Pixel 7a is the top budget pick in our guide to the best Android phones, and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 90 in our review last May. When it’s discounted to this extent, it remains a good value. Its cameras still outshine just about everything else in this price range, and it still provides a largely bloat-free version of Android. Its Tensor G2 can sometimes run hot but is still plenty quick for everyday tasks. Though it won’t be kept up to date for as long as the flagship Pixel 8, it’ll still receive OS updates through May 2026 and security updates through May 2028. 

The mostly plastic design and 6.1-inch OLED display are both a step down from more expensive devices, but they should be more than acceptable at this price. The latter can run at a 90Hz refresh rate, which again isn’t on the level of top-tier models but makes scrolling feel smoother than it’d be on many cheap Android phones. Along those lines, while the Pixel 7a’s wireless charging tops out at a relatively slow 7.5W, the fact that it supports wireless charging at all is welcome. Battery life is solid but not class-leading in general, though wired charging also isn’t the fastest at 18W.

If you don’t need a new phone right this second, it still makes sense to see if Google follows tradition and releases a new A-series phone in a few weeks. There’s been a spate of Pixel 8a leaks over the past several months, all of which suggest a device that’ll fall more closely in line with the current Pixel 8. Exactly how much the new phone will cost is unclear, however. If you want upgrade today and must stay on a tighter budget, we’d expect this deal to stay worthwhile after I/O has passed. It’s also worth noting that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are on sale for $549 and $799, respectively, though neither of those are all-time lows.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-7a-is-on-sale-for-a-new-low-of-349-153517154.html?src=rss 

Amazon has deals running right now on some of Anker’s best power banks and chargers. The sale includes our favorite MagSafe-compatible power bank for 2024: Anker’s 10,000mAh Qi2 MagGo Power Bank. The device is down to $67.50 from $90 — a 25 percent discount. The only catch is that the deal is just available in white (though the black model is only $2.50 more).

Anker’s 15W MagGo Power Bank was one of the first Qi2-certified devices available and can bring an iPhone 15 from zero to 50 percent in just 45 minutes. It can charge an iPhone to 100 percent and another time to 70 percent before needing another charge. It also offers a small screen indicating how much battery the power bank has left for charging or until it’s recharged. The device comes with a kickstand for easy support while fueling up a phone. 

Other notable Anker devices on sale include the 552 USB-C Hub and the Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank with a 100W Charging Base. The 552 USB-C Hub is down to $30 from $70 — a 57 percent discount. It offers 9-in-1 connectivity and file transfer at up to five gigabytes per second. Then there’s Anker’s Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank, which is 30 percent off, dropping to $164.50 from $235. It offers two USB-C ports and one USB port that deliver up to 250W of power. The device charges at 100W with the included base or at 140W with a USB-C cable. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-power-banks-and-chargers-are-up-to-57-percent-off-right-now-135803380.html?src=rss 

It’s been a few months since we’ve heard any details about Samsung’s latest 98-inch TV, which we learned about back at CES in January. Now, the company has offered up more information about the 98″ Class Crystal UHD (DU9000), which is available starting today for $4,000 from its own webstore and select retailers.

Samsung previously revealed that this model uses an AI-powered feature to optimize picture quality for the larger screen. Typically, as screens get bigger so do their pixels. However, with Supersize Picture Enhancer (which the company’s other current 98-inch models boast), Samsung says it can increase sharpness and reduce visible noise to ensure there’s no pixel distortion.

Other features of the DU9000 include 4K upscaling, PurColor (which adds another layer of image processing to improve the picture quality) and HDR. The Motion Xcelerator function and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz should help ensure smooth gameplay — you’ll be able to stream games from the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon Luna through the Gaming Hub. Other gaming features include AI Auto Game Mode, Mini Map Auto Detection and Virtual Aim Point.

If you’re wary that a 98-inch TV might be too much screen for your small living room, Samsung doesn’t want you to worry about that. The company claims that the recommended viewing distance for a 98-inch TV is between six and 12 feet. The DU9000 joins other 98-inch TVs in Samsung’s portfolio, including ones with Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K and QLED 4K panels.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-new-98-inch-crystal-uhd-tv-is-now-available-141044674.html?src=rss