Greytech

Only contacts and those you’ve chatted with will see your status
WhatsApp is rolling out a new privacy measure that hides your “last seen” status from people you don’t know or haven’t chatted with in the app (via WABetaInfo). Previously, WhatsApp set the feature on “Everyone” by default, allowing anyone on WhatsApp to see your status. WhatsApp’s new update limits the visibility of your status to the people you’ve added on the platform, and sets the feature to “My Contacts” by default instead.
In a post on Twitter, a user explains that you may not be able to see other people’s statuses on the platform anymore, and also includes an email from what appears to be WhatsApp support that describes the new feature. “We’re making it harder for people you don’t know and haven’t chatted with from seeing your last seen and online presence on WhatsApp,” the email reads.

The “My Contacts” option for your “last seen” status was already available, but it’s never been the default on the app. It’s also worth noting that WhatsApp already has a “Nobody” option as well, preventing all users from seeing your status. Your status on WhatsApp lets other contacts know when you were online last, or if you’re currently using the app. While this may seem like a harmless way to keep track of your friends and family (and vice versa), WABetaInfo points out that some third-party apps actually exploit this feature.

These apps can aggregate the statuses of certain users, which may enable some to keep a little too close of an eye on others using the platform. Turning on the “My Contacts” options prevents third-party apps from logging your online status, as an app isn’t considered one of your contacts, and therefore, it won’t be able to see your status.

This isn’t the only change WhatsApp is making to its “last seen” status. In November, WABetaInfo found that the messaging app began testing an option, called “My Contacts Except ... which lets users hide their status from certain contacts. WhatsApp has also been working to bolster user privacy by introducing an option to make its disappearing messaging feature the default.
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The latest revelation concerning Tesla’s lax approach to safety

Tesla updated its software allowing vehicle occupants to play video games on the center touchscreen while in motion, raising questions about safety and driver distraction. Previously, video games were only playable while the vehicle was in park.

But according to The New York Times, an over-the-air software update was pushed out last summer enabling the ability to launch some games regardless of whether the car was stationary or not, raising serious concerns about safety.
The Verge confirmed in a Tesla Model 3 that Sky Force Reloaded, Solitaire, and The Battle of Polytopia are playable on the center touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion. A notification asks the player to confirm they aren’t the driver before launching the game, but the message is hardly a deterrent. A driver could easily tap “I AM A PASSENGER” and play a complex action game like Sky Force while in motion.
Some interactive apps in the car worked in motion even before the update, including the drawing pad and the Karaoke mode in music — which also warns the driver not to participate.
A Model 3 owner told the Times that he had filed a complaint to the NHTSA upon discovery of the games being playable while driving in his car. That complaint won’t be a first. Tesla currently has 59 complaints from owners regarding the Model 3.

A spokesperson for NHTSA told Reuters that it was “discussing” the issue of playable video games in moving cars with the company. “Distraction-affected crashes are a concern, particularly in vehicles equipped with an array of convenience technologies such as entertainment screens,” the spokesperson told Reuters. “We are aware of driver concerns and are discussing the feature with the manufacturer.”
Tesla has a reputation for regularly skirting safety rules and ignoring regulator recommendations for improvements. The company offers a version of its Level 2 advanced driver assist system called “Full Self-Driving,” which does not make its vehicles autonomous and requires drivers to stay vigilant while in use.

The US government has taken a renewed interest in Tesla, recently announcing that it was investigating incidents involving Tesla cars operating Autopilot that have crashed into parked emergency vehicles.

NHTSA is also seeking more information from Tesla about the growing public beta test of FSD, the recently launched “Safety Score” evaluation process for entering the program, and the nondisclosure agreements Tesla was making participants sign up until recently.
Touchscreens in vehicles are quickly becoming the norm as manufacturers continue to remove tactile buttons and k***s from their vehicles. Many vehicles are becoming more dangerous as a result. According to a 2019 study, drivers can get distracted and look away from the road for up to 40 seconds per task.

Tesla has pioneered the use of over-the-air software updates in the auto industry, using smartphone-style updates to add features like improved driver assistance to silly Easter eggs like “James Bond mode” to its electric vehicles. The company has also rolled out a whole suite of video games it calls Tesla Arcade (we tried it out on a Model 3 back in 2019).

Tesla has started using an interior camera to monitor drivers for its Full Self-Driving beta program, which allows drivers to use automatic steering, lane-keeping, and adaptive cruise control on local, non-highway streets. But the vast majority of Tesla vehicles do not use any cameras to track driver eye movements to ensure they are keeping their attention on the road.
coutesy: The Verge

Creators have complained about the claims and appeal process
Over 2.2 million YouTube videos were hit with copyright claims that were later overturned between January and June of this year, according to a new report published by the company today. The Copyright Transparency Report is the first of its kind published by YouTube, which says it will update biannually going forward.

The 2.2 million incorrect claims represent less than 1 percent of the more than 729 million total copyright claims issued in the first half of this year, 99 percent of which originated from Content ID, YouTube’s automated enforcement tool. When users disputed these claims, the case was resolved in favor of the uploader of the video 60 percent of the time, according to the report.
Though mistaken copyright claims are a drop in the bucket on a larger scale, YouTube creators have long complained about how the platform handles claims, saying overly aggressive or unjustified enforcement can lead to lost income. Copyright claims can result in videos being blocked, audio being muted, or ad revenue going back to the rights owner. This new report gives shape to a problem that YouTube itself has acknowledged needs updating.

In 2019, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said in a blog post that the company heard the concerns from creators and that YouTube was “exploring improvements in striking the right balance between copyright owners and creators.”

The new report notes that “no system is perfect” and that errors happen even with established guardrails in place to prevent abuse of enforcement mechanisms. “When disputes take place, the process provided by YouTube provides real recourse, and over 60% of these disputes were resolved in favor of the uploader,” the report says.

Its disappearing messages feature is getting an upgrade
WhatsApp is adding new functionality to its disappearing messages feature, which lets users set messages in a chat to automatically be deleted after a set period of time. WhatsApp says users will now have the option to turn on disappearing messages automatically for all their new one-on-one chats, so that all future messages will be automatically deleted from the service.

The Meta-owned messaging service also says it’s giving users more options for how long before a message is deleted. When the feature first launched in November last year, users only had the option of having messages disappear after seven days. Going forward, however, there will also be the option of deleting them after just 24 hours or 90 days. The new functionality was previously reported as being in development by WABetaInfo.
WhatsApp notes that turning on disappearing messages by default won’t affect existing chats. When you start a new one-on-one chat, a notice will appear to say that the disappearing messages feature is turned on, alongside a note that says it’s on by default (so your contacts don’t think it’s anything personal). You also have the option of turning the setting off for individual chats.

Although the new default setting doesn’t affect group chats, WhatsApp says it’s added a new option when creating groups to let you enable the disappearing messages feature.

WhatsApp says the new features are available now across all platforms. Instructions for how to use them3m4 can be found in WhatsApp’s FAQ.