Instagram is once again trying to reassure users that its algorithm isn’t actively “hiding” posts from people.

The company issued a rare rebuttal to criticism of its algorithm in response to a viral meme claiming that said algorithm only surfaces posts to 7 percent of an account’s followers.

“We’ve noticed an uptick in posts about Instagram limiting the reach of your photos to 7% of your followers, and would love to clear this up,” the company wrote on Twitter.

“What shows up first in your feed is determined by what posts and accounts you engage with the most, as well as other contributing factors such as the timeliness of posts, how often you use Instagram, how many people you follow, etc. Read more…

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Twitter has suspended an account which was linked to the magnification of a confrontation between high school students wearing MAGA hats and Native American protesters.

According to CNN, the account @2020fight was suspended from the social media platform after it shared a captioned video of the encounter on Jan. 18 in Washington D.C., where both the Indigenous Peoples March and the anti-abortion March For Life were taking place. 

Groups from both, as well as a handful of protesters linked to the Black Hebrew Israelites, converged near the Lincoln Memorial. This led to a standoff between 64-year-old Native American elder Nathan Phillips and MAGA-hat wearing teenager Nick Sandmann, which would be shared in many viral videos throughout the weekend. Read more…

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Watch Bon Appetit‘s Claire Saffitz nearly break. Again. This time over Pringles.

The pasty chef tackled the recreation by first breaking down the texture of the snack: She noticed that Pringles are more of a “potato crisp” made of a powder composite than traditional thinly sliced potatoes. 

“This is gonna be a project that’s more about process and construction than flavor,” she noted. 

She rolled a combination of rice flour, ground potatoes, and cornstarch through a pasta press to nail down the signature paper-thin texture. 

Next challenge: getting the shape down. 

When drying the dough over a rolling pin and frying it between two slotted spoons didn’t work, she went back to adjusting the potato composite. Eventually, she made a mold by hacking apart a sieve.  Read more…

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In the end times, when the Earth is populated solely by roving bands of marauders, at least we’ll know Apple was able to find new ways to profit from the iPhone.

The environmental nonprofit CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) dropped its latest report on Tuesday, and it’s very depressing. The group asked more than 7,000 companies to share the risks and opportunities that come with climate change, reported Bloomberg. And it turns out there is money to be made even in a world ravaged by drought and storms.

Apple notes that “as people begin to experience severe weather events with greater frequency, we expect an increasing need for confidence and preparedness in the arena of personal safety and the well-being of loved ones.” Read more…

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Did you know you can pick up a brand new iRobot Roomba for less than $250?

It’s true. The iRobot Roomba 690 robot vacuum with Wi-Fi connectivity is now on sale for just $247.99, or $127 off its retail price, on Amazon. This new sales price is actually a few dollars cheaper than its Black Friday sales price back in November. In fact, this is almost the lowest price Amazon has ever offered for this robot vacuum, so take advantage of this deal while it still lasts.

The iRobot Roomba 690 is a sleek and premium robot vacuum with three stages of cleaning for hardwood floors, carpets, and area rugs. Say goodbye to tiny particles, dust, pet hair, and dirt. Read more…

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Americans find today’s climate science increasingly convincing, and a damaging mix of exceptional drought, storms, and record-breaking heat is the reason why. 

The results of a new survey — conducted in November 2018 by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute and the research organization The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research — found that nearly half of Americans said today’s climate science “is more convincing than five years ago, with extreme weather driving their views.”

Overall, seven in 10 Americans reported that climate change is happening. 

“The results of the survey demonstrate that most Americans consider climate change a reality and acknowledge that human activity is at least somewhat responsible,” Trevor Tompson, director of The AP-NORC Center, said in a statement.  Read more…

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On Dec. 22, 2018, when parts of the federal government went into shutdown mode, it caused a ripple effect that’s continued to be felt by workers and the public alike, sometimes in unexpected ways. 

Among the wide-ranging consequences of the shutdown has been the silence from the various National Park accounts on Instagram, which have amassed millions of followers across the various handles. The main National Park Service Instagram even has a whopping 1.3 million followers.

The National Park Service posted a message on its account on Dec. 21, 2018 that read, “During the federal government shutdown, we will not monitor or update social media. Some National Park Service areas are accessible, however access may change without notice, and there are no NPS-provided services. For more information, visit the park’s website … ” Read more…

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Soon, you may be able to block R. Kelly from ever appearing on your playlists.

Spotify is testing an iOS feature called “don’t play this artist,” allowing users to block particular artists from being included in playlists, libraries, charts, and radio stations on the music streaming platform, The Verge reports.

Notably, it doesn’t work for songs that the artist was featured on.

Spotify worked on the blocking feature in 2017, but decided not to roll it out “after serious consideration.” 

During 2018, the music streaming company found itself under pressure to particularly ban R. Kelly from its platform entirely in the lead-up to the release of Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which alleged he had abused and sexually assaulted women for over 25 years.  Read more…

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