Instagram’s Questions Sticker is not Anonymous

Instagram

Instagram recently introduced the Questions Sticker. It functions something like Ask.fm and Formspring. It turns out that Instagram’s Questions Sticker is not anonymous.

The Questions Sticker is an interactive feature in Instagram Stories that lets your friends submit questions for you to answer. Instagram describes it as “a fun new way to start conversations with your friends so you can get to know each other better.” Two other features, the polling sticker, and the emoji slider, are also designed to help people get to know their friends better on Instagram.

To use the Questions Sticker, you first need to take a photo or video. The example on the Instagram blog shows a photo with a Questions Sticker that says “waiting for the bus… ask me questions!” Your friends can see the sticker and tap it to reply (as many times as they like).

You can find your friends’ responses in your story’s viewers list. Tap any question they’ve asked to create a new story where you can answer it, and the question you’re answering will appear on your story for context. Though you’re able to see who submitted each response in your viewers list where it’s private, when you share that response in your story, your friend’s photo and username will not be shown.

The Guardian reported that Instagram’s Questions Sticker is not anonymous. You will be able to see who submitted each response to your questions.

The part that seems to be confusing people is that when someone shares a response publicly, the username of the person who made that response is removed. The Guardian notes that the way Instagram explained how the Questions Sticker functioned was unclear. The result is there are some very embarrassed people out there who thought their mean words could not be connected to them.

YouTube Introduces the Copyright Match Tool

YouTube

YouTube has introduced a new way for copyright owners to protect their work. It is called the Copyright Match Tool. It is designed to find re-uploads of your content on other channels.

Here’s how it works: after you upload a video, YouTube will scan other videos uploaded to YouTube to see if any of them are the same or very similar. When there is a match, it will appear in the “matches” tab in the tool and you can decide what to do next.

YouTube says they have been testing the Copyright Match Tool with creators for nearly a year to make it safe and effective for the whole community.

Here is what you need to know about how the Copyright Match Tool:

  • It is important that you’re the first person to upload your video to YouTube. The time of the upload is how YouTube determines who should be shown matches.
  • This tool is intended to find full re-uploads. If you find a clip of your content that you’d like removed, you can always report it via the copyright webform.
  • Once the tool has found a match, you can chose either to do nothing, to get in touch with the other creator, or request that YouTube remove the video. When you request removal you can do so with or without a 7-day delay to allow the uploader to correct the issue themselves. Takedown requests will be reviewed to make sure they comply with YouTube’s copyright policies.
  • Before taking action, YouTube asks that you carefully evaluate each match to confirm that you own the rights to the matched content and ensure that you believe it infringes on your copyright. YouTube says you should not file a copyright takedown request for content that you do not own exclusively, such as public domain content.
  • YouTube also says you should consider whether the matched content could be considered fair use or could be subject to some other exceptions to copyright and hence not require permission for reuse.

According to YouTube, the Copyright Match Tool is not Content ID. It says the Copyright Match Tool “does use similar technology used by Content ID, but the Copyright Match Tool is a unique tool designed especially for YouTube creators who have problems with unauthorized re-uploads.”

YouTube will start rolling out the Copyright Match Tool next week to creators with more than 100k subscribers. They are intending to monitor usage closely. YouTube will expand the Copyright Match Tool “over the next coming months” with the long-term goal of making it available to every creator in the YouTube Partner program.

I can see the potential for the Copyright Match Tool to help creators. But, I can also have some concerns.

If some steals your content from somewhere outside of YouTube, and posts it to YouTube before you can, it appears YouTube will consider the thief to be the rightful owner of the content instead of the actual creator.

Battle for Azeroth Pre-Patch Goes Live Soon

Gadgets,

The upcoming World of Warcraft expansion is called Battle for Azeroth. It is going to launch on August 14, 2018, worldwide, at the same time. Before that happens, a pre-patch will go live. This is going to happen on July 17, 2018.

Blizzard Entertainment, creator of World of Warcraft, points out that players will need to update their drivers for the Battle for Azeroth pre-patch.

To make the most of Battle for Azeroth and avoid potential issues, it’s important to update to the latest DirectX 12 drivers. Please note that AMD and the Intel GPUs will default to DX12, while NVIDIA drivers will remain at DX11 with the option to update at a later time.

Some of the new features of the pre-patch have been revealed. Others will be revealed later in the official patch notes (which, at the time I am writing this blog, is described as “coming soon”.)

Features that are arriving with the pre-patch include:

  • War Mode, PVP Talents, and More: War Mode tears down boundaries and server rule-set distinctions, allowing players on any realm to decide when they want to jump into a world PVP experience full of like-minded players in the ongoing battle between Horde and Alliance.
  • Legion PVP Post-Season:Join in the PVP action and earn some new gear just in time for the launch of the Battle for Azeroth.
  • World of Warcraft Communities: Bring your friends and family of the same faction together cross-realm through our new World of Warcraft Communities feature.

Nintendo NES Classic #1298

Podcast

Great news the Nintendo NES Classic is available in massive quantities. I advanced ordered mine tonight with no issue, we will see if I actually get one this time. Plus as great deal on some external SSD drives that were a bit to hard to pass up. Also I have a Mac Mini of 7 years on it’s last legs (maybe) I give you and update on that plus all the tech news of the day.

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Twitter is Removing Locked Accounts from Your Follower Count

Twitter

Twitter announced that it is removing locked accounts from follower counts across profiles globally. This is being done as part of Twitter’s ongoing effort to build trust and encourage healthy conversation on Twitter.

Over the years, we’ve locked accounts when we detected sudden changes in account behavior. In these situations, we reach out to the owners of the accounts and unless they validate the account and reset their passwords, we keep them locked with no ability to log in. This week, we will be removing these locked accounts from follower counts across profiles globally. As a result, the number of followers displayed on many profiles may go down.

Twitter says that most people will see a change of four followers or fewer. Those who have larger follower counts will experience a more significant drop. In short, if you happen to notice that you have a smaller number of followers than before – this could be the reason why.

Locked accounts are ones in which Twitter has detected sudden changes in account behavior. Twitter may lock the account and contact the owner to confirm that they still have control over the account. Sudden changes in behavior may include: tweeting a large volume of unsolicited replies or mentions, tweeting misleading links, or if a large number of accounts block the account after mentioning them.

Twitter sometimes locks an account if they “see email and password combinations from other services posted online and believe that information could put the security of an account at risk.” When that happens, Twitter requires those accounts to change their passwords for protection. Until Twitter confirms that everything is ok, they lock the account – which makes them unable to tweet or see ads.

The accounts Twitter is focusing on are not bot accounts. Instead, these are accounts that were created by real people – but Twitter cannot confirm that the original person who opened the account still has control and access to it.

NASA Invites Social Media Users to Attend Rocket Launch

nasa

NASA is inviting social media users to apply for credentials to attend the launch of the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, aboard United Launch Alliance’s Delta II rocket. The rocket will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California. The target date is no earlier than September 12, 2018.

Attendees at NASA’s ICESat -2 Launch Social at Vandenberg will have the chance to post, blog, tweet, Instagram, snap and more to engage their followers on social media. A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend, and will be given access to similar news media.

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Participate in a special televised pre-launch briefing
  • Witness the last launch of the Delta II rocket
  • Speak with ICESat-2 mission scientists and engineers
  • View and take photographs of the Delta II rocket on the launch pad
  • Tour facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base
  • Interact with NASA social media managers and fellow space & Earth science enthusiasts

Those who are interested can register on the NASA website. Registration opened on July 6, 2018, and will close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 22, 2018. You must have a social media account to register.

You must be a U.S. citizen to attend the event. To be admitted to the event, you must provide a form of unexpired government-issued identification. It must be a photo ID and match the name provided on the registration. Visit the NASA website for more information.

Hearthstone Announces The Boomsday Project

Gaming

Hearthstone, a game created by Blizzard Entertainment, has announced its newest expansion. It is called The Boomsday Project. The expansion will be released on August 7, 2018.

Operating out of Boom Labs – a secret world-class facility located in the beautiful, purple-lightning wracked floating islands of Netherstorm near Area 52 – the Boomsday Project is the brainchild of the renowned Dr. Boom. Once a researcher at Area 52, Dr. Boom struck out alone and became a rising star in the fields of Mech design and rapid catastrophe disassembly.

Dr. Boom is at the top of its field, and the time is ripe to tackle new challenges. Enter The Boomsday Project, a multi-disciplinary research endeavor that’s sure to change the world – forever! Somehow. His team is still working out the details…

Hearthstone borrows a lot of content from World of Warcraft (which was also created by Blizzard Entertainment). Netherstorm is a zone in World of Warcraft, and Area 52 is one of the locations in that zone. Dr. Boom is a non-elite quest boss that can be found in a camp that is located northeast of Area 52.

The Boomsday Project will feature 135 all-new cards. For a limited time after Boomsday arrives, Hearthstone players can log in and claim 3 card packs and a random Class Legendary minion (or Hero card) – both from the new expansion – for free!

You can preorder the expansion now. It comes with 50 The Boomsday Project card packs, 1 random golden The Boomsday Project legendary card, and the Mecha-Jaraxxus card back.

The Mega Bundle includes 80 The Boomsday Project card packs, 1 random golden The Boomsday Project legendary card, the Mecha-Jaraxxus card back, and a new Warlock Hero to add to your collection. The Warlock Hero is Mecha-Jaraxxus, Eredar Lord of the Mega Bundle.

It is possible to get both The Boomsday Project pre-purchase and the Mega Bundle. It is only purchasable one per account.

Alexa in the Toilet #1297

Podcast

There is no escape from Technology surveys show that people want an Alexa device with them in the bathroom for automation and provide some company with them when they are doing their business. I don’t get it the bathroom is the only place and specifically the shower where I can think. Somehow tonight Facebook live was not initiating. I will be testing to find out what has happened.

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Headspace Goes Hands-Free

Gaming

Headspace is an app that makes meditation simple. It teaches people how to mediate and live mindfully, and offers hundreds of themed lessons (including “bite sized” meditations and SOS exercises in case of a sudden meltdown).

Headspace has gone hands-free with Alexa and Google Voice.

Headspace is meditation made simple. And now it’s even simpler. Starting today, Alexa and Google Voice users can get some Headspace just by saying the magic words.

Those who use Google Voice can cue up a Headspace meditation just by saying, “Ok Google, open Headspace.” This works across all devices where Google Assistant is available, including phones, speakers, TVs, headphones, and more.

Those who use Alexa can cue up a Headspace meditation by saying the magic words, “Alexa, open Headspace.” This works across all devices where Alexa is available, including phones, speakers, headphones, and more.

Examples of voice commands include telling either Alexa, or Google Voice, to:

  • Talk to Headspace
  • Tell Headspace to start my daily meditation
  • Ask Google for today’s meditation
  • Tell Headspace I want to wind down
  • Tell Headspace I’m ready to sleep
  • Ask Headspace to connect my account

Headspace subscribers will be able to connect their account and continue their practice both through their device and the Headspace app. Headspace users who haven’t subscribed just yet will have access to the Basics, Sleep Sounds, and the Headspace Sleeping exercise.

Pokémon GO Celebrates its Second Anniversary

Gaming

Pokémon GO is celebrating its second anniversary with Pikachu. Players have the opportunity to catch a new version of a Pikachu that is wearing a hat. Players who have earned the gold Pikachu Fan Medal will be able to purchase Pikachu related items from the Pokémon GO store.

None other than Pikachu has joined in to celebrate this momentous occasion, so keep an eye out for Pikachi and Pichu as they will appear more frequently tomorrow (July 6 PT) until July 31. Plus, this year, you can say hello throughout the month to a special “Summer Style” Pikachu, that’s decked out in a straw hat and sunglasses.

Players who have earned the gold Pikachu Fan Medal will be able to purchase special items, including a Pikachu shirt and Pikachu ears. You can find these items by selecting your Pokémon GO avatar, tapping “style” and scrolling through the hats and tops.

Pikachu ears cost 180 PokéCoins. The Pikachu Fan t-shirt is bright yellow, with long sleeves, and a large Pikachu on the front. It costs 250 PokéCoins. The way to obtain PokéCoins is to spend real-world currency in the Pokémon GO Shop. There are a variety of bundles to choose from, depending on how many PokéCoins you want to buy.

The Pikachu Fan medal can be earned by catching Pikachu. It doesn’t matter if the Pikachu you catch have a certain kind of hat, or no hat at all. They all count towards the medal. Players must earn the bronze and silver versions of a medal before they can earn the gold version.

To earn the Pikachu Fan bronze medal, players much catch 3 Pikachu. The silver medal requires a player to catch 50 Pikachu. The gold medal can be earned by players who catch a total of 300 Pikachu.