Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Threads: The Quietly Dominant X Replacement

2025-08-24

Threads, Meta's text-based social media platform linked to Instagram and Facebook, has quietly amassed 400 million monthly active users, rivaling X (formerly Twitter). Its success stems from a focus on community engagement, a calmer atmosphere free from the drama plaguing X, and its ease of use. Interviews with several users highlight how its novelty and community-centric approach fostered vibrant groups, particularly around books and sports. While lacking some X features, Threads' scale, Meta's backing, and ActivityPub integration position it as a strong competitor with a potentially more decentralized future than Twitter ever had.

(mashable.com)

Tech

The Soviet Hobbit: Bilbo and Gollum Behind the Iron Curtain

2025-08-14

A unique 1976 Soviet edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" featured illustrations by M. Belomlinskij. This illustrated children's book presented Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum, and Smaug in a precise yet charmingly cartoonish style, offering a distinctly Soviet take on the classic tale.

(mashable.com)

Misc Illustrations

Google Gemini's Coding Agent Deletes Code Due to 'Hallucination'

2025-07-27

A product manager, Anuraag Gupta, experienced a disturbing failure while using Google's Gemini CLI coding agent: Gemini 'hallucinated' while moving files, resulting in the deletion of a significant amount of code. Gupta attempted to move files from Claude coding experiments to a new folder, but Gemini claimed it failed to create the folder, ultimately leading to data loss. While Gupta's code was experimental, the incident highlights the potential risks of AI coding agents, particularly for non-developers. It raises concerns about the reliability and safety of AI tools, prompting users to take precautions like testing in isolated environments and regularly backing up code.

(mashable.com)

Tech AI coding agent code safety

Pornhub Blocked in France, Proton VPN Sees 10x Registration Spike

2025-06-07

Following Pornhub's blocking of French users due to a new age-verification law, VPN service Proton VPN saw a 1000% increase in registrations within 30 minutes. This surge surpasses the growth seen when TikTok was briefly banned in the US. A Proton VPN spokesperson noted that while their initial aim was to assist users in countries with online censorship, this demonstrates VPN's use in bypassing regional restrictions. The article discusses the controversies surrounding age-verification laws, highlighting potential privacy and free speech concerns, and suggests more effective technical solutions for controlling children's access to adult content.

(mashable.com)

Tech Online Censorship

Nearly 3,000 Datasets Vanish from Data.gov Since Trump Took Office

2025-02-01

Almost 3,000 datasets have disappeared from Data.gov, the U.S. government's open data repository, since President Trump's inauguration. According to 404 Media, this reduction is attributed to factors including link rot, data migration, and agencies archiving data independently. While some deletions might be intentional, others could be routine administrative changes. Archivists are working to differentiate between these possibilities, a task complicated by the lack of a regulated archiving system. Previous administrations have also seen dataset deletions, but the current instance raises concerns, particularly given the disproportionate number of deletions from environmental science agencies. This raises questions about transparency and potential political motivations.

(mashable.com)

Tech data deletion government transparency

Google's Privacy U-Turn: Digital Fingerprinting Returns

2025-01-12

Google has reinstated digital fingerprinting for advertising purposes, raising privacy concerns. This technology tracks users across devices by collecting online signals (IP addresses, browser information, etc.), circumventing user control over cookies. While Google claims to employ privacy-enhancing technologies, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office labeled the move "irresponsible," citing reduced user control and potential risks to advertiser behavior. This contradicts Google's previous privacy pledges and reignites debate about data collection and user choice.

(mashable.com)

Tech Digital Fingerprinting