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Mark Zuckerberg Emails His Myanmar Critics Directly, They Publicly Blast Back

Mark Zuckerberg took the unusual step of personally writing to critics upset at the way he characterized Facebook’s response to the ongoing civil strife in Myanmar. Zuckerberg apologized for not acknowledging the importance that activist groups had played in stemming the circulation of harmful messages in Myanmar. The groups wasted no time issuing a letter … Continued

Tech NewsFacebook

Facebook’s Largest Black Lives Matter Page Was Allegedly an Australian Scam

What appeared to be the biggest “Black Lives Matter” page on Facebook was actually “a scam with ties to a middle-aged white man in Australia,” CNN Tech reported on Monday, and it managed to raise over $100,000 while sending some of that money to Australian bank accounts. Just as troubling, CNN reported that Facebook initially … Continued

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Some Racist Weirdo Is Putting Neo-Nazi Propaganda Into Boxes of Diapers at Target [Update: They Caught Him]

Awful people who have yet to be identified are allegedly slipping white supremacist propaganda in the form of “IT’S OKAY TO BE WHITE” cards into packages of diapers sold by Target. [See update below.] The Anti-Defamation League first received reports of the cards making their way into boxes of diapers opened by customers in DC … Continued

Tech NewsFacebook

Here’s a Bingo Card to Play While Mark Zuckerberg Spews Bullshit on Capitol Hill

On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg will make the first of his back-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill. He’s reportedly been getting lots of coaching from normal humans, so we can expect a lot of canned answers pulled from Facebook’s greatest hits. To help you navigate the proceedings we’ve gamified the experience. Collected below you’ll find likely predictions, … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Feds Praise Backpage Takedown as Sex Workers Fear for Their Lives

Justice Department officials on Monday praised the actions of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies seizing Backpage.com, the popular classifieds website long accused of enabling sex traffickers and profiting off criminalized sex work. Sex worker rights advocates, meanwhile, say the loss of Backpage and the US government’s other efforts to shutter similar sites is … Continued

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Oregon Governor Signs Net Neutrality Bill Alongside the Middle Schoolers Who Fought for Its Passage

In February, three middle school students helped push a statewide net neutrality bill. Today, Gov. Kate Brown is headed to the girls’ middle school in Portland, where she will sign the bill into law. “It’s an honor for the Governor to come to our school and sign a bill that’s so important to the three … Continued

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Advocacy Groups Say YouTube Is Illegally Collecting Data From Children

23 privacy and children’s advocacy groups filed a Federal Trade Commission complaint against YouTube, alleging the platform illegally collects data from children. The groups, led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), allege YouTube is violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting data from children under 13 without parents’ permission. “It’s just … Continued

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Uber Wants to Be Your New Bicycle

Uber announced today that it’s acquiring Jump, a dockless bike-sharing service that recently launched a small fleet of bikes in San Francisco. Jump had previously partnered with Uber on a pilot program that allowed Uber users to book electric bicycles through its app. That partnership appears to have paid off—although terms of the acquisition were … Continued

Tech NewsGadgets

Leap Motion’s New AR Headset All But Guarantees Your Public Humiliation

Leap Motion, the company behind the weird gesture-tracking controller for PC and VR, is showing off some pretty interesting tech in the form of an AR headset reference design. Whether or not you’ll be able to get your hands on the concept, which incorporates the company’s gesture control hardware, is another story. After all, it’s … Continued

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Researchers Unearth New Malware Designed to Make ATMs Spew Out Cash

Researchers have recently discovered new kind of “jackpotting” malware—the sole purpose of which is forcing ATMs to spit out huge volumes of cash. According to Netskope, a California-based software company, the malware appears to share some functional similarities with ATM Ripper, a variant thought to be responsible for a slew of ATM heists last year … Continued

Tech NewsFacebook

Here’s Mark Zuckerberg’s Written Testimony for Congress

Mark Zuckerberg is ready to apologize. In written testimony submitted prior to his congressional appearances this week, the Facebook CEO issued a sweeping apology for his company’s blunders on election interference, privacy, and fake news. He called the social media platform an “idealistic and optimistic company,” noting that attitude contributed to Facebook missing the signs … Continued

Tech NewsSploid

Musk’s Flamethrower Looks Like a Toddler’s Toy Next to This Jet-Powered Fire Tornado Cannon

If you weren’t able to scrape together $500 to buy Elon Musk’s fund-raising flamethrower, YouTube’s Jairus of All has a cheaper, DIY alternative that instead spews a massive spinning tornado of fire using a pair of ducted fans and a tank of liquid propane worn as a backpack. Jairus’ cannon has a wonderful ‘banned science … Continued

Tech NewsFacebook

Facebook Is About to Give ‘Privacy-Protected Data’ to Election Researchers

On Monday, Facebook announced a new initiative that aims to help the company better understand how it influences elections and democracy at large. Thing is, it will involve Facebook handing over user data to independent researchers—but in a good way this time, promise. In their announcement blog, Facebook’s vice president of communications and public policy, … Continued

Tech NewsGadgets

Finally, a Chrome Tablet Worth Getting Excited About

Companies keep trying to make tablets for education happen. Two weeks ago, Acer announced the $329 Chromebook Tab 10, a confusingly named slate running Chrome OS that was designed with students and teachers in mind. Then Apple followed that up with a revamped iPad featuring some new education apps and Apple Pencil support. But to … Continued

Tech NewsFakes

That Viral Photo of Our Big Lumpy President Is Actually Photoshopped

Have you seen this photo of President Donald Trump bursting out of his jacket? The US president is a large man, but he’s not quite that lumpy. The photo has been photoshopped. The original photo, which you can see below, was taken by Tom Brenner for the New York Times. It shows President Trump arriving … Continued

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88,000-Year-Old Middle Finger Found in Saudi Arabia Could Rewrite Human History

It’s just a lone, boney middle finger, but the scientists who found it say it’s the oldest directly dated fossil of our species to ever be found outside of Africa and the Levant, a region that today comprises Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. But the new discovery is not without its critics, who say older … Continued

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Steve Wozniak Dumps Facebook: ‘It’s Brought Me More Negatives Than Positives’ [UPDATED]

Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify before Congress this week as his apology tour rolls on, but the Facebook CEO’s newfound humility has done little stem the flood of criticism hitting his company. The latest high-profile critic to jump into the fray is Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. It’s been about three weeks since the Cambridge … Continued

Tech NewsGadgets

10 Hidden URLs to Help You Rule the Web

You’re probably used to bookmarking your favorite sites for easy access, but the web goes much deeper than the top domains you’re familiar with—from your social networks to your email box, having the right URL to hand can enable you to jump right into the page, feature, setting, or search you need. Here are 10 … Continued

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Facebook’s Mess, Intel’s Hot New Thing, and Animal Farts: The Best Gizmodo Stories You May Have Missed

You know the first week of April 2018 was a weird one when it began with a horrific shooting at YouTube’s headquarters and ended with President Donald Trump’s New York City skyscraper catching fire, tragically killing one person, and somehow Facebook’s ongoing screw-up continued to top the headlines. It’s enough to make anyone want to … Continued

Tech NewsFacebook

How to Find Out If Your Facebook Data Was Stolen by Cambridge Analytica

Roughly 87 million people had their Facebook data stolen by the political research firm Cambridge Analytica. And starting today, Facebook will finally notify the people who had their information scooped up. About 70 million are in the US, while the rest are primarily in the UK, Indonesia, and the Philippines. How can you find out … Continued