Twitter owner Elon Musk appeared to troll Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg as the new Threads platform closes in on 100 million users. Since the launch of Threads, the Tesla and SpaceX chief has been critical of the new app, even filing a lawsuit accusing Meta of poaching former Twitter staff to build the new social media app. Mr Musk responded to a Twitter post on the lawsuit last week, saying “Competition is fine, cheating is not”. On Saturday, he called Threads “just Instagram minus pics,” adding that it “makes no sense, given that thirst pics are the main reason people use that app”. Then later on Sunday, responding to a screenshot of a Threads conversation between Mr Zuckerberg and the account of fast food joint Wendy’s, the Tesla chief said “Zuck is a cuck”. “Cuck” is an insult often used to attack the masculinity of an opponent. It is short for “cuckold”, a word dating to the Middle Ages that describes a man who is aware of his wife’s infidelity and acquiesces to it. Meanwhile, as the Threads app nears close to 100m users, the Meta chief also has expressed his fare share of jibes at the SpaceX and Tesla boss. Mr Zuckerberg posted his first tweet in 11 years on the day of Threads’ launch, sharing the popular meme of two Spider-Men pointing at each other, a likely reference to the comparisons drawn between Threads and Twitter. The Meta boss also responded to two posts on Threads in one-worded replies, commenting “concerning”, seemingly a reference to the way Mr Musk tweets often. Mr Musk has replied with the word “concerning” at least 26 times, according to a review of the multibillionaire’s tweets by Insider. Since the launch of Threads, Mr Zuckerberg has hoped to draw a contrast to Twitter which currently boasts over 250m users but has also seen a surge in hate speech and misinformation since Mr Musk bought the company last year. Even as the Meta chief has expressed intention to make “kindness” the focus of Threads, it remains to be seen how new signups by race supremacists and fringe rightwing personalities will affect the platform. It also remains unclear if the beef between the two tech billionaires is playful banter or bitter competition as they have also expressed willingness to engage in an MMA bout. The two agreed to a physical fight last month after Mr Musk accused the Meta chief of ripping off Twitter with Threads. “Up for a cage match,” the Twitter owner and chief operating officer wrote, to which Mr Zuckerberg replied “Send me location”. UFC trainer Javier Mendez recently said the Meta boss is more likely to win the fight due to his active training, apparent fitness, and experience. Podcaster and jiu jitsu enthusiast Lex Fridman has also said following a training session with the Tesla boss that he was “extremely impressed” with Mr Musk’s “strength, power, and skill, on the feet and on the ground”. Read More I’m a tech nerd who does jiu-jitsu. I know exactly why Mark Zuckerberg wants to fight Elon Musk Musk, Zuckerberg and the bitter battle for the future of social media I tried Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter rival, Threads – I’m not impressed Threads hits 70 million sign-ups on its second day Mark Zuckerberg trolls Elon Musk with Spider-Man meme after launching Twitter rival Meta’s new Twitter rival app Threads gets over 10 million sign-ups

The Finals is back, this time for an Open Beta. Here's how long you have to try out the game, now on consoles.

Senegal’s government has temporarily suspended mobile phone data as the country reels from days of deadly clashes between police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko

"Some people, they wanna do the right thing. I like doing the wrong thing." In

Blue light emitted from the screens of phones, tablets and televisions could induce puberty early, a study has found. In the modern day, children are raised with devices all around them, with many having a phone or tablet to keep them entertained from a young age. But, researchers in Turkey have discovered that it exposure to the blue light such devices give off could speed up the onset of puberty. Teams from the Gazi University and Bilkent City Hospital in Ankara revealed how they saw the effect in male rats, which could suggest a link between device screens and early childhood development. Their findings were presented at the 61st Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in The Hague and published in the Frontiers in Endocrinology journal. The study emulates the same findings that were observed in female rats, where early puberty was seen. Lead researcher Dr. Aylin Kılınç Uğurlu, of Bikent City Hospital, said: “For the first time, we found a direct relationship between blue light exposure and early puberty in male rats.” They continued: “Our findings align with our previous work on female rats, which also showed similar effects, thereby providing a more comprehensive view of how blue light may influence puberty in both male and female rats.” As part of the study, 18 male rats, all 21 days old, were split into three groups. Two of the groups were assigned either six or 12 hours of blue light exposure per day. The last group was a control and was not exposed to any blue light from screens. Results showed that the rats with exposure to blue light experienced signs of puberty “significantly earlier” compared with the control group. Uğurlu noted in a news report: “I want to emphasise that this is a rat study and direct results cannot be interpreted for humans. “However, we provide an experimental foundation to further investigate the health consequences of ever-increasing screen time in modern society.” Researchers hope to continue their study on the effects of blue light on rats to “understand its long-term effects on reproductive organ damage and fertility”. Uğurlu continued: “Ultimately, this research could lead to preventative measures and contribute to the ongoing discourse on how modern lifestyles affect physiological development and long-term health.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2023--

The head of the lidar start-up isn't happy with the performance of his company's stock. Shares are down 86% from record highs reached in December 2020.

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 20, 2023--

When Google Maps users navigated to the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Tuesday, they might have seen placenames that included, "F**k Israel," and "May god curse Israel's Jerusalem."

Meta will launch a paid-for, subscription-based version of Facebook and Instagram. The company will allow people to pay up to €13 to have no ads appear on those apps. The change has been made to comply with European Union regulations, it said. As such, it will only be available to people in the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The monthly subscription plans for users in the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland, will cost 9.99 euros ($10.58) for web users, while iOS and Android users will have to shell out 12.99 euros a month. The difference is to account for the fees taken by Apple and Google for payments on its platforms, Meta said – a move that follows a similar price difference for Twitter’s premium offering. The EU regulations threaten to curb Meta’s ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and hurt its major revenue source. Users across the world will continue to be able to use the site for free, and will see no change to their experience as a result, Meta said. But offering the paid-for subscription version allows Meta to comply with “the requirements of European regulators”, the company said, after a recent ruling. Having the option of paying for a version of Facebook and Instagram with no ads means that people will have more clearly consented to having their data used for marketing, Meta suggested it in its announcement. That in turn means it will better comply with European regulations, it said. The world’s most popular social media network has been under antitrust pressure in the EU. In July, it lost its fight against a German data curb order as Europe’s top court backed the German antitrust watchdog’s power to also investigate privacy breaches. Offering a choice between a free, ad-supported plan and an ad-free paid subscription might lead to users opting for the former, helping Meta to comply with the regulations without affecting its ad business. Meta was fined 390 million euros earlier this year by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner, and was told it cannot use the so-called “contract” as a legal basis to send users ads based on their online activity. The company later said it intended to ask users in the EU for their consent before allowing businesses to target ads in order to address evolving regulatory requirements in the region. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Threads is not dying, Mark Zuckerberg insists Letitia James and 32 other attorneys general sue Meta for ‘harming youth’ People’s Instagram posts are showing where they are not expected

VIENNA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 8, 2023--

MANSFIELD, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 21, 2023--