How to use soundmojis in Facebook Messenger

Soundmojis are emoji with some vocal personality.

A picture is worth a thousand words — and also maybe some laughs, cries, and goat bleats.

In July, Facebook Messenger introduced “soundmojis”: Emojis that play a sound when you send them within Messenger. Facebook’s sound design team has assigned unique sounds to 30 emojis. So, for example, if you want to send a hands clapping emoji, it can now come with actual uproarious applause.

Other soundmojis have pop culture sound clips associated with them. Click the stop emoji and Billie Eilish will ask: “Stop. What the hell are you talking about?” Which is a much more devastating thing to send to someone than the simple red octagon.

SEE ALSO:

How Facebook sound designers gave emojis a voice

Soundmojis are only in Facebook Messenger for now. However, Facebook owns WhatsApp and Instagram, and has already been integrating the backends of the messaging platforms, and allowing for inter-platform messaging between Facebook and Instagram. So it’s possible you’ll be seeing more of these noisy emojis in the future.

Here’s how to use soundmojis.

1. Give Facebook Messenger access to the microphone in your phone settings. On iPhones, go to Settings, and then scroll down and click on the Messenger app. Toggle the Microphone option to “On.”

2. Open a chat in Facebook Messenger.

3. Navigate to the text box, and click the smiley face icon in the right corner.

4. This will pull up a menu in the lower half of the app with four tabs. Click the farthest right tab, which is the speaker icon.

Clicking on the smiley face brings up four tabs. The farthest right tab is a speaker icon. That's where you'll find soundmojis!

Clicking on the smiley face brings up four tabs. The farthest right tab is a speaker icon. That’s where you’ll find soundmojis!
Credit: screenshot: Facebook messenger

5. Clicking the speaker icon will take you to your menu of soundmojis. Scroll through the options, and test the sound by clicking on a soundmoji within the menu.

6. Once you’ve selected a soundmoji for testing, it will appear larger in the center of the menu. You can hear a test again by clicking. And if you’re sure it’s the soundmoji you want to express yourself with, click the “send” button underneath the selected soudmoji.

7. The soundmoji will appear in the chat. However, it won’t play on its own. The person you’re chatting with will have to click on the soundmoji to hear its audio. They’ll know it’s got soundmoji status because it will appear with parentheses around it.

Brutal Twitter meme explores how Delta variant is crushing our fall plans

Sigh.

The Delta variant is fully raining on Twitter’s parade.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage, both in the U.S. and around the world, the denizens of Twitter are faced with an unfortunate reality: The Delta variant doesn’t give a shit about their fun fall plans.

Pairing protagonists of the big and small screens with their respective undoings, the meme practically screams out in despair: Look at the beauty of MY FALL PLANS. Cast your eyes upon their Delta-variant downfall.

Who thought a meme could cut so deep.

10 free audiobook sites for discovering your next literary obsession

Plug in and get listening! Here's where you can listen to audiobooks for free.

Great literature is closer than you think, and you don’t even need to visit a bookstore or pick up your e-reader to find it. If you haven’t got time to sit down with a book — or if you just like being read to — check out one of these sites, which allow access to thousands of free audiobooks. There’s the perfect one for you in the mix!

1. Loyal Books

In the past, you might have known Loyal Books as Books Should Be Free (amen to that). The site offers free audiobooks from a multitude of genres, from adventure and romance to science fiction and historical fiction. Users can download titles from Loyal Books to be listened to via an MP3 file or through the Apple Podcasts app, or to stream on an RSS feed. The site offers content in 28 languages, from Ancient Greek to Urdu, not including multilingual titles. Volunteers from the site itself, or from Project Gutenberg and Librivox, which are listed below, digitize public domain books to make them accessible in the Loyal Books library.

2. Open Culture

Open Culture wants us to learn today. The site does more than provide a wide array of audiobooks: It offers free cultural and educational media to whomever wants it. You can find online educational courses on everything from economics to philosophy and even demography to guided meditations, textbooks, and movies. Selections can be listened to via free mp3 downloads, streams, or iTunes downloads. Open Culture runs on donations.

3. Digitalbook

Digitalbook, which is powered by Amazon, offers a wide range of titles and genres, and it looks good doing it; unlike many a competitor, the site’s design is “clean and simple.” Many of the audiobooks offered can be listened to as podcasts, so you can access them easily on an iPhone via the Apple Podcasts app. And because Digital Books has an up-to-date trending chart of books, you can get recommendations from your fellow audiobook listeners.

This is only a fraction of the number of books you can access through the free audiobook sites listed.

This is only a fraction of the number of books you can access through the free audiobook sites listed.
Credit: justin sullivan//Getty Images

4. Overdrive

Overdrive helps users gain access to free audiobooks and encourages them to explore their public libraries; the site partners with local schools and libraries to bring its catalog of audiobooks to as many people as possible. Its apps, Libby and Sora (available in the App Store), make collaboration with libraries and schools possible: Libby instructs users on how to get a library card in order to connect them to local public libraries where Overdrive houses audiobooks, and Sora utilizes student logins to grant student users access to Overdrive’s catalog of audiobooks in their school’s library. Overdrive is fueled by its partnerships with major publishing organizations and media companies, and audiobooks can be listened to through the aforementioned applications.

5. LibriVox

Of course LibriVox grants its users with free audiobooks, but it also takes the process one step further: Because the site’s free audiobooks are made possible by volunteer readers, you can volunteer your voice — and dramatic reading skills — to help LibriVox expand its library. In particular, LibriVox needs your help to record books in the public domain, or those that were published before 1923 (no audition or prior recording experience is necessary). Turn your love of audiobooks into a way to give back to the public domain, of which your recorded voice will become a part! LibriVox’s audiobook catalog can be enjoyed by downloading audiobook files onto a computer, smartphone, or CD-ROM.

I bet he's tuning in to some of the fine selections featured on LibriVox read aloud by his fellow users.

I bet he’s tuning in to some of the fine selections featured on LibriVox read aloud by his fellow users.
Credit: Getty Images//ian waldie

6. Lit2Go

As indicated by its name, Lit2Go focuses on the classics. What sets the site apart from the rest, however, is that it’s a treasure trove for an expansive selection of poetry compilations, many of which can be hard to find in the catalogs of other audiobook sites. Lit2Go boasts compilations of Emily Dickinson’s work, poetry found on vintage scenic postcards from Florida, and much of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s finest writing (just to name a few). Lit2Go invites users to support literacy by donating, and its collection is available in mp3 format.

7. Project Gutenberg

As the oldest digital library online, Project Gutenberg has been working to archive as many books as possible since its founding in 1971. The site’s catalog now consists of over 60,000 free ebooks downloadable as mp3 files. That number was made possible by the site’s practice of approving 99% of the requests it receives to turn books into audiobooks or ebooks. Similar to LibriVox, Project Gutenberg asks readers to donate their voices if they’re willing and able. Volunteer voices contribute to their human-read audiobook collection, and the site also houses a computer-read audiobook collection. If you’ve got a book you’d like digitized that Project Gutenberg doesn’t already have in their catalog, send them an email. Otherwise, the organization is powered by donations.

8. Archive

This audiobook archive is a registered nonprofit that impressively compiles some libraries mentioned on this list and more. In addition to housing LibriVox and Project Gutenberg’s catalogs, Archive grants users access to Naropa Poetics Audio Archive, Maria Lectrix, and Internet Archive. Instead of visiting each of those five catalogs and searching them individually, you can head over to Archive to do a master search. Archive doesn’t only handle audiobooks, web pages, images, and software programs, it also offers free audio access to over 200,000 live concerts. The audio files on Archive can be streamed directly from the site. You can get involved with Archive by donating, volunteering at one of their many events throughout the year, or through the career opportunities listed on their website.

See? It's audio and books, like, an audiobook!

See? It’s audio and books, like, an audiobook!
Credit: imageBROKER/Shutterstock

9. StoryNory

StoryNory’s offerings are as cute as its name suggests: The site offers free audiobook versions of stories, fairytales, poems, music, and myths. That includes narrative works by classic authors (think Dickens, Carroll, and Baum), myths from Welsh, Norse, Greek, and other world cultures, and fairytales from the Brothers Grimm, Aesop, and Charles Perrault. StoryNory is perfect for parents looking for a great way to entertain kids, or for folks of all ages who just want to be read a bedtime story. The books are read by an enthusiastic, kid-friendly voice, and selections can be streamed from the site, which stays up and running thanks to Patreon donors.

10. Thought Audio

Thought Audio prides itself on providing the gift of knowledge through free audiobook versions of classic titles, philosophic works, biblical excerpts, and prayers. The site’s catalog consists of ancient wisdom from multiple faiths, so tune in to discover new truths and find your center. Thought Audio is powered by donations, and audiobooks are read by volunteers. The site’s material can be streamed directly from its website or downloaded onto computers.

BONUS: Spotify’s Audiobooks Playlist

Who knew everyone’s favorite streaming service housed an audiobooks playlist? Although it’s not as exhaustive as other collections listed above, if you’ve already downloaded the app, audiobooks are at your fingertips. The playlist is entitled “Audiobooks” and each of its 122 “songs” is actually a book (or part of one, depending on length). Like the free music on Spotify, the audiobooks playlist doesn’t cost a thing, as long as you don’t mind sitting through the occasional ad. However, audiobooks can’t be listened to in any selected order without Spotify Premium.

Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ is like a love letter to every MCU fan theory

Is that T'Challa... as Star-Lord... knocking out Taneleer Tivan???

So many rabbit holes.

After 13 years, I think Marvel Cinematic Universe fans can all agree that the game of digging through the text for clues and cooking up theories on where the juggernaut franchise will go next is a huge part of the fun. In that sense, then, the new Disney+ animated series What If…? amounts to Marvel saying: “You are seen.”

This is a show that dares to ponder what might have happened if Peggy Carter had received Dr. Erskine’s super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers. Where would Peggy’s life have gone? What about Steve? Or Bucky? Every episode calls back to Marvel’s comic book roots in some way, but What If…? cleverly avoids the path of least resistance by simply turning Captain America into a gender-swapped Captain Britain.

The MCU has had a knack all along for neither zigging nor zagging in ways that fans expect. So when a mysterious assassin starts taking out Avengers in episode three, the eventual surprise reveal comes tumbling out of a realm you never would’ve guessed. The same vibe persists through all three of the episodes Disney provided for review.

Even still, the MCU as we already know it defines every frame of What If…?, offering Easter egg hunters a wealth of material to sift through. There are slightly twisted recreations of familiar scenes and even specific lines of dialogue, such as a return to the campus where an Edward Norton Hulk faced off against Thunderbolt Ross (it’s Ruffalo Hulk now, and things go quite differently).


‘What If…?’ feels more like an intermission from the MCU, before shit gets really wild.

The result is a series that feels like it’s poised to deliver multi-layered thrills. It’s thoroughly enjoyable to see T’Challa, voiced by the late Chadwick Boseman, assume the mantle of Star-Lord in What If…?‘s standout second episode. The story is a 30-minute gut punch that celebrates the gift of Boseman’s take on T’Challa, just one more adventure for old time’s sake.

But that episode, filled with familiar faces on both sides of the good vs. evil divide, also highlights the rippling of events that occurs when a shift in the timeline swaps one character for another. What becomes of our familiar Guardians of the Galaxy squad, not to mention their allies and enemies? What If…? repeatedly poses questions like these, and the one-shot format means that answers always arrive in the space of an episode.

It’s a refreshingly low-investment gift to fans who are used to tightly clutching the shreds of clues disbursed by mid- and post-credits scenes. The MCU as a whole doesn’t just reward investment; really, it demands that level of fealty. What If…? is rich with rewards for eagle-eyed fans, but there’s no extra baggage to carry into or out of any given episode.

The show is also rich with beautiful imagery. End-of-episode credit rolls rightly start with the most critical art and design leads, the people who are most responsible for shepherding the look of this fantasy vision of the MCU into being. The animation, created using a technique called “rotoscoping” that layers drawn art over live footage, isn’t quite as trippy as you may remember from Richard Linklater’s A Waking Life.

It’s distinctive, though. The dreamlike quality that exemplifies this visual style perfectly fits the core premise of exploring fantastical MCU rabbit holes. That vibe serves to reinforce the idea that none of this actually happened, at least in the Earth-199999 that we’ve spent more than a decade getting to know.

It's not Captain Britain, folks. It's Captain *Carter*.

It’s not Captain Britain, folks. It’s Captain *Carter*.
Credit: disney / marvel studios

The only real issue is that MCU fans trained to invest, invest, invest may not vibe so easily with a series that puts everything on the table and then clears it all away in the space of a single half-hour plotline. Yeah, it would be cool to see more T’Challa-as-Star-Lord or Captain Carter beating Nazi ass. But more than that even is the idea that none of this really means anything in the bigger picture. If you’re craving another step into Marvel’s Phase Four, prepare to be disappointed. What If…? feels more like an intermission before shit gets really wild.

The episodic approach also means that some stories are going to be better than others. There’s an admittedly small sample to draw from at this point. But already, the second episode featuring T’Challa stands far above the other two, and not just because it’s one, last bittersweet ride with Boseman. It’s also fully awash with fan service-y nods back to Guardians and Black Panther that elicit immediate shouts of surprise when they show up.

Sure, that’s entirely subjective. But it’s illustrative of how What If…? is probably going to land within MCU fandom. The lure to rank each episode, to measure each one on its merits as a story, will be strong. Breaking out of the MCU treadmill where everything, everywhere is connected is one of the most refreshing aspects of this series. So sure, it’ll be fun to debate What If…? stories once this season is over.

Yes, let the last episode be a season finale rather than a series finale. My sincere hope is that What If…? returns in a year from now, or five years from now, with a new batch of stories to tell. Marvel Studios stumbled onto a potent idea here, taking a line of beloved but not widely known one-shot comics and setting that concept loose for MCU creators to play with.

The result is something that feels distinctly of the MCU without ever fitting neatly into that multi-movie puzzle box — by design. What If…? is an odd fit for the Marvel movie-verse, but hardly a bad one. For fans who obsess over every hint, Easter egg, and knowing nod especially, this Disney+ season of TV plows through new and unexplored plots of land for a universe — better yet, a multiverse — of freshly dug rabbit holes.

What If…? comes to Disney+ on Aug. 12.

How to download Instagram photos

Yes, you can download Instagram photos without taking a screenshot

Instagram is a fantastic social media platform that we all love for sharing visual content, and discovering exciting visual content from others. Like all social platforms, however, Instagram content can be fleeting and fast-moving, so knowing how to download or save photos and posts is a really useful skill to learn.

Perhaps you want to save your own Instagram photos, either for safe keeping or to share them elsewhere. Maybe you want to download content other users have posted. Or you might want to save your old photos, change your Instagram username, and start fresh with an empty feed. Heck, maybe you’re just tired of the app and want to save your memories before deleting your Instagram account altogether.

Whatever your reasoning for wanting to save Instagram photos may be, here’s a helpful, step-by-step guide that will teach you how to save photos from the platform.

How to save Instagram photos you’ve created to your phone

Instagram makes it very easy for you to save photos that you’ve captured, filtered, and edited in the Instagram app to your phone’s photo library.

Open the Instagram app, and head over to your profile by tapping the person-shaped icon or your profile photo shown at the bottom of your screen. (What you see will depend on which version of Instagram your phone has.)

Find your Instagram profile by clicking the person icon.

Find your Instagram profile by clicking the person icon.
Credit: instagram

Once you’ve navigated to your own profile page, tap the three horizontal lines menu icon at the top right of your screen.

Yep, click here next.

Yep, click here next.
Credit: instagram

Once the menu appears as a pop-up, select to go into “Settings,” it’s the first option at the top of the list. Next tap on the “Account” option, then finally hit up the “Original Photos” option which will show if you’re using an iOS device. Android users will see the option for “Original Posts”.

Click "original photos" within your Instagram profile.

Click “original photos” within your Instagram profile.
Credit: Instagram

The Instagram app now gives you the option to automatically save down your Instagram imagery. Hit the blue toggle to “Save Original Photos/Posts.”

annnnd swipe

annnnd swipe
Credit: instagram

Now that this option is turned on, every photo you post on Instagram will also be saved to your phone’s photo library. How convenient!

How to save other users’ Instagram photos

It’s really easy to save an Instagram picture or video posted by anyone (as long as the user is public) to a private area of your Instagram app so that you can view them again at a time that suits you. It’s worth noting as well that when you save a post from someone, whether they follow you or not, they will not be able to tell that you’ve saved it.

To save a post, tap the bookmark icon that appears below it. This will add the post to your generic “Saved” folder.

Create an Instagram collection to save all your favorite posts.

Create an Instagram collection to save all your favorite posts.
Credit: instagram

Alternatively, if you want to save a post to a certain collection within your private saved area, tap and hold the bookmark icon. This brings up a pop-up of the Instagram collections you’ve already created. It also gives you the option to create a new collection. This is done by tapping the “plus” symbol.

Curate collections of your favorite images.

Curate collections of your favorite images.
Credit: instagram

Now, to see the picture or video you’ve saved and the collections you’ve created, go to your profile by once again tapping on the person-shaped icon or profile photo at the bottom right of your screen. Then tap the “Saved” option that appears in the pop-up menu. This will show you all the saved content that you bookmarked.

Instagram collections are an underrated feature.

Instagram collections are an underrated feature.
Credit: instagram

As we’ve stated already, only you can see what you’ve saved, and the collections that you’ve created. As a reminder, other Instagram users will not know you have saved their content.

How to download Instagram photos using your desktop browser

Because of very valid copyright issues, Instagram does not let you download other users’ photos, either on a regular desktop browser, or on an iOS or Android mobile device. However, there is a slightly sneaky workaround that makes it possible to do it on a desktop browser. Do not use this for evil.

To download any image on Instagram open the image in a fresh browser tab. (Note: If you’re trying to open without being logged into your own Instagram account, you’ll need to right click on the image and select “Copy Link Address.”) Now land near the image and right click your mouse or other input device. You will see a menu pop up. Select “View Page Source.”

Going to an Instagram post's backend.

Going to an Instagram post’s backend.
Credit: screenshot / instagram

This will bring the page source code up in a separate browser tab. Scroll down through the code, or use your browser’s “Find” tool, until you see the first .jpg link you come to.

A gorgeous backend.

A gorgeous backend.
Credit: screenshot

Copy just the URL text that appears between the two speech, or quotation marks. Paste this URL into another fresh browser tab. Once the image has loaded you can right click to download it to your computer as you would a normal photograph on the internet.

This brief guide should mean you now know how to save your own Instagram imagery to your phone, as well as save Instagram content from your friends and other accounts you follow. Whether you’re saving a recipe you want to make later, bookmarking an inspirational quote or helpful activism guide to keep on your phone for when you need it, creating Pinterest-style mood boards for a project, or simply saving a pretty picture, you’ve now got the knowledge to do it quickly and easily.

Read more Instagram How-Tos:

  • How to clear your Instagram search history

  • Instagram now has dark mode. Here’s how to turn it on.

  • 12 awesome Instagram features you’re probably not using

This story was originally published in July 2020 and updated in August 2021.

How to edit iPhone photos using TikTok’s favorite formula

The viral TikTok iPhone photo editing formula makes life look like a sunkissed wonderland.

TikTok users are finally taking advantage of iOS photo editing features with this “hack,” which is less of a hack and more of an editing formula that plays with shadows, saturation, and color.

In one of the most popular videos demonstrating this method, TikTok creator anaugazz showed viewers the importance of trusting the process. The video, posted in April, has 17.3 million views. Using a selfie, anaugazz raised the photo’s exposure and brilliance to the highest possible setting. Then, she adjusted the photo’s highlights, shadows, black point, saturation, vibrance, warmth, and tint to achieve the final image’s dreamy vibe.

The TikTok iPhone editing hack is perfect for the summer.

The TikTok iPhone editing hack is perfect for the summer.
Credit: TikTok / anauagazz

The TikTok iPhone editing hack is perfect for the summer.

The TikTok iPhone editing hack is perfect for the summer.
Credit: TIKTOK / ANAUAGAZZ

In the midst of editing, the photo looks like a relic of MySpace posts. Don’t be ashamed of blown-out selfies, though — even superstars like Lizzo fell prey to the overexposed, oversaturated aesthetic of the early internet.

Once you play with the iOS vignette tool and then lower the photo’s exposure and brilliance to zero, you’ll end up with a sunkissed image worthy of any summer mood board.

Trust the process.

Trust the process.
Credit: tiktok / anaugazz

Here’s the exact formula anaugazz used to achieve this final iPhone photo masterpiece:

  • Exposure: 100

  • Brilliance: 100

  • Highlights: -32

  • Shadows: -26

  • Contrast: -30

  • Brightness: -15

  • Black point: 10

  • Saturation: 10

  • Vibrance: 8

  • Warmth: 10

  • Tint: 29

  • Sharpness: 14

  • Definition feature: 23

When you’re done changing all of those settings, go back to the beginning of the iPhone’s editing features and slide the exposure and brilliance back to 0.

Don’t believe the hype? Here’s another example of the editing formula posted by TikTok creator kawehi_. The golden hour clouds look unreal.

The viral editing hack works best with sunny photos.

The viral editing hack works best with sunny photos.
Credit: tiktok / kawehi_

The viral editing hack works best with sunny photos.

The viral editing hack works best with sunny photos.
Credit: tiktok / kawehi_

It’s worth noting that this editing formula seems to work best with photos taken in bright, natural light. Happy iPhone editing!

Need some more editing tips? Here’s how you can take HDR photos on your iPhone.

Related Video: 5 game-changing iPhone hacks for 2021

This story was originally published in May 2021 and updated in August 2021.

DeFi platform begs hackers to return $600 million in stolen crypto

Please?

It doesn’t hurt to ask.

The decentralized finance platform (DeFi) Ploy Network pleaded with hackers Tuesday morning to return approximately $600 million worth of cryptocurrency it said was stolen earlier that same day. If confirmed, the theft, which Poly Network said included wrapped bitcoin (WBTC) and wrapped ether (WETH), among other cryptocurrencies, would be one of the largest — if not the largest — in crypto’s tumultuous history.

“Dear Hacker,” wrote Poly Network in an open letter published shortly after the hack was made public. “We want to establish communication with you and urge you to return the hacked assets.”

The Poly Network protocol is designed to allow different blockchains to talk to each other, and is a part of the burgeoning DeFi space. That is particularly relevant here, as the hack took place across three difference chains: Binance Chain, Ethereum, and Polygon.

This hack, which Poly Network said was caused by a “vulnerability between contract calls,” will inevitably call into question the security of the larger DeFi space.

For the unfamiliar, decentralized finance promises a future where people can make financial transactions completely free of traditional intermediaries like banks — or even less traditional ones, like cryptocurrency exchanges. Essentially, using smart contracts, DeFi promises to (as the name suggests) decentralize finance.

And people are responding. According to DeFi Pulse, a DeFi analytics site, as of the time of this writing, there is around $80 billion tied up in DeFi.

Notably, big players in the cryptocurrency world jumped into action following news of the theft, locking down some of the stolen funds in the process. The CTO of Tether (USDT), a controversial stablecoin, said he froze approximately $33 million worth of USDT following the hack.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange pledged to “proactively help.”

Poly Network will likely need all the help it can get.

“The amount of money you hacked is the biggest one in defi history,” wrote the company in its open letter. “Law enforcement in any country will regard this as a major economic crime and you will be pursued.”

The company implored the hackers to be in touch, and provided an email address for them to reach out.

SEE ALSO: Say hello to Yats: Why investors are paying thousands to ‘own’ emoji

We asked the company if it had received a response from the hackers, and if it had any idea who might have stolen the funds. We received no immediate response.

Regardless of whether or not any of these funds are ever returned, the hack strikes a serious blow to DeFi’s reputation.

Audi’s Skysphere concept convertible features retractable steering wheel

The Skysphere is an electric and autonomous concept roadster.

Audi is ditching the steering wheel.

On Friday in Pebble Beach, as part of California’s Monterey Car Week, Audi will unveil its electric two-seater convertible concept car. Called the Skysphere, the sporty idea is not only battery-powered but Level 4-autonomous capable.

That level of hypothetical autonomy means the steering wheel and driving pedals aren’t necessary and can retract into the front dash. This opens up the interior space into a lounge-like area with an open roof and no one at the wheel — mostly because the wheel is no longer there. The autonomous car will automatically know where to take you, and find parking after dropping you off. Current Audis on the road only have Level 2 autonomous features like lane centering and automatic braking — a far cry from a driving system that doesn’t need human intervention.

Drive mode for when you want to take control.

Drive mode for when you want to take control.
Credit: Audi

No steering wheel in sight for autonomous mode.

No steering wheel in sight for autonomous mode.
Credit: Audi

Eucalyptus wood and synthetic leather are part of a sleek interior which includes a large 55-inch wide touchscreen dashboard. Small screens on the doors control the air conditioning and heating.

There's no need for a grille with an electric car, but Audi decided to keep the look.

There’s no need for a grille with an electric car, but Audi decided to keep the look.
Credit: Audi

But the car isn’t just a robo-taxi. It has a (human) drive mode, too, for the driver to experience the 300-mile range roadster with instant torque. The car can go from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds.

Backside view.

Backside view.
Credit: Audi

Audi has plans for two more autonomous, electric concept cars in the coming years: the Grandsphere and the Urbansphere. There’ll be more about those future concept cars in 2022.

SEE ALSO:

Volvo concept car previews its all-electric future

Remember, these are all ideas. But as seen before (like with BMW’s concept iNext that became the iX), some of these ideas could trickle into reality eventually.

How to limit replies to your tweets

It's never too late to limit your Twitter replies.

We’ve all been there. You type, you hit tweet, you instantly regret not closing your replies…

When a truly rofl-worthy (sorry) thought seizes you and you cannot wait to impart that hilarity with the world, it’s easy to get carried away without thinking about your reply guys.

As Mashable’s Chloe Bryan put it, a reply guy often responds to women’s tweets in an overly familiar tone “as if they know the person they’re targeting, though they usually don’t.”

“They also tend to reply to only women; the most prolific reply guys fill the role for dozens of women trying to tweet in peace,” adds Bryan.

As a woman with internet access, I rely heavily on Twitter’s “who can reply?” settings to ensure my own rabble of reply guys are restrained from doling up unsolicited advice and all-round creepy comments in my mentions.

ICYMI, before hitting send on a tweet, you can select who you’d prefer to receive replies from. You can allow replies from everyone if you’re fine with that, but you can also limit your responses to people you follow or just people you’ve mentioned in your tweet.

SEE ALSO:

How to filter abusive comments and direct messages on Instagram

But there have been times where, in my overzealousness, I forgot to alter my settings in order to shut the gates on the reply guys. The great news is: you don’t need to delete your tweet and start again. As of July, you can edit who can reply after you’ve tweeted (!!!).

Groundbreaking news, right? I certainly think so.

So, how do you do it? Well it’s pretty easy.

1. First of all: compose a tweet. Here’s one I made earlier about an episode of Love Island.

Mashable Image


Credit: twitter 

2. Next, click on thee three dots in the top right hand corner of your published tweet. Then hit “Change who can reply.”

Mashable Image


Credit: twitter 

3. Now choose who you’d like to be able to reply to your tweets. You can choose from everyone (and that means reply guys and other randos), people you follow, or just people you mentioned.

Mashable Image


Credit: twitter 

4. And there you have it! Your tweet should now be reply-guy-proof.

Mashable Image


Credit: twitter

Aaaah, peace at last.

Instagram, please stop telling me to follow people I know

Stop trying to make following suggestions a thing.

Do you have a particularly strong desire to follow your former coworker’s spouse — someone you’ve never met and never plan to meet — on Instagram? How about your middle school arch nemesis? Of course not, no one does.

Yet, Instagram insists on trying to get users to follow accounts they don’t care about and it’s ruining the app.

I use Instagram to stay up-to-date with a mix of family members, close friends, and coworkers, along with celebrities, publications, and influencers I like. Currently, I’m following around 1,500 accounts, which some people might think is a lot. But each account I smash the follow button on holds a special place in my heart. (That, or I need to keep tabs on them for work.)

Sure I know a lot more people on the app, but if I’m not following someone I know on Instagram there’s a good reason why. The app’s deeply annoying “People You May Know” and “Suggested Accounts to Follow” features show Instagram doesn’t seem to get that. Or perhaps Instagram does get it and just doesn’t care.

For anyone who’s lucky enough not to be pestered by Instagram follow suggestions on a daily basis, allow me to explain why the features are so frustrating. Instagram makes follower suggestions a few different ways, two of which are especially irritating.

The first annoying suggestion arrives by push notification. Every so often, Instagram will send you a notification announcing that someone you may know is on Instagram, like so.

Leave me alone! I'm well aware this person is on Instagram.

Leave me alone! I’m well aware this person is on Instagram.
Credit: SCREENSHOT / INSTAGRAM

I’ll admit I initially thought this feature was nice, but only because I thought it just alerted you of new users. It wasn’t until I started getting push notifications for the same people over and over again (all of whom have had Instagram accounts for years) that I became a little fed up.

Ultimately, the push notifications are spaced out enough that you have time in between receiving them to cool down. I only get a few every month. Their arrival has turned into somewhat of a running joke between me and my phone screen, and it’s gotten to a point where whenever Instagram begs me to follow one of the same three people again I can’t help but laugh.

But the other obnoxious way that Instagram suggests followers is no laughing matter.

In the spirit of shoving follow suggestions in your face, Instagram decided to get even more aggressive than occasional push notifications and started compiling selections of “Suggested for You” accounts. These suggestions don’t come via push notification, rather they appear out of nowhere as you’re mindlessly tapping through Instagram Stories.

The suggestions appear without warning in groups of three on one of Instagram Stories’ colorful Create backgrounds, shown below. Each suggestion includes an account holder’s profile photo, name, handle, and some additional info such as a list of mutual followers you share or if the user is new to Instagram. If you choose to hit the follow button for one or more users shown, new accounts appear. And if you don’t like the options Instagram presents you can roll the dice and click the “Shuffle Suggestions” button at the bottom of the screen.

Are we *not* supposed to accidentally follow someone this way?

Are we *not* supposed to accidentally follow someone this way?
Credit: MASHABLE COMPOSITE: SCREENSHOT / INSTAGRAM

In my experience, the suggested accounts in these Stories are always bad. Half the time I don’t know who the people are, and I can tell they’re only being suggested to me because we share a few random mutuals. The other half of the time they’re accounts that I’d have no reason to want to follow. Crucially, the fact that they pop up as another Instagram Story also means they create the same danger as poorly places Instagram Story polls. One wrong slip or tap of your Instagram navigating finger and you’ve accidentally followed a suggested user you may never have intended to follow. It’s a flawed presentation.


It’s a flawed presentation.

Instagram’s algorithm thinks it knows users, but if it really knew me it would know to stop making these follow suggestions. All they do is disrupt my Story watching flow and make me more paranoid about thumb placement when using the app. I’m not the only one who dreads them either.

Follow suggestions aren’t all bad

Since I trashed two of Instagram’s follow suggestions pretty heavily, I feel it’s only right to note that there are two ways Instagram suggests users to follow that I do like and find genuinely helpful.

The methods I like don’t appear on their own, which is why I like them so much. Instead of Instagram shoving suggestions in your face, you have to take action to prompt these methods or actively seek them out.

One round of good follower suggestions will appear right after you follow a user. Let’s use Bryan Cranston as an example. Once you click the follow button, a “Suggested for You” carousel of other people Instagram thinks you may like based on your recent follow appears. The results are usually pretty sensical, and you can click “See All” to navigate the list more easily.

Follow someone, get similar suggestions. How nice!

Follow someone, get similar suggestions. How nice!
Credit: MASHABLE COMPOSITE: SCREENSHOT / INSTAGRAM

You can get access to one of those thoughtfully curated lists of similar people to follow for any user on the app, as long as their accounts aren’t private. Whether you already follow a user or just want a list of accounts similar to someone you don’t follow, just navigate to a profile, click the user’s Followers or Following number at the top of the page, and hit the “Suggested” column to the far right.

How to find users similar to Simone Biles. (Though there's only one GOAT.)

How to find users similar to Simone Biles. (Though there’s only one GOAT.)
Credit: MASHABLE COMPOSITE: SCREENSHOT / INSTAGRAM

If Instagram wants to suggestion a few account to follow when it makes sense — like if a user follows someone new — that’s fine. If Instagram wants to keep lists of suggested users available for people to browse whenever they’re in the mood, great! But please stop getting in our faces all the time and telling us who to follow.

Sure, I may know the people you’re suggesting. But that doesn’t mean I want to follow them. I’ve already connected with everyone I want to connect with on the app. And if there’s ever anyone else I want to follow I’ll manually search for them. Don’t worry.

Users don’t need Instagram constantly sending push notifications and slipping lineups of suggested people to follow in Stories. If you really want to help us, Instagram, let us search who views our Stories.