If you’re at home with the wanderlust bug, let us give you a little something to dream about. TikTok users who’ve converted their vehicles to homes are sharing their #vanlife travels, and if you’re anything like me, your mood will go up six notches just watching their adventures. The videos, which average thousands of views, feature people who’ve opted for a life on the road, and they sure do make it look lavish. From van makeovers to their daily routines and the great scenery in between, you’ll rethink your entire way of living after seeing the way these nomads do it. If you’ve ever thought about exploring the world on wheels, now’s your chance to learn. Simply check out #vanlife on TikTok, and see our favorite videos from the hashtag ahead.
Those Facebook ‘Challenges’ Can Expose You to Hackers
By Eric Stann
Games can often extract sensitive information about a person, such as their first job, their first car, or their mother’s maiden name.
Oversharing on social media threatens your online security, warns Dan Lin.
“We cannot go out and socialize during this pandemic, so people are turning to social media to share what is going on with their lives,” says Lin, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and director of the I-Privacy Laboratory at the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri. “But it can be risky.”
Before a person decides to play along with the latest social media challenge, or post a picture of their family home, Lin says to consider the following three things:
Games Are No Joke
Online games that challenge people to answer a few questions about themselves, or post an image, seem innocent enough. But these games can often extract sensitive information about a person, such as their first job, their first car, or their mother’s maiden name—all of which can give hackers answers to commonly used security questions used on other websites such as online banking.
Lin notes two recent challenges as opportunities for hackers to steal a person’s information. Recently, social media users were posting their senior photos as a way to support the Class of 2020. But hackers can use those photos to gain the name of a person’s high school and graduation year.
Additionally, social media users were sharing photos of their mothers for Mother’s Day. But those images could put a person’s mother at risk by revealing identifiable information and provide clues as to whether the mother lives alone.
“If you want to celebrate with your mother, talking to her is better than sharing her picture with strangers,” Lin says.
Beware of What You Share
Images you take with digital cameras contain metadata that can provide information about the photo, such as where and when it was taken. While many social media platforms automatically remove that information when a photo is posted online, Lin warns that publishing images without first deleting the metadata can provide hackers with information a person did not intend to share, such as the GPS location of the place that the photo was taken.
She suggests removing metadata by opening the photo file and deleting this information, or using existing metadata removal software.
Lin says people also should be aware of what is present in the background of their photos. She suggests avoiding posting images that show a house number, vehicle, or unique decorative household items that can help hackers locate a person. It can also reveal personal information that a person may not want to have shared in the public realm.
Check Your Privacy Settings
While privacy settings from social media providers have improved over the last several years, it’s still easy for hackers to bypass that security, Lin says. Even if a person has blocked someone from seeing their information, another user connected with that person can save their information and pass it along to people outside of their connections—sometimes without their knowledge.
Therefore, Lin says if a person does not want something to be publicly seen by everyone, including strangers, it’s best not to share it at all.
Can AI boost social media security?
Lin is currently doing research on how artificial intelligence can help social media providers offer more advanced levels of privacy.
One strategy involves predicting what type of photo people are posting and alert the user to how other people may use that image. For instance, if someone wants to share an image with a select group of friends, the system could warn the user that friends of those friends could still view their photo, including people they intentionally excluded from the group.
A second strategy would allow social media channels to automatically recommend privacy protections for a particular image based on the type of photo and past user behavior. A family photo, for instance, could come with automatic privacy settings blocking others from sharing or downloading it. However, a funny picture of a pet might come with fewer security recommendations.
A more advanced method involves facial replacement in group photos. Rather than blurring out someone’s face in a photo of a class or public setting, which draws the attention of a hacker, this method allows social media providers to replace a person’s likeness with a synthetic facial image based on the person’s privacy needs obtained from his or her past behavior. The change would be subtle enough that those looking at the photo would not be able to tell it had been altered, Lin says.
Ultimately, Lin says it’s up to social media companies to determine whether to implement new security strategies. Until then, people should be cautious about what they choose to post on social media. Anything posted online never fully disappears—even if you delete it immediately.
President Donald Trump (left) and former president George W. Bush
President Trump on Sunday ripped former President George W. Bush for urging Americans to dismiss partisanship during the coronavirus pandemic, questioning where the Republican was during the impeachment “hoax.”
In a three-minute video released on the Twitter account of The George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, the former commander-in-chief reminded Americans “how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat.”
“@PeteHegseth ‘Oh bye the way, I appreciate the message from former President Bush, but where was he during Impeachment calling for putting partisanship aside,” Trump tweeted, citing comments from the “Fox & Friends” host.
“He was nowhere to be found in speaking up against the greatest Hoax in American history!”
The Democratic-controlled House last December voted to impeach Trump over a phone call to the Ukrainian president seeking an investigation into Joe Biden, a political rival.
THOUGHT EXPERIMENT Kylie Jenner’s coronavirus photo shoot is a reminder stars are more like us than we think
By Sage Young
As the pandemic changes our relationship with celebrity, we can only hope that it changes our relationship with ourselves, too.
Once upon a time, makeup application was the centerpiece of my morning routine — a calming, 20-minute ritual that prepared me for the day. Since quarantine began, that ritual has been shortened to the point that a swipe of concealer and mascara is reserved for truly special occasions, like a Zoom meeting or picking up a Thai order. Wearing makeup has always been something I did for me, but this period of self-isolation has reacquainted me with my naked face, as uneven and imperfect as it is.
And that’s not a bad thing. Pop culture, and especially celebrity culture, has warped our version of what “natural beauty” looks like, even if we can easily tell the difference between a bare face and a full one. Recently, photos of an unmade-up Kylie Jenner surfaced online, causing quite a stir. Makeup and extension-free, the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star and beauty businesswoman was almost unrecognizable.
While we all know, in theory, that the painstakingly crafted Instagram photo shoots and physics-defying Met Gala ensembles the Kardashians are known for require a tremendous amount of time, not to mention whole teams of stylists and makeup artists, it helps to be reminded. (It’s also worth noting that the Kardashian family’s “ideal” self included a much darker skin tone than her natural complexion — but that’s a separate essay better coming from a woman of color.)
Stuck at home without their glam squads, some stars are showing us their fresh faces, unplucked brows and awkwardly grown out bangs. And with those snaps and videos comes some actual — if superficial — solidarity. Nobody actually “wakes up like this.” Not even Beyoncé.
For many women, breaking a lifelong cycle of grooming and upkeep is terrifying. Missing one nail appointment wasn’t cause for concern, but what if your next professional haircut is still months away? What if the boxing gym doesn’t reopen? What about waxing and teeth whitening and the sales clerk at Sephora who helps you find your foundation shade? Who are we without these rituals that make us feel good about ourselves?
It’s disorienting, in a society that revolves around physical beauty, to not have access to these things. But when I open Instagram, I see Julia Roberts’ makeup-free selfies, Tia Mowry’s silver-streaked afro, Cara Delevingne’s messy (and not artfully messy — actually messy) bun, and it’s strangely comforting. Granted, they’re beautiful people — celebrity isn’t all smoke and mirrors — but these vanity-lite images are a reminder that, in most places, the pageant has been temporarily suspended. The curve has been reset. Paint your nails at home if you like; color your hair from a box if that makes you feel more in control. But the primary goal is just to make it through.
It remains to be seen whether the pandemic and quarantine will have an impact on these standards long-term. My prediction is that we see a resurgence of the kind of “natural,” earthy beauty that was big in the ‘70s. After all, we don’t know when it will be safe to step back into the salon, especially in hot zones like New York. DIY grooming has become the height of aesthetic self-care, and will probably stay that way for a while.
In this context, celebrities could actually help lead the way. Sadly, not everyone seems up to it. Lest you think that the country’s first family of reality TV has or will ever fundamentally change, a few days after she was snapped bare-faced, Kylie Jenner was photographed in what sure seems like an orchestrated paparazzi photoshoot. Clad in high-waisted jeans and a white crop top — with her matching face mask, thank you very much — Jenner is blown-out and camera-ready, urgently trying to convince her public that this is the real her.
She looks great. But the fact that Jenner thought such damage control was necessary is depressing. It’s like watching a noblewoman in revolutionary France load her arms with gold-plated heirlooms while her palace is being raided by peasants.
Even if I had the means to look like Jenner in those second “candid” photos, I wouldn’t do it. At least, not right now. Because who cares? How sad is it that while the world crumbles around us literal billionaires like Jenner are expending that much time and energy putting the mask (and not the PPE kind) back into place?
Much has been written about how the the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the gap between celebrities and regular people, countering any notion that wealthy stars are “just like us!” It’s maddening to be solicited for donations by people who could support whole institutions with their own private funds. The only positive thing to come out of Gal Gadot and her peers’ ham-fisted attempt at uniting the world by warbling out “Imagine” was the schadenfreude.
Celebrities, like it or not, have a lot of influence, even now. When they sing John Lennon en masse, we watch — even as we mock. It would have a huge impact if stars could use this time to embrace a new, more realistic normal. Some, like Jenner, would prefer it if we paid no attention to the woman behind the curtain. But as the pandemic changes our relationship with celebrity, we can only hope that it changes our relationship with ourselves, too. After all, that’s who we’re stuck with.
The legendary photo-sharing app Instagram (Instagram) recently introduced stickers like ‘How Can I Help’ and ‘Challenges’ for its users. Additionally, the company has now launched another sticker on its platform, named #InstaProm. Insta Prom Sticker supports AR effects. Apart from this, the company has appealed to people to stay at home through this sticker.
Instagram released short video Instagram has released a short video showing this sticker on its official Twitter account, which depicts it. The company has tweeted that the users can use this sticker in the story section. However, this sticker has not yet been received by all users. It is expected that this sticker will be available to all users in the coming days.
Instagram fonts Instagram had previously released new fonts. However, these fonts are currently in the testing phase and will soon be introduced for stable users. Currently, only these typewriters, strong, classic, modern and neon fonts are available in the Instagram Story section, which users can use.
Desktop users will soon get these stickers Instagram will soon release its latest How Can I Help ‘and’ Challenges’ stickers for desktop users. Apart from this, the company will soon launch more new features for users.
With messaging use on the rise during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Facebook now appears to be looking for more ways to prompt direct engagement between users.
Along with a new ‘DM Me’ sticker for Instagram Stories, which would enable users to message a Story creator with a tap on the sticker, Facebook is also working on a ‘Hit Me Up’ sticker for Facebook Stories, which would provide the same functionality, just with a different look (and on a different app, of course).
As you can see in this example, shared by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong, the new ‘hit Me Up’ sticker would enable Facebook Stories users to prompt a quick DM response via the sticker, which could help to facilitate more intimate engagement, which, as noted, would align with the rising use of Stories and messaging, particularly during the lockdowns.
Indeed, according to Facebook, messaging activity across both WhatsApp and Messenger has increased some 50% on normal levels over the last few months. Without the capacity to connect in real life, people are looking to direct connection options to stay in touch, and a new prompt within Stories to further facilitate such engagement could be a good way to generate increased conversation, and give people more ways to stay connected while apart.
That’s likely the main impetus here – seeing the increases in messaging, it may well be that more people are looking to have more message interactions, but they need to know who else might be interested in the same. By adding a simple prompt within your story, highlighting that you’re interested in chatting, it could spark new message interactions, and help to relieve some of the loneliness of the social isolation period.
But of course, it could also lead to problems. As we noted on the Instagram ‘DM Me’ option, while people might want to get more private messages in response to their Stories, it could also open the door to more unsolicited attachments and the like, which has become a problematic element, particularly for younger users. Users would, however, still be able to limit who sees their Stories, and block unwanted responders, but broadening your call for more messages could be problematic in some cases.
Still, it makes sense, and the numbers would suggest it could be a good option.
Given the current focus on direct engagement tools, it seems likely that we’ll see these options roll out sooner, rather than later. And from a brand and marketing perspective, that could also mean that you’ll soon have another CTA prompt to help advance connection with potential clients.
Canada’s newspapers are asking the federal government to follow France and Australia in forcing companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook, Inc. to pay to display their news content.
“Both France and Australia have set deadlines to have mandatory solutions in place by July. That means paying for copyrighted content and sharing the advertising dollars and data that flow from it,” said a letter signed by newspaper executives including Andrew MacLeod of Postmedia and The Globe and Mail’s Phillip Crawley. “The situation is urgent, with media companies suffering huge advertising declines because of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Demi Lovato is already feeling “cool for the summer.”
The 27-year-old pop star took to Instagram to show off her radiant skin and fiery strapless bathing suit. Posing for the camera in her pool, the “Sorry Not Sorry” songstress served bawdy and face.
“Swipe to see how I discovered the self-timer feature for taking pics,” Demi quipped on her Instagram caption, alongside two sultry pics.
Moments later, her boyfriend Max Ehrich replied to her sexy snapshots with the heart-eyes emoji.
It was a simple and short reaction from The Young and the Restless actor, but it oh-so-sweet!
Max wasn’t the only one to respond to Demi’s Instagram post.
Ashley Graham also had a few words for her gal pal. “my girl is straight fire,” the supermodel commented with a few fire emojis.
JoJo added, “a beauty.”
Moreover, the “Anyone” singer teased her go-to photographer, Angelo Kritikos, in her caption. Since her timer was so bomb, she joked, “you in trouble boo boo.”
It didn’t take long for him to respond with a cheeky comment. “BRING IT ON BOO,” the photographer quipped and added heart-eyes and fire emojis.
As of late, Demi has been enjoying her pool and fresh-faced selfies.
“When I’m bored I buy stuff online. Like these rave goggles that I have no purpose for much less wearing by the pool,” she captioned her Instagram on Friday, alongside a snap of her getting some much-needed fresh air in her swimming pool.
Speaking of Instagram moments, the 27-year-old pop star accidentally and adorably crashed her boyfriend’s Live session two months ago.
The 28-year-old actor was playing the piano on his feed, when Demi walked behind him wrapped him with a blanket.
“I’m on live,” he mouthed to her, which made her leave in a frenzy.
Back in March, a source told E! News the duo was dating.
The insider said at the time, “Demi and Max have been seeing each other for a few weeks now. They have been quarantining together at Demi’s house and it’s going really well.”
“Max is very into music and health, and he doesn’t like to party,” the source added. “He is a good influence on Demi and they have a lot in common. They have a few mutual friends in common, but Demi has been introducing Max to her closest friends via Facetime since being quarantined.”
It’s only a matter of time before Max joins Demi in the pool and crashes her Instagram feed!
Friday, May 1, would have been Gianna Bryant’s 14th birthday. Gianna, the second oldest daughter of the four daughters Kobe and Vanessa Bryant had together, had dreams of playing for the University of Connecticut’s illustrious basketball program and, shortly after, the WNBA.
Unfortunately, Gianna, Kobe and seven other people — including two of her basketball teammates — were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Jan. 26. Gianni is survived by her mother, Vanessa, and her three sisters, Natalia, Bianka and Capri.
In honor of what would have been Gianna’s 14th birthday, Vanessa started an Instagram challenge on Friday.
“Gianna loved to wear a red bow in all of her school pictures. Red means love and life. To commemorate Gigi’s birthday today, please consider wearing red, caption an act of kindness or show how you will play Gigi’s way since she always gave everything she did her all and led with kindness. Please use the hashtag #PlayGigisWay,” Vanessa said in her Instagram post.
Vanessa also announced that the bracelets will be sold to benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. A few of them Bryant family’s famous friends, , including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kelly Clarkson, and Ciara, got their hands (or wrists) on the bracelets earlier than everyone else to help spread the word on Friday.
Kobe’s former teammate, Pau Gasol, and Gasol’s wife, Cat, showed their support for the Bryant family by sending them a cake for Gigi’s 14th birthday. Pau and Cat also sent Vanessa flowers for Kobe and Vanessa’s wedding anniversary, because he’s the best.
It’s hard to fathom what the Bryant family is going through today, so kind gestures from friends and strangers alike are appreciated. If you would like to participate in Vanessa’ Instagram challenge, all you have to do is:
Post a picture of you wearing red
Write an act of kindness you’ve done in the caption
It’s simple enough, and it would mean a lot to the Bryant family.
