Chrome Central

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Twitter Testing 'Original Tweeter' Tag to Identify Who Started a Thread

http://bit.ly/2AVIlTh

Twitter is testing a new feature it hopes will make it easier for users to work out who started a thread.

The new tag, which has begun appearing for some users of the platform, identifies the "original tweeter" in a thread.

Twitter hopes the feature will make it easier to distinguish accounts that pretend to be the person who started a thread, which may also help prevent certain types of abuse on the platform.

Twitter confirmed the experiment to TechCrunch, and said that it had rolled out the feature to a "small percentage" of iOS and Android users.

"Twitter's purpose is to serve the public conversation. As part of this work, we're exploring adding more context to discussions by highlighting relevant replies – like those from the original Tweeter," Twitter's director of product management Sara Haider told TechCrunch in a statement.

The "original tweeter" tag appears to be the latest fruits of the company's new beta app, in which a select group of users gain get access to new features within a standalone app, where they can test and talk about them with others.

Twitter is using what it learns from the beta app to decide whether to make the tests part of full-blown product features for its wider user base.

The first beta is focusing on testing a new design for the way conversation threads work on Twitter. New interface elements currently under review include a different color scheme and visual cues to highlight important replies.

Tag: Twitter

This article, "Twitter Testing 'Original Tweeter' Tag to Identify Who Started a Thread" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2S70Oq2

BSNL to Offer Data Connectivity Services Through SMS, Revises Rs.99 Prepaid Recharge Plan

via News – MySmartPrice http://bit.ly/2TeXXsw

Honor View 20: Top 5 Features that Make It the Best Flagship Killer of 2019

via News – MySmartPrice http://bit.ly/2R9Vz4r

Macintosh Turns 35

http://bit.ly/2RMVpoI

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs unveiling the original Macintosh.

Jobs pulled the Macintosh out of a bag during Apple's annual shareholders meeting on January 24, 1984 at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, grinning from ear to ear as the crowd erupted in applause.

Macintosh's very first words:

Hello, I'm Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag.

Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I'd like to share with you a maxim I thought of the first time I met an IBM mainframe: NEVER TRUST A COMPUTER YOU CAN'T LIFT!

Obviously, I can talk, but right now I'd like to sit back and listen. So, it is with considerable pride that I introduce a man who's been like a father to me… STEVE JOBS.

Two days earlier, Apple teased the Macintosh's introduction with its iconic "1984" ad during Super Bowl XVIII on CBS:

And here's a lesser-known video of Jobs introducing the Macintosh to the Boston Computer Society on January 30, 1984:

Tags: Steve Jobs, Macintosh

This article, "Macintosh Turns 35" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2CD8Ahv

Apple Cuts 200+ Employees From 'Project Titan' Autonomous Car Team

http://bit.ly/2ve9mRb

Apple this week removed more than 200 employees from its autonomous car team, known internally as "Project Titan," reports CNBC.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to CNBC, but said that Apple continues to believe there is a "huge opportunity" with autonomous systems. According to the statement provided, some of the former Project Titan employees have been moved to other parts of the company.

"We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple. As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple," the spokesperson said.

"We continue to believe there is a huge opportunity with autonomous systems, that Apple has unique capabilities to contribute, and that this is the most ambitious machine learning project ever," they added.

In August, Apple hired former Tesla lead engineer Doug Field to lead Project Titan alongside Bob Mansfield, and the employee dismissals this week were reportedly not a surprise, but rather expected restructuring under the new leadership.

Apple began work on Project Titan in 2014, and at the time, rumors suggested the company was working to develop an electric vehicle at a secret location near its Cupertino headquarters.

Leadership issues, internal strife, and other problems impacted the development of the car, and in 2016, new information suggested Apple had shelved its plans for a car to instead focus on an autonomous driving system.

The hiring of Field, who was once Apple's VP of Mac hardware before he went to Tesla, has, however, been seen as a sign that Apple is again developing a full autonomous vehicle.

Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts the company's product plans, also believes that an Apple Car is in development with a targeted launch date between 2023 and 2025. With the new restructuring of the project, though, Apple's ultimate autonomous driving plans are unclear, and this could be a sign that a full Apple Car is once again off the table.

Apple has been testing autonomous driving software out on the roads of Cupertino since early 2017, and it has developed a self-driving shuttle service to transport Apple employees between various office locations in Silicon Valley.

In June 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed Apple's work on autonomous driving software, an unusual step as Apple does not often share details on products that are still under development.

"We're focusing on autonomous systems," said Cook. "It's a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects."

Related Roundup: Apple Car

This article, "Apple Cuts 200+ Employees From 'Project Titan' Autonomous Car Team" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2T7f2UY