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As TikTok faces the possibility of a ban in the United States, a new study sheds light on the type of accounts US adults follow on the platform. According to the report, published by Pew Research, political content and news are only a small fraction of the accounts US adults follow in the app.

The report is based on an analysis of 227,946 accounts followed by 664 TikTok users who participated in the study. Of those accounts, less than one percent were “politicians, civic actors or traditional media outlets and journalists,” Pew found, noting that “the typical U.S. adult on TikTok follows no accounts in each of these categories.”

Instead, people were more likely to follow accounts that posted about entertainment and pop culture, humor and viral dance clips. “To the extent Americans’ followed accounts discuss politics, it tends to be mixed with other topics,” Pew writes. “Some 43% of all followed accounts that discussed politics or current events during the study period also discussed entertainment and pop culture.”

Pew Research Center

The content of users’ following feeds doesn’t offer a complete picture of what people see on TikTok. The app defaults to the algorithmic “for you” feed, which is made up mainly of recommendations. And even though most users may not choose to follow explicitly political accounts, previous research from Pew found that 45 percent of US TikTok users report seeing “at least some” content about politics or political issues in the app.

The question of what US users see on TikTok has been more closely scrutinized over the last year. Some lawmakers stepped up calls for a ban of the app last fall after TikTok critics used hashtag data to suggest that the app was disproportionately recommending pro-Palestinian content. The company said such takes were the result of “unsound analysis.” TikTok stopped showing view counts for specific hashtags earlier this year.

While Pew’s report doesn’t touch on TikTok’s algorithmic recommendations, the authors note that follows are an important signal for the app. “User interactions with posts from the accounts they follow play a nontrivial role in shaping their For You page,’” the report says. “And studying these followed accounts can give us a better understanding on the content that users actively choose to look for on the platform.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/most-us-tiktok-users-arent-following-political-accounts-study-says-140053492.html?src=rss

A new Kindle is no doubt on the horizon — the latest model, the Kindle Scribe, came out nearly two years ago. And now that other ereader companies, like Kobo and Boox, have color models, Amazon will no doubt want to catch up. That said, an ereader is, at its heart, a method for reading words on a page. All current-model Kindles sport 300-dpi screens, which is the standard and makes text look beautifully crisp. Plus, unlike smartphones or tablets, ereader updates don’t come with a ton of new features that might make an older model feel obsolete. 

In short, any Kindle you buy while it’s on sale for October Prime Day 2024 should still serve you for years of reading to come. Here are the best Prime Day deals you can get on Kindle ereaders. 

October Prime Day 2024 Kindle deals

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Amazon Kindles dominate the ereader market, and right now there are four models to choose from. Of course, a new Kindle is likely on the horizon — rumors suggest as much and the last entry in the lineup came over two years ago. But since ereaders aren’t as tech-heavy as a tablet, the generational bump may not make as much difference. What you buy today should still serve its basic function —displaying crisp text — for years to come. Here are the best Prime Day Kindle deals.

• Amazon Kindle for $80 ($20 off): The base-model ereader is our pick for the best budget ereader you can buy. It’s got a clear, 300-ppi screen, long battery life and a display that’s easy to customize to your reading preferences.

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($25 off): The Paperwhite is an upgraded Kindle, adding a larger display, an adjustable warm light and a waterproof build. The flush-front screen makes page turns easier and a faster processor makes that action speedier, too.

• Amazon Kindle Scribe for $255 ($85 off): You can write as well as read with this tablet. It has a large 10.2-inch display, auto-adjusting warm front light and an auto-rotating display. It comes with the Basic pen so you can use the notebook feature that even converts handwriting to text.

October Prime Day 2024 Kindle Kids deals

Amazon

Kindles geared towards kids are basically the same thing as their “adult” counterparts, but these come with a cover, extended warranty and a free trial of Amazon Kids+ that lets youngsters access kid-friendly audiobooks, stories and more. Plus they don’t have ads on the lock screen (Amazon makes you pay $20 for that concession on the standard devices).

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $115 ($55 off): The kids edition of the upgraded Paperwhite ereader has a flush-front design, waterproof build and warm front lights for late-night reading. It comes with a cover, a two-year warranty and a year of the kids subscription.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-october-prime-day-kindle-deals-are-up-to-48-percent-off-on-amazon-right-now-080333306.html?src=rss

Anker makes some of our favorite charging gear and mobile accessories, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be able to find good discounts on the company’s products during an event like October Prime Day. Whether you’ve been on the hunt for a docking station for your laptop, want a new magnetic wireless charger for your next trip or just need another charging cable to replace the last one you misplaced, Prime Day deals on Anker devices should be able to help. 

We’re seeing some of our favorite Anker accessories on sale for record-low (or close to them) prices. While there’s always the chance that these deals come back around in a month for Black Friday, we recommend grabbing what you want now while the deals are available. These are the best Prime Day deals on Anker gear that we found for October Prime Day.

Prime Day deals on Anker magnetic charging gear

Particularly if you have an iPhone with MagSafe support, magnetic accessories can make charging up your phone even easier. On sale this time around are wireless, magnetic power banks and charging stations that can support multiple devices at once.

• Anker MagGo 10K power bank for $63 ($27 off): This is our current favorite power bank for iPhones in our guide to the best power banks thanks to its Qi2 fast charging, LED display that shows battery percentage and sturdy, built-in kickstand.

• Anker MagGo 3-in-1 foldable charging station for $84 ($26 off): This compact charging station doubles as a power bank for iPhones and can charge up an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods all at the same time.

• Anker MagGo 3-in-1 charging stand for $72 ($28 off): This stand supports an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously, and it comes with a 40W wall charger and a USB-C to C cable which which to connect all the necessary pieces together.

• Anker MagGo 5K power bank for with built-in stand for $35 ($7 off): The built-in kickstand on this battery pack lets you more easily watch videos and otherwise use your phone while it’s powering up.

• Anker MagGo 5K power bank for $30 ($5 off): Attaching this power bank to the back of your iPhone won’t add much bulk, but it will provide a good amount of power when your handset needs it the most.

Prime Day deals on Anker charging cables and adapters

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Prime Day, or any big sale event for that matter, is a good opportunity to pick up a few extra essentials like charging cables while you can get them at a discount. Anker’s offerings right now include deals on USB-C and Lightning cables, along with charging adapters in various sizes and max wattages.

• Anker 240W bio-branded USB-C to C cable for $14 ($11 off): Both of the six-foot cables included here can handle enough power to charge up laptops, tablets and smartphones alike.

• Anker Nano 30W GaN USB-C charger for $13 ($10 off): Anyone can use an extra USB-C charger, and this one is super compact and includes foldable prongs for easier transport.

• Anker GaN Prime 65W 5-in-1 charging station for $50 ($20 off): You get two USB-C ports, one USB-A connector an and extra AC plug in this versatile charging station that includes a wrap-around cable that makes it easier to travel with.

• Anker 100W GaN II USB-C charging block for $40 ($35 off): With 100W of power, this chunky adapter can power almost anything, and it gives you two USB-C ports and one USB-A port.

• Anker Prime 240W GaN USB-C charger for $100 ($60 off): A good option for your desk, this 240W brick provides an extra three USB-C ports and one USB-A port so you can power up multiple devices at once.

• Anker Prime Power Bank 240W with 100W charging base for $164.49 ($70.51 off): This is the top premium pick in our best power banks guide thanks to its high capacity, sleek design, informative built-in display and the charging base that makes it convenient to store and easy to charge up.

Prime Day deals on Anker docking stations, hubs and more

Anker may be known for its charging gear, but the company makes other accessories like docking stations and webcams, too. Prime Day deals include deep discounts on hubs and stations that add a bunch of extra ports back into the mix, and one of our favorite webcams.

• Anker 8-in-1 USB-C hub/foldable tablet stand for $80 ($20 off): This handy stand can make it much easier to turn your iPad or other tablet into a laptop replacement. It supports passthrough charging and has eight different connectors including a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and two USB-A ports.

• Anker 14-in-1 USB-C docking station for $54 ($21 off): If you need a lot of connectivity on the go, this 14-in-1 hub could be a good option. Not only does it include an Ethernet port, but it also has two HDMI connectors and supports 80W passthrough charging.

• Anker 13-in-1 USB-C docking station for $140 ($30 off): A docking station like this one make your work-from-home setup more efficient. Here, you get pretty much every connector you’d need, including Ethernet, Display and HDMI ports, multiple USB-A ports, an audio jack and more. Plus, the docking station supports 85W charging for your laptop while it’s connected.

• Anker 10-in-1 USB-C docking station for $150 ($40 off): This slim docking station provides three USB-A ports, two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort, along with an Ethernet jack and up to 100W of charging for your laptop.

• Anker PowerConf C200 2K webcam for $48 ($12 off): One of our top picks for the best webcams, this accessory records 2K video and has dual stereo microphones plus an adjustable field of view.

Expired Prime Day deals

• Anker Nano 47W USB-C charger for $25 ($5 off): This adapter has two USB-C ports and can push a maximum of 45W of power to one device, making it powerful enough to charge a MacBook Air.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/save-big-on-anker-chargers-and-power-banks-for-october-prime-day-2024-084224720.html?src=rss

NASA and SpaceX are looking to undock the Crew-8 mission vehicle from the ISS on October 13, 3:05AM Eastern time. Crew-8’s astronauts were originally scheduled to start making their way back to Earth on October 7, but since their spacecraft is going to splash down off the coast of Florida, NASA and SpaceX had decided to push it back “due to weather conditions and potential impacts from Hurricane Milton.” They will hold another briefing on the situation on October 11 and could delay the mission’s return further for the safety of everyone involved. 

The Crew-8 mission launched on March 4 this year with four members: NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut, Alexander Grebenkin. They conducted several experiments while on the International Space Station, such as sequencing the DNA of any antibiotic-resistant organism they could find on the ISS to look into how they adapted to the conditions out there. They also studied human brain organoids created with stem cells to look into Parkinson’s disease and into how extended spaceflight affects the human brain. They printed human tissues, studied how microgravity affects drug manufacturing and worked with an Astrobee robot. NASA will most likely cover their flight back on a livestream. 

While Crew-8 has yet to leave the space station, SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission astronauts have been on board since September 29. That mission only flew with two crew members, because it will be coming back home with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who originally flew to the ISS on the Boeing Starliner. NASA said Wilmore and Williams have already tried on and tested their SpaceX Intravehicular Activity spacesuits and have completed all the work required to fly back to Earth with the Crew-9 vehicle. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-crew-8-astronauts-are-leaving-the-iss-on-october-13-133027531.html?src=rss

Instead of cramming more technology into its Quest VR headsets, which would inevitably escalate their price, Meta has taken the opposite approach with the Quest 3S. It’s a slightly bulkier, slightly less sharp version of the Quest 3 starting at $300, almost half off that headset’s $500 launch price. The Quest 3S pitch is clear for consumers and developers alike: It’s a more powerful and feature-rich budget device than the now defunct Quest 2, and since it has the same processor and GPU as the Quest 3, developers don’t have to worry as much about supporting older headsets either.

Based on my brief hands-on time with the Quest 3S (our full review is in the works), it’s easy to see how this could be another hit for Meta. Despite its lower price, it doesn’t look or feel inferior to the Quest 3 at first. The only noticeable external difference is that it uses a triangular array of sensors up front, instead of three pill-shaped modules. While it’s a bit larger than the Quest 3, it still sits comfortably on my face, and is easily adjustable via its rear and top straps.

I winced when I noticed it no longer had a 3.5mm jack, leaving you to use wireless headphones or a USB-C dongle instead, but its absence makes sense for a cheaper product. I’d wager the people who care most about a headphone jack would also opt for the Quest 3, instead.

Meta cut corners all over the place to drive the Quest 3S’s price down. There are only three lens adjustment positions to match your pupillary distance, whereas the Quest 3 has finer controls. And instead of pancake lenses, the Quest 3S uses Fresnel lenses which can lead to additional glare or other artifacts. Those also pair together with lower quality displays, which offer 1,832 by 1,920 pixels per eye (like the Quest 2), instead of the Quest 3’s 2,064 by 2,208 resolution.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

What’s more important for consumers is what Meta does include in the Quest 3S. It sports the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor and 8GB of RAM, and uses the same updated touch controllers. So while the Quest 3S might look a bit fuzzier than the Quest 3, it should perform the same.

That’s something I immediately noticed upon booting up the Quest 3S. Navigating its main menu and the Quest store felt effortless and snappy, with little lag between screens or apps loading. The touch controllers still feel very responsive, too, something I confirmed with a few Beat Saber sessions. While it does get a bit warm, like its pricier sibling, the Quest 3S trucked along without any noticeable slowdown while I was installing several large games. The mixed reality experience was also similar to that on the Quest 3 — it’s far from lifelike, but it’s clear enough to read text on your monitor or phone in a pinch.

Based on a few hours of testing, the Quest 3S clearly manages to deliver an immersive VR experience at a lower price point. But we’ll have to spend a bit more time in virtual reality to determine how, exactly, it differs from the Quest 3.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-quest-3s-hands-on-a-300-vr-headset-without-major-compromises-133012786.html?src=rss

Two scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.” John Hopfield, an emeritus professor of Princeton University, devised an associative memory that’s able to store and reconstruct images and other types of patterns in data. Geoffrey Hinton, who has been dubbed the “Godfather of AI,” pioneered a way to autonomously find properties in data, leading to the ability to identify certain elements in pictures.

“This year’s physics laureates’ breakthroughs stand on the foundations of physical science. They have showed a completely new way for us to use computers to aid and to guide us to tackle many of the challenges our society face,” the committee wrote on X. “Thanks to their work humanity now has a new item in its toolbox, which we can choose to use for good purposes. Machine learning based on artificial neural networks is currently revolutionizing science, engineering and daily life.”

However, Hinton has grown concerned about machine learning and its potential impact on society. He was part of Google’s deep-learning artificial intelligence team (Google Brain, which merged with DeepMind last year) for many years before resigning in May 2023 so he could “freely speak out about the risks of AI.” At the time, he expressed concern about generative AI spurring a tsunami of misinformation and having the potential to wipe out jobs, along with the possibility of fully autonomous weapons emerging.

Although Hinton acknowledged the likelihood that machine learning and AI will improve health care, “it’s going to exceed people in intellectual ability. We have no experience of what it’s like to have things smarter than us,” he told reporters, according to The New York Times. That said, Hinton, a Turing Award winner and professor of computer science at the University of Toronto, was “flabbergasted” to learn that he had become a Nobel Prize laureate.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/machine-learning-pioneers-including-the-godfather-of-ai-are-awarded-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-132124417.html?src=rss

Truly good laptop deals can be few and far between, which is why you’d be remiss to sleep on an event like October Prime Day. While Amazon isn’t the first place we’d go to buy a laptop, particularly if you’re keen on speccing it out precisely as you need it to be, it can have solid, preconfigured models at good prices. October Prime Day deals have brought discounts to a few of our favorite machines, from MacBooks to Windows laptops to Chromebooks. If you’re looking for your next daily driver or have a child who needs an upgraded laptop for school, these are the best Prime Day laptops deals you can get this year.

Prime Day deals on Apple MacBooks

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

MacBooks are not exempt from our general laptop buying advice: if you want to truly make your next MacBook your own, you should go directly to Apple to get the specs you want. However, you can often find solid deals on entry-level machines at Amazon, and even some configurations with extra storage.

• Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M2 for $749 ($250 off): Despite having a slightly older chipset, the M2 MacBook Air remains a great budget option for most anyone, save those who regularly push their daily driver to the limit with activities like video editing.

• Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M3 for $849 ($250 off): This is our top pick for the best MacBook you can buy right now thanks to its excellent performance, thin-and-light design, bright screen and comfortable keyboard and trackpad.

• Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 for $1,300 ($300 off): This Pro-level MacBook is best for creatives and those who regularly need the most power possible from their notebook.

Prime Day deals on Chromebooks

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Chromebooks remain affordable alternatives to traditional laptops if you spend most of your time in a browser. But unlike this space a few years ago, there are more high-powered Chromebooks available now than ever before. Prime Day presents a good opportunity to save on all types of Chromebooks, affordable to high-end alike.

• Lenovo 14-inch IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook for $435 ($34 off): Our top pick for the best Chromebook available right now, this Lenovo laptop impressed us with its solid build quality, good display and solid performance for the price.

• Lenovo 15.6-inch IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook for $300 ($100 off): This is a more basic version of one of our favorite Chromebooks and it comes with a 15-inch FHD display, a Pentium N6000 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

• Acer 14-inch Chromebook Plus 514 for $325 ($55 off): If you’re looking for a basic Chromebook that won’t break the bank, this is a decent pick thanks to its Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

• Acer 14-inch Chromebook Spin 714 for $551 ($199 off): This is a big discount on a high-powered Chromebook that has a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a 14-inch IPS touchscreen.

Prime Day deals on Windows laptops

Amazon / LG

There are so many different flavors of Windows laptops out there that it can be hard to choose the best one for you. Whether you’ve had your eye on a premium gaming machine or an upgraded model that’s just a little better than your current daily driver, Prime Day deals on laptops can help you save a bit of cash on your next purchase.

• LG 15.6-inch Gram laptop for $1,425 ($575 off): This ultra-thin laptop has a Core Ultra 7, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD, plus a 15-inch FHD OLED screen with a superior contrast ratio and true-to-life colors.

• Acer 16-inch Nitro gaming laptop for $800 ($200 off): In addition to a Ryzen 5 7640HS processor and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, this gaming laptop has 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 16-inch WUXGA screen with a max refresh rate of 165Hz.

• Acer 16-inch Predator Triton Neo gaming laptop for $1,500 ($400 off): Along with AI capabilities, you’re getting an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD on this 16-inch gaming laptop.

• ASUS 16-inch ROG Strix G16 (2024) for $1,100 ($300 off): One of the latest gaming laptops from ASUS, this model runs on an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, plus it comes with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-laptop-deals-for-2024-all-of-the-best-discounts-from-apple-acer-lenovo-during-the-big-deal-days-sale-091240166.html?src=rss

Google has released a new feature for Docs that will make it easier to break down — and, later, to find and access — information into separate sections. It’s adding tabs to Docs, so that you can “build content in a way that makes it possible for you to find what you’re looking for quickly.” Instead of creating multiple Doc files or merely using headings to organize information, you can write down whatever you want into distinct tabs, which will be much quicker to parse than a lengthy document. Tabs could also make collaborating with classmates or co-workers less chaotic. 

In its announcement, Google enumerated several examples of how tabs could help people. “A project manager,” the company wrote, “can create a tab for budget, roles and responsibilities, goals, and key dates so that their working team can stay on track.” In addition to Google’s examples, we could also see the feature being useful to authors, who can use separate tabs for their outline, character profiles, plot plans, scenario details and other important notes. 

Document tabs will take up the left-hand section of the Google Docs interface. You can create several subtabs under each tab if you want to break down the information that’s supposed to go into that section each further. If you edit a tab’s name, you’ll also be able to set an emoji to best represent what it’s about, which will then replace the default article icon. The new feature has already started rolling out and will be making its way to all Google Workspace users, as well as everyone with personal Gmail accounts, over the next 15 days. 

Google

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/google-docs-adds-tabs-to-help-you-stay-organized-130016429.html?src=rss

Many organizations are now using more than one cloud. Here’s a look at some of the common benefits and challenges of migrating from on-premises to cloud.

Are VPNs falling short? Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) offers a superior solution for secure web browsing, protecting against modern threats and simplifying compliance.