“I don’t think that that’s the job of another member of Congress to say or call for,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) of fellow Rep. George Santos.
In an interview with Page Six, the “White Lotus” star and Golden Globe winner spoke about her career and self esteem.
Instagram is introducing a handful of features designed to give users more control over the app, starting with a new Quiet Mode. The tool functions a lot like your phone’s Do Not Disturb setting. When active, Instagram won’t push notifications to your device. Your profile will also display a note that you’re “in quiet mode,” and anyone who attempts to message you will receive an automatic reply that you’re not available.
You can set Quiet Mode to activate automatically at certain times of day. Once you’re outside those hours, Instagram will send you a summary of your notifications. Anyone can use Quiet Mode, but the company says it will prompt teens to use the feature if it notices they’re spending a lot of time scrolling through their feed late at night. Quiet Mode is available starting today in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Alongside the new mode, Instagram is introducing a handful of features designed to give people more control over the photos and videos they see on the platform. Specifically, you can now tell the app the types of content you don’t want to be recommended to you. Starting with the Explore tab, you can select multiple tiles and tap “Not Interested” to shape Instagram’s content algorithm. Doing so will also affect what you see when you search for posts. Additionally, in an expansion of a feature that was already available for comments and direct messages, you can list specific words, hashtags and emoji you want Instagram to filter for when recommending content. You can access that tool through the “Hidden Words” section of the app’s privacy settings. One limitation is that filters will only work when the app detects the words you listed in hashtags and captions. Lastly, Instagram notes it recently added a feature that allows parents to see their teen’s app settings.
The subject of inappropriate recommendations came up during Adam Mosseri’s congressional hearing in 2021. Members of the Senate subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security grilled the head of Instagram about the content they saw the app steer them toward after creating fresh Instagram accounts designed to impersonate teens. Specifically, Utah Senator Mike Lee said he saw the Explore page of his finsta account change dramatically after following a single account recommended by Instagram. According to Lee, the app began recommending posts promoting body dysmorphia, sexualization of women and other content inappropriate for teen girls. “It went dark fast,” he said.
Whether the changes Instagram is introducing today will sufficiently address the concerns raised by lawmakers is hard to say, as Instagram is putting the onus on teen users to filter their feeds instead of doing that work itself.
However, the company continues to deny wrongdoing.
Ubisoft has identified one of the three games it cancelled last week. A spokesperson for the publisher has confirmed to Engadget and Eurogamer that it will “no longer support the development” of Project Q, the team battle arena title it revealed last April. The move will help the company concentrate on “priority projects,” according to the representative. Ubisoft is reassigning team members to games still in development.
Developers shared little about Project Q. Besides concept art, Ubisoft only said the game was “not a battle royale” and would have a range of player-versus-player modes. It added that there were no plans to offer NFTs.
The firm still hasn’t named the two other cancelled games. The reasoning, however, is the same. Ubisoft expects its revenue to drop year-over-year due to a rough economy, delayed releases and shifting game trends, and notes that holiday offerings like Just Dance 2023 and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope didn’t sell as well as expected. Management is looking to shave expenses wherever it can, and fewer games is clearly part of that strategy alongside “targeted restructuring” that could include layoffs.
The year has already been problematic. A labor union called for a strike at Ubisoft Paris after CEO Yves Guillemot made statements suggesting rank-and-file staff, not leadership, had to be “especially careful” with money. Kotakuclaims Guillemot offered a partial apology in a follow-up meeting. However, the incident apparently underscored the rift between management and employees — one that may not be mended in the near future.
Brian Wilson, Jason Isbell and Christina Applegate were just some of the celebrities singing the praises of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer on social media.
The Xbox Series X and Series S make it very easy to perform a factory reset. In most cases, it’s as simple as following on-screen prompts.
New language in Twitter’s official agreement with developers forbids non-employees to “use or access Licensed Materials.’
Sega has at last revealed when folks will be able to snap up Endless Dungeon. The action-packed game is coming to Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on May 18th. A Nintendo Switch version will be available later.
Endless Dungeon, from developer Amplitude Studios, was previously slated for a 2022 debut. It’s a squad-based blend of a tower defense game and a twin-stick shooter. Players are tasked with both protecting a so-called crystal bot and progressing further into a dungeon.
You can team up with three friends or go it alone and control three characters by yourself (you’ll have direct control over one and bark orders at the other two). Endless Dungeon is a roguelite, so you’ll gradually unlock persistent upgrades, weapons and characters.
Alongside the release date announcement, Sega opened up pre-orders for most platforms. You’ll get early access two days before the official launch, as well as some extra goodies, by pre-ordering the “Last Wish” digital edition. A physical Day One edition with a card game and art book is available too. Sega also released a new trailer which shows some more chaotic gameplay:
The Colorado Republican confirmed reporting she had told her Georgia colleague: “Don’t be ugly.”
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