Tech

Tesla Recalls Nearly 400,000 Vehicles, Implies Faulty Self-Driving Beta Software

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On Thursday, Tesla recalled 362,758 vehicles, claiming that the software controlling the company’s self-drive feature may cause crashes. The Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta is what allows Tesla owners to take their hands off of the wheel. The most alluring feature of this developing software is its ability to navigate through urban streets. However, nearly 400k of these vehicles may be negatively affected by faulty software. The bug specifically affects the 2016-2023 Model S and Model X, the 2017-2023 Model 3, and the 2020-2023 Model Y.

In a recall report posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, this error could cause vehicles to “act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.” The recall notice also noted troubles with picking up on “changes in posted speed limits.” Additionally Tesla will accordingly update the software with their “over-the-air” response.

Tesla’s Will Deliver Over-The-Air Update

Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building on February 03, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Closing arguments have wrapped up in the trial where investors are suing Tesla and Elon Musk, its chief executive officer, over his August 2018 tweets where he said he was taking Tesla private with funding that he secured. The tweet was found to be false and cost shareholders billions of dollars when Tesla’s stock price began to fluctuate wildly allegedly based on the tweet. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The FSD Beta feature is only available to Tesla owners who subscribe to the FSD program. According to CNBC, this program has a $15,000 upfront payment, with a $ 199-a-month payment. The software is still experimental and hasn’t been fully “de-bugged.” Correspondingly, prospective program members must complete a safe-driving analysis before being able to test out this feature. CEO Elon Musk reported in Tesla’s previous earnings call, “As of now, we’ve deployed Full Self-Driving Beta to — for city streets — to roughly 400,000 customers in North America. This is a huge milestone for autonomy as FSD Beta is the only way any consumer can actually test the latest AI-powered autonomy.”

Considering the safety risks posed by a still-in-development software, Twitter users are in shock about Tesla’s recall notice. Specifically, frustration arose with the usage of “recall,” especially given that the fix featured an over-the-air update. On Thursday, Musk took to twitter to respond to the verbiage confusion. He tweeted, “the word ‘recall’ for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong!” Even with such chaos ensuing within Tesla, its stocks quickly recuperated from a 1% drop this week.

Twitter Reacts:

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Cardi B Reacts To Instagram’s New GIF Feature, Says “The Twitter Ghettos” Is Where It Belongs

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In order to keep up with their competitors, social media platforms are constantly launching new updates in hopes of satisfying current users and attracting new ones. In particular, Instagram has released several over the years that have helped elevate their platform. Among them are borrowing Snapchat’s concept of Stories to keeping up with TikTok via Reels. Most recently, they’re attempting to introduce GIFs in an exciting way.

Users have already been able to send the animated images back and forth in their DMs. Now, IG will allow them to respond to both Stories and feed posts with them. This feature is already popular on Twitter, where many use GIFs to their comedic advantage. According to Cardi B, Elon Musk’s app may be where the antics should stay.

On Friday (February 16) evening, the New Yorker wrote, “I know them GIFs ain’t hitting like they hit in the Twitter ghettos.” Her tweet has since earned nearly 7K likes, as well as hundreds of replies agreeing with her. “They need to be original and stick to comments only,” one fan account said.

In response to that, another page chimed in, “Instagram is NEVER original. They don’t know if they want to be TikTok or Twitter [at this point].” Elsewhere, someone else pointed out that IG hasn’t hit the same since they began prioritizing video content. “It’s so ghetto, Instagram needs to go back to pictures!” they demanded.

She’s obviously not be loving Instagram’s newest feature. Still, her followers on the app certainly ate up Cardi’s Super Bowl weekend outfits. During her time on stage, the mother of two put on a tantalizing display in a revealing metallic mini-dress. She also stepped out in Chanel and a pair of Loubitons on game day, though that look wasn’t exactly practical for the event.

Cardi B attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald & Craig Kallman at The Beverly Hilton on February 04, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

On her Story last weekend, the rap diva posted a comedic clip of her and Offset awkwardly running through an Arizona parking lot. At the time, they were attempting to catch Rihanna’s Halftime Show, though Bardi’s footwear proved to be something of a problem. Read more about that here, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

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TikTok’s SoundOn Partners with Snoop Dogg to Bring Death Row Catalog Exclusively to TikTok

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Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records have teamed up with TikTok’s SoundOn to exclusively provide the legendary Death Row library to the TikTok audience for one week before its DSP release.

It has been a year since the storied catalog was accessible. SoundOn, TikTok’s all-in-one artist platform for music distribution, development, and promotion, will distribute the catalog in this groundbreaking collaboration.

Your favorite creators can now use the label’s well-known tracks, such as “Gin and Juice” and “Ain’t No Fun,” as the soundtrack to their most recent dance, dish, or narrative. The venerable studio albums Doggystyle and The Doggfather by Snoop Dogg are included in the recently made catalog. Via the TikTok Sounds Page, creators will also have access to a special playlist that was put together in collaboration with Death Row Records.

“I’m excited for y’all, because Death Row Records is back up for you to enjoy. You can go get that playlist right now and you can listen to any song you want off the catalogue strictly on TikTok… Tell ’em Snoop Dogg sent you.”

– Snoop Dogg via Tiktok

The post TikTok’s SoundOn Partners with Snoop Dogg to Bring Death Row Catalog Exclusively to TikTok appeared first on The Source.

Fourth Aerial Object Shot Down Over North America, Lawmakers Demand Answers

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Much of this past weekend was spent preparing for the Super Bowl. Outside of the world of sports and entertainment, though, several aerial objects have been shot down across North America over the past few days. As The Hill reports, Sunday (February 12) found the U.S. military removing the third unidentified item from the sky in just three days.

At this time, details surrounding the incidents are sparse. Still, several lawmakers are using their platforms to hold the government accountable in offering up an explanation. “There’s been space junk, weather balloons, spy balloons, and military advancements for years,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on Twitter yesterday afternoon. “All of [the] sudden world superpowers are shooting unidentified objects down. This looks like a testing of military prowess.”

Later on, the far right-conspiracy theorist added, “Lack of evidence and briefings are extremely noticeable.” Her message came shortly after the fourth object in recent weeks was shot down over Lake Huron. Officials confirmed that the mission was successful during a briefing. They noted that the item was first spotted on Saturday. It came down because it was posing a threat to civilian aviation.

The first incident, involving a Chinese spy balloon, saw President Joe Biden order the floating device’s removal from the Carolina coast last Saturday. Following that, a “high-altitude object” was hovering over Alaska on Friday (February 10). The military promptly shot it down. The next day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave NORAD direction to shoot down a similar object found over the Yukon territory.

At this time, the general public is searching for more answers. Specifically, they want to know the origin of the aerial objects and their intention. Finally, others are asking why their appearances have become so frequent lately. Rep. Matt Rosendale is among lawmakers pushing for an explanation.

“Members of Congress must have more timely and accurate information so we can keep our constituents informed. DOD — where are you?” he wrote to the Department of Defense. Elsewhere, two Michigan Reps – Debbie Dingell and Lisa McClain – have been equally voicing their concerns online as well. “The increasing incidents of unidentified objects, the latest over Lake Huron in Michigan airspace, are disturbing,” the former says.

She went on to demand, “We need the facts about where they are originating from. What their purpose is, and why their frequency is increasing.” As for the latter, she told followers, “I have been keeping a close eye on the military’s actions over the Great Lakes today. Our state, and the entire country, deserve answers to what happened, and I will ensure we get them.”

U.S. President Joe Biden gives remarks before the start of a meeting with governors visiting from states around the country in the East Room of the White House on February 10, 2023 in Washington, DC (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Additionally, Biden’s Administration is facing criticism for their silence on the objects. Late yesterday evening, the DOD reportedly held a press call. Still, the Pentagon hasn’t given any assessment of the unusual item’s origin. It’s worth noting that General Glen VanHerck, NORAD commander, has made it clear that he’s not ruling out the possibility of extraterrestrial activity.

As of Sunday, he is unaware of any other objects causing concern within the U.S. airspace. What are your thoughts on the situation? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more news updates.

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From Escobar to Investo-bar: Investments by Nas Continue to Run Up His Net Worth

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Nas is known for arguably being one of the greater rappers of our time. However, in the past few years, Nas has added a different title to his name, that of a tech investor. Nas has invested in over 40 companies as a founding partner of Queensbridge Venture Partners. Queensbridge Venture Partners is a venture capital firm created by the rapper and his manager, Anthony Saleh. Nas said he decided to get involved in tech investments because he wanted “to be surrounded by the smartest people in the world.”

Nas has quite an impressive investment profile. Here are some of the companies he has invested in, along with their valuations: Dropbox- $10 billion valuation, Lyft- $5.5 billion valuation, Tilt- $400 million valuation, and Robinhood-raised $50 million in Series B. He was also an early investor in Ring, the smart doorbell company. After Amazon acquired Ring, he made $40 million, following Ring’s $415 million in sales in 2018. Nas was also an early investor in Coinbase, an online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing cryptocurrency. His stake is now worth $40 million. 

Earlier this year, Nas teamed up with Google to raise $20 million in financial banking for Carry1st, a South African gaming company. SpongeBob, Mine Rescue, and Match League are just a few of the games released by Carry1st. In an interview with THR, Carry1st co-founder and CEO Cordel Robbin-Coker said, “We’re excited to partner with this world-class group of investors who, in addition to capital, bring expertise across gaming, fintech, and web3. In 2021, we launched multiple games and digital commerce solutions, achieving really strong growth. Together we can accelerate this growth and achieve our goal of becoming the leading consumer internet company in the region.”

At this rate, it does not look like the Queensbridge rapper is slowing down any time soon, and we are here for it. 

The post From Escobar to Investo-bar: Investments by Nas Continue to Run Up His Net Worth appeared first on The Source.

TikTok Celebrates Black History Month with First-Ever Visionary Voices List

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TikTok unveiled their first-ever Visionary Voices list, which honors Black creatives, small business owners, and culture changemakers on TikTok, as well as #BlackTikTok programming and initiatives to commemorate Black History Month, such as special guest and album playlists, a week-long #womeninhiphop celebration, and more!

The #BlackTikTok community is at the vanguard of culture and creativity, from creating viral dances and sounds to teaching neglected Black history and celebrating Black Joy through music, fashion, wellness, and more. TikTok honors #BlackTikTok this Black History Month and throughout the year to highlight the impact this community has had on culture as large.

TikTok celebrates Black History Month by highlighting the innovators, changemakers, and small companies at the forefront of #BlackTikTok and culture in general. Our festivities will feature the release of our first Visionary Voices list, the third edition of our Visionary Voices Media Salon series, Black music playlists, LIVE programming, and more.

You can learn about the creators below.

@_itzpsyiconic_ (Houston, TX) – On TikTok, Kelon has constructed an entire universe (dubbed the “Terriverse”) of complete disorder. Kelon has delivered smiles to his devoted followers nightly on TikTok LIVE while portraying his infamous personas Terri Joe, Jeorgia Peach, and Amethyst Jade. His material is not for the faint of heart, but it guarantees a good time and a good chuckle.

@cozy.games (San Francisco, CA) – Kennedy is a game developer and lifestyle designer that focuses on infusing warmth into all facets of life. With inspirational content and game recommendations, she hopes to invite more individuals into the “cozy” side of the gaming community.

@emmanuel.uddenberg (Toronto, Canada) – Emmanuel Uddenberg is a TikTok creator from Toronto who mixes his love of fashion and creativity via his films. His taste in minimalism and modern aesthetics, as well as his laid-back manner, pervade his account, creating a tranquil atmosphere for individuals looking for everyday style inspiration.

@kahlilgreene (New York, NY) – Kahlil Greene, dubbed the “Gen Z Historian,” is a digital educator best known for his Hidden History series, which delves into instances of American injustice. Kahlil is a Yale University alumnus who served as the college’s first Black president in its 318-year existence. His purpose is to provide young people with a knowledge of why American society runs the way it does through commentary on US politics and culture.

@xoxoemira (New York, NY) – Kahlil Greene, dubbed the “Gen Z Historian,” is a digital educator best known for his Hidden History series, which delves into instances of American injustice. Kahlil is a Yale University alumnus who served as the college’s first Black president in its 318-year existence. His purpose is to provide young people with a knowledge of why American society runs the way it does through commentary on US politics and culture.

@chikybomreal (Miami, FL) – Chikybombom, Lisette Eduardo, is a social media celebrity, businesswoman, and media influencer. She is originally from the Dominican Republic and is one of the most well-known internet personalities, with over 10.3 million netizens following her on TikTok.

@icespicee (New York, NY) – “You thought I was feelin you?” has become a popular line on social media, thanks to Bronx rapper/singer Ice Spice. That question was first addressed by the 23-year-old rising singer on her viral song “Munch (Feelin’ U),” and it has been up ever since. While Ice Spice is steadily rising through the ranks as the First Lady of Bronx Drill, she has much more in store for her—crossing genres and expanding her reach beyond New York City.

@keith_lee125 (Las Vegas, NV) – Keith Lee is a creative based in Las Vegas, Nevada who utilizes his platform to spotlight small-owned and family-run businesses that may have excellent food and service but are not widely known. He uses his meal review method to deliver his honest opinion while doing one of his favorite things: eating.

@lynaevanee (Atlanta, GA) – Lynae Vanee, a two-time NAACP Image Award nominee, is an Atlanta-based poet, producer, director, and starring performer. Lynae, a Spelman College and Boston University graduate with a Master of Arts in African American Studies, uses her digital platforms to discuss race, feminism, politics, and inclusivity.

@maiyathedon (New York, NY) – Maiya The Don is a Brooklyn-bred Hip Hop artist known for her huge personality and braggadocious punchlines, and she’s on a mission to make everyone feel as confident as she does. Maiya, a 20-year-old makeup artist and beauty maker on TikTok, is soaring to prominence with her new single “Telfy,” which pays homage to Black-Owned fashion brand Telfar.

@brandonblackwoodnyc (Brooklyn, NY) – Brandon Blackwood was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and is the Founder, Creative Director, and CEO of his own brand. He is a first-generation American born to Jamaican and Chinese parents, and he founded Brandon Blackwood NYC in 2015, which is heavily influenced by his personal life, since each bag is named after his family, close friends, or places he has lived. He was also nominated for a CFDA Award for Best Accessory Designer recently, and his brand has subsequently grown into eyeglasses, outerwear, and footwear.

@danessamyricksbeauty (Bethpage, NY) – Danessa Myrick’s has been a celebrated makeup artist and educator for over 25 years. Her multi-use products enable beauty lovers of all skin tones and skill levels to create, modify, and explore a world of beauty without borders.

@juicybodygoddess (Charlotte, NC) – Summer Lucille is a Charlotte, NC-based creator and entrepreneur that blends her love of fashion and developing women’s confidence through TikTok videos. She tells people that they are appreciated and encourages everyone to love their size, belly, and body, regardless of size or weight.

@spicekitchengrill (Brentwood, MD) – Olumide Shokubi, the founder and proprietor of Spice Kitchen, is a first-generation Nigerian-American committed to reforming, educating, and empowering Black people globally. General Manager Marcus Bryan seeks to promote the beauty of Black cuisine by sharing the jewel that is West African street food with the globe through creative videos on TikTok.

@urbandessertlab (New York, NY) – Urban Dessert Lab, the World’s First Oat-Milk Ice Crème Shoppe, was founded by Courtney B. and Zan B.R. The duo has a cult following and nationwide media and celebrity recognition for their plant-based concoctions, which include artisanal soft serve, hard scoop ice crème, cakes, toppings, and mix-ins, with a location in New York City and a second one coming soon to West Hollywood, CA. Zan and Courtney regularly collaborate with organizations that raise awareness about social justice problems and use TikTok as a platform for community interaction, involvement, and the sharing of delectable content.

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Audiomack and MTV Base Partner for Enhancement of Music and Entertainment Accessibility for Africans

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Audiomack and MTV Base Partner for Enhancement of Music and Entertainment Accessibility for Africans

In keeping with its commitment to fostering the development of music in Africa, Audiomack has teamed up with MTV Base, one of the major youth entertainment channels on the continent. This collaboration will improve listeners’ access to quality music material while raising awareness of African musicians all throughout the continent.

The strategic alliance has been created as an editorial partnership with the goal of integrating the curatorial voice and programming of MTV Base into the Audiomack platform throughout Africa. This significant agreement, which will first concentrate on the Nigerian Afrobeats scene, will deepen partnerships between all parties involved in the music ecosystem, including listeners and musicians.

Charlotte Bwana, Director of Brands and Media Partnerships at Audiomack Africa, praised the undeniable expansion of the African music industry in recent years and emphasized the significance of alliances like this in ensuring accessibility and variety in meeting music listeners’ expectations in her remarks on this admirable partnership.

“The African music industry has experienced iconic and undeniable growth in the last few years, and this has done more to refine the expectations of listeners in terms of access to optimal music entertainment,” Bwana said. “In this regard, as the leading music streaming platform within the African continent, we understand that the satisfaction of our listeners’ demands is paramount, and we are constantly seeking new avenues and strategic partnerships to create value for the community.

“The collaboration with MTV Base, a renowned youth-driven African entertainment platform, will ensure that we satisfy our listeners’ demand for quality music entertainment, as MTV Base’s Music programs like Official Naija Top 10 (ONTT),  amongst others will be available on Audiomack as playlists. These will also give artists the chance to be featured as playlist covers, and as a result, offer an increased opportunity in marketing efforts for African artists across both platforms which forms an integral part of our commitments.”

Busola Komolafe, Channel Manager at Paramount added, “We are excited about our partnership with Audiomack Africa as this will advance our mission of bringing premium music entertainment to our audiences. We strongly believe that this strategic collaboration will not only allow our audiences to listen to the best music wherever they are, whenever they want but will also give artists and other players within the music ecosystem a unique opportunity for their music to reach more youth across the African continent.”

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Creators Watch Out: Buzzfeed To Use AI To Create Content

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BuzzFeed says it will use AI tools provided by ChatGPT creator, OpenAI, to “enhance” and “personalize” its content, according to a memo sent by CEO Jonah Perett to his staff. Buzzfeed is a news and entertainment website that covers many topics, including politics, business, food, music, sports, and the latest technology. ChatGPT is an extensive language model chatbot developed by OpenAI that has a remarkable ability to interact in conversational dialogue form and provide responses that can appear surprisingly human. OpenAI gained attention from industry leaders and investors and has been used to write high school and even create legal documents.

 CEO Jonah Peretti said AI would play a relatively significant role in the company’s operations. “To be clear, we see the breakthroughs in AI opening up a new era of creativity that will allow humans to harness creativity in new ways with endless opportunities and applications for good,” he said.   Peretti elaborated that the technology will be used to create quizzes and assist in personalizing content specific to its audience. Experts foresee the technology enhancing the quality of many jobs while taking over administrative tasks and replacing some workers.  

BuzzFeed will not be the first journalism platform to use artificial intelligence. CNET, an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, and podcasts, has been using an AI tool to generate reports that human editors later scan for accuracy before publication.

Last month, the company said it would cut about 12% of its workforce to rein in costs. The hope is that implementing this AI technology will assist in growing and energizing the business. Buzzfeed recently reported a net loss of $27 million in revenue.

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TikTok Confirms Employees Can Decide What Goes ‘Viral’

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Going viral on social media isn’t as organic as you think — at least not on TikTok.

It was confirmed over the week that TikTok’s U.S. employees could determine what goes “viral” on the social media platform, Forbes confirms. Claims of the ability surfaced with the announcement of the new “heating” feature that can help introduce emerging influencers on the platform.

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Jamie Favazza, a spokesperson for TikTok, told Forbes that increasing views to particular videos isn’t the only reason for heating. TikTok will also “promote some videos to help diversify the content experience,” he said.

Favazza also suggests TikTok doesn’t do it that often, claiming only “.002% of videos in For You feeds” are heated. According to an internal document obtained by Forbes, however, heated videos reportedly make up “around 1-2 percent” of “total daily video views.”

MORE: Remember When They Wanted to Ban TikTok? It’s Already Starting To Happen

Rumors of the ability to boost videos have been circulating for years. Facebook, the parent company of TikTok, allegedly knew it was showing inflated view counts and didn’t fix it right away to help entice advertisers and media companies to its platform.

The report comes as TikTok is facing heavy competition from platforms like YouTube and Instagram. TikTok’s lack of transparency around heating makes it hard to tell which videos got to the top organically.

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Instagram Set to Debut New ‘Quiet Mode’ Feature

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Instagram Set to Debut New 'Quiet Mode' Feature

On Thursday, Instagram announced its latest feature, “quiet mode,” geared to help users focus and set boundaries with their followers.

The feature will send automatic replies to followers who try to message you letting them know you were not notified of their message. Additionally, the profile’s activity status will change to alert followers that quiet mode has been turned on. This update is one of several changes on Instagram today, including expanded parental control tools and other tools to manage recommendations. Its parental controls allow parents to filter out posts with specific words in their captions and hashtags. Instagram had already allowed users to filter out DMs with a self-made list of potentially harmful or offensive content. Still, the expanded filtering option will enable users to tailor their feeds more granularly than before.

While anyone can access this feature, the company said it would prompt teen users to enable it if they use the app late at night. Social media addiction is a behavioral disorder in which young adults become so addicted to social media and cannot reduce or cease their online media consumption despite clear negative consequences and severe drawbacks. According to CNN, US teens spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, and tweens spend nearly five hours, a new report finds, and that doesn’t include time spent using screens for school and homework.

Instagram is one of the world’s top social platforms, with at least 1.440 billion users worldwide as of July 2022. Quiet mode will initially be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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