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The Senate on Wednesday agreed to the Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2021 , essentially giving effect to the media bargaining code that saw Facebook pull news from Australia, before it promised to restore it thanks to amendments put forward by the Treasurer. As a result of the amended Media Bargaining Code receiving bipartisan support and officially passing both Houses on Thursday, Facebook said it looked forward to "agreeing to new deals with publishers and enabling Australians to share news links once again". In a post penned by VP of global affairs Nick Clegg, Facebook took the opportunity to explain to its users what had happened, with many users unaware the social media giant, alongside Google, had been engaged in a stoush with the Australian government for many months on the code. Facebook had actually warned it might pull news from its platform six months ago and Google threatened to remove its search … [Read more...] about Facebook clears the air as Media Bargaining Code passes both Houses

France is weighing possible regulation to restrict the early renewal of smartphones via commercial offers by telecoms operators in a bid to lower the environmental impact of connected devices, a government official said. French telecoms operators Orange , Bouygues Telecoms and Altice Europe's SFR have for years been luring new customers by providing brand new smartphones in exchange for contractual commitments for a certain period of time, up to two years. These commercial offers entice customers to upgrade their smartphones while their previous one is still working, the French government says in a roadmap on "tech and environment" issued on Tuesday. "We're ready to adopt new measures," the government official said, without elaborating. "The aim is clearly to increase the life of terminals," the official added, referring to smartphones. The official said that the government will first ask the French telecoms authority Arcep to review the telecoms operators' … [Read more...] about France eyes new regulation to restrict early renewal of smartphones

Are conservatives more afraid of threats than liberals? Political psychologists have long found evidence that people on the right are more sensitive to scary stuff, on average, than people on the left, a basic psychological difference thought to drive some political disagreements between the two groups. But new research suggests that's overly simplistic. In a new international study, conservatives and liberals both responded to threats —— but they responded more strongly to different kinds of threats. And to make matters more complex, those responses don't always map nicely onto the political divide, or stay consistent from nation to nation. Related: Why did the Democratic and Republican parties switch platforms? "This link between threat and conservative beliefs, or conservative ideology, is just not simple," said study leader Mark Brandt, a psychology professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. "It depends on a lot of different things. It depends on the type … [Read more...] about Conservatives aren’t more fearful than liberals, study finds

Roleplaying games represent some of the most beloved titles ever created. Series like Final Fantasy or The Elder Scrolls are filled with huge, immersive worlds and deep lore to be explored. Yet, that scale and complexity can also make the genre seem overwhelming. What makes Pokémon stand out is its ability to attract a wide audience. It’s a perfect entry point for an otherwise intimidating genre. As the series turns 25 years old this year, the charm found in the first installments has been preserved and retained throughout the eight generations of the franchise. The format has stayed consistent; unlike typical RPGs with their elaborate and grandiose narratives, Pokémon maintains a very relaxed pace with a clear goal in mind. Each Pokémon game starts the same: you’re a child looking to begin your adventure as a pokémon trainer. Immediately, developer Game Freak makes it clear that you are about to begin an epic adventure, and you have some freedom on how you proceed — … [Read more...] about Pokémon makes an intimidating genre approachable

The Myanmar cyclone. The earthquake off the coast of Japan. The Chilean volcano. Has Earth gone bonkers? Not at all. This level of natural activity is normal for Earth, scientists say. "Mother Nature is just reminding us that she is in charge," Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told LiveScience . That also means the recent Midwestern quake (centered in Illinois) and temblors near Reno, though unnerving and frightening to locals, were just another day for Planet Earth. Reference point A look back at events in 2007 serves to remind just how wild this world routinely is. EM-DAT, the OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, tracks natural disasters in which either 10 or more people were killed, 100 or more people were affected, a State of Emergency was declared, or there was a call for international assistance. In the United States in 2007, EM-DAT tallied four such tornado disasters, five winter storms, seven … [Read more...] about Mother Nature Still in Charge