Throughout this week, Roku is adding 17 new content sources to the Roku Channel. With the expansion, you can now access TV shows and movies from more than 200 different sources. Some of the more notable additions include IGN, CBC News and AccuWeather, as well as a linear channel devoted exclusively to the Tribeca Film Festival.

At launch, the latter includes 114 movies from the festival’s back catalog, with new films to come every 30 days. The channel will also feature original content from Tribeca Studios. While it won’t replace the in-person event, its addition is timely given how hard it’s been to make it out to a movie theater in the last year and a half.

“The demand for free, quality programming continues to be of importance to our streamers,” said Ashley Hovey, director of the Roku Channel. “We’ve seen linear streaming explode over the last year, and we’re very excited to offer an all-new lineup of great channels with some of the most-recognized franchises to our users.”

If you need a refresher, the Roku Channel is a free way to watch ad-supported video content on your Roku device or TV. Last September, the company released standalone Android and iOS apps, making the platform even more accessible.

Facebook really wants people to know that it’s most popular content isn’t political and it’s releasing a new report to try to prove it. The social network released its first-ever “Widely Viewed Content Report,” documenting what it claims is the most-viewed content on its platform during the second quarter of 2021.

The report is Facebook’s rebuttal to commonly cited data that indicates posts from polarizing figures are consistently among the best-performing on the platform. Data from Facebook-owned CrowdTangle, an analytics platform, commonly shows posts from conservative figures and outlets like Newsmax, Fox news, Ben Shapiro and Dan Bongino get the most engagement.

Notably, none of those names appear in Facebook’s latest report, which included lists of top-performing domains, pages and specific public posts it said attracted the most eyeballs. Among the top domains were YouTube, Amazon, Unicef, GoFundMe, Spotify and TikTok. The most widely-viewed links included a website for an organization associated with former Green Bay Packers football players. That page drew more than 87 million viewers, according to Facebook. An online storefront for CBD products was #2 on the list, with 72 million views. Also on the list was a cat GIF from Tumblr with just over 49 million views.

When it comes to the most viewed public pages, Facebook’s list included Unicef, as well as animal site The Dodo, LADbible, and Sassy Media and other publishers that have built media companies off of viral Facebook content. Notably, most of the content Facebook put forward in its report didn’t appear to be overtly political. The most-viewed individual posts were all a collection of text-based memes, encouraging users to answer light-hearted (and mostly boring) questions.

It’s not the first time Facebook has tried to counter perceptions that its most popular content is polarizing or political. The company says it will release the “widely viewed content” report on a regular basis to help people track what type of content is being seen the most.

“There's a few gaps in the data that's being used today, and the narrative that has emerged is quite simply wrong,” Facebook's VP of Integrity, Guy Rosen, said during a call with reporters. “CrowdTangle is focused on interaction, CrowdTangle only has a limited set of certain pages, groups, and accounts. We are creating a report that provides a broad view and … an accurate representation of what people’s experiences actually are on our platform.”

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While Facebook and Twitter are already struggling to handle vaccine misinformation and extremism, there's an increased focus on how social networks are handling Taliban-related content, following America's sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan. The militant group has swiftly overtaken Afghanistan's civilian government, taking control of the capital Kabul in only a few days, far sooner than intelligence analysts expected. Just like every modern organization, the Taliban relies heavily on social media to spread its messaging and communicate with followers, which puts the onus on technology companies to secure their platforms. 

“The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organization under US law and we have banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organization policies," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. "This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them." They went on to note that the company will be following the situation closely with the help of native Dari and Pashto speakers, who serve as local experts. Facebook isn't making any additions to its existing policies, which cover its core app, Instagram and WhatsApp, but it's clear that it's making the Taliban's uprising a priority.

Still, that statement doesn't mean much if Facebook can't actually see what's happening on its platforms. Vice reports that the Taliban has been spreading its message on WhatsApp, which uses end-to-end encryption to secure conversations. The company could technically ban specific accounts, but it won't be able to easily search and remove content like it can on Facebook proper and Instagram.

Twitter, meanwhile, wouldn't say if it would ban notable Taliban accounts like spokesperson Suhail Shaheen's. CNN reported yesterday that he had 347,000 followers on the platform, but now he's amassed over 361,000, a clear sign of growing influence. Twitter noted that people were using its service to seek help in Afghanistan, and that it would continue to enforce its existing rules around things like the glorification of violence and hateful conduct. The company also introduced the ability to report misleading tweets yesterday.

While Twitter is shying away from any definitive stances against the Taliban, a spokesperson noted: "Our enforcement approach is agile and we will remain transparent about our work as it continues to evolve to address these increasingly complex issues." Basically, the rules could change at any moment.

Moving forward, it's unclear how social media companies will recognize the Taliban as it takes control of Afghanistan. As the Washington Post reports, it's up to social media firms to determine who maintains official state accounts like the Afghanistan President's Twitter, which now has over 926,000 followers.

Snap is introducing a new tool called Snapchat Trends that provides a public overview of the most popular keywords currently in use on the app. Accessible via the company’s website, you can use the feature to get a sense of the topics that Snapchat users are referencing in Stories they share with the public and their friends. The tool also includes a database you can use to search for specific terms.

While the feature will primarily be of interest to marketers and advertisers looking to tap into Snapchat’s growing user base of 293 million daily active accounts, it’s something anyone can access, and looking at the trends you get an insight into what young people care and worry about. Yes, you see topics related to shows like The Bachelorette, but things like the Taliban takeover of Kabul and the lockdown in Australia are also featured. It's a reminder that there's always more to youth culture than it seems.  

Don't count on using iOS 15's SharePlay for your virtual movie nights in the near future. Apple has warned that SharePlay won't be available in the launch versions of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15 and macOS Monterey. You'll get that shared viewing experience through software updates arriving this fall, but the new beta 6 releases (public and private) don't include it.

Apple told Engadget it would continue to give developers access to SharePlay in order to incorporate the feature into their apps. To that end, the company has released a SharePlay profile for app makers who don't want to disrupt their work.

It may still be worth installing iOS 15 beta 6, though. Apple has further fixed Safari by introducing a redesigned tab bar — no more having to access common features through an overflow menu. You can also move the address bar back to the top if you're a traditionalist. It's not quite a reversion to the iOS 14 way of doing things, but it is an acknowledgment that many weren't fans of the original iOS 15 approach.

This wouldn't be the first time Apple reserved a feature for a post-launch update. The company didn't even release iOS 13 for the iPod touch and HomePod until 13.1 was available. Still, it's worth noting if you play to upgrade to iOS 15 quickly — Apple is more interested in polishing iOS 15 than trying to fulfill all of its promises on day one.

There's another way to access IMDb TV as of today. Amazon's free, ad-supported streaming service is now available on Comcast’s Xfinity Flex and Xfinity X1 set-top boxes. As with other apps, you can access IMDb TV using the Xfinity Voice Remote.

Along with a batch of original shows, a bunch of popular third-party TV series and movies are available on IMDb TV, including Chicago Fire, All in the Family and The Hunger Games. Amazon recently struck a deal with Universal for movie streaming rights, which includes bringing films from the studio's 2020 and 2021 theatrical slates, such as The Invisible Man and F9, to IMDb TV.

Amazon says X1 marks the first pay TV partnership for IMDb TV. The move follows the release of standalone IMDb TV apps for Android and iOS earlier this month. IMDb TV is also available on Roku, Android TV devices, Xbox and PlayStation consoles and some smart TVs, as well as Fire TV and as a channel in the Amazon Prime Video app.

One of the more exciting Star Wars projects in the immediate pipeline is Star Wars: Visions, the anime anthology series that's coming to Disney+ on September 22nd. Disney previously offered a behind-the-scenes look at the show, and now it has revealed the first trailer. You can watch the clip below in either the original Japanese with subtitles or an English dub.

The trailer is stunning, no matter the language in which you opt to watch it. The two-minute video full of Star Wars staples like lightsabers, Star Destroyers, Stormtroopers and droids, albeit with completely distinct visuals from other animated series like The Bad Batch.

Each of the nine Star Wars: Visions episodes has a unique style and an original story. Seven studios crafted the installments: Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru and Production I.G. Trigger and Science Saru each made two episodes.

“Their stories showcase the full spectrum of bold storytelling found across Japanese animation; each told with a freshness and voice that expands our understanding of what a Star Wars story can be, and celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers," James Waugh, executive producer and Lucasfilm vice president of franchise content and strategy, said.

Disney also announced the main Japanese and English voice casts for the series. Along with returning actors such as Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett), there are a host of well-known performers involved in the English dubs, including Lucy Liu, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Neil Patrick Harris, Alison Brie, Simu Liu (star of the upcoming Marvel blockbuster Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and George Takei.

Given that George Lucas took inspiration from the films of Akira Kurosawa and Japanese culture when creating A New Hope, Visions will sort of take Star Wars back to its roots. In any case, the episodes should offer completely fresh perspectives on the Star Wars universe.

Fresh off a blockbuster deal with Amazon, the celebrity hosts of the podcast SmartLess are taking their show to Discovery+. Actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes are going on the road with their hit podcast. Two 75-minute specials featuring highlights of interviews with stars from their North American tour will hit Discovery+ next year.

Bateman, Arnett and Hayes are the creators and hosts of the show. During each episode, one of the trio brings on a mystery guest and their conversation flows from there. Guests so far include Vice President Kamala Harris, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Paul McCartney, Awkwafina, W. Kamau Bell, Stacey Abrams, Billie Eilish and Megan Rapinoe.

Amazon picked up exclusive rights to SmartLess in June in a three-year deal worth a reported $80 million. As of the beginning of this month, new episodes premiere on Amazon Music and Wondery+, where they remain exclusive for a week before hitting other podcast platforms.

SmartLess is far fromthe first podcast to get adaptedfor TV. Still, the deal speaks to networks' and streaming services' push to tap into existingfan bases as they search for their next big hit.

You'd think EA would have released a Madden NFL soundtrack years ago given its penchant for licensed music, but no — it's only getting to that now. The publisher has teamed with Interscope Records to release its first album for the football game franchise, Madden NFL 22: The Soundtrack. The title unsurprisingly tries to walk the line between big names and indie cred with artists like Swae Lee, Tierra Whack and multiple up-and-comers.

The full game will include more than 50 extra tracks while you're playing the new Yard mode, including originals from artists like Killer Mike and hit-of-the-moment songs from the likes of Drake and Lil Baby.

You can stream or buy the soundtrack through common services like Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer. This probably won't convince you to buy Madden if you weren't already sold on the formula, but that's not really the point. Much like other game soundtracks, it's another way to capitalize on the game beyond the usual sales.

A few days ago, Twitter rolled out a number of design updates meant to make the website more accessible. It introduced a new proprietary typeface and increased contrast to make buttons and other visual elements like images stand out. Just because those changes make the website more accessible for some people, though, doesn't mean they work for everyone. As TechCrunch and CNET note, complaints started pouring in after the update went out, with people reporting eye strain and headaches caused by the changes. Now, the social network has announced that it's adjusting its buttons' contrast levels to make them easier on the eyes. 

Twitter said it made the adjustment after people sent in complaints that the "new look is uncomfortable for people with sensory sensitivities." The company's accessibility account started asking for feedback a day after the updates went out, promising to track it all. Sounds like it's stayed true to its word, though the Chirp font remains even if it's supposedly giving people headaches. Twitter also hasn't changed the new colors for the Follow button, which has caused quite the confusion: The button is now filled in with black for accounts you've yet to follow and shows up with a white background for accounts you're already following. It used to be the other way around.

The company may release more fixes to its accessibility update in the future, though. It told TechCrunch that "feedback was sought from people with disabilities throughout the process, from the beginning." However, it knows that "people have different preferences and needs and [it] will continue to track feedback and refine the experience." Twitter added: "We realize we could get more feedback in the future and we'll work to do that."