Twitter to label government officials and state-backed news accounts

Twitter announced on Thursday that it will introduce a new label for government officials and state-backed media organisations in an effort to be more transparent.

The social media platform added that it will also "no longer amplify state-affiliated media accounts or their Tweets through our recommendation systems, including on the home timeline".

The new feature will first be applied to countries represented in the five permanent members of the United Nations' Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US but the platform said it would then extend it to other countries.

On the political side, the new labels will be added to the account of key government officials including foreign ministers, institutional entities, ambassadors, official spokespeople, and key diplomatic leaders.

Heads of states are to be excluded, "as these accounts enjoy widespread name recognition, media attention, and public awareness," Twitter said.

• Twitter removes Chinese state-backed disinformation network
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"Our focus is on senior officials and entities that are the voice of the nation state abroad," it went on.

The label will also be added to state-affiliated entities, their editors-in-chief, and/or their senior staff.

The technology giant said it will consider as state-affiliated media any outlet where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over the production and distribution".

It flagged that state-financed media organisations with editorial independence will be excluded. These include the BBC in the UK and the NPR in the US.

"Our mission is to serve the public conversation and an important part of that work is providing people with context so they can make informed decisions about what they see and how they engage on Twitter," Twitter said.

YouTube started labelling content from state-backed media accounts in 2018. Facebook has been labelling state-controlled media and blocking ads from them to people in the US since June.

Earlier this year, Twitter drew the ire of the US President after it introduced a fact-check label and promptly used it on a tweet from Donald Trump.

The 5 Best Wi-Fi Routers to Speed Up Your Gaming

When shopping for a new Wi-Fi router, you should first compare the size of your space with the square footage that a router is designed to cover. If you’re powering only a small apartment, you won’t need a particularly powerful one. But a stronger router is necessary for either a larger house or to use with technology that will put significant strain on your Wi-Fi. With gaming routers, you’ll want to be particularly aware of how much bandwidth you need for your console or computer, and then how much else you will need for the rest of the house, depending if you have a smart system or a number of other people living with you.

What to Know About Radio Bands

Radio bands essentially determine how powerful your Wi-Fi will be, and how well it will be able to travel through walls and other barriers. In any decent router, you will find two bands. One will be a 2.4GHz band, which is what powers through the walls of your house, and a 5GHz band for high-speed internet.

Since 2.4GHz is used by all Bluetooth devices, it can get bogged down. But most routers will allow you to choose which band you wish to connect your devices to, which makes it easier to work around high-traffic situations.

If you need even more bandwidth, you can opt for a tri-band router, which contains two 2.4HGz and one 5Ghz. You’ll still be able to allocate devices to individual bands, so this is a great option if your router typically sees a lot of traffic and you still want to be able to stream your games.

How We Selected and Rated Them

We researched expert sources such as Tech Radar, PC Mag, and PC Gamer, and as well as 2,900 consumer reviews to select the top five gaming routers. Our Consumer Score represents the percentage of customers who rated the product at least four out of five stars on retail and review sites like Amazon, Walmart, and the manufacturers’ webpages.

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing router, this ain’t it. But those able to look past its ugly exterior will find an incredibly fast and powerful model that will meet all of their gaming needs. It boasts speeds of up to 2Gbps and has built-in anti-virus and malware tools. And despite the Archer C5400 being rather pricey, PC Mag gave it an “excellent” rating. This TP-Link is also a great option if you’re a frequent Alexa user or have other smart home devices to connect. You can even use Alexa commands to open up a guest network or connect a new device without having to type in a password, which is a nice feature, especially if you often have internet-using guests over.

This mid-range Asus router is a great option for when you need a bit more bandwidth but don’t want to break the bank. Physically, it’s a much subtler option than the typical gaming aesthetic, but don’t think that it can’t handle some serious gameplay. In addition to impressive speeds, it really shines when it comes to security and prioritization tools. The router has a built-in network protection to prevent malware and suspicious content, and the web-based management console is easy to use to prioritize networks and set up parental controls. The Asus AC2900 must stand upright with no option for wall mounting, but this allows for easy setup and installation, making it a great option for families and single gamers alike.

Samsung unveils Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Note 20 smartphones

Samsung has tackled one of the biggest criticisms of its original folding-screen smartphone by giving the new version a much bigger external display for use when it is closed.

The original Galaxy Fold's "cover screen" was a relatively small 4.6in, leading to claims it was fiddly to use.

By contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 2's external screen is 6.2in - the same as the best-selling Galaxy S20.

Even so, one expert said its high price would mean sales remained limited.

But he noted it could act as a "halo", driving attention to other phones from the firm, including its new Galaxy Note handsets.

"Samsung has addressed the biggest shortcoming of the Fold. Its external display was extremely small, which made it difficult to use as a one-handed smartphone," commented Ben Wood from the CCS Insight consultancy.

"With a larger external display you really do get the best of both worlds with regards to being able to use it closed as a traditional phone and then having the benefit of a mini-tablet when unfolded.

"That said it'll probably be priced as a super-premium product, so will only have a niche market."

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and 20 Ultra come with one genuinely surprising change

Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra reminds me of a figure straight from Greek mythology. With its sleek profile, resplendent bronze finish (for its signature color), and thick camera bump on the back staring out like a set of compound eyes, it doesn't take much more than a glance to see this new phone for power users is very much siren-meets-cyclops.

The Note 20 ($1,000, £849, AU$1,499) and 20 Ultra's ($1,300, £1,179, AU$1,849) looks are just the beginning of the story -- and there's far more below -- including one genuinely surprising change. But before we go there, it's important to understand the context into which these phones are coming to light. (The Galaxy Note 20 phones will be available for preorder Aug. 6 at 12:01 a.m. ET and are expected to arrive by the official sale date, Aug. 21.)

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world on its head, endangering lives, launching a global recession and throwing into question the need for a premium phone whose cheapest model costs $1,000, which is $50 more than last year's entry-level Galaxy Note 10. But while Samsung asks us to consider the merits of a 5G device with juiced-up cameras and some features better suited for the boardroom than the living room, Google has just released an excellent $349 no-frills phone that seems more in step with these lean and doubtful days.

That isn't to say that the Note 20 and 20 Ultra won't have a place in the who's who list of 2020 phones, though it's too soon to know. I spend all day on my laptop, but still often reach for my phone as a second or even preferred screen to read in bed, on the couch or at the kitchen table when I want a change of pace. I use mobile payments more than I ever did before, as shops in my area eschew cash in favor of touchless transactions. And battery life is still of the utmost importance as I reconnect with friends and coworkers during hours-long walks with just my phone as a way to get fresh air. Samsung, too, says mobile usage has been up during this time.

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