Tech

Even Metas Oversight Board thinks its rules for banning accounts are baffling – Engadget

Over the last five years, Meta’s Oversight Board has weighed in on everything from Donald Trump’s Facebook suspension to AI deepfakes. Now the board is wading into another thorny issue: Meta’s rules for disabling users’ accounts.

The board announced earlier this year that it would look into improving transparency around the process, which is often frustratingly opaque. The oversight group dug into the issue following a referral from Meta regarding an Instagram account with 70,000 followers that was banned after making threatening posts targeting a journalist.

In its decision, the Oversight Board says that Meta was correct to ban the account, but the case raised “serious questions” about the company’s handling of such behavior and “due process concerns” around how it disables accounts. Because this is something of a test case, the board isn’t making formal recommendations to Meta, though it does highlight a number of potential improvements. Its analysis also highlights the confusing patchwork of rules and penalties that lead to bans on Meta’s platform, and the vast amount of frustration it’s caused for users.

For example, the board notes that Meta has strikingly different processes for Facebook and Instagram. While both platforms penalize accounts with “strikes,” repeated strikes can have different outcomes. On Facebook, accounts may receive temporary suspensions for repeated violations before an outright ban. But no such penalty exists on Instagram, the board says. Instead, Meta restricts accounts from Instagram’s livestreaming feature or will remove their account from recommendations (which Instagram users often refer to as a “shadowban”).

The Oversight Board rightfully points out how bizarre it is that restricting livestreaming is one of the main “intermediate” penalties on Instagram when the feature isn’t even available to all accounts (it requires a minimum of 1,000 followers). “For violations in permanent posts, a penalty that directly corresponds to violating behavior by suspending a user’s ability to post (e.g., by putting their account in read-only mode for a set period) would have a greater chance of influencing behavior,” the board notes.

The board also touches on the long-simmering frustration among Facebook and Instagram users who have accounts disabled. The group says it received more than 750 public comments in the case, in addition to the “innumerable” complaints individual board members regularly get from people who have had their accounts disabled.

“Many commenters wrote about systems failing to work, saying they were unable to peal Meta’s decision to disable their account, that they never received any explanation for why their account was disabled or that they were unable to download their content,” the board wrote. “Many of these users also noted that the decisions peared to have been made automatically, with no human oversight, even on peals against the disabling of longstanding and widely followed accounts.”

In its guidance to Meta, the board suggests that the company should provide users with a better peals process that allows them to provide written explanations and that users should be notified when AI is used to penalize their account. The board proposes that information about account bans could be added to Meta’s transparency reports for additional visibility. The group also advises that Meta provide a dedicated channel where “high-risk targets of violence and their representatives” can report serious threats against them.

Given that this case is described as a “pilot,” it’s unclear whether Meta plans to make any substantial policy changes in response to the board’s critique. But there is still some hope for those who want Meta to make improvements. The board says it plans to accept more cases in the future that deal with accounts being disabled, which would hopefully give them a better chance at influencing some reforms.

Tech

Samsungs updated Health app unsurprisingly comes with new AI-powered features – Engadget

The new p was designed to showcase the upcoming Galaxy Watches’ cabilities.

Samsung

Samsung will start rolling out an update on June 8 that will make its Health p more useful in everyday life. The company says that updated p will translate “complex biometric data — from overnight sleep to daily activity — into simple, actionable guidance.” It will also showcase features that will be found on theGalaxy Watches that the company is launching this year.

As you’ve probably already expected, the features in the updated Health p will be powered by generative AI. The new Vitals feature, for instance, will use AI to analyze yourheart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature and blood oxygen against their true resting baseline overnight. If the p detects meaningful deviations, it will send you a notification to say if you need more rest or if it’s possible that you may be fighting an illness. It’s thean upgraded version of the Energy Score in the old p

The old Health p can already give you information on your vascular load, which is the work your heart has to do to pump blood throughout your body. Now, the p’s Vascular Load function is turning intoHeart Health Score. It combines metrics monitored by the Vascular Load feature, including sleep, stress and activity, with body composition data. The p will literally score your heart health and give you advice on how to improve it, such as taking more steps or eating bananas and other food rich in potassium.

Another new feature called Daily Cardio Load can recommend optimal training targets and rest times while working out, based on your metrics and overall profile. Meanwhile, Fitness Index will analyze yourdaily steps and your metrics, such as your heartrate and VO2 max or themaximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense physical exercise, and then compare them against your peers. It will then give you personalized goals so you can focus on specific fitness aspects you may want to improve, such as your endurance or your strength.

While the Health p’s features will work across Galaxy mobile phones and connected devices, Samsung says these advancements “will be fully realizedwith the launch of Samsung’s next generation of Galaxy Watches.”Samsung is expected to unveil the newGalaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 at an Unpacked event this July.

Tech

Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, June 4

Looking forthe most recentMini Crossword answer?Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I admit, 1-Across really threw me, but now I think it’s a pretty smart clue. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visitCNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for June 4, 2026.

NYT/Screenshot by CNET

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: It takes you from E to F (and starts with G!)
Answer: GAS

4A clue: Animal that has a symbiotic relationship with green algae, which grows in its fur
Answer: SLOTH

6A clue: Societal no-no
Answer: TABOO

7A clue: “Sorry, unavailable then”
Answer: ICANT

8A clue: Color associated with passion
Answer: RED

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Turn in the fridge, maybe
Answer: GOBAD

2D clue: Lots and lots
Answer: ATON

3D clue: Something a bartender or basketball player might make
Answer: SHOT

4D clue: Mix, as a sauce
Answer: STIR

5D clue: Frilly material
Answer: LACE

Tech

Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for June 4, #619

Looking for the most recentregular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’sConnections: Sports Editionis a toughie. The purple category is a real challenge. If you’re struggling with the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t pear in the NYT Games p, but it does in The Athletic’s own p. Or you can play it for free online.

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Going to the game.

Green group hint: Game often played on the beach.

Blue group hint: It’s coming home!

Purple group hint: Dunk that ball.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Seen at a stadium entrance.

Green group: Volleyball stats.

Blue group: Members of England’s World Cup squad.

Purple group: Starts with part of a basketball hoop.

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for June 4, 2026.

NYT/Screenshot by CNET

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is seen at a stadium entrance. The four answers are metal detector, ticket scanner, turnstile and will call.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is volleyball stats. The four answers are block, dig, kill and service ace.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is members of England’s World Cup squad. The four answers are (Dan) Burn, (Harry) Kane, (Kobbie) Mainoo and (John) Stones.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts with part of a basketball hoop. The four answers are base runner, glass houses, netminder and Rimington.

Tech

Today's Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 4, #1811

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer?Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’sWordle puzzleis an unusual word, and a real challenge. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’sWordleanswer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels and one sometimes vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with A.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with Y.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a substance produced by melting and mixing two or more elements, where at least one is a metal.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is ALLOY.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 3, No. 1810, was NOTCH.

Recent Wordle answers

May 30, No. 1806: SMILE

May 31, No. 1807: ETUDE

June 1, No. 1808: CHILI

June 2, No. 1809: BASIS

Tech

VR exercise platform Supernatural is getting a second chance as an independent company – Engadget

A new p arrives this fall months before Meta planned to shut it down.

Meta recently made major cuts across its entire VR and metaverse division, laying off hundreds and shuttering three studios. The company also announced that the popular exercise p Supernatural would no longer be updated with fresh content. This was a bummer for fans, but there’s good news on the horizon. Supernatural is coming backas a new and independently-owned p.

A new company called Supernatural Health is readying the p for launch this fall on the Meta Quest platform. The best part? The coaches are all back. The worst part? Subscription prices are going up, to $180 a year from $100 a year. The monthly subscription is also increasing from $10 to $20.

The pre-existing Supernatural p still exists for now, but it’s not getting any new workouts or songs. It’ll be completely sunsetted on December 3. At that point, users will have to migrate to the new p.

This is great news for VR fitness enthusiasts, as we called the p “surprisingly effective.” We don’t know what kind of schedule the company will release new songs and workouts, but one hopes the price increase translates to more content. We also don’t know if the company will be able to port the p to other platforms.

Despite taking a blowtorch to its VR division, Meta still insists another standalone headset is in active development. A company memo suggests the Quest 4 will be a “large upgrade” over Quest 3, but could be much more expensive.

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