Twitter expands downvote replies experiment worldwide

Source: Twitter

Twitter wants more users to try out its new downvote replies feature by rolling it out globally. The company is testing it out with more users on the web, with plans to bring it to mobile soon. Unlike downvoting on sites like Reddit, the tallies aren't made public. Instead, Twitter uses it to tweak what replies to show users.

According to the company, the experiment so far resulted in users downvoting replies that they found offensive or irrelevant. "This experiment also revealed that downvoting is the most frequently used way for people to flag content they don't want to see," said Twitter. It could be seen as a replacement for muting or flagging a conversation as spam or irrelevant, which you have to dig through dropdown menus to access.

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You can watch this Jennifer Lopez Snapchat digital concert as your Bitmoji

Source: Snap

Snapchat's parent company Snap is diving into the virtual concert space with Jennifer Lopez and Colombian pop singer Maluma. The concert won't take place within the Snapchat app. Instead, you'll sign into a dedicated website to watch using your Snapchat login and then have your Bitmoji avatar appear as a spectator in the crowd. It actually got pushed back to today at 5 PM PT due to "overwhelming demand," so you can set an alarm for it.

A handful of interactive effects will be available during the show, including the ability to start "the wave" and trigger a virtual laser effect. Lopez and Maluma will appear as 3D avatars, too. The 10-minute concert promotes the upcoming romantic comedy Marry Me starring Lopex and Maluma. It isn't clear if this will be a regular event for Snap, but we won't be surprised if they do more if this becomes successful.

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Netflix teases 70+ films coming to the service in 2022

As it did in 2021, you can expect at least one new movie a week on Netflix. The company teased some of the over 70 films coming to the platform this year. This three-minute sizzle reel shows footage from upcoming films like Rian Johnson's Knives Out 2, Enola Holmes 2 with Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill, Slumberland with Jason Momoa as a half-man/half-beast, and Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion take on Pinocchio. 

There's also a quick look at the big-budget thriller from Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo starring actors like Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page. Sci-fi movies are also in the pipeline, including The Mothership with Halle Berry and Spaceman with Adam Sandler.

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Google One VPN comes to iOS

Source: Google

If you're an iOS user that has a Google One Premium subscription, you now have access to the VPN service. Google brings the feature to subscribers who pay for 2TB or more of Google One storage in 18 countries, including Canada. As The Verge noted, the feature is similar to Apple's Private Relay service for all its paid iCloud plans. The VPN service works to keep your IP and internet traffic private, but it won't let you get an IP address in another country, which potentially unlocks different shows on streaming services.

Google's VPN service for Android users also gets new features like "safe disconnect," allowing you to shut off internet access if you're disconnected from the VPN to ensure your data is secure. It will also allow you to set certain apps to bypass the VPN on Android devices.