Samsung said to be making solid-state batteries for smartphones

Even if you haven’t paid that close of an eye to tech news, you’ve most likely heard of the whole fiasco that was the Samsung Galaxy Note7 and its exploding units. It looks like Samsung is hoping to address this issue by making batteries that won’t catch fire even if things go wrong. According to an unnamed Samsung executive, the company is working on solid-state batteries that can be used for smartphones. “Our technological level to produce a solid-state battery for smartphones will be mature enough in one to two years,” a Samsung SDI executive told The Korean Herald. “However, it depends on Samsung Electronics whether it will be used for phones.” According to the same exec, rival company LG Chem is also working on similar products. 

Solid-state batteries don’t have any liquids that can spill or lead to fires and explosions. Lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones now have liquid electrolytes. These batteries, according to the Samsung SDI source, can also be used in electric vehicles but that’ll happen no sooner than 2025.

Source: BGR

Facebook will change its News Feed algorithm to discourage oversharers of clickbait stories

The latest change to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm won’t affect most users but it’s an important step in trying to stop the spread of fake news and clickbait stories. The social network is going to limit the reach of people known to continuously post links to sensationalist sites and other spam content. According to Facebook this’ll affect a “tiny group” of people (around 0.1%) who share over 50 posts a day. This will also just affect the links they share and not their photos or other posts.

"Our research shows that there is a tiny group of people on Facebook book who routinely share vast amounts of public posts per day, effectively spamming people's feeds," said Adam Mosseri, Facebook's vice president for the News Feed, in a blog post. Other efforts to reduce spam on its service include giving lower prominence to links that have pages full of deceptive ads and the deemphasizing of stories with clickbait-like headlines.

Source: Fortune

Twitter reportedly tries out tool to flag fake news

The fight against fake news is something social networks have to contend with. Facebook is taking a lot of fire for this but Twitter isn’t without this issue, too, add on the abuse against women and minorities on the service. But Twitter seems to be doing something about it. Or at least they’re working on it. Sources have told the Washington Post that Twitter has a prototype feature that lets you flag tweets that contain fake news and harmful content.

There aren’t solid plans on whether this tool will be released but the idea behind it is that users will get a flag option in the drop-down menu that appears with tweets. And while Twitter won’t commit to an official launch of the feature, it’s something the service really needs. As TNW points out, the number of Twitter bots that are on the service have the capability to spread fake news quickly and rapidly.

Source: 9to5 Google

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 06/25-07/01

Review: Google Home

YouTube’s set to introduce dynamic video resizing on mobile app

Google will stop scanning your emails for targeted ads

Instagram is testing out a favorite friends list

Canada's 150th anniversary, EventMobi commits 150 company days for volunteer experiences

Great shows on Netflix to explore and inspire kids this summer break

MEC launches new website that inspires city folks to get outside

There is going to be an SNES Classic Edition

iOS 11 Public Beta is now available for download

Ecommerce trends to watch in 2017

Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Winners Announced

The Rec Room brings amusement, gaming and dining experiences to Toronto

Android Pay now available to American Express customers in Canada

Apple's 'A Portrait of Canada,' shot on iPhone film focuses on country's inclusivity and diversity

2017 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge announces winning schools

Experiencing the LG Signature OLED W7 4K TV

Ancestry.ca reveals Canada's diverse 'DN-eh'

Nikon Canada hosts Night Photography tutorial at Mississauga HQ

Review: Motorola Moto Z2 Play

Facebook’s Aquila drone successfully completes second test flight

Marvel's 'Inhumans' gets its first trailer

Volkswagen wants cars to communicate with each other starting 2019

Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ gets Hall H panel at Comic-Con

Public beta of macOS High Sierra is now live

A new Nissan Leaf is headed our way on September 6th