Kalakshar US

Mastodon has gained popularity over the past year as Twitter users looked for alternatives following Elon Musk’s takeover. Part of its appeal is its decentralized nature that insulates it against the whims of billionaires who speak before they think. Unsurprisingly, though, what makes it so appealing has also proven to be a headache, making content moderation all but impossible.

A study from Stanford found 112 matches of known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over a two-day period, with almost 2,000 posts using common hashtags related to abusive material. Researcher David Thiel says, “We got more photoDNA hits in a two-day period than we’ve probably had in the entire history of our organization of doing any kind of social media analysis, and it’s not even close.” We’ve reached out to Mastodon for comment and will update this story once we’ve heard back.

Of course, the big problem with unfederated social media platforms such as Mastodon is that no one company or entity controls everything on the platform. Every instance has its own administrators, and they are the ones who are ultimately responsible. However, those admins cannot control and moderate what goes on in other instances or servers.

This isn’t uniquely a Mastodon problem, either. Meta’s popular Threads is also built around the decentralized model. While it’s not supported just yet, Threads plans on being interoperable with ActivityPub. This means Threads users will be able to follow, reply and repost content from Mastodon, and vice versa.

This creates a unique problem for Meta, which can’t control the entire moderation flow like it could with Facebook or Instagram. Even then, the company struggles to keep up with moderation. Presumably, larger instances on Mastodon and other platforms such as Threads could outright block access to problematic instances. Of course, that wouldn’t “solve” the problem. The content would still exist. It would just be siloed and left to the moderators of that specific instance to remove it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mastodons-decentralized-social-network-has-a-major-csam-problem-202519000.html?src=rss 

Twitter’s rebrand to X is officially underway, and CEO Linda Yaccarino has offered some new clues about what it may mean for the company. In a memo reported byCNBC, Yaccarino suggested that payments and banking features could feature prominently in Elon Musk’s new vision.

“Our usage is at an all time high and we’ll continue to delight our entire community with new experiences in audio, video, messaging, payments, banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities,” she wrote.

It’s long been rumored that Musk is keen to bring banking features to Twitter. In January, the Financial Timesreported that he wanted “to offer fintech services such as peer-to-peer transactions, savings accounts and debit cards” to users, as well as additional tipping and shopping features. The paper reported the company had applied for regulatory paperwork necessary to offer such features in the US, but the executive reportedly overseeing the project departed in February.

Yaccarino’s memo suggests those plans have been revived, though it’s light on specifics. Musk has previously talked about his desire to turn Twitter into an “everything app” akin to WeChat in China, where the messaging app is central to users’ daily activities.

Overall, Yaccarino’s memo is notably vague. She said that X would “go even further to transform the global town square” and cited recent updates the company has made around creator monetization and longform content. “Many companies say they want to move fast — but we enjoy moving at the speed of light, and when we do, that’s X,” she wrote. “With X, we serve our entire community of users and customers by working tirelessly to preserve free expression and choice, create limitless interactivity, and create a marketplace that enables the economic success of all its participants.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitter-ceo-teases-banking-and-payment-plans-in-memo-about-x-rebrand-175218664.html?src=rss 

If Apple is going to make the Vision Pro a success, it’s going to need compelling apps — and that means giving developers hardware ahead of time. Accordingly, the company is now making Vision Pro developer kits available. If you qualify, you’ll get a loaned mixed reality headset as well as help with setup, expert “check-ins” and extra support requests beyond what developers normally get.

The operative term, as you might guess, is “if.” You’re submitting an application, not buying a product like the old Apple Silicon Developer Transition Kit. In addition to being part of the Apple Developer Program, you’ll need to detail your existing apps and overall team talent. The company will favor creators whose app “takes advantage” of the Vision Pro’s features. You can’t just assume you’ll get a headset, then, and you’re less likely to get one if you’re a newcomer or simply porting an iPad app. You’ll have to be content with the visionOS beta software if you don’t make the cut.

You also can’t use the wearable for bragging rights. Apple requires that developers keep the Vision Pro in a secure workspace that only authorized team members can access. The company can also request a unit return at any time. Don’t expect many leaked details, in other words.

The current kit may only end up in the hands of larger developers as a result. However, the launch shows how Apple intends to court app creators, and what titles you’re likely to see when Vision Pro arrives early next year. The focus is on polished experiences that help sell the concept, rather than a huge catalog. That’s not surprising when the Vision Pro is a $3,499 device aimed at professionals and enthusiasts, but you may have to wait a while before small studios release apps based on real-world testing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-developer-kits-are-available-now-181026904.html?src=rss 

Netflix’s interface can sometimes make you wade through screens and tabs just to find the show you wanted to watch, but it’s hopefully getting easier as of today. The streaming service is rolling out a My Netflix tab on iOS (Android in early August) that puts everything you’re watching (or want to watch) in one place. That includes in-progress videos and downloads, of course, but you’ll also see My List items, notifications, shows with viewed trailers and other earmarked content. In theory, you can quickly start a series without remembering how you learned about it.

The tab is available worldwide, and will replace the Downloads section when it reaches the app. Netflix notes the tab will grow the more you interact with the platform, so there’s a strong incentive to leave likes or add to your viewing queue. The Home tab will remain if you’re more interested in discovering new material.

To some extent, this is an admission that the Netflix front-end can sometimes be overwhelming when you’re just trying to find that show you were eager to watch. However, it’s also a way to keep viewers coming back. In theory, you’re more likely to stay subscribed if you have an easier time finding the titles you want to watch next. This also helps Netflix boost interaction and identify popular shows using more than viewing counts.

The company isn’t hurting for demand. Netflix’s password crackdown appears to be paying off with a surge in subscriptions from customers that previously borrowed friends’ accounts. The feature isn’t likely to sustain that momentum by itself. With that said, this may give new customers an incentive to continue paying instead of switching to rivals like Amazon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/my-netflix-puts-your-downloads-and-in-progress-shows-first-171313509.html?src=rss