Why Snapchat and smartphone beauty filters need a culturally inclusive update

The controversial Snapchat filter called out as “yellowface” by many earlier this week has thrust the popular app’s face morphing filters into the spotlight again, with some wondering if the app may be impacting how we see ourselves and others.

Aside from racially insensitive filters, there’s also the matter of Snapchat’s “beauty” filter and how it may reveal a bias toward a certain kind of look. Specifically, a look that hews more toward western mainstream social norms as opposed to accentuating the true, diverse beauty of the many different kinds of faces seen around the world.

SEE ALSO: …

More about Samsung S7, Samsung S6, Smartphones, Filters, and Ethnicity – Source

Why Snapchat and smartphone beauty filters need a culturally inclusive update

Alright, Ryan Lochte and Matthew McConaughey are hanging at the Olympics

Ryan Lochte continues to have an enjoyable time in Rio.

So far, he’s played with puppies, eaten spaghetti in an ice bath and experimented with several different hair colors. And as of yesterday, he’s taken a chill selfie with Matthew McConaughey.

SEE ALSO: No one is prouder of Ryan Lochte than his 95-year-old grandma

What a delightful meeting of the “weird hairstyles and hats” club.

ICYMI, McConaughey has been having the most fun of his life at this year’s Olympic Games, making fanboy stops at basketball, swimming and golf events.

Image: scott halleran/getty images

Image: jean catuffe/getty images …

More about Swimming, Rio Olympics, Matthew Mcconaughey, Ryan Lochte, and Celebrities – Source

Alright, Ryan Lochte and Matthew McConaughey are hanging at the Olympics

Get a new 16GB LG Nexus 5X today for $200

Both current Nexus handsets have been subject to a lot of promotions and price reductions lately, but this might just be a new record. There is a deal on eBay that you can probably still catch if you hurry and it can land you a brand new LG Nexus 5X for only $199.99.

However, there is somewhat of a catch, the device in question is the smaller 16GB model and may we remind you that the Nexus 5X sadly doesn’t have a microSD card slot. So, you have to be pretty confident you will fit all your things on board. If you can looks past that, it is still a pretty good device with a…

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Get a new 16GB LG Nexus 5X today for $200

A new dam is threatening one of the Middle East's most biodiverse regions

JANNAH, Lebanon — At the bottom of a lush valley between rocky peaks of Mount Lebanon, strawberry farmer John Abu Akar may be the last man standing in the path of a dam project worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

When a minister’s motorcade of tinted-window SUVs rolled through his village in 2012 to announce the multinational project, Abu Akar sabotaged the signs directing visitors to the location of a press conference so they pointed instead down the gravel path leading to his farm. Around 10 black American-model vehicles soon pulled in; security agents jumped out and confronted Abu Akar. Unaware that they were in the wrong place, they demanded he move his car from where it was parked in front of his house. They told him they worked for Gebran Bassil, one of …

More about Activism, Lebanon, Environment, Climate, and Social Good – Source

A new dam is threatening one of the Middle East's most biodiverse regions

Snapdeal's next-day delivery rolls out in 104 cities

Snapdeal has entered into a space-blocking agreement with select airline partners apart from assured pick-up deal to prioritise these orders. – Source

Snapdeal's next-day delivery rolls out in 104 cities

Gionee to unveil a selfie-focused smartphone this month

Gionee will unveil a new smartphone this month. The Chinese company has sent out media invites for the unveiling event scheduled for August 22 in India. The teaser image accompanying the invite contains #SelfieWithFlash hashtag suggesting that the device will feature front facing LED flash.

While the image doesn’t reveal anything about the star of the event, reports say the phone in question will be from the company’s S series. In case you missed, Gionee recently made official the M6 and M6 Plus smartphones in China. While they aren’t selfie-focused devices, they do come with software…

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Gionee to unveil a selfie-focused smartphone this month

Dr. Panda's Ice Cream Truck is this week's free App Store game

This week’s free App Store app of the week is a delicious sounding game, Dr. Panda’s Ice Cream Truck. With the game, you can create your own flavors and add toppings like chocolate syrup, cookies, candies and decorations. There are hundreds of combinations. Different animals will demand your creations and each one will have its own unique reaction to your frozen treat.

A recent update to version 1.33 added the following new features to the game:

4 new flavors of ice cream to blend and taste, including the summer favorite: watermelon!6 new fillings to mix, including banana, walnuts, … – Source

Dr. Panda's Ice Cream Truck is this week's free App Store game

Telcos rapped by government for voicing displeasure with Trai

The top telcos, on net basis, cumulatively earn around Rs 2,000 cr each through IUC, said Mathews, underlining the impact that any move to abolish the charge will have on telcos. – Source

Telcos rapped by government for voicing displeasure with Trai

10 apps that got banned by Apple

Apple’s App Store may be home to millions of great apps, but the Cupertino-based tech giant has never shied away from showing the door to controversial and useless apps. – Source

10 apps that got banned by Apple

Kylo Ren Loses It While Watching the Rogue One Trailer

You’d think Kylo Ren would be happy to see his grandfather once again on the big screen, but that’s not the case in his latest reaction video to the new Rogue One trailer.

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Kylo Ren Loses It While Watching the Rogue One Trailer

Leaked Asus ZenWatch 3 photos confirm round display

A couple of days ago, we showed you the circular shape of the FCC label designed for the Asus ZenWatch 3. As we pointed out at the time, the shape of the label would seem to be a good clue telling us that the Android Wear powered smartwatch will be carrying a round display. Both the Asus ZenWatch and Asus ZenWatch 2 were equipped with a square screen.

As it turns out, the label was exactly right as leaked photos of the Asus ZenWatch 3 show that it does indeed offer a round display. The photos were leaked today from the NCC, which is China’s National Communications Commission. The agency … – Source

Leaked Asus ZenWatch 3 photos confirm round display

Will the Huawei Mate 9 utilize the manufacturer's Super Charge battery and charging system?

Back in April, Chinese analyst Pan Jiutang suggested that we could see the Huawei Mate 9 launch before the end of this year. Jiutang says that the phone will feature dual 20MP cameras on the back, and adds that the home grown Kirin 960 SoC will be under the hood. The chip will allegedly use ARM’s next-gen Artemis cores, and employ an octa-core GPU. It also should support LTE Cat. 12 speed.

The Huawei Mate 8 was powered by a 4000mAh battery, and not only could we see a similarly well endowed juicer on the Mate 9, the latter handset could be equipped with Huawei’s rapid battery charging … – Source

Will the Huawei Mate 9 utilize the manufacturer's Super Charge battery and charging system?

Startup promising a 'tampon' to wear during sex just raised $1 million

First there were THINX, the period panties.

Now, Flex, another startup trying to change how women deal with their periods every month, has raised $1 million.

Flex makes menstrual discs. The product most resembles a menstrual cup like the Diva Cup, but is meant for one-time use like a tampon. The disposable disc sits up toward the cervix, collecting all menstrual fluid.

SEE ALSO: Some transgender men need period underwear like this

The biggest draw Flex promises is that the menstrual disc provides “mess-free period sex.” Women (or anyone having a period) can keep the disc in during sex, and it’ll contain all bleeding. …

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Startup promising a 'tampon' to wear during sex just raised $1 million

Classic jokes, rewritten by Donald Trump

In case you haven’t noticed, Donald Trump’s got jokes. Lots of jokes.

When he called on Russia to find Hillary’s missing emails he was being classically sarcastic. When he said that “Second Amendment people” could do something about Clinton, his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski called it “a joke.” Most recently, Trump corrected those who were upset by his claim that President Obama was the founder of ISIS — it was merely another example of sarcasm.

SEE ALSO: If Donald Trump was the actual ‘Law and Order’ candidate

Trump, of course, has previously backed up his comments about Obama and ISIS, saying, “…

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Classic jokes, rewritten by Donald Trump

You don’t need a Google+ profile to post reviews on Play Store anymore

The Google Play Store will not require you to have a Google+ account to write reviews anymore.

In an email to TechCrunch, Google confirmed the news that “a G+ profile is no longer needed to post a review.” Rumors that the change was happening were first reported by Android Police, which quoted several tips from its readers.

As of today, the roll out appears to be continuing. Read More

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You don’t need a Google+ profile to post reviews on Play Store anymore