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Earn Your Scroll: New App Makes You Walk To Unlock Social Media Earn Your Scroll: New App Makes You Walk To Unlock Social Media
Earn Your Scroll: New App Makes You Walk To Unlock Social Media A new app is fighting against doomscrolling and helping users get active by turning steps into screen time. Steppin' blocks you from using certain apps unless you walk a certain number of daily steps. The app was founded by Boston entrepreneur Paul English, who's also a co-founder of travel search engine Kayak.com. Steppin' rewards physical activity by tying screen time to movement. For every 100 steps, users earn one minute of access to restricted apps, including social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, as well as other platforms like Netflix. The app's settings are fully …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports
Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports Meta will cut thousands of employees in the latest move for the controversial company that owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, according to reports. An internal memo sent to Meta workers said five percent of low-performing employees will be terminated, Bloomberg News reported. The company that also owns WhatsApp and Threads has more than 72,000 employees, according to Meta's most recent quarterly report. A five-percent reduction would mean about 3,600 people could lose their jobs. "I've decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says
Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says Meta is dismantling its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S. and aims to bring back political content as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the company said. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes in a video statement on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, will replace its fact-checking program with a Community Notes system similar to the one implemented on X (formerly Twitter). Zuckerberg said the new system's goal is to reduce bias and restore free expression. "Fact-checkers have be…

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by Chris Spiker
News
ChatGPT Goes Down, X Users Coming In Hot With Memes ChatGPT Goes Down, X Users Coming In Hot With Memes
ChatGPT Goes Down, X Users Coming In Hot With Memes Hours after a Meta outage left Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users in the dark, ChatGPT seems to be following suit. Users of the AI website began experiencing technical difficulties sometime around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11. A message on the website as of 9:20 p.m. reads: "ChatGPT is currently unavailable. Status: Identified - We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix." Naturally, X users had a field day. #ChatGPT is down. Looks like everyone will have to finish their assignments the old fashioned way. pic.twitter.com/68xVq9DNf8 — Xon Kurama (@XonKurama) Decemb…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Meta Outages: Thousands Experiencing Issues With Facebook, Instagram, Other Platforms Meta Outages: Thousands Experiencing Issues With Facebook, Instagram, Other Platforms
Meta Outages: Thousands Experiencing Issues With Facebook, Instagram, Other Platforms Tens of thousands of Meta users are experiencing outages across its platforms. Just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, there were numerous reports of outages on Downdetector.com, including 69,000 on Instagram, over 1,000 on Facebook, and 10,000 on WhatsApp. Meta issued a statement on the outages on X at around 1:45 p.m. "We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps," the statement said. "We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience." We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some use…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Moderation Mess: Meta Admits Harmless Content Often Gets Taken Down Moderation Mess: Meta Admits Harmless Content Often Gets Taken Down
Moderation Mess: Meta Admits Harmless Content Often Gets Taken Down Meta is admitting that harmless content gets taken down amid criticism for its handling of moderation. “Too often, harmless content gets taken down, or restricted, and too many people get penalized unfairly,” the company's president of global affairs, Nick Glegg, told reporters on Monday, Dec. 2, according to a report in The Verge. Meta's platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. Despite advancements in AI moderation, Clegg acknowledged there is still “work to do” in ensuring fair and accurate enforcement, the report said. Meta has promised to refine its…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
'Not What We Voted For:' Kamala Harris Delivers Concession Speech After Losing To Trump 'Not What We Voted For:' Kamala Harris Delivers Concession Speech After Losing To Trump
'Not What We Voted For:' Kamala Harris Delivers Concession Speech After Losing To Trump Vice President Kamala Harris has addressed the nation for the first time after losing the 2024 Presidential Election to Donald Trump at her alma mater, Howard University. "The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for not what we voted for," the vice president said. "but hear me when I say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright." Harris urged her supporters to keep fighting before saying, "We must accept the results of this election." The veep said that she spoke to Trump and congratulated him on his victory, "and told him we will help him and h…

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by Zak Failla & Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Threat To School In Region Leads To Arrest Threat To School In Region Leads To Arrest
Threat To School In Region Leads To Arrest One person has been charged in connection with an alleged threat of a shooting at a school in the region after an online post was brought to the attention of police by the public.  The incident occurred in Sullivan County on Saturday, Sept. 21, in Fallsburg. According to the Fallsburg Police Department, an arrest was made concerning the threat on Snapchat. Dr. Ivan Katz, the superintendent of schools for the Fallsburg Central School District, said students, parents, and the public also alerted district officials to the threat. "These threats, which mention shooting, are circulating t…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Sweeping Change: Instagram Moves Teens Into Private Accounts 'Guided By Parents' Sweeping Change: Instagram Moves Teens Into Private Accounts 'Guided By Parents'
Sweeping Change: Instagram Moves Teens Into Private Accounts 'Guided By Parents' Millions of teenage Instagram users are being forced into private accounts with enhanced security features aimed at limiting their exposure to harmful content. Meta, the social media platform’s parent company, unveiled its “Teen Accounts” feature on Tuesday, Sept. 17, automatically placing anyone under the age of 18 into a default private account. Teens with a private account must accept new followers and people who don’t follow them can’t see their contact or interact with them. It also comes with strict messaging settings, making it so they can only receive messages from people they foll…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
New Details: Ex-Husband Shot Way Into NY Home Before Killing Woman, Her BF, DA Says New Details: Ex-Husband Shot Way Into NY Home Before Killing Woman, Her BF, DA Says
New Details: Ex-Husband Shot Way Into NY Home Before Killing Woman, Her BF, DA Says Authorities have released new details in the case of a New York couple who were shot to death inside their home. Long Island resident Daniel Coppola, age 50, of St. James, was arraigned on four counts of first-degree murder in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Sept. 6, in the deaths of his ex-wife Kelly Coppola and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman. Suffolk County Police found Mrs. Coppola, age 50, and Pohlman, age 52, dead from gunshot wounds inside their St. James residence on Brasswood Road shortly before midnight on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Earlier Report: Accused Murderer Ranted About Pr…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Salad Pizza Has NYers Divided: ‘Blasphemy’ Salad Pizza Has NYers Divided: ‘Blasphemy’
Salad Pizza Has NYers Divided: ‘Blasphemy’ Forget red sauce or white sauce, thin crust or deep dish — the real question is salad or no salad? On top, that is. New Yorkers are talking after a curious image popped up on the Long Island Foodies Facebook page: a slice of pizza topped with a chicken Caesar salad. “It’s a bad picture, but in your experience, is a salad slice normally on a regular slice?” Sam Marshak asked his fellow foodies. “I’ve never seen this, so just curious what the norm is.” Yes, if you’re like this reporter and didn’t know, “salad pizza” is a thing. The pies are typically made sans the tomato sauce, with either…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
'Run-Down To Remarkable': New Eatery In Capital Region Promises 'Escape From Ordinary' 'Run-Down To Remarkable': New Eatery In Capital Region Promises 'Escape From Ordinary'
'Run-Down To Remarkable': New Eatery In Capital Region Promises 'Escape From Ordinary' A new restaurant in the region promising a "culinary adventure" is garnering positive reviews days after opening. Out of Town Bistro – located in Albany at 258 Lark Street – held its grand opening Saturday, June 29. “Escape the ordinary and embark on a culinary adventure where each dish tells a story of flavors discovered from afar,” reads its Facebook bio. “Out of Town Bistro invites you to explore the world through tantalizing dishes crafted with passion and creativity.” Among the tantalizing dishes that diners can choose from are chicken wings, grilled or fried shrimp, or salmon served …

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by Michael Mashburn