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Fujifilm Instax SQ1 instant camera in the test: instant photo in square format

With Fujifilm’s SQ1, design and simplicity count. They are available in the three colors Chalk White, Terracotta Orange and Glacier Blue. The operation of the point-and-shoot instant camera is as reduced as it can be: insert the film, open the lens, use the viewfinder to frame the image, press the shutter release, collect the image. The exposure is automatic and the camera also adjusts the flash itself if necessary. The photographer can only influence the focus distance. There are two rotation settings on the lens, one for selfies and one for anything further away. For the selfies, the typical mini mirror is on the lens.

A window on the back reveals whether the film has been inserted correctly, a picture counter shows also shows how many pictures are still available in the cassette. The Instax SQ1 works with the Instax Square instant film measuring 8.6 cm × 7.2 cm. The image size is about six by six centimeters – a modern square format in the Instagram style. The camera is therefore a successful concept for anyone who wants a reasonably sensible result quickly when taking photos without having to worry about exposure-related settings themselves. If you value a little more influence, you should use other instant cameras such as the Instax Mini 90 neo or a Polaroid OneStep + may be better off.

instax SQ1 (3 pictures) The instax SQ1 is a simple point-and-shoot camera. It is switched on by turning the lens. A flash brightens photos, when it is triggered and which exposure settings are selected, the SQ1 decides fully automatically. All the photographer has to do is press the shutter button. There is a small mirror on the lens for selfies.

(Image: Christine Bruns) If not … Actually, the SQ1 is a very practical camera in its field, if it weren’t for that the one thing that really annoyed us: ergonomics. The shutter release was installed exactly where the index finger was when the camera was held. That sounds logical at first, because you have to press it to take a picture. But the placement has its pitfalls: the finger cannot rest further down due to the large lens, the shutter release is too easy to move. Just a short touch is enough and pictures arise that you did not want at all.

Pictures from the Fujifilm instax SQ1 (6 pictures) The instant film can also reproduce a surprising number of details.

(Image: Christine Bruns) Equipment and power supply The Instax Square film that the camera exposes costs around one euro per picture and is in a film cassette ten shots. With larger purchase quantities you can save a few cents per picture. Special editions such as the monochrome film or variants with special frames cost a little more.

Incidentally, a hand strap and a self-adhesive thumb grip are included, which, according to the website, can be used to adapt the handle to the shape and size of the hand. The plate only has a useful place on the back, namely above the battery compartment, otherwise it will be covered. How the handle is supposed to adapt to the shape of the hand remained a mystery to us.

Two CR2 lithium batteries serve as power supply, which are for approx. 30 film cassettes should suffice.

Alternatives The SQ1 is the third Instax model for the square film. The also purely analogue SQ6 is designed a bit more chic and also has various motif programs for portrait, landscape, double exposure, high-key or low-key images. It currently costs about as much as its younger sister SQ1, i.e. around 100 Euro.

The third in the group is the SQ 20, a hybrid camera. It records both analog and digital, has a display and various editing and beautification options for the images. So several pictures can be printed on one picture or one picture can be printed as a picture from one with the SQ 20 recorded film can be exported. A micro SD slot enables the images to be transferred to the PC. Their price is around 170 Euro.

There are also the Instax mini cameras with picture sizes with a frame of 7.5 cm × 6 cm, without this frame the photo is only 6.5 cm × 4.5 cm. The Instax Wide provides larger formats 300 with image sizes of around 6 centimeters × 10 centimeters.

Polaroid also offers the square format, but slightly larger. The picture size with frame is , 7 centimeters × 8.8 centimeters, without a frame at around 8 centimeters × 8 centimeters. The development time of the pictures is ten to 10 minutes. Also the price of 15 until 18 Euro per picture not exactly a bargain.

Conclusion With the Instax SQ1 from Fujifilm, you can be with friends in between , at parties, or just taking creative instant photos for fun. This of course applies to all instant cameras. However, one looks in vain for setting options as with some others. The Instax Square films are a good compromise in terms of size. The camera itself makes a high-quality impression that is commensurate with the claim, but leaves something to be desired in terms of ergonomics. The trigger also reacts a little too quickly. That can be annoying with picture prices around one euro.

(cbr)

Even Utah’s mysterious monolith may be no match for Google Earth

Last week, a sheep-counting expedition found a mysterious monolith deep in the Utah desert, and they warned the world to stay away.

This is a great opening for a science fiction story, and also the actual events of late November 2020. As local news outlet KSL TV lays out, a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter crew discovered a 10- to 12-foot steel object that they described as a “monolith.” The crew found the object installed in the canyon’s rock floor on November 18th, and they found “no obvious indication” of its source. On November 23rd, they posted photos of it to Instagram and the DPS site.

DPS has avoided saying exactly where the monolith is. “It is in a very remote area and if individuals were to attempt to visit the area, there is a significant possibility they may become stranded and require rescue,” it wrote. But while the monolith remains an irresistible mystery, its location has turned into a lesson on how to find almost anything online, including an enigmatic metal sculpture. Within hours, someone had inevitably opened a Reddit forum to locate the monolith. And less than a day after the sculpture’s existence was revealed, someone seems to have actually done it.

A Utah DPS public affairs officer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the supposed location of the monolith. And I’m not printing the alleged coordinates beyond confirming that the place is remote and highly inhospitable. In all seriousness: please don’t visit the mysterious Utah monolith.

That said, the monolith-hunting process is impressive in its own right. And the evidence for its location, put forward by Reddit user Tim Slane, is strong. Slane pinpointed the coordinates of a small redstone canyon with a narrow gap that closely matches the social media photos. Satellite images from Google Earth reveal something in the middle: a hard-to-see object that casts a sharp, tall, and narrow shadow across the ground. The object seems relatively new. Google Earth photos from 2013 and mid-2015 show no trace of it, but it’s clearly visible by October of 2016, when the surrounding ground has also been apparently cleared of scrub. App developer Bruno Philipe posted Apple Maps imagery of the canyon, but the monolith area was shrouded in shadow.

Apple Maps has 3D photogrammetry of the region, but sadly it seems the exact location of the monolith was shadowed at the time and thus there isn’t a lot of detail: pic.twitter.com/bIKViFtF96

— Bruno Philipe (@BrunoPhilipe) November 24, 2020

Slane found the canyon with some clever cross-referencing — a process he says he’s honed with the online game Geoguessr, where players deduce the locations of random Google Street View pictures. “I started to realize I had a talent for finding places just based on the geography. All that paired with an abundance of curiosity about the world led me to spend a lot of time on Google Earth,” he told The Verge over Reddit chat.

In this case, he compared the flight path of the helicopter against the red-and-white sandstone terrain of the DPS videos. He says he was aided by clues like the cliffs’ height, the canyon’s erosion pattern (indicating a more exposed area), and a flat floor suggesting it wasn’t frequently flooded (and, by extension, was near the top of a watershed). “The monolith was a little easier than other photos,” he says.

This obviously doesn’t answer the biggest question: who built the monolith?

Alongside jokes about 2001: A Space Odyssey, some news outlets have suggested specific avant-garde artists. The Art Newspaper compares the monolith to the “plank” sculptures of minimalist artist John McCracken, who died in 2011. His gallerist David Zwirner told The New York Times that “I believe this is definitely by John.” A Zwirner spokesperson offered a conflicting opinion to The Guardian, though, saying it was probably “a work by a fellow artist paying homage to McCracken.” And if Slane’s timeline is correct, the monolith was placed years after McCracken’s death.

Some Reddit users suggested the more contemporary Petecia Le Fawnhawk. Le Fawnhawk’s work is full of stark sculptures in remote locations — just days ago, she posted a free-standing arched mirror erected in the sand. But she denied creating the monolith. “Although I cannot claim this one, I did have the thought to plant secret monuments in the desert,” Le Fawnhawk said in an email to The Verge. “As we can see, perhaps we could all use a little more mystery.”

Slane is less sympathetic to the monolith — which, DPS officials noted, was placed without authorization on federal land. “It is illegal, destructive to the rock, and potentially disruptive to the Big Horn Sheep if it becomes a trend,” he says. Unusual or photogenic natural landscapes, including Antelope Canyon just south of Utah, have suffered when tourists descended on them. “Hopefully the [Bureau of Land Management] or National Park Service send out a crew to take it down.”

So, again: the Utah monolith is fascinating, and the detective work it inspired is ingenious. But we should attempt no landings there.

Amazon partners with the US government to stop the sale of counterfeit goods

Amazon announced a joint operation with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) on Tuesday, focused on stopping counterfeit goods from entering the US. The partnership will rely on intelligence gathered from Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, logistics company DHL, and US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to proactively stop the sale of counterfeit products.

“Operation Fulfilled Action” relies on Amazon’s dominant positioning as both a distributor and marketplace for products. Because of the amount sold on Amazon’s various storefronts, IPR Center and Amazon have shared information previously, even collaborating on a crackdown on fraud related to COVID-19. This new operation marks a more long-term partnership, however.

Prior to Amazon’s involvement, IPR Center’s focus on “securing the global supply-chain” might be unfamiliar to the average person, but you’ve actually seen a bit of the Center’s work before — the government warning that plays before every DVD and Blu-ray was created by the organization.

IPR Center’s antipiracy warning for DVDs and Blu-rays.

As far as counterfeit products are concerned, Amazon says it already investigated and removed potentially fraudulent offenders. A partnership with these new agencies should allow the company to go further and “stop counterfeits at the border, regardless of where bad actors were intending to offer them” said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of customer trust and partner support at Amazon.

Amazon’s more aggressive stance started in earnest with its launch of the Counterfeit Crimes Unit earlier this year, part of a move from the company to proactively investigate sellers offering counterfeit goods, rather than removing them after the fact. Counterfeit products are a known issue on Amazon’s various marketplaces and the Counterfeit Crimes Unit has already taken legal action against some sellers this month for offering counterfeit products on both Amazon Marketplace and Instagram.

Because of just how many counterfeit goods are sold every year ($1.7 trillion worth in 2009), this joint operation might not have the reach necessary to make a dent, but something is better than nothing.

Briefly informed: Economy, de minimis barrier, WireGuard, Spotlight-Snaps

Strong comeback of the German economy in the summer The German economy is stronger after the crash in the Corona crisis got going than initially assumed. The gross domestic product rose in the period from July to September by 8.5 percent compared to the second quarter, announced the Federal Statistical Office. According to preliminary data, the authority had assumed an increase of 8.2 percent. At the end of the year, however, the recovery is likely to pause due to the partial lockdown in Germany and restrictions in many other European countries in view of the increasing number of infections.

Artists are facing storm free content snippets A group of 576 artists appeals to politics not to play off copyright against them. Above all, the proposed “minor barrier” in the draft of the Federal Ministry of Justice for copyright reform, with which snippets of content such as memes in social media should become license-free and free of charge, must be dropped, demand the authors. “The Corona crisis hit us hard,” write the artists. It is all the more painful that they still do not receive adequate remuneration for their works in the only unrestricted market of online platforms.

Our weekday news podcast delivers the most important news of the day compressed into 2 minutes. Anyone who uses voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant can also hear or see the news there. Simply activate the skill on Alexa or say to the Google Assistant: “Play heise top”.

WireGuard for Windows continues to take shape Shortly after each other, the WireGuard project released Windows versions 0.2 and 0.3 of its VPN software. An important innovation is a restricted view for regular users: With the Network Configuration Operator function, the project is aimed particularly at corporate users whose system administrators use WireGuard but do not want to give their users administrator rights. In addition, WireGuard for Windows can now be used on ARM and ARM 64 systems. With further changes and bug fixes, WireGuard should also run faster and more stable.

Snapchat starts TikTok for Snaps Snapchat is rolling out its new Spotlight function for Android and iOS with immediate effect. For Snapchat users, a new menu item in the form of a play button appears at the bottom right with which the videos can be played. To create a spotlight snap, select “Spotlight” on the send screen and add a hashtag if you wish. Spotlight is very reminiscent of TikTok or Reels from Instagram. There will be no public comment function for spotlight snaps – but you can share and like them with friends.

(igr)

Spotlight: Snapchat launches TikTok for Snaps

Snapchat is rolling out its new Spotlight function for Android and iOS with immediate effect. For Snapchat users, a new menu item in the form of a play button appears at the bottom right with which the videos can be played. To create a spotlight snap, select “Spotlight” on the send screen and add a hashtag if you wish. Spotlight is very reminiscent of TikTok or the Reels function of Instagram. There will be no public comment function for spotlight snaps – but you can share and like them with friends.

In addition, Snapchat announced that it would be giving away $ 1 million every day through the end of the year for the best spotlight snaps. The prerequisite is that the users are at least 16 years old and accept the conditions of participation. Whether a Spotlight Snap is successful depends, for example, on how long users have been looking at the Snap and how many likes it has received. The campaign is intended to create incentives to create and share creative videos.

(kim)

Copyright reform: Artists run storm against free content snippets

A group of 576 artists appeals to politicians not to “play off copyright against us”. Music up to 20 seconds, remixes, samples – “everything should be freely usable, without a license”, the alliance railed against the draft of the Federal Ministry of Justice on copyright reform. Above all, the proposed new exceptions to the exclusive exploitation rights are “so outrageously contrary to European law” that “we can only shake our heads”.

The signatories of the heise online letter to members of the government and members of the Bundestag include the bands and ensembles AnnenMayKantereit, Antilopen Gang, Beatsteaks, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Doctors, Die Toten Hosen, Feine Sahne Fischfilet and Kraftwerk. There are also musicians, singers and DJs such as Blixa Bargeld, Herbert Grönemeyer, Joy Denalane, Leslie Mandoki, Paul van Dyk and Tim Bendzko.

“No adequate remuneration” “The Corona crisis hit us hard,” write the artists. It is all the more painful that “we are still not receiving adequate remuneration for our works in the only non-restricted market” of online platforms. The EU Parliament had the courage to shift “the unequal power imbalance” a little towards a new balance with the controversial copyright directive and the resulting tightened liability regime.

They had another concern The alliance emphasizes that EU politicians have been picked up and “the power of disposal over our artistic work has been put back into our hands: we should no longer have to fish out every bit of video in the flood of platforms ourselves, in which, for example, new rights or conspiracy theorists Make use of the awareness of our works without being asked. ”

The musicians are therefore” horrified “at how little of this intention has remained in the ministry’s project: the guideline is being watered down, the position of creative people weakened in negotiations. “Instead of a harmonized European market for licenses, we are getting a German self-service shop where our works are given away to everyone who says ‘pastiche’.”

Bagatellschranke Above all, the proposed “minor barrier”, with which snippets of content such as memes in social media are to be made license-free and subject to payment, must be dropped, the authors demand. User rights in the area of ”User Generated Content” should not be extended across the board through the back door. The tried and tested notice-and-takedown procedure for removing content should be retained.

That the legislative proposal (LB 2985648: very is controversial) $ shows, in addition to the objections from other ministries that have already become public, the high number of over 100 statements to the justice department. The spectrum of interest representatives ranges from rights holders to associations of the IT industry and initiatives such as SaveTheInternet, which have long been campaigning against upload filters, to the churches. For example, the German bishops are campaigning for the ability to continue streaming church services beyond the corona pandemic with a flat fee via the collecting society Gema.

Against upload filters Raise your voice for the first time 30 Social media greats like PietSmiet, Gronkh, Le Floyd, Rewi, Rezo and Tilo Jung, who say they have around 88 million users on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and Reach TikTok. They complain that the initiative “draws a line between the owners of copyrights and users of upload platforms” that “does not correspond to actual practice”. As a “content creator” they are both and have “as creatives and as a company in the cultural industry” against the article at the time 13 (now 17) protested the directive.

“We reject automated systems, Check the uploads for copyright infringement, in principle, “emphasize the makers. They could not understand the content of uploaded works and are therefore not suitable for correctly detecting copyright violations. This would actually suppress legal content. The creators expressly rate the “provided exceptions for the public reproduction of a tiny excerpt” of copyrighted works for non-commercial purposes as positive.

User rights and copyrights The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) praises the fact that the Ministry of Justice has given the freedom to design articles 17 actively intended to use. It is clear, however, that upload filters would not be prevented by the present proposal. In this respect, the government is breaking the promise made in the coalition agreement. That is why it is crucial “that user rights are protected as best as possible”. This is not a necessary evil, but a prerequisite for being able to implement the EU requirements in accordance with fundamental rights at all.

Wikimedia Germany also calls on the government to do so to pay more attention to the needs of the users and to maintain the balance of legal permissions. Even if Wikipedia is excluded from the article : If filter algorithms are used widely, the entire process of creation suffers from free Knowledge of social media, forums and video portals is massive. The fact that automatic systems should check content in advance contradicts the tenor of the executive’s protocol declaration.

Shift of responsibility In contrast to the discussion draft, the revised paper no longer contains any “innovative solutions”, regrets Google. The justice department is now making service providers “responsible for problems within the ecosystem that are beyond their control”. The obligation to acquire licenses for typically uploaded content is impractical and incompatible with European law.

The group considers the extended ancillary copyright for press publishers to be unnecessary. It was only in October 2020 that he announced that he would be giving journalists and press publishers increased support through the “News Showcase” and paying license fees for selected high-quality articles. Snippets with up to 200 characters or 30 Words should definitely remain license-free. According to VG Media, which represents many publishers, the draft, despite corrections, “secures the business models of the providers of services that use press products intensively and extensively”.

Technical concerns about the “Pre -Flagging System “has Facebook. Comparing billions of uploads with millions of files from rights holders in real time using complex technology “is not possible in many cases”. German users could face longer and frustrating waiting times when trying to post content. This is likely to harm their right to freedom of expression.

(jk)

#TGIQF – The quiz about constellations

A look over the firmament has always enchanted the observer, because a whole universe of stars, constellations and other seeming wonders unfolded to the naked eye. Much of it has meanwhile been researched and, for the most part, explainable, but this does not detract from the fascination with the endless expanses.

Constellations allow To map the entire sky and were immensely important in earlier times in order to determine the correct harvest time and later enable navigation at sea. And even if it is actually only due to the perspective, random star constellations – they are still impressive today!

We stay in our little quiz in the field of astronomy and ignore astrology, in the spirit of the recently deceased Astrophysicist Rudolf Kippenhahn, who once said on the subject: “The stars don’t lie, they are silent!”

Do you know your way around constellations? Then, as the last hurdle before the weekend you deserve, test your knowledge in our little quiz about stars and constellations!

The watch is relentless in the fight for the right answers , but as always rewards quick decisions with more points. Overall, you can earn points in 10 questions 200! Please keep the correct answers to yourself so that the others can also enjoy the puzzle. But you are welcome to share your score, praise or criticism as usual in the forum, on Twitter and on Facebook under #tgiqf. In addition, it is always worth visiting us on Instagram.

“Thank God It’s Quiz Friday!” Every Friday there is a new quiz on the topics of IT, technology, entertainment or nerd knowledge:

Thanks for all the quiz tips from the community so far ! As always, the quiz master is happy to receive an email if you have an idea for a great quiz.

Review Como Audio Solo + Ambiente + Turntable set

Como Audio is certainly no stranger to the readers of HIFI.NL. We have been in regular contact with Tom DeVesto, and have previously introduced you extensively with the Como Audio Musica. The label â ???? table radioâ ???? was quite an understatement. But the line of products is bigger. Como Audio also has a record player in its range. That of course requires a review.

Como Audio Como is a relatively new brand, but has deep roots in the audio. After all, there is a man with a vision behind it: Â Tom DeVesto . A â ???? completeâ ???? bringing a new brand to the market, mainly dominated by Sonos, requires a set of balls. When we look at the products and their quality, we admire Como Audio. As audio enthusiasts, we know that CD and vinyl are not dead. And Como Audio knows that too. But then with a future proof touch.

Personally, we wanted to get started with the Como Audio Bluetooth Turntable, but in full Como mode. How? With a complete set! The Solo + Ambiente + Turntable. That is a Solo with extra speaker and a turntable: a set that provides the user with many possibilities.

The Solo becomes a real stereo system with the additional Ambiente speaker, with almost everything on board: multiroom audio, streaming audio, Spotify, DAB +, USB, headphone connection, Bluetooth, clock and alarm, 2x stereo input (3.5mm), color screen, wifi, optical input and one 30 Watt class-D amplifier for the control of the 2-way system. The Solo comes in 4 versions, for each an appropriate color for the interior.

Which brings us to the second product in this set. This turntable has no name other than Bluetooth Turntable. so Como could have come up with a peppy name for that. If we can make a suggestion: the Limoncello? The turntable itself is well put together. We see that the arm resembles a model from Pro-Ject, which suggests that parts come from it. Of course Como Audio gives it its own twist. A heavy steel platform, slip mat and a dust cover. We also find an Ortofon OM 10 element. A built-in phonostage and Bluetooth functionality make it reasonably future-proof, and that offers possibilities. The Como Audio Bluetooth Turntable can therefore be connected wirelessly to the Solo.

Start and drive Unpack, drop and set the set has a maximum of 30 minutes to time. Crazy called it took most of the time to set up. This has to do with the buttons on the front of the Solo; these are both rotary and click buttons. The screen is not a touchscreen, although the appearance suggests otherwise!

The Ambiente stereo speaker can be connected with a single RCA cable. This is attached to the speaker. To connect to the WiFi network, we have to turn and click the buttons. It gives a bit of the feel of a text message you make on a Nokia 3310. But once we are connected, it is set. We are greeted with a notification that there is a system update. It is always good to keep internet connected systems up to date. After the update we are only surprised: we can completely reset the Solo! Nothing has been preserved. That is a point to improve. It is easy to immediately download the app, available for Android and iOS.

The buttons on the front have a big advantage: quick, easy operation. If it was a bit more difficult to set up, it is that easy to use the same buttons. This also makes it clear why this was chosen. We have to understand which button does what, but we get the hang of it in no time. This is a strong point for people who don’t feel like messing with an app on the phone. In addition, a remote control is also included. We choose our favorite radio stations, our music server is linked and we connect the record player. It is almost ready for use. It is advisable to check the adjustment. A check to see if the record player is level is also a step in this process. We connect the whole with the supplied cable and adapter. For example, the record player can be connected to the Solo. The transparent RCA cable then goes to a 3.5 mm plug.

Now we already hear you think: “That’s not good, is it?”. And you are absolutely right about that. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and that also applies to audio systems. Preference is given to a cable that already contains the adapter and which consists of one whole. But this is what Como Audio delivered, so this is what we test it with. Fortunately, the head office has announced that it will deliver the product with a different cable from this summer, so that no more adapters are needed. Now all that remains is an espresso and a listening session.

Musical Fun Factor “It’s a Wednesday morning, 07: 00 hours The Solo on button is pressed. Preset button 1 and Q-music can be heard over the speakers. The radio station logo appears on the screen. Meanwhile, the coffee machine is switched on and the living room is enveloped in the scent of fresh espresso. ”

This is how the Como Audio set has made its appearance in recent weeks, in a daily rhythm. The acceptance in such a steady rhythm can be a difficult process. In the case of the Como Audio Solo, Ambiente and the Turntable it was quite organic; within a day it was very natural to just turn on the radio or just turn on a CD from the server. And that is sometimes a different matter with some products. (Just below us; the Solo, Ambiente and Limoncello sound much better, right?). A comparison with Sonos or Bluesound is therefore easily made. But we’ll get to that later.

The step to turn on music for a moment is just the touch of a button. In the days when people work a lot at home, we also notice that we also listen to more music. There was a lot of radio, especially in the morning, and from lunch music was switched on via Spotify or the server. Around dinner the round black discs appeared and several LPs were listened to while enjoying a glass of wine.

The convenience and “Fun Factor” are very high with this set, and that is exactly what makes listening to music so much fun. Something we already encountered with the Crosley . But what exactly do we mean by that? It is often a combination of several factors. Think of the product, the price of the product, the ease of use, the right music and the time or place. The Solo excels in convenience. Press the button and listen. What we often encounter with multiroom or smart speakers is the smartphone. This almost always has to be taken in hand to put on other music. Then we are often tempted to read that email, or to view that post on Instagram or Facebook. There is no such distraction with the Como Audio Solo. It takes you as a user with a modern system back to a period of uncomplicated music experience. Of course there is an app available, but if we have used it five times during the entire period, then it is a lot. Combine that convenience with the sound quality and the circle is complete.

With the rotary knob we scroll through the music on the server, until we come across an album of which we think ‘yes, nice’. A good example is the Buena Vista Social Club, with the eponymous album from 1997. We own the album in Flac, hi-res. The Como just plays that. And the surprise is all the greater when we hear that the display is better than expected. The vocals and instruments are clear and have a clear place in the room. We do hear a slightly exaggerated mid-low / low. This is mainly because the housing has to compensate. So don’t expect audiophile performance. It is more like a delicious warm apple pie from Oma. All flavors have come together in that apple pie and together they form the whole. The audio performance of the Solo and the Ambiente can also be compared. We really hear music. We do not hear the vocals and instruments separately. We also don’t hear different levels, we just hear music, as a whole. Straight forward.

We also find the pleasure when we grab a few LPs. The album 21 by Adele and Forever Dreaming by Myles Sanko , for example. Adele doesn’t need an introduction. Myles Sanko is a British soul and jazz singer. He has been working hard since 2013 and has performed at North Sea Jazz, among others. We put on the song of the same name Forever Dreaming. We are looking for the swing that is in that song. With a good audio system sitting still is difficult and you will be captivated by the melody. We clearly hear the wind section shaping the melody. Here you can indeed hear the swing we are looking for. There is a small but. The music sounds good, better than you would expect. We only miss some body here and there. Just that little bit of strength underneath that creates conviction. When we set up Adele, we like to listen to that powerful swipe. Turning Tables is a very suitable number for this. Also appropriate in terms of name. Adele can convey a lot of emotion with her singing. This is also audible on the Como Audio Solo and Bluetooth Turntable. We feel the emotion and the swipe is more than pure enough. For a 2-way system, the Solo and the Turntable set a good score. Although there is more quality in the Turntable than the Solo can display.

Straightforward Now as a reader you naturally want to know what it costs and whether it is that exorbitant amount is worth. Let’s start with the target audience. For whom is such a set interesting? Are you that person who is harassed for the third time by the neighbor on Saturday because she can’t stop talking about their new Sonos speaker? And that they are now audiophiles too, because they have more than 1000 to spend on audio stuff, but they still have to save for the subwoofer. Making you wonder if you could drink the bottle of red wine in hand in one gulp, as long as you don’t have to listen to your neighbor anymore? Congratulations! You belong to the target group for Como Audio! They have an extensive range for multi-room audio products. Audio products made of wood. Available in 4 different colors, such as walnut. It is made for people who want the audio quality, but not Sonos. And especially its convenience. Just turn on some music. Music for cooking, or for relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine.

The set as a whole is very extensive and prepared for the future. The TV can also be connected to it with an optical cable. The cable was a weak link with the record player. It did not stay in place and the adapter prevented us from using all connections at the back. The Bluetooth connection provided more freedom. We could also place the record player elsewhere, at a slightly greater distance. The downside is that the quality of the connection was not always great. A slight hum could be heard when the turntable was turned on. As soon as the music started we didn’t hear anything anymore. A simple adapter is included with the record player. This could explain the hum. It can often be traced back to electricity or earth. The adapter can be replaced for an Sbooster, for example. This will also be a leap forward in the ge loud quality. The hum was also more present with Bluetooth than with wired listening, but again for the sake of completeness: the cabling of the test set differs from how the product is now delivered, and according to the manufacturer the c connector and ground cause hum in this setup.

Now we mainly used the front controls, but there is also an app. He could use some finishing touches. There will probably be a tip at startup, but that’s in a different language. So we can’t read that.

Which brings us to the prize. For the Como Audio Solo you pay 399 euro, for the Bluetooth Turntable you pay your 499 euro and for the Ambiente again 129 euros. That brings the total price to 1027 euros. Is it worth that price?

As a comparison, you could also buy 2x a Sonos Five or a Bluesound Pulse Mini, but at the same time it cannot be compared. It lacks the look and charisma of the Como Audio. The Fun Factor! The pleasure and that is precisely what makes listening to music so addictive. Another perspective can also be the ministry. This system is also very suitable for people who do not want to switch on or operate their audio with a smartphone. It would be even more attractive if Como Audio turns it into a set or bundle, including a nice set price, then we are completely happy.

Conclusion Como Audio is a great brand, with authentic audio aspects. The combination of the Solo, Ambiente and the Bluetooth Turntable provide a high fun factor. Add to that the fact that the operation is very simple and easy. A smartphone or tablet is not required for use. Are there any drawbacks? Sure, but that doesn’t make the fun and adventure of music on the Como Audio any less.

Como Audio

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Rating: 4/5

Bug on Twitter revealed: Fleets live longer than 24 hours

Anyone who wants to share something on Twitter that, as an exception, is not saved for eternity, has recently been able to do so with special, fleeting tweets: These contents called “fleets” (“fleeting tweet”: fleeting tweet) can text , Picture and video and should disappear after 24 hours. With this, the company wants to encourage particularly reluctant users to tweet. It’s just stupid that a bug apparently made the Fleets visible from afar even after this period, as has now become known. Twitter has now fixed the error.

Free access was possible via Twitter API A Twitter user published his discovery in several tweets on Friday. According to this, he was able to read fleets from public Twitter accounts after their expiration date with a developer app via the Twitter API. In addition, in this case there was no notification to the author of a fleet that it had been read and by whom (which is usually communicated). The discovery of the Twitter user was first reported by TechCrunch .

A Twitter spokesman confirmed according to the report TechCrunch reported the error, but did not go into detail. It was noticed that the contents of Fleets were still accessible after 24 hours via a “technical workaround”. TechCrunch was able to understand the readout of the fleets – apparently the gap has now been closed, because access via this API no longer works since Sunday, confirms The Verge .

Fleets stay for up to 30 Days saved However, the Twitter spokesman told TechCrunch also that fleets would disappear after 24 hours, but are still stored at the company. Fleets are kept on the Twitter servers for up to 30 days. Should one be informed of a rule violation by a Fleet content, this period could also be extended.

Twitter had recently made the fleeting tweets available worldwide. The idea is not new and Twitter is getting involved with it relatively late: Snapchat ‘invented’ the volatile content several years ago, Instagram, which belongs to Facebook, took over the suggestion for its function called “Stories” soon afterwards. The subsequent deletion of messages that have already been sent is now integrated in various messaging apps.

(tiw)

Snapchat officially launches in-app TikTok competitor called Spotlight

Snap is finally ready to compete with TikTok and will pay creators to post on the platform. The company is officially announcing a new section of Snapchat today called Spotlight that’ll surface vertical video content from users that’s more meme-like and jokey instead of the day-in-the-life content Snap previously encouraged. Imagine, basically, TikTok but in Snapchat.

To entice people to post snaps regularly, the company says it’ll divvy up $1 million between the most popular creators on the app per day through the end of 2020. This means if someone has a particularly viral video, they might earn a large chunk of the $1 million pot. It doesn’t matter whether that person has a massive number of subscribers; the amount people receive is primarily based on unique views compared to other snaps that day. Users can continue to earn from their video if it’s popular for multiple days at a time.

Spotlight, which will have its own dedicated tab in the app, is launching in 11 countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia. The videos you’ll see in the section can be up to 60 seconds long and, as of right now, cannot be watermarked. That means people can’t just download their (or others’) viral TikToks and upload them to Snapchat. Once you tap into Spotlight, you’ll see snaps programmed to what Snapchat’s algorithm thinks you might enjoy. It bases this decision mostly on what you’ve viewed in the past and how long you’ve watched. Anyone can submit a snap, they’ll just have to tap “Spotlight” when posting to ensure it populates the section.

Although the format will be familiar to anyone who’s ever watched TikTok, Snap says it’s made specific decisions based on its user base. For one, Spotlight snaps won’t feature a public comments section, and profiles themselves are private by default, so Snapchatters can keep their accounts locked down while still posting content.

The Spotlight section has been hinted at for months, given that Snapchat announced music in snaps back in August. The app lacked a feed for these snaps up until now, however. The company already allows users to submit their snaps as part of a location that anyone can drop into and watch to get a feel of what’s happening in a given place at any moment. They appear in Snap Map. But unlike that feature, which is more documentary in nature, Spotlight is specifically designed for viral video formats.

With Spotlight, Snap is clearly acknowledging the success of TikTok’s short-form viral videos, similar to Instagram’s admission with its launch of Reels in August. In Instagram’s case, however, it plainly allows people to bring their TikTok content over to the platform. Snap is instead trying to encourage people to use its own creation tools and prevent monetization fraud by keeping people in its app. Stories used to be the format everyone wanted to copy, thanks to its success on Snapchat. Now, it’s the TikTok video.

Fleets are still visible on Twitter after 24 hours thanks to a bug

Twitter’s new ephemeral tweets, known as fleets, are supposed to last for only 24 hours. But a bug is causing fleets to not totally disappear, remaining accessible well past their expiration dates. First reported by TechCrunch, the bug allows fleets to be viewed and downloaded by other users, but without notifying the fleet’s author.

“We’re aware of a bug accessible through a technical workaround where some Fleets media URLs may be accessible after 24 hours,” a Twitter spokesperson said in an email to The Verge. “We are working on a fix that should be rolled out shortly.”

The “workaround” referenced appears to be a developer app that could scrape fleets from public accounts via Twitter’s API. The Twitter API doesn’t return URLs for fleets that are older than 24 hours, according to the company, and once the fix is rolled out, even if someone has a URL for active fleet, it won’t work after the expiration point.

And while fleets are only visible on users’ timelines for 24 hours, Twitter stores fleets on its back end for up to 30 days, longer for fleets that violate its rules and may require enforcement action, the company says. During that 30 day period, a fleet is available in a user’s Twitter Data downloads as long as Twitter is retaining a copy. The “seen by” action is typically only available when someone views a fleet via the Twitter app.

Twitter is a bit late to the disappearing content party— fleets are essentially its version of Instagram or Snapchat stories, They allow mobile Twitter users to briefly share text, videos, images, or other tweets. They’re not meant to be retweetable and you can’t directly “like” a fleet, but you can reply to one by tapping on it, which sends a direct message to the fleet’s creator.

Update November 22nd, 10:56 AM ET: Added comment from Twitter and additional details

“Fleets”: Twitter makes tweets with an expiration date available worldwide

Twitter is developing its platform with tweets that disappear on their own. The new “fleets” are automatically deleted after 24 hours, they cannot be retweeted or given public likes. You can only reply to this as a direct message, but not in the timeline, as product manager Kayvon Keykpour explained at the global launch on Tuesday.

The The idea behind this is to take away the fear of twittering from users who are still reluctant. Tests in Brazil, Italy, India and South Korea showed that people who were new to Twitter or rarely tweeted had received the format well, Beykpour emphasized.

Stories as Tweets The format is based heavily on the “Stories” function of Snapchat, which has now also been copied across Facebook apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram. The word creation “Fleets” stands for “fleeting tweets” (fleeting tweets).

Twitter is experimenting with its classic formats like the 280 characters long text contributions including spoken tweets and voice direct messages.

(emw)

Opera integrates music services into its web browser

Opera adds further functions to the sidebar of its web browser. After Twitter, Facebook Messenger and Instagram have already been integrated, Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube Music are now also located in the sidebar. The control should be possible via mouse-over or media keys on the keyboard while surfing in other tabs.

By integrating the music services in the browser is to be used to simplify multitasking in the browser. Users do not have to manually pause the background music to watch a video, for example – the browser does that. In addition, there is no overlaying of different media if an audio file is automatically started in a tab. “We say yes to well-tended background music and no to cacophony”, describes Maciej Kocemba, Product Director for the Opera Desktop Browser, the new function.

Browser as control center Opera (download) should play a central role when working on the PC and surfing. Instead of operating several programs or devices in parallel, as many functions as possible should be available in the browser. This is particularly useful during the corona pandemic, when users spend a lot of time at home and on the computer.

(cbo)

Self-delete mode for chats in Facebook Messenger and Instagram

Facebook has integrated new functions into its Messenger app and Instagram. The “self-delete mode” can be activated for individual chats and does exactly that: As soon as you leave a chat, all messages since the activation of the mode are deleted. This is started simply by swiping up in a chat. The deactivation takes place in the same way.

If the chat partner takes a screenshot while you are in the You will receive a notification about it. The function is initially only available in individual chats. Both participants have to follow each other on Instagram, they have to be friends on Facebook Messenger.

Movie evening together on Messenger With “Watch Together” you can Watch videos of the social media platform together.

(Image: Facebook)

As a substitute for film evenings with friends, which are avoided as far as possible due to contact restrictions in the corona pandemic Facebook introduces “Watch Together”. This allows users to watch videos together that are available on the social media platform. For this purpose, the users meet either in a video chat or in a messenger room. During the playback, the participants are filmed and shown below the video.

In addition, users can now personalize the chat window and activate themes that change the color and background. (cbo)

Facebook says AI has fueled a hate speech crackdown

Facebook says it is proactively detecting more hate speech using artificial intelligence. A new transparency report released on Thursday offers greater detail on social media hate following policy changes earlier this year, although it leaves some big questions unanswered.

Facebook’s quarterly report includes new information about hate speech prevalence. The company estimates that 0.10 to 0.11 percent of what Facebook users see violates hate speech rules, equating to “10 to 11 views of hate speech for every 10,000 views of content.” That’s based on a random sample of posts and measures the reach of content rather than pure post count, capturing the effect of hugely viral posts. It hasn’t been evaluated by external sources, though. On a call with reporters, Facebook VP of integrity Guy Rosen says the company is “planning and working toward an audit.”

Facebook insists that it removes most hate speech proactively before users report it. It says that over the past three months, around 95 percent of Facebook and Instagram hate speech takedowns were proactive.

That’s a dramatic jump from its earliest efforts — in late 2017, it only made around 24 percent of takedowns proactively. It’s also ramped up hate speech takedowns: around 645,000 pieces of content were removed in the last quarter of 2019, while 6.5 million were removed in the third quarter of 2020. Organized hate groups fall into a separate moderation category, which saw a much smaller increase from 139,900 to 224,700 takedowns.

Some of those takedowns, Facebook says, are powered by improvements in AI. Facebook launched a research competition in May for systems that can better detect “hateful memes.” In its latest report, it touted its ability to analyze text and pictures in tandem, catching content like the image macro (created by Facebook) below.

This approach has clear limitations. As Facebook notes, “a new piece of hate speech might not resemble previous examples” because it references a new trend or news story. It depends on Facebook’s ability to analyze many languages and catch country-specific trends, as well as how Facebook defines hate speech, a category that has shifted over time. Holocaust denial, for instance, was only banned last month.

It also won’t necessarily help Facebook’s moderators, despite recent changes that use AI to triage complaints. The coronavirus pandemic disrupted Facebook’s normal moderation practices because it won’t let moderators review some highly sensitive content from their homes. Facebook said in its quarterly report that its takedown numbers are returning “to pre-pandemic levels,” in part thanks to AI.

But some employees have complained that they’re being forced to return to work before it’s safe, with 200 content moderators signing an open request for better coronavirus protections. In that letter, moderators said that automation had failed to address serious problems. “The AI wasn’t up to the job. Important speech got swept into the maw of the Facebook filter — and risky content, like self-harm, stayed up,” they said.

Rosen disagreed with their assessment and said that Facebook’s offices “meet or exceed” safe workspace requirements. “These are incredibly important workers who do an incredibly important part of this job, and our investments in AI are helping us detect and remove this content to keep people safe,” he said.

Facebook’s critics, including American lawmakers, will likely remain unconvinced that it’s catching enough hateful content. Last week, 15 US senators pressed Facebook to address posts attacking Muslims worldwide, requesting more country-specific information about its moderation practices and the targets of hate speech. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company’s moderation practices in a Senate hearing, indicating that Facebook might include that data in future reports. “I think that that would all be very helpful so that people can see and hold us accountable for how we’re doing,” he said.

Zuckerberg suggested that Congress should require all web companies to follow Facebook’s lead, and policy enforcement head Monika Bickert reiterated that idea today. “As you talk about putting in place regulations, or reforming Section 230 [of the Communications Decency Act] in the United States, we should be considering how to hold companies accountable for acting on harmful content before it gets seen by a lot of people. The numbers in today’s report can help inform that conversation,” Bickert said. “We think that good content regulation could create a standard like that across the entire industry.”