Technology

TikTok is trying to speed up its moderation process by removing human reviewers where its automated systems can do the job about as well. In the US and Canada, the company is going to start using automated reviewing systems to weed out videos with nudity, sex, violence, graphic content, illegal activities, and violations of its minor safety policy. If the system catches a video in those categories, it’ll be pulled right away, and the creator will be given the opportunity to appeal to a human moderator. Until now, TikTok has run all videos by human moderators in the US before pulling them, a spokesperson tells The Verge. The change is meant in part to limit the “volume of distressing videos” moderators are required to watch and give them more time to spend on trickier clips, like misinforma...

A future version of WhatsApp will give more control over the amount of compression it applies to sent images and videos. WABetaInfo reports that the two features are currently in development for the Android app, and should eventually present three quality options when sending images and video. The options are “Auto,” “Best quality,” or “Data saver.” If it releases in this form, it could let you force media to be more compressed if you’re worried about internet speeds or data caps, or lower the amount of compression to ensure images or video are sent in their highest possible quality. Currently, avoiding WhatsApp’s compression involves changing a file’s extension to send it as a document rather than an image or video (The Next Web has a guide on how to do so here). The in-development option...

The Pixel 5A 5G, Google’s midrange counterpart to last year’s Pixel 5, has been spotted in the FCC’s database, suggesting a release might not be far away. Android Police, which first saw the two listings, reports that none specifically mention the name “Pixel 5A” but that at least one of the three model numbers (GR0M2) lines up with previous reports about the barely announced phone. Android Police speculates that one of the models (G1F8F) is the version of the phone destined for release in the US based on its wireless frequency bands, but reports that this version doesn’t offer support for mmWave 5G networks. In contrast, the Pixel 4A 5G offered mmWave support when used with compatible carriers. The other two models could be the phone’s international versions. It’s expected to be powered b...

Square‘s hardware lead, Jesse Dorogusker officially announced this week that the company will make a physical wallet for Bitcoin. The move was confirmed by Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey via tweet, In order to make Bitcoin custody more mainstream, “we’ll continue to ask and answer questions in the open. This community’s response to our thread about this project has been awesome, encouraging, generous, collaborative, and inspiring,” said Dorogusker. Jack hinted at the project in June and has been a vocal supporter of Bitcoin in public appearances and on social media with “#bitcoin” on his Twitter bio. An official release date is yet to be announced. In the meantime, the Square Cash App currently supports the purchase and sale of Bitcoin. We’re doing it #Bitcoin https://t.co/IwbKuBoXGv —...

McMaster University and Canadian-based biotech firm Rapid Dose Therapeutics (RDT) are teaming up to develop an oral vaccine. The prototype edibles are similar to Listerine breath strips and dissolve in the recipient’s mouth in 11 seconds. The product is still in the early stages of development, but promising preclinical studies show the strips are effective at delivering proteins into the bloodstream to elicit an immune response. The oral strips remain stable and effective when stored significantly above room temperature at 40 Celsius, a significant improvement compared to current liquid vaccine vials which require storage at temperatures ranging from two to -80 Celsius. The shelf-stable, self-administered edible vaccines would eliminate the need for the dreaded jab and reduce logistical c...

As if an actively exploited critical flaw in the Windows Print Spooler that can allow someone to take over your computer remotely isn’t bad enough, some people who installed Microsoft’s security patch found out that the connection to their printer stopped working. In a near-repeat of a problem that occurred this spring with a different Windows 10 security update, system admins discovered that many PCs suddenly couldn’t connect to printers — most notably several models of Zebra label printers — after installing the KB5004945 patch. Microsoft has acknowledged the problem as a known issue that can be solved by rolling back the patch or reinstalling the printer as an administrator. In a statement to The Verge, Zebra acknowledged the problem and said Microsoft plans to release an updated patch ...

Apple plans to add a Mini LED screen to the 11-inch iPad Pro in 2022, following the introduction of the technology on this year’s 12.9-inch model, according to a research note by analyst Ming-chi Kuo. The note was reported on by AppleInsider and MacRumors. Apple released new versions of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro this year, both featuring M1 processors but only the larger model including a Mini LED display. Mini LED is a new screen technology that involves using thousands of tiny LEDs to create focused local dimming zones, allowing for better contrast and HDR performance. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has 2,500 local dimming zones. Kuo also says that Apple is planning to bring Mini LED screens to the MacBook line. 14-inch and 16-inch Mini LED models are reportedly going into production th...

TikTok user @ziggityler is calling out the social media platform for its unfair treatment towards people of color. Tyler recently shared a number of videos regarding his experience using the app’s Creator Marketplace, its self-dubbed “official platform for brand and creator collaborations.” In a series of screen recordings and demonstrations, Tyler showed TikTok audiences that he has consistently received an “inappropriate content” warning when he was using specific words and phrases in his bio. The videos show Tyler attempting to change his bio but words and phrases including “Black,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Black people,” “Black success” and “I am a Black man” appeared to be blocked on TikTok. Tyler continued to test the extent of the words that would trigger an “inappropriate content” wa...

Microsoft is handing out a $1,500 USD pandemic bonus to its employees. According to The Verge — which has seen an internal memo from the tech giant — the company is giving out this one-time bonus to its employees “in recognition of the unique and challenging fiscal year that Microsoft just completed.” The firm’s chief people officer Kathleen Hogan says that all employees below corporate vice president level are eligible as long as they were employed on or before March 31 of this year. The bonus will also apply to those working part-time or on hourly rates and will be available in the U.S. and all across the globe. With roughly 175,500 employees internationally, the company is expected to spend around $200 million USD on these bonuses. On top of the new handouts to employees, Microsoft...

The PS5 is a strange-looking console, and its curved edges can make it difficult to know exactly which way the console should sit when it’s laid down flat. In the significant majority of Sony’s marketing, when the console is shown on its side, the disc drive is on the bottom. But rather hilariously, it seems that even Sony can get confused about which way it’s supposed to go, as it released a video on its main Twitter account showing the console lying down with the disc drive on top (via Kotaku). The video has already been deleted, but thankfully, a Reddit user shared a screenshot of how the PS5 appeared in the ad, nestled into someone’s home entertainment system. The upside-down PS5 in Sony’s ad.Image via u/madhouse5625 on Reddit The embarrassing blunder hit shortly before Sony is set to ...

Qualcomm — the company behind the Snapdragon processors and modems that power almost every major Android smartphone — is making its own phone. Or rather, the company is partnering with Asus on a custom device officially called the “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders,” a $1,500 phone that’s designed to showcase the chip company’s technology. And, as the name suggests, Qualcomm will be selling the phone directly to members of its Snapdragon Insider fan community, which Qualcomm launched earlier this year. It’s an interesting idea, but unfortunately, the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders doesn’t look like it does anything different, when it comes to actually taking advantage of Qualcomm’s technology, than any other Android flagship — which is particularly disappointing given the $1,500 price...

Marvel Studios is practically synonymous with post-credit scenes, so it’s no surprise that Black Widow — the MCU’s first movie in almost two years — continues that tradition. Going all the way back to 2008’s Iron Man (teasing Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and “the Avengers Initiative,”) the post- and mid-credit tags have been used to set the table for the next movie in the Marvel machine. But Black Widow does something different, using its post-credit tag to tease not a future film, but an upcoming Disney Plus show. It’s the highest profile push toward the streaming service yet. Warning: gigantic spoilers ahead for Black Widow — and for Avengers: Endgame. Image: Marvel Studios What happens in Black Widow’s post-credit scene? Unlike the rest of Black Widow, which is set as a prequel of sort...