Amazon v the union: The vote the online giant fears

The result of a vote in an Alabama warehouse could have ramifications for Amazon workers around the US.

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Daily Crunch: Facebook makes it easier to view a non-algorithmic News Feed

Facebook has some thoughts and updates about its News Feed, Siri gets some new voices and Tonal becomes a unicorn. This is your Daily Crunch for March 31, 2021.

The big story: Facebook makes it easier to view a non-algorithmic News Feed

Facebook highlighted features today that should make it easier for users to see a version of the News Feed that isn’t shaped by the company’s algorithms. These include a Favorites view that displays posts from up to 30 of your favorite friends and Pages, as well as a Most Recent view, which just shows posts in chronological order. Some of these options existed previously, but they’ll now be easily accessible through a new Feed Filter Bar.

At the same time, the company’s VP of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, pushed back against criticism of the company’s algorithmic News Feed, saying that personalization is common and useful across the web, though he added, “It would clearly be better if these [content] decisions were made according to frameworks agreed by democratically accountable lawmakers.”

Speaking of content decisions, Facebook also cautioned Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump today for posting an interview with the former president, who has been banned from the social network.

The tech giants

Apple adds two brand new Siri voices and will no longer default to a female or male voice in iOS — This means that every person setting up Siri will choose a voice for themselves.

Instagram officially launches Remix on Reels, a TikTok Duets-like feature — Remix offers a way to record your Reels video alongside a video from another user.

Spotify adds three new types of personalized playlists with launch of ‘Spotify Mixes’ — Your Spotify Mixes will include artist mixes, genre mixes and decade mixes.

Startups, funding and venture capital

Strength-training startup Tonal crosses unicorn status after raising $250M — To date, the at-home fitness tech startup has raised $450 million.

Apple invests $50M into music distributor UnitedMasters alongside a16z and Alphabet —  The focus of UnitedMasters is to provide artists with a direct pipeline to data around the way that fans are interacting with their content and community.

Diversity-focused Harlem Capital raises $134M — Apparently 61% of Harlem Capital’s Fund I portfolio companies are led by Black or Latinx executives, while 43% are led exclusively by women.

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch

Five machine learning essentials nontechnical leaders need to understand — For engineering and team leaders without an ML background, the incredible pace of change can feel overwhelming and intimidating.

What to make of Deliveroo’s rough IPO debut — After a lackluster IPO pricing run, shares of Deliveroo are lower today, marking a disappointing debut for the hot delivery company.

Embedded procurement will make every company its own marketplace — Merritt Hummer of Bain Capital Ventures argues that with embedded procurement, businesses will buy things they need through vertical B2B apps.

(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can sign up here.)

Everything else

Report finds going remote made workplaces more hostile for already marginalized groups — The Project Include report is based on a survey of about 2,800 people and interviews with tech workers and subject matter experts in numerous countries and industries.

The Weeknd will sell an unreleased song and visual art via NFT auction — Abel Tesfaye, the Super Bowl-headlining musician known as The Weeknd, is the latest artist to embrace the excitement around NFTs.

Here’s what you don’t want to miss tomorrow at TC Early Stage 2021 — The event will include a wide range of presentations that span the startup ecosystem.

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 3pm Pacific, you can subscribe here.

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Facebook says Trump can’t skirt its ban through daughter-in-law’s account

Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump promoted a new interview with the former president on Facebook and Instagram Tuesday, but a workaround to Trump’s ban on two of the world’s most popular social networks wasn’t long for this world.

She was apparently swiftly cautioned by Facebook that anything posted “in the voice of President Trump” is not currently allowed on Facebook or Instagram and would be subject to removal. Trump himself remains banned on Facebook pending a decision by the Oversight Board, the external governing body the company set up to tackle it thorniest platform policy decisions.

Those rules apply to any accounts or pages associated with the Trump campaign as well as any belonging to former surrogates for the campaign, two categories that Lara Trump’s account falls into. Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch that screenshots depicting emails from the company were legitimate.

Mark Zuckerberg announces Trump banned from Facebook and Instagram for ‘at least the next two weeks’

Facebook does still make a news exemption for Trump, presumably for something more akin to a 60 Minutes interview, but in this case he was being interviewed by someone involved in his campaign who then planned to promote the video on a campaign-associated account.

While Facebook won’t host the video itself, Lara Trump opted for a workaround to the workaround, linking to the interview on Rumble, a video sharing website that saw an influx of Trump supporters late last year.

She also posted to the video on The Right View, a web-based show previously produced by the Trump campaign that the Washington Post describes as “a sort of pro-Trump answer to ABC’s ‘The View.'”

Fox News announced this week that it would bring Lara Trump into the fold, hiring the member of the Trump family on as a paid contributor.

Facebook’s Oversight Board already ‘a bit frustrated’ — and it hasn’t made a call on Trump ban yet

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Instagram officially launches Remix on Reels, a TikTok Duets-like feature

Instagram today is officially launching a new feature called Remix, which offers a way to record your Reels video alongside a video from another user. The option is similar to TikTok’s existing Duets feature, which also lets users to react to or interact with another person’s video content while creating their own. Instagram’s new feature has been in public testing before today, so some Instagram users may have already gained access.

We recently reported on Instagram’s plans with Remix, when noting that Snapchat was developing a Remix feature of its own. In fact, Snapchat is also using the name “Remix” for its TikTok Duets rival that’s currently in development.

On TikTok, Duets are a key part to making the app feel more like a social network and less of just a passive video-watching experience. Users take advantage of Duets to sing, dance, joke or act alongside another user’s video. They will do things like cook someone else’s recipe, record a reaction video, or even just watch a video from a smaller creator to give them a boost.

Meanwhile, TikTok competitors — like Instagram Reels, Snapchat’s Spotlight or YouTube’s Shorts, for example — have launched their short-form video experiences without a full set of engagement or editing features like TikTok has, making their apps feel like pale knock-offs of the original. Remix on Reels is a first step towards changing that perception, by giving users at least one important option to engage and collaborate with their fellow creatives.

Re-re-re-remix

Now you can use the Remix feature in Reels to create your own reel next to one that already exists

Whether you’re capturing your reaction, responding to friends or bringing your own magic to trends, Remix is another way to collab on Instagram pic.twitter.com/eU8x74Q3yf

— Instagram (@instagram) March 31, 2021

To use the new Remix feature, you’ll first tap on the three-dot menu on a Reel and select the new “Remix this Reel” option. The screen will then split into the original Reel and your own new one, where you can begin to record side-by-side with the original. When you’ve finished, you can tweak other aspects of the recording like the volume of the original video or your audio and you can optionally add a voiceover. After applying these or any other edits, you can publish the Remix.

The feature will only be available on newly uploaded Reels — so unfortunately, if you want your older Reels to be duetted, you’ll need to reupload them, it seems.

Image Credits: Instagram

Your Remixes will appear alongside any other Reels you’ve recorded on the Reels tab on your Instagram profile, and you’ll be able to track who has remixed your content through Instagram’s Activity tab.

The feature is rolling out, starting today, says Instagram.

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Discord is launching new Clubhouse-like channels for audio events

Everyone is scrambling to build a Clubhouse clone right now, but for Discord it makes perfect sense.

With everyone stuck at home searching for safe ways to rekindle their social lives over the last year, Discord’s appeal exploded. The company cites new behavior it observed during the pandemic as the inspiration for Stage Channels, a new feature that will facilitate more structured voice chats with designated speakers and listeners.

Voice chat is already Discord’s core feature. It’s been that way for years, offering gamers a crystal clear, seamless voice chat service that blew the functionality of in-game chat services out of the water. But there’s no denying the Clubhouse-inspired voice event zeitgeist at the moment, even if ultimately Discord was there first in many ways.

Discord says the new kind of channel will be useful for stuff like voice-based AMAs and interviews, book clubs and even karaoke. The new channels will capture activity that’s already happening on Discord, making it way easier for anyone who runs a server to host formalized conversations without needing to mess around with a bunch of granular user permissions stuff.

The new channel type fits right in with Discord’s existing vibe. Stage Channels do what’s on the label, allowing anyone who runs a Discord to curate a speaker experience and use moderator tools to control who gets the mic and when. Much like Clubhouse (or Zoom), participants can raise their hand to speak. They can also slink out quietly.

Stage Channels will be specific to community servers, which are geared around larger groups on Discord. To enable the new kind of channel, server owners will need to convert a channel to a community server if it isn’t one already.

Because Discord is Discord, discovery for voice-based events won’t work like it does on Clubhouse, which serves up user-created live events front and center to anyone who opens the app. Community servers on Discord can apply to be featured in the server discovery menu, but the app’s focus remains on private, intimate groups and larger interest-based communities that you’re already a part of.

LinkedIn confirms it’s working on a Clubhouse rival, too

Given its healthy user base and existing utility as the go-to app for casual, seamless voice chat, Discord is well positioned to capture a completely different market for voice-based events. The app is a mainstay of the gaming community and generally skews young, putting it in contrast with the entrepreneurs, VCs and brands that flocked to Clubhouse’s early buzz.

Discord’s gaming DNA isn’t holding it back. In recent years, Discord has grown beyond its gaming roots without betraying them, expanding into a seamless chat experience for everything from college study groups to influencer fan hubs. Last year, Discord doubled its valuation within six months. Just a quarter later, Microsoft is reportedly in talks with the company on a $10 billion deal.

Slack wants to be more than a text-based messaging platform

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Facebook gets a C; startup rates the ‘ethics’ of social media platforms, targets asset managers

By now you’ve probably heard of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) ratings for companies, or ratings for their carbon footprint. Well, now a U.K. company has come up with a way of rating the “ethics” of social media companies.

EthicsGrade is an ESG ratings agency, focusing on AI governance. Headed up Charles Radclyffe, the former head of AI at Fidelity, it uses AI-driven models to create a more complete picture of the ESG of organizations, harnessing natural language processing to automate the analysis of huge data sets. This includes tracking controversial topics and public statements.

Frustrated with the green-washing of some “environmental” stocks, Radclyffe realized that the AI governance of social media companies was not being properly considered, despite presenting an enormous risk to investors in the wake of such scandals as the manipulation of Facebook by companies such as Cambridge Analytica during the U.S. election and the U.K.’s Brexit referendum.

EthicsGrade Industry Summary Scorecard – Social Media

Image Credits: EthicsGrade

The idea is that these ratings are used by companies to better see where they should improve. But the twist is that asset managers can also see where the risks of AI might lie.

Speaking to TechCrunch he said: “While at Fidelity I got a reputation within the firm for being the go-to person, for my colleagues in the investment team, who wanted to understand the risks within the technology firms that we were investing in. After being asked a number of times about some dodgy facial recognition company or a social media platform, I realized there was actually a massive absence of data around this stuff as opposed to anecdotal evidence.”

He says that when he left Fidelity he decided EthicsGrade would cover not just ESGs but also AI ethics for platforms that are driven by algorithms.

He told me: “We’ve built a model to analyze technology governance. We’ve covered 20 industries. So most of what we’ve published so far has been non-tech companies because these are risks that are inherent in many other industries, other than simply social media or big tech. But over the next couple of weeks, we’re going live with our data on things which are directly related to tech, starting with social media.”

Essentially, what they are doing is a big parallel with what is being done in the ESG space.

“The question we want to be able to answer is how does TikTok compare against Twitter or WeChat as against WhatsApp. And what we’ve essentially found is that things like GDPR have done a lot of good in terms of raising the bar on questions like data privacy and data governance. But in a lot of the other areas that we cover, such as ethical risk or a firm’s approach to public policy, are indeed technical questions about risk management,” says Radclyffe.

But, of course, they are effectively rating algorithms. Are the ratings they are giving the social platforms themselves derived from algorithms? EthicsGrade says they are training their own AI through NLP as they go so that they can automate what is currently very human analysts centric, just as “sustainalytics” et al. did years ago in the environmental arena.

So how are they coming up with these ratings? EthicsGrade says it is evaluating “the extent to which organizations implement transparent and democratic values, ensure informed consent and risk management protocols, and establish a positive environment for error and improvement.” And this is all achieved through publicly available data — policy, website, lobbying etc. In simple terms, they rate the governance of the AI, not necessarily the algorithms themselves but what checks and balances are in place to ensure that the outcomes and inputs are ethical and managed.

MIT professor wants to overhaul ‘The Hype Machine’ that powers social media

“Our goal really is to target asset owners and asset managers,” says Radclyffe. “So if you look at any of these firms like, let’s say Twitter, 29% of Twitter is owned by five organizations: it’s Vanguard, Morgan Stanley, Blackrock, State Street and ClearBridge. If you look at the ownership structure of Facebook or Microsoft, it’s the same firms: Fidelity, Vanguard and BlackRock. And so really we only need to win a couple of hearts and minds, we just need to convince the asset owners and the asset managers that questions like the ones journalists have been asking for years are pertinent and relevant to their portfolios and that’s really how we’re planning to make our impact.”

Asked if they look at content of things like Tweets, he said no: “We don’t look at content. What we concern ourselves [with] is how they govern their technology, and where we can find evidence of that. So what we do is we write to each firm with our rating, with our assessment of them. We make it very clear that it’s based on publicly available data. And then we invite them to complete a survey. Essentially, that survey helps us validate data of these firms. Microsoft is the only one that’s completed the survey.”

Ideally, firms will “verify the information, that they’ve got a particular process in place to make sure that things are well-managed and their algorithms don’t become discriminatory.”

In an age increasingly driven by algorithms, it will be interesting to see if this idea of rating them for risk takes off, especially amongst asset managers.

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Here’s How to Disable Friend Suggestions On Facebook

Facebook is indeed a great social networking site to keep in touch with our friends and family members. The site allows you to exchange text messages, make voice & video calls, exchange files, and more. If you have been using Facebook for a while, you might know that the social networking site sends you ‘Suggested friends’ notifications.

The feature is helpful if you want to connect with all people in your area. However, if you use Facebook to connect only with your family members, you would like to disable the feature. Sometimes, the algorithm of Facebook prompts you to add people you might not necessarily know.

If you wonder how the suggested friends feature works, let me tell you that the social networking site uses your account & smartphone’s location information to suggest nearby Facebook users. This raises some privacy concerns, but as long as users benefit from it, nobody cares. However, some users might not want Facebook to send reminders on adding new peoples, especially if they are happy with their small friend circle and intend to keep in that way.

Also Read: How to Remove Connected Apps & Games From Your Facebook

Steps to Disable Friend Suggestions on Facebook

If you also like to keep your Facebook profile clean and intend to have a small friend circle, you should disable the Friend Suggestions feature. In this article, we will share a step-by-step guide on how to disable Friend Suggestions on Facebook. Let’s check out.

Step 1. First of all, login with your Facebook account and click on the drop-down arrow.

Step 2. From the list of options, click on Settings & Privacy.

Step 3. Next, click on the ‘Settings‘ option.

Step 4. On the left pane, click on the ‘Notifications.’

Step 5. Now scroll down and click on the People You May Know.

Step 6. To turn off friend suggestions on Facebook, click on the slider next to the ‘Allow Notifications on Facebook’ option.

Step 7. Now click on the slider next to the various option listed – Push, Email, and SMS.

That’s it! You are done. Facebook will never suggest other user accounts for you to add as friends.

This article is all about how to disable friend suggestions on Facebook. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts about this, let us know in the comment box below.

The post Here’s How to Disable Friend Suggestions On Facebook appeared first on TechViral.

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LinkedIn confirms it’s working on a Clubhouse rival, too

Clubhouse’s list of competitors is growing. LinkedIn has now confirmed it’s also testing a social audio experience in its app which would allow creators on its network to connect with their community. Unlike the Clubhouse rivals being built by Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn believes its audio networking feature will be differentiated because it will be connected with users’ professional identity, not just a social profile. In addition, the company has already built out a platform that serves the creator community, which today has access to tools like Stories, LinkedIn Live video broadcasting, newsletters and more.

And just today, LinkedIn formalized some of its efforts in this area with the launch of a new “Creator” mode that lets anyone set their profile as one that can be followed for updates, like Stories and LinkedIn Live videos, for example.

This focus on creators puts LinkedIn on competitive footing in terms of expanding its own Clubhouse rival, compared with other efforts by Facebook, Twitter, Telegram or Discord — all of which have their own audio-based networking features in various stages of development at this time.

Though Twitter’s Clubhouse rival, Twitter Spaces, is already live in beta testing, its full set of creator tools have yet to arrive. In fact, it was only last month that Twitter announced its plans for a larger creator subscription platform via a new “Super Follow” feature, for instance. And it only this year entered the newsletter space via an acquisition. Facebook, meanwhile, has historically offered a number of creator-focused features, but has just recently gotten invested in tools like newsletters.

LinkedIn adds Creator mode, video profiles, and in partnership with Microsoft, new career training tools

LinkedIn says its development of an audio-based networking feature came about because its members and creatives have been asking for more ways to communicate on its platform.

“We’re seeing nearly 50% growth in conversations on LinkedIn reflected in stories, video shares and posts on the platform,” Suzi Owens, a spokesperson for LinkedIn, said when confirming its audio feature’s development. “We’re doing some early tests to create a unique audio experience connected to your professional identity. And, we’re looking at how we can bring audio to other parts of LinkedIn such as events and groups, to give our members even more ways to connect to their community,” she said.

As a result of creators’ interest in this space, the company moved quickly to develop its own Clubhouse-like feature, where there’s a stage showcasing the room’s speakers and a set of listeners below. There are also tools to join and leave the room, react to comments, and request to speak, according to screenshots of the interface first discovered in the LinkedIn Android app by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.

Note that Paluzzi’s photo shows a user interface populated with his own profile icon, shown in the image he tweeted. That is not part of the LinkedIn mockup. Instead, LinkedIn shared its own conceptual UX mockup of its in-room experiences with TechCrunch, which shows a more fleshed out example of how the feature may look at launch.

Image Credits: LinkedIn

LinkedIn believes that because the audio experience will be connected with users’ professional identities, they’ll feel comfortable speaking, commenting and otherwise engaging with the content, the company told TechCrunch. It will also be able to leverage its existing investment in moderation tools built for other features — like LinkedIn Live — to help address any concerns over inappropriate or harmful discussions, like those that have already plagued Clubhouse.

“Our priority is to build a trusted community where people feel safe and can be productive,” Owens noted. “Our members come to LinkedIn to have respectful and constructive conversations with real people and we’re focused on ensuring they have a safe environment to do just that,” she said.

Plus, LinkedIn says that audio networking makes for a natural extension of other areas, like Groups and Events — areas for networking that have continued to grow, and particularly during the pandemic.

In 2020, some 21 million people attended an event on LinkedIn, and overall LinkedIn sessions increased by 30% year-over-year. The company’s 740 million global members also last year built community, had conversations and shared knowledge, with 4.8 billion connections made.

Clubhouse UX teardown: A closer look at homepage curation, follow hooks and other features

Like many companies that saw a pandemic boost, LinkedIn believes the pandemic only accelerated the natural progression toward online networking, remote work and virtual events, which were already in place before lockdowns. For example, LinkedIn says that more than 60% of its members were working remotely by the end of 2020, versus 8% before the pandemic. LinkedIn believes the shift will stick, as more than half the world’s workforce is expected to continue working from home at least some of the time, even after the pandemic comes to an end.

That leaves room for new forms of online networking to grow, as well, including audio experiences.

LinkedIn doesn’t yet have an exact time frame for its launch of the audio networking feature, but says it will begin beta testing soon.

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Huawei’s business damaged by US sanctions despite success at home

The Chinese company's 2020 results show a sharp hit to its mobile business in the wake of the US action.

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Palantir: NHS says future deals 'will be transparent'

It follows a lawsuit accusing the NHS of “sneaking through” a £23m contract with Palantir.

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10 Best Software Download Sites For Windows 10 [2021 Edition]

The internet is full of fake websites, hacking materials, spam, etc., and downloading anything from those websites can be dangerous. You can end up having virus influence on your device due to downloading files from malicious websites or links. Many other things like this can happen, and you can remain unaware until it operates at its maximum level.

Since we can’t stop downloading stuff from the internet, there are few things that we need to consider before downloading anything. The first and the most important thing that we need to consider is the download site. The site from where you are downloading software plays a huge role. For example, if you download software from a non-trustworthy site, you could end up installing a virus or malware.

So, it’s always best to download software from trusted websites. Here in this article, we have written about ten websites for downloading Windows software security. If you are interested in knowing about those websites, this article might help you.

List of Best Software Download Sites For Windows 10

Below are some of the best websites where you can quickly get genuine Windows software. We have selected this website based on user ratings and reviews.

1. Microsoft

Microsoft may not be a software download site, but it hosts a handful of useful software. From Microsoft’s official website, you can purchase Microsoft Office tools, Windows 10 ISO files, download bootable USB tools, security software like MSRT, and more. Also, you can download graphic drivers, Net Framework, etc., from the official website of Microsoft.

2. SnapFiles

SnapFiles is one of the best websites on the list from where you can download both freeware and shareware files. Unlike all other spammy software download sites, SnapFiles doesn’t bundle malware with the downloads. The site’s user interface looks outdated, but it’s straightforward to use and lightweight. You can download utility tools, productivity suites, Windows 10 drivers, video converters, media players, and more on this site.

3. Softpedia

You can discover any free and paid programming you need for numerous stages on this site. The good thing about Softpedia is that it offers the latest version of any software. You won’t find a single outdated software on Softpedia. Additionally, Softpedia also offers device drives, utility tools, etc.

4. Ninite

Well, Ninite is a little bit different compared to all other sites listed in the article. This is a software download site, but it doesn’t offer you any direct download links. You need to check the boxes for all the software that you want to install and then click on the download button. Ninite will create a custom installation file containing all selected software, allowing you to install the software in bulk. The site is very secure, and it doesn’t add any additional toolbar or extra junk during the installation.

5. MajorGeeks

The user interface of MajorGeeks looks a bit outdated, but it’s one of the best software download websites that you can visit. The publishers manually verify every content on the site. That means there’s no risk of adware or malware. On this site, you can download Android apps, security tools, DVD utilities, Drivers, Games, etc.

6. DownloadCrew

It’s one of the oldest sites on the list, which you can visit right now to download Softwares. The sites organize every download into categories. For example, you can find programming-related Softwares in the ‘Programming’ section. Similarly, there are games, Disc Burning utility, etc.

7. FileHorse

Although not very popular, FileHorse is still one of the best software download sites you can visit in 2021. The site doesn’t have a massive repository of software, but it does have the best and most used programs. Each of the software pages shows you the screenshot, so you know what to expect. It also displays other information about the software like the compatibility with any operating system, the changelog, links to an older version, and more.

8. Cnet

On Cnet downloads, every piece of software is manually downloaded and verified. It has lots of software content, and every software is reviewed by users and publishers. So, Cnet Download is another best software download website you can consider.

9. FileHippo

Well, FileHippo is probably the best and oldest software download website on the list, which you can visit right now. The great thing about FileHippo is that it has a massive database of software content. Not only software, but you can also download Mobile apps and ISO files. Many users trust the site, and every software is free from viruses and malware.

10. ZDNet

It is one of the popular tech and security news sites on the list. The site is also known for its massive library of free software. Although ZDNet doesn’t have many premium files, it does have lots of useful software for Mac, Windows, Linux, etc. It’s one of the best software download sites where you can download software without worrying about security threats.

Can I download free software from these sites?

Yes, most of the sites listed in the article offer free software.

Do I need to use VPN while visiting these sites?

No, these sites offer freemium software. That means you don’t need to use a VPN to visit these sites?

Can I download Android apps?

No, these sites don’t offer Android apps.

Finally, after reading this article, you have got to know about ten safe websites for downloading Windows software. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with others as well.

The post 10 Best Software Download Sites For Windows 10 [2021 Edition] appeared first on TechViral.

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10 Best Free Android Spy Apps in 2021 [Latest Apps]

Well, if we look around, we will find that Android is right now the most used mobile operating system. Android provides users with far more features and customization options than any other mobile operating system. Not just customizations, but the app availability is also relatively high on Android mobile OS.

Just take a brief look at the Google Play Store; you will find apps and games for every different purpose over there. On techviral, we have shared lots of articles on Android apps like the best utility apps, best sound apps, etc. Today, we are going to cover another interesting topic of Android.

List of Best Free Android Spy Apps

Today, we will share a list of the best spy apps for Android that everyone would love to have on their smartphones. These apps serve a great purpose, and they can be used to track your other or kid’s smartphone. So, let’s explore the list.

1. AppLock

Well, AppLock is not precisely a spy app, but it acts as a spy app. It’s an app locker that can lock your most-used apps. With AppLock, you can easily lock your most-used apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Gallery, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, Contacts, Settings, and more. To access the locked files, you need to enter the password or PIN. If anyone tries to break into AppLock’s vault, it automatically captures invaders’ photos with the front-facing camera.

2. Ip Cam Viewer

This excellent app allows you to remotely view and control your IP Camera, DVR, Network Video Recorder, traffic cameras, CCTV, or WebCam from an android device. You can also get the notification on detecting motion on the device in its new version. This app can automatically start recording whenever it detects motion.

3. Automatic Call Recorder

This is another best Spy App that one can have on their Android smartphone. This app gets automatically launched whenever you make or receive any call. It records all the conversation b/w speakers and also the surrounding noise of the device in which it is installed.

4. Anti Spy Mobile

Don’t know whether you have installed any spyware software on your phone? Use this app to find the spyware instantly. The Android app uses advanced detection techniques to detect new spyware. So, with this app, you can easily protect yourself from Android spyware.

5. Hidden Eye

Well, Hidden Eye is one of the best and top-rated Android spy apps that you can use today. Once installed, the app automatically captures a photograph of the person who tries to unlock your phone with the wrong password or pin. Along with an intruder selfie, you can also set Hidden Eye to play your ringtone whenever a user tries to unlock your phone without your permission. The app is fully compatible with all versions of Android.

6. Truecaller: Caller ID & Dialer

It is the only dialer app you’ll ever need with the ability to identify unknown callers and block unwanted calls. With TrueCaller, you can see names and photos of people calling you, even if they aren’t saved in your phonebook. And know when friends are free to talk, making your calling experience smarter and more delightful.

7. Google Find My Device

Well, Google Find My Device is an Android app that helps you locate your lost or stolen smartphone. It’s something that can help you recover your lost smartphone. The feature comes built-in with most Android devices, but if your phone doesn’t have it, you can install the standalone app. If your smartphone is lost somewhere, you can use Google Find My Device to play a sound at full volume, even if your device is in silent mode. Apart from that, you can choose to erase all data or lock your lost smartphone via this app.

8. Norton Family parental control

Norton Family parental control is an Android app meant to keep kids safe online. However, this is nothing sort of a spy app. The app can help you to supervise online activity. You can easily keep track of your friend’s sites and what they search for if you install Norton Family Parental control on their phone.

9. Smart Hide Calculator

The app doesn’t help users to spy on others. But, it can give you a detective type of feeling. A smart hide calculator is a fully functional calculator app but with a bit of twist. Once you enter the password and press the ‘=’ button, then boom, you are presented to an interface where you can hide, unhide pictures, videos, documents, or files with any file extension.

10. Background Video Recorder

This is another best Android spy app that helps users record what’s happening behind them. Background Video Recorder is a camera app that records videos silently in the background. The app eliminates the camera shutter sounds, camera previews, and it can also record videos when the screen is off.

Which are the best-hidden spy apps for Android?

There are several types of spy apps listed in the article. Some apps like Spy Camera OS, Smart Calculator, Hidden Eye, etc., work in the background.

Are these apps free to download?

Most of the apps listed in the article were free to download and use.

Are these apps safe to use?

All apps were available on the Google Play Store. That means these apps have gone through several security checkups. So, these are safe apps to use.

These are the best Android Spy Apps that will convert your android into a spy device. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also.

The post 10 Best Free Android Spy Apps in 2021 [Latest Apps] appeared first on TechViral.

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Facebook denies its algorithms are a problem, but launches a tool to more easily view a non-algorithmic News Feed

Following years of backlash over its algorithms and their ability to push people to more extreme content, which Facebook continues to deny, the company today announced it would give its users new tools to more easily switch over to non-algorithmic views of their News Feed. This includes the recently launched “Favorites,” which shows you posts from up to 30 of your favorite friends and Pages, as well as the “Most Recent” view, which shows posts in chronological order. It also introduced new controls for adjusting who can comment on your posts, and other changes.

The features themselves aren’t entirely new, in some cases, but they’ve been made easier to get to with the addition of a Feed Filter Bar on mobile for changing the view of the News Feed, and an option menu on your posts to control who can comment.

The “Most Recent” view of the News Feed has long existed but has been buried in the extended “more” menu (the three-bar hamburger icon) on the Facebook mobile app. It’s not as useful as it sounds because it shows you all the posts from both friends and Pages in a single chronological view. If you’ve been on Facebook for many years, then you’ve probably “Liked” a number of Facebook Pages for brands, businesses and public figures. These Pages tend to post with more frequency than your friends, so the feed has become largely a long scroll through Page updates.

However, if you still prefer the “Most Recent” view, the Feed Filter Bar will give you a tool to easier switch back and forth between this and other views. The feature will launch on Android first, then roll out to iOS.

Meanwhile, Facebook has offered a way to prioritize who you see in your News Feed through a “See First” setting, but the newer “Favorites” feature rebrands this effort and gives you a single destination under Settings to select and deselect your Favorites, including favorite Pages.

The updated commenting controls are a new take on a habit many Facebook users have already adopted — when they share a post only to a given audience, like family or friends, while excluding other groups like work colleagues or even specific people. Now, users will have the option to instead share their posts but control who can engage in conversations. Public figures, for example, may choose to adopt the feature to restrict their audience to only those brands and profiles they’ve tagged.

Facebook says it will also show more context around suggestions it displays in the News Feed with its “Why am I seeing this?” feature that will explain how its algorithmic suggestions work. It says several factors may be at work here, in terms of what’s shown and why — including your location, whether you or people like you have engaged with related topics, groups or Pages, and more.

The changes arrive at a time when Facebook, along with other tech giants, is under fire for its role in spreading misinformation leading to deadly events, like the storming of the U.S. Capitol, and serious public health crises, like vaccine hesitancy during a pandemic. Facebook CEO last week testified before House’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology about its failures to remove dangerous misinformation and allow extremists to become more radicalized and to organize online.

Facebook’s official position, however, is that it doesn’t play a role in directing people towards problematic content — they seek it out. And people’s News Feeds are only a reflection of their own choices, in that way.

These thoughts and more were detailed today by Nick Clegg, VP of Global Affairs for Facebook, where he insists personalization algorithms are common across tech companies — Amazon and Netflix use them, too, for instance. And ranking simply makes what’s most relevant to the user appear first — effectively blaming users for the problems here. He also throws back the decisions to be made around Facebook’s role in misinformation peddling to the lawmakers, adding: “It would clearly be better if these [content] decisions were made according to frameworks agreed by democratically accountable lawmakers.”

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Facebook tweaks its news feed with new controls

Permission to comment and an easier way to see a chronological feed are both in the works.

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Deliveroo shares drop 30% on stock market debut

Deliveroo shares open well below expected price after big investors' attitude to company soured.

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VW rebrand turns out to be April Fool's joke

The carmaker will not change its name to "Voltswagen" in the US despite earlier saying it would.

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Mafia fugitive caught after posting cooking show on YouTube

The Italian gangster had tried to hide his face but was identified by his distinctive tattoos.

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Scalping: The teens making thousands selling consoles online

If you've been struggling to buy a new PlayStation or Xbox, this might be the reason why.

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World’s Biggest Video Game Cheating Ring Provider Busted by Chinese Police

Do you know about cheat codes used in video games? I am sure many of you might have used it, but it is not good as you do cheating in the game. No one likes cheaters, if you have been receiving some cheat codes then you should know that the “World’s biggest” videogame cheat provider has been busted by the Chinese police.

Police Bust “World’s Biggest” Cheat Ring Worth $750

The Chinese police has done a collaboration with tech giant Tencent and has taken down the cheat provider in china. The team was jailed and $46M assets were Seized by the police.

Last year in 2020, a video game cheat ring was reported to the Chinese police. And exactly after one year, this operation is successful and it is the biggest takedown of the cheat provider in gaming history.

This cheat ring offers a variety of game codes to the players and was asked to purchase temporary cheats via now-defunct service. As per the reports, the providers have earned more than $10,000 every day. They were selling wall-hacks, aimbots, and every type of cheats.

On March 26, 2021, the Police has shut down the ring, and before that the cheat providers have earned $764 million (USD).

The Chinese police known as Kunshan police were working with Tencent Games to take down the biggest Cheat provider based in China they were Jailed and around $46m in assets were Seized this is the BIGGEST GAME Cheating provider bust ever

Cheaters never prosper what a big win pic.twitter.com/WBfkjNiP2g

— Anti-Cheat Police Department (@AntiCheatPD) March 28, 2021

The police report was posted on Weibo, it says Tencent collaborated with Kunshan police officers and were able to find these cheat providers. However, the ring was mainly focusing on mobile titles and also Overwatch and Valorant. The user who uses cheat codes should pay for a subscription where they allow to use cheats for a specific period of time, like for 10 USD per day, $200 per month. It has a huge number of subscribers, so they were earning more than $10,000 per day.

However, now the provider’s assets are seized, like their luxury sports cars which cost around $20M. They also had properties and virtual currency.

The police Kunshan raided few locations and arrested 10 resellers of this cheating ring, and a total of 17 websites are closed down.

One of the biggest reasons for this video game cheat code provider bust has happened due to the involvement of a huge sum of amounts, many games involved. Even the games from other places were also involved other than China.

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How to Save Snapchat Stories On Android in 2021

There are almost hundreds of photo and video sharing apps available for Android. However, Snapchat seems to be the best one out of all those. Snapchat is a platform mainly used to share photos, videos, text, and drawings. The app is known for its unique photo and video filters that transform your snaps in literally no-time.

If you have been using Snapchat for a while, you might know about the ‘Snapchat Story’ feature. The snaps on Snapchat get deleted right after you view them, but the stories disappear after 24 hours. The story could be anything; it could be a GIF, image, or video. Everything shared as a story will be shown for only 24 hours on a user account.

Let’s admit, while using Snapchat, we often came across a fantastic story that we want to save. However, the actual problem is that Snapchat doesn’t allow you to save other’s stories, images, or anything that’s being shared. In that case, you need to rely on several third-party apps to save a Snapchat story.

Also Read: How to Apply Multiple Filters On Photos & Videos in Snapchat

List of 10 Best Apps Save Snapchat Stories On Android

So, if you are interested to know how to save someone else’s Snapchat story, you need to use some third-party apps. This article will share the few best apps that would help you save someone else’s Snapchat story. Let’s check out.

Using Snapchat Story Saver App

Several apps had been made for Android to save a Snapchat story. There are plenty of third-party options available for Android. However, the problem with Snapchat Story Saver apps is that most of them are not available on the Google Play Store. You need to download them from third-party app stores. Here are some of the best Snapchat Story Saver apps you can use.

1. Snapbox

Well, Snapbox is one of the best Android apps that can be used to save someone else’s Snapchat Story. However, the app has been removed from the Google Play Store due to some definite reason. The app asks you to enter your Snapchat Login credentials before saving any particular story. Once done, it loads all stories that are visible from your account. You can directly save the Snapchat Stories on your phone with just a single tap.

2. SnapSaver

SnapSaver is another best Android application that can help you download Snapchat Stories on Android. It’s a screen recorder app that works only with the Snapchat app. Once installed, you need to tap on the SnapSaver video recorder icon. Once done, open Snapchat and view the story you want to download. SnapSaver will automatically grab the story and will download it on your device. However, the app is not available on the Google Play Store due to security reasons.

3. SnapCrack

SnapCrack is pretty much similar to the Snapbox application that had been listed above. Just like Snapbox, SnapCrack requires your Snapchat credentials to fetch essential data. Once you log in with an account, it lists all recent stories and snaps shared by your contacts. To save any particular story, tap on it and select the download button. However, since it requires your Snapchat Credentials, the app doesn’t look safe.

Note: Snapchat Story Saver applications might lead to a temporary or permanent account ban. Also, the security risks were high. We don’t promote the use of these apps to harm or misuse the functionality of Snapchat by any means. So, make sure to use them at your own risk.

Using Screen Recording Applications

Well, the best way to save a Snapchat video is to use a screen recorder app. Although a screen recorder is not an ideal solution, it gets the job done. Most of the Android device comes with a built-in screen recorder application. You can use the native screen recorder to record the Snapchat story.

You can also use third-party screen recorder apps to save a Snapchat video. Below, we have shared some of the best screen recorder applications for Android.

1. XRecorder

Xrecorder is one of the best and leading screen recorders available on the Google Play Store. You can easily capture smooth and clear screen video screenshots with a recorder. Once installed, it adds a floating window on your Android’s screen, providing access to the screen recorder. The application is entirely free to use, and it doesn’t have any watermark.

2. AZ Screen Recorder

Well, AZ Screen Recorder is by far the best screen recording application available for Android. The site is known for its high-quality screen recording feature that never fails to capture smooth & clear screen videos. It also supports 60FPS screen recording and both internal/external sounds. You can use this application to record Snapchat stories shared by others.

3. Mobizen Screen Recorder

If you are looking for an easy-to-use and fast screen recorder app for your Android device, then Mobizen Screen Recorder might be the best pick for you. Guess what? Mobizen Screen Recorder is 100% free, and it doesn’t even put any watermark on recorded videos. Apart from screen recording, the app also offers few editing features like trimming, cutting, or merging multiple clips, adding background music, etc.

So, these are some of the best apps that could help you save Snapchat stories. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you know of any other such apps, let us know in the comment box below.

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