If only it could all be deleted
Facebook is pumping up its efforts to stop people from sharing unauthorized images of other people engaged in intimate acts… also known as “revenge porn.” Facebook’s head of Global Safety told Tech Crunch they have implemented new photo-matching tech and a human-based review system that stops Facebook users from sharing revenge porn images that have been taken down from the social network.
If someone attempts to re-post or share the image, they’ll get a pop-up saying the image violates Facebook’s policies and they’ll be blocked from using the image on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Users trying to post the images can also have their accounts terminated. They’ve also partnered with several organizations dedicated to helping those victimized by revenge porn, including suicide prevention services.
Is revenge porn a big problem? It is. A 2016 study indicated that one in 25 people online on average are victims of revenge porn.
Fly Electron Air!
Air travel is a miracle of the modern age, but try get a flight into a tiny airport outside some tiny town? Forget it. It just doesn’t make economic sense for the airlines unless they can develop some really economical airplanes.
To that end, both Jet Blue and Boeing have just dropped a chunk of change on Zunum Aero, which is developing small passenger-carrying planes that run on electricity. The aircraft, with their distinctive V-shaped tails, use a pair of ducted fans on the back and look pretty much like a private jet. They will carry between 10 and 50 people and will specialize in puddle-jumping from hubs to small airports currently underserved by large carriers.
At first, the airplanes will be “battery-first” hybrids, with both battery power and fuel-driven generators to ensure range and safety. But Zunum sees a day coming when the planes will have 1,000 miles of range on batteries alone as energy storage technology and lightweight materials continue to mature. The planes will also be very quiet, according to Zunum. Sounds good to us.
Zunum says the first flights are still likely a decade away, but the investment from Boing and Jet Blue are definitely helping to move their plans forward.
Because you don’t stream enough TV already
Used to be, just finding an “unlimited” data plan from a cell phone company was nearly impossible, and on top of that, it was damn expensive, too.
Now that competition for selling “unlimited” plans is raging, it’s damn near impossible to avoid them. AT&T just took another swing at the fences by giving free HBO to customers with top-tier Unlimited Plus plans, and the perk takes affect on Thursday. And if you use AT&T’s home video service as well, you’ll get HBO there too. Already an HBO subscriber through AT&T? Well, now it’s free for you. The timing , of course, is no mistake.
HBO’s massively popular series Game of Thrones is set to return with a new season in mid-July. Your move, Verizon and T-Mobile.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
