FUNKY GREEN: 07/26/20

Sunday, 26 July 2020

Everlane’s Promise of ‘Radical Transparency’ Unravels

Employees past and present are challenging management, saying the company’s ethical image was an illusion.

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Don’t Ban TikTok. Make an Example of It.

There is plenty the U.S. government could do to ensure that TikTok acts responsibly without getting rid of it altogether.

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8 photo-editing apps for iPhone and Android that photography geeks will love - CNET

Use your phone to get creative with images you've already shot, no matter which phone you have.

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The most popular face masks to buy online for 2020 - CNET

These online merchants have a variety of styles for your face covering needs, and their masks are a hit with CNET readers.

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iPhone 11 vs. Pro vs. Pro Max: How to decide which features are worth the upgrade - CNET

We compare the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max to help you decide which Apple phone makes the most sense for you.

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How a Gorilla Glass Victus screen will change your next smartphone - CNET

Better drop resistance, thinner designs and maybe even germ-fighting glass. Here's what Victus glass could tell us about the next generation of phones.

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It’s too late to stop QAnon with fact checks and account bans

Twitter is perfect as a megaphone for the far right: its trending topics are easy to game, journalists spend way too much time on the site, and—if you’re lucky—the President of the United States might retweet you.

QAnon, the continuously evolving pro-Trump conspiracy theory, is good at Twitter in the same way as other successful internet-native ideologies—using the platform to manipulate information, attention and distribution all at the same time. On Tuesday, Twitter took a step aimed at limiting how successful QAnon can be there, including taking down about 7,000 accounts that promote the conspiracy, designating QAnon as “coordinated harmful activity,” and preventing related terms from showing up in trending and search results.

“We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension,” Twitter announced. The company added that they’d seen an increase in those activities in recent weeks.

The New York Times reported that Facebook was planning to “take similar steps to limit the reach of QAnon content on its platform” next month, citing two employees of the company who spoke anonymously. On Friday, TikTok blocked several hashtags related to QAnon from search results.

This most recent push to limit QAnon’s reach follows two high-profile campaigns driven by QAnon. First American model and celebrity Chrissy Teigen, who has more than 13 million followers on Twitter, was the target of an intense harassment campaign, then more recently, QAnon accounts were instrumental in spreading a bogus human trafficking conspiracy theory about the furniture marketplace Wayfair. The claims spread from Twitter’s trending bar to Instagram and TikTok accounts promoting the conspiracy theory to their followers.

“That activity has raised the profile of the very long-standing problem of coordinated brigading. That kind of mass harassment has a significant impact on people’s lives,” said Renee DiResta, research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory and an expert in online disinformation.

But Twitter proficiency is only one small part of why QAnon wields influence, and just one example of how platforms amplify fringe beliefs and harmful activity. To actually stop QAnon, experts say, would take a lot more work and coordination. That is, if it’s even possible.

An omniconspiracy

QAnon was born in late 2017 after a quip President Donald Trump made in a press conference about a “calm before the storm” spawned a series of mysterious posts on 4chan attributed to “Q,” predicting the coming arrest of Hillary Clinton. Although that didn’t happen, “Q” continued to post, claiming to know all about a secret plan led by Trump to arrest his enemies.

“QAnon has its origin in a multiplatform conversation that started off on social media, in a pseudonymous environment, where there’s no consequence for speech,” says Brian Friedberg, a senior researcher at the Harvard Shorenstein Center’s Technology and Social Change Project. The posts have moved from one site to another following bans, and now appear on a messageboard called 8kun.

The posts have attracted followers who spend their time interpreting these messages, drawing conclusions, and leading campaigns to make the messages more visible. Some QAnon adherents have led coordinated harassment campaigns against journalists, rival online communities, celebrities, and liberal politicians. Others have shown up at Trump rallies wearing “Q” themed merchandise. The president has retweeted Q or conspiracy theory-related Twitter accounts dozens of times, although it’s an open question how aware he is of what Q is, beyond a movement that supports his presidency on the internet. And there have been multiple incidents of real-life violence linked to QAnon supporters.

The traditional understanding of QAnon was that its ideas are spread by a relatively small number of adherents who are extremely good at manipulating social media for maximum visibility. But the pandemic made that more complicated, as QAnon began merging more profoundly with health misinformation spaces, and rapidly growing its presence on Facebook.

At this point, QAnon has become an omniconspiracy theory, says DiResta—it’s no longer just about some message board posts, but instead a broad movement promoting many different, linked ideas. Researchers know that belief in one conspiracy theory can lead to acceptance of others, and powerful social media recommendation algorithms have essentially turbocharged that process. For instance, DiResta says, research has shown that members of anti-vaccine Facebook groups were seeing recommendations for groups that promoted the Pizzagate conspiracy theory back in 2016.

“The recommendation algorithm appears to have recognized a correlation between users who shared a conviction that the government was concealing a secret truth. The specifics of the secret truth varied,” she says.

Researchers have known for years that different platforms play different roles in coordinated campaigns. People will coordinate in a chat app, message board, or private Facebook group, target their messages (including harassment and abuse) on Twitter, and host videos about the entire thing on YouTube.

In this information ecosystem Twitter functions more like a marketing campaign for QAnon, where content is created to be seen and interacted with by outsiders, while Facebook is a powerhouse for coordination, especially in closed groups.

“Q” has made many incorrect predictions, and continues to advance the belief that there is a ‘deep state’ plot against Donald Trump.

Reddit used to be a mainstream hub of QAnon activity, until the site started clamping down on it in 2018 for inciting violence and repeated violations of its terms of service. But instead of diminishing its power, QAnon simply shifted to other mainstream social media platforms where they were less likely to be banned.

This all means that when a platform acts on its own to block or reduce the impact of QAnon, it only attacks one part of the problem.

Friedberg said that, to him, it feels as if social media platforms were “waiting for an act of mass violence in order to coordinate” a more aggressive deplatforming effort. But the potential harm of QAnon is already obvious if you stop viewing it as a pro-Trump curiosity and instead see it for what it is: “a distribution mechanism for disinformation of every variety,” Friedberg said, one that adherents are willing to openly promote and identify with, no matter the consequences.

“People can be deprogrammed”

Steven Hassan, a mental health counselor and an expert on cults who escaped from Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, known as the “Moonies”, says that discussing groups like QAnon as solely a misinformation or algorithmic problem is not enough.

“I look at QAnon as a cult,” Hassan says. “When you get recruited into a mind control cult, and get indoctrinated into a new belief system…a lot of it is motivated by fear.”

“They’ve had three years of almost unfettered access to develop and expand.”

“People can be deprogrammed from this,” Hassan says. “But the people who are going to be most successful doing this are family members and friends.” People who are already close to a QAnon supporter could be trained to have “multiple interactions over time” with them, to pull them out.

If platforms wanted to seriously address ideologies like QAnon, they’d do much more than they are, he says.

First, Facebook would have to educate users not just on how to spot misinformation, but also how to understand when they are being manipulated by coordinated campaigns. Coordinated pushes on social media are a major factor in QAnon’s growing reach on mainstream platforms, as recently documented by the Guardian, over the past several months. The group has explicitly embraced “information warfare” as a tactic for gaining influence. In May, Facebook removed a small collection of QAnon-affiliated accounts for inauthentic behavior.

And second, Hassan recommends that platforms stop people from descending into algorithmic or recommendation tunnels related to QAnon, and instead feed them with content from people like him, who have survived and escaped from cults—especially from those who got sucked into and climbed out of QAnon.

Friedberg, who has deeply studied the movement, says he believes it is “absolutely” too late for mainstream social media platforms to stop QAnon, although there are some things they could do to, say, limit its adherents’ ability to evangelize on Twitter.

“They’ve had three years of almost unfettered access outside of certain platforms to develop and expand,” Friedberg says. Plus, QAnon supporters have an active relationship with the source of the conspiracy theory, who constantly posts new content to decipher and mentions the social media messages of Q supporters in his posts. Breaking QAnon’s influence would require breaking trust between “Q,” an anonymous figure with no defining characteristics, and their supporters. Considering “Q’s long track record of inaccurate predictions, that’s difficult, and, critical media coverage or deplatforming have yet to really do much on that front. If anything, they only fuel QAnon believers to assume they’re on to something.

The best ideas to limit QAnon would require drastic change and soul searching from the people who run the companies on whose platforms QAnon has thrived. But even this week’s announcements aren’t quite as dramatic as they might seem at first: Twitter clarified that it wouldn’t automatically apply its new policies against politicians who promote QAnon content, including several promoters who are running for office in the US.

And, Friedberg said, QAnon supporters were “poised to test these limitations, and already testing these limitations.” For instance, Twitter banned certain conspiracy-affiliated URLs from being shared, but people already have alternative ones to use.

In the end, actually doing something about that would require “rethinking the entire information ecosystem,” says Diresta. “And I mean that in a far broader sense than just reacting to one conspiracy faction.”

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Apple’s AirPods Pro are on sale for $200 at Staples

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Staples is running an incredible sale on Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds, bringing the retail price down to $200, or $50 off its usual $250 price tag. This the best deal we have seen yet for Apple’s flagship true wireless earbuds.

Unlike its sibling, the AirPods, which has a hard plastic “one size fits most” design, the AirPods Pro design is an in-ear construction and with silicone tips, which included three different sizes to provide a customizable fit for your ears. The AirPods Pro also include active noise cancellation, better sound quality, and a wireless charging case. If you are an Apple user, my colleague Chris Welch thinks the AirPods Pro are the best wireless earbuds worth your money.

The deal is available until August 1st, but we...

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Bill & Ted Face the Music gets surprise cameo from the late George Carlin - CNET

Rufus returns. A Comic-Con at Home panel for Bill & Ted Face the Music reveals the comedian will be in the new movie.

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Zack Snyder shows new footage of Superman's black suit from Snyder Cut - CNET

During Justice Con, Snyder gives a video preview of Henry Cavill as Superman wearing his black suit, and fans share their excitement.

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These are the best cheap Xbox Live Gold deals for July 2020

If you are trying to ease the boredom of being stuck at home, we have found an Xbox Live Gold deal for you.

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The best Nintendo Switch deals and bundles for July 2020

We've smoked out the best deals, featuring Mario, Super Smash Bros., and more

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Best board games 2020: For adults, families, two players, and more

Video games? Who needs them when you and your friends can gather around a table and play some board games?

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How to complete Rocket Straight to Victory Special Research in Pokémon Go

Team GO Rocket doesn't stand a chance!

Pokémon Go Fest 2020 is finally here, but Team GO Rocket is trying to spoil our celebration! Whether you're a ticket holder or not, you can help fight back against Team GO Rocket to reclaim the Pokémon Go Anniversary. However, ticket holders have access to a new Special Research: Rocket Straight to Victory, and we here at iMore have everything you need to know to complete this Special Research.

Rocket Straight to Victory

Available to claim only on Day Two of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Rocket Straight to Victory is a Special Research for Pokémon Go Fest 2020 ticket holders. While you have to open your app on Day Two to begin this Special Research, once you've started, you can take as long as you need to complete it. However, there is also a Team GO Rocket Take Over happening, during which more Team GO Rocket hot air balloons will be appearing, more Team GO Rocket Invaded PokéStops will be showing up, and you can earn twice the Mysterious Components from beating Grunts, so it will be easier to complete during Pokémon Go Fest than if you wait.

Help Professor Willow and the team leaders defeat Team GO Rocket and take back Pokémon GO Fest 2020! Some of you might recall that the professor mentioned yesterday that he was feeling a great energy that filled him with hope and determination. We're still wondering where this energy came from and whether it has anything to do with this turn of events…

Step One

Take a Snapshot for two Incense.
Power up a Pokémon three times for 100 PokéBalls.
Send three Gifts to Friends for 2020 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: 20 Max Revives, 2020 Stardust, Machamp encounter.

Step Two

Defeat two Team GO Rocket Grunts for a Weaville encounter.
Rescue two Shadow Pokémon for 20 Max Potions.
Purify a Shadow Pokémon for 20 Max Revives.

Completion Rewards: 20 Rare Candies, 2020 Stardust, Golem encounter.

Step Three

Defeat Team GO Rocket Executive Cliff for Articuno encounter.
Defeat Team GO Rocket Executive Sierra for Zapdos encounter.
Defeat Team GO Rocket Executive Arlo for Moltres encounter.

Completion Rewards: 20 Max Revive, 5000 Stardust, Super Rocket Radar.

Step Four

Defeat Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni for Shadow Mewtwo encounter.

Completion Rewards: 20 Ultra Balls, two Incense, Victini encounter

Step Five

Autocompleted for 2020 Stardust.
Autocompleted for 2020 XP.
Autocompleted for 2020 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: 20 Ultra Balls, two Incense, 20 Victini candies.

Step Six

Take a Snapshot of Victini for 20 Victini Candy.
Catch 20 different species of Pokémon for ten Rare Candies.
Send three Gifts to Friends for a Super Incubator.

Completion Rewards: Two Premium Battle Passes, two Star Pieces, Victini Tee

Bonuses

Some of the features of this Take Over for ticket holders include:

You'll earn encounters with Pokémon that can help you defeat the Team GO Rocket leaders when you complete the Go Fest 2020: Rocket Straight to Victory Special Research.
You'll earn twice the Stardust and Mysterious Components when you defeat Team GO Rocket Grunts at Pokestops and in hot air balloons.
The Global Challenge Arena and the Virtual Team Lounges have been vandalized by Team GO Rocket.
Some unwanted guests are appearing in attendees' snapshots. Be sure to show us what you find with #GOsnapshot.

Taking on Cliff, Sierra, Arlo, and Giovanni

In addition to Team GO Rocket Grunts being out and about, the Executives of Team GO Rocket, and the big man, Giovanni himself are also threatening the festivities. Each of these leaders will have a unique lineup just for the take over.

Cliff

Sierra

Beldum
Houndoom
Zapdos

Arlo

Mawile
Scizor
Moltres

Giovanni

Persian
Sandslash
Mewtwo

Note: If you're having trouble taking on Team GO Rocket, the battles will get progressively easier throughout the day. Make sure to try again later in the morning or afternoon.

Questions?

Do you have any questions about fighting Team GO Rocket during Pokémon Go Fest 2020? Are you going to complete Rocket Straight to Victory before the day ends? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our Complete Pokédex, as well as our in depth coverage of Pokémon Go Fest 2020 so you too can become a Pokémon Master!

Pokemon Go

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How to beat Cliff, Sierra, Arlo, and Giovanni on day two of Pokémon Go Fest

Pokémon Go Fest 2020 is finally here, but Team GO Rocket is trying to spoil our festivities! Whether you're a ticket holder or not, you can help fight back against Team GO Rocket to reclaim the Pokémon Go Anniversary. We here at iMore have everything you need to know for challenging Team GO Rocket today.

Team GO Rocket hijacked Pokémon Go Fest 2020?!

You heard that right, Trainers! Team GO Rocket has hijacked the biggest event of the year. They're taking over day two of Pokémon GO Fest 2020 and it's up to us to stop them in their tracks! If you're a ticket holder, you will have access to the Rocket Straight to Victory Special Research and you'll see Team GO Rocket has vandalized our Virtual Team Lounges; however, there is plenty of battling to be done for everyone.

Benefits for all players

Regardless of whether you have a Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket or not, the following will be available during the take over:

More Team GO Rocket balloons will be appearing in the skies.
More Team GO Rocket Grunts will be capturing PokéStops.
Charged TMs can be used on Shadow Pokémon.
The confetti from the first day's festivities will be replaced by Team GO Rocket confetti.
A GO Rocket Box in the shop featuring four Rocket Radars, 20 Max Potions, two Star Pieces, and 20 Max Revives can be bought in the PokéShop for only 480 PokéCoins!

Note: If you're having trouble taking on Team GO Rocket, the battles will get progressively easier throughout the day. Make sure to try again later in the morning or afternoon.

Team GO Rocket Leaders

In addition to fighting many Grunts, Trainers will also have the opportunity to challenge the Team GO Rocket Executives and Giovanni, himself. During the Take Over, Trainers will earn twice the Mysterious Components (as well as double Stardust) so you'll be able to challenge the Executives and Giovanni multiple times.

Although many Trainers have challenged the Leaders of Team GO Rocket before, for today only they're bringing in different Shadow Pokémon from their current line ups. Lucky for you, we have the best counters for each Executive.

Cliff

For day two of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Cliff brings these three Pokémon into battle:

Pinsir: a Bug type, Pinsir is weak to Flying, Rock, and Fire, and Ghost types' resistances provide solid counters. The best counters include Ho-Oh, Moltres, either forme of Giratina, Togekiss, Lugia, Chandelure, Charizard, Gengar, Drifblim, and Crobat. You could also do well with Shadow Moltres or Shadow Charizard.
Tyranitar: a Rock and Dark type, Tyranitar is weak to Ground, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, and Fairy, and has a quad weakness to Fighting. The best counters include Conkeldurr, Heracross, Machamp, Hariyama, Regirock, Regice, Poliwrath, Registeel, Lucario, and Virizion. You can also do well with Shadow Machamp or Shadow Poliwrath.
Articuno: an Ice and Flying type, Articuno is weak to Electric, Steel, and Fire, and has a quad weakness to Rock. The best counters include Heatran, Metagross, Melmetal, Aggron, Regirock, Omastar, Terrakion, Entei, Tyranitar, and Kabutops. You can also do well with Shadow Metagross, Shadow Omastar, Shadow Raikou, Shadow Machamp, Shadow Tyranitar, or Shadow Magnezone.

Sierra

For day two of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Sierra brings these three Pokémon into battle:

Beldum: a Steel and Psychic type, Beldum is weak to Ground, Ghost, Fire, and Dark. The best counters include both formes of Giratina, Gengar, Drifblim, Groudon, Golurk, Dusnoir, Regirock, Rhyperior, Regice, and Galarian Stunfisk. You can also do well with Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Dusknoir, or Shadow Scizor.
Houndoom: a Dark and Fire type, Houndoom is weak against Fighting, Ground, Rock, and Water. The best counters include Kyogre, Terrakion, Rhyperior, Garchomp, Tyranitar, Swampert, Regirock, Reshiram, Machamp, and Haxorus. You can also do well with Shadow Omastar, Shadow Swampert, or Shadow Tyranitar.
Zapdos: an Electric and Flying type, Zapdos is weak to Rock and Ice. The best counters include Rhyperior, Zekrom, either Kanto or Alolan Golem, Hippowdon, Regirock, Dialga, Garchomp, Rhydon, Aggron, and Landorus. I really wouldn't recommend any Shadow Pokémon for this fight.

Note: Sierra's lineup are all weak to Rhyperior. If you participated in the Rhyhorn Community Day, you could likely face her with a team of three Rhyperior.

Arlo

For day two of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Arlo brings these three Pokémon into battle:

Mawile: a Steel and Fairy type, Mawile is weak to Ground and Fire, but some of the recommended counters are based on resisting its attacks as opposed to doing the most damage. The best counters include Regice, Kyogre, Raikou, Heatran, Blaziken, Magmortar, Entei, Origin Forme Giratina, Rhyperior, and Hariyama. You can also do well with Shadow Raikou, Shadow Magmortar, or Shadow Entei.
Scizor: a Bug and Steel type, Scizor's only weakness is Fire, but it's a quad weakness. The best counters include Reshiram, Heatran, Entei, Darmanitan, Ho-Oh, Moltres, Arcanine, Blaziken, Emboar, Salamence, or Chandelure. You could also do well with Shadow Entei, Shadow Arcanine, Shadow Moltres, Shadown Salamence, Shadow Charizard, or Shadow Magmortar.
Moltres: a Fire and Flying type, Moltres is weak to Water and Electric, and has a quad weakness to Rock. The best counters include Rhyperior, either Kanto or Alolan Golem, Zekrom, Kabutops, Omastar, Tyranitar, Carracosta, Regirock, Gigalith, and Kyogre. You could also do well with Shadow Raikou, Shadow Omastar, Shadow Tyranitar, or Shadow Electivire.

Giovanni

The head honcho himself, Giovanni has a new lineup during the Take Over, and that you'll be able to rescue Shadow Persian after defeating him. His Pokémon for day two are:

Persian: a Normal type, Persian's only weakness is Fighting types; however, Shadow Persian's attacks are mostly Dark, with a Rock, Fairy, and Normal type move thrown in every so often. The best counters include Tyranitar, Conkeldurr, Obstagoon, Dialga, Togekiss, Heracross, Hydreigon, Lucario, Hariyama, and Machamp. you can also do well with Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Machamp, or Shadow Dragonite.
Sandslash: a Ground type, Sandslash is weak against Water, Grass, and Ice. The best counters include Kyogre, Empoleon, Swampert, Lugia, Feraligatr, Leafeon, Rayquaza, Tangrowth, Salamence, and Articuno. You can also do well with Shadow Venusaur, Shadow Swampert, Shadow Gyarados, Shadow Blastoise, Shadow Weaville, Shadow Dragonite, or Shadow Mewtwo.
Mewtwo: the Legendary Psychic type, Shadow Mewtwo is a brutal fight. Weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark, the best counters include Origin Forme Giratina, Darkrai, Chandelure, Hydreigon, Weaville, Mewtwo, Tyranitar, Houndoom, Gengar, and Pinsir. Shadow Pokémon make especially powerful counters here so if you have one of the following powered up with a Dark, Ghost, or Bug type Charged attack, they can work very well: Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Houndoom, Shadow Pinsir, Shadow Weaville, Shadow Raikou, Shadow Sharpedo, Shadow Scizor, Shadow Gardevoi, Shadow Absol, or Shadow Mismagius.

Questions?

Do you have any questions about fighting Team GO Rocket during Pokémon Go Fest 2020? Which Shadow Pokémon are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our Complete Pokédex, as well as our in depth coverage of Pokémon Go Fest 2020 so you too can become a Pokémon Master!

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Sunday, 26 July 2020

An omniconspiracy

“People can be deprogrammed”

Rocket Straight to Victory

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Step Five

Step Six

Bonuses

Taking on Cliff, Sierra, Arlo, and Giovanni

Questions?

Team GO Rocket hijacked Pokémon Go Fest 2020?!

Benefits for all players

Team GO Rocket Leaders

Cliff

Sierra

Arlo

Giovanni

Questions?

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