Latest news with #Tumblr
Tom's Guide
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
My favorite Bluetooth speaker just crashed to its lowest ever price — the EarFun UBoom L is just $49 right now
When I'm using one of the best Bluetooth speakers, nothing makes me happier than feeling the bass in my jaw or in my temples. I want earth-shattering bass that makes me concerned for the walls in my rental. I want it to be so rich that I feel like it's calling me poor. I want it to feel deeper than the pseudo-feelings I had as a Tumblr emo girlie. My poetic musings aside... I love testing wireless speakers and putting them through their paces to determine whether they're good value for money. I have a couple speakers at home but the one I (and my partner) use the most is the EarFun UBoom L — and right now, it's down to its lowest ever price as it's discounted by 38% at Amazon U.S. and 13% at Amazon U.K. The EarFun UBoom L offers big sound on a budget. This portable speaker produces powerful bass, clear vocals and well-balanced sound across a range of genres. With a dedicated outdoor mode and an IP67 resistance rating, the speaker can soundtrack pool parties and hikes, it's got great battery life, and the customizable EQ via the user-friendly companion app works really well. Even at its retail price of $79 / £79, the UBoom L easily warrants a recommendation. It provides big sound on a budget, and it's highly portable so you can take it anywhere you like. Adding to that is the UBoom L's IP67 rating, which means it's waterproof down to 3 feet and fully dustproof. Trust me, I use this speaker in the shower nearly everyday, and I've even submerged it in a sink full of water just to show off to my friends — and it has always come out unscathed. Now, onto the sound quality... Utilizing the brand's "JumboBass technology," the UBoom L delivers powerful bass thanks to its passive bass radiators on each side working in conjunction with the 55mm drivers. When you play a bass-heavy track, you can see the side radiators vibrate and, like I mentioned up top, you can feel the bass in your soul (depending on how far you are from the speaker, of course). Residents of the rainy British isles will be pleased to hear that the EarFun UBoom L is discounted here too... although not by much. It's down to £69 from its retail price of £79 but even though you aren't saving as much as the Americans, it's still worth the investment. One thing I really like about this speaker as that basslines never feel overpowering. They have an oomph with a lovely warmth to them, so you can really appreciate each note that the bassist is plucking. Even at high volumes, music remains free of distortion, making the UBoom L the ideal speaker for soundtracking social gatherings. Vocals sound just as good, if not better, and there's plenty of detail in every track to be enjoyed and appreciate. I often hook it up to my laptop too when I'm watching a horror or thriller movie, and the speaker creates an eerie soundscape. For a small, portable speaker, I'm always taken aback by how powerful the UBoom L sounds. If you want a rugged speaker that doesn't cut any corners, I'd recommend saving $30 at Amazon U.S. or £10 at Amazon U.K. You can thank me later.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Prime Video's new mystery thriller series is now streaming — and the twists will keep you guessing until the very end
Summer might be the season for getting outside and soaking up the sun, but for me, it always puts me in the mood to binge a good mystery thriller. Thankfully, Prime Video came through, because the streaming service has dropped its new series 'We Were Liars,' and I can confidently say it's a twist-filled treat. 'We Were Liars' is based on E. Lockhart's bestselling 2014 novel, and if you're an avid Tumblr or BookTok user, you know this story has had a grip on people ever since its publication. The story follows a tight-knit group of teens who spend every summer together on their family's exclusive island. After a mysterious and traumatic incident, the oldest of the group is left with gaps in her memory and a deep sense that something is being hidden. As you can tell, it's a pretty gripping premise. I love reading books, and after watching the show, I'm now convinced to pick up the novel. There are plenty of twists sprinkled throughout, leading to an ending that will either shock or surprise you, depending on whether you pick up on the clues. So, if you need something to binge-watch now that we're approaching the first official day of summer, here's why 'We Were Liars' deserves a spot on your Prime Video watchlist. 'We Were Liars' centers around 17‑year‑old Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind), who returns to her family's private island off Martha's Vineyard after a traumatic accident wiped out her memories of the previous summer. Raised within the wealthy Sinclair clan, Cadence spent childhood summers in the company of three close friends — her cousins Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor), and their longtime friend Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) — together known as 'the Liars.' When she comes back, two years have passed, and everyone is tight‑lipped about the incident that left her injured and confused. Determined to piece things together, Cadence reconnects with Johnny, Mirren and Gat, retracing their final days before the accident. As she follows the trail of fragmented flashbacks, she uncovers shocking details about that summer, including romantic entanglements, hidden emotions, and family secrets that challenge everything she believed about her loved ones. If you've watched your fair share of teen dramas about wealthy families hiding ugly secrets, 'We Were Liars' might feel like very familiar ground. But fortunately, it still manages to rise above the crowd. Prime Video's latest series drops us into the lavish, picture-perfect world of the Sinclair family, where one traumatic event shatters everything. The story unfolds through the eyes of their granddaughter, Cadence, who returns to the family's private island, desperate to piece together what really happened during a summer she can't fully remember. We're essentially in the same position as her, with no idea what's going on, especially when the show slips into sudden, eerie montages of water and blonde hair floating on the surface. While those moments felt a little jarring at first, they start to make sense as the story progresses since they're visual cues tied to Cadence's fractured memories coming back to life. The show leans hard into mystery, shifting between timelines to slowly peel back layers of denial and long-held resentment. And while I usually roll my eyes at the 'rich people problems' genre, I have to admit: the mess is juicy. I'm sure anyone who loves teen dramas like 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' will find themselves hooked by every episode. However, the real standout is the dynamic between the older generation, especially the three sisters, played brilliantly by Mamie Gummer, Candice King and Caitlin FitzGerald. Their tension is so obvious, their history brutal, and honestly, I found them more compelling than the younger characters. With so many characters, though, I'm impressed that 'We Were Liars' managed to mirror the past and present without ever feeling confusing, and the family still got enough screen time even when the majority of the plot centers around Cadence and her friends. Throughout the show, you watch as these kids admire the island like it's some kind of fairy tale getaway, completely blind to the sexism and racism woven into its foundation. As the truth comes out, the illusion starts to crack, and each episode does a good job of showing how inherited trauma doesn't just fade but festers. Some storylines get more attention than others (which feels inevitable), but I respect the attempt to tackle weightier topics like privilege, patriarchy, and grief within the framework of a YA mystery. Not every twist lands, and yes, the wigs are a little distracting (had to be said), but it's still a satisfying binge. If you like messy family secrets, moody beach settings, and emotional gut-punches, this one's worth your time. Just be prepared for a final scene that veers off-book in a way that might leave you scratching your head. Feels like Prime Video is keeping the door open for a second season, just in case. 'We Were Liars' earns its place on your must-binge list not just for the mystery, but for the way it slowly pulls you into a world that seems polished on the surface yet unravels in deeply uncomfortable ways. The pacing might be slow and especially long-winded at times, but the emotional payoff and final reveals make the ride worthwhile. The performances, especially from the older cast, bring enough emotion that cuts through the gloss, giving the story a much-needed weight. And while the series doesn't land every swing, it does enough to keep you watching, theorizing, and feeling unsettled in the best way. You can stream 'We Were Liars' on Prime Video now. For more streaming recommendations, see what else is new on Prime Video in June 2025.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
As a Millennial who lived through ‘heroin chic', the Age of Ozempic terrifies me
There are a few rules that those in polite society should always follow. One is avoiding double-dipping when faced with a crudite plate and a bowl of hummus at an event. Another is never – ever! – assume that a woman is pregnant. Yet, for some reason, this rule has never seemed to apply when discussing celebrities. Most recently, the target was Taylor Swift, who managed to fuel pregnancy rumours after she was spotted wearing a loose fitting mini-dress. Seeing a woman yet again become the target for pregnancy speculation based on something as flimsy as a billowing bit of fabric or a post-dinner burrito belly, this online rhetoric goes a long way in explaining why three in four Australian high school-aged teenagers feel they need to be thinner. According to the Butterfly Foundation's annual BodyKind Youth Survey released in late May, 90 per cent of Australian teenagers now have some level of concern about their body image. Nearly half said they have never or rarely felt comfortable with their body (up from 40 per cent in 2022), while 75.5 per cent said that they wished they were thinner (up from 62 per cent in 2022). Nearly eight in 10 teenagers said they have been on the receiving end of negative comments about their body or had been teased about their appearance (up from seven in 10 in 2022). As an older Millennial who came of age in the Heroin Chic era – a time that was punctuated by Kate Moss declaring that 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels', jutting collarbones, pro-anorexia Tumblr accounts and diet tips like 'drink a glass of water every time you feel hungry' – it is haunting seeing this regression. If the same survey had existed when I was in high school, it's entirely possible that the results would have been scarily similar. That's not to say that nothing has changed in 20 years – because for a while there, things were getting better. Loading Though it was far from perfect, the body positivity and body acceptance movement of the past decade actually felt revolutionary in many ways. Seeing pop icon Lizzo declare herself to be 'the baddest bitch alive' in a lycra onesie onstage, felt profound because it was. As did seeing Ashley Graham, a 'plus-sized' model, grace the cover of Vogue in 2017 – the first time in the magazine's 135-year history. We nodded along as Meghan Trainor declared she was All About That Bass and danced along to Nicki Minaj's reinvigorated version of Baby Got Back. Even Moss herself, the queen of heroin chic, acknowledged the need for change, telling commentator Megyn Kelly in 2018 that she regretted her famous quip and that, 'there's so much more diversity now, I think it's right … it's better'. But all of this progress wasn't to last. Over the past year, the fashion set – the canary in the coalmine for all things trendy – has profoundly rejected its experiment with broadening its size appeal on the runway. Across the 2024 Spring/Summer runways, just 0.8 per cent of the models walking were 'plus-sized', compared to 2.8 per cent in 2020.
The Age
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
As a Millennial who lived through ‘heroin chic', the Age of Ozempic terrifies me
There are a few rules that those in polite society should always follow. One is avoiding double-dipping when faced with a crudite plate and a bowl of hummus at an event. Another is never – ever! – assume that a woman is pregnant. Yet, for some reason, this rule has never seemed to apply when discussing celebrities. Most recently, the target was Taylor Swift, who managed to fuel pregnancy rumours after she was spotted wearing a loose fitting mini-dress. Seeing a woman yet again become the target for pregnancy speculation based on something as flimsy as a billowing bit of fabric or a post-dinner burrito belly, this online rhetoric goes a long way in explaining why three in four Australian high school-aged teenagers feel they need to be thinner. According to the Butterfly Foundation's annual BodyKind Youth Survey released in late May, 90 per cent of Australian teenagers now have some level of concern about their body image. Nearly half said they have never or rarely felt comfortable with their body (up from 40 per cent in 2022), while 75.5 per cent said that they wished they were thinner (up from 62 per cent in 2022). Nearly eight in 10 teenagers said they have been on the receiving end of negative comments about their body or had been teased about their appearance (up from seven in 10 in 2022). As an older Millennial who came of age in the Heroin Chic era – a time that was punctuated by Kate Moss declaring that 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels', jutting collarbones, pro-anorexia Tumblr accounts and diet tips like 'drink a glass of water every time you feel hungry' – it is haunting seeing this regression. If the same survey had existed when I was in high school, it's entirely possible that the results would have been scarily similar. That's not to say that nothing has changed in 20 years – because for a while there, things were getting better. Loading Though it was far from perfect, the body positivity and body acceptance movement of the past decade actually felt revolutionary in many ways. Seeing pop icon Lizzo declare herself to be 'the baddest bitch alive' in a lycra onesie onstage, felt profound because it was. As did seeing Ashley Graham, a 'plus-sized' model, grace the cover of Vogue in 2017 – the first time in the magazine's 135-year history. We nodded along as Meghan Trainor declared she was All About That Bass and danced along to Nicki Minaj's reinvigorated version of Baby Got Back. Even Moss herself, the queen of heroin chic, acknowledged the need for change, telling commentator Megyn Kelly in 2018 that she regretted her famous quip and that, 'there's so much more diversity now, I think it's right … it's better'. But all of this progress wasn't to last. Over the past year, the fashion set – the canary in the coalmine for all things trendy – has profoundly rejected its experiment with broadening its size appeal on the runway. Across the 2024 Spring/Summer runways, just 0.8 per cent of the models walking were 'plus-sized', compared to 2.8 per cent in 2020.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Tumblr's content filtering systems have been falsely flagging posts as ‘mature,' users blame AI
Tumblr is the latest tech company to grapple with automated flagging and takedowns that have gone haywire and raised the ire of users. In recent days, Tumblr users have complained their content is being flagged as 'mature,' even when that's not the case. The problem has reduced the visibility of users' posts because many people on the platform have configured their settings to hide mature content by default. According to numerous posts from impacted Tumblr users, posts have been falsely flagged despite not being sexual or violent, and these false takedowns have included everything from cat GIFs to fandom content to art and even a picture of hands. Some suspect that AI-based automation could be to blame for the issues. Similar accusations have plagued other social media platforms in recent weeks. For instance, Pinterest finally admitted that an internal error led to its mass user bans. Meanwhile, Instagram this week declined to comment on its own trouble with mass bans that users said have been given little coverage or attention outside of online complaints on apps like X and Reddit. In both cases, users suspected that AI-based moderation was to blame, though Pinterest denied that was the case. On Tumblr, the flagging issue is tied to an update to the Android app, where the company said it's been experimenting with improvements to its mature content filtering systems. Specifically, it was testing out a new layer of moderation to Content Labels, the company told TechCrunch. A spokesperson for Tumblr said the experiments are continuing and, based on user feedback, will be improved before the changes roll out to other platforms. 'As we work to make Tumblr a safer place for all users, we aim to respect a diverse set of interests and content preferences, which can be adjusted in settings. We view this as an ongoing process as we continue to fine-tune how we detect and address mature content,' a Tumblr spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The company also acknowledged the problem on its blog, responding to a user's question about the falsely flagged posts. Here, Tumblr's team noted they were aware of the 'incorrect classification issues' and were actively working to reduce them. In addition, the post explained that Tumblr's appeal process was being updated in the weeks ahead to be able to handle a higher volume of cases. (Tumblr did not respond to our questions about the appeals process' planned changes.) Whether AI or other automation is to blame is not clear, as Tumblr wouldn't speak specifically to the cause of the new issues. However, the reduced staffing at the blogging service has likely also played a role. Following its 2019 acquisition by maker Automattic, Tumblr has faced layoffs as its staff was reassigned to other projects at the parent company. Last year, Automattic announced that Tumblr's backend would also be moved to WordPress to make management easier and stem its financial losses. Instagram users complain of mass bans, pointing finger at AI Pinterest finally admits mass bans were a mistake caused by an 'internal error'
