Instagram will introduce a repost feature as part of a new test

Instagram will soon be testing reposts, something that’s never been available in the main feed part of the app but is a key feature on Facebook and Twitter. It was first spotted on the profile of Twitter CEO Adam Mosseri by social media consultant Matt Navarra, and Instagram later confirmed it with TechCrunch.”

“We’re exploring the ability to reshare posts in Feed — similar to how you can reshare in Stories — so people can share what resonates with them, and so original creators are credited for their work,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch. “We plan to test this soon with a small number of people.”

A new screen describes the features as a way to recommend a post to friends, and spark conversations wiht follows, who can reply to your repost with a message. Feed reposts are “shown in a separate tab in your profile” along with posts, reels and tagged photos, and will be visible to followers.

Reposts have been available in Stories since 2018, but the only way to do it in feeds has been via third-party apps (clues about the feature were first spotted back in May by researcher Alessandro Paluzzi). Instagram’s arch-rival TikTok recently introduced a repost feature for videos following tests early in 2022. However, reposted TikTok videos only appear in your friends’ ‘For You’ feeds and not in your own profile.

Instagram has introduced a slew of updates recently to help it better compete with TikTok. It recently launched a full-screen TikTok-like feed and boosted the amount of recommended content you see. However, following complaints (including from celebrities), it backed off and said it would phase out the full-screen mode and scale back recommended posts.

Some social media experts worry that reposts may create similar issues by pushing content from strangers. “Reposting is another explicit step towards dismantling the IG that you know, in favor of one that Instagram thinks will be a better experience for you,” wroteSocial Media Today‘s Andrew Hutchinson. “BeReal’s growth shows that there is a real desire for more authentic connection and community engagement, outside of the constant highlight reels of viral clips.”

Christian Missionaries Are Turning to the Gospel of Bitcoin in Latin America

On a spring afternoon in Guatemala, I watched Patrick Melder, a 55-year-old missionary, find a potential convert. He began his pitch with the cadence of an experienced salesman.

Read more…

‘Our Hearts Are Broken’: Historic Front Pages Mark The Queen’s Death

Both British and international newspapers honor the passing of the U.K’.s longest-reigning monarch.

US authorities recover $30 million of hacked 'Axie Infinity' crypto funds

US authorities, with help from blockchain analyst Chainalysis, have recovered $30 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen from Axie Infinity in March. It’s but a fraction of the $625 million the play-to-earn game lost to the North Korean-linked hacking unit known as the Lazarus Group, but it’s a significant achievement for law enforcement and the crypto community. Chainalysis says this is the first time that cryptocurrency stolen by a North Korean hacking group has been seized.

As the analyst explains, North Korea-linked groups typically use Tornado Cash to mix Ether, but the sanctions the US imposed on the mixer forced them to employ alternative techniques. They now use blockchain bridges to switch between different kinds of digital coins in an effort to obscure the source of their funds, and the analyst had the tools necessary to trace those cross-chain movements.

Apparently, most of the funds stolen from Axie Infinity remain in the blockchain, showing that the bad actors are having a tough time moving stolen assets around and converting them into fiat currency. Chainalysis seems confident that this won’t be the last time stolen funds would be recovered from these hacking groups.

According to Bleeping Computer, news about the fund retrieval was announced at the ongoing AxieCon event. The game’s publishers have revealed that the money authorities recovered will be gradually moved into Axie Infinity’s treasury and then back to its player community. However, it won’t be a quick process, and it could take several years to accomplish.

HearMuffs Kids Hearing Protection Recalled Over Burn Hazard From Batteries

Children’s hearing protection product HearMuffs are designed to protect your kid’s ears at loud events like concerts and football games. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall on Thursday, warning that batteries in the HearMuffs—used to power the device for both “active” noise reduction and…

Read more…

Stephen Colbert Spots Trump’s Biggest Legal Problem

The “Late Show” host also shared his one key wish for the former president.

Tesla wants the public to decide where its next Superchargers should go

Tesla already has 35,000-plus Superchargers around the world, but it can be a mystery as to exactly how it chooses locations. Now via a new Twitter poll, the company is asking the public to tell it where they want the next superchargers to be installed, TechCrunch has reported.

Some of the top-requested sites are the least accessible, including US National Parks, Vancouver Island, Hawaii and Alaska. If you’ve ever been to British Columbia you’ll notice a lot of Tesla EVs driving around, but there are only a pair of Supercharger stations on Vancouver Island in Victoria and Nanaimo. Similarly, there’s only a single station in Alaska at Soldotna, and a lone six-bay facility in Honolulu. It would also make sense to install Superchargers at National Park gateways often located in remote regions.

Tesla has 1,469 Supercharger locations in the US, with the number of charge points varying widely per station. However, station growth has lagged behind Tesla EV sales — the latter grew 87 percent in 2021, but Supercharger installations increased just 35 percent. This could become a bigger problem soon, as the company said it will open up its Supercharger network to non-Tesla vehicles. 

Installing them isn’t quite as simple as throwing money around, either. Tesla recently posted a job ad for its Canadian Supercharger design team, noting that applicants require experience in site permitting, construction feasibility, utility service requests and more. The company recently told sites hosting Superchargers that they’re good for business, with average monthly charging visits between 2,000 to 5,000 at locations in Vancouver, BC. 

Seth Meyers Mocks ‘Glutton For Humiliation’ Ted Cruz Over Latest Hypocrisy

The “Late Night” host said the Texas senator’s comments shows just how “craven and ghoulish” the modern GOP has become.

Jimmy Kimmel Spots Most ‘Disturbing’ Part Of Tucker Carlson’s Weirdest Habit

The late-night host said the Fox News personality has a most unsettling tic.

Russia Says Western Weapons Aren’t Helping Ukraine, Insists Kremlin Will ‘Finish’ War

Russia insists its army is destroying Ukraine’s old and new weapons.