Lifestyle

Instagram ousting fake followers from accounts

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Instagram on Monday said it is booting fake followers, likes, and comments generated by applications tailored to make accounts appear more popular than they actually are. The crackdown comes as Instagram parent Facebook strives to assure people that the leading social network and its services can be trusted. “Recently, we’ve seen accounts use third-party apps to artificially grow their audience,” Instagram said in a blog post. “Starting today, we […]

‘Incomparable’ $50 mn pink diamond smashes record at Geneva auction

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — An exceptionally rare pink diamond of nearly 19 carats fetched 50.3 million Swiss francs ($50 million, 44 million euros) at auction in Geneva Tuesday, Christie’s said, setting a new per-carat record for a stone of its kind. The Pink Legacy, which once belonged to the Oppenheimer family who for decades ran the De Beers diamond-mining company, was snapped up by American luxury brand Harry Winston, part of the Swiss Swatch group. […]

Facebook shuts more accounts aimed at political meddling

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday said it shut down more accounts aimed at influencing the US midterm election and that it is exploring a possible link to Russia. “As we’ve continued to investigate, we detected and removed some additional Facebook and Instagram accounts,” head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in an update posted at the social network. While stressing the challenge of identifying the culprits, he noted that a website […]

Web pioneer wants new ‘contract’ for internet

LISBON, Portugal (AFP) — The inventor of the worldwide web, Tim Berners-Lee, on Monday announced plans for a “contract” to ensure the internet remains “safe and accessible” for all. “All kinds of things have things have gone wrong,” the computer scientist, who in 1989 invented the Web as a platform, said at the opening of the Web Summit, Europe’s largest tech event. “We have fake news, we have problems with privacy, we have people being […]

Facebook simplifies Messenger app

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday announced an overhaul of its Messenger smartphone app in an effort to simplify the service for its 1.3 billion monthly global users. The social network began rolling out a redesigned version featuring three tabs instead of nine, saying it was “going back to its roots” seven years after the standalone app’s launch. “We build one feature after another; they’re piling up,” Messenger chief Stan Chudnovsky said […]

You look familiar: humans recognize 5,000 faces, study says

by Patrick GALEY Agence France-Presse From family and friends to strangers on the subway and public figures on 24-hour news cycles, humans recognize an astonishing 5,000 faces, scientists said Wednesday in the first study of its kind. Through most of history humans lived in small groups of a hundred or so individuals, a pattern that has changed drastically in recent centuries. A study by scientists at Britain’s University of York found that our facial recognition […]

Instagram ramps up battle against bullying

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Instagram on Tuesday added more weapons to battle cyber bullying, using artificial intelligence to scan photos for abusive content at the Facebook-owned service. The move comes after Facebook also increased anti-harassment measures, following a survey which said young victims of online abuse feel social media firms aren’t doing enough to fight the problem. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said artificial intelligence is being used to detect signs of bullying and […]

Google launches connected speaker with screen, but no camera

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Google on Tuesday launched a new version of its connected speaker with a touchscreen display designed to be a hub for smart home devices but without a camera for privacy reasons. The Google Home Hub, competing against Amazon’s Echo Show, was unveiled at a New York media event at which the tech giant also announced its upgraded Pixel 3 smartphone and a new tablet computer dubbed Pixel Slate. The […]

Gold Coast’s Light Rail System, changing the scene of Australia’s public transport

  By Patricia Madronio, Diego Madronio, Xelinne Ryan-Andrews and Mark Calaguas EBC Australia Bureau, Eagle News Service (Eagle News) — Gold Coast is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia and with population growth comes increased travel demands. In order to counter congestion, maintain the great lifestyle in the city, and turn Gold Coast into a mature and world-class destination, the Australian government launched a light rail master plan. Now almost a $2 billion investment, […]

Three museums to visit in Seoul

  By Emily Manuel Contributor Eagle News and Features    Seoul is known as the land of K-Drama and K-Pop. It’s also a favorite destination for shopping and food. For those who like immersing themselves in culture, there are several palaces where one can rent a hanbok, or a traditional Korean attire, to enter for free. With so many attractions to see, it’s not surprising that a visit to a museum is not always on […]

Facebook says no sign recent hack spread to other apps

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday said hackers who stole digital keys to tens of millions of accounts appear not to have tampered with third-party applications linked to the social network. Facebook engineers analyzed logs of outside applications and found no sign of trouble, according to product management vice president Guy Rosen. “That investigation has so far found no evidence that the attackers accessed any apps using Facebook Login,” Rosen said in […]

Facebook adds new tools to stem online bullying

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday stepped up ways to battle bullying and harassment at the leading social network. The initiative calls for new tools and programs to help users control “unwanted, offensive or hurtful experiences on Facebook,” global head of safety Antigone Davis said in a blog post. “Everyone deserves to feel safe on Facebook,” Davis said. Facebook users will be able to hide or delete groups of comments, including responses, […]