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Threads is sometimes criticized for not prioritizing real-time content in its recommendations. Now, Meta is adding status indicators that can show when a particular user is online in an apparent effort to address that need. The optional feature, called activity status, will display a green bubble alongside someones profile photo when theyre online. The indicator is meant to help users find others to engage with in real-time, according to an update from Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. We hope that knowing when your people are online makes it easier to have conversations. Its an interesting choice for a platform that still doesnt have direct messaging capabilities. Such indicators are more common in chat apps like Discord (Instagram, which does have robust DM capabilities, also has a similar feature). But Meta has said repeatedly it doesnt want to bring in-app messaging to Threads, with the apps head of product recently telling Business Insider there are no plans to add DMs to the app. The feature also doesnt exactly address many users desire for a feed thats more oriented to real-time information and conversations. Instead, Meta is offering the status indicators as a way to seek out users who are currently active on the service as a way of encouraging conversations that are more likely to get timely replies. But without a clear way of finding people who have that green bubble alongside their profile photo, its unclear how easy this will actually be.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-can-now-show-when-people-are-online-and-using-the-app-194041928.html?src=rss
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Riot Games is cutting jobs from its League of Legends team. Marc Merrill, the studio's co-founder, co-chairman and chief product officer, announced the cuts today on X. "This isnt about reducing headcount to save moneyits about making sure we have the right expertise so that League continues to be great for another 15 years and beyond," Merrill said. A rep from Riot Games told Engadget that 32 jobs will be eliminated across the company in this move. The spin seems to be that the developer is trying to reprioritize behind the scenes, especially with Merrill's insistence that "were not slowing down work on the game you love" and that the team "will eventually be even larger than it is today as we develop the next phase of League." He didn't add any more details about what that new focus would be or which departments will bear the brunt of the cuts. It's a bold move for Riot to make now, especially since League of Legends is right in the middle of its much-viewed World Championships. We received confirmation that the esports team would not be impacted by the cuts. The company also downsized at the start of 2024, eliminating 11 percent of its global workforce. That move mostly impacted employees "outside of core development," so the League of Legends team likely didn't see any changes at that time. The company also separately announced in January that it would shutter the Riot Forge publishing project. All these changes point toward a bigger picture of changing and narrowing focus for Riot. The company has tried a lot of new ideas since the explosive success of League of Legends; a first person team shooter, a mobile auto chess battler, a fighting game and an animated TV show, to name a few. But it seems like Riot's time for experimentation may be ending.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/riot-makes-more-cuts-this-time-to-crown-jewel-league-of-legends-192548888.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
The Nuio Flow is a new ergonomic keyboard and accessory system for those who dont mind trading serious cash for a sleek and thoughtful design. Co-founded by two brothers, one of whom is a former Apple designer, Nuio has an Apple-like value proposition: a split keyboard and an optional trackpad, desk pad, magnetic stands and wristpads for $400 for the keyboard alone to over $1,000 for all of components. At the center of Nuios product lineup is the Flow split ergonomic keyboard, which (heres the Apple influence again) puts the human form at the center of every design. Nuio CEO Tom Wilson says the products purpose is to reject legacy decisions that often dictate keyboard design. There are literally no right angles in the human body, Wilson wrote in a press release shared with Engadget. Yet we spend most of our lives hunched over rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals often enduring hours of wrist pain, tech fatigue and poor posture. Nuio The company describes the keyboards split, radial design as optimal for hand positioning. (Of course, there are plenty of ergonomic and split keyboards you can already buy for much less.) It has curved keys with a scissor-switch mechanism (like many laptops, including Apples current models), so this model isnt for those who like mechanical keyboards. The keys and their symbols are backlit but without color customization. Each charge of the Flow keyboard is estimated at up to 28 days, but that drops to around 10 days if you use the backlight for up to four hours daily. The keyboard includes a split USB-C cable that charges both halves simultaneously. The company estimates that the non-user-replaceable internal battery will last about two years, but it says you can send it to the company for a battery replacement after that. Nuios website doesnt say whether the service will be free. We reached out to the startup to ask and will update this story if we hear back. Unlike many top-of-the-line keyboards, you cant swap out the Flow keyboards physical keys. Nuio also doesnt appear to offer key-changing on a software level; its FAQ says it offers a limited amount of key customization through your devices operating system. While most ergonomic keyboards have built-in stands, Nuio sells a $99 pair of magnetic ones separately. They let you tent and tilt the keyboard along multiple axes. The company says the stands hold their position firmly after each adjustment. Nuio Nuio also sells a $249 wireless multitouch Flow trackpad to complement the keyboard. The company says its edge-to-edge glass surface offers precision tracking and pressure-sensing. Unlike Apples current Magic Trackpad, it clicks mechanically, not with haptics and pressure-sensing. Nuio says its trackpad offers full gesture support but doesnt support deep-presses like Apples. You can also buy a $59 magnetic stand for the trackpad with multi-axis tilt support. The rest of the Nuio system includes a $99 pair of supremely comfortable wristpads. They can attach to a deskpad (available in a travel-friendly small size for $129 or a $179 large one). The deskpads include magnets, too, allowing precise and flexible positioning of all NUIO components. The company says it strikes a balance between firmly holding all the systems components in place while still being easy to adjust. Nuio If you order the keyboard, trackpad, stands for each and large desk pad, youre forking over $1,084. (Cue spit take.) Like a luxury watch or car, the Nuio Flow system asks you to care enough about an elegant, modern design while typing (and perhaps have an Apple designers salary yourself) to invest in the elegant-looking accessory ecosystem. The Nuio Flow Keyboard and its peripherals are now available to pre-order from the companys website. The keyboard in space gray with a macOS legend, small deskpad keyboard stands, trackpad stand and wristpads are expected to ship in early December. Meanwhile, if you want the keyboard with Windows / dual OS legends or in other colors (silver, gold, rose gold, blue, green and brown), youll have to wait for early January. The large deskpad is coming soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-nuio-flow-is-a-customizable-split-ergonomic-keyboard-with-magnetic-peripherals-192259319.html?src=rss
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