Congress is once again hoping to limit Section 230 safeguards under certain circumstances. Rep. Frank Pallone and other House Democrats are introducing a bill, the Justice Against Malicious Algorithms Act (JAMA), that would make internet platforms liable when they "knowingly or recklessly" use algorithms to recommend content that leads to physical or "severe emotional" harm. They're concerned online giants like Facebook are knowingly amplifying harmful material, and that companies should be held responsible for this damage.

The key sponsors, including Reps. Mike Doyle, Jan Schakowsky and Anna Eshoo, pointed to whistleblower Frances Haugen's Senate testimony as supposed evidence of Facebook's algorithm abuse. Her statements were proof Facebook was abusing the Communications Decency Act's Section 230 "well beyond congressional intent," according to Eshoo. Haugen alleged that Facebook knew its social networks were harmful to children and spread "divisive and extreme" content.

The bill only applies to services with over 5 million monthly users, and won't cover basic online infrastructure (such as web hosting) or user-specified searches. JAMA will go before the House on October 15th.

As with past proposed reforms, there are no guarantees JAMA will become law. Provided it passes the House, an equivalent measure still has to clear a Senate that has been hostile to some Democrat bills. The parties have historically disagreed on how to change Section 230 — Democrats believe it doesn't require enough moderation for hate and misinformation, while Republicans have claimed it enables censorship of conservative viewpoints. The bill's vaguer concepts, such as 'reckless' algorithm use and emotional damage, might raise fears of over-broad interpretations.

The bill could still send a message even if it dies, though. Pallone and the other JAMA backers argue the "time for self-regulation is over" — they're no longer convinced social media heavyweights like Facebook can apologize, implement a few changes and carry on. This won't necessarily lead to a more strictly regulated social media space, but it could put more pressure on social networks to implement far-reaching policy changes.

Don't be surprised if your Twitter feed is cluttered with more advertising than usual. The Vergereports that Twitter is testing a format that displays ads in the replies to a given tweet. As Revenue Product Lead Bruce Falk explains, those involved in the test will see ads under the first, third or eighth reply to a tweet. The experiment is worldwide and applies to both Android and iOS users.

Falck said the ad format produces value and "aligns incentives for creators and advertisers." However, he also acknowledged that it wasn't a surefire concept. Twitter would spend the "coming months" testing the frequency, layouts and other aspects of the ads to see how well they perform and affect the community. This could be helpful for advertisers, of course, but it might also lead to more compensation for Twitter users.

This probably isn't the sort of Twitter test you'd want to see, but it's not surprising. Twitter has been eager to find new sources of revenue for both itself and its most prolific users, ranging from Blue subscriptions to Tip Jar donations. Ads in replies could not only improve Twitter's bottom line, but attract creators used to making money from sponsored Instagram and TikTok posts.

Anker is jumping into the increasingly crowded world of audio eyewear. The company's Soundcore brand has introduced Soundcore Frames glasses that promise stealthy music playback and calls. The hook, in this case, is style — Soundcore is offering your pick of ten reasonably fashionable frames you can swap in and out depending on your mood or lens needs, including prescription, polarized and blue light filtering lenses.

You'll also get "surround" sound with speakers in front of and behind the ears, noise reduction (including an anti-leak private listening mode) and a mix of touch and voice-based controls. You won't use these all day with 5.5 hours of music listening, although a 10-minute charge is enough to provide another 1.5 hours. They're IPX4 water-resistant, so you at least won't have to worry about a the rain.

The Soundcore Frames will be available in November for $200. Extra frames will cost another $50 each. That's not a spectacular price for audio glasses, but the style is sharp enough that you might not mind the outlay — especially if you aren't looking for smart glasses.

It's official: after plenty of hype and a slight delay, William Shatner has become the oldest person to fly to space. The 90-year-old Star Trek icon was one of four crew members aboard Blue Origin's NS-18 mission as it flew to an altitude of 66 miles. He edged out 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk, who set the previous age record just a few months earlier.

The New Shepard flight also included Blue Origin VP Audrey Powers, Planet Labs co-founder Dr. Chris Boshuizen and Medidata co-creator Glen de Vries. This is the second of three crewed missions Blue Origin has planned for 2021.

This is an important moment for spaceflight, not to mention sci-fi fans. It shows that age isn't much of a restriction for brief trips to space, and fulfills the dreams of anyone who wanted to see Captain Kirk visit the final frontier in real life — even if he wasn't helming a starship.

With that said, it's also a timely public relations boost for Blue Origin. Jeff Bezos' private spaceflight outfit is currently grappling with accusations of a toxic work environment, not to mention the fallout of its legal tussle with SpaceX over NASA's Moon mission contract. Shatner's successful trip won't completely distract from those issues, but it might give Blue Origin a chance to highlight some achievements at a time when many are focused on its shortcomings.

Apple's health ambitions for AirPods might extend beyond using them to boost conversations. Wall Street Journalsources claim Apple is exploring multiple ways it can use AirPods as health devices. It might use the buds as hearing aids, but it could also use the motion sensors to correct your posture. A prototype would even include a thermometer to check your core body temperature, according to leaked documents.

The features wouldn't show up in 2022 and might not be available at all, the sources said. Apple declined to comment.

Apple would face numerous hurdles to marketing AirPods as health gadgets. The company would likely require regulatory clearance for at least some features. A US Food and Drug Administration ruleset due in 2022 might make that possible, but it could still take months to approve the earbuds. Even Bose had to wait a long time before it could sell its FDA-cleared SoundControl hearing aids.

There are technical challenges, too. Right now, AirPods Pro won't last longer than 4.5 hours for listening (with noise cancelling on), and 3.5 hours for calls — that just wouldn't be practical for health wearables that might need to sit in your ears all day. They'd also need to be comfortable for long periods and adapt to varying types of hearing loss.

It's easy to see why Apple might expand the AirPods' usefulness, though. As with the Apple Watch, health could be a selling point that grow the audience beyond the enthusiast core. It might also court a relatively underserved market of people who may have mild or moderate hearing loss, but either can't afford most hearing aids or don't like the limited functionality and drab designs that often define the category.

After years of waiting and nearly a year of teasing, EVE Online can play 'properly' on a Mac. CCP Games has released its first truly native EVE client for both Intel- and Apple Silicon-based Macs — no more using a compatibility layer to play the spaceship-focused MMO. That should improve performance and reduce memory demands, as you might expect, but it also enables Mac-native keyboard and mouse commands you've had to forego until now.

The game remains free-to-play, although CCP clearly hopes you'll be sufficiently engrossed to spend real money. Mac users will share the same game universe as their Windows counterparts.

This isn't about to up-end the market for gaming computers. There are only so many people who both prefer Macs and are determined to play EVE Online. This could significantly expand the number of Macs that can play EVE in the first place, though, and might make the game an easy pick if you're looking for Mac-friendly online titles beyond obvious choices like World of Warcraft.

Yes, Samsung has yet another Unpacked event in store. The tech behemoth has announced that an Unpacked Part 2 presentation will take place on October 20th at 10AM Eastern. Samsung didn't offer many clues as to what it would unveil, but promised to show how the company was offering more chances at "self-expression through technology." The teaser accordingly shows Samsung app icons (such as Health and SmartThings) being packaged in pastel-colored boxes.

Rumors haven't been much help. Leaks have suggested Samsung might introduce a Galaxy S21 FE that would bring S21 features to a more affordable phone, but it's not certain if that device will surface in 2021 — if it does at all. Samsung is increasingly reliant on mid-range handsets like the Galaxy A52, and might not feel as much pressure to release an S21 FE when the A series offers a close-enough feature set.

As it stands, Samsung might focus its attention on software and services. The company has been eager to expand platforms like Health, and this might represent an opportunity to show where those ecosystems are headed next. This could also be Samsung's chance to preview One UI changes. The tech firm recently scrapped ads in its One UI apps, and we wouldn't be surprised if there were more substantial OS changes Samsung wanted to show before the year is over.

The murmurs were true: Apple will hold a second fall product event on October 18th at 1PM Eastern. The invitation for the virtual "Unleashed' presentation doesn't provide many clues, although many unofficially expect Apple to introduce 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro based on souped-up M1X processors.

The new portables are rumored to be significant redesigns that also harken back to the "good old days" of Apple's pre-2016 models. While they'd have cutting-edge designs, they'd also bring back MagSafe-like charging and legacy ports like an SD card slot. To no one's surprise, the M1X would also be far more powerful than the M1 with 10 CPU cores (eight performance and two efficiency) and either 16 or 32 graphics cores. There's a chance Apple might drop the Touch Bar, too.

Developing...

Now that the Lucid Air is finally in production, its creator is eager to tout the EV's semi-autonomous driving assistance — although it may be as much about what's missing as what's here. The new brand has provided further details of its DreamDrive system, now split into regular and Pro versions. Both variants will include 14 regular cameras, four surround cameras, five radar sensors and a string of ultrasonic sensors, but you'll need the Air in Dream Edition or Grand Touring trim to get DreamDrive Pro's LiDAR and the advanced features that will come with it.

Every Air buyer will get core features like Highway Assist (adaptive cruise control with lane centering), Traffic Jam Assist (lane centering at low speeds), cross-traffic protection and Auto Park (for both parallel and perpendicular parking). The combination of an infrared driver camera and hands-off detection will make sure your head, eyes and (of course) hands are focused on the road. If you're incapacitated or simply ignore the warnings, DreamDrive will ultimately bring the car to a complete stop, switch on hazard lights and unlock the doors. These will sound familiar on a basic level if you've ever used Tesla's Autopilot.

You'll need DreamDrive Pro to get the most out of Lucid's platform, however. The Pro tier will include 21-speaker directional alerts as well as the upcoming Highway Pilot system and its "conditional" hands-free driving. Cars with Pro will also get more Highway Assist features through software updates, although Lucid didn't say when those upgrades might arrive.

The technology as described won't yet match all the features from its most advanced rivals, such as Tesla's Full Self-Driving or GM's upcoming Ultra Cruise. LiDAR could give Lucid an edge, but it could take a long while before the sensor reaches its full potential. Instead, Lucid's greatest advantage might simply be its more realistic (if still fluffy) marketing. Where Tesla is in trouble for implying its cars are autonomous, Lucid is careful to position DreamDrive as a driver assistance system and not much more.

How much would you pay for one of the fastest home wireless networks possible? More than you paid for your computer or phone? If so, Netgear has your solution. The company has introduced what it says is the first quad-band WiFi 6E mesh networking system, the Orbi Quad-band Mesh WiFi 6E. Pay a staggering $1,500 for a three-pack and you'll get 10.8Gbps of total bandwidth across the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and now 6GHz bands, plus the backhaul band (at 'just' WiFi 6 speeds) to keep the main frequencies clear. Your home network could easily outpace your internet connection, even if you have multi-gigabit service.

There are some improvements beyond pure speed. The three-unit bundle offers about 9,000 square feet of maximum coverage (up from 7,500sq. ft. for WiFi 6 models), and the WAN Ethernet port now supports up to 10Gbps. Accordingly, there are more 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports on the router and satellites to improve bandwidth for wired devices. You can create up to four distinct WiFi networks, including a 6E-only network to ensure newer devices run at full speed.

The Orbi Quad-band router is available for pre-order now, with shipping expected "in time for the holidays" (Netgear's store quotes an October 29th ship date). You can also buy additional satellites for $599 each. That's a massive amount to spend on your home network, but Netgear is clearly counting on at least some customers who'll pay whatever it takes to get no-compromise WiFi. Just know there are some good-enough alternatives. Linksys' AXE8400 doesn't have the backhaul band, but its one- and two-node options (plus lower overall pricing) could make it a better pick if you're more interested in WiFi 6E compatibility than raw throughput.