Will Davidson and his Minecraft creation, modeled off the Santa Cruz Mission; Credit: Steve Henn

Minecraft is a deceptively simple video game. You're dropped into a virtual world, and you get to build things. It's like a digital Lego set, but with infinite pieces.

Its simplicity makes it a big hit with kids, like 10-year old Will Davidson. Last year, Will built a Spanish mission for a school report. He modeled his off the Santa Cruz Mission. "I made a chapel over here," Davidson says. "I also have a bell tower."

After he turned in his report, he added a few things. Like skeleton archers. "And zombies ... and exploding things, and spiders, that try to kill you," he said.

Minecraft is popular with kids because they're free to create almost anything, says Ramin Shokrizade, a game designer.

Also, kids aren't manipulated into clicking buttons to buy add-ons within the game. In other games, designers give players a special power for free at first, then take it away and offer it back at a price.

Zynga, the creator of Farmville, calls this fun pain, according to Shokrizade. "That's the idea that, if you make the consumer uncomfortable enough, and then tell them that for money we'll make you less uncomfortable, then [they] will give us money," he says.

Kids, Shokrizade says, are especially susceptible to this — and Minecraft has a loyal following, in part, because it doesn't do it.

Susan Linn, from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, agrees. She says a big reason she likes Minecraft is because after you purchase the game upfront, that's it.

"Parents don't have to worry that their kids are going to be targeted for more marketing," Linn says. "How forward-thinking!"

But Linn is worried. Microsoft bought Mojang, the company that created Minecraft, on Monday for $2.5 billion, and she says that any time a large company spends billions to acquire a smaller company, executives are bound start looking for new ways to get even more money out of it.

The used automotive part search engine Get Used Parts has launched its first iOS app for the iPhone in conjunction with the relaunch of GetUsedParts.com.

The post-election uptick in users isn’t the first time that Bluesky has benefitted from people leaving X.

Bluesky is having a very good week as some users abandon Elon Musk's X after the U.S. presidential election.

Bluesky has now crossed 14.7 million users and added 1 million members since the US presidential elections.

The post Bluesky Inches Closer to 15 Million Users appeared first on Thurrott.com.

It’s been a dizzying post-election week for Elon Musk’s X. Many users appear to be fleeing the platform, but more advertisers might return. More than 115,000 US users deleted their X accounts the day after the election, the biggest exodus in a single day since Musk took over the company, per…

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday. “The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on digital platforms to…

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: OpenAI is preparing to launch a new artificial intelligence agent codenamed "Operator" that can use a computer to take actions on a person's behalf (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source), such as writing code or booking travel [...]. In a staff meeting on Wednesday, OpenAI's leadership announced plans to release the tool in January as a research preview and through the company's application programming interface for developers [...]. The one nearest completion will be a general-purpose tool that executes tasks in a web browser, one of the people said. OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman hinted at the shift to agents in response to a question last month during an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit. "We will have better and better models," Altman wrote. "But I think the thing that will feel like the next giant breakthrough will be agents." The move to release an agentic AI tool also comes as OpenAI and its competitors have seen diminishing returns from their costly efforts to develop more advanced AI models.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The decentralized social media network Bluesky announces one million people have joined the platform within just one week, with it… Continue reading Bluesky adds one million new users in a week

The post Bluesky adds one million new users in a week appeared first on ReadWrite.

The company is laying off 40% of its workforce and discontinuing its therapeutics division.

More than 50 percent of new subscribers are opting for Netflix’s ad-supported plan in the countries where it is available. Netflix has priced its advertising-supported plan as a less-expensive alternative for cost-conscious users.

In a staff meeting on Wednesday, OpenAI's leadership announced plans to release the tool in January as a research preview

The new features will be available on Pixel phones first, and will arrive for more Android devices soon.

The post Google Unveils Upcoming Online Protection Tools for Android Users appeared first on Phandroid.

Bluesky may still be the underdog in the race for alternatives to X, but the once Twitter-affiliated service is gaining momentum. The app just passed the 15 million user mark after adding more than a million new users over the last week, the company said in an update.

While Bluesky is still considerably smaller than Threads, which with 275 million users is its biggest rival, there are signs that Threads users have been increasingly curious about the upstart. “Bluesky” has been a trending topic on Threads in recent days and an in-app search suggestion shows there are more than 19,000 posts about “Bluesky.” Bluesky itself has also made a push to win over Threads users in recent weeks by posting regularly on the Meta-owned service.

That effort seems to be working. A month ago, Engadget noted, the service had just under 9 million users. Its mobile app also has the top spot in Apple’s App Store, followed by Threads and ChatGPT. Its recent success also seems to be driven, at least in part, by frustration with Elon Musk and X following the US presidential election.

A recent report from web analytics company SimilarWeb found that “more than 115,000 US web visitors deactivated their accounts,” on November 7, “more than on any previous day of Elon Musk’s tenure.” The report also noted that “web traffic and daily active users for Bluesky increased dramatically in the week before the election, and then again after election day,” with Bluesky at points seeing more web traffic than Threads. (Threads’ mobile usage, however, is still “far ahead” of Bluesky.)

“In the US, Bluesky got more web visits than Threads in the immediate aftermath of the election,” the report notes. “For context, it’s important to note that both services are app centric, even though they support a web user interface.”

On its part, Bluesky seems intent on distinguishing itself from its larger, billionaire-controlled rivals. The company, which began as an internal project at Twitter before it spun off into an independent entity, has experimented with novel features like custom feeds, user-created moderation services and “starter packs” for new users.

“You're probably used to being trapped in a single algorithm controlled by a small group of people, that's no longer the case,” Bluesky’s COO Rose Wang shared in a video aimed at new users Tuesday. “On Bluesky, there are about 50,000 different feeds … these feeds provide a cozy corner for you to meet people with similar interests. And you can actually make friends again, because you're no longer tied to a dominant algorithm that promotes either the most polarizing posts and or the biggest brands, and that's the mandate of Bluesky.”

Bluesky said hello to the one million people that joined the platform in the past week, while Threads crossed 275 million monthly active users earlier in November

The Q2 2024 results for the DHL Hong Kong Air Trade Leading Index (DTI) have been published.

And how have they changed over the past few years?
( Photos: 2, Comments: 72 )

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday hosted a consultation session on its virtual private networks (VPNs) registration framework, which aimed to foster a “secure environment for the IT and e-commerce sectors in Pakistan”, a press statement said.

VPNs are widely used around the world to access content that may be inaccessible or blocked for internet users in their home country. In the case of Pakistanis, VPNs are used to access X, among other restricted websites.

The move comes days after multiple internet users from across the country reported they were experiencing “restricted access” to VPNs, alongside poor internet connectivity.

Digital rights activists termed the disruption the government’s attempt to “enforce strict censorship and surveillance over citizens”. The PTA, however, dismissed users’ claim that it was “throttling” VPNs and said the disruptions were caused by a “technical glitch”. It also urged users to register their VPNs.

According to the statement, today’s meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoIT&T), the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).

“The PTA introduced a streamlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online portal at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk,” the statement said.

The authority claimed that this simplified framework “supports uninterrupted access for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PTA’s commitment to Pakistan’s expanding digital economy”.

Participants also addressed concerns about the potential use of VPNs for “illegal activities.”

“As a proactive measure, companies and freelancers will be encouraged to register their VPNs to ensure smooth operations and mitigate disruptions,” it added.

“This consultation process underscores PTA’s dedication to creating a safe, accessible, and compliant digital landscape, empowering the country’s IT sector while safeguarding national security,” the statement concluded.

In August, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was clamping down on VPN usage, aiming to prevent access to the already banned social media platform X.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in September that X had been banned due to national security issues, not to curb freedom of expression. He added that “separatists and terrorists” were using the platform against Pakistan, which could not be allowed.

In the same month, the PTA dispelled rumours and clarified that VPNs in the country were not being blocked.

Study may lead to new treatment for sleep disorders like insomnia, researchers say

In a fresh bid to empower its over 300 million users, the micro-blogging website Twitter on Wednesday made it easier for them to report cyberbullying.

Giving more power to its 1.2 billion daily users, Facebookwill now allow them to automatically launch its crisis response tool "Safety Check" in case of an earthquake, terror attack, tsunami and so on.

Giving more power to its 1.2 billion daily users, Facebookwill now allow them to automatically launch its crisis response tool "Safety Check" in case of an earthquake, terror attack, tsunami and so on.

This new service was introduced last month alongside the company's new logo and other facilities

Simply UK Gadgets will be back shortly. Simplyukgadgets Forums, . Be sure to read the related article, Giving. Simply UK Gadgets, Simplyukgadgets Forums. ...

Simply UK Gadgets will be back shortly. Simplyukgadgets Forums, . Be sure to read the related article, Giving. Simply UK Gadgets, Simplyukgadgets Forums. ...

Simply Uk Gadgets Idee Regalo Ingrosso - Simply Valentino - Regali . There is a computer virus that is being sent across...

Simply Uk Gadgets, siti di Simply Uk Gadgets, informazioni su Simply Uk Gadgets ... Simply UK Gadgets Disclaimer Statement. Eliminate irritating pop-up ...

Published at LXer: Security is an essential consideration when using computers and other technological devices. Linux admins and organizations must be informed about applicable legal measures...

Published at LXer: With the third quarter drawing to a close, here's a look back at the most popular Linux/open-source related content for the quarter. This quarter there's been more than 730 news...

Published at LXer: Linux Mint unveils a darker, modern theme with rounded objects and redesigned dialogs for the upcoming Cinnamon 6.4 desktop environment. Read More......

In the bustling world of e-commerce, inclusivity is not just a trend but a necessity. As the digital landscape evolves, it's imperative to ensure that online stores are accessible to all users, including the elderly and those requiring disability aids. Let’s we'll delve into actionable tips to make your Shopify e-commerce store user-friendly for these […]

The post Crafting a User-Friendly Shopify Store for Elderly and Users with Disabilities appeared first on MonstersPost.

Spotify on Wednesday said its monthly active user count reached 299 million in the most recent quarter ending June 30. That is an increase of 29 percent year-over-year and brings the streaming giant just shy of that 300 million MAU milestone.

Taking a closer look, we see that Spotify finished the second quarter with 138 million premium (paying) subscribers, up 27 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. The company said its Family Plan continues to be a big driver of performance and further plugged the expansion of its new Premium Duo subscription offering for couples.

The COVID-19 restrictions that many countries had to endure forced many people to seek alternative forms of entertainment. One such form is podcasting which has grown in popularity over recent years. According to the most recent financial reports, Spotify reported that 21% of the monthly active users (MUA) have engaged in at least one podcast in the past month.  Data presented by Stockapps.com breaks down the rise of podcasting.

Spotify Records 5% Increase in Podcast Engagement between Q4 of 2019 and Q2 of 2020

The Joe Rogan Experience – the title of Rogans podcast, was the highest-earning podcast of 2019 with revenue of $30M. In September 2020, Joe Rogan officially began his podcasting contract with media giants Spotify, which will eventually see his entire library of content migrate to the platform. The deal is reported to be over $100M.

Spotify has been expanding its podcasts catalogue as they continue to see strong growth in that particular segment. The rate of consumption of podcasts has been growing by triple-digit percentage numbers for the last few years. In Q4 of 2019 16% of Spotifys monthly active users engage in podcast content, by Q2 2020 that number had jumped to 21%.

Apple has made a much larger comeback in Yale student and faculty computing than its 10 to 12 percent national market share would indicate.

We are pleased to announce that the price per user has been lowered to $65 per user for site licenses of 20 to 49 users.

[GroundUp] Needle programs are officially supported, but the state often obstructs them

Although hot tubs may get all the glory, cold-plunge tubs are the ones that really help reduce muscle inflammation and soreness after exercise. The Snowcap tub makes that process more doable than ever, by chilling water without using any ice or refrigerants.

Continue Reading

Category: Fitness & Exercise

Tags: Indiegogo, Cooling, Thermoelectricity, Water

TikTok marked a 45% jump this summer when it hit one billion monthly active users

Waymo is growing its ridership by leaps and bounds, and opening up to more and more riders almost every week it seems. It’s also working on its PR, looking to score brownie points for helping different disadvantaged groups. Or maybe it’s just trying to do good in the world — ... [continued]

The post Waymo Supporting Single Mothers & Vulnerable Road Users appeared first on CleanTechnica.

This week, Google sent an email to some Google Ads advertisers warning that they may lose access to use Customer Match with their ads cause harm to users or create a poor user experience. Google said they are updating their customer match policy effective January 13, 2025, to enforce this. Google also posted this over here.

Navah Hopkins posted about this notice on LinkedIn after she received an email from Google about this update. The email says:

On January 13, 2025, Google will update its Customer Match policy to state that customers may lose Customer Match access if their ads have the potential to cause harm to users or create a poor user experience. We may take the following considerations, among others, into account when making this determination.

What are those considerations? Google wrote:

• User feedback
• Prevalence or severity of abuse
• Repeated violations of the Customer Match policy

Google added that "violations of this policy will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued, at least seven days, prior to any suspension of your account."

Here is the email:

Navah Hopkins added, "Google customer match allows advertisers to take customer lists and apply them for targeting and seed purposes in Google Ads. This is a great way to ensure folks get exactly the right messaging as well as giving us an option to exclude our existing customers from prospecting campaigns."

She explained what harm might be:

The first and most important consideration is using someone's email without their consent. I would take this signal from Google that gambling with privacy rules is getting harder.

Second, ad creative needs to pass the "not a creep" check. This means:
1. You're not targeting kids.
2. You're not making it seem like the ad is for any one specific user.
3. You're not including people in a target list who outright told you they didn't want to see your ads.

Third, and most importantly, violating customer match rules will get your account suspended. Don't mess around with it.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

“We have 0% customer churn.” – said no SaaS marketer ever. Instead, what I hear all the time is: “If only we could keep growing without churn growing with us.” “If only we could get new trials to actually USE the product, they’ll see how great it is.” And even this story someone shared on […]

The post I spent 60+ hours analyzing onboarding emails for 127 SaaS trials. This is how the top SaaS retain users. appeared first on Coaching and training to scale your copywriting business, plus programs for new copywriters, startups, and marketers.

1. Stop Using Chrome On Your iPhone, Warns Apple—Millions Of Users Must Now Decide  Forbes
2. 4 new Chrome improvements for iOS  The Keyword
3. Chrome on your iPhone can search using pictures and words at the same time  The Verge
4. Google Rolls Out Four New Chrome Features for iOS  iPhone in Canada
5. Chrome 131 for iOS adding new Google Drive, Maps integrations  9to5Google

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of electronic service quality subdimensions upon the behavioural and praising intentions of users engaged in internet banking. Using the survey method, 203 responses were collected from users of online banking in Turkey. A partial least square structural equation model was constructed to test both the reliability and validity of the measurement, as well as the structural model. The results indicated that emotional benefits, ease of use, and control subdimensions, which are influenced through graphical quality and layout clarity, have a significant and positive impact upon the behavioural and praising intentions of users of online banking. The study did not find support for the direct effect of layout clarity upon behavioural and praising intentions.

More than a half billion people use the internet in China, and the environment in which these users work, study, and play using the internet is a rapidly changing one. User perceptions of the quality of information accessed through the internet and through more traditional sources of information may shift over time as the underlying social, cultural, and political environment changes. This study reports the results of a longitudinal survey study of perceptions of information quality of young adults using the internet in China. Results suggest that perceptions of the information quality of internet-based information have shifted more from 2007 to 2012 than perceptions of traditional text sources of information. Implications of the findings for researchers, educators, and information providers are discussed.

In order to improve the speedup and recognition accuracy of the recognition process, this paper designs a data mining method based on label mapping for long-term and short-term browsing behaviour of network users. First, after removing the noise information in the behaviour sequence, calculate the similarity of behaviour characteristics. Then, multi-source behaviour data is mapped to the same dimension, and a behaviour label mapping layer and a behaviour data mining layer are established. Finally, the similarity of the tag matrix is calculated based on the similarity calculation results, and the mining results are output using SVM binary classification process. Experimental results show that the acceleration ratio of this method exceeds 0.9; area under curve receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) value increases rapidly in a short time, and the maximum value can reach 0.95, indicating that the mining precision of this method is high.