The Morning After: Meta could launch a Twitter competitor next month

Meta has long been rumored to be building a platform to rival Twitter. After months of speculation, there are finally some details on how it might turn out, according to digital media marketing expert Lia Haberman, who has heard about the app through content creators approached by Meta.

Haberman says the app could launch as early as the end of June, branded as Instagram’s text-based spin-off. The decentralized app is said to work with current Instagram parameters, like usernames and passwords. So if you already have an Instagram account, you should be able to sign right up and automatically sync with your current followers. Your handle, bio and verification should all carry over from IG. Haberman says even blocked Instagram accounts and hidden words transfer to the new platform.

It appears to be very Twitter-like, with its own versions of likes, replies and reposts.

– Mat Smith

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Disney’s pricey immersive Star Wars hotel is shutting down

It was $1,200 per person per night.

Allen J. Schaben via Getty Images

Less than 19 months after opening Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Disney will close the hotel’s doors. Star Wars fans willing to splurge have until the end of September to try the two-night experience. As a reminder, a two-night stay for two people at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser starts at $4,800. For a group of three adults and one child, the rate is $6,000.

The hotel opened at Walt Disney World in Florida in March 2022, and it promised fans a one-of-a-kind jaunt. Guests live out a Star Wars story. They choose to join the light side or the dark side, then, as passengers on a starcruiser, they encounter a First Order officer and stormtroopers, who board the ship to find Resistance spies. Disney told CNBC it “will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”

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NASA picks Blue Origin to build the Artemis V Moon landing system

But it’s not the only company involved in future Moon landings.

Blue Origin

NASA has chosen Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for its third crewed Artemis Moon landing. The company will build the landing system for Artemis V, which is currently set to launch in September 2029. While they didn’t mention the choice of vehicle, the company is already working on a Blue Moon lander. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Draper are among those involved in the NASA project. The space agency has already chosen SpaceX’s Starship for the first (Artemis III) and second (Artemis IV) human landings.

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All the big tech accessibility-related products announced last week

In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

For Global Accessibility Awareness Day or GAAD last week, major tech companies are taking this week as a chance to share their latest accessibility products. This includes major products like iOS 16 and the latest game controllers for the PS5. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low rounds up the biggest announcements and products.

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Apple rejected 1,679,694 App Store submissions in 2022

So many third-party chatbot apps?

Apple has published an App Store transparency report. It reveals several interesting tidbits about the App Store, including that, as of 2022, there were 1,783,232 apps on the storefront. Apple also says it rejected 1,679,694 submissions last year, out of 6,101,913 submissions. It’s the first report published on the App Store and forms part of the company’s $100 million settlement with App Store developers.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-meta-could-launch-a-twitter-competitor-next-month-111543954.html?src=rss 

Amber Rose Is All Smiles With Ex Alexander ‘A.E.’ Edwards After His Split From Cher: Photos

Just weeks after news broke that Cher and Alexander ‘A.E.’ Edwards had split, the rapper was seen reuniting with another one of his exes, Amber Rose, in Los Angeles on May 20.

Just weeks after news broke that Cher and Alexander ‘A.E.’ Edwards had split, the rapper was seen reuniting with another one of his exes, Amber Rose, in Los Angeles on May 20. 

Lego’s new 2,650-piece Pac-Man arcade set includes a mechanical crank

Last year, Lego released a set for the Atari 2600 console released in the 1970s, and now it’s paying homage to the definitive ’80s arcade game. The 2,650-piece Logo Icons Pac-Man set recreates the classic Pac-Man arcade cabinet, complete with a light-up coin-slot, joystick and mechanical crank that lets you move characters around the maze mechanically (though not actually play the game). 

There are brick versions of Pac-Man, along with the ghosts Blinky and Clyde, that can rotate on a base or be displayed on top of the cabinet. “Once complete, you can light up the coin-slot, plus there is a small vignette of a female mini-figure playing Pac-Man on an arcade, hidden inside the cabinet,” Lego notes in a press release. 

Lego

Lego detailed some of the history for Pac-Man, noting that first focus test with members of the public was held 43 years ago today on May 22nd, 1980. The Pac-Man character shape is based on a pizza with a slice missing, and the game was released in Japan on June 29th, 1980 and the rest of the world a bit later. Pac-Man became the most popular arcade game of all time, with 293,822 units installed around the world seven years after it was first released. 

The main character’s color was inspired by the “iconic yellow of the Lego brick,” according to the game’s creator Toru Iwatani. “Since Pac-Man yellow was actually inspired by the Lego Group yellow, it made the [collaboration] even more natural,” said Bandai Namco’s Aadil Tayouga. 

The Lego Icons Pac-Man Arcade set costs $270 (£230) and will be available to Lego VIP members starting on June 1st, then released to the general public June 4th. It follows the aforementioned Atari 2600 console from last year and the Lego NES console set released in 2020. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/legos-new-2650-piece-pac-man-arcade-includes-a-mechanical-crank-095625676.html?src=rss 

Meta hit with $1.3 billion fine over Facebook’s EU-US data transfers

The EU has issued a record-breaking €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) fine to Facebook owner Meta over data transfers. After a lengthy investigation, officials found the social network’s practice of moving EU citizens’ data to US-based servers was in violation of the bloc’s key digital privacy rules. In a statement, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission said that while Meta had attempted to address potential legal hurdles, “these arrangements did not address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects” in the Union.

This is the latest chapter in a saga that has now run for more than a decade examining how EU citizens’ private data is handled by Big Tech. Put simply, European privacy law is thought to be a lot tighter than its American counterpart, especially with a focus on individual rights. But any big tech company with servers all around the world has the ability to move data from one server to another without much effort. That means that an EU citizens’ data could be sent to the US, where such stringent privacy laws don’t apply, opening the door for unnecessary surveillance.

It’s something that the EU, often pushed into action by Austrian lawyer and privacy activist Max Schrems, has been working to address. Schrems found the existing Safe Harbor provisions to be insufficient, something that the Court of Justice of the European Union agreed with. So, the bloc worked with the US on the EU-US Privacy Shield, which was meant to tighten data controls when information was pushed between the two territories. Naturally, that was similarly ruled invalid by the European Court of Justice, leading to further contortions as Facebook and others said that their businesses, for reasons known only to them, wouldn’t function without this data transfer.

As part of the decision, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has ordered Meta to suspend any future data transfers of EU citizen data to the US within the next five months. It will also have to work to bring its operations “into compliance” with the GDPR, including any processing of EU citizens’ data on US servers, within the next six months. This will likely, however, be appealed and held up as a consequence of a wider political negotiation between the EU and the US as they look to agree a new framework to permit these data flows in a safe(r) way.

Sir Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, has written in his usual style that the company will appeal the fine, and the decision, saying that Facebook acted in good faith. He added that cross-border data flows are vital for many businesses, not just his own, and that he is “disappointed to have been singled out when using the same legal mechanism as thousands of other companies looking to provide services in Europe.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-hit-with-13-billion-fine-over-facebooks-eu-us-data-transfers-102841491.html?src=rss 

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones fall back to $348 at Amazon

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is the best wireless ANC headphone you can buy, thanks to the stellar sound quality, comfort and awesome active noise cancellation. Amazon currently has them on sale in both black and white for $348, the lowest price we’ve seen in months, saving you 13 percent or $52 over the regular price. 

The WH-1000XM5 scored an impressive 95 in our Engadget review, thanks to improvements across the board over our previous favorite headphones, the WH-1000XM4 (which are also on sale for $278 right now, by the way). Perhaps the biggest improvement is in fit and comfort thanks to the more optimal weight distribution, synthetic leather ear cups and reduced weight.

Sound quality also went up, due to the new 30mm carbon fiber drivers that deliver punchier bass. They offer more clarity that helps you hear fine detail, along with improved depth that makes music more immersive. And Sony’s DSEE Extreme sound processing recovers detail lost to compression, without any noticeable impact on sound quality.

The ANC is equally impressive. With double the number of noise cancellation microphones found in the M4, along with a new dedicated V1 chip, the M5 does a better job at minimizing background noise. And in terms of the microphone, we found that the M5 offers superior call quality over its predecessor. Moreover, you get 30 hours of listening time with ANC enabled, enough for the longest of flights.

The main drawback of the WH-1000XM5 headphones is the $400 price tag, but you can pick them up right now in either white or black for just $348 and save $52 — but act fast before the sale ends.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-wh-1000xm5-anc-headphones-fall-back-to-348-at-amazon-075636754.html?src=rss 

Megan Danielle: 5 Things To Know About The ‘American Idol’ Season 21 Runner-Up

Megan Danielle has one powerful voice. The Christian singer made it all the way to the finale and came in second place. Get to know this rising star.

Megan Danielle has one powerful voice. The Christian singer made it all the way to the finale and came in second place. Get to know this rising star. 

‘RHOA’ Recap: Marlo Hampton Spirals After Drew Mentions The Shooting At Kandi’s Restaurant

A special moment in Drew Sidora’s life turned sour during the May 21 episode of ‘RHOA’, when she asked Kandi Burruss about a recent shooting at her restaurant, Blaze.

A special moment in Drew Sidora’s life turned sour during the May 21 episode of ‘RHOA’, when she asked Kandi Burruss about a recent shooting at her restaurant, Blaze. 

‘American Idol’ Finale Recap: Who Will Be Crowned The Season 21 Winner?

It’s all led up to this. After weeks of competition, one of ‘American Idol’s top 3 will become the season 21 winner. Follow along with our live blog as the finale unfolds.

It’s all led up to this. After weeks of competition, one of ‘American Idol’s top 3 will become the season 21 winner. Follow along with our live blog as the finale unfolds. 

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