Month: September 2024
In fear of more user protests, Reddit announces controversial policy change
Moderators now need Reddit’s permission to turn subreddits private, NSFW.
Enlarge (credit: Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Following site-wide user protests last year that featured moderators turning thousands of subreddits private or not-safe-for-work (NSFW), Reddit announced that mods now need its permission to make those changes.
Reddit’s VP of community, going by Go_JasonWaterfalls, made the announcement about what Reddit calls Community Types today. Reddit’s permission is also required to make subreddits restricted or to go from NSFW to safe-for-work (SFW). Reddit’s employee claimed that requests will be responded to “in under 24 hours.”
Reddit’s employee said that “temporarily going restricted is exempt” from this requirement, adding that “mods can continue to instantly restrict posts and/or comments for up to 7 days using Temporary Events.” Additionally, if a subreddit has fewer than 5,000 members or is less than 30 days old, the request “will be automatically approved,” per Go_JasonWaterfalls.
New Snapdragon X-series chip in testing – code name: Project Glymur
Exclusive from Winfuture: Snapdragon next gen high-end ARM-based chips reportedly in testing since July 2024.
The CPU market of late has been dominated by Intel and AMD; Qualcomm, with its AI-powered, energy-efficient Snapdragon X-series ARM processors, aim to challenge that.
Qualcomm’s current X-series processors have been making waves since their June 2024 launch. Winfuture have exclusively revealed that Qualcomm has been working on its next-gen high-end Snapdragon X2 CPU “SC8480XP”, under the codename “Project Glymur”.
These next-gen processors place Qualcomm in competition with Apple’s M-series processors: unlike the x86 chips Intel and AMD use, the Snapdragon X-series uses an ARM architecture – like Apple’s M-series – designed for mobility and efficiency, compared to the mainly performance-focused former.
A standout feature of the X-series is its full compatibility with Microsoft Copilot+. It supports Microsoft’s Auto SR (super resolution), which uses AI to enhance video quality and frame rate in existing games. By including these features from the start, Snapdragon X positions itself well for the future; other chip manufacturers will have to introduce these features through later updates.
(Image credit: Qualcomm)
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X-series launched to mixed reviews. Customers hailed the new ARM processors for their power-efficiency and AI features; however, the CPUs fell short in performance when compared to AMD’s Ryzen and Intel’s Core X86 chips, especially where multi-core tasks were concerned. Another issue Qualcomm face is software compatibility: not all software has been ported to ARM.
Qualcomm has been testing the SC8480XP since July 2024, and there is still little information about what features it has to offer; according to Winfuture we will likely know little more until 2025.
In the meantime, there is still more to come for Qualcomm’s current generation of processors. In the “international export databases” where Project Glymur was discovered, the X1P-24-100, a new eight-core ARM processor, was also found.
Mazda’s $10 Subscription For Remote Start Sparks Backlash After Killing Open Source Option
An anonymous reader shares a report: Mazda recently surprised customers by requiring them to sign up for a subscription in order to keep certain services. Now, notable right-to-repair advocate Louis Rossmann is calling out the brand. He points to several moves by Mazda as reasons for his anger toward them. However, it turns out that customers might still have a workaround. Previously, the Japanese carmaker offered connected services, that included several features such as remote start, without the need for a subscription. At the time, the company informed customers that these services would eventually transition to a paid model.
It’s important to clarify that there are two very different types of remote start we’re talking about here. The first type is the one many people are familiar with where you use the key fob to start the vehicle. The second method involves using another device like a smartphone to start the car. In the latter, connected services do the heavy lifting. What is wild is that Mazda used to offer the first option on the fob. Now, it only offers the second kind, where one starts the car via phone through its connected services for a $10 monthly subscription, which comes to $120 a year. Rossmann points out that one individual, Brandon Rorthweiler, developed a workaround in 2023 to enable remote start without Mazda’s subscription fees.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Mazda recently surprised customers by requiring them to sign up for a subscription in order to keep certain services. Now, notable right-to-repair advocate Louis Rossmann is calling out the brand. He points to several moves by Mazda as reasons for his anger toward them. However, it turns out that customers might still have a workaround. Previously, the Japanese carmaker offered connected services, that included several features such as remote start, without the need for a subscription. At the time, the company informed customers that these services would eventually transition to a paid model.
It’s important to clarify that there are two very different types of remote start we’re talking about here. The first type is the one many people are familiar with where you use the key fob to start the vehicle. The second method involves using another device like a smartphone to start the car. In the latter, connected services do the heavy lifting. What is wild is that Mazda used to offer the first option on the fob. Now, it only offers the second kind, where one starts the car via phone through its connected services for a $10 monthly subscription, which comes to $120 a year. Rossmann points out that one individual, Brandon Rorthweiler, developed a workaround in 2023 to enable remote start without Mazda’s subscription fees.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
YouTube’s missing hits will come back now that it has a deal with SESAC
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
YouTube has reached a deal with the music licensing organization SESAC that will bring back songs that were removed over the weekend. Many hit songs from artists such as Adele, Nirvana, and others disappeared, which YouTube blamed on the lack of an agreement to renew its existing deal.
SESAC stands for the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, and its website says that it “currently licenses the public performance of more than 1.5 million songs on behalf of its 15,000+ affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers.”
As of 4:25PM ET, removed songs like Adele’s Hello and Kanye West’s Power are still not playing.
“We’re pleased that SESAC reconsidered our offer. We’ve reached a deal and content will come back up shortly,” YouTube’s global communications and public affairs rep Mariana De Felice tells The Verge. The terms of the agreement, including how long it will last, were not disclosed. A post by @TeamYouTube on X confirmed that songs in the US were affected for both YouTube generally and on YouTube Music and said that they will be restored “over the next day or two.”
If you’re in the United States ➡️ ️we’re happy to share that YouTube has reached a deal with SESAC. Content (that was previously blocked) will be restored across YouTube services over the next day or two. We appreciate all your patience — TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) September 30, 2024
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
YouTube has reached a deal with the music licensing organization SESAC that will bring back songs that were removed over the weekend. Many hit songs from artists such as Adele, Nirvana, and others disappeared, which YouTube blamed on the lack of an agreement to renew its existing deal.
SESAC stands for the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, and its website says that it “currently licenses the public performance of more than 1.5 million songs on behalf of its 15,000+ affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers.”
As of 4:25PM ET, removed songs like Adele’s Hello and Kanye West’s Power are still not playing.
“We’re pleased that SESAC reconsidered our offer. We’ve reached a deal and content will come back up shortly,” YouTube’s global communications and public affairs rep Mariana De Felice tells The Verge. The terms of the agreement, including how long it will last, were not disclosed. A post by @TeamYouTube on X confirmed that songs in the US were affected for both YouTube generally and on YouTube Music and said that they will be restored “over the next day or two.”
If you’re in the United States ➡️ ️we’re happy to share that YouTube has reached a deal with SESAC. Content (that was previously blocked) will be restored across YouTube services over the next day or two. We appreciate all your patience
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) September 30, 2024
Systems used by courts and governments across the US riddled with vulnerabilities
With hundreds of courts and agencies affected, chances are one near you is, too.
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)
Public records systems that courts and governments rely on to manage voter registrations and legal filings have been riddled with vulnerabilities that made it possible for attackers to falsify registration databases and add, delete, or modify official documents.
Over the past year, software developer turned security researcher Jason Parker has found and reported dozens of critical vulnerabilities in no fewer than 19 commercial platforms used by hundreds of courts, government agencies, and police departments across the country. Most of the vulnerabilities were critical.
One flaw he uncovered in the voter registration cancellation portal for the state of George, for instance, allowed anyone visiting it to cancel the registration of any voter in that state when the visitor knew the name, birthdate, and county of residence of the voter. In another case, document management systems used in local courthouses across the country contained multiple flaws that allowed unauthorized people to access sensitive filings such as psychiatric evaluations that were under seal. And in one case, unauthorized people could assign themselves privileges that are supposed to be available only to clerks of the court and, from there, create, delete, or modify filings.
Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet drops to a record-low price ahead of October Prime Day
If you’ve been on the lookout for a killer deal on a perfectly decent tablet for streaming videos and catching up on some reading, hunt no more. Just ahead of the October edition of Prime Day, Amazon has slashed the price of the Fire HD 10 tablet to $75, which is a discount of $65. This matches the tablet’s lowest price to date, which we saw during Prime Day in July.
The deal is for a model with 32GB of storage and ads on the lockscreen. Expanding the storage is easy enough thanks to the microSD slot, but to get rid of the lockscreen ads you’ll need to buy a different version (which, at $90, is also currently $65 off).
You probably won’t be doing as much creative work on a Fire HD tablet as you might on an iPad Pro. But for kicking back and catching up on a show or reading a Kindle book, Amazon’s tablet certainly does the trick. It has a 10.1-inch Full HD display with a promise of up to 13 hours of battery life. Amazon says it delivers 25 percent faster performance than the previous model and it has 3GB of storage.
You can use the tablet to keep up with family and friends using messaging apps or hop on video calls with the help of the 5MP front-facing camera. You can also use a stylus to sketch in various apps. There’s Alexa integration as well, of course — you can use the tablet to control smart compatible home devices and get a live view of connected security cameras.
One thing worth noting is that Amazon has yet to hold its usual fall devices event, so it may be using the October Prime Day sale to get rid of its current inventory of devices on the cheap before announcing upgraded models. Even if Amazon does have new tablets to show off in the coming weeks, though, you’ll still have a solid device in hand if you snap this one up.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-fire-hd-10-tablet-drops-to-a-record-low-price-ahead-of-october-prime-day-202755183.html?src=rss
If you’ve been on the lookout for a killer deal on a perfectly decent tablet for streaming videos and catching up on some reading, hunt no more. Just ahead of the October edition of Prime Day, Amazon has slashed the price of the Fire HD 10 tablet to $75, which is a discount of $65. This matches the tablet’s lowest price to date, which we saw during Prime Day in July.
The deal is for a model with 32GB of storage and ads on the lockscreen. Expanding the storage is easy enough thanks to the microSD slot, but to get rid of the lockscreen ads you’ll need to buy a different version (which, at $90, is also currently $65 off).
You probably won’t be doing as much creative work on a Fire HD tablet as you might on an iPad Pro. But for kicking back and catching up on a show or reading a Kindle book, Amazon’s tablet certainly does the trick. It has a 10.1-inch Full HD display with a promise of up to 13 hours of battery life. Amazon says it delivers 25 percent faster performance than the previous model and it has 3GB of storage.
You can use the tablet to keep up with family and friends using messaging apps or hop on video calls with the help of the 5MP front-facing camera. You can also use a stylus to sketch in various apps. There’s Alexa integration as well, of course — you can use the tablet to control smart compatible home devices and get a live view of connected security cameras.
One thing worth noting is that Amazon has yet to hold its usual fall devices event, so it may be using the October Prime Day sale to get rid of its current inventory of devices on the cheap before announcing upgraded models. Even if Amazon does have new tablets to show off in the coming weeks, though, you’ll still have a solid device in hand if you snap this one up.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-fire-hd-10-tablet-drops-to-a-record-low-price-ahead-of-october-prime-day-202755183.html?src=rss
63% of Gen Z Would Rather Play Video Games Than Watch a Movie
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