Instagram wants to make it simpler to watch videos on its platform. To see longer videos on the photo- and video-sharing social network, you used to need a separate app called IGTV. Now, the Facebook-owned company is merging the IGTV videos and the shorter videos you’d normally find in your feed into a single tab called Instagram Video.

Announced via a blog post on Tuesday, the Video tab will house content up to 60 minutes in length and includes previews and new features such as people- and location-tagging. According to multiple sources, Instagram’s TikTok competitor, the short-form focused Reels, will remain in a separate tab. 

You’ll be able to tap any video to watch it full-screen, and creators can see insights into how their posts and videos are performing with a single, combined metric. 

Instagram TV launched as a competitor to YouTube in 2018. As noted in the blog post, combining long and short video into a single app helps simplify the process for both creators and those looking for entertainment in the app.

Instagram and its sister networks Facebook and WhatsApp suffered a widespread outage that lasted more than six hours on Monday, disrupting communications for the company’s roughly 3 billion users.

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If you’ve ever had the thought that you could do better than the politicians you see on TV, Snapchat wants to help you get started. A new feature in the photo- and video-sharing app will help US users find local races, connect to recruitment and training organizations, start a campaign hub in the app itself or pass the buck to their friends by nominating someone else.

The release of the new tool highlights how social networks are encouraging young people to engage in the democratic process. In 2020, Snapchat said it helped more than 1 million people register to vote. 

Starting Tuesday in the Snapchat app, you can scroll down from the main camera screen to find the Run for Office mini. Mini is another word parent company Snap uses for an in-app game or program. Snap announced the new feature via a blog post, which details that you’ll even be able to see the steps you need to get on the ballot, including required signatures and filing deadlines, via the software.

“We hope launching the ‘Run for Office’ mini changes the idea of who can be in office — that no matter who you are, where you come from, that you can make a difference in your local community by running for office based on the issues they care most about,” said Sofia Gross, Snap’s head of policy partnerships and social impact, in an emailed statement. 

When searching for open positions, you can filter by issues, so you can find a role focused on your concerns and interests. You’ll find filing deadlines and signatures sections in the mini’s campaign hub. 

Snapchat will also use the program to connect you with organizations like Emerge America and New American Leaders for more in-depth training. 

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Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are fighting back against a new Texas “censorship” law. Trade groups representing the social media giants have sued the state of Texas over the law, arguing that it restricts the First Amendment rights of the companies in question. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB20 into law earlier in September. The law targets social media companies with 50 million users or more and prevents them from banning or blocking users based on their viewpoints. It also allows residents of Texas to sue the companies to reinstate their accounts. Supporters of the law say it will protect Texans “from wrongful censorship on social media platforms.”

The suit, filed Wednesday in US District Court for the Western District of Texas, claims the law itself is violating the First Amendment rights of the companies in question and that the government has no right to prevent these companies “from exercising editorial discretion over content those platforms disseminate on their own privately owned websites and applications.” 

According to the complaint, the law would prohibit social media companies and content companies like YouTube from being able to remove disinformation and harmful content. They’d need to present it on the same footing as posts that don’t violate the rules of the platforms. 

HB20 “would unconstitutionally require platforms like YouTube and Facebook to disseminate, for example, pro-Nazi speech, terrorist propaganda, foreign government disinformation and medical misinformation,” the suit states. “In fact, legislators rejected amendments that would explicitly allow platforms to exclude vaccine misinformation, terrorist content, and Holocaust denial.”

A federal judge blocked a similar law from taking effect in Florida, claiming that the legislation on the whole was “viewpoint-based.”

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment. 

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Unicode launched version 14.0 of its language coding standard on Tuesday, complete with 37 new emojis, over 800 new characters and support for lesser-used languages and symbols. The new emojis include a face holding back tears, heart hands, a low battery indicator and objects like coral. 

Though the new code debuts today, you won’t be able to incorporate the new emojis into your texts for a while. The Unicode Consortium expects the new code to launch widely on computers and mobile phones next year.

The new emojis also include what the organization describes as 75 skin tone variations. The Unicode site has more details on the code itself and the emojis therein. According to emojipedia.com, the final version of Unicode 14.0 is the same as the draft previewed in July. 

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You might have to wait a little bit longer to get your hands on the Apple Watch 7. Apple hasn’t announced any details yet, but we were hoping to see the tech giant’s next smartwatch at its usual September event alongside the rumored iPhone 13. Those plans might need to be put on hold as shipping the watch could be delayed due to manufacturing difficulties, according to a report by Nikkei Asia. 

Small-scale production of the watch began last week, but encountered numerous difficulties that prevented it from being moved to full-scale manufacturing, according to the report. The Watch 7 reportedly includes a wide variety of new components and modules that must still fit into a body around the same size as previous models, while maintaining water-resistant performance. Fitting all of those pieces caused significant challenges and the small-scale models could not reach satisfactory levels of performance, reported Nikkei, citing people familiar with the situation.

A separate report from Bloomberg on Wednesday also cited issues with a lamination technique used to bring the display closer to the glass.

The pandemic has also reportedly made it more difficult for Apple officials to travel to suppliers and troubleshoot the difficulties. Supposedly, the watch was due to hit full production in mid-September, and the engineering team at Apple is working hard to minimize delays despite the difficulties.

Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.

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Apple’s upcoming iPhone 13 could be able to use satellite signals to send text messages in areas without cellular coverage, but at first, those messages will reportedly be limited to emergencies only. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors last week that Apple’s next iPhone will be able to tap into the signals of low-Earth-orbit satellites. As of Monday, Bloomberg is reporting that the phone will only be able to use those signals to text emergency services, emergency contacts or report a crisis. 

The iPhone 13 could have a Qualcomm X60 baseband chip allowing it to not only use 4G and 5G, but satellite signals. Kuo named Globalstar as the most likely satellite communications company collaborating with Apple on the service. Early speculation was that Apple would use satellites to connect underserved areas, similar to the goal of the Starlink satellites from SpaceX. 

Bloomberg’s report throws a little cold water on the breadth of Apple’s satellite offerings at launch. An unidentified person told Bloomberg that while the iPhone could have the necessary hardware for satellite communications at launch, we shouldn’t expect to see it in action before next year. Plus, the feature is still in flux and could be changed or discarded entirely before release.

Even when it does launch, Bloomberg notes it will primarily be a texting-via-satellite tool. You’ll be able to send SOS messages to emergency services or an emergency contact via the Messages app and the texts will be limited to a shorter length. You’ll supposedly also be able to report a crisis like a plane crash or a sinking boat, and the phone will prompt you for details. It’s unclear which emergency services the phone would use.

You might also have to walk in a certain direction as prompted by your phone to actually connect to a satellite, and the connection might not be instantaneous. Bloomberg’s article did not rule out the service eventually being used for phone calls. 

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The new iPhone is expected to debut in September, with rumored features such as an upgraded design with a smaller notch, a thicker camera bump and a collection of nifty new color options like matte black and a bronzy sunset gold (but probably not bubblegum pink).

Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.

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Snapchat is expanding the repertoire of its visual search with an update to a feature called Scan. Scan has been a part of the popular messaging app for awhile as a way to identify songs or solve a math problem. Thursday’s update will put the feature front and center with a button on the main page of the app while adding numerous ways that Scan can help.

If you aim your camera at clothes, Scan can recognize the style and recommend something similar that you can add to your wardrobe. Scan will be able to recognize dog breeds and types of plants or wine. Snapchat undoubtedly hopes Scan can be a robust visual search engine similar to Google Lens, and it uses augmented reality and a variety of partners like Amazon and Shazam to identify as many different types of visual input as possible.

Since Snapchat is still a visual messaging app first and foremost, Scan can even identify the type of picture you’re taking and recommend an accompanying filter or piece of music. The feature, called Camera Shortcuts, will launch on the iOS version of Snapchat on Thursday and roll out to Android by the end of the year. Shortcuts will even supposedly help you set the right camera mode to best capture the scene. 

In an interview with The Verge, Eva Zhan, Snap’s head of camera product said, “Long term, we see the camera doing a lot more than what it can do today.”

Scan will eventually be able to use old photos and screenshots through Snapchat’s Memories. At launch, you’ll be able to aim the live camera at an outfit to find something similar. Soon, Snap says, you’ll be able to screenshot something you like, then use Scan to find it later through Memories. 

Snapchat’s support site lists a variety of partners that have already been integrated, including Google Maps for navigation, Michelin for restaurant info, and even Lyft and Uber if you need a ride. 

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Microsoft is expected to jump back into the foldable phone game this fall, and leaked images appear to give us an idea of what we can look for in an upcoming Surface Duo 2. The source of the images is unknown, but Windows Central called them credible. 

The photos show a three-lens camera inside a typical camera bump. The photos, if accurate, indicate a stark design change from the original Surface Duo, which lacked a rear camera in pursuit of a smoother, folding experience. The images also reveal both white and black color options. 

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Windows Central noted the possible presence of frosted glass on the front and the absence of the fingerprint reader found on the side of the first Surface Duo. The blog expects it to be included in the power button. Windows Central also listed possible high-end specs for the Duo 2, including a Snapdragon 888 processor and built-in 5G. The blog indicates a possible September or October timeframe for shipping.

The first Surface Duo didn’t have many high-end specs, and disappointed CNET’s Scott Stein. He liked the design and promise of the device, but noted its many bugs and frustrating usage. This second model may fulfill more of the promise of the first. 

Microsoft declined CNET’s request for comment.

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Instagram’s new feature aims to help you check your info quickly and easily so you can recover your account if you’ve been hacked. Called the “Security Checkup,” the program walks you through steps such as checking your login information, updating your contact info, confirming which accounts share your info and reviewing your profile.

The social media service owned by Facebook outlined the checkup in a blog post on Tuesday. The post also outlined several recommendations for keeping your account secure outside of the new checkup. The picture and video sharing app recommended users enable two-factor authentication to make logging in more secure. Instagram reminded users that they don’t send direct messages and cautioned against spam pretending to be from them. 

Instagram also updated its support inbox, so you can keep track of the status of violations you’ve reported. 

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Twitter’s design team is working to make privacy settings easier to understand and access. Lena Emara, a product designer working for Twitter, posted images of the concepts in progress on Tuesday to the social media site. The thread talks through several possible changes, including an easier method of switching accounts, grouped privacy settings and tailored discoverability. 

As Emara notes at the start of the thread, the changes are still in process and won’t necessarily see an official release. She asks for feedback in the thread as well, as each piece is in flux.

In addition to making it easier to switch between accounts if you have more than one, one concept will make it clearer which account you’re tweeting from as you compose your thoughts. Another concept will show a warning if you reply to a tweet while your account is protected. If the person you’re replying to doesn’t follow you, you’ll get a warning that they won’t be able to see your tweet and an optional prompt to switch to a public profile.

Protected and public profiles could also be grouped under a privacy check-in label. With the concept, you can switch photo tagging, direct messages and your profile as a whole with one click, depending on if you feel like sharing or are in a more private mood. Finally, Emara tweeted a concept for controlling how others can find your profile.

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