Tag Archives: Facebook

Facebook is ‘addictive, bad for us,’ says Salesforce CEO

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has taken aim at Facebook, saying the social media giant must be held accountable for information posted on its site. Benioff was responding to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement Wednesday that he’ll be making a speech Thursday at 10 a.m. PT about his views on free expression.  “Facebook is a publisher. …

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Pixel 4, Pixel Buds, Nest Mini: Google wants its software in every part of your life

Google on Tuesday unveiled a spate of highly anticipated new devices, including its flagship Pixel 4 phone, Pixel Buds to compete with Apple’s Airpods, and a new version of the Google Home Mini speaker, renamed the Nest Mini. But if you really want to understand Google’s goals when it comes to consumer hardware, one of the company’s less-celebrated products, a …

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Say goodbye to Google’s Daydream VR experiment

What began as a way for Google to compete against Facebook’s high profile Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, Sony’s PlayStation VR and Samsung’s Gear VR came to an end Tuesday, when the search giant admitted its Daydream VR program wasn’t popular among consumers and would be ending. Google’s original vision for Daydream was to let people take high-end phones like …

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Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency loses support of five founding members

Libra, Facebook’s ambitious but controversial cryptocurrency project, took a hit on Friday as five founding members of the association backing the global coin dropped out. Online marketplace eBay, payments provider Stripe and financial services giants Visa and Mastercard all said they’re no longer participating in the Libra Association, the nonprofit overseeing the project. Mercado Libre’s online payments platform Mercado Pago …

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responds to report he’s been meeting with conservatives

Mark Zuckerberg said on Monday he meets with lots of people because that’s “part of learning,” a comment prompted by a report detailing a series of quiet meetings the Facebook boss has had with conservative figures in the US over the summer. The meetings, in the form of small, off-record dinners at his homes since July, have included conservative talkshow hosts, journalists and …

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Facebook and partners move forward with Libra cryptocurrency after string of exits

Facebook’s effort to launch a new cryptocurrency called Libra has faced numerous setbacks from regulatory scrutiny to an exodus of key partners.  But the social media giant and its partners signaled on Monday they’re still planning to move forward with plans to launch the new digital currency in 2020. Twenty one organizations, including Facebook, formally joined the Libra Association, which …

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How marketers use social media FOMO to sell you things, and how you can keep your money

FOMO, or the “fear of missing out” only came into the popular lexicon in recent years, but it’s always been a part of our culture. You could feel like you’ve been ostracized if you can’t go to an event with friends, and know you’ll see them posting about the fun they’re having without you on social media later. Or you …

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The midrange Moto Z3 Play is on sale for an entry

When it was released just over a year ago, the Motorola Moto Z3 Play had a $499 list price. Sure, that included a battery pack, one of various Moto Mods that would magnetically snap onto the backside to enhance the phone’s capabilities, but many still felt it was overpriced. Okay, how about this price: For a limited time, Motorola is …

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This deepfake shows an impressionist taking on 20 celebrities, convincingly

Actor Jim Meskimen has released a video on YouTube giving a “deeper” look at his skills as an impressionist. The voice work is all his, but thanks to deepfake software, he also takes on the facial features of 20 celebrities — and becomes recognizably those people. Deepfakes, video forgeries that make people appear to be doing or saying things they …

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Get this refurbished Vizio Dolby Atmos soundbar for $239

There’s upgrading your TV room and then there’s upgrading your TV room. The former involves an inexpensive soundbar that takes the audio onus off your TV’s terrible speakers. The latter: a 5.1-channel audio system with a subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support. (For those unfamiliar with it, here’s why Dolby Atmos is cool.) Wait a second, though: Doesn’t that feature cost …

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