Social Networks

What's happening Misinformation on Twitter could be cut in half if the social network implemented a handful of stricter measures, a new study finds. Why it matters Misinformation has become a threat to public health, but it's unclear if social networks will take the steps needed to slow the spread on their platforms. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are rife with misinformation that can easily go viral. One study looked at millions of tweets and found that a handful of steps could be taken to slow the spread of false information on Twitter. Researchers with the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public found that combining multiple measures -- including deplatforming repeat misinformation offenders, removing false claims and warning people about posts that contain false information -- could reduce the volume of misinformation on Twitter by 53.4%. The study's findings were published in the journal Nature last week.  Using just one of those measures can slow down misinformation, but there are diminishing returns if taking only one step, said Jevin West, one of the co-authors of the paper and an associate professor at the University of Washington Information School. By combining multiple measures, there can be a significant…

Andrew Bogut won’t stop talking about Kendall Jenner following the news of her breakup with Suns star Devin Booker. The former NBA center, 37, took another jab at the supermodel on Twitter Tuesday in an “apology” tweet for his initial Jenner diss during last week’s 2022 NBA Draft. “I would like to formally apologize for this tweet,” Bogut wrote. “My scout take forgot to include the elite level of rebounding. I will do better in the future.” Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker together in Italy before their breakup.GC Images Andrew Bogut playing in Australia in 2020.Getty Images Bogut’s message Tuesday followed his initial post that read: “With the 2022 NBA draft completion yesterday, one big name has yet to find a home. Which team will snap up KendallJenner ?? Solid talent, versatile. ?? marks around team culture + habit of endless self promotion. Doctors will need to do medical as body has been banged up.” Jenner, 26, and Booker, 25, split after two years of dating, according to multiple reports last week. A source told Page Six that the model and three-time NBA All-Star are focused on their respective careers. The pair reunited in photos taken at SoHo House in Malibu…

Instagram now lets iOS users delete their account directly from within the app on their Apple devices. If you wanted to delete your Instagram account before, you had to do it from a desktop or mobile web browser. "We want to give people more ways to control their experience and time spent on Instagram," a spokesperson from Meta, Instagram's parent company, told CNET.Here's how to delete your account from within the iOS app.1. Open Instagram on your iOS device and log into your account.2. Tap your profile icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.3. Tap the hamburger icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen.4. Tap Settings. 5. Tap Account.6. Tap Delete account.7. The next screen will ask if you want to deactivate or delete your account with a warning that deactivating your account is temporary, but deleting it is permanent. Tap Delete account.Instagram warns users that deleting your account is permanent. Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET Instagram won't immediately delete your account, though. If you change your mind, you have 30 days to stop the deletion.Before, you could deactivate your account from the iOS app, but your data was still on Instagram's servers. Now, if you choose to delete your…

Photo: i_am_zews (Shutterstock)For the past few years, Black social media influencers and content creators have put social media companies on notice that they play a major role in what goes viral on their platforms and deserve to be recognized (and compensated) for their work. Since then, TikTok, YouTube and others have gone out of their way to launch programs designed to support and nurture creators of color. After all, a world without our dance videos, beauty tutorials and duets would not be a fun place to be.Now Snapchat is working with Google Pixel, UNCMMN, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Media to support the work of Black content creators through their Black Creator Accelerator program. The year-long program begins in November 2022 and will provide 25 Black content creators with a $10,000 per month stipend to support their efforts from idea to execution, personal mentorship, networking opportunities and access to workshops led by experts across Snapchat. Google Pixel will also provide brand new Quick Tap to Snap-enabled Pixel 7 Pro devices.Eligible applicants must be emerging content creators who are 18 years or older and self-identify as Black. They must also create positive content that aligns with Snapchat’s values of…

Will Middlebrooks is fed up with MLB’s umpiring, and the former Red Sox third baseman believes he knows a remedy.  In the wake of Doug Eddings missing a season-worst 29 ball/strike calls in a game between the White Sox and Blue Jays, Middlebrooks offered a proposal in hopes of preventing similar performances.  Will Middlebrooks argues with umpires during Game 3 of the 2013 World Series.MLB via Getty Images “The umpires, they’re protected by their union,” Middlebrooks said on his “Wake and Rake” podcast. “They don’t have to answer to anybody. There’s zero accountability. If baseball players suck, they get sent to Triple-A. (Eddings) gets absolutely nothing. Doesn’t even have to answer to media — nobody — about how bad he sucked. That’s a problem. That’s not going to help them be better because it doesn’t matter. There’s no incentive to get better.  “… Give the best umpires more money. Give the best umpires more opportunities. Then, maybe guys will try to be better and not be so lackadaisical. It is a very hard job, but why does everyone else in the world have access to see if it’s a ball or a strike except for the one guy who needs…

Twitch wants to make it easier for creators to pull guests into their livestreams, talk show-style — and everybody gets to be a creator. The company is announcing Guest Star, a new feature that will tie into existing streaming software, allowing stream hosts to bring up to five guests into a stream and swap them in and out fluidly. Through Guest Star, streamers will be able to invite anyone with a Twitch account to hop into a stream from desktop or the Twitch mobile app. Creators can host and manage their guests directly within Twitch Studio or OBS, the tool of choice for many of the app’s more advanced streamers. The feature will launch first to a small, invite-only cluster of Twitch users who are already active in the Just Chatting scene — the booming Twitch category where streamers casually hang out rather than focus on games. By fall, streamers who want to try Guest Star will be able to sign up for a beta and will be granted access on an ongoing basis. Later this year, Guest Star will open up to all Twitch users. The company foresees its community using Guest Star for formats like game shows, advice…

A massive upset brews in Davis! June 30, 2022 by Aidan Shapiro-Leighton in Video with comments Wrapping up our Universe Point coverage of college regionals is a barn burner hailing from Davis, CA. UC Santa Cruz and UC Los Angeles both lost in the 1st place semifinals to drop into the backdoor bracket, and now they meet in the 2nd place semifinal. With a strong performance on the national stage at Smoky Mountain Invite, UCLA showed they can be the real deal this year. But the Banana Slugs didn’t budge in this one; tightly played throughout, the Santa Cruz starts the point on offense with one goal left to make the game-to-go to nationals on Universe Point! Universe Point: UCSC vs. UCLA | Men’s 2nd Place Semifinal To watch the rest of our club games in full, check out our subscription options! Aidan Shapiro-Leighton Aidan Shapiro-Leighton is the Director of Video for Ultiworld, managing live streaming, post-produced editing, documentary shorts, and anything else that comes up for the video team. He played for Harvard Redline, Cleveland Smokestack, and Auckland Hive and now resides in New York. You can reach him via email (aidan@ultiworld.com) or on Twitter (@arashap69). TAGGED: USAU College D-I…

Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Learn more. Twitch announced the latest feature for its livestreamers, called Guest Star. This will allow streamers to invite others, both fellow content creators and audience members, into their stream as guests. They can invite up to five guests. It will roll out for a small group of users at first, and then come to all users later this year. Guest Star is a feature, integrated in OBS and Twitch Studio, that allows users to invite guests onto their stream. Streamers can do that now, of course, but usually require a third-party software like Discord. When a person is invited on, they are in a “backstage” area where they and the creator can set up for the event. It works on both desktop and mobile. Be our guest I got to see Guest Star in a short demo. From what I could tell, it looked almost like a game show or a talk show in action. Streamers can pop in and out of each others streams, as can other guests if the host streamer opens…

Twitch has announced a new feature for creators who want to include other streamers and even viewers on their broadcasts. Up to five guests can join a stream through Guest Star, which works on both desktop and mobile. If a viewer wants to take part in the discussion or ask a question, they can raise a virtual hand and the creator or a moderator may invite them on. This seems to work in a similar fashion to Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. While the feature is akin to Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Spotify Live, Discord Stage Channels et al, Twitch can set itself apart from those services. Guest Star supports live video as well as audio — this is Twitch, after all. The platform says Guest Star is easy for both newcomers and experienced streamers to use and it works with software like OBS and Twitch Studio. However, streamers won't need to use a third-party app to host a broadcast with other participants.  » Read More

We told you we're back, and we're still working on it - but it's time for you to see what we've been up to. It's still early, but we want to get ...