Facebook is working on a new feature that will allow users to record and submit songs to the social platform
Facebook is working on a new feature that will allow users to record and submit songs to the social platform
So you think you can sing? You think you’ve got what it takes to make it show business? We’ve all watched shows like “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent.” People chase their dreams and put themselves on show for the nation, and more importantly, the judges. If you’ve ever thought that you’d like to do it, but maybe the judges are too mean or singing on stage is too scary, Facebook might have the answer. Perhaps you should enter the Facebook Talent Show.
Serial social media hawkeye Jane Manchun Wong has spotted some rather interesting Facebook code in an updated version. Facebook is working on a new Talent Show that will have both an Audition part and a Stage.
Facebook is working on Talent Show where users can pick a popular song and submit their singing audition for review.
Feels like a cross between Musically and Fifteen Million Merits from Black Mirror
Users will be able to choose a song, record their own rendition, and then submit it for judging. As yet, there is no indication about who will be judging or who will have access to the videos.
There is no guarantee that this new feature will end up in the full version of Facebook, but it is interesting to see a Facebook Talent Show mentioned in the code. It is similar to Facebook’s Lip Sync Live feature, which it launched back in June. New features like this make sense for Facebook, as more and more young people are abandoning the big blue for other social networks like Instagram and Snapchat.
You will soon be able to mark WhatsApp chat notifications as read
You will soon be able to mark WhatsApp chat notifications as read
It has been a big few days for WhatsApp fans. We recently got the news that we’ll be able to make group video calls with up to three of our friends, and now we hear that WhatsApp is getting a new feature commonly found in email inboxes.
Some users have started noticing a Mark as Read button on their chat notifications. The new button comes under the message notification and next to the Reply To… button. The Mark as Read button will show as read in your chats and the chats of the person who sent it.
You know what Mark as Read actually means: the dreaded two blue checkmarks. It looks like we’ve gone full circle from not wanting people to know we’ve read their message to now wanting them to think we have when we haven’t. The poor hearts of young lovers will be broken when they see those ticks and don’t get a reply. “Did they even bother to read it?”
How to stop the two blue ticks showing when you read a message!
Telegram already has this feature, it launched July 31, but it seems cruel almost to introduce it to WhatsApp.
For now, this feature is only a part of the WhatsApp Beta program, but it could get a wider release in the coming weeks. You still have four-way WhatsApp group calls to sink your teeth into, so have at that while you’re waiting to dismiss the messages of people who love you. If you can’t wait though, check out our tutorial on How to try new WhatsApp features before anybody else.
How to try new features on WhatsApp before anybody else
Fans of the Super Smash Bros. series were overjoyed when Nintendo announced that Smash Ultimate would be coming to the Switch later this year. Along with this came an equally exciting announcement for a new Smash-inspired GameCube controller, and an official adapter for the Switch.
This isn’t Nintendo’s only accessory leading up to the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A new GameCube-esque controller has also just been announced for the Nintendo Switch. Unlike a regular GameCube controller, the C-stick on this new one is actually detachable. The stick can be replaced with a traditional analog stick, allowing players to customize their controllers based entirely on their preference.
The new controller comes in red, blue, and yellow featuring a classic Nintendo series insignia. Red for Mario, blue forZelda, and yellow for Pokémon.
It’s called the “Wired Smash Pad Pro”. Of course this means that it’s a wired controller. Thankfully the controller will feature a 10 foot cable, so there will be a lot of accessibility.
The controller doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s sure to be before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate hits the shelves on December 7 of this year, as pre-orders will be made available soon!
Instagram announced its new video platform, IGTV, to much fanfare last month. The new form allows users to upload videos of up to an hour in length that can be found in the new IGTV Instagram tab or the new standalone app. The hook, which many believed could see Instagram stealing YouTube users, was the unique vertical-only videos IGTV showcases. Vertical videos raise the possibility of a new type of mobile video content perfect for Instagram’s influencers. YouTube has now announced that it will also offer optimized support for vertical videos.
YouTube Go is a free, official app from Google that provides a variety of features that make the YouTube more bandwidth-conscious and help avoid buffering while on the go.
At the very least, this development should worry Instagram as there is no longer an incentive for its creators to only share their videos to IGTV exclusively. With YouTube having its own monetization platform, nothing is stopping Instagram users trying to reach out to new users, simply by sharing their vertical videos across multiple platforms.
As well as the vertical video announcement, YouTube also announced that non-widescreen videos would also be optimized too. Basically, the changes will remove the black bars from either side of the video, and the videos will appear to be larger. You can see examples below:
This new change brings YouTube desktop level with iOS and Android, which has had the updated video formats since December last year.
What do you think of this latest YouTube update? Are you a fan of IGTV, and do you think this will cause problems for Instagram’s new platform?
We love summer blockbusters for their sky-high budgets, star-studded casts, and death-defying stunts. With summer past its half-way point, we’ve seen some massive blockbusters at the theater this season. Whether it’s the MCU carpet-bombing nostalgia over generations or Han Solo finally divulging information about his past, the summer of 2018 has some great entertainment in store for eager viewers. In this article, we will take a look at a few movies that kicked open the doors and strutted their way onto the scene and a few that haven’t been released yet, but surely have potential to make your trip to the movies worth every penny.
Avengers: Infinity War
The newest Avengers release from the Marvel behemoth has cemented itself as one of the highest grossing movies of all-time, just recently passing $2 billion at the world box office. If you haven’t seen Stan Lee’s creations run amok in space and battle for survival on Earth, then you haven’t experienced the greatest Marvel product to date. The film boasts a roster of over 30 Marvel Heroes and Villains going toe-to-toe in the far reaches of space and the in the familiar territory of Wakanda. “Infinity War” will keep Marvel fans well-satiated until “Captain Marvel” (starring Brie Larson) and the inevitable release of Avengers 4, down the line. You can watch the movie on digital HD now or pre-order your Blu-Ray (release date August 14). Don’t miss out on this cinematic adventure!
Riding the tidal wave of comic book success, Paul Rudd dons the Ant-Man suit once again as Scott Lang, business owner by day and incredible shrinking man by night. The story of Ant-Man takes place between the events of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” which puts Lang under house arrest under the watchful eye of the government. But, as we know with Marvel, things are not always as they seem. “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is a whirlwind of action and cheeky dialogue. Make sure to grab your ticket because you don’t want to miss a second of the Marvel saga.
Incredibles 2
When Disney and Pixar team up, the end product is nothing short of spell-binding. The revolving door of quality content has produced another top-notch addition to their ever-expanding library with “The Incredibles 2.” Directed by Brad Bird, the vast majority of original characters return to fight off evil and save their world from sheer destruction. You can expect a fun, witty, cheerful, and heart-wrenching story of the Parr family in the newest Disney & Pixar masterpiece.
Deadpool 2
How do you follow up the highest grossing R-rated movie of all-time? You make a sequel. Simple as that. Ryan Reynolds brought raunchy and absurdist comedy to Marvel’s carefully crafted universe. For those that don’t know, Deadpool is a wise-cracking, foul-mouthed mercenary who, through extraordinary circumstances, is bestowed unparalleled physical abilities. Josh Brolin (of Thanos fame) suits up as Cable to duke it out with the katana-wielding anti-hero. Deadpool 2 has grossed near its predecessor, coming in at around $730 million, as opposed to $780 for the origin story.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill. Maverick and Superman. You can’t ask for two better action stars to co-star opposite one in another “Mission: Impossible.” In typical Ethan Hunt fashion, he breaks apart from IMF to pursue his own agenda and stop the world from being overrun by ruthless villains. Christopher McQuarrie (“Jack Reacher,” “Edge of Tomorrow”), yet again directs Tom Cruise in this high-octane adventure that is bound to elicit some ooh’s and ah’s in the theater. Look for “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” in theaters now and don’t miss out on the action!
The Meg
With an estimated budget near $150 Million dollars, “The Meg” dives into the deep end to bring B-list shark movies to the big screen. With the success of “Sharknado,” it’s easy to see why a film of this caliber would garner the attention of stars like Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, and Rainn Wilson. “The Meg” centers around the discovery of the Megalodon, the largest prehistoric shark ever to exist. A film like this should be experienced in only one particular way; IMAX 3D. Sitting in front of the largest screens on earth as the largest shark ever thought to have existed on earth swims at break-neck speeds towards the audience, that is immediately worth the price of admission. “The Meg” hits theaters on August 10.
Analysts have found an email scheduling feature while tearing down a new version of Gmail for Android
Analysts have found an email scheduling feature while tearing down a new version of Gmail for Android
Most of the time when you send an email, you need to send it now so that it arrives as quickly as possible. Other times, however, you might have a specific time during the week when you want to send it out. They say that Tuesday morning is the best time to submit job applications, and if you’re working late on a Friday, any emails you send will be lost in a weekend’s worth emails come Monday morning. For situations like these, you can either set yourself a reminder or schedule your email to send at the best possible time.
Rather surprisingly, Gmail doesn’t have an email scheduling feature. If you’re a Gmail user and you want to schedule an email to send at a particular time you need to download a browser extension, or simply remember when you want to send it and do it manually. This rather laborious way of doing something you’d expect one of the largest email providers in the world to do automatically has irked more than enough Gmail users to raise it in the Google forums. It now looks like Google is doing something to remedy the situation.
Gmail should update with a rather handy new feature
In an APK teardown of an upcoming Android version of Gmail, the guys at Android Police found an email scheduling feature in the code. Furthermore, the code in the Android version of the app makes it highly likely that the desktop version of Gmail will also likely get the new scheduling feature, too.
Now due to the nature of APK teardowns, there is no way to confirm this update until it actually happens, and there isn’t even anyway to know when it might happen. But Google normally pushes these types of updates out to your handset automatically, so hopefully, we’ll start seeing this new Gmail feature on our Android headsets sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed, we’ll get the update on the web version of Gmail at the same time. We’ll just have to wait and see.
WhatsApp adds encrypted group video and voice calls for up to 4 peopl
WhatsApp adds encrypted group video and voice calls for up to 4 people
Since 2016, WhatsApp has had video calling. Until now, those calls were limited to only two people, but yesterday, WhatsApp began rolling out encrypted video calls for up to four people. The Facebook-owned messaging service announced in a blog post that the new group video call feature will soon be available on both Android and iOS versions of the app.
You can now make group calls of up to four people on WhatsApp
Four is not exactly a huge number for group calls. If you look at Facebook Messenger’s video call option, you can have up to 50 participants and even Snapchat can host up to 16 people in a video call at the same time. The kicker for WhatsApp is that the video calls are protected by end-to-end encryption, just like chats.
Once you receive the new group video call update to your version of the app, it will be really simple to start a group call. All you will have to do is click on the new add participant option when you’re video chatting. You’ll find it in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
If you’re want to make encrypted video calls with up to three of your friends and family you can now do so on WhatsApp. The new group call feature also applies to voice calls, meaning you can have group voice calls with up to three of your friends at the same time, too.
Looking to kick back with some movies to close out your summer? These are our picks for the best streaming options on HBO GO and HBO NOW for this August.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
If you love Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, you’ll be just as entertained by this topsy-turvy comedy crime story. With whip-smart dialogue, a clever plot, and plenty of surprises, “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” does something most modern movies can’t: It forces you to put down your phone and enjoy. Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan do great work as supporting players. The criminally underseen movie joins HBO Go and HBO NOW August 1.
Fargo (1996)
Frances McDormand’s other Oscar-winning role (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) arrives on HBO streaming services August 1, but you’ll have more fun with this 1996 Coen Brothers classic. The film follows a police officer trying to learn why so many people are turning up dead in her small Minnesota town.
“Fargo” is funny and tragic and unexpected and heartfelt. Siskel & Ebert declared it the best movie of 1996. William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi have never been better. It’s the kind of movie you can watch every year and find something new to enjoy. “Fargo” is cinematic perfection.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Whether or not you’ve gotten on board with the new “Planet of the Apes” trilogy, it’s not that hard to jump in. Long story, short: A virus made apes really smart and started wiping out humans. The humans aren’t terribly happy about that, so they fight back.
This movie features two surprising performances: Woody Harrelson plays a military leader clinging to the last remnants of humanity and Andy Serkis provides another motion capture gem as Caesar, the leader of the apes. Seriously, the CGI in this film will blow you away. (Your internal dialogue during this film: “Am I looking at a CGI monkey? And why am I crying about a CGI monkey?”)
We don’t want to give too much away, but the plot twists in this movie are poetic and bold. Given today’s political climate, there’s also something stirring about seeing characters trapped in cages while others are targeting them just for who they are. This film is better than most action/sci-fi movies have a right to be.
Tremors (1990)
Imagine if “Jaws” was underground. That’s “Tremors.” Granted, “Tremors” doesn’t have the character development that “Jaws” does, but it is far better than it has any right to be.
Giant man-eating worms are swallowing up the residents of a small town, and it’s up to Kevin Bacon and his pals to find out how to survive. The script is nearly airtight: every action leads to a new problem, which leads to a new solution, which leads to a new problem. There’s not a wasted moment. And yes, it’s a stupid B-movie, but it’s a GREAT stupid B-movie. And when you see the dad from “Family Ties” and Reba McIntyre unloading thousands of rounds of ammunition into a man-eating worm thing, you will be surprised how gratifying that feels.
American Splendor (2003)
Sick of comic book movies? Try a comic book movie! Seriously. “American Splendor” is a movie about real-life artist Harvey Pekar, who writes a comic book about the frustrations of everyday life. The movie features the real Pekar, along with Paul Giamatti playing Pekar. This movie scored 90 on Metacritic because it features an amazing tonal balancing act. You’ll laugh at the absurdity of the situations, then find yourself rooting for this broken weirdo who simultaneously scoffs at life while wanting so badly to belong. This is a special movie, and one you won’t forget.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
This weird and wonderful masterpiece comes from two of the greatest cinematic minds alive: Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman. It’s pointless to explain the plot, except to say that this movie is all about longing: the desire to be someone else, dating someone else, living somewhere else. If you could escape your life to become another person, would you still be you? And if someone loved the new you, do they really love you? Or is it all an illusion? With incredible, funny performances from John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and (of course) Malkovich himself, you are in for a magnificent ride. We wish we could scrub our brains clean and watch this again for the first time. By the time you get to the last lines of dialogue (“Look away… look away…”), you’ll feel like a new person, too.
Get Out
One of the most important movies of 2017 is a must-watch if you haven’t seen it already. And it’s worth another watch even if you have. Jordan Peele asks us to consider modern race relations with a “Twilight Zone”-level twist. As the Oscar Winner for Best Original Screenplay, you know you’re in for a treat. “Get Out” is a horror movie and a comedy and a social commentary all wrapped up into one. And it follows the most important rule of all drama: Unleash hell on your protagonist. The more Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris gets tangled up in this nightmare, the more we want him to fight back. This movie is an incredible, unique treat.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)
Oh, Robin Williams. We miss you, man. This documentary tracks his life with some wonderful interviews with friends and family. Billy Crystal shares some answering machine recordings from the late comedian, Pam Dawber remembers their early days on “Mork & Mindy,” and Williams’ son shares memories of his famous father. This movie could have been three times as long and it would still be riveting. We lost something special in 2014. This movie helps us remember a bright light.
Shattered Glass
Let’s talk about Hayden Christensen. Sure, you might laugh that we’re recommending a movie starring Mannequin Skywalker, but we swear, this one is really good! Christensen stars as real-life reporter Stephen Glass, who has an uncanny knack for uncovering amazing stories. It seems too good to be true. And it is. Glass made everything up. In an era of “fake news,” this movie couldn’t be more timely. You’ll marvel as Glass’ coworkers fall in love with his crazy articles and you’ll cringe as Glass tries to cover for himself as he cements his awful legacy. This surprisingly solid film shows the power of truth and the lure of lies. It’s smart and unflinching. And yes, Hayden Christensen is really damn good.
Andre the Giant (2018)
This documentary about the human marvel is already the most-watched documentary in HBO Sports history with nearly 7 million viewers. The film does a great job balancing the fun, the fame, the fear, and the frailty of this wrestling legend. Even if you’re not a fan of pro wrestling, you’ll still appreciate the story of a man born too big for the world, making a living in one of the few places where his liability was an asset. A great documentary helps you walk a mile in another person’s shoes, even if those shoes could fit a small village. This film manages to pull that off.
A new pilot program in China is using VR and advanced biometrics to test whether people want to use drugs
A new pilot program in China is using VR and advanced biometrics to test whether people want to use drugs
Every day that passes brings us closer to the dark technological existence our future Chinese overlords will force upon us. We’ve seen the Black Mirroresque social score that dictates people’s access to what society has to offer, but now the Chinese government has gone even further and even darker. They’ve graduated from Charlie Brooker to Anthony Burgess levels of dystopia. A test drug rehabilitation program is using VR to test whether drug addicts have really kicked their habit, or if they’re merely pretending.
The pilot program in Shanghai uses VR headsets to show addicts scenes of drug use and gages their reaction. VR headsets can track eyeball movement, but the test administrators use other accessories to monitor heart rate and rises in body temperature.
Image via: South China Morning Post
Local media in China is reporting this as a positive way to help drug addicts turn their lives around, but if you scratch under the surface, it is something else entirely. If you’re caught possessing or using drugs in China, you have to spend two years at a drugs rehabilitation center. People can leave early for good behavior, which means this new pilot program is an authoritarian way to keep undesirables off Chinese streets. If the pilot program gets a wider rollout, what is to stop the two year stay at the rehab center being extended if people are still exhibiting signs of addiction?
According to local media in China, the government is monitoring the program, and if results are significant, the program will receive a wider rollout. Scarier still, through the advanced biometric readings taken during testing, administrators should be able to cook up a “precise medical treatment” to deal with the drug addiction. Whatever that may be could be anybody’s guess, but you’d be forgiven if you searched your worst nightmares for ideas.
Black Mirror in China Part 2: The car vending machine
As Chinese society goes from “Black Mirror” to “A Clockwork Orange”, why aren’t other governments raising human rights issues when they deal Chinese delegations. The new British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was in Beijing yesterday, but rather than being held to account on his dealings with the Chinese, the entire British press concentrated on the fact he said his Chinese wife was Japanese. A gaff no doubt, but parts of the world are hurtling towards a techno-dystopian future, and nobody seems to notice what is going on.
Venmo exchanges money between users, whether by connecting directly to a bank or acting as a temporary account for funds. Thanks to their excellent security, the ease of payment (if someone is in your phone’s contact list, you can quickly send or request money from them) makes Venmo an excellent way to settle small debts: pay your friend for a meal, buy a refrigerator, or send the security deposit for a house.
However, the app also contains an interesting feature: public transactions.
When finalizing a transaction in Venmo, you’re given the option to make the purchase open to the Public, visible to Friends, or entirely Private. However, the default is set to Public:
There’s no need to be concerned yet! As shown in the two pictures above, Venmo protects user privacy by only releasing four pieces of information: the profile picture of the transaction’s initiator, names of the people involved, how long ago the exchange occurred, and a short, user-created description of the purpose. Also, don’t forget that the privacy setting is up to the user’s choice.
Still, the question is: why does Venmo put transactions in the open?
Surprisingly, Venmo says little about this issue, which can be seen by visiting the Venmo Help Center. Their self-description simply notes the app is, “a social way to pay your friends when you owe them money and don’t want to deal with cash”.
For some, this may be too much. It’s understandable that public transactions come dangerously close to releasing financial information.
For others, this may be seen as a sign of changing times: while the idea of protecting personal information won’t disappear, the age of technology and digital information encourages people to put their information in the open. Why shouldn’t financial transactions be next?
Of course, it’s your choice to decide! If you’re connected to people who use Venmo regularly but you don’t want anything open to the public, go into menu, choose “Settings,” and head to “Privacy.” From there, you can alter the default setting for transactions from public to friends or private. Not only that, but it’s possible to alter the setting for all past exchanges as well, and block certain users.
While some people may be fine with Public transactions, we hope this better informs your personal decision!
