Kalakshar US

Twitter has been even more of a mess than usual over the last few days, in part because it limited the number of tweets users could read each day. The decision came as a surprise to many, but the company said it was unable to give folks a heads up.

“We temporarily limited usage so we could detect and eliminate bots and other bad actors that are harming the platform,” a Twitter Business blog post reads. “Any advance notice on these actions would have allowed bad actors to alter their behavior to evade detection.”

While some have been skeptical of Twitter’s reasoning for the move, the company says it limited the rate limit to stop bad actors from scraping public data to feed into artificial intelligence models and to prevent them from “manipulating people and conversation on the platform in various ways.” It says that the rate limits currently impact a small percentage of users and it will provide an update when these efforts are complete.

It seemed strange that Twitter posted this update on its business blog until the company mentioned that rate limiting has had a “minimal” effect on advertising. Many pointed out that limiting the number of tweets users could read per day would make it harder for advertisers to reach users and for Twitter to make money.

Rate limiting broke Twitter’s website and apps for the most part, including TweetDeck, an app that many power users rely on. To help remedy that, the company released “a new, improved version of TweetDeck.” The company is moving all users over to the latest version, but there was another twist in store: Twitter is making the app exclusive to verified accounts, effectively putting a paywall on TweetDeck for the vast majority of users.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitter-says-it-couldnt-tell-people-about-rate-limiting-in-advance-183928265.html?src=rss 

A judge has blocked the Biden administration and other federal officials from communicating with social media companies in a case that could have far-reaching implications. On Tuesday, a Trump-appointed judge granted the state attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri a temporary injunction against the federal government, reports The Washington Post. The two Republican lawyers sued President Joe Biden and other top government officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, last year, accusing them of colluding with Meta, Twitter and YouTube to remove “truthful information” related to the COVID-19 lab leak theory, 2020 election and other topics.

Although he has yet to make a final ruling in the case, Judge Terry A. Doughty wrote in his order that the Republican attorneys general “produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.” While the order grants some exceptions for the government to communicate with Meta, Twitter and YouTube, it also specifically targets more than a dozen individual officials. Among those are Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of Homeland Security.

The lawsuit is the latest effort by some Republicans to allege the Biden administration pressured social media platforms to censor conservative views. The GOP has aired that grievance in a few different venues — including, most notably, a contentious House Oversight Committee hearing at the start of the year related to the so-called “Twitter Files.” The lawsuit from the attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri takes a different tack. Instead of directly targeting Meta, Twitter and YouTube, which argue they have a First Amendment right to decide what content is allowed on their platforms, the attorneys general sued the federal government. Whatever happens next, that strategy has already led to the most successful effort yet to counter online content moderation. 

Separately, it’s worth noting Meta, Twitter and YouTube have all recently scaled back their moderation policies in one way or another. In the case of YouTube, for instance, the company said last month it would begin allowing videos that falsely claim fraud occurred during the 2020 election. Meta, meanwhile, last month back its COVID-19 misinformation rules for Instagram and Facebook in countries where the pandemic is no longer deemed a national emergency. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/judge-blocks-federal-officials-from-contacting-tech-companies-192554203.html?src=rss 

While there’s a week to go until Amazon officially kicks off Prime Day, the company is getting things started early with deals on many of its own products. Ring video doorbells, cameras and security systems are among the products on sale. A bundle of a Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5 (which you can use to monitor what the doorbell sees) typically costs $190. However, for Prime members, Amazon has dropped the price by 66 percent to $65. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen for this bundle to date.

You’ll get the second-gen Ring Video Doorbell, which Amazon released in 2020. While Amazon has released two newer versions in the interim, it’s still a capable device. It offers up to 1080p HD video, while the original was limited to 720p. It can run on battery power alone, or you can hardwire it or connect it to a Ring solar charger.

A privacy zone option enables you to block out certain areas of the field of view from recordings. There are adjustable motion zones (you’ll receive a notification when someone triggers the built-in motion sensor or presses the doorbell), an audio privacy setting and, Amazon claims, improved night vision over the first model.

The Echo Show 5, meanwhile, is the new third-gen model that Amazon released in May. Although the design is almost the same as the previous version, the latest Echo Show 5 is 20 percent faster and offers “double the bass” through an upgraded speaker system, Amazon says. The device typically retails for $90 alone.

In case you don’t need or want an Echo Show 5 (you can still see a video feed from the doorbell on a phone, tablet or PC), you can pick up the second-gen Ring Video Doorbell by itself for $55 if you’re a Prime member. This again is a record low price. The device usually sells for $100.

There are lots of deals elsewhere in the Ring sale. Prime members can get 50 percent off the second-gen Ring Indoor Cam that Amazon released several weeks ago. It’s on sale for $30. Those looking for more peace of mind may be interested in a Ring Alarm kit. Several options are on sale, including the latest version of the five-piece kit. That has dropped from $200 to $120. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rings-early-prime-day-deals-include-an-echo-show-5-bundle-for-just-65-150337948.html?src=rss 

The Las Vegas skyline will soon be dominated by a massive display. MSG Entertainment has started full testing of the Sphere, a 17,600-seat venue near the The Venetian Resort that’s defined by an enormous (516ft across and 366ft tall) animated dome and a wraparound internal 16K LED screen. It’s eye-catching on the outside, but the main attraction is the immersion for live entertainment on the internal display — it’s meant to rethink concerts and cinematic experiences.

As MSG’s James Dolan and David Dribble explain to Rolling Stone, the aim is to effectively create a VR experience without the “damn goggles.” Creators use a special camera to produce footage that envelops the audience. There’s also a unique 164,000-speaker audio system that can isolate specific sounds, or even limit them to certain parts of the audience. One section could hear only Spanish-language dialog, for instance.

Like “4D” movie theaters, the MSG Sphere also has a sensory experience for some guests. About 10,000 seats have haptics, cold, heat wind and scents. If you’re on a virtual trip to the Arctic, you might feel the coolness while you watch.

The venue will have its first performance on September 29th, when U2 starts a 25-show run with a custom production. The shows have effectively sold out, so you’ll have to rely on the inevitable flurry of social media videos to see what the Sphere looks like during its inaugural stint. Partial screen testing took place this spring.

Whether or not it’s a wise investment isn’t clear. Construction started in 2019, but the pandemic and technological complexity have swelled the expected cost to $2.3 billion. That will make it the most expensive venue in Las Vegas to date (even the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium costs ‘just’ $1.9 billion), and there are no guarantees MSG will recoup its investment in a timely fashion. It’s not clear what comes after U2’s concerts, either, although there is the possibility of hosting eSports tournaments and mixed martial arts fights.

The draw, however, is clear. Large-scale concerts typically take place in stadiums where the audio, visuals and seating are designed around sports, not music. Even traditional concert halls haven’t changed much over the decades. In theory, you’ll make a pilgrimage to the Sphere to get an experience you simply can’t get elsewhere.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-venetian-resort-starts-testing-its-giant-led-video-sphere-153112387.html?src=rss