Facebook urged to give users greater control over what they see

Academics at the universities of Oxford and Stanford think Facebook should give users greater transparency and control over the content they see on its platform.

They also believe the social networking giant should radically reform its governance structures and processes to throw more light on content decisions, including by looping in more external experts to steer policy.

Such changes are needed to address widespread concerns about Facebook’s impact on democracy and on free speech,...

Netflix admits to using real footage of train derailment that killed 47 for a scene in 'Bird Box'

Netflix's Bird Box is inciting new outrage among viewers—and this time it has nothing to do with that dangerous viral challenge. 

The company has confirmed to Mashable that footage used in one of the film's disaster scenes depicts the very real aftermath of a 2013 train derailment in Quebec, which resulted in a widespread fire that killed 47 people and destroyed much of the surrounding town of Lac-Mégantic. 

The clip appears early in the film, as Malorie (Sandra Bullock) flips through...

Mariah Carey continues to be an absolute icon with her 10-year challenge

Mariah Carey does not allow herself to age. 

She recently posted her take on the 10-year challenge, which has people comparing photos of themselves from 2009 and 2019. 

SEE ALSO: There's no shame in using the 10 year challenge to show off

"I don't get this 10-year challenge, time is not something I acknowledge," she tweeted, along with two of the same bomb photos side by side. 

I don't get this 10 year challenge, time is not something I acknowledge. ??????? *Picture taken at some point...

Ford’s iconic F-Series trucks are going electric

Ford’s legendary and popular F-Series pickup line will soon have electric options, the company announced today. The move is intended to “future-proof” the enormous truck business against rising gas prices and regulations favoring electric vehicles over internal combustion.

Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, announced the news at a press conference in Detroit. As reported in the Detroit Free Press, he specified that there will be both pure/battery electric and hybrid...

Google raises its G Suite prices

Google today announced that it is raising the price of its G Suite subscriptions for the first time. In the U.S., the prices of G Suite Basic and G Suite Business editions will increase by $1 and $2 per user/month, respectively, while increases in other regions will be adjusted according to the local currency and market. G Suite Enterprise pricing will remain the same.

The new pricing will go into effect on April 2; those on annual plans will pay the new price when their contract renews...

Court offices only have enough funds to remain operational until January 25. Here are some other key dates to note as the shutdown drags on.

Trustee: MSU's Engler to resign amid backlash

John Engler, whose term as the interim president of Michigan State University was a source of controversy from the outset, will resign after his comments about survivors of sexual abuse.

Warriors' Plan A: Re-sign Durant. But what's Plan B?

Plan A would be to re-sign Kevin Durant, but what is the Warriors' backup plan if Durant walks in free agency this summer?

The best shooter ever: Steph Curry is still completely unfair

You're not supposed to be able to score from these spots.

Ninth Circuit court: Domino’s pizza website is bound by ADA

The Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court ruling, saying litigation could proceed to determine whether Domino’s website complies with ADA requirements for blind people.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that Domino’s website, used to order food for pickup and delivery, is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Read Full Story

Democrats Fall Short in Effort to Rebuke Administration on Russia Sanctions

A measure that would have forced President Trump to leave sanctions in place on a Russian oligarch’s companies fell three votes short in the Senate.

The U.S. Withdrawal From Syria: Here's the Latest

If anyone had any illusions about just how complicated a U.S. withdrawal from Syria might be, they were unlikely to retain them after the latest bad news out of the war-torn country.

Yandex's Self-Driving CES Demo Comes Without a Human Backup

The "Google of Russia" showed up in Vegas with a bold and daring demonstration of what a Moscow-trained robot Moscow can do.

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

Despite the backlash, the fact that the Gillette ad exists at all is an undeniable sign of progress.

Apple reportedly plans to slow down hiring after weak iPhone sales

Apple will slow down its hiring in some divisions after holiday iPhone sales came in lower than expected, according to a report from Bloomberg. That’s not quite as severe as a full-blown hiring freeze and far from layoffs. But it does indicate the company that was, just six months ago, valued at over a trillion dollars is entering a period of financial uncertainty, as the success of the iPhone has begun to visibly falter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook disclosed the hiring slowdown to employees in a...

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is going to teach Democrats how to be more popular on Twitter

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made a stir on the campaign trail for her effective use of social media, and tomorrow she’ll be sharing her knowledge with her fellow Democrats, according to USA Today.

Ocasio-Cortez will be leading a session with the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Thursday “on the most effective ways to engage constituents on Twitter and the importance of digital storytelling.” Her colleague, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) will be sharing his insights...

Rescue cow loves to get his back scratched by a rake

It's 2019 and even cows are hopping on the self-care train.

One hefty Pennsylvania cow, Babe, needs more than a helping hand when it comes to his daily routine. Thankfully, someone from his new farm sanctuary recognized this and used a rake to give him a good scratch. 

Watch as Babe rakes in the benefits of a massage. Read more...

No, you can’t hide a security camera in your Airbnb rental photos and call that 'disclosure'

One person’s recent experience at an Airbnb has the company apologizing and clarifying its rules on surveillance devices.

Airbnb recently dismissed a privacy concern from one if its users when he discovered security cameras inside his Airbnb rental. The cameras were not mentioned in the Airbnb listing, as required by the company’s rules. After the user went public with his ordeal, Airbnb refunded the user, banned the host, and clarified that the listing did indeed break Airbnb...

'1000 People of Dance' video captures humanity at its best

You ever watch something that makes you believe that maybe, just maybe, humanity isn't a giant dumpster fire of awfulness? 

Inspired by those videos where people take pictures of themselves every day for a year, YouTuber Matt Bray created his own joyful series focused on dancing.

The project started with Bray dancing — by himself over 100 days in 2014, then in 100 different places in 2015, then with 100 different people in 2016. For his latest, Bray spent a year and a half traveling...

Resolute Ventures sticks to its knitting with $75 million fourth fund

Resolute Ventures, an early-stage firm with offices in San Francisco and Boston, just closed its fourth fund with $75 million.

It’s an almost shockingly conservative amount of capital in today’s era of big-is-better funds. And with valuable companies like the real estate startup OpenDoor, the applicant tracking system company Greenhouse, and the dog products company BarkBox in its portfolio, one imagines that seven-year-old Resolute could have raised more.

It didn’t want to do that,...