Twitter cuts off API access to follow/unfollow spam dealers

Notification spam ruins social networks, diluting the real human interaction. Desperate to gain an audience, users pay services to rapidly follow and unfollow tons of people in hopes that some will follow them back. The services can either automate this process or provide tools for users to generate this spam themselves, Earlier this month, a TechCrunch investigation found over two dozen follow-spam companies were paying Instagram to run ads for...

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Why You Should Be Like a Banana During Polar Vortex, According to a Meteorologist

As the Midwest deals with a record-breaking deep freeze, forecasters have repeatedly warned that the frigid weather could be life-threatening. Experts have urged people stay indoors as  even a short time in the […] The post Why You Should Be Like a Banana During Polar Vortex, According to a Meteorologist appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2UqF7ia via IFT...

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Microsoft’s Touching Super Bowl Ad Unveils Xbox Adaptive Controller Designed for All Gamers

Microsoft is back after a four-year break from Super Bowl commercials: This year, the company’s ad will focus on its Xbox Adaptive Controller and gaming accessibility. On Thursday, Microsoft posted its 2019 Super […] The post Microsoft’s Touching Super Bowl Ad Unveils Xbox Adaptive Controller Designed for All Gamers appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2DM4e9H via IFT...

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Why Are Pigeons So Good at Surviving in Cities?

Take a walk in almost any urban city in the world, and you’re likely to encounter a pigeon — or 10. They zoom down streets between high rise buildings; they coo at you […] The post Why Are Pigeons So Good at Surviving in Cities? appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2CWJDOo via IFT...

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Facebook just removed a new wave of suspicious activity linked to Iran

Facebook just announced its latest round of “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” this time out of Iran. The company took down 262 Pages, 356 accounts, three Facebook groups and 162 Instagram accounts that exhibited “malicious-looking indicators” and patterns that identify it as potentially state-sponsored or otherwise deceptive and coordinated activity. As Facebook Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher noted in a press call, Facebook coordinated...

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Everything You Need to Know About the Nintendo Switch

Our review of Nintendo Switch! News, videos, and hands-on impressions of Nintendo’s handheld/console hybrid. The post Everything You Need to Know About the Nintendo Switch appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2jaaTNq via IFT...

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Tom Hanks, Tim Allen Get Emotional Recording Final Lines for ‘Toy Story 4’

Toy Story 4’s cast just finished their final recording session and it was a very emotional moment for all involved. On Wednesday, Toy Story 4 actors, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Tony […] The post Tom Hanks, Tim Allen Get Emotional Recording Final Lines for ‘Toy Story 4’ appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2sWs1NQ via IFT...

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Hidden Camera Captures Rare Footage of Siberian Tiger Cubs at Play

Here’s your dose of cute for the day. Officials at a nature reserve in Russia has released rare footage of endangered Siberian tiger cubs — believed to be 3- to 4-months old — […] The post Hidden Camera Captures Rare Footage of Siberian Tiger Cubs at Play appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2SjH42r via IFT...

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Facebook users who quit the social network for a month feel happier

New research out of Stanford and New York University took a look at what happens when people step back from Facebook for a month. Through Facebook, the research team recruited 2,488 people who averaged an hour of Facebook use each day. After assessing their “willingness to accept” the idea of deactivating their account for a month, the study assigned eligible participants to an experimental category that would deactivate their accounts or a control...

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Digital influencers and the dollars that follow them

Sunny Dhillon Contributor Sunny Dhillon is a partner at Signia Venture Partners. More posts by this contributor Security tokens will be coming soon to an exchange near you Amazon’s next conquest will be apparel Animated characters are as old as human storytelling itself, dating back thousands of years to cave drawings that depict animals in motion. It was really in the last century, however — a period bookended by the first animated short...

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Play These Nintendo Switch Games In 2019

It’s new year so you know what that means. It’s time for a new list of Nintendo Switch games to check out. We’re not talking about the big games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or […] The post Play These Nintendo Switch Games In 2019 appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2DpC57Y via IFT...

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Engineers Built a Self-Aware Robot That Operates on Its Own

Self-awareness is important for survival, however, some AI devices today are still struggling with the concept. Despite this challenge, engineers have built a robot that can imagine itself, operate on its own, and […] The post Engineers Built a Self-Aware Robot That Operates on Its Own appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2Gj4FKr via IFT...

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Here’s Everything Coming to Amazon Prime Video in February 2019

The best thing about February’s frigid temperatures? Staying home and inge-watching movies and TV shows, of course. Both Netflix and Hulu have must-watch lineups for the month,  but Amazon Prime Video also has […] The post Here’s Everything Coming to Amazon Prime Video in February 2019 appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2CVjj7b via IFT...

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Wait A Little Longer For ‘Mario Kart Tour’ On Mobile

The Switch may be doing well for Nintendo, experiencing record-breaking sales on the strength of games like Pokemon Let’s Go and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but it isn’t the only platform Nintendo puts its games […] The post Wait A Little Longer For ‘Mario Kart Tour’ On Mobile appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2UpZEU2 via IFT...

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Leaked TikTok ad deck suggests it has 17M+ MAUs in Europe

An advertising pitch deck used by fast-growing short form video sharing app TikTok has leaked, providing a snapshot of usage in its biggest markets in Europe. The pitch deck was obtained by Digiday which says it was sent to a large (unnamed) European ad agency. Metrics and gender breakdowns for the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy are included in the deck. The slides are dated November 2018. Germany and France come out as the top...

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‘The Batman’ Will Hit the Big Screen in 2021 Without Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck will not be Gotham City’s superhero in the upcoming The Batman movie. Affleck, who played Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League, won’t star in […] The post ‘The Batman’ Will Hit the Big Screen in 2021 Without Ben Affleck appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2HEK5WP via IFT...

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‘Riverdale’ Season 3, Episode 11 Recap: Jug Knows How to Whistle, Doesn’t He?

Hey film studies majors and noir aficionados, this Riverdale was written specifically for you. With Tall Boy dead and F.P. Jones the new sheriff, Jughead’s having a harder time than usual explaining away the accidental […] The post ‘Riverdale’ Season 3, Episode 11 Recap: Jug Knows How to Whistle, Doesn’t He? appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2RYKTuA via IFT...

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Google 3D Prints Ancient Artifacts For Digital Display

Google Arts and Culture, in partnership with Stratasys, is raising awareness and accessibility of ancient history through additive manufacturing. The pair are using 3D printing to re-imagine some of the world’s most cherished […] The post Google 3D Prints Ancient Artifacts For Digital Display appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2DMqtME via IFT...

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Social media should have “duty of care” towards kids, UK MPs urge

Social media platforms are being urged to be far more transparent about how their services operate and to make “anonymised high-level data” available to researchers so the technology’s effects on users — and especially on children and teens — can be better understood. The calls have been made in a report by the UK parliament’s Science and Technology Committee which has been looking into the impacts of social media and screen use among children —...

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Scientists Hope Artificial Skin Can Help Burn Victims ‘Feel’

Artificial skin that could allow for superhuman perception is in development in the US and Canada. Unless you’re touching a hot stove or holding a cold snowball, it’s easy to take for granted […] The post Scientists Hope Artificial Skin Can Help Burn Victims ‘Feel’ appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2S01Wwn via IFT...

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The Polar Vortex As Seen From Space

While folks in the Midwest and Northern Plains pull on yet another blanket, NASA is keeping an eye on the country from its orbiting satellites. You’ve probably heard by now that a polar […] The post The Polar Vortex As Seen From Space appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2Wzj4rc via IFT...

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Report: US Flooded With Robocalls in 2018

A whopping 26.3 billion robocalls were made in the US last year, according to a new report from Hiya. Up 46 percent over 2017’s total of 18 billion, the number averages out to […] The post Report: US Flooded With Robocalls in 2018 appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2BdY0O0 via IFT...

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Learn How to Build 25 Different Websites From Home for Only $12

Wish you knew how to develop a website from scratch? It’s actually not that difficult to learn — especially when you enroll in The Complete Web Developer Course — offered to readers of […] The post Learn How to Build 25 Different Websites From Home for Only $12 appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2HHO7xW via IFT...

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This App Lets You Download Anything From the Web Directly to the Cloud

Get easy access to all kinds of files including audio, videos, and even newsgroups from virtually every corner of the web with Offcloud. Enjoy a lifetime subscription now and pay only $49.99 — […] The post This App Lets You Download Anything From the Web Directly to the Cloud appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2HHvSIW via IFT...

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Facebook plans new products as Instagram Stories hits 500M users/day

Roughly half of Instagram’s users 1 billion users now use Instagram Stories every day. That 500 million daily user count is up from 400 million in June 2018. 2 million advertiseres are now buying Stories ads across Facebook’s properties. CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Stories the last big game-changing feature from Facebook, but after concentrating on security last year, it plans to ship more products that make “major improvements” in people’s lives. During...

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Facebook shares shoot up after strong Q4 earnings despite data breach

Facebook managed to beat Wall Street’s estimates in its Q4 earnings amidst a constant beat down in the press. Facebook hit 2.32 billion monthly users, up 2.2 perecent from 2.27 billion last quarter, speeding up its growth rate. Facebook climbed to 1.52 billion daily active users from 1.49 billion last quarter for a 2 percent growth rate that dwarfed last quarter’s 1.36 percent. Facebook earned $16.91 billion off all those users with a $2.38 GAAP...

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Little Blue Penguins Stolen in ‘Late-Night Raid’ in New Zealand

A group of little blue penguins are missing after thieves broke into their nest in Napier, New Zealand. On Wednesday, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) reported a potential bird smuggling, and said […] The post Little Blue Penguins Stolen in ‘Late-Night Raid’ in New Zealand appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2Sfk70f via IFT...

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Google+ for consumers will shut down on April 2nd

It’s no secret that Google planned to pull life support from the consumer version of Google+, its failure of a social network, in April. Until now, though, we didn’t know the exact date. That date, Google announced today, is April 2. On that date, Google will start deleting all content, including Google+ pages, photos and videos, and everything else on the site. If you were one of the last few Google+ users — or you just feel nostalgic about the...

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MIT Robot Learned to Play Jenga Through Vision and Touch (Just Like a Human)

Need a new player for game night? MIT engineers have developed a robot that combines both vision and touch to learn Jenga, a game in which blocks must be removed from a tower and […] The post MIT Robot Learned to Play Jenga Through Vision and Touch (Just Like a Human) appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2CXjEGB via IFT...

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Woman Turns Her AirPods Into Cool Earrings So They Won’t Get Lost

A Twitter user’s creative hack is taking over the internet: Meet Gabriella Reilly, a 22-year-old paralegal who turned her AirPods into chic earrings because she didn’t want to lose them. On Saturday, Reilly […] The post Woman Turns Her AirPods Into Cool Earrings So They Won’t Get Lost appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2Bf6btv via IFT...

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It’s So Cold in Chicago, They’re Setting Tracks on Fire to Keep Trains Moving

You may have heard: It’s miserably cold in the Midwest right now. The polar vortex is blasting cities with record-breaking cold, causing canceled flights, school closings, and dangerous conditions around the region. In Chicago, […] The post It’s So Cold in Chicago, They’re Setting Tracks on Fire to Keep Trains Moving appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2FZ5qJ2 via IFT...

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Senator Warner calls on Zuckerberg to support market research consent rules

In response to TechCrunch’s investigation of Facebook paying teens and adults to install a VPN that lets it analyze all their phone’s traffic, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) has sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg. It admonishes Facebook for not spelling out exactly what data the Facebook Research app was collecting or giving users adequate information necessary to determine if they should accept payment in exchange for selling their privacy. Following...

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KFC’s Loaded Cheetos Sandwich Is Here to Sabotage Healthy Diets

On the post-New Year’s diet? KFC’s new Cheetos sandwich is a “hot mess” that will crash your healthy eating progress. On Tuesday, fast-food company KFC rolled out a limited-edition chicken sandwich with the […] The post KFC’s Loaded Cheetos Sandwich Is Here to Sabotage Healthy Diets appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2sXSomu via IFT...

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Battle Between Steam and Epic Games Store Gets Bloody Over ‘Metro Exodus’

Last year when Epic revealed the Epic Games Store, a PC video game marketplace designed to give the Steam monopoly the first real fight of its life, we thought things would get ugly. […] The post Battle Between Steam and Epic Games Store Gets Bloody Over ‘Metro Exodus’ appeared first on Geek.com. from Geek.com http://bit.ly/2G27TT4 via IFT...

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