Month: August 2024
Backpage founder Michael Lacey gets 5 years in prison for money laundering
Lacey gets 5 years for one money laundering charge but was acquitted on 50 counts.
Enlarge / Backpage founder Michael Lacey testifying at a US Senate hearing in January 2017. (credit: US Senate hearing)
Backpage founder Michael Lacey was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison and fined $3 million after being convicted on one count of money laundering. Lacey, 76, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, the Department of Justice said in a press release.
Two other Backpage principals—Scott Spear and John “Jed” Brunst—were sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. “The Court also ordered that all defendants turn themselves in to the US Marshals Service by noon on Sept. 11,” the Department of Justice said.
Authorities alleged that Backpage generated over $500 million in revenue from running a forum that facilitated prostitution. While Lacey argued that he wasn’t involved in day-to-day operations, US District Judge Diane Humetewa “told Lacey during Wednesday’s sentencing he was aware of the allegations against Backpage and did nothing,” according to the Associated Press.
Audio-Technica’s cheap active bookshelf speakers look like the perfect buy for new vinyl fans
If your turntable has a phono stage, just plug these in and go!
It looks like Audio-Technica has bought the office a new espresso machine, because there’s been a veritable frenzy of activity from the commpany lately. We’ve had a new pair of affordable wireless earbuds, and a new budget Bluetooth turntable, and now there’s a new set of powered bookshelf speakers, the Audio-Technica AT-SP3X. The most impressive part of them may well be the price: the AT-SP3X are $199 / £169 (about AU$300). That makes them very competitive.
Powered speakers don’t need an amp because they have their own amp inside one of the speakers, and that means they’re well suited to products such as one of the best turntables, as long they have a phono stage in (as, wouldn’t you know, A-T’s own aforementioned one does). And of course you can use other sound sources too, such as your phone or your computer, whether that’s wired or wirelessly over Bluetooth, which these speakers also support.
Audio-Technica AT-SP3X: key specifications and pricing
The new Audio-Technica AT-SP3X are compact compared to most of the best stereo speakers: the speakers are 7.9 inches by 4.9 inches by 5.4 inches; in metric that’s 200mm x 113mm x 145mm. And the speakers are fairly chunky with a weight of 3.3lbs (1.5kg) for the left and 3.5lbs (1.6kg) for the right speaker. That difference is because the right speaker is where the amplifier lives.
The drivers are 3-inch woofers paired with 1.1-inch tweeters in a two-way design, and power output is a respectable 30W. The frequency response is 55Hz to 20,000Hz, which is quite impressive for speakers so small, and goes lower than some similarly priced competitors.
The Bluetooth version here is Bluetooth 5.3 with multi-point pairing. Although the speakers can go wireless to your phone, there’s a cable to connect the two of them together that’s a generous six feet long. And in another thoughtful touch there’s an on-speaker volume control so you don’t need to rely on your streaming source to adjust the levels.
If you’re just getting started with vinyl, an affordable turntable with a phono stage and these speakers could be the perfect starting point – affordable and compact. We look forward to reviewing them in the future, to find out for sure.
You might also like
Pro-Ject’s follow-up to the best turntable you can buy is here, and it looks gorgeousMajority Moto 2.0 review: an astoundingly cheap Bluetooth record player with USBPro-Ject’s new see-through turntable might be the coolest vinyl release of the year
Uber invests in SoftBank-backed self-driving tech startup Wayve
Earlier this year, Wayve drew major attention when the British self-driving tech startup raised $1.05 billion in Series C funding. The investment was set to boost the development of autonomous mobility and the rollout of production-ready vehicles featuring its Embodied
The post Uber invests in SoftBank-backed self-driving tech startup Wayve first appeared on Tech Startups.
Earlier this year, Wayve drew major attention when the British self-driving tech startup raised $1.05 billion in Series C funding. The investment was set to boost the development of autonomous mobility and the rollout of production-ready vehicles featuring its Embodied […]
The post Uber invests in SoftBank-backed self-driving tech startup Wayve first appeared on Tech Startups.
Verizon Taps Another Satellite Operator To Make Texting From the Middle of Nowhere Easier
Verizon has teamed up with another satellite operator to offer US customers a commercial direct-to-device messaging service for when a terrestrial cell network is not available, starting this fall. From a report: The telecoms giant says that US customers with compatible smartphones will have access to emergency messaging and location sharing, even when out of range of a cell tower, and from early next year it will offer the ability to text anywhere via a satellite connection, again with compatible devices. Verizon told The Register that there are no additional costs planned for this service, and any customer with a capable device can take advantage of it, irrespective of price plan.
It will be available on the Pixel 9 family of devices out of the box, with the Galaxy S25 to follow, a Verizon spokesperson told us. “Next year we will add text anywhere functionality to the emergency text and location services available this year,” they added. This sounds somewhat similar to the Emergency SOS feature introduced by Apple with the iPhone 14 two years ago, which also enabled users to contact emergency services via a satellite link. Verizon says its service will complement Apple’s iOS 18 satellite features, so customers using different devices will also have the ability to text anywhere. As partner for this service, Verizon has picked Skylo, a company that styles itself as a pioneer in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communications for smartphones and other devices.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Verizon has teamed up with another satellite operator to offer US customers a commercial direct-to-device messaging service for when a terrestrial cell network is not available, starting this fall. From a report: The telecoms giant says that US customers with compatible smartphones will have access to emergency messaging and location sharing, even when out of range of a cell tower, and from early next year it will offer the ability to text anywhere via a satellite connection, again with compatible devices. Verizon told The Register that there are no additional costs planned for this service, and any customer with a capable device can take advantage of it, irrespective of price plan.
It will be available on the Pixel 9 family of devices out of the box, with the Galaxy S25 to follow, a Verizon spokesperson told us. “Next year we will add text anywhere functionality to the emergency text and location services available this year,” they added. This sounds somewhat similar to the Emergency SOS feature introduced by Apple with the iPhone 14 two years ago, which also enabled users to contact emergency services via a satellite link. Verizon says its service will complement Apple’s iOS 18 satellite features, so customers using different devices will also have the ability to text anywhere. As partner for this service, Verizon has picked Skylo, a company that styles itself as a pioneer in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communications for smartphones and other devices.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Bluesky adds ‘anti-toxicity’ options to limit dogpiling and hostile quote-posts
If a post is being shared as part of a dogpiling effort, Bluesky users can now limit people from linking to them directly. | Image: Bluesky
Bluesky has introduced a bunch of new “anti-toxicity” features that aim to help users protect themselves against harassment and dogpiling. Announced via a recent blog post, version 1.90 of the decentralized social media platform adds tools that can limit exposure to unwelcome interactions with other users, such as an option to detach your post from somebody else’s quote of it.
The update allows users to view all the posts that quote a post they’ve made, then detach their original post so it can no longer be seen beneath the other user’s commentary — preventing readers from seeing it and clicking through to engage. You can already cut off engagement by blocking a quote-poster, but detachment offers a less drastic option.
The downside, as Bluesky notes, is that this update lets users who spread dis- or misinformation detach their posts from quote-posts that correct it. “To address this, we’re leaning into labeling services and hoping to integrate a Community Notes-like feature in the future,” the company said in the blog. For now, it’s a tradeoff that could mitigate one of the more unpleasant aspects of posting your opinions online.
Version 1.90 of the Bluesky app also allows users to hide replies to their posts and move them behind a dedicated “Hidden Replies” screen, where they can be revisited with less visibility. (Reply hiding has been available on X, formerly Twitter, for years.) Bluesky is also stepping back from promoting every single reply to the “Following” feed; it will now only show conversations that include replies between at least two followers.
Image: Bluesky
Someone chatting some nasty nonsense? Boom – post replies can now be hidden.
Thanks to Bluesky’s design, quote post removals and hidden replies are public data, akin to blocking other users. Bluesky says its app won’t list all the quote detachments on the original post, but that data will still be accessible via the Bluesky API.
Additional changes include a new priority filter that lets users only receive notification updates from people they follow, as well as the ability to limit being featured in lists. When a user blocks someone who has created a starter pack or curational user list, they’ll also be filtered out of any of these lists, except for moderation lists that govern muting and blocking.
There’s a good selection of tools here to nope out of mobbing on the platform, but Bluesky says it isn’t done yet — additional changes are being made to “to combat ban evasion, botnets, and other forms of toxicity.” The company is planning to share more details about those efforts next week.
If a post is being shared as part of a dogpiling effort, Bluesky users can now limit people from linking to them directly. | Image: Bluesky
Bluesky has introduced a bunch of new “anti-toxicity” features that aim to help users protect themselves against harassment and dogpiling. Announced via a recent blog post, version 1.90 of the decentralized social media platform adds tools that can limit exposure to unwelcome interactions with other users, such as an option to detach your post from somebody else’s quote of it.
The update allows users to view all the posts that quote a post they’ve made, then detach their original post so it can no longer be seen beneath the other user’s commentary — preventing readers from seeing it and clicking through to engage. You can already cut off engagement by blocking a quote-poster, but detachment offers a less drastic option.
The downside, as Bluesky notes, is that this update lets users who spread dis- or misinformation detach their posts from quote-posts that correct it. “To address this, we’re leaning into labeling services and hoping to integrate a Community Notes-like feature in the future,” the company said in the blog. For now, it’s a tradeoff that could mitigate one of the more unpleasant aspects of posting your opinions online.
Version 1.90 of the Bluesky app also allows users to hide replies to their posts and move them behind a dedicated “Hidden Replies” screen, where they can be revisited with less visibility. (Reply hiding has been available on X, formerly Twitter, for years.) Bluesky is also stepping back from promoting every single reply to the “Following” feed; it will now only show conversations that include replies between at least two followers.
Image: Bluesky
Someone chatting some nasty nonsense? Boom – post replies can now be hidden.
Thanks to Bluesky’s design, quote post removals and hidden replies are public data, akin to blocking other users. Bluesky says its app won’t list all the quote detachments on the original post, but that data will still be accessible via the Bluesky API.
Additional changes include a new priority filter that lets users only receive notification updates from people they follow, as well as the ability to limit being featured in lists. When a user blocks someone who has created a starter pack or curational user list, they’ll also be filtered out of any of these lists, except for moderation lists that govern muting and blocking.
There’s a good selection of tools here to nope out of mobbing on the platform, but Bluesky says it isn’t done yet — additional changes are being made to “to combat ban evasion, botnets, and other forms of toxicity.” The company is planning to share more details about those efforts next week.
Remedy partners with Annapurna for Control 2 and potential film and TV adaptations
Control. | Image: Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is teaming up with Annapurna Pictures to expand the world of Control. The most concrete part of the news is that Annapurna — which also has an indie game publishing arm — will be funding half of the development budget for the previously announced Control 2.
Beyond that, there’s the potential for Annapurna to create film and TV adaptations of both Control and Alan Wake, which just got a long-awaited sequel last year. No specific projects were announced. “Annapurna will take the lead in expanding Control and Alan Wake into new entertainment mediums,” the companies explain in a press release, “enabling Remedy to focus on the development of Control 2 and other upcoming games.”
Notably, the release also says that “Remedy will retain the full IP rights for Control and Alan Wake.” (The studio purchased the rights for Control from publisher 505 Games earlier this year.)
Remedy has some track record with sneaking live-action moments into its games, and 2016’s Quantum Break was an interesting exercise in merging TV and gaming. The studio’s games — Control and Alan Wake included — are also heavily influenced by film and TV, most notably the works of David Lynch. So the expansion into these mediums makes a lot of sense, particularly as the various worlds of entertainment continue to crossover.
“The future of storytelling requires seamlessly integrating gaming, film, and television,” Annapurna CEO Megan Ellison explained in a statement, “and this partnership will allow us to explore new ways of bringing these narratives to life.”
Control. | Image: Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is teaming up with Annapurna Pictures to expand the world of Control. The most concrete part of the news is that Annapurna — which also has an indie game publishing arm — will be funding half of the development budget for the previously announced Control 2.
Beyond that, there’s the potential for Annapurna to create film and TV adaptations of both Control and Alan Wake, which just got a long-awaited sequel last year. No specific projects were announced. “Annapurna will take the lead in expanding Control and Alan Wake into new entertainment mediums,” the companies explain in a press release, “enabling Remedy to focus on the development of Control 2 and other upcoming games.”
Notably, the release also says that “Remedy will retain the full IP rights for Control and Alan Wake.” (The studio purchased the rights for Control from publisher 505 Games earlier this year.)
Remedy has some track record with sneaking live-action moments into its games, and 2016’s Quantum Break was an interesting exercise in merging TV and gaming. The studio’s games — Control and Alan Wake included — are also heavily influenced by film and TV, most notably the works of David Lynch. So the expansion into these mediums makes a lot of sense, particularly as the various worlds of entertainment continue to crossover.
“The future of storytelling requires seamlessly integrating gaming, film, and television,” Annapurna CEO Megan Ellison explained in a statement, “and this partnership will allow us to explore new ways of bringing these narratives to life.”
X is labeling an unflattering NPR story about Donald Trump as ‘unsafe’
X is discouraging users from viewing a link to an NPR story about Donald Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, raising questions about whether the Elon Musk-owned platform is putting its thumb on the scale for the former president.
On Thursday, NPR reporter Stephen Fowler posted a link to a story in which he quoted an Army official who said that an employee at Arlington National Cemetery was “abruptly pushed aside” during an event attended by Trump and members of his campaign earlier this week. The outlet had previously reported that there was a “physical altercation” at the event with campaign staff over federal laws barring campaign activities at the cemetery.
Some users on X who attempt to click a link to the story are greeted with a warning message saying that X has deemed that “this link may be unsafe.” It states that it could be malicious, violent, spammy or otherwise violate the platform’s rules, but doesn’t explain why the link was flagged. Fowler posted a thread on X, each tweet of which contained a link to his story — the warning appears to affect the first two instances of the link but not others, for reasons unknown. It’s highly unusual for such a warning to appear before a link to a mainstream website. Other links to NPR, as well as other coverage of Trump’s visit to Arlington, don’t appear to have such a label.
Notably, Musk has been a vocal supporter of Trump this election, and recently held a lengthy live streamed conversation with him on X. Musk has also publicly feuded with NPR in the past, adding a “state affiliated media” label to its account for several months last year. NPR hasn’t posted from its main account on X since the label was added last April.
X didn’t immediately respond to questions about its use of the label.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-labeling-an-unflattering-npr-story-about-donald-trump-as-unsafe-163732236.html?src=rss
X is discouraging users from viewing a link to an NPR story about Donald Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, raising questions about whether the Elon Musk-owned platform is putting its thumb on the scale for the former president.
On Thursday, NPR reporter Stephen Fowler posted a link to a story in which he quoted an Army official who said that an employee at Arlington National Cemetery was “abruptly pushed aside” during an event attended by Trump and members of his campaign earlier this week. The outlet had previously reported that there was a “physical altercation” at the event with campaign staff over federal laws barring campaign activities at the cemetery.
Some users on X who attempt to click a link to the story are greeted with a warning message saying that X has deemed that “this link may be unsafe.” It states that it could be malicious, violent, spammy or otherwise violate the platform’s rules, but doesn’t explain why the link was flagged. Fowler posted a thread on X, each tweet of which contained a link to his story — the warning appears to affect the first two instances of the link but not others, for reasons unknown. It’s highly unusual for such a warning to appear before a link to a mainstream website. Other links to NPR, as well as other coverage of Trump’s visit to Arlington, don’t appear to have such a label.
Notably, Musk has been a vocal supporter of Trump this election, and recently held a lengthy live streamed conversation with him on X. Musk has also publicly feuded with NPR in the past, adding a “state affiliated media” label to its account for several months last year. NPR hasn’t posted from its main account on X since the label was added last April.
X didn’t immediately respond to questions about its use of the label.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-labeling-an-unflattering-npr-story-about-donald-trump-as-unsafe-163732236.html?src=rss
La Liga Soccer Livestream: How to Watch Las Palmas vs. Real Madrid From Anywhere
The Gran Canaria Stadium hosts the Galacticos 2.0 in this game week 3 clash.
The Gran Canaria Stadium hosts the Galacticos 2.0 in this game week 3 clash.
macOS 15 Sequoia could help fix one thing we hate about MacBooks: lack of storage space
Big apps or games won’t fit on your meager Mac SSD? macOS 15 solves storage woes by allowing for direct installation on an external drive.
Apple just made another very handy tweak to the way storage works with macOS in its latest version, Sequoia, which is still in beta testing (albeit on the cusp of launching) – and this one could be something of a lifesaver in certain scenarios.
The change is a new option in the settings for the Mac App Store whereby you can instruct macOS to automatically download and install any app, or game, which is larger than 1GB to an external drive, as opposed to the main system drive in the Mac.
As 9 to 5 Mac reports, this has happened in the freshly released beta of macOS 15.1, the third beta on this branch which is for developers only, and is the sole build that carries Apple Intelligence features. (These AI capabilities won’t debut with macOS 15 Sequoia, but rather with the 15.1 release that’ll come a little later).
It’s a useful ability to have if you have a small drive in your Mac or MacBook, as many of us do – it’s really expensive to equip a MacBook in particular with a larger SSD – or you’ve crammed all sorts of software on, and are running out of storage space.
We mentioned this is another handy tweak that macOS 15 introduces on the storage front, as it follows a previous change in a past beta whereby users no longer need to have double the storage space requirements when installing an app from the App Store. (A temporary requirement it must be noted – but still a serious stumbling block in some cases where storage space is thin on the ground).
Analysis: Drive to thrive
The new installation option is very welcome, although it’s always been the case that you can run apps from an external drive (some apps, anyway – there are others that must be installed on the system drive for various reasons). Previously, however, you’ve had to manually shift the app across after installing it on your main drive, so it’s obviously a far more convenient touch to have applications just installed on the external disk in the first place, if this is the way you want to go.
While it’s great to have this option, it’s odd that Apple has only just added it, really. Why hasn’t it been brought in before now? We can only offer a shrug of our shoulders. With Macs continually taking strides to become more proficient gaming machines – macOS 15 will help on this front, too, with Game Mode tuning to ensure faster frame rates – perhaps this has been pushed up a priority list somewhere, as it’ll certainly help when it comes to fitting beefy game folders onto an Apple device.
Just remember that apps might be quite a bit slower on an external drive, so it could well be worth buying one of the best nippy external SSDs, especially if gaming is on your to-do list with planned installations away from your Mac’s main drive.
You might also like
Apple MacBook Pro 2024: the latest rumors and everything we know so farHow to restart a Macbook ProVoice Control is a great hidden feature in macOS