Instagram battles Twitter with updated Explore and Search features
One of the defining features of Twitter is trending topics. It's easy to catch up on what's hot right now, and it's something that Instagram is borrowing in its latest update. The millions of users of the photo service now have access to a new Explore page that includes not only a trending component that highlights events and topics that people are posting about, but also trending tags and places.
These new options make it easier to home in on content of interest, and changes have also been made to Search. You have the option to search Places, Tags, and People separately, or you can use the Top section to search all at once.
Free, ad-supported Google Play Music takes on Apple Music
Not willing to be upstaged by Apple Music, Google is launching a free version of its Google Play Music service. To make money, the free version of the service will be supported by advertisements -- forget free trials and the prospect of upsetting artists such as Taylor Swift.
The free version of Google Play Music is starting life in the US and Google is pushing the fact that there are curated radio stations to suit whatever mood you find yourself in. The station features the involvement of some of the Songza team and it is possible to home in on a custom radio station based on genre, mood, decade, activity, or similarity to particular artists.
Poll: When Windows 10 launches will you stay a Windows Insider or go RTM?
If you've been following the news about Windows 10, you can’t have avoided the confusion that arose from Gabe Aul's poorly written (but ultimately updated and clarified) blog post. We now know exactly where we stand. If you have a genuine version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.x you can upgrade to a fully licensed version of Windows 10 for free on July 29. For anyone without a genuine copy of 7 or 8.1, you can legitimately keep running Windows 10 if you are happy to stay on as a Windows Insider.
Of course, even if you upgrade from a valid version of Windows 7 or 8.x, you can still choose to remain a Windows Insider. Just as happens now, this means that you are granted access to pre-release builds on the Fast and Slow rings. Each preview build will be time-limited, but a new version will be released before the previous one expires. So... what will you do? Do you want to stay on the cutting edge of Windows advancements? Or would you prefer to stick with a more stable version of the operating system. There are, of course, pros and cons to both routes.
Google has a new batch of Android Wear faces for customization fans
The wearables market continues to grow and there's something of a battle -- just as there is in the smartphone market -- between Apple Watch and Android Wear. Google's wearable OS keeps receiving updates and one of the things that makes it stand apart from Watch OS is the level of customization it offers users.
Today Google unveils 17 new watch faces to add to the existing catalog that already extends to more than 1,500 entries. As ever, the claims of there being something for everyone apply, and there are numerous cultural nods with Terminator Genisys, Hello Kitty, and Angry Birds faces all available for download.
Lawsuit fights Uber's user location tracking plans
Uber has faced numerous complaints since its inception in 2010, including suggestions that drivers are not properly vetted. Now the taxi service is facing legal action over plans to track the location of its customers whether the app is running in the foreground or background on their phones.
The new policy is due to come into force on July 15, but the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a complaint with the FTC saying that the policy change is unfair and should be investigated by the commission. It will be possible to opt out of this location tracking, but EPIC feels this is unreasonable.
Google empowers collaborative citizen journalism with News Labs
Google today revealed details of a new project designed to power the world of journalism. News Labs is a joint venture between Google and a number of technology firms and entrepreneurs to make it easier to research and publish stories. It's something aimed primarily at major newsrooms and reporting outlets, but it also features tools that can help to power and promote collaborative citizen journalism.
The search giant has several programs that have been created to make it easier for people to make use of YouTube to deliver and consume news. User-generated news has become increasingly important in recent years, offering not just a wider range of opinion but also unparalleled localization, and Google is keen to be at the heart of it. Newspapers and news websites are far from being the end of journalism; reader interaction adds to the narrative.
Sony releasing new 1TB PlayStation 4 in July
Known as the 1TB PS4 Ultimate Player Edition (or PlayStation 4 Ultimate Player 1TB Edition depending on who you're talking to), Sony is launching a new PlayStation 4 next month. With the ever-growing market for downloadable content, it's difficult to have too much disk space. Recognizing this, Sony is doubling the size of the largest capacity PS4.
The 1TB console will launch next month in the US, Asia and Europe, and the announcement comes just weeks after Microsoft announced a 1TB version of its Xbox One. Gamers in Japan will be able to get their hands on the console by the end of June, but the rest of the world will have to wait until July 15. There's no word on pricing, but Sony has detailed a few other changes that have been made to this version of the console.
What is Facebook not telling us about machiavellian censorship?
Just a few days ago the Electronic Frontier Foundation published its annual Who Has Your Back report looking at how various technology companies treated customer privacy. The report makes for interesting reading, but it also raises some questions. One question that has cropped up several times is "how the hell did Facebook get a rating of 4 out of 5!?"
As well as rating Mark Zuckerberg's social network in terms of its privacy policies and how it responds to government data request, the EFF also probes the hidden censorship that appears to be going on. There have been numerous examples of blatant censorship from Facebook -- including blocking certain pages in Turkey -- and while this is worrying (particularly when the social network's founder is looking to connect the world to the web with Internet.org) what is perhaps more concerning is the censorship we don't know about. The silent censorship that's going on the in the background.
Taylor Swift denigrates Apple Music as 'shocking, disappointing'
There are only a few days until Apple Music launches, but already there is quite a backlash against the music streaming service. It's not just smaller, independent labels that are complaining about Apple's refusal to pay artists any royalties during the initial three month free trial period. Taylor Swift has added her voice to the growing number of complainants, writing an open letter to Apple in which she says she will withhold her new album 1989 from the service.
In the letter, entitled "To Apple, Love Taylor", the singer says that the company's decision not to make royalty payments is "shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company". Swift is an artist who could afford to shoulder the cost of three months of not being paid by Apple, but she has chosen to make a stand and stick up for those who are less fortunate.
Reddit refugee camp Voat dropped by German webhost for 'political incorrectness'
A couple of weeks ago Reddit announced that it was closing down a number of subreddits with harassing subject matter. This came a few month months after a decision to ban content that included images or videos of non-consensual sex. In protest, groups of users switched allegiances and moved to the Reddit clone site Voat.co -- which prides itself on not censoring any content.
Voat.co has been around for a little while, but the site saw its membership swell as former Reddit users jumped ship. Over the last couple of weeks, the "censorship-free community platform" has battled DDoS attacks and was dealt another blow yesterday when its German hosting provider cancelled its contract. The reason given was that the server was being used to host content that is "politically incorrect". But this does not mean that the site is dead.
Google to block revenge porn from search results
Google is to start honouring requests to remove links to revenge porn from its search results. In a move that has echoes of the Right to Be Forgotten in Europe, today's announcement indicates that the search giant is now willing to start censoring search results if people request that explicit personal images of them be removed.
This is not supposed to be carte blanche for people to request the removal of any image they are unhappy with -- it is a move designed to target images that might be posted to sexploitation websites with a view to bribing their subjects.
UK CD ripping legislation is unlawful and hurts the music industry
The casual copying of CDs has been going on for years, but it is only relatively recently that it was made legal in the UK. It was only in the latter half of 2014 that the UK government passed legislation that permitted the copying and ripping of CDs for personal use. Today the High Court in London said that the government's earlier suggestion that ripping would not harm the music industry is incorrect.
When the legislation was passed last year, representatives of songwriters and musicians appealed. They were not unhappy with the legalization of CD ripping, but at the suggestion that financial harm would not be caused and compensation was not needed. Mr Justice Green said that "the absence of a compensation mechanism is unlawful".
Amazing Windows 10 shortcuts to individual Settings
For anyone who has been using the Windows 10 preview builds, there has been plenty of time to explore the operating system. It's now only a matter of weeks until the final version is released, and whether the gold build will be your first foray into Windows 10, or you're a seasoned tester, there are still plenty of new tricks to learn.
Whatever you use your computer for, you want to be able to get things done as a quickly as possible. In previous versions of Windows, the Control Panel was used to access all manner of options -- now things are split between the Control Panel and Settings. If there are some settings you change frequently, you can create your own shortcuts to jump to them in a couple of clicks; you can also assign keyboard shortcuts to make things even easier. Here's what you need to know...
It just got a whole lot easier to switch broadband provider
Moving from one broadband provider to another has long been something of a chore. Starting this weekend (June 20), switchers in the UK will no longer have to go through the hassle of requesting a Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) from their current supplier, as their new ISP will be able to handle the entire process from start to finish.
This should not only help to speed up the process of switching provider, but also eliminate the pestering from ISPs to stay with them. The new rules do not cover all ISPs, just those that use the Openreach network -- this includes major players such as BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, and Sky -- but it should still make life easier for a lot of people.
FCC votes to subsidize broadband connections for low-income households
Today the FCC voted in favor of updating its Lifeline program to include broadband. This would mean that households surviving on low incomes would be able to receive help paying for a broadband connection. It might not be as important as electricity or water, but having a broadband connection is seen as being all but essential these days.
From helping with education and job hunting, to allowing for home working, the ability to get online is seen as so vital by some that there have been calls for it to be classed as a utility. The Lifeline program has been running since the 80s, and originally provided financial help to those struggling to pay for a phone line. It was expanded in 2008 to include wireless providers, and it is hoped that this third expansion will help more people to get online.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
© 1998-2026 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.