technology
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Source: Matt Cardy / Getty / X
The consensus is that X, formerly Twitter, has been trash since Elon Musk took over. We need a new space to share memes, jokes, and news that’s not MAGA-fueled and watch shows together as a family, and there are options. Wherever you choose to go, we are here to help you kick X to the curb.
It’s no secret ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter, changed the name to X, reinstated Donald Trump’s account, and introduced a bevy of changes that made the platform outright unbearable, users (especially Black Twitter) have been screaming for a place to take online cleverness, conversations, and jokes.
Well, if you are one of the 700,000 people who left X for Bluesky in the last few months, Instagram Threads or Spill, you are probably considering shutting down that old X account for good, just to stick it to the lord of Dark MAGA, Elon Musk.
If you need assistance, follow these steps to shut down your X account for good.
Make Your Account Private
First, you definitely should make your account private just to let the people you trust the most and want to migrate with you to the other app of choice.
If you post on X via the desktop, you can make your account private by selecting More > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Audience, media, and Tagging > Protect your posts.
For mobile users, follow these steps: Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Audience and tagging > Protect your posts.
When the browser pops up, just hit “Protect.”
Download Your Tweets
The second step is to download all of the Tweets you have posted throughout the years to retain all of that information.
Here’s how you do that: via the web browser, click on More > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
If you’re on mobile, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
Once you have completed those steps, you will be prompted to reenter your password. A verification code will then be sent to the email you signed up with, and possibly other verification codes as well.
Once that is complete, you select “Request Archive,” from there, it may take up to 24 hours to receive a copy of your archive.
Deactivate Your X Account
The final step is the most liberating one: deactivating your X account. You can begin the deactivation process in your browser by clicking more; on mobile, simply tap your profile icon.
For browser users, follow this process: settings and Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Deactivate your account.
Mobile users select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Deactivate account.
Like with any app or service you are trying to cancel, you can expect some resistance trying to deter you from canceling; X is no different.
Once you complete the above steps, you will be given several paragraphs of information about what data will be available to you after deactivation.
X will also inform you that your account will not be permanently deactivated until after 30 days, giving you time to reconsider your decision.
But why would you want to do that?
If you followed all of these steps, you have taken the enormous step of liberating yourself from X.
Congrats!
See you on Threads or Bluesky.
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Source: IAN LANGSDON / Getty / Bluesky
Is X, formerly on Twitter, finally on its way out? Bluesky, a social media platform similar to Twitter of old, has gained many new users and could be the new wave going forward.
Speaking with The Verge, Bluesky COO Rose Wang confirmed that the social media platform has gained over 700,00 followers in the last week and now boasts more than 14.5 million users total.
Wang told the website that a majority of the users are from the United States. Currently, the Bluesky app is the number two free social media app in the US App Store, only trailing Meta’s Threads.
The sharp increase in followers could be due to several factors, including Elon Musk, the recent change to the block feature, and Donald Trump’s unfortunate presidential election victory.
Per The Verge:
The independent platform has seen a lot of growth in recent weeks — on October 24th, Bluesky announced it had 13 million users. After X’s recent announcement that it would let blocked users still see posts from the person that blocked them, for example, Bluesky said it added 500,000 new users in one day.
The results of the US presidential election could be part of Bluesky’s new influx of users. People may be looking to use a platform that’s not owned by Musk or, like some Taylor Swift fans, may be looking for a new platform following an increase in hate speech on X.
Bluesky Has Made Significant Improvements To The Platform
Since it first launched as an invite-only service, Bluesky has improved greatly thanks to several new improvements, such as sharing videos, pinned posts, and sending DMs.
Users can also create custom and select which feeds to follow on Bluesky. Even with all the strides the app has made, it still trails Threads which has crossed 275 million monthly users.
But if Elon Musk keeps making X a cesspool, combined with the current momentum the app is seeing, Bluesky could easily take the number one spot and be the new home for former members of Black Twitter.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
On top of being the Donald Trump of tech and the latest MAGA stooge, Elon Musk can no longer take a joke. Phony Stark took to his awful platform to complain about an SNL sketch that mocked his ridiculous behavior as of late.
A hit dog will holler if you say or do something triggering the person it is about, and that seems to be the case with Elon Musk.
Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, before the Tesla owner decided to royally f*** the vibe up and rename it to make a massive fuss about an SNL sketch featuring comedian and SNL legend Dana Carvey impersonating him.
During the first post-election SNL episode, the cast made fun of their anti-Trump stances by pretending to support our unfortunate president-elect following Felon 47’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Carvey is no stranger to spoofing high-profile figures with his fantastic impressions of George H. W. Bush and Joe Biden. Still, his recent impression of Elon Musk during the cold open of this past weekend’s episode is not sitting well with Dark MAGA fans.
“Check it out, dark MAGA. Yeah! But seriously, I run the country now,” Carvey said during the sketch while wearing a black MAGA hat. “America’s going to be like one of my rockets that’s super cool and super fun. But there’s a slight chance it could blow up, and everybody dies.”
Carvey was making fun of Musk’s appearance at the MSG Klan rally. Oops, we meant the Trump rally where he described himself as “dark, gothic MAGA.”
Whatever the hell that means.
On Sunday, Musk’s Twitter fingers, damn, we meant X fingers were busy as he angrily hit the keys and hit sent on posts calling out Carvey’s performance.
“They are so mad that @realDonaldTrump won,” Musk wrote.
He continued in a separate post, “Dana Carvey just sounds like Dana Carvey.”
S A L T Y.
Elon Musk Is REALLY MAD
He wasn’t done complaining. Musk, who hosted an episode of the iconic sketch comedy show in 2021, said, “SNL has been dying slowly for years, as they become increasingly out of touch with reality. Their last-ditch effort to cheat the equal airtime requirements and prop up Kamala before the election only helped sink her campaign further.”
Musk was referring to Brendan Carr, a Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, who claimed that Harris’ appearance on SNL was “a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule.”
The rule claims that networks must offer a fair amount of time opposing candidates.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that an FCC representative said Carr’s claims did not represent the agency’s official views and that it has “not made any determination regarding political programming rules, nor have we received a complaint from any interested parties.”
Musk was also on an island regarding Carvey’s performance because X users loved the impersonation.
You can see all those reactions in the gallery below.
2. A legend
3. Mmmmhmmm
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Source: Anadolu / Getty/ Apple
Is this a sign that the dreaded green/blue bubble battle is finally ending? Apple is finally allowing Android users to send message reactions to iMessage users.
Spotted on The Verge, Apple is finally coming around. The company is no longer acting bougie on this matter. The company now acknowledges Android users by correctly showing their reactions to messages.
Like when iMessage users send “tap backs” to each other, the Android message reaction will finally appear next to the message instead of as a separate message.
The Verge confirmed the fix was live by running tests.
Per The Verge:
The Verge sent test messages and emoji reactions between iPhones running iOS 18.1 and different Android phones, confirming both devices now display reactions as intended. It’s unclear when this change happened or whose side — Google or Apple — had to make adjustments to get it working.
When RCS first launched widely on iOS in September, message reactions from Android users still weren’t being displayed correctly on the iPhone, even though they worked the other way around. We reached out to both companies for comment but did not hear back before publication.
Is Apple Finally Coming Around To Android Users?
Apple’s movement on the RCS fix is surprising due to how stubborn the tech giant, run by Tim Cook, was on the matter. Lately, Apple has been pushed to make a number of changes to its devices, like using USB-C, after China and the EU applied pressure on the American-based company.
Apple has not been shy about its stance on the green/blue bubble issue, with Tim Cook even telling someone that they should buy their mother an iPhone if they wanted to communicate properly with them due to video message quality between the two devices looking like crap.
At the time, Cook said it was not Apple’s top priority, but maybe it is now.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Donald Trump
The nightmare of another Donald Trump presidency is once again a reality following his election win, and everyone, including these tech CEOs, is lining up to kiss the ring of the orange menace expeditiously to ensure they are on his good side.
Donald Trump has not yet taken power, but the ominous cloud of what his 4-year reign will bring looms large over the heads of Americans and corporate Americans as he enacts disastrous policies.
Tech CEOs who weren’t outside with Trump jumping up and down on his rally stages, looking as silly as Elon Musk did for the most part, sat back and kept quiet, awaiting the results of the 2024 presidential election.
Kiss The Ring
Now that the dust has settled and Trump is returning to the White House, the congratulatory messages from the tech giants quickly started rolling in.
“Congratulations President Trump, we’re looking forward to engaging with you and your administration to drive innovation forward that creates new growth and opportunity for the United States and the world,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nedella wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who Trump hilariously called Tim Apple wrote on X, “Congratulations President Trump on your victory! We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity.”
One time rival of Trump, Jeff Bezos, who told his paper, The Washington Post to not endorse Kamala Harris, definitely seemed very happy in his congratulatory tweet. “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love,” Bezos wrote.
Former Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates wrote on Threads, “Congratulations to President Trump and VP-elect Vance. America is at its strongest when we use ingenuity and innovation to improve lives here in the U.S. and around the world. I hope we can work together now to build a brighter future for everyone.”
Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his app, “Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country. Looking forward to working with you and your administration.”
Well, given Trump is once again one of the most powerful people in the world, these CEOs want to ensure they get a decent piece of the deregulated pie.
It’s already being reported that Trump’s win added a record $64 billion to the wealth of the 10 richest people in the world, Bezos and Musk are on that list.
So, of course, they have a lot to be thankful about regarding Donald Trump. Don’t bet on any of that wealth trickling down to “forgotten working class.”
You can see more congratulatory tweets in the gallery below.
1. Amazon CEO Andy Jass
2. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai
3. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
4. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger
5. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / X
If you thought Elon Musk couldn’t make X, formerly Twitter, any worse than it is, think again. A new take on the block feature has rolled out, and yes, it’s dumb.
Elon Musk first announced the change to the block feature back in September, and now it’s here. The Verge reports that X started launching the controversial change to how blocking trolls work over the weekend.
According to Techcrunch, the change will allow people who were once blocked on X to see your posts, followers, and who you are following.
According to Donald Trump’s newest glazer, Elon Musk, blocking people from seeing your public posts “makes no sense,” and now that all changes under Musk’s leadership will possibly allow people to harass you on the platform continually.
In October, the engineering account for X claimed in its argument for the change that users who blocked individuals could say hurtful or harmful things about the user they blocked without them knowing, and the change allows for “greater transparency.”
Rigggghhhttt.
Still, despite seeing what users can post, blocked users still can’t reply, like, follow, or send direct messages to the user who blocked them.
Some are pointing out how problematic this change to the block feature is and how it may not align with both Google and Apple’s app store policies.
Per The Verge:
But as Tracy Chou, who launched the anti-harassment tool Block Party, said in a post on X, “…the point is that friction matters!! making it easy for a creeper to creep is not a good thing!!”
Another issue is whether the updated block function aligns with the rules in app stores. Apple’s guidelines say that apps with user-generated content must have “The ability to block abusive users from the service.”
Users on X have been slamming Musk and the change to the block feature on his own platform. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Exactly
2. We can only hope
4. Excellent question
5. Howling
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The arrival of UFC 5 in 2023 sparked celebration among mixed martial arts fans and as the only game of its type on the major consoles, that excitement was understandable. Now out for an entire year, UFC 5 has seen a series of patches and tweaks and we look to see how the game has held up.
To break the fourth wall a bit, I’m a huge fan of mixed martial arts and the UFC has a roster that features many of the world’s best fighters. In some ways, the latest UFC game from EA Sports puts a lot of pressure on the title to deliver every bit of nuance MMA provides in the real world and mostly holds up to that promise with a deep fighting system, several big-name fighters, and patches over the past year that improved the experience for fans.
Source: EA Sports / EA Sports
The game’s predecessor, UFC 4, had its fair share of fans who enjoyed the gritty realism of the standup game and the career mode but others found the ground game to be difficult at times. UFC 5 largely looks the same but now it employs the Frostbite game engine so there are several visual improvements from the former Ignite engine.
The fifth iteration of the fighting series has four main gameplay modes: Fight Week, Fight Now, Career, and Online.
With Fight Week, real-time UFC fights are at the center of the mode. When updated, there will be opportunities to make fight picks before the actual matches and earn valuable UFC Coins for your created fighter and online store. There are also Fight Week Contracts, daily fights where you take on opponents to earn UFC Coins. There are also challenges to earn player emotes and other rewards.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
Fight Now is a mode that puts you right in the middle of action against a computer opponent or a pal on the couch. Here, you can select hundreds of fighters from the UFC roster and slug it out. The mode features Main Card fights, which are three-round matches.
Then there are Main Event and Championship fights, both going five rounds. Backyard fights are five 3-minute rounds where the judges score the fight on how much damage is doled out. Then there is the Kumite event, which is one 25-minute and if it goes until the end, the fight will be called a draw.
Also in Fight Now, you can pick between gameplay styles such as Simulation, which is the purest way to play. Knockout style turns off health regeneration and fighters are granted unlimited stamina and combos. Lastly, Stand and Bang keeps the action standing until one drops.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
UFC 4’s Career Mode was one of the top features in the last game and the mode is back with Coach Davis returning to guide you along the way into becoming the G.O.A.T. The path to greatness is a difficult one but this gameplay mode is the best way to learn all of the tricks and tips of the game.
Lastly of the main modes is Online, which also has a career mode, ranked championships where you can take on fighters of the same skill level, blitz battles, and quick fights.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
To be honest with folks, the only modes I consistently play are Career and practicing against the computer opponent in the game’s Learn section. Trust me, it’s taken me a long time to learn all of the moves and I’m pretty sure I still don’t know everything. This isn’t like some fighting games where button mashing might lead to a lucky knockout. For me, the best place for most new players to go is the Learn section to get some reality checks about your ability and then dive into the Career mode to get into the meat and potatoes of the game.
I also want to give a major salute to the UFC team for simplifying the ground game. In UFC 4, you had to play a mini-game of sorts to gain or block submissions or switch in and out of ground-and-pound positions. It was way too difficult for even the most seasoned video game player but in 5, the streamlined ground game makes for a better all-around experience. However, if you end up on the ground with a fighter who isn’t traditionally great at fighting from their backs, you’re in for a long night.
While UFC 5 has all of the visuals correct, there are still some in the gaming community who felt it didn’t improve much upon the last game. Even with the improved face damage animations, slow-motion knockouts, and other tweaks, fans felt like this was a retread of UFC 4 with a prettier face. I don’t quite agree as the Career mode is far more involved than before and there are notable improvements to make this a pure simulation-style fighting game.
UFC 5 is built for devout fans of combat sports even as the UFC and MMA overall are firmly in the mainstream with major sports network coverage. It helps to come into this game with some knowledge of the sport and an openness to learning the intricacies of the gameplay. If you can embrace the massive landscape of ways to play, this title is worth picking up the sticks for.
Learn more about UFC 5 here.
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Photo: EA Sports
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Source: picture alliance / Getty / Amazon
Word on the e-streets is that Amazon is looking to open a low-cost storefront to rival Temu. We just hope that if this is true, the products will be of good quality.
Website The Information (yes, that is the actual name) has seen internal information sent to Amazon merchants detailing the price caps of some of the products for the new low-cost storefront.
According to the website, prices are $8 for jewelry, $9 for bedding, $13 for guitars, and $20 for sofas. Everything under this new “Low-Cost Store” ships from its fulfillment center in Guangdong, China.
While you will be getting items for the low-low, don’t expect them to come at the breakneck delivery speeds you have grown accustomed to from Amazon. The Information reports that the new storefront will have slower shipping timelines of nine to 11 days, but sellers will be charged lower fulfillment fees.
Per Engadget:
A seller would be charged between $1.77 and $2.05 to ship a 4-8 ounce item through the Low-Cost Store, compared with a $2.67 to $4.16 charge for an item of that weight shipped under Fulfillment by Amazon from a domestic warehouse, according to The Information.
Amazon has not set price limits on its eponymous online storefront, so this new platform will be a markedly different strategy from its usual approach. It’s more in line with the pricing policy followed by Temu, which launched in 2022.
In its two years of existence, Temu has earned a reputation for selling items of poor quality; Amazon can swoop in and take control of another market if it delivers the same goods but with better quality.
We shall see what happens.
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Source: ODD ANDERSEN / Getty / Elon Musk
Elon Musk is currently out here stumping for Trump and giving money to those who sign up for his Super PAC. Due to a new lawsuit, he may have to dig even deeper into his pockets.
Spotted on The Verge, one of the production companies behind the 2017 film Blade Runner 2049, feels Elon Musk, who is honestly just the Donald Trump of tech, ripped off the movie for his robotaxi event.
On Monday, October 21, LA-based production company Alcon Entertainment slapped Phony Stark, his company Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging the use of an AI image generator to create promotional art for the We, Robot event that resembles stills from Blade Runner 2049.
According to Alcon, who also owns the copyright to Blade Runner 2049, WBD and Tesla decided to slide them a request to use imagery from the film just hours ahead of the We, Robot event on October 10 that conveniently took place on the Warner Bros. lot in California.
The website notes that because this event was live-streamed internationally, Alcon directly had to provide clearance for the images, even though Warner Bros. owns some licensing rights to Blade Runner 2049.
Per The Verge:
“Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech, into account,” Alcon’s suit explains. “Alcon did not want BR2049 to be affiliated with Musk, Tesla, or any Musk company, for all of these reasons.”
Despite Alcon’s refusal, however, Tesla allegedly decided to feed shots from Blade Runner 2049 into an AI image generator to create “a lightly stylized fake screen still screen” which was displayed prominently during the We, Robot presentation.
The Verge also reports that Musk mentioned Blade Runner while describing sci-fi interpretations of the future. The live stream cut to a photo of a man wearing a trench coat standing in front of a dusty apocalyptic cityscape, basically the entire look of Blade Runner 2049.
This is not the first time Elon Musk and his company have been accused of copying someone else’s style. During the same event, the director of I Robot, Alex Proyas, accused Musk of swagger-jacking his designs, a claim many people on X, formerly Twitter, quickly made.
So, these latest accusations don’t shock us at all.
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty / Amazon October Prime Day
It’s Prime Day again, specifically for Amazon Prime members. Luckily, we are here to help you find some tech-related deals.
Amazon is looking out for Prime members and wants to help you get a leg up on your holiday shopping lists, specifically for the techie and gamer in your life.
Beginning on October 8 and ending on October 9, Amazon slashes prices on headphones, earbuds, gaming headphones, smart televisions, and games. So, the last two days have definitely been good days to be an Amazon Prime member, and if you’re not, it’s not too late to become one to take advantage of the deals we are about to list below.
Wireless Headphones & Earbuds
Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Are you looking for a new pair of wireless headphones or buds? There are plenty to choose from right now. Here are some of the best deals on Amazon.
Gaming Headsets
Source: SteelSeries / SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Headphones
Outside of controllers, televisions, and monitors, gamers need headsets to lock in and secure the W. Thankfully, there are some great options available on Amazon at great prices.
Video Games
Source: EA Sports / Tiburon / EA Sports Madden NFL 25
There aren’t many games getting that Prime Big Day Deal treatment, but there are some bangers worth adding to the gamer in your life or your personal collection.
Smart TVs
Source: JUNG YEON-JE / Getty
Now is a better time than ever to get a new smart television. Below are some hot deals.
Happy shopping.