Whatever your opinion of X, you probably don’t think of it as a platform known for fostering agreement. The company is apparently trying to change that, though, and is in the early stages of an experiment that aims to boost posts that are widely agreeable to the site’s users.

With a new test, described by X as an “experimental pilot,” the app will begin asking a small subset of users what they think of a particular post in their timeline. A screenshot shared by X shows that people can respond with a range of positive or negative opinions, like “it makes a meaningful point,” “it’s funny” or “it doesn’t interest me.” X will then use those responses to help it “develop an open source algorithm that could effectively identify posts liked by people from different perspectives.”

The concept is somewhat similar to Community Notes, which already attempts to take differing perspectives into account when ranking fact checks. The new program, though, isn’t about surfacing fact-checked content but boosting posts that are likely to be, well, liked.

X’s post about the test suggests it has lofty goals. “This experimental new feature seeks to uncover ideas, insights, and opinions that bridge perspectives,” the company wrote. “It can bring awareness to what resonates broadly. It could motivate people to share those ideas in the first place.”

Whether an open source algorithm based on data about users’ likes can actually accomplish that, though, is unclear. A report published today by Pew Research shows that there is still a significant partisan divide in terms of how X is perceived and experienced by users. Overcoming that could be more difficult than boosting a few extra posts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-tests-centrism-170939276.html?src=rss

Last month, ahead of the launch of the Switch 2 and its GameChat communication features, Nintendo updated its privacy policy to note that the company “may also monitor and record your video and audio interactions with other users.” Now that the Switch 2 has officially launched, we have a clearer understanding of how the console handles audio and video recorded during GameChat sessions, as well as when that footage may be sent to Nintendo or shared with partners, including law enforcement.

Before using GameChat on Switch 2 for the first time, you must consent to a set of GameChat Terms displayed on the system itself. These terms warn that chat content is “recorded and stored temporarily” both on your system and the system of those you chat with. But those stored recordings are only shared with Nintendo if a user reports a violation of Nintendo’s Community Guidelines, the company writes.

That reporting feature lets a user “review a recording of the last three minutes of the latest three GameChat sessions” to highlight a particular section for review, suggesting that chat sessions are not being captured and stored in full. The terms also lay out that “these recordings are available only if the report is submitted within 24 hours,” suggesting that recordings are deleted from local storage after a full day.

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On the heels of an OpenAI controversy over deleted posts, Reddit sued Anthropic on Wednesday, accusing the AI company of “intentionally” training AI models on the “personal data of Reddit users”—including their deleted posts—”without ever requesting their consent.”

Calling Anthropic two-faced for depicting itself as a “white knight of the AI industry” while allegedly lying about AI scraping, Reddit painted Anthropic as the worst among major AI players. While Anthropic rivals like OpenAI and Google paid Reddit to license data—and, crucially, agreed to “Reddit’s licensing terms that protect Reddit and its users’ interests and privacy” and require AI companies to respect Redditors’ deletions—Anthropic wouldn’t participate in licensing talks, Reddit alleged.

“Unlike its competitors, Anthropic has refused to agree to respect Reddit users’ basic privacy rights, including removing deleted posts from its systems,” Reddit’s complaint said.

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OpenAI said it disrupted several attempts [non-paywalled source] from users in China to leverage its AI models for cyber threats and covert influence operations, underscoring the security challenges AI poses as the technology becomes more powerful. From a report: The Microsoft-backed company on Thursday published its latest report on disrupting malicious uses of AI, saying its investigative teams continued to uncover and prevent such activities in the three months since Feb. 21.

While misuse occurred in several countries, OpenAI said it believes a “significant number” of violations came from China, noting that four of 10 sample cases included in its latest report likely had a Chinese origin. In one such case, the company said it banned ChatGPT accounts it claimed were using OpenAI’s models to generate social media posts for a covert influence operation. The company said a user stated in a prompt that they worked for China’s propaganda department, though it cautioned it didn’t have independent proof to verify its claim.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

There’s finally a Snapchat app for watchOS, bringing the social media platform to Apple‘s line of wearables. This has been a long time coming, given that the first Apple Watch graced our wrists over a decade ago.

The app lets users preview incoming messages and reply by using the keyboard, scribbling with a finger, voice dictation or sending out an emoji. Apple Watch wearers could already preview a Snapchat message by enabling them on an iPhone, but there wasn’t a way to respond until now.

Snapchat says the app will be useful when doing things like alerting friends when arriving at a restaurant or when sending out a quick reply during a run. A company representative told us that it’s good for people who want to “keep active conversations going while they’re on the go.”

They also indicated that previewing a message on an Apple Watch will not mark it as “read” on the mobile or web app, as it only shows the first 100 characters. The app cannot be used to view images or videos, but the company plans to “evolve the experience over time.” 

Despite coming ten years after the Apple Watch first launched, Snapchat has still outpaced many of its rivals. There isn’t a dedicated Facebook app for the wearable, or a WhatsApp release. Facebook Messenger did have an app once upon a time, but it was pulled. 

Snapchat’s watchOS app comes just ahead of this year’s WWDC event. Rumors indicate that Apple is planning on some major announcements throughout the event, including a complete redesign of its various operating systems and new Apple Intelligence features that I’m sure everyone will just love.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/snapchat-finally-has-a-watchos-app-after-a-decade-163733916.html?src=rss

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When I’m marathon training, my schedule revolves around logging miles. Between work, relationships, and hitting the pavement for my training runs, finding time for strength training feels impossible. However, avoiding my dumbbells is a costly mistake: Without complementary strength work, runners often develop muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. So, what I needed was an efficient (read: quick) routine that specifically targets the major muscle groups important for running performance. And that’s exactly what I’m sharing with you today.

Before we dive in, allow me to (yet again) preach the beauty and utility of adjustable dumbbells: no gym membership required, no waiting for equipment, and no excuses about not having enough space. I can knock out this workout in my living room before my morning run, or squeeze it in during lunch breaks, and adjustable dumbbells mean I can switch up the amount of weight I’m lifting within a few seconds. As you’ll see in the photos below, for this workout I’ve been sticking to my extremely lightweight Merach adjustable dumbbells, but when I need to go beyond 10 pounds, I prefer my Nüobells. Let’s get started.

Merach Adjustable Dumbbells, 2.2–8.8 lbs

$50.99
at Amazon

$50.99
at Amazon

Nüobell Adjustable Dumbbells, 5–80 lbs

$785.00
at Amazon

$785.00
at Amazon

Why runners can’t skip strength training

You don’t have to be a runner to get the most out of this 15-minute dumbbell routine, but I did aim to incorporate movements specifically for my needs during marathon training. Running is essentially a series of single-leg jumps, requiring sustained strength, stability, and coordination. After all, each stride places a force of close to three times your body weight through your legs, making strength training not just beneficial but essential for long-term running success.

It tracks that common weaknesses in runners include underdeveloped glutes, tight hip flexors, weak posterior chains, and poor core stability. This routine specifically addresses these issues while building the power and stability that should hopefully translate to faster, more efficient running.

My 15-minute full-body strength training routine

This circuit-style workout alternates between upper and lower body exercises, keeping your heart rate elevated while allowing different muscle groups to recover. Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest to transition to the next movement. I do three rounds, five minutes each. Easy as pie. Here are the movements you need to know.

Goblet squats

Stay tall with your chest upright, weight held close to your ribs, and chin tucked into your chest.
Credit: Meredith Dietz

Hold one dumbbell vertically at chest level, elbows pointing down. Squat down by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, keeping your chest up and core engaged.

This exercise is gold for runners because it strengthens the glutes, quads, and core simultaneously while improving ankle mobility. Strong glutes are crucial for preventing knee injuries and maintaining proper hip alignment during long runs. The goblet position also forces you to maintain an upright torso, mimicking the posture you want while running.

Push-press

Pay special attention to the explosive overhead movement.
Credit: Meredith Dietz

Start with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward or in. Use a slight knee bend to generate momentum, then explosively press the weights overhead.

This exercise develops power in your shoulders and core while teaching you to transfer force from your lower body through your torso—exactly what happens when you drive your arms during sprint intervals or hill climbs. The explosive nature mirrors the quick, powerful arm swing that propels you (assuming you’re practicing proper running form).

Romanian deadlifts

Go as far down as you can comfortably go while pushing the hips back.
Credit: Meredith Dietz

Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart. Hinge at your hips by pushing them back, lowering the weights while keeping your back straight and chest up.

This movement is essential for runners because it strengthens the entire posterior chain—glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. These muscles provide the power for each stride and help prevent the forward lean that can develop from too much running without adequate strength work. Strong hamstrings also help decelerate your leg at the end of each stride, reducing impact stress.

Bent-over rows

Hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight.
Credit: Meredith Dietz

Keep your back straight and elbows close to your body.
Credit: Meredith Dietz

Hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight. Pull the dumbbells to your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Runners often develop rounded shoulders from desk work and the forward posture of running.

This exercise counteracts that tendency by strengthening the rhomboids, middle traps, and rear delts. Better posture means more efficient breathing and less energy wasted fighting against poor alignment during long runs.

Reverse lunges

Let your back knee kiss the floor under you.
Credit: Meredith Dietz

A true classic for runners. Step back with one leg, lowering your back knee toward the ground while keeping your front shin vertical. Push through your front heel to return to standing, then alternate legs.

This move targets the glutes and quads in a way that closely mimics the landing and push-off phases of your running stride. The reverse motion is easier on the knees than forward lunges, making it perfect for runners who already put significant stress on these joints. To avoid stressing your knees, make sure you’re really pushing through your heel, and keep your hips in line with your shoulders.

Make your at-home dumbbell workout work for you

If you’re new to strength training, start light—somewhere between 5-10 pounds is perfect. Focus on getting your form right first. Once that feels solid, you can slowly increase the weight to keep challenging yourself.

The timing of this workout matters, with the understanding that the best workout for you is the one you actually will do consistently. I’ve found three approaches that work well with running schedules. On easy run days, I’ll do the strength circuit first as a dynamic warm-up, using lighter weights and focusing on movement quality. After hard running workouts, I’ll wait at least four hours before lifting to avoid compromising recovery. On rest days from running, this becomes my primary workout, allowing me to use heavier weights and really focus on strength gains.

Again, I think my adjustable dumbbells are key to this flexibility. I can quickly dial in the right weight for each exercise and my current energy level. My goblet squats call for 35 pounds, while my push-press works better with about 15 pounds per hand.

Whatever moves you choose, finding a quick circuit workout for you can truly pay dividends in running performance and injury prevention. Fifteen minutes, three times per week is a small price for becoming a stronger, more resilient runner.

This is a video from Hyundai Motor Group demonstrating a pair of robots that can scoot under cars to lift them and move them around at will (and, eventually, hacked to steal supercars). I like how the robots showboat for a while after parking the first car before moving on to the second. Just to be clear though, they will be docked pay and electrical nourishment for the unscheduled break.

Chinese propaganda and social engineering operations have been using ChatGPT to create posts, comments and drive engagement at home and abroad. OpenAI said it has recently disrupted four Chinese covert influence operations that were using its tool to generate social media posts and replies on platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Reddit and X.

The comments generated revolved around several topics from US politics to a Taiwanese video game where players fight the Chinese Communist Party. ChatGPT was used to create social media posts that both supported and decried different hot button issues to stir up misleading political discourse.

Ben Nimmo, principal investigator at OpenAI told NPR, “what we’re seeing from China is a growing range of covert operations using a growing range of tactics.” While OpenAI claimed it also disrupted a handful of operations it believes originated in Russia, Iran and North Korea, Nimmo elaborated on the Chinese operations saying they “targeted many different countries and topics […] some of them combined elements of influence operations, social engineering, surveillance.”

This is far from the first time this has occurred. In 2023, researchers from cybersecurity firm Mandiant found that AI-generated content has been used in politically motivated online influence campaigns in numerous instances since 2019.

In 2024, OpenAI published a blog post outlining its efforts to disrupt five state-affiliated operations across China, Iran and North Korea that were using OpenAI models for malicious intent. These applications included debugging code, generating scripts and creating content for use in phishing campaigns.

That same year, OpenAI said it disrupted an Iranian operation that was using ChatGPT to create longform political articles about US elections that were then posted on fake news sites posing as both conservative and progressive outlets. The operation was also creating comments to post on X and Instagram through fake accounts, again espousing opposing points of view.

“We didn’t generally see these operations getting more engagement because of their use of AI,” Nimmo told NPR. “For these operations, better tools don’t necessarily mean better outcomes.”

This offers little comfort. As generative AI gets cheaper and smarter, it stands to reason that its ability to generate content en masse will make influence campaigns like these easier and more affordable to build, even if their efficacy remains unchanged.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/foreign-propagandists-continue-using-chatgpt-in-influence-campaigns-161509862.html?src=rss

An anonymous reader shares a report: Vibe coding might sound chill, but Andrew Ng thinks the name is unfortunate. The Stanford professor and former Google Brain scientist said the term misleads people into imagining engineers just “go with the vibes” when using AI tools to write code. “It’s unfortunate that that’s called vibe coding,” Ng said at a firechat chat in May at conference LangChain Interrupt. “It’s misleading a lot of people into thinking, just go with the vibes, you know — accept this, reject that.”

In reality, coding with AI is “a deeply intellectual exercise,” he said. “When I’m coding for a day with AI coding assistance, I’m frankly exhausted by the end of the day.” Despite his gripe with the name, Ng is bullish on AI-assisted coding. He said it’s “fantastic” that developers can now write software faster with these tools, sometimes while “barely looking at the code.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

This week has brought some exciting news that is thrilling to me not only as a diehard Peloton user, but someone with a well-documented obsession with buying and selling things on resale platforms: Peloton is rolling out its own marketplace for pre-owned fitness equipment. Called Repowered, it currently allows users to list their Bikes, Treads, and other equipment and soon will allow shoppers to buy them.

How Peloton: Repowered works

When you navigate to the Repowered site, you’re greeted with a welcome message, plus the information that the site is “currently only open for listing items, with the ability to purchase items coming soon.” You’re prompted to enter your email address if you want to be the “first to know” when the marketplace actually goes live.

Listing your equipment

You can start the process of listing your Peloton equipment now—after all, the site needs inventory before anyone can buy anything. You can list a Bike, Tread, or Row, but only if you’re in the Boston, New York City, or Washington, DC, metro areas. You can also list smaller accessories no matter where you live.

You’ll be prompted to enter your device’s serial number if you’re selling one of the larger pieces of equipment. For smaller pieces, like weights, you can use the search function to input your item. You’ll be able to set your own price, but the site will suggest a price for you based on information you provide, like age, condition, etc.

Actually selling your stuff

Once you have listed an item and the marketplace formally opens to buyers, it’s going to be your responsibility to arrange a pickup with the buyer or schedule delivery. Accessories and smaller items can be shipped separately, similar to how it works when you sell something on, say, Poshmark or Depop. From there, you’ll get paid.

Additionally, when you sell on Repowered, you get up to $600 off a future Peloton purchase. Essentially, if you’ve been considering, say, upgrading from a Bike to a Bike+, you can sell your Bike and receive a discount on a newer model. Here’s what you get off from each product if you make a Repowered sale:

• Bike+: $400 off

• Tread: $200 off

• Tread+: $600 off

• Row: $200 off

Because the platform is so new (and not fully operational), it’s not clear exactly how you’ll get paid or how much people are listing their goods for. You’ll get 70% of your earnings, though, which is a decent split. When I sell on Poshmark, I keep 80% of my sale price. When I sell on Depop, I keep 90%. There, though, I’m selling clothes and small electronics—items that don’t have a big sticker price. For something like a high-tech, at-home workout bike, 70% seems to be, in my professional opinion, a pretty decent split, not to mention that the discount toward a new Peloton purchase.

Why this is a great option

There are two main reasons this has the potential to be better than buying or selling on another platform, like Facebook Marketplace.

First, you never have to worry about scams because Peloton itself is coordinating the sale and every part of the transaction takes place on the app. Second, as long as you’re in one of those main markets, Peloton handles delivery, just as they do with their new and refurbished products. You can schedule pickups directly with buyers and sellers, but the platform will only provide a general radius of the product’s location. If you’re selling, this means no one will ever get your address and you have the freedom to meet in a public place within that radius.

Repowered is in its early stages, but it could fill a gap in the market by providing a trustworthy source of at-home fitness equipment for those who might otherwise find the cost prohibitive. Peloton has announced that the activation fee for used equipment is down from $95 to $45, too. The All Access Membership, required to take classes and use the devices to their maximum capabilities, is still $44 per month.