And the Epic Games Achievements system will start to roll out next week.

Zapping the skin with electricity could stop bacteria that live there harmlessly from entering the body and causing blood poisoning

Earlier this year, Feral Interactive’s superb iOS version of Alien: Isolation (Free) was updated to change the game’s business model …

Continue reading "‘Alien: Isolation’ for Android Is Now a Free To Start Release Just Like iOS Letting Everyone Try Two Missions for Free"

When thinking about the classics or games I’d recommend people play on mobile, Mini Metro is one of the best …

Continue reading "Exclusive: Dinosaur Polo Club Interview – CEO Amie Wolken on Mini Metro, Mini Motorways, the Team, Free DLC, Working With Apple, Ports, and More"

Among Us (Free) has done loads of crossovers and collaborations over the years, but one I didn’t expect at all …

Continue reading "‘Among Us’ Is Collaborating With ‘Ace Attorney Investigations’ for Its Newest Free Cosmetic DLC Out Next Week"

Single-player campaign, ranked multiplayer available free of charge.

Subscribers will have to opt-in to a pricier ad-free plan.

This Thursday and Saturday, BreastScreen Victoria is providing free LGBTI specific mammogram sessions to women and trans and gender diverse people over the age of 40, as part of their ...

The post LGBTI people can get a free breast screen with BreastScreen Victoria appeared first on Star Observer.

The United States has a wide range of climate zones, from the subtropical to the arctic. On the low end of the thermometer, there are plenty of options for a deep winter chill. Here, we look at a couple different ways to determine the coldest state in the U.S. — and by both definitions, there's one winner.

Elon Musk's xAI launched its AI chatbot, Grok, at the end of 2023 and it has remained exclusively available to X (formerly Twitter) premium users since. Now, one year later, Grok is seemingly coming to free X users in select areas, TechCrunch reports. 

The news comes from multiple reports on X by researchers and users who spotted updates to Grok. According to X user Swak, there are stipulations to who can access Grok for free and how much they can use it. For starters, accounts need to be at least seven days old and have a phone number attached to them. Free users are also reportedly limited by how many things they can do in two hours. They can ask the Grok-2 model 10 questions and the Grok-2 mini model 20 questions within that time frame. Furthermore, free users only get three image analyses each day. 

The Grok-2 and the Grok-2 mini models are relatively new, releasing late summer of this year. Grok-2 is xAI's most advanced AI chatbot to date and pulls real-time information right from X, while the company claims the mini version "offers a balance between speed and answer quality." 

Meta has long been at loggerheads with European Union officials over its approach to targeted Facebook and Instagram ads. The company is hoping to placate regulators with some changes to its ad model in the bloc, which includes lowering the price of its ad-free subscription. Starting November 13, the plan will cost 40 percent less — €6 ($6.36) per month for signups via the web and €8 ($8.48) for those who subscribe on an iOS or Android device. The fee for each additional Facebook and Instagram account is €4 per month on the web and €5 via mobile.

The company will automatically drop current subscribers down to the lower pricing. It says that it will once again ask users in the bloc if they'd like to sign up.

When they see this prompt (which can only be ignored for a certain period of time), there will be a third option for EU Facebook and Instagram users to choose from. Those who don't want to pay for a subscription can instead opt to only view ads that are based on what they see in a given session in the apps. Meta will also factor in a few key data markers such as "a person’s age, location, gender and how a person engages with ads."

These less-personalized ads naturally won't be as tailored to a given user's interests, the company notes. As such, people are perhaps less likely to click on such ads. To make up for that (and make sure this option doesn't hit Meta in the pocket too hard), folks who choose the less-personalized ads option will sometimes encounter unskippable ads. According to The Wall Street Journal, these will be displayed full screen.

"Such ad breaks are common across other services, and are already offered by many of our competitors," Meta argues. "This change will help us continue to provide value to advertisers which ensures we can offer people a less personalized ads experience at no charge."

Targeted ads are Meta's biggest revenue driver, but EU officials have reportedly been pressuring the company to offer a free, less-personalized option in its apps. Meta has argued that would negatively impact its bottom line. Although it has seemingly caved to officials' requests, the unskippable ad aspect may be construed as malicious compliance, as it worsens the user experience.

Meta claims that these changes to its ad model "meet EU regulator demands and go beyond what’s required" by the bloc's laws. The company introduced its ad-free subscription a year ago to comply with laws such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as stricter interpretations of the General Data Protection Regulation. It was previously ordered to seek permission from users in the bloc before showing them personalized ads.

The EU didn't take too kindly to the paid ad-free approach, however. An investigation into the "consent or pay" model is ongoing. In July, the EU said that in its preliminary findings, Meta was violating the DMA with this plan.

These latest changes are said to be Meta's attempt to settle the case, but according to the Journal, the EU's discussions with the company haven't concluded. The bloc's regulatory body has until late March to finish its investigation and make a final decision. If it determines that Meta has indeed violated the DMA, the company could be on the hook for a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual global revenue. Based on its total revenue for 2023, it could have to pay up as much as $13 billion or so.

Amazon is closing down Freevee, its free ad-supported video on demand service. This platform was home to original programming as well as more than 100 originals from the Prime Video roster. Freevee will be phased out over the coming weeks, and its content will become available as part of Prime Video. The ad-supported tier of Prime Video is included as part of Amazon's Prime membership for $15 a month.

"To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding," an Amazon spokesperson told Variety. "There will be no change to the content available for Prime members, and a vast offering of free streaming content will still be accessible for non-Prime members, including select originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and a broad library of FAST channels – all available on Prime Video."

The free viewing platform went through several rebrands since its original launch as IMDb Freedive in January 2019. It entered its final phase as Freevee in April 2022.

While public transit in many Canadian cities is struggling with rising fares and falling ridership, one Ontario community has more than doubled its transit use in the past two years. Orangeville has made its buses free, joining a list of much larger communities that have gone fare-free.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is reassuring Canadians as officials worry president-elect Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants could send them northward.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford appears to be dipping his toe into new territory — talking about removing Mexico from the North American trade agreement.

‘If Mumbai attack suspects arrested in Pakistan are freed, India is at fault'

May 31, 2023

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the current Belarusian opposition leader, speaks with Belfer Center Fellow Svenja Kirsch on Belarusian Freedom and the War in Ukraine.

Jun 11, 2015

The creation in June 2015 of a free trade area from Cape Town to Cairo is possibly the most significant event in Africa since the formation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. It is a grand move to merge existing regional organization into a single African Economic Community.

Jan 24, 2024

In this Q&A, Joseph S. Nye talks about his advice for the interim and future president of Harvard in the wake of Claudine Gay's resignation, which countries should be highest on our radar to prevent the threat of nuclear war, what role the U.S. should play in the Russia-Ukraine war, the significance of U.S. alliances in the Middle East, and more.

Welcome to Free File

Bad traffic, tired drivers and cranky kids; life makes holiday travel anything but a holiday. Watch what happens when Ziploc� takes over a tollbooth and surprises real holiday travelers with gifts.

Shay Mitchell Free The Children empowerment PSA

Denny�s extends food quality commitment with cage-free eggs.

Brad Hiranga, General Mills Business Unit Director, Pizza and Tacos Business Unit discusses the Bucking Couch and Bucking Couch Bowl.

Just You & blu

#FrizzFreeHairGoals

The Walgreens Wellness Tour with the National Urban League is a community outreach program that helps provide free health tests and education to urban and at-risk communities across the country.

Breathe better this winter with �My Breathefree App�

I can not believe the bellyachin' from these kids. "But Bill, we better stay indoors where it's safe", "but Bill, governor says stay away from winders"! That dog won't hunt, son.

Redeem Codes for Garena Free Fire Max on November 13, 2024: Gain an advantage over your opponents or enhance your character's appearance with these codes, offering in-game items for free. Acquire weapons, skins, diamonds, and more through these codes. Garena Free Fire

Holidays are a perfect time to try something fun, easy, and no-fail. Hello, mokume gane! Problem is there are variations nine ways to Sunday! You’ve got your deep, shallow, scrap, ghost, and natural methods. For your holiday polymer pleasure, follow this free link from the UK’s Jane Hewitt, who gathers a slew of approaches to […] Read more

The Regal North Hollywood is holding a showing of the new feature-length anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim from 1.00pm on this Saturday (November 9) open to children aged nine to 14, and their parents. It's not entirely clear whether adult-without-kids can also attend, but I took a few moments to run through their pre-booking survey and it does seem that you get screened out if you state you're attending without kids.

T&Cs also state that no-one under the age of nine will be admitted (presumably because of MPAA ratings).

If this tickles your fancy (and you have kids 9 to 14), you can reserve (free!) your tickets here.

If you're unaware of the story, The War of the Rohirrim is set many years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and follows a historic event described by J.R.R. Tolkien in Appendix A of the book. As the filmmakers describe it, "...a sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg."

The anime debuts worldwide (in most locations) on December 13.

Early free screening details

Saturday, November 9th, 2024
Regal North Hollywood
6150 Laurel Canyon Blvd # 200, North Hollywood, CA 91606

1:00 pm. Open to children 9-14 and their parents
No one under 9 will be admitted.
Check-in will begin 60 minutes before the start of the show.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS

Zapping the skin with electricity could stop bacteria that live there harmlessly from entering the body and causing blood poisoning