Recent Post Recent Post
View More

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Shayla Palmer (aka mesamistoys) crocheted a 10-foot Appa to celebrate 'Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game's NYCC tournament.

Fans of Shayla Palmer (@mesamistoys) know her for her next-level crochet projects. With more than 650k followers on TikTok and over 1.1 million on Instagram, she's made a name for herself one stitch at a time, creating big, fluffy toys, including Stitch, Batman, and Mario. But on Sept. 19, 2026, Palmer took on her biggest challenge yet: stitching a 10-foot-long Appa toy, based on the flying bison from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In the first episode of her series on its making, she revealed the yarn but not who she'd be stitching for. Fans were quick to recognize Appa's signature color scheme. Fifteen more episodes followed, detailing the process, including the times when Palmer hit a few snags. Then, just last week, Palmer revealed this particular toy was created for a special event, tied to New York Comic Con.

Paramount Games Studio hosted a double-elimination tournament for the newly launched video game Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game at OS NY on Oct. 9. The special event invited gamers to compete for a cash prize, surrounded by food carts offering treats from the four nations (Water. Earth. Fire. Air), boxes of cabbages with a certain beloved cart vendor on them, and Palmer's completed Appa.

You can see images from this tournament below.

While the gaming kicked off, Mashable spoke with Palmer about her journey from that first video to its big debut. And she's got pointers for any fan looking to make toys of their own.

Images from the Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game at OS NY event on Oct. 9.
Images from the Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game at OS NY event on Oct. 9. Credit: Kristy Puchko

Mashable: We've finally seen the unveiling of your completed Appa. Tell us about what the process has been like for you.

Shayla Palmer: Oh my gosh, the process was long, but not as long as you would expect. I had 16 days to complete a 10-foot-long Appa. It was a lot of time every single day. It was, let's say, 10-16 hours a day for 16 days straight.

It was kind of crazy. But it was so much fun. I encountered a lot of issues, though, like forgetting to create a hole for the head and then having to pivot from there. It's just like a lot of things that I've had to pivot with. But all in all, it was so much fun. I had a great time, and I'm so happy that the end result is here, and the people who have seen the process can now see it in person. It's so surreal. I love it.

It's amazing to see your Appa in person. What was it like to finally see it set up inside?

Seeing it set up inside was like, 'Oh my god, this looks so much bigger here than it did in the space that I was creating it in!' I can't even comprehend it fully right now.

I also created a mini Appa that is now sitting on top of it, and it's so crazy to see that the mini one looks so small compared to the big one, and it's really not that tiny. But yeah, it's just a full-circle moment, I can say.

For people who are interested in crochet through your work, where would you say they should start?

I actually do sell crochet kits. If you do want to start crocheting, I have beginner, beginner plus, intermediate, and intermediate plus kits, and I teach you everything you need to know to start crocheting toys.

One thing I will say, though, is you need to be very, very, very patient and very forgiving with yourself. It's so much fun, and it can be so calming. You just have to understand that there's going to be a lot of hiccups. There will be a lot of times when you have to tear out your work. You just have to forgive yourself.

But yeah, I highly recommend it. It's the best hobby ever.

As a content creator, what is it that you depend on to make your content on your level?

I would say intuition. It's a lot of trusting my gut. It's a lot of pivoting, being very comfortable with the Plan B, being very able to immediately scrap your Plan A and just restart everything you need to restart.

And honestly, I'm very transparent in my content. I like showing people that not everything I plan on doing is gonna happen. So yeah, it's just very transparent. It's very authentic. I don't do any crazy editing. It's just here's my camera and here's what I'm doing. I just want you to be a fly on the wall and see everything that's going on.

Images from the Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game at OS NY event on Oct. 9.
Images from the Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game at OS NY event on Oct. 9. Credit: Kristy Puchko

That's great. I think, especially with crafting, people can be really intimidated if they're not good at it right away. So when you're having those moments where you're like, 'I need to trust the process,' what gets you through those points?

Knowing that it will probably take me longer to stick to Plan A than it would to pivot and go with Plan B. It happens almost every single time I'm in a series. And I show people, "This is what I wanted to do. It's not working, so I have to do this because this is time-dependent."

I don't have 100 days to work on these things, and, quite honestly, I don't want to be working on them for that long anyway. So yeah, just trusting the process, honestly.

Who's your favorite Avatar character?

Is it crazy if I say Appa? Is it crazy? If it's not Appa, it's gotta be Sokka. I don't know what it is. He's just so, like, he's just so angry. But it's just so funny to see it all happen. So yeah, Appa then Sokka.

Is there anything else you want people to know about the process of making your Appa?

So it's actually really funny. I'm a huge believer... I literally just had to ask God. I said, "I want something really exciting. Like for the rest of the year, I want something really exciting. Something that's gonna make me feel reassured."

Then I got a message from Jordan [Chalmers] from Black Flag NYC (the experiential marketing firm). Great guy, love him, love him, love him. I got a message from him. He said, "Hey, have you ever watched Avatar?" I'm like, "Please tell me you want me to make Appa."

So the way that it all came to be was just like, I literally cried. I cried three times, and then I called my mom immediately. I was like, "Hey, um, can you get on a flight? Because I'm gonna need help running errands. I need to feed myself, and I can't do this right now."

So yeah, the way that it came to me was honestly such a dream come true. I was so happy with that.

On the final day, when I finished my six-legged statue, I always like to show myself sitting on it. And as soon as I finished [Appa], I got a chair. I like jumped on it, and I was like, "Appa, yip yip!"

Honestly, I've been waiting, like, 14 years to do that!



from Mashable https://ift.tt/flTO6h9
Continue reading

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
A screenshot of Hinge's second chance approach.

If you've used dating apps, you've probably gotten an off-the-wall message or two and wondered if the sender just lacked basic social skills. Or maybe you sent a joke that fell flat. Either way, Hinge has a new strategy for handling "well-intentioned" daters who send inappropriate messages: mandatory re-education.

If a user violates Hinge's harassment guidelines in a chat, human moderators will weigh the context and severity of the message. If it's deemed a minor infraction, the user gets a warning and must complete a brief "educational walkthrough" to continue using the app. Severe or repeated offenses, however, will still get you permanently banned. An example of a minor infraction in Hinge's Oct. 1 blog announcing the change is the message: "Great dress. I think I have an outfit that will match perfectly," along with a winking emoji.

SEE ALSO: Hinge won't ban users for a single piece of problematic content anymore

Hinge says the walkthrough covers basic messaging etiquette, complete with examples of harmful language and reminders on how to express interest without being weird. Users might get prompts reminding them to build mutual interest before making things sexual, keep jokes playful instead of personal, or refrain from making unsolicited comments about someone's body.

The goal is to help daters recognize how their words land. While Hinge notes that cultural or generational gaps often shape how people communicate, intent doesn't negate the impact of unwanted behavior — especially for women, LGBTQIA+ daters, and people of color, who bear the brunt of online harassment.

The new educational walkthrough joins Hinge's existing suite of safety tools, including its "Are You Sure?" feature (which prompts users to reconsider potentially harmful text before sending), the "Did This Bother You?" feedback prompt, and customizable comment filters. This also builds on Hinge's policy not to ban users for a single piece of problematic content, and instead removes the content and explains why.

Hinge's CEO, Jackie Jantos, mentioned the curb-cut effect at the Heads Up With Hinge conference this month: features created to help the most vulnerable can lead to broader benefits for the general population. We'll see if this bears out with better-educated daters.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/hlxbDAi
Continue reading

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Lashana Lynch, Tosin Cole, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, Cynthia Erivo, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Damson Idris attend New York Comic Con 2026 for

There's plenty of magic, mythology, and larger-than-life action in Children of Blood and Bone, but beneath all that fantasy is something a little more grounded: family drama.

The upcoming adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's bestselling novel closed out Saturday night at New York Comic Con with a packed panel on the Empire Stage, where director Gina Prince-Bythewood and the star-studded cast debuted an extended trailer offering fans another look at the fantastical world of Orïsha. And while the footage delivered on the film's epic scale, some of its most compelling moments were decidedly more intimate.

SEE ALSO: How 'Children of Blood and Bone' is bringing one of BookTok's biggest fantasy worlds to the big screen

The trailer puts the royal family's fractured relationships into sharper focus. After witnessing a horrific act of violence at the hands of her father, King Saran (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Princess Amari (Amandla Stenberg) flees the palace, while her brother, Inan (Damson Idris), finds himself torn between loyalty to his father and his own conscience.

During a conversation moderated by Knives Out filmmaker Rian Johnson, the cast opened up about the emotional conflicts driving the film's two central families. Johnson described the relationship between Saran and his children as a "Shakespearean journey," one defined by love, betrayal, and the struggle to trust the people closest to you.

Rian Johnson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch and Chiwetel Ejiofor attend New York Comic Con 2026 for "Children of Blood and Bone"
(L-R) Rian Johnson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, and Chiwetel Ejiofor attend New York Comic Con 2026. Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

A royal family divided

Children of Blood and Bone follows Zélie Adebola (Thuso Mbedu), a young woman determined to restore magic to Orïsha after a brutal campaign against the maji, the people who once wielded it. Her quest puts her on a collision course with the ruling monarchy, where the king's cruelty has already begun to fracture his own family.

Ejiofor described King Saran as a man impelled by trauma and rage, whose convictions are challenged over the course of the story. "There's a sort of bottomless pit that he has," the actor said of his character's emotional intensity.

To explore the royal family's complicated history, Prince-Bythewood brought the three actors together to imagine the experiences that shaped their characters, including moments that might never appear onscreen. "Gina got us together and we kind of just talked about things that may have happened and may not have happened, and the dynamics of a family such as this," Idris said. "I think that all shows itself on screen."

For Idris, those conversations were essential to understanding Inan, a prince struggling to reconcile his father's expectations with his own beliefs. "Inan personally is such a complicated character who goes through so many different emotions," he said, adding that Prince-Bythewood gave him the patience and space to explore those contradictions.

The royal family sites on their thrones in Children of Blood and Bone
The royal family on their thrones. Credit: Lephatse Motshana Courtesy of © 2026 Paramount Pictures

Stenberg, meanwhile, was drawn to the tension between love and mistrust within the family, particularly how difficult it can be to rebuild a relationship after someone has hurt you. "There's something so beautiful and painful about when people love each other, [as] family, and are also trying to find a window of trust with each other, even when they have been hurt badly," Stenberg said.

The actors began developing that dynamic through video calls while living in different countries, before continuing the character work together on set in South Africa. For Stenberg, exploring those relationships was both emotionally demanding and rewarding. "We had such a good time," she recalled. "It was so sad, and it was so awesome."

And despite the family's fractured relationships, Ejiofor emphasized that their connection isn't entirely defined by conflict. "It is a deeply dysfunctional family," he said. "But there is love at the root of it."

Two siblings, one shared loss

That tension between love and conflict isn't limited to the royal family. On the other side of Orïsha's political divide are Zélie and her older brother, Tzain (Tosin Cole), whose relationship is similarly shaped by loss.

The siblings have experienced the same family tragedy, but they don't necessarily agree on how to move forward. As Cole explained, grief can manifest differently even among people who have suffered the same loss.

"Some people become defensive, some people rebel," Cole said. "Everyone's going through the same thing, just navigating it in a different way."

Tosin Cole, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu and Damson Idris attend New York Comic Con 2026 for "Children of Blood and Bone"
Tosin Cole, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, and Damson Idris pose for photos at New York Comic Con. Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

But despite their differences, Zélie and Tzain are ultimately driven by the same motivation to protect what's left of their family. "That's the most important thing between the two," Cole added. "Trying to keep whatever they have in the sense of love, and not trying to lose another family member."

Offscreen, however, Mbedu and Cole's sibling dynamic appeared considerably less fraught. The two spent weeks training together for the film's demanding action sequences, developing a natural familiarity that occasionally made Mbedu forget they weren't actually related.

"Sometimes I would forget that this is not my actual sibling," Mbedu recalled, joking that she'd have to remind herself to be professional on set. Then, gesturing toward Cole, she called him a "clown."

"I won't apologize for who I am," Cole shot back.

It was a playful exchange that offered a glimpse of their easy chemistry, and a welcome contrast to the royal family's considerably more complicated relationships.

Finding the humanity in fantasy

For Prince-Bythewood, those complicated relationships are what give the film's enormous scale its emotional weight. During the panel, she described her vision for Children of Blood and Bone as an "intimately grounded fantasy," one where the gods, magic, and battles never overshadow the people at the center of the story.

The filmmaker, whose previous credits include Love & Basketball and The Woman King, recalled asking Johnson for advice about approaching a production of this size. His response was simple: No matter how much money or how many resources a filmmaker has, the responsibility is still to tell a good story.

That attention to character extends to the world of Orïsha itself. Prince-Bythewood wanted the fantasy kingdom to feel tangible, building elaborate sets and filming in remote locations across South Africa.

A scene screened exclusively at NYCC offered a glimpse of that vision in action. Zélie trains with a bo staff under Mama Agba's (Viola Davis) watchful eye before she and the others hurriedly hide their weapons and pretend to weave clothing when royal officials arrive to collect taxes. It's a sequence that showcases the film's intricate fight choreography while underscoring the constant threat of living under King Saran's rule.

That attention to worldbuilding extends to the music. Prince-Bythewood wanted Orïsha to sound rooted in the past while still feeling contemporary. While writing the screenplay, she listened almost exclusively to Afrobeats, particularly Tems and Burna Boy, who later joined the production as soundtrack curator and music consultant, respectively. Composer Terence Blanchard then incorporated traditional African instrumentation and Tems' vocals into his orchestral score, blending contemporary sounds with musical traditions that could make Orïsha feel both ancient and alive.

It's all part of Prince-Bythewood's approach to creating a fantasy world that feels lived-in, even when its characters are wielding magic and fighting gods. And as the cast made clear at NYCC, the film's most consequential battles aren't necessarily fought with weapons or magic. Sometimes they're fought within families, between people who love each other but can't agree on what that love demands.

Children of Blood and Bone hits theaters on Jan. 15, 2027.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/X4yK8Fl
Continue reading

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Singapore GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Prime Video logo
Credit: Amazon
Apple TV Prime Video Channel
Watch the Singapore GP for free with a 7-day trial

Kimi Antonelli still tops the F1 standings coming into the Singapore GP, but he missed out on race wins in Azerbaijan and Malaysia. The young star maintains a comfortable lead over teammate George Russell, but it does feel like anyone can win right now. It's been a while since we've been able to say that, so we'll enjoy this moment while it lasts.

The action heads to the Marina Bay Circuit this weekend. There's a packed schedule of racing to look forward to, including a Sprint. There's something special about a weekend featuring a Sprint.

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN review: A stylish VPN service with proven privacy and a large U.S. presence

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Singapore GP?

The Singapore GP is the 17th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Marina Bay Circuit:

  • Practice 1 — 4:30-5:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 9

  • Sprint Qualifying — 8:30-9:14 a.m. ET on Oct. 9

  • Sprint — 5-6 a.m. ET on Oct. 10

  • Qualifying — 9-10 a.m. ET on Oct. 10

  • Race — 8 a.m. ET on Oct. 11

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Singapore GP for free

Amazon Prime delivers fast shipping, discounts, and access to the Prime Video library.

For F1 fans in the U.S., Prime Video is particularly interesting this season. Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, and you can sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you access to select races for free, including this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix. The subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after the seven-day trial, but you can disable the automatic renewal and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

If you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is questionable. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you're truly spending nothing to stream this weekend's race.

If you've already made use of this method, you still have a few workarounds:

  • Apple TV: New standalone subscribers qualify for a direct seven-day free trial through Apple's app.

  • Apple One: If you want more than just streaming, the Apple One tier packages Apple TV alongside Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage — and it comes with a full one-month free trial ($19.95 per month after the promotional period).

  • Apple: The most generous Apple TV offer is tied to new hardware purchases. Buying an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV grants new subscribers three months of free service. You obviously have to spend money on hardware, but if you were already planning an upgrade, it effectively unlocks a massive chunk of the F1 season for free.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/YGoHP8W
Continue reading

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
A phone with the Pips logo.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 10, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

  • Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

  • Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

  • Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

  • Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

  • Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for October 10, 2026

Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 10 Pips

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-6 placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 10 Pips

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 10 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/XsmGlcy
Continue reading

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
meta logo on smartphone

The civil lawsuit claiming that Jane Doe was drugged and raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University has caused an eruption of content on social media, from the "I am Jane Doe" campaign to help conceal the woman's identity to celebrities like Florence Pugh posting about the allegations.

Now, a coalition of feminist and tech justice organizations claim Meta is censoring content about the case.

SEE ALSO: New York’s ‘voluntary intoxication loophole’: The legal gap at the center of the 'Cornell 7' case.

"We're in the midst of a classic censorship cycle designed to silence survivor voices," said Jenna Sherman, campaign director at women-led gender-justice organization UltraViolet, in a press release shared with Mashable. "First, Cornell tried to cover up this horrific case. Then, legacy media ignored it."

Jane Doe's lawsuit brings several claims against the university, including negligence and negligent supervision. Student journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun are credited with amplifying the story.

"Now, after Jane Doe and brave student journalists finally brought this story to light, Meta appears to be censoring content about the case across its platforms," Sherman continued.

Shortly after Pugh posted a statement in support of Jane Doe, she said Instagram placed a "sensitive-content" warning on her post, which prevented some people from seeing it and scrolling through the carousel. "Am I being censored for talking about rape?" she asked. Meta confirmed to TMZ that it initially placed the warning on the post, but has since lifted it.

But the coalition states that even a second post about the case was covered by the same label. "Pugh is one of many users claiming that their posts are being censored, labeled, or shadowbanned by Instagram, Facebook, and Threads," they wrote.

UltraViolet, as well as other gender justice, tech accountability, and pro-democracy organizations, have launched a joint campaign in response. In a petition with over 29,000 signatures at the time of this writing, they call on Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri to stop censoring posts about the Cornell case.

"Meta has no business making it difficult for users — and particularly women users — to engage in these conversations. Blocking this content sends a dangerous signal that sounding the alarm on rape culture is worse than rape itself," the ActionNetwork petition reads. "It feels blatantly obvious that women’s safety is not actually Meta's priority, but that silencing us is."

In addition to UltraViolet, the full coalition includes Democracy for America Advocacy Fund, Kairos Fellowship, National Campaign for Justice, National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women's Defense League (NWDL), Reckoning Action, ReproAction, Repro Uncensored, Safe Horizon, Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA), TakeItBack.Org, The Juggernaut Project, and Women's March.

In addition to signing the petition, the coalition encourages people to report post takedowns and flags to the nonprofit Repro Uncensored (RU), which tracks instances of post and account removal. RU founder and executive director, Martha Dimitratou, said the reports RU is receiving are deeply concerning and expose harms to freedom of speech and democracy.

"These reports reflect a wider pattern documented by Repro Uncensored in thousands of digital censorship cases across more than 50 countries affecting feminist advocacy, reproductive health information, and communities facing discrimination, with critical information removed, accounts disabled and advocates left without clear explanations or meaningful appeals," she said. Mashable reported on these instances in May.

"When social media platforms bury conversations about sexual violence, they don’t just limit speech; they help create the silence in which rape culture thrives," NOW president Kim Villanueva stated in a press release.

Mashable has reached out to Meta for comment.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/1h2kcme
Continue reading

at 0
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Aya Osawa in the anime adaptation of The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All.

Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy's impeccable taste in music. Boy turns out to be a girl. That's the irresistible premise of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, the fan-favorite yuri manga making its anime debut in 2027.

At New York Comic Con on Thursday, Crunchyroll unveiled the adaptation's world premiere trailer, giving fans their first look at Aya and Mitsuki's budding romance.

Based on the manga by Sumiko Arai, The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All — affectionately called Green Yuri by its fans because of its neon color palette — follows Aya Osawa (voiced by Akari Kitō), a popular high schooler who develops a crush on the mysterious, effortlessly cool employee at her local CD shop. With his dark clothes, piercings, and encyclopedic knowledge of rock music, he's basically her dream guy. There's just one problem: He's not a guy at all.

The employee is actually Mitsuki Koga (voiced by Mariya Ise), Aya's quiet, unassuming classmate, whom she barely notices at school. Outside the classroom, however, Mitsuki has an entirely different look. And while Aya remains blissfully unaware of her crush's true identity, the two begin to bond over their shared love of music.

SEE ALSO: How social media changed what it means to be an anime fan

What starts as a case of mistaken identity gradually blossoms into something much sweeter, as Aya and Mitsuki navigate friendship, attraction, and the complicated business of figuring out their feelings.

The manga has become a favorite among romance fans, thanks in part to Arai's striking black-and-green artwork and its deep affection for rock music. Music isn't merely background noise in this story. It's the language through which Aya and Mitsuki first connect, with their shared tastes providing the foundation for a relationship neither quite knows how to define.

And fittingly for a love story built around a shared obsession with rock music, the anime has some serious grunge credentials. Nirvana's 1991 track "Breed" will serve as the opening theme, a collaboration that even has Dave Grohl's stamp of approval. In a special interview with Arai, the former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman said he believed Kurt Cobain would have loved the series, citing its message, aesthetic, and overall vibe. After all, Cobain was never one for rigid gender norms.

Now, the question is how that distinctive visual and musical identity will translate to animation. For fans who have spent years imagining what Aya and Mitsuki's world might look and sound like in motion, the first trailer offers an exciting glimpse.

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All is slated to premiere on January 8, 2027.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/JDl6wTu
Continue reading
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)