It's the end of an era for X, the app formerly known as Twitter. Users

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 13, 2023--

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2023--

Days after Jason Aldean went viral over a song about small town America that many commentators have interpreted as containing lyrics which amount to dog-whistle racism, the singer was mired in fresh controversy. Somewhat appropriately it was over another alleged scandal in a small town, in which a Twitter user claimed he failed to tip in a burrito restaurant in Charleston, West Virginia, having supposedly ordered 65 burritos ten minutes before the joint closed. Now, the internet wants to know if it actually happened. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter On July 20, 2023, a user posted: “Remember when @Jason_Aldean came to small town Charleston, WV, ordered 65 burritos from a local joint ten minutes before close and didn't tip anyone? Then his team reached out after the story went viral and the employees got let go? Try that in a small town." A screenshot of the tweet was widely shared on TikTok, Reddit, and other websites, three days after the Country Music Television (CMT) network pulled Aldean's new music video for his song, 'Try That in a Small Town.' Find out more about the racism scandal engulfing the song here. According to fact-checkers at Snopes, the controversy goes back to a 2017 news story by TMZ, which claimed the singer had ordered 60 burritos and a quesadilla at a restaurant called Black Sheep, which totaled around $500. “We found no concrete information on whether the order was placed for takeout and was picked up by one of Aldean's crew members, or if the entire crew sat down at the restaurant. However, the former appeared to likely have been the case, as we have so far found no photographic or video evidence of the crew eating at the restaurant,” reported the fact checkers. The tweet’s claim that the order for Aldean's crew was made "ten minutes before close" wasn’t mentioned in the original story by TMZ. Arep for Aldean said an "appropriate tip" had been left for the order back in 2017, adding: “Jason had absolutely no contact with the restaurant or any of its employees.” Meanwhile it looks like the tweet’s claim that “employees” were fired by Black Sheep because the story went viral is partially true. The original reporting from TMZ mentioned that one employee who was fired, after apparently tweeting about the order for Aldean's crew. The apparent tweets posted by the employee, which are no longer available, appeared in a second report by TMZ. One of them read: “@Jason Aldean can suck my a-- for not tipping Black Sheep, after ordering 60 burritos.” So to sum up: nobody can quite tell if the story is totally true. Aldean may not have been personally involved, but it looks like there was a big old burrito order for him and his crew, and there was definitely some controversy around the tip. We’ll have to leave the rest to your imagination. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Video game makers aren’t doing enough to cater for gamers with disabilities, a study has revealed. A poll of 500 adults with physical and mental disabilities who play video games found 81 per cent have struggled to play their favourite games due to inaccessible game features. Specific problems include a lack of customisable control options (21 per cent), hard-to-read text (33 per cent), fast-paced gameplay (34 per cent), and flashing lighting effects (31 per cent). As a result, 39 per cent have been forced to stop playing a game - or abandon it altogether. The Samsung study also found 52 per cent would like to see more characters who represent their disability - and claim they would game more if this happened. The research follows the launch of the brand’s ‘Embrace Your Game’ portal - a European-wide gaming training initiative featuring expert guides, training sessions, and video workshops for gamers of all abilities. Steven Woodgate, chair of the True Ability Employee Resource Group at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “Gamers with disabilities not only make up a sizable portion of the player base. “But they also provide valuable perspectives and experiences to the gaming community. “While we’ve seen some strides in accessibility over recent years, this study reveals the pressing barriers still faced by many. “We must prioritise an inclusive gaming landscape, ensuring every player, regardless of their disability, can enjoy and connect through these digital realms. “The industry owes it to all its players to make games as accessible and representative as possible.” Despite the challenges, 22 per cent of those polled feel empowered by gaming, while 40 per cent said the pastime gives them a sense of escape. And 16 per cent said it provides them with a way to connect with other gamers with disabilities, with 28 per cent claiming video games are an ‘essential’ part of their routine. Barriers for those polled include games which result in ‘cognitive overload’ through complex control configurations and hard to follow information or instructions (28 per cent). While 24 per cent have experienced dexterity issues – such as controllers not being adequately designed for their ergonomic needs. In response, gamers with disabilities revealed the features and accessibility options they’d like to see in future titles. More accessory options for differently abled players (34 per cent) topped the list, closely followed by more online multiplayer options catering toward different disabilities (34 per cent). The research carried out through OnePoll, also found 31 per cent would like to see improved guides and tutorials to help them learn gaming controls more easily. And 31 per cent would also like a greater range of customisable controller options. Robin Christopherson of charity, AbilityNet, which works towards making the digital world more accessible, said: “It should be no surprise to learn that disabled people enjoy gaming as much as anyone else. “But this research demonstrates quite clearly the negative impact on people’s wellbeing when hardware or software isn’t accessible. “It also underlines that games are a vital part of the fabric of many people’s lives, creating social networks and bringing enjoyment which should be open to everyone.” Read More Brits are so fed up with emails that retail giants now send reminder letters Brits will eat over 5,000 slices of pizza in their adult life, study finds Millions of homeware items thrown away each year, research finds Facebook and Instagram users face monthly fee for ad-free version Japan startup unveils 15-foot robot suit for space exploration New discovery is ‘holy grail’ breakthrough in search for aliens, scientist say

Google’s Bard artificial intelligence chatbot will answer a question about how many pandas live in zoos quickly, and

South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd. is considering an expansion of its production in the US

The US Department of Education says it's investigating a complaint filed against New College of Florida alleging discrimination based on disability, according to a letter sent to the college's interim president.

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2023--

Space enthusiasts can soon boast their very own mini Mars Rover. LEGO Technic has unveiled

Consumer cryptocurrency trading should be regulated as gambling, the treasury committee has urged. In a new report, the committee called for consumer trading in unbacked crypto assets to be treated in regulation as gambling. The cross-party committee of MPs said cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are being used by criminals in scams and money laundering. Unbacked crypto assets – often called cryptocurrencies – are not supported by underlying assets, the committee added. They pose significant risks to consumers, given their price volatility and the risk of losses, according to the MPs, who said retail trading in unbacked crypto more closely resembles gambling than a financial service and should be regulated as such. The report said: “We strongly recommend that the government regulates retail trading and investment activity in unbacked crypto assets as gambling rather than as a financial service, consistent with its stated principle of ‘same risk, same regulatory outcome’.” The committee pointed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures indicating that around 10 per cent of UK adults hold or have held crypto assets. The MPs also said potential productive innovation in financial services should not be unduly constrained. They said technologies underlying crypto assets may bring some benefits to financial services, particularly for cross-border transactions and payments in less developed countries. A balanced approach should be taken to supporting the development of crypto asset technologies, while avoiding spending public resources on projects without a clear, beneficial use, the MPs said. Harriett Baldwin, chair of the treasury committee, said: “The events of 2022 have highlighted the risks posed to consumers by the crypto asset industry, large parts of which remain a wild west. “Effective regulation is clearly needed to protect consumers from harm, as well as to support productive innovation in the UK’s financial services industry. “However, with no intrinsic value, huge price volatility and no discernible social good, consumer trading of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin more closely resembles gambling than a financial service, and should be regulated as such. “By betting on these unbacked ‘tokens’, consumers should be aware that all their money could be lost.” The committee is considering central bank digital currencies as a separate piece of work. A treasury spokesperson said: “Risks posed by crypto are typical of those that exist in traditional financial services and it’s financial services regulation – rather than gambling regulation – that has the track record in mitigating them. “Crypto offers opportunities but we are taking an agile approach to robustly regulating the market, addressing the most pressing risks first in a way that promotes innovation.” Read More Crypto rules get final approval to make Europe a global leader on regulation Is my money safe? What you need to know about bank failures Nearly 80% of APP scam cases start online, says UK Finance Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Google will confront a threat to its dominant search engine beginning Tuesday when federal regulators launch an attempt to dismantle its internet empire in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century