Blogroll

Understanding our parents can sometimes feel impossible, staring across a generational divide and an ocean of shared memories that we see differently from each other. Now imagine how much harder coming to grips with the complexity of your parent would be if your dad was an infamous serial killer. That's the premise of Happy Face, a new true crime drama from The Good Wife creators Robert King and Michelle King. 

Annaleigh Ashford, who recently thrilled on Broadway as the murderous Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, stars as Melissa Reed. Melissa is a wife, a mother, and a professional make-up artist — and the haunted daughter of the Happy Face Killer, Keith Jesperson (The Substance's Dennis Quaid). During the decades since he was caught, they have been estranged. That is, until he claims there was a ninth victim the cops never tied to him. But he'll only give details to his darling "Missy," who just so happens to work for a talk show that's equally eager for exclusive interviews with this serial killer.

This is a rich setup for a crime investigation thread. But what makes Happy Face a standout is how series showrunner Jennifer Cacicio balances the murder mystery with character-driven drama that is alarmingly relatable. Be warned: This show is ruthlessly gripping. 

Happy Face is based on a true crime case and a survivor's story.  Credit: Ed Araquel / Paramount+

The first episode of Happy Face details the broad strokes of Jesperson's real-life crimes. A truck driver in the 1990s, he targeted young women that he came across in his travels, sexually assaulting and then fatally strangling them. His jarring nickname came from the letters he sent to the media as taunts. These menacing missives were signed with a doodle of a happy face. 

The troubling juxtaposition of Jesperson's predilection for a cheerful exterior and a dark heart is reflected brilliantly in Happy Face through Quaid's unsettling performance. In the present-day timeline, he is downright jolly as he addresses Melissa, the grown daughter who's being morally blackmailed to reconnect with him. Yet, despite the orange jumpsuit and the shackles, he's giving off a disarming dad vibe, even as he speaks bluntly about his victims. In flashbacks to time before he was caught, he seems outwardly like any blue-collared dad, his grin paired with a plaid shirt, playful attitude, and a ball cap. However, a vicious intensity hits in bursts, as his eyes flash with panic or his smile twists with menace. Even in the present, that smile can slice like a blade.

Credit: Ed Araquel / Paramount+

Smartly, director Michael Showalter picks jaunty tunes with lyrics about having a "happy face," which not only reflects Keith's troubling duality but also play as a warning to his daughter. For years, she's worn a happy face as a mask of normalcy, protecting her husband (James Wolk) and children from her dad and the shame and recriminations from those appalled by him. But as she's pressured to wade back into their past and her own sense of guilt over the killings, songs urging to "put on a happy face" feel like they mock her — or worse — push her toward the dangerous duplicity her dad used to hide in plain sight. Basically, if you're presenting one face to the world to hide another, aren't you inherently a threat?

Over the four episodes presented to critics, Melissa grapples with the desire to do right, aiming to free a man she believes was wrongfully convicted of her dad's murder. But the show pulls inspiration Jesperson's real-life daughter, Melissa G. Moore, who made a podcast (Happy Face) and co-wrote a book (Shattered Silence) about her experience. As such, this series also digs into the psychological challenges of processing her father's truth and his crimes. What do they mean as far as who she is, who she will become, and what she owes the world? 

Happy Face explores true crime and personal accountability.  Credit: Katie Yu / Paramount+

This crime series explores regret and redemption as its heroine reconnoiters her past to save someone else's future. But in doing so, she must sacrifice the anonymity that served as protection, keeping her husband and children away from the influence of her devilishly charming father. This makes every episode a meal for Ashford, whose heroine must leap from everyday dramas like reprimanding her reckless teen daughter Hazel (Khiyla Aynne) to plunging into childhood artifacts for clues and staring down her father, while her co-workers look on. 

See, making things even more complicated for Melissa is she's the make-up artist for Dr. Greg, a Dr. Phil-like talk show that is happy to exploit her familial tragedy for ratings. The producer assigned to her is Ivy (Tamera Tomakili), who is hard-nosed when it comes to getting the story, but also at times the voice of reason Melissa needs to pull her out of a self-focused spiral. Through Ivy and the talk show, Happy Face takes a step back to take in the complicated ethics around exploitation and spectacle in true crime. The two will have frank conversations about why people are so fixated on this subject, and how societal biases impact who's cast as the heroes and villains, justly or not. 

Beyond that, Happy Face explores how Melissa's relationship with her parents compares to her relationship with her daughter. Flashbacks to Melissa's teen years are framed to be parallel to Hazel's experience with bullies, but also in the way both Melissa and her own mother are overwhelmed with the challenge of coping with the discovery of a serial killer in the family tree. Sure, few of us may be able to relate to the latter. But with the opening episode, Cacicio's writing and Showalter's direction so masterfully knit the fabric of this family — estranged and strange as they may be — as to be joltingly familiar. In casual conversations about dinner and grounding, goofy moments of getting caught off-guard while on a secretive phone call and impulsively buying treats to smooth over a rough day, Melissa's journey has enough tactile touch points for viewers that we can't help but be sucked into her story. 

For her part, Ashford is an enchanting tour guide through the show's trauma, tragedy, and sharply witty moments of release. She's no-nonsense without being stiff. Her eyes flash with the intensity of her onscreen father, but carrying an agony and earnestness absent in his. While the series' first four episodes are thoughtfully plotted with surprising twists and gnarly revelations, it's Ashford's grounded but riveting performance that makes them downright addictive. Her openness and frankness gives the air that anything could happen next. And while this is based on a true story, halfway through the first season, I can't be certain where this mystery show will end up. And that's damn exciting.

Happy Face was reviewed out its World Premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. The first two episodes will debut globally on Paramount+ on March 20, with new episodes airing each Thursday.

The PlayStation 5 Pro's main promise is better, more stable graphics—there's a reason why it costs a lot more than the regular Slim model of the console. Now, though, Sony is thinking about party tricks to raise the bar even further, and the latest party trick thought up by the company actually looks very, very nice.

Apple Arcade is a mobile gaming subscription that offers excellent quality games built on a simple foundation of zero adverts and in-app purchases, but it could always be better.

Microsoft has announced the end of support for the Remote Desktop app for Windows. You’ll need to switch to the ‘Windows App’ to continue remotely accessing your Windows PCs or servers, though this shutdown doesn’t affect all types of remote connections.

Unless you still own a working Xbox 360, the only real way to play games from this era is via emulation, with some very mixed results. However, what if you didn't have to use emulation to play these games? What if you could easily create native ports of these games for virtually any platform? That dream is quickly becoming a reality.

Your charging brick is basically only good for charging your phone, laptop, tablet, or, at most, multiple devices at once. This dock, however, makes for a pretty multifunctional charging brick in essence—and it's now available for a really good price.

Always one to make a spectacle, the Arch-based Linux distribution Garuda Linux has released a major update that comes with several visually impressive additions and redesigns.

Mark Zuckerberg tried to get Facebook into China, where it is blocked, for well over a decade. According to a whistleblower report, Zuckerberg and Meta considered some fairly unsavory tactics to make it happen, including a censorship system and sharing user data. 

The whistleblower in this case is Sarah Wynn-Williams, who filed a 78-page complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The report, obtained exclusively by The Washington Post, alleges Facebook considered giving China’s ruling party the ability to censor content and squelch dissent. Also included in the report was Meta’s willingness to share user data with China.

The complaint from Wynn-Williams reportedly alleged that Facebook, in 2015, created a censorship tool for China that would allow it to remove content or shut down the site during “social unrest.” The complaint from Wynn-Williams, who was fired in 2017 from her job working on a team that worked on China policy, reportedly contains internal Meta documents. 

The complaint also alleges that Facebook faced pressure to store Chinese users’ data in China, which could’ve made it easier for the government to access the information. Facebook also allegedly considered weakening privacy protections for Hong Kong users in an effort to appease China.

SEE ALSO: 8 ways Mark Zuckerberg changed Meta ahead of Trump’s inauguration

Some of this information was already known. Facebook had to answer for its China-centric censorship tool after anonymous employees tipped the media about it in 2015. At the time, Meta — then Facebook — didn’t deny that the tool existed but said it had never been used. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told investors at the time that “we’re studying about the Chinese market, and we’ll see what happens.” Per the report, Facebook did eventually abandon its pursuit of breaking into China in 2019.

The news about sharing user data with China is new but shouldn’t be too surprising. Meta has a history of playing fast and loose with user data, most notably in the  Cambridge Analytica scandal. The company considering questionable tactics is also old news. Just last year, Facebook was caught secretly looking at user data in other apps like Snapchat, Amazon, and YouTube to better understand user behavior. 

The good news is that sharing data with China is currently off the table. As The Washington Post notes, Zuckerberg seems to have turned his attention to replacing TikTok if the Chinese social media app fails to find a buyer and gets banned again next month. Per Trump, talks of TikTok’s sale are still ongoing. 

A potential security issue has been discovered by cybersecurity researchers that has the capability to affect more than one billion devices.

According to researchers at the cybersecurity firm Tarlogic, a hidden command has been found coded into a bluetooth chip installed in devices around the world. This secret functionality can be weaponized by bad actors and, according to the researchers, used as an exploit into these devices.

Using these commands, hackers could impersonate a trusted device and then connect to smartphones, computers, and other devices in order to access information stored on them. Bad actors can continue to utilize their connection to the device to essentially spy on users.

The bluetooth chip is called ESP32 and is manufactured by the China-based company Espressif. According to researchers, the ESP32  is "a microcontroller that enables WiFi and Bluetooth connection." In 2023, Espressif reported that one billion units of its ESP32 chip had been sold globally. Millions of IoT devices like smart appliances utilize this particular ESP32 chip.

SEE ALSO: New 'browser syncjacking' cyberattack lets hackers take over your computer via Chrome

Tarlogic researchers say that this hidden command could be exploited, which would allow  "hostile actors to conduct impersonation attacks and permanently infect sensitive devices such as mobile phones, computers, smart locks or medical equipment by bypassing code audit controls." Tarlogic says that these commands are not publicly documented by Espressif.

Researchers with Tarlogic developed a new Bluetooth driver tool in order to aid in Bluetooth-related security research, which enabled the security firm to discover a total of 29 hidden functionalities that could be exploited to impersonate known devices and access confidential information stored on a device. 

According to Tarlogic, Espressif sells these bluetooth chips for roughly $2, which explains why so many devices utilize the component over higher costing options.

As BleepingComputer reports, the issue is being tracked as CVE-2025-27840.

As I'm sure you've experienced, the way your computer is set up can make all the difference in productivity and overall comfort when using your PC. After resetting Windows 11 recently, I immediately turned off a few settings to get started on the right foot.

Navigating the iFixit website and buying replacement parts can be a somewhat overwhelming experience. So, iFixit is introducing a new Device Compatibility Checker to further reduce the guesswork involved in device repair.

Instagram released a whole host of new features for app users in February, and most of them are intended to bring messaging to the forefront. Now, you can translate messages in your DMs, schedule them ahead of time, add music, and pin messages. These features might be familiar to iMessage users and people who use Slack, but they're actually pretty new for a social media app.

"Last year, we introduced the ability to pin up to three chat threads in your DM inbox, making it easier to find important conversations," Meta said in a press release. "Now, you can pin specific messages to the top of any 1:1 or group chat to make it even easier to coordinate, connect with your friends or revisit content that makes you laugh every time."

And it's pretty simple. Here's how to pin a message to an Instagram DM:

Total Time

• 1 min

What You Need

• Phone
• Instagram app

Step 1: Press on the message you want to pin

Press and hold on the message you want to pin to the top of your conversation, and you'll see eight options: "reply," "forward," "copy," "make AI image," "translate," "pin," "delete for you," and "report."

Credit: Screenshot / Instagram

Step 2: Click "pin"

Click "pin," and your message will be pinned to the top of your chat.

Credit: Screenshot / Instagram

Step 3: To unpin, hard press and click "unpin"

If you'd like to unpin the message, press and hold on the original message. When the eight options pop up, choose "unpin," and the message will be unpinned from your conversation.

Credit: Screenshot / Instagram

This feature is not yet available on desktop, but it is available on iOS and Android apps.

It’s a complicated time for car shoppers. President Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten to increase new car prices, and the used car prices are expected to rise in turn. That is, of course, unless you’re shopping for Teslas, which are getting more affordable versus the rest of the car market. 

Forbes reports that a used Model Y has dropped $6,000 on average over the last year. In March 2024, a Model Y with decent mileage would’ve gone for around $36,000. That price has dropped to $30,000, with a steady decrease coming since the U.S. elections in November. Forbes notes that it’s not particularly difficult to find a Tesla Model Y with under 20,000 miles for under $30,000.

This trend also affects Tesla’s other models. The Model X has dropped from around $45,000 to $41,500. Per CarGurus, Tesla vehicles, on average, have gone from $32,000 to about $29,000 over the last year. However, none of Tesla’s models were hit as hard as the Cybertruck. Just eight months ago, a used Cybertruck had a $120,000 price tag. Today, those same Cybertrucks are going for a hair over $90,000, a reduction of approximately 25 percent. 

For context, Tesla’s 10 percent drop in used car prices is much higher than most automakers. Kia, for instance, has mostly held steady over the last year, while Ford prices have gone up since 2025 started but are down around 4 percent since last March. Most automakers are around that same range. Edmunds noted last month that used car supplies are beginning to dry up, which may lead to higher used car prices later in 2025. Tesla seems to be bucking that trend for now. 

SEE ALSO: Tesla sales are reportedly falling globally. How bad it is and where.

There are numerous reasons why buyers might be hesitant to purchase a Tesla or current owners might want to ditch their cars. Some may not agree with Musk’s increasingly right-wing political views, while others may want to avoid having their cars vandalized. While there are plenty of anecdotal reports of people selling their Teslas, there isn’t much firm data to quantify exactly how many people have done so or why. After all, Tesla has also begun shipping out its new Model Y, which may be leading existing Model Y fans to trade in the old model for the new one. 

Tesla’s misfortunes in the used car market are the latest in a long string of bad press. Profits have plummeted 70 percent over the last quarter, and it’s likely not going to get better anytime soon. There are already reports of new Tesla shipments dropping 50 percent in Europe, led by Germany, where sales of new Teslas have declined by 76 percent. Public sentiment isn’t ideal, and activists are protesting Musk in Tesla showrooms across the U.S. 

On the ever-so-tiny plus side, you can get a Tesla for an outstanding price if you can stomach all of the controversy.

SPEND $50+ AND GET $10 OFF: Stock up by spending $50 or more on eligible allergy products at Amazon and receive $10 off your order.

Opens in a new window Credit: Puffs / Allegra / Bausch + Lomb / Claritin / Breathe Right Spend $50+ on eligible allergy items at Amazon and get $10 off your order Get Deal

While we're all still in recovery mode from losing an hour of sleep during the shift to daylight savings time, we do have a few things to cushion the blow. Warmer temperatures are on the way with spring weather, bird signing sweet melodies, and beautiful flowers starting to bloom. We're so close to officially being in the spring season and those feel-good vibes that winter is finally over. However, if you deal with spring allergies, you might not be so thrilled. To help combat the sniffles, Amazon is offering a nice deal this month.

Until March 24 at 11:59 p.m. PT, spend $50 or more on eligible allergy products at Amazon to get $10 off your purchase. To score this deal, add $50 worth of product to your Amazon cart and the discount will automatically be applied at checkout.

SEE ALSO: 9 of the best air purifiers, according to experts

The allergy products deal at Amazon extends to a huge lineup of relief that ranges from soft tissues to eye drops to allergy pills and nasal sprays. Amazon also included some anti-itch products in this deal since some of us unfortunate souls are mosquito magnets.

Before this deal disappears, check your medicine cabinet to see if you're well prepared for this upcoming allergy season. If not, snag some of the included allergy products below or browse the full list.

Eligible allergy products at Amazon:

• Benadryl Ultratabs Antihistamine Allergy Relief (24 count) — $4.79 $7.84 (save $3.05)

• Benadryl Anti Itch Gel — $6.27 $8.46 (save $2.19)

• Puffs Plus Lotion Facial Tissues (8 Family Boxes) — $13.28 $17.91 (save $4.63)

• Breathe Right Nasal Strips (44 count) — $16.06 $19.99 (save $3.93)

• Claritin Children's Chewables 24 Hour Allergy Relief (40 count) — $31.65 $37.99 (save $6.34)

• Allegra 24-hour Adult Non-Drowsy Antihistamine Tablets (100 tablets) — $35.45 $44.39 (save $8.94)

$49 ONE-WAY: Southwest Airlines has one-way flights from $49 to select destinations. Book by March 13 and fly in April or May.

Opens in a new window Credit: Southwest $49 one-way Restrictions and exclusions apply Learn More

If you’ve been dreaming of sandy beaches, a lakeside getaway, or a weekend trip to explore a new city, Southwest Airlines just announced its spring sale, where you can get one-way flights for as low as $49.

Of course, there’s some fine print to go over here: The discounted fares are only available for select routes and dates, so you'll need to be flexible with your travel plans. You’ll also need to book by March 13 to get the low prices, and your travel dates must fall between March 31 and June 11. Some blackout dates may also apply, so be sure to check the details carefully.

But even with the restrictions, you can’t beat $49 for a flight. Southwest flies to popular destinations all across the United States, from the beaches of Florida and California to bustling cities like Chicago, New York, and Seattle.

UP TO 75% OFF: It's Mar10 Day, the iconic Mario holiday that takes place every March 10. And right now, you can save up to 75% on Mario titles at Nintendo.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Mar10 Day Deals for Nintendo Switch Save up to 75% on Mario games Get Deal

This sale will have you jumping on the back of a digital Koopa turtle. Mar10 Day is a day to celebrate Mario, and Nintendo is on board with major deals on a handful of Mario games for Nintendo Switch.

Shop now to get up to 75% off Mario games. The deals include Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $41.99, saving you $18 on list price.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 patent seems to confirm mouse functionality for the new Joy-Cons

The Mario universe is mad up of much more than simple side scrolling jumping games. Today, games like Super Mario RPG, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Gold Edition, and Super Mario Maker expand the ways you can play in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Whether you're looking for fidgety fun for your commute home or deep gameplay to enjoy on your TV, this Mario sale is full of delights. As of March 10, Nintendo is offering deals on Mario games for up to 75% off.

Take advantage of this sale and lean into your inner Bowser, help Luigi out of a haunted mansion, and more.

AI tools are proving useful across a range of applications, from helping to drive the new era of business transformation to helping artists craft songs. But which applications are providing the most value to users? We’ll dig into that question in a series of blog posts that introduce the Semantic Telemetry project at Microsoft Research. In this initial post, we will introduce a new data science approach that we will use to analyze topics and task complexity of Copilot in Bing usage.

Human-AI interactions can be iterative and complex, requiring a new data science approach to understand user behavior to build and support increasingly high value use cases. Imagine the following chat:

Here we see that chats can be complex and span multiple topics, such as event planning, team building, and logistics. Generative AI has ushered in a two-fold paradigm shift. First, LLMs give us a new thing to measure, that is, how people interact with AI systems. Second, they give us a new way to measure those interactions, that is, they give us the capability to understand and make inferences on these interactions, at scale. The Semantic Telemetry project has created new measures to classify human-AI interactions and understand user behavior, contributing to efforts in developing new approaches for measuring generative AI (opens in new tab) across various use cases.

Semantic Telemetry is a rethink of traditional telemetry–in which data is collected for understanding systems–designed for analyzing chat-based AI. We employ an innovative data science methodology that uses a large language model (LLM) to generate meaningful categorical labels, enabling us to gain insights into chat log data.

Figure 1: Prompting an LLM to classify a conversation based on LLM generated label taxonomy

This process begins with developing a set of classifications and definitions. We create these classifications by instructing an LLM to generate a short summary of the conversation, and then iteratively prompting the LLM to generate, update, and review classification labels on a batched set of summaries. This process is outlined in the paper: TnT-LLM: Text Mining at Scale with Large Language Models. We then prompt an LLM with these generated classifiers to label new unstructured (and unlabeled) chat log data.

Description of LLM generated label taxonomy process

With this approach, we have analyzed how people interact with Copilot in Bing. In this blog, we examine insights into how people are using Copilot in Bing, including how that differs from traditional search engines. Note that all analyses were conducted on anonymous Copilot interactions containing no personal information.

Topics

To get a clear picture of how people are using Copilot in Bing, we need to first classify sessions into topical categories. To do this, we developed a topic classifier. We used the LLM classification approach described above to label the primary topic (domain) for the entire content of the chat. Although a single chat can cover multiple topics, for this analysis, we generated a single label for the primary topic of the conversation. We sampled five million anonymized Copilot in Bing chats during August and September 2024, and found that globally, 21% of all chats were about technology, with a high concentration of these chats in programming and scripting and computers and electronics.

Figure 2: Top Copilot in Bing topics based on anonymized data (August-September 2024) Figure 3: Frequent topic summaries in Technology Figure 4: Frequent topic summaries in Entertainment

Diving into the technology category, we find a lot of professional tasks in programming and scripting, where users request problem-specific assistance such as fixing a SQL query syntax error. In computers and electronics, we observe users getting help with tasks like adjusting screen brightness and troubleshooting internet connectivity issues. We can compare this with our second most common topic, entertainment, in which we see users seeking information related to personal activities like hiking and game nights.

We also note that top topics differ by platform. The figure below depicts topic popularity based on mobile and desktop usage. Mobile device users tend to use the chat for more personal-related tasks such as helping to plant a garden or understanding medical symptoms whereas desktop users conduct more professional tasks like revising an email.

Figure 5: Top topics for desktop users and mobile users

Spotlight: Blog post

MedFuzz: Exploring the robustness of LLMs on medical challenge problems

Medfuzz tests LLMs by breaking benchmark assumptions, exposing vulnerabilities to bolster real-world accuracy.

Read more Opens in a new tab Search versus Copilot

Beyond analyzing topics, we compared Copilot in Bing usage to that of traditional search. Chat extends beyond traditional online search by enabling users to summarize, generate, compare, and analyze information. Human-AI interactions are conversational and more complex than traditional search (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Bing Search Query compared to Copilot in Bing Conversation

A major differentiation between search and chat is the ability to ask more complex questions, but how can we measure this? We think of complexity as a scale ranging from simply asking chat to look up information to evaluating several ideas. We aim to understand the difficulty of a task if performed by a human without the assistance of AI. To achieve this, we developed the task complexity classifier, which assesses task difficulty using Anderson and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives (opens in new tab). For our analysis, we have grouped the learning objectives into two categories: low complexity and high complexity. Any task more complicated than information lookup is classified as high complexity. Note that this would be very challenging to classify using traditional data science techniques.

Description of task complexity and 6 categories of the Anderson and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives

Comparing low versus high complexity tasks, most chat interactions were categorized as high complexity (78.9%), meaning that they were more complex than looking up information. Programming and scripting, marketing and sales, and creative and professional writing are topics in which users engage in higher complexity tasks (Figure 7) such as learning a skill, troubleshooting a problem, or writing an article.

Figure 7: Most and least complex topics based on percentage of high complexity tasks.

Travel and tourism and history and culture scored lowest in complexity, with users looking up information like flight times and latest news updates.

Demo of task complexity and topics on anonymous Copilot interactions

When should you use chat instead of search? A 2024 Microsoft Research study: The Use of Generative Search Engines for Knowledge Work and Complex Tasks, suggests that people are seeing value in technical, complex tasks such as web development and data analysis. Bing Search contained more queries with lower complexity focused on non-professional areas, like gaming and entertainment, travel and tourism, and fashion and beauty, while chat had a greater distribution of complex technical tasks. (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Comparison of Bing Search and Copilot in Bing for anonymized sample data (May-June 2023) Conclusion

LLMs have enabled a new era of high-quality human-AI interaction, and with it, the capability to analyze those same interactions with high fidelity, at scale, and in near real-time. We are now able to obtain actionable insight from complex data that is not possible with traditional data science pattern-matching methods. LLM-generated classifications are pushing research into new directions that will ultimately improve user experience and satisfaction when using chat and other user-AI interaction tools.

This analysis indicates that Copilot in Bing is enabling users to do more complex work, specifically in areas such as technology. In our next post, we will explore how Copilot in Bing is supporting professional knowledge work and how we can use these measures as indicators for retention and engagement.

FOOTNOTE: This research was conducted at the time the feature Copilot in Bing was available as part of the Bing service; since October 2024 Copilot in Bing has been deprecated in favor of the standalone Microsoft Copilot service.

References:

1. Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 212–218. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4104_2 (opens in new tab)

Opens in a new tab

The post Semantic Telemetry: Understanding how users interact with AI systems appeared first on Microsoft Research.

TikTok has until April 5 to find a buyer, and President Donald Trump says that at least four are currently in the mix. The short-from video platform may need to find new ownership since the U.S. passed its sell-or-ban law last year due to security concerns. 

Per Reuters, the president spoke with reporters on Sunday about the potential sale, saying that he has been in contact with suitors leading up to the deadline. “We’re dealing with four different groups,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “A lot of people want it… all four are good.”

Trump didn’t specify who the four suitors were, but it could be any number of high-profile rumored bidders. Interest is high for the popular short-form video platform and includes heavy hitters like Oracle, Mr. Beast, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, Microsoft, and Project Liberty, a group led by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Even the U.S. government has been in and out of the rumor mill.

TikTok was formally banned in the U.S. on Jan. 19, though it lasted all of about 12 hours. Trump signed an executive order to push the ban by 75 days to give TikTok more time to find a buyer. At that time, the beleaguered streaming platform left the various app stores, only to be reinstated nearly a month later after Trump promised Google and Apple that they wouldn’t be fined for doing so. In short, it’s been a long year for TikTok and its users so far. 

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

Despite the issues, TikTok is still going strong. It was still among the most-downloaded apps in the U.S. in 2024, and approximately half of the country’s population is among TikTok’s active users. The app is noted for its intense ability to influence trends. Heck, it even brought back ska music, and ska music hasn’t been popular in almost 30 years. 

So far, the U.S. government has been content to kick the can down the road when it comes to enforcing a TikTok ban, as it has been for the last five years. However, time may be finally running out as interest in purchasing TikTok has entered a fever pitch. 

“We have a lot of interest in TikTok,” Trump told reporters. “And China is going to play a role. Hopefully, China will approve of the deal.”

Have you ever swiped through your Instagram Reels feed and thought, "Wow, the only thing that will make this better is if someone else could also watch what I am watching and know that this is what The Algorithm thinks of me?"

Well, I have good news for you. Instagram is live testing a new feature called "Blend," which creates a private feed of recommended Reels for you and a friend. Think of it like the combined algorithm that creates your Spotify Blend playlists but for Instagram Reels instead.

The feature has been in development for some time and was spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi back in March 2024. At the time, Meta told TechCrunch that it wasn't being tested externally just yet — until now, it seems.

A Meta spokesperson told Mashable in an emailed statement that the platform is "testing the ability to opt-in to a new Reels experience where you can blend suggested reels between friends in a DM chat." They didn't give any information about the timeline, but said they are "testing with a small group of people to start."

One user, @uw.3 on Threads, posted screenshots on Threads showing a pop-up encouraging users to invite their friends on DMs to blend, Social Media Today spotted. The pop-up shows three main notes: see each other's suggested reels, new reels based on the chat, and invite only.

SEE ALSO: I'm quitting Instagram. You should too. View on Threads

"See who each reel is suggested for based on each person's activity on Instagram, including the reels they watch and interact with," describes "See each other's suggested reels."

"When you join a blend, reels you send to the chat will inform and update the blend for everyone," describes "new reels based on the chat."

"Each blend is unique to the people who join. You can leave a blend at any time," reads "invite only."

This feature seems like a smart business decision for Instagram: It could keep people logged on and scrolling longer and put their dedication to Reels up front, no matter how terrible an experience Reels Blends sounds to me personally. However, perhaps the most incredible thing about this potential new feature is that it doesn't copy TikTok.

A new bill filed in the North Carolina House of Representatives aims to ban children under 14 from social media and age-verify some sites — but not like other age-verification laws.

HB 301, called the Social Media Protections for Minors Act, was introduced last Wednesday and passed its first reading, according to North Carolina station WFMY News 2. It'll now go to a committee for further review.

SEE ALSO: Do age-verification laws work? Not according to this study.

Similar to Australia's social media ban for children under 16, this bill would prohibit anyone under 14 from creating an account on social platforms that meet certain criteria (like having 10 percent daily active users under 16 and "addictive" features like infinite scrolling). Children aged 14 to 15 would need parents' permission to make an account, though it doesn't detail how this consent would be handled.

Additionally, HB 301 calls for "anonymous" or standard age verification when viewing a site with a substantial portion (over a third) of content deemed "harmful to minors." The phrase "harmful to minors" harkens back to a Supreme Court case, Ginsberg v. New York, which concluded that content that isn't obscene (thus protected by the First Amendment) can still be "harmful to minors."

Typically, in age-verification laws, this means explicit content. This part is in line with other such laws, which require some form of age verification (such as a digital ID or facial scan) in order to visit porn sites.

Unlike other age-verification laws that have passed in the U.S. — including North Carolina's own age-verification law — this one requires these site visitors to be 16 years or older, not 18, though. In North Carolina, the age of consent is 16.

In January, the Supreme Court heard about age-verification laws in the case Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, and their ruling will likely come out this summer. Findings from a recent study on age verification laws suggest that these laws don't work at their proposed aim to keep minors away from explicit websites. This is because they can access websites that don't comply with the laws, or work around them with a VPN.