Month: April 2021

Just say no: negativity is secret of political tweet success, study finds

Want to go viral on Twitter? Steer clear of positive terms, Spanish researchers say You’ve treated your Twitter followers to a pithy 280-character comment about the government’s latest gaffe – but what gives your tweet the fuel to spread like wildfire? It’s how negative the tweet is, say researchers, that raises its chances of going …

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Facebook users to get ‘independent’ appeal hearings against posts

Oversight Board braced for onslaught of cases concerning issues including blasphemy and hate speech Facebook users can now appeal to the company’s quasi-independent Oversight Board to get bad posts removed, the body has announced, in a large expansion of its role just three months after it issued its first findings. From Tuesday, the Board, which …

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Value of cryptocurrency bitcoin climbs 5% to record high of $63,000

Several digital currencies surge a day before launch of Coinbase trading platform on Wall Street The value of the cryptocurrency bitcoin has surged to a record high, reaching $63,000 (£45,800). The cryptocurrency, which has risen in value by 450% in the last six months, continued to climb by a further 5% during trading on Tuesday. …

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Auggie review – watchable hi-tech satire doesn’t quite know what to say

Richard Kind is compelling as the retiree seduced by a VR ‘companion’, but the film fails to do much with its rather familiar premise The face of American character actor Richard Kind – melancholy, hangdog, a little dyspeptic – is exactly right for this high-concept midlife satire from director and co-writer Matt Kane. It’s a …

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Facebook knew of Honduran president’s manipulation campaign – and let it continue for 11 months

Juan Orlando Hernández falsely inflated his posts’ popularity for nearly a year after the company was informed about it Facebook allowed the president of Honduras to artificially inflate the appearance of popularity on his posts for nearly a year after the company was first alerted to the activity. The astroturfing – the digital equivalent of …

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‘Facebook isn’t interested in countries like ours’: Azerbaijan troll network returns months after ban

State-backed harassment campaign targets journalists and dissidents in authoritarian country Facebook has allowed a state-backed harassment campaign targeting independent news outlets and opposition politicians in Azerbaijan to return to its platform, less than six months after it banned the troll network. A Guardian investigation has revealed how Facebook allowed an arm of Azerbaijan’s ruling party, …

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Tinder’s plan for criminal record checks raises fears of ‘lifelong punishment’

Critics argue the new integration could mimic notoriously faulty background checks without necessarily making dating apps safer When Jerrel Gantt was released from prison after three years, he was handed a pamphlet about healthcare and nothing else. He began searching for employment, a deep source of anxiety for him, and secured housing through a ministry …

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Sonos Roam review: the portable speaker you’ll want to use at home too

Cheaper wifi speaker has Bluetooth plus Google or Alexa for great indoor and outdoor music Sonos’s new smaller and cheaper Roam portable speaker is one that won’t end up relegated to a drawer collecting dust as it sounds great at home too. The £159 Roam joins the much bigger and heavier £399 Move as the …

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