TikTok is adding new rules for accounts belonging to politicians, government officials and political parties ahead of the midterm elections. The company says it will require these accounts to go through a “mandatory” verification process, and will restrict them from accessing advertising and other revenue generating features.
Up until now, verification for politicians and other officials was entirely optional. But that’s now changing, at least in the United States, as TikTok gears up for the midterm elections this fall. In a blog post, the company says the update is meant to help it enforce its rules, which bar political advertising of any kind, more consistently.
By verifying their accounts, TikTok will be able to block politicians and political parties from accessing the platform’s advertising tools or other revenue generating features like tipping. Accounts will also be barred from payouts from the company’s creator fund, and from in-app shopping features.
TikTok says it also plans to add further restrictions that will prevent politicians and political parties from using the platform to solicit campaign contributions or other donations, even on outside websites. That policy, which will take effect “in the coming weeks,” will bar videos that direct viewers to third-party fundraising sites. It also means that politicians will not be allowed to post videos asking for donations.
The new policies are the latest piece of TikTok’s strategy to prepare for the midterm elections. The company already began rolling out an in-app Elections Center to highlight voting resources and details about local races. But enforcing its ban on political ads has proved to be challenging for TikTok, which has had to contend with undisclosed branded content from creators. The new rules don’t address that issue specifically, but the added restrictions for campaigns and politicians will make it more difficult for candidates and other officials to evade its rules.
After all the rumors and teasers, Peloton’s $3,195 rowing machine is finally official. It packs a 24-inch HD display and electronically-controlled resistance. That kind of resistance, which typically feels different to Concept2 rowers in your local gym, doesn’t mean it’s particularly small, however – you might want to check you have the space in your home. Peloton claims the Row can offer on-screen feedback on your form as you work out.
That will have to be some incredible coaching, given that its price tag is far higher than its rivals. The aforementioned (and benchmark) Concept2 rowing machine doesn’t have a screen, Bluetooth or any digital tricks, but it’s also under $1,000. Hydrow’s cheapest rower, the Wave, is priced at $1,495, while the premium model is still hundreds of dollars less than the Peloton Row. It’s an expensive gambit for a company still getting its house in order, adjusting its prices and reconsidering its approach.
Preorders for the Row start today in the US. The company expects to ship the machines in December – just in time for those 2023 fitness resolutions.
NVIDIA's 40 series GPUs are finally here. The company unveiled the GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 today at its GTC 2022 keynote. Taking full advantage of its new "Ada Lovelace" architecture, NVIDIA says the two GPUs offer significantly better ray tracing performance – and generally a lot of power for a lot of money. The first of the new GPUs will arrive next month when the GeForce RTX 4090 goes on for sale for $1,599 on October 12th. There will be two different variants of the RTX 4080. The base model will start at $899 and features 12GB of GDDR6X memory and 7,680 cores, while a 16GB version with 9,728 cores will set you back a cool $1,199. Both configurations will arrive sometime in November.
With iOS 16, Apple has focused on modernizing the iPhone lock screen, making it a more useful part of how you interact with your phone. These changes also make it easier to use the iPhone’s Focus modes, which remain a little complicated to set up. Overall, the company has made lots of minor changes that add up to a better iPhone experience. Apple’s Messages app continues to improve, and the increasingly useful Visual Lookup feature is something an Android device can’t quite replicate — yet. These iOS updates are usually followed by a few extra tweaks – and Apple has already fixed its weird battery percentage indicator. Was it my review? (It wasn’t.)
Spotify has officially added audiobooks as yet another listening option in its app – for when you run out of podcasts, right? Starting today, US users will see a dedicated section for the format that allows standalone purchases via a web link. The company says its library will contain over 300,000 titles at launch. As well as their own section alongside music and podcasts, audiobooks will show up in your recommendations on the main page.
That’s according to a new study on recommendations.
If you’ve ever felt like it’s difficult to “un-train” YouTube’s algorithm, you’re not alone. One major issue, according to new research conducted by Mozilla, is that YouTube’s in-app controls such as the “dislike” button, “prevent less than half of unwanted algorithmic recommendations.” Of the controls available on YouTube, the most effective was “don’t recommend from channel,” which prevented 43 percent of unwanted recommendations, while “not interested” was the least effective and only prevented about 11 percent of unwanted suggestions.
It’s already been a year since Windows 11 launched. Somehow. It’s a good time for an update, then. Much like the improved Windows Update experience, the vast majority of new features in this 2022 update are under the hood. Those include a slew of accessibility upgrades including system-wide live captions and a preview of improved voice commands for using your PC and transcription.
As recently as last year, TikTok used a two-tier moderation system that gave preferential treatment to its most popular users, according to Forbes. The publication obtained an audio recording of a September 2021 meeting where the company detailed an internal feature called “creator labels” that was reserved for accounts with more than 5 million followers.
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Google is releasing a tool that makes it easier to remove search results containing your address, phone number and other personally identifiable information, 9to5Google has reported. It first revealed the "results about you" feature at I/O 2022 in May, describing it as a way to "help you easily control whether your personally-identifiable information can be found in Search results."
If you see a result with your phone number, home address or email, you can click on the three-dot menu at the top right. That opens the usual "About this result" panel, but it now contains a new "Remove result" option at the bottom of the screen. A dialog states that if the result contains one of those three things, "we can review your request more quickly."
Google
You can then monitor the request in a new menu item in the Google app called "Results about you," available by tapping your user profile at the top right. You can then monitor the progress of requests via filters "All requests," "In progress" and "Approved."
The same page also lets you make a new request with a "Why would you like to remove this result" step. Options there include "It shows my personal contact info," "It shows my contact into with an intent to harm me," "It shows other personal info," "It contains illegal info" and "It’s outdated." Previously, though, Google has said that not all requests may be granted:
It’s important to note that when we receive removal requests, we will evaluate all content on the web page to ensure that we’re not limiting the availability of other information that is broadly useful, for instance in news articles. And of course, removing contact information from Google Search doesn’t remove it from the web, which is why you may wish to contact the hosting site directly, if you’re comfortable doing so.
The new feature has only rolled out to a limited number of users in the US and Europe, 9to5Google notes (I've yet to see it in France and I'm in the Google app beta). In the meantime, you can remove other personally identifiable information or doxxing content from Google Search via a removal request — there's more information about that available here.
Twitch has announced a significant change to its policy amidst rising concerns about the presence of gambling streams on the platform. On Twitter, Twitch said it will prohibit the streaming of gambling websites that feature slots, roulette and dice games unlicensed in the US and other regions that "provide sufficient consumer protection." The policy change will take effect on October 18th, and Twitch promises to release the full policy language and more details before that date.
So far, the list of banned sites include some of the most well-known ones out there, including Stake.com, Rollbit.com, Duelbits.com and Roobet.com. Not a surprise, since you could already find plenty of streams on Twitch with gambling content from those domains. Twitch says that it "may identify others" going forward, so the list of banned websites will likely grow longer. The website will continue allowing websites that focus on certain types of gambling content, though, including sports betting, fantasy sports and poker.
Twitch issued the statement after some of the platform's most popular streamers, including Pokimane and DevinNash, threatened to boycott it on Christmas week if it doesn't ban gambling streams and sponsorships. They banded together in response to one streamer's admission that he had scammed followers and fellow streamers out of around $200,000 to feed his addiction to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. As Kotaku explains, CS:GO features weapon skins that have real-world monetary value, and gambling websites use them as casino chips. The revelation reopened the discussion of gambling streams on Twitch in a big way, with people pointing out that they could lead to deceitful behavior by streamers and could be damaging to the website's young users.
As recently as last year, TikTok employed a two-tier moderation system that gave preferential to its most popular users, according to Forbes. The outlet obtained an audio recording of a September 2021 meeting where the company detailed an internal feature called “creator labels” that was reserved for accounts with more than 5 million followers. When it came to moderating those users, many of them influencers and celebrities, TikTok reportedly filtered them through a separate moderation queue that saw the company treat those accounts differently.
“We don’t want to treat these users as, um, like any other accounts. There’s a bit more leniency, I’d say,” one employee with TikTok’s Trust and Safety said during the meeting, according to Forbes. On its website, the company states its Community Guidelines apply to “everyone and everything on TikTok.”
TikTok did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. A spokesperson for the company told Forbes it is “not more lenient in moderating accounts with more than 5 million followers,” adding it does not have moderation queues based on follower counts.
If the report is accurate, TikTok would not be the first company to treat its most influential and powerful users differently. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal detailed how Meta’s XCheck system had allowed millions of high-profile Facebook and Instagram users to skirt its rules. In one incident described by the report, the system “blocked” Facebook moderators from removing nude photos Brazilian soccer star Neymar posted of a woman who had accused him of sexual assault. The post was viewed more than 60 million times before Meta took action. Additionally, the company did not ban Nyemar’s account, even though he shared non-consensual nudity in violation of its Community Guidelines.
Ever since the world got its first look at iOS 16’s reintroduced battery percentage indicator at the start of last month, people have voiced strong opinions about the icon. Many, including Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low, felt Apple could have done a better job with it. In its current iteration, the icon remains static – displaying only a percentage – until your iPhone’s battery depletes below 20 percent capacity. It’s a design decision that makes the indicator less useful than it ought to be since in most cases you need to look closely to see how much battery you have left.
There we go: Apple has tweaked the design of the battery percentage icon in iOS 16.1 beta 2. It now shows the proper charge level 🎉 pic.twitter.com/15tvFUCaPx
Thankfully, Apple is working on an improved version of the icon. Earlier today, the company released the second iOS 16.1 beta (via MacRumors). Among other things, the update introduces a tweak to the battery percentage indicator. Now, instead of the icon only turning red when your iPhone’s battery dips below 20 percent charge, it will also gradually deplete as the battery does. It’s a small change, but one that improves usability.
Beta two also includes a tweak to the lock screen. When you plug your phone to charge, a battery percentage indicator will briefly appear above the time, bringing back a feature from iOS 15. On the iPhone 14 Pro, you’ll also see one appear within the Dynamic Island. The next version of iOS 16 does not have a release date yet. We’ll also note here that Apple could further tweak some of the changes found in beta two.
GM wants to exclusively sell electric vehicles by 2035, and it's now trying to nudge the US government toward the same goal. The automaker has teamed up with an advocacy group, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), to develop recommended principles for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) car emissions standards from the 2027 model year onward. The guidelines are meant to accelerate EV adoption in a socially conscious way — and, of course, help GM's bottom line.
The brand wants standards that ensure at least half of new vehicles sold by are zero-emissions by 2030, with a 60 percent reduction in emissions across a lineup compared to 2021. They need to address multiple pollution sources (such as CO2, nitrogen oxides and particles) and be "performance-based," GM argues. The company also believes there should be an optional pathway to speed up the launch of breakthrough emissions-reducing technology, and that standards should ensure the benefits of reduced pollution apply to everyone (such as vulnerable communities). Not surprisingly, GM hopes for tight coordination between the public and private realms, including complementary investments.
GM and the EDF want a quick decision process. They'd like the standards to be proposed this fall, and completed by fall 2023. The standards should last until 2032 at a minimum, the partners said, but they also hoped the EPA would extend that to 2035.
There might not be much opposition to the basic concept. President Biden already wants half of new vehicles to be emissions-free by 2030, and the EPA reversed Trump-era standards rollbacks in December. Meanwhile, California, Massachusetts and New York State expect to ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035 and frequently push for stricter standards than the federal government. The principles and resulting EPA standards would theoretically help politicians reach these targets sooner by encouraging manufacturers to electrify their fleets quickly.
Whether or not GM and the EDF get their way isn't clear. The EPA isn't guaranteed to take the principles to heart, and a change of presidents could lead to weaker rules. We'd add that GM has altered its stance on emissions reductions depending on who's in office. The firm backed the Trump administration's efforts to revoke waivers letting California set tougher requirements, only to change its tune after Biden won the 2020 election. Still, we wouldn't expect GM to back out any time soon. The company has staked its future on EVs, and it stands to profit if the market shifts to eco-friendly vehicles a little sooner.
Amazon will host a hardware event on September 28th at 12PM ET, the company announced today. The invite the retailer sent to Engadget didn't include many details, promising only that it would share news about "our latest Amazon devices, features, and services." Incidentally, the event will fall exactly one year to the date of its 2021 hardware showcase.
Last year's event was full of offbeat products, with Astro, the company's Alexa-powered robot on wheels, stealing the show. Other highlights included the Echo Show 15 and Glow, a kid-focused teleconferencing device. The company also announced more iterative updates in the form of the Halo View fitness band and Ring Alarm Pro. Amazon won't stream the event, but you can expect comprehensive coverage from Engadget.
Three years after becoming the newest branch of the US Armed Forces, the Space Force has an official song. Titled “Semper Supra” (or “Always Above,” if you’re not a fan of Latin), the tune made its debut on Tuesday at the 2022 Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland. Now, before I say anything else about it, I think it’s best you hear the song for yourself.
If you ask me, it’s jauntier than I expected, particularly for a song that is supposed to embody a 21st-century military branch. According to Chief of Space Operations John Raymond, the Space Force wanted a song that “spoke to our Guardians” – and, no, he’s not talking about Destiny 2 players.
The eight lines of lyrics you hear were the result of “years of research and revisions.” Former service and US Air Force Band member James Teachenor wrote "Semper Supra" with General Raymond’s help. "The song was a long work in progress because I wanted it to encompass all the capabilities that the Space Force offers and its vision," Teachenor said. Once the two settled on the song’s lyrics, they recruited Sean Nelson of the US Coast Guard Band to create an arrangement, with the USCG Band providing the instrumentation.
If you ask us, the final product sounds a bit too similar too to other Armed Forces tunes like “The Army Goes Rolling Along.” Personally, I think the Space Force should have gone down a prog rock route and made the song sound, you know, spacey.
American Airlines says that hackers may have obtained personal information for a "very small number" of customers and employees. The company did not say exactly how many people were impacted, though it noted there's no evidence that the attackers have misused the information. It told affected customers that names, driver’s license and passport numbers, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and medical information may have been compromised.
The hackers gained access to American's email system through a phishing campaign, as the Associated Press reported. The company told regulators in Montana that it discovered the intrusion in July. It started informing affected customers last week. American says it has secured the breached email accounts and brought in a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate.
American said it's putting more technical measures in place to prevent similar breaches from occurring. The company has also offered customers affected by the breach two years of identity theft-protection coverage.
An American Airlines spokesperson provided the following statement to Engadget:
“American Airlines is aware of a phishing campaign that led to the unauthorized access to a limited number of team member mailboxes. A very small number of customers and employees’ personal information was contained in those email accounts. While we have no evidence that any personal information has been misused, data security is of the utmost importance and we offered customers and team members precautionary support. We are also currently implementing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.”
