Musk to remove headlines from news articles shared on X
Musk will remove headlines that are automatically generated as part of the preview image and text that appeasr when news organisations share articles to X. Anyone sharing a link on X—from individual users to publishers—would need to manually add their own text alongside the links they share on the service; otherwise the post will display only an image with no context other than an overlay of the URL. According to a source, the change is being pushed directly by Musk, to reduce the height of tweets and allow more posts to fit on screen. Musk also believes the change will help curb clickbait. Musk:
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 22, 2023
X takes @music handle from user
X takes “@music” handle from a user who ran the account for 16 years and will be using it for its own business purposes. The company sent him an email stating that they will change the name to @musicfan.
16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter / X just ripped it away. Super pissed
16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter / X just ripped it away.
Super pissed pic.twitter.com/ctacWKY9js— Jeremy Vaught (@jeremyvaught) August 3, 2023
X lets subscribers hide blue ticks
X adds a feature that allows paid subscribers to hide their verification badge from other users.
As a subscriber, you can choose to hide your checkmark on your account. The checkmark will be hidden on your profile and posts. The checkmark may still appear in some places and some features could still reveal you have an active subscription. Some features may not be available while your checkmark is hidden. We will continue to evolve this feature to make it better for you.
Twitter users complain after Musk limits numbers of posts they can read
Musk says that, due to AI companies scraping Twitter for data, rate limits will be placed on users that will only allow them to view a restricted number of tweets. Initially, Musk sets the limits to 6000 posts/day for verified accounts, 600 posts for unverified acounts and 300 posts/day for new unverified accounts. Six hours later he later updates the rate limits to 8000 posts/day for verified users, 800 for verified, and shortly thereafter increases it to 10,000 for vervified users and 1000 for unverified.
To address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation, we’ve applied the following temporary limits: – Verified accounts are limited to reading 6000 posts/day – Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day – New unverified accounts to 300/day
Now to 10k, 1k & 0.5k
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023
Many users, who were not aware of the change, complained that they could not access tweets and were seeing a ‘rate limite exceeded’ message instead.
I was on this site for 5 mins and got this.
Thanks for my time back. I might be done. pic.twitter.com/1L0oFK5oJk
— Steve Cavendish (@scavendish) July 1, 2023
Dead celebrities get Twitter blue checks
Twitter adds blue checks to the accounts of numerous dead celebrities, including some that have been inactive for years. Paul Walker, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Bourdain, Chadwick Bosman and Norm Macdonald are among the celebrities whose accounts have been “verified” posthumously. Whether this is another “trolling” stunt by Musk remains unclear.
Twitter removes blue ticks from non-paying users
Twitter removes blue ticks from as many as 300,000 accounts, including journalists, athletes and public figures, who have not paid a monthly fee to get one. High-profile users who lost their blue ticks include Beyoncé, Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump. A Twitter Blue subscription costs $8 a month for individuals to a starting price of $1,000 monthly to verify an organization, plus $50 monthly for each affiliate or employee account.
Twitter removes phone type from Tweets
Musk reacts to Twitter removing the ability to see which device a tweet comes from [Twitter for iPhone, Twitter for Android].
Hallelujah!!
Hallelujah!! https://t.co/i2FyvXPIHO
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
Verified Twitter users complain they can’t change name
Users complain to Musk after Twitter disables name changes on legacy verified accounts. A user called Count Dankula pleads for help after his name gets stuck after what he thought was a temporary change to “GIANT PENIS (parody)”:
Hello Elon, you seem to have disabled name changes. I was wondering when that would be getting turned back on as I appear to have gotten myself into a bit of a situation.
This is not a drill any time you try it just says DENY and doesn’t let you change it. I am literally stuck as GIANT PENIS this is not the future I imagined for myself Elon pls.
This is not a drill any time you try it just says DENY and doesn't let you change it. I am literally stuck as GIANT PENIS this is not the future I imagined for myself Elon pls. pic.twitter.com/rfWNxNiE0R
— Count Dankula (@CountDankulaTV) November 11, 2022
Musk kills ‘official’ grey checkmark
After grey checkmarks that had been rolled out to indicate ‘official’ accounts on Twitter started to disappear, Musk says:
I just killed it. Blue check will be the great leveler
I just killed it
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2022
Later, Musk says:
Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months. We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.
Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months.
We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2022
Ferry Action Group raises design concerns
The Arran Ferry Action Group raises concerns about the absence of a key hull feature required for the Glen Sannox to operate efficiently at 14.5 knots. Additional confusion arises over the divergence of design between Glen Sannox and sister ship Hull 802, which were intended to be identical in design and specification. Chairman Sam Bourne:
It is such a terrible mess. The whole thing is complete confusion and it affects the performance of the boats. Fitting a ducktail now is bound to further delay the completion of the vessel. And if it is needed on 802 why is it not on Glen Sannox which has the same hull. You are going to have two boats that do not meet the spec that was given and are not identical. If one has it and the other hasn’t it just won’t meet the performance targets set. If the boats don’t meet the performance specifications, CMAL can refuse it and then who owns these vessels. If you have an inefficient hull form, they will cost more money to operate, and the green criteria they try to hit, you can throw those in the bin. Serious questions have to be asked of those who run the businesses at the time to allow this.
CMAL:
We are satisfied that the vessels meet the required specification, and are continuing to work closely with Transport Scotland, Scottish Government and Fergusons to manage the delivery of the two vessels.
New helmet design
Following tradition, Rossi wears a new helmet design for the Italian GP.
Rossi, Lorenzo unveil 2016 Yamaha MotoGP colors
Yamaha Racing release images of Rossi and Lorenzo in new team livery. The design is almost identical to last season (barring a few stickers), with 2016 the third year of title sponsorship by Movistar.
Character limit change
Dorsey says Twitter is considering to expand the character limit of tweets from 140 characters to 10 000.
https://twitter.com/jack/status/684496529621557248/photo/1
Replaces favorites with hearts
Twitter replaces the star it used for favorites with a heart, and renames the feature, “likes”. The hearts will also appear on Vine’s apps and website.
You can say a lot with a heart. Introducing a new way to show how you feel on Twitter: https://t.co/WKBEmORXNW pic.twitter.com/G4ZGe0rDTP
— Twitter (@Twitter) November 3, 2015
Reactions
Facebook starts testing “reactions,” which extend the site’s “like button” functions with new options : Love, Haha, Yay, Wow, Sad and Angry. Keeping with Zuckerberg’s wishes, there is no “Dislike” button. The test is currently limited to users in Ireland and Spain. Zuckerberg:
For many years though, people have asked us to add a “dislike” button. Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want a way to express empathy. These are important moments where you need the power to share more than ever, and a Like might not be the best way to express yourself. Reactions gives you new ways to express love, awe, humor and sadness. It’s not a dislike button, but it does give you the power to easily express sorrow and empathy — in addition to delight and warmth.
https://www.facebook.com/zuck/videos/10102412343501081/
Increases Quarter Pounder beef
McDonald’s increases the amount of beef in its Quarter Pounder from 4 to 4.25 ounces, before cooking. The former 4-ounce patty cooked down to 2.8 ounces after heating.
Adds extra seats
Qantas adds extra seats to its Boeing 737-800s, increasing the number from 168 to 174. The extra rows are added by making the lavatories smaller and reconfiguring the rear galley. The seat pitch is unchanged. The interiors and seat covers are also being changed. CEO Joyce, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad are present at the launch of the reconfigured airplanes in Brisbane. Joyce:
The 737 is the backbone of our domestic fleet and this refresh is part of our strategy to deliver the best experience for our customers, whether they’re in the air or on the ground.
Hangouts design changes
Google changes its hangouts design for android phones and adds some new features. It is now easier to send attachments. The new design also allows to send more than one photo at a time. Composing messages is more intuitive. The changes also include tweaks that will improve battery life, improve speed and fix a few bugs.
iOS display darkening feature
Google Maps iOS app gets a feature where the display gets darker colors after evening to make it easier to read. This Night Mode has been available in the android app.
Ladies-only parking introduced
Frankfurt airport introduces women-only parking places. The ‘Ladies Parking’ spaces are closer to the airport, have CCTV coverage, are better lit, and have more exit points. Women’s groups have labelled this move sexist.
