Connect with us

Published

on

Meta’s Threads racked up more than 30 million sign-ups within about 18 hours of its launch, emerging as the first real threat to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, as it took advantage of its access to billions of Instagram users and a similar look to that of its rival.

Dubbed as the “Twitter-Killer,” Threads was the top free app on Apple’s App Store in the UK and the US on Thursday. Its arrival comes after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Musk have traded barbs for months, even threatening to fight each other in a real-life mixed martial arts cage match in Las Vegas.

“The cage match has started, and Zuckerberg delivered a major blow. In many ways, it’s exactly what you’d expect from Meta: Stellar execution and an easy-to-navigate user interface,” Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg said.

Twitter responded on Thursday by threatening to sue Meta, according to the publication Semafor, citing a letter delivered to Zuckerberg by a lawyer for Twitter.

Numerous competitors to Twitter have sprung up following Musk’s $44 billion purchase of the social media platform last year, which was followed by a series of chaotic decisions that have alienated both users and advertisers. Musk’s latest move involved limiting the number of tweets users can read per day.

Twitter’s stumbles make room for a well-funded competitor like Meta Platforms, analysts and experts said, particularly because of its access to Instagram users and its advertising strength.

“Meta’s release of Threads came at the perfect time to give it a fighting chance to unseat Twitter,” said Niklas Myhr, professor of marketing at Chapman University, referring to the turmoil at Twitter after it limited the number of tweets users can see.

“Threads will be off to a running start as it is built upon the Instagram platform with its massive user base and if users adopt Threads, advertisers will be following closely behind.”

Other competitors have found limited success. Mastodon, another Twitter-like app, has 1.7 million monthly active users, according to its website, while Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey-backed Bluesky has about 265,000 users.

Twitter had 229 million monthly active users in May 2022, according to a statement made before Musk’s buyout.

While Threads is a standalone app, users can log in using their Instagram credentials, which makes it an easy addition for Instagram’s more than 2 billion monthly active users.

Threads’ launch was clearly a first stab at a service as it currently lacks the bells and whistles of Twitter.

“There should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will,” Zuckerberg said on Threads, where he now has a million followers.

Threads does not have hashtags and keyword search functions, which means users cannot follow real-time events like on Twitter. It also does not yet have a direct messaging function and lacks a desktop version that certain users, such as business organizations, rely on.

Some users including tech reviewer Marques Brownlee posted about the need for a feed that only consists of the people one follows. Users currently have little control over the main feed.

Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino, who was hired by Musk in May to shore up advertiser confidence, said in tweet on Thursday that “everyone’s voice matters” on the app. “We’re often imitated — but the Twitter community can never be duplicated.”

Currently there are no ads on the Threads app and Zuckerberg said the company would only think about monetization once there was a clear path to 1 billion users.

Existing ad relationships from Instagram and Facebook should help Threads’ revenue, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

“Facebook is a less uncertain bet compared to Twitter and a bigger player in the ad market.”

Some analysts said Threads was reminiscent of Meta’s success in integrating crucial features of platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok in the case of Instagram’s Stories and Reels.

At least four brokerages raised their price target on Meta, whose shares have already more than doubled in value this year.

On Thursday, Meta shares were down 0.2% amid a broader market selloff, after rising 3% on Wednesday ahead of Threads’ launch.

The app is available in over 100 countries, but Bloomberg News reported that it won’t be launched in the European Union as of now as Meta works out how data sharing between the new platform and its Instagram app will be regulated.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Bill Nighy on style, social media and holy socks: ‘I can’t operate in the wrong kind of trousers’

Published

on

By

Bill Nighy on style, social media and holy socks: 'I can't operate in the wrong kind of trousers'

Bill Nighy is a man of many talents – but he knows his limitations – most specifically in the trouser department.

The 74-year-old actor tells Sky News he has very clear sartorial demands when it comes to his acting rider.

“It’s odd, people used to say: ‘There’s a significant lack of classical work on your CV’. And I would say something like: ‘The reason is, I can’t operate in those kind of trousers,’ which is a joke, but it’s also kind of true.

“If you want me at my best, put me in a decent lounge suit. It’s a stupid thing for an actor to say, but art does reflect life.”

And he’s not afraid to bring his own life quite literally into his films, adding: “If it’s a contemporary film and it’s an independent film and they haven’t got a lot of money, I just say, ‘Come to my flat,’ and I open the wardrobe and they can take out whatever they want for that movie. So, the two things do blend.”

He’s currently starring in underdog sports drama The Beautiful Game, playing a retired football talent scout coaching England’s team in the Homeless World Cup.

Founded in 2001, the real-life international tournament that inspired the movie now involves over 70 countries and has transformed the lives of more than one million homeless people.

More on Bill Nighy

Former Homeless World Cup players – who are no longer homeless – feature in the film, playing team members from other countries, which Nighy calls “a wonderful piece of symmetry”.

He of course wore a suit and tie for the majority of the film, despite it being shot in Rome during a heatwave. Scorching weather aside, he says: “It was quite fun to stand on the touchline and scream.”

Pic: Netflix
Image:
Nighy as football talent scout Mal in The Beautiful Game. Pic: Netflix

While Nighy may not necessarily look the part of a stereotypical football coach, he does work on his fitness, training three times a week. It’s something he insists he won’t be “winning any prizes for”, and he certainly won’t be sharing snaps of his workouts on Instagram.

‘My iPhone doesn’t see a lot of action’

He explains: “I’ve never been on social media. I’m lucky in that regard because I’m of an age where I can just about get away with it.

“I nearly went on it. I got very close to, I think it was Instagram, but I didn’t in the end make that jump.

“I don’t have a laptop. I mean, I’m carrying a computer in my pocket, obviously, like everybody else, but I’ve never had a computer. I’ve never owned one, again because I’m fortunate. I don’t need one for anything. I’ve got an iPhone, but there’s not a lot of action on it apart from, you know, the obvious.”

I can only guess ‘the obvious’ is phoning his nearest and dearest, including his daughter and friends. Nighy keeps his romantic dealings close to his chest, and since splitting with his partner of 26 years, he hasn’t been publicly linked to anyone new – either in the public eye or out.

Nighy and Anna Wintour at the Met Gala last year. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Nighy with friend Anna Wintour at the Met Gala last year. Pic: Reuters

As one of Britain’s most recognisable actors, he’s humble in his appraisal of his five decade career spanning theatre, TV and film – reaching to Hollywood and back.

‘I didn’t expect acting to last’

“I don’t know what I’m cut out to be, but it probably isn’t an actor, although I don’t know if anybody is. I think we all have to bend ourselves out of shape to do whatever it is we do.

“I didn’t expect to be an actor. I didn’t expect when I became an actor that it would last very long. I didn’t have a Plan B, it was all basically out of necessity.

“I flunked school, so I didn’t have any qualifications for anything, and I didn’t have a Plan B, so I had no safety net. But, you know, it gradually worked out.”

With two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe and Teen Choice Award (yes really) to name but a few of his accolades, he’s being modest.

And his acting career is about to take a step into the unknown, with his first big horror role in First Omen coming to the screen next month.

Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence in The First Omen. Pic: 20th Century Studios
Image:
Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence in The First Omen. Pic: Disney/20th Century Studios

A prequel to the 1976 original, it returns to the very beginning of the story, with Nighy warning it’s not a film for the feint hearted: “The early signs suggest that it is truly horrible.”

Red satin and holy socks

He does have a wide experience of otherworldly roles, if not out and out horror. Nighy lists a few. “In Shaun Of The Dead I was a werewolf. Yeah, I was a werewolf.”

(Nighy was actually a zombie, but the movie was filmed 20 years ago, and who’s splitting hairs?)

He goes on: “And I’ve been a vampire several times. And I’ve been a squid. If you count animations, I’ve been a rattle snake with a machine gun in its tail. But they’re not straight horror. [First Omen] is really my first horror movie, like what you’d call straight horror. So, it is a departure.”

It goes without saying he was well suited and booted for the role.

“I was dressed by the Vatican tailor. So, you can see I look my best if you’re going to be a priest. And I’m drenched in red satin”.

Rumour has it he was given holy socks from the Vatican shop as part of his costume. Blessed beyond doubt.

Nighy ‘can’t stand’ his own films

He says it “will frighten the life” out of its viewers, adding “a few people I’ve met who’ve seen it and who are horror freaks were stunned. One journalist actually said [they were] traumatised.”

But he doesn’t have to worry about nightmares himself. “I’ve never seen it and I’m never going to see it because I don’t watch films I’m in because I can’t stand it.”

Pic: Netflix
Image:
Pic: Netflix

Meanwhile, his latest offering, The Beautiful Game, is a very different prospect, crafted to leave the viewer uplifted rather than in pieces.

Nighy says it’s a feelgood nostalgia that takes him right back to his childhood. “The deal was when I was a kid, you went, you paid some money, you went to the cinema, and you came out feeling a bit better than you did when you went in. This is what [The Beautiful Game] is.”

The Beautiful Game is streaming now on Netflix, and The First Omen will be in cinemas from 5 April.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Song lyrics have become angrier and more repetitive since the 80s, study finds

Published

on

By

Song lyrics have become angrier and more repetitive since the 80s, study finds

Song lyrics have become angrier and more repetitive over the past four decades, a study has found.

Lyrics in rock, rap, country, pop, and R&B songs have also become simpler and more personal, according to research published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Rap songs showed the strongest increase in anger and negative emotions, while country songs had the lowest, the researchers said.

Eva Zangerle, an assistant professor at the University of Innsbruck’s department of computer science in Austria, said anger-related words may have become more common because music “reflects more general changes in society and culture”.

Prof Zangerle and her colleagues analysed the lyrics of 12,000 English-language songs released between 1980 and 2020, as well as the page views of the lyrics on online platform Genius.

They found lyrics have become simpler and easier to understand over time, while also becoming more emotional and personal.

Analysis also showed the number of different words used within songs has decreased, particularly among rap and rock songs.

The team speculated this may be because of changes in how music is enjoyed, such as increases in songs being used as background music.

Read more from Sky News:
Nick Cave has ‘feelings of culpability’ over deaths of his sons
Beyonce releases tracklist for upcoming country album
Springsteen first international songwriter to be Ivors Academy fellow

Prof Zangerle said: “In the last 40 years, we have witnessed a change from buying records in the store to being able to choose from hundreds of millions of songs on streaming platforms on the phone.

“This has also changed the way music is consumed.”

By analysing the page views on Genius, the team found older rock songs were viewed more than newer ones, but the reverse was true for country songs. They said it could indicate rock listeners prefer lyrics from older songs, while country listeners may prefer those from newer songs.

Prof Zangerle gave Bruce Springsteen’s 1973 song Spirit In The Night as a good example of complex songwriting, while she said Miley Cyrus’s 2019 hit Slide Away has simpler and repetitive lyrics.

Continue Reading

Sports

Opening Day takeaways: What we learned from a wild start to the 2024 MLB season

Published

on

By

Opening Day takeaways: What we learned from a wild start to the 2024 MLB season

What an MLB Opening Day!

All 30 teams were scheduled to be in action Thursday before rain postponed the scheduled Milwaukee BrewersNew York Mets and Atlanta BravesPhiladelphia Phillies openers to Friday.

The Los Angeles Angels and Orioles got things started with Corbin Burnes delivering a dominant debut for Baltimore. Things really heated up with eight games starting just after 4 p.m. ET — highlighted by a thrilling New York Yankees comeback win over the Houston Astros in a showdown in Texas.

The Texas Rangers raised the first World Series banner in franchise history before beating the Chicago Cubs in manager Craig Counsell’s Cubs debut. And finally, the Arizona Diamondbacks made a loud statement with a 14-run inning against the Colorado Rockies.

What did we see — and what did we learn — in the first day of games as the season gets started? We have you covered with the best moments from every game, as well as takeaways from each matchup.

Season preview: Power rankings | Predictions | Moves that rocked offseason

Jump to …
Takeaways | Relive the day

Takeaways from every Opening Day game

Recap | Box score | Highlights

Everyone is discounting Boston’s chances in the AL East, and perhaps over the long haul the Red Sox simply won’t have enough pitching depth, but the lineup has a chance to be very good. Boston battled a tough pitcher in Seattle’s Luis Castillo, getting to him for four runs and three extra-base hits in five innings. Two of those came from Rafael Devers, including an impressive two-run home run to left-center off a high fastball.

The most impressive achievement of the night, however: Former Mariners farmhand Tyler O’Neill, acquired from the Cardinals in the offseason, homered for the fifth consecutive Opening Day, breaking a record he had shared with Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Todd Hundley (oddly, three catchers). O’Neill had a huge 6.1-WAR, 34-homer season with St. Louis in 2021, but his production dropped the past two seasons as he battled injuries. It’s possible 2021 was a complete fluke, but if O’Neill hits, the Boston lineup is going to score some runs. — David Schoenfield


,

Arizona Diamondbacks 16, Colorado Rockies 1

Recap | Box score | Highlights

We have a clear winner for the wildest “You can’t predict baseball” result of the day. The Diamondbacks began defense of their National League pennant with the most impressive inning of offense on Opening Day since, well, ever. Their 14-run outburst in the bottom of the third is an Opening Day record, the first inning with 10 runs on Opening Day since the Padres in 1997 and just the fifth 14-run inning in any game of the divisional era (since 1969). Arizona did it with 13 hits — none of them home runs.

It was a nice reward for a sellout crowd and for an organization that increased payroll in the offseason trying to build upon last year’s playoff success. Just a couple of days ago, the Diamondbacks agreed to a deal with free agent starter Jordan Montgomery, adding him to a rotation that also brought on Eduardo Rodriguez (although he’s on the IL to start the season). As for the Rockies, the last team to give up 14 runs in an inning was the 2009 Yankees — and they won the World Series that season. — Schoenfield


Cleveland Guardians 8, Oakland Athletics 0

Recap | Box score | Highlights

If the Cleveland Guardians are looking to trade starter Shane Bieber at a premium, they might want to check the market after his Opening Day performance against the Athletics. Bieber, who has been rumored to be on the trading block since before an injury ended his 2023 season, began the final year of his contract with the Guardians by easing his way through six innings, allowing four hits and striking out 11 in Cleveland’s 8-0 win over Oakland. On a night when the focus was on the thousands of A’s fans who chose to protest John Fisher’s ownership by partying in the parking lot rather than attending the game, Bieber — the Cy Young Award winner in the COVID-shortened 2020 season — gave the fans who did choose to enter the gates no reason to celebrate. — Tim Keown


Recap | Box score | Highlights

For a contest that ended with a pedestrian 4-3 final, the opener between the Cubs and Rangers was a wild one, beginning with a ceremony celebrating last year’s heroes and ending with a game-winning hit from one of Texas’ postseason heroes, Jonah Heim.

It was a roller coaster of a game. The early innings in the aftermath of the Texas banner ceremony featured a mini-duel between starters Nathan Eovaldi, who was pitching to contact, and Justin Steele, who mowed down Texas the first time through the order. Then Steele departed in the fifth with hamstring tightness that cropped up when he was fielding a Leody Taveras bunt.

The game opened up from there: Adolis Garcia mashed a homer he punctuated with a bat flip. Wyatt Langford collected his first career RBI and base hit. The Cubs’ Michael Busch stole a run on a two-base wild pitch by Rangers closer Jose Leclerc. New Cubs skipper Craig Counsell, matchup-maximizer extraordinaire, went deep in both his bullpen and his bench. Texas World Series hero Travis Jankowski tied the game in the ninth with a pinch-hit homer off Chicago closer Adbert Alzolay. After the game flipped to the automatic-runner phase, the Cubs left the bases full in the 10th. Christopher Morel nearly clanged a grand slam off the left-field foul pole but it faded into the second deck and he subsequently popped out.

Finally, that set the table for Heim, who drove in Josh Jung with a bases-loaded, 10th-inning, game-ending single off Drew Smyly, setting of a celebration in the middle of the field.

Whew!

What do we make of all this? If Steele’s injury isn’t serious, there wasn’t a whole lot to glean from one opening contest, dramatic as it was. Both teams are deep and have managers who can leverage that depth. Both teams have bullpens well suited to navigate tight, tense contests in the later innings. More than anything though, it was a drama-filled, exciting game that hopefully sets the tone for the season in Arlington, Chicago and across the majors. — Bradford Doolittle


Recap | Box score | Highlights

The Marlins made the playoffs last season on the strength off a 33-14 record in one-run games — one of the best such records in MLB history. Beware of regression, Miami. It looked like the Marlins might pull off a win that would have fit in with their 2023 narrative as first baseman Josh Bell — not known for his defense — threw out Pirates baserunners at home plate in both the 10th and 11th innings, but the Pirates finally scraped across a run in the 12th while the Miami offense kept failing to score.

The news to watch coming out of this game, however, was that David Bednar, the Pirates’ All-Star closer, didn’t get the save and was apparently unavailable even though he’s on the active roster. Second-year lefty Jose Hernandez instead picked up his first career save. Bednar missed time this spring with a lat injury, so let’s see if something is going on with his health. — Schoenfield


Recap | Box score | Highlights

The knock on Juan Soto in recent years — the only blemish on a generational player — has been his defense in the outfield. The numbers supported what eyes indicated: It’s been ugly.

He has insisted he’s better than that, and that he’s worked at it. On Thursday, he showed that off in a huge spot, throwing out Mauricio Dubon, the game-tying run, at home plate from right field in the ninth inning. Soto pounded his chest. He let out a scream. The play was reviewed and stood. Moments later, Clay Holmes secured the game’s final out in the Yankees’ 5-4 comeback win.

Soto had his first signature Yankee moment. And it came on defense — just as we all expected. –– Jorge Castillo


Recap | Box score | Highlights

The Giants retooled their roster as much as any team in the offseason, adding Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler, Jordan Hicks and Tom Murphy, plus highly touted center fielder Jung Hoo Lee from Korea. Their linchpin, however, remains ace starter Logan Webb, who has a 3.07 ERA over the past three seasons and led the majors with 216 innings last season.

Unfortunately, his 2024 begins with one of the same issues as last season: a lack of support. In 2023, despite a 3.25 ERA that ranked fourth in the NL — plus that workload — Webb finished just 11-13 because of some shaky offensive support (he had 18 games where he allowed two runs or fewer, and won just nine of them). On Thursday, the lack of support came from the bullpen. He left after six innings with a 3-2 lead, but the Padres scored four runs in the seventh inning off the Giants’ bullpen, with Jake Cronenworth delivering a key two-run double off Ryan Walker. Nice comeback for San Diego, tough loss for the Giants. — Schoenfield


Recap | Box score | Highlights

The word from the Blue Jays camp out of spring training painted the picture of a rejuvenated Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: He’s lost some weight, he’s been more joyful, he’s more confident and he put together consistently good at-bats, hitting .463 in Grapefruit League play. The hope is he can find his MVP-level stroke of 2021 after two good-not-great seasons in 2022 and 2023. His first hit of 2024: a mammoth 450-foot blast over the batter’s eye in center field at Tampa off a cutter from Zach Eflin, matching his longest home run of 2023. That will be a nice confidence boost for the young slugger, who reached the majors in 2019 but is still just 25 years old.

The Jays are trying Guerrero in the second spot in the batting order, essentially flipping spots with Bo Bichette. Indeed, you can argue that Bichette has passed Guerrero as the face of the Blue Jays (he’s certainly been more valuable via WAR the past two seasons). You can’t argue with this: The Toronto offense isn’t as deep as it was even a couple years after finishing eighth in runs in the AL last season. They need both of their young starts to deliver. — Schoenfield


Recap | Box score | Highlights

We saw Royce Lewis‘ star-crossed career on full display Thursday: The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis twice tore his ACL as a minor leaguer, missing all of 2021 and most of 2022 as a result. He nonetheless remained a top prospect and reached the majors for his first extended stay in 2023 — only to play just 58 games because of an oblique strain and hamstring. But when he did play, he looked like a star — hitting over .300 with power, including four grand slams in less than a month.

He began 2024 with a home run in his first at-bat, ripping a 423-foot blast to left field and then singled in his second at-bat. However, when Carlos Correa then doubled, Lewis limped into third base and was replaced by a pinch runner (and don’t blame cold weather as it was 65 degrees in Kansas City). The Twins’ lineup needs Lewis raking in the 3-hole. Let’s hope it’s not serious. –Schoenfield


Recap | Box score | Highlights

Miles Mikolas caused a bit of a stir earlier this month when he said the Dodgers were playing “checkbook baseball.” On Opening Day, he got a firsthand look at what that checkbook has provided. It got the Dodgers Mookie Betts ($365 million), who reached base three times, including a solo homer. It got them Freddie Freeman ($162 million), who reached base three times, including a two-run homer. It got them Shohei Ohtani ($700 million), who reached base three times, including a double. And it got them Tyler Glasnow ($136.6 million), who allowed three baserunners in six innings. The Dodgers have written a lot of checks lately, especially amid their $1.2 billion offseason. They’re cashing in early. — Alden Gonzalez


Recap | Box score | Highlights

All spring, the Reds said they had enough depth to cover anything that came their way. Little did they know how quickly it would be tested as they opened the season with a suspension and myriad injuries. But up stepped journeyman Nick Martini who hit two home runs to propel Cincinnati to an easy win over Washington. Martini came into the game with 354 career at-bats — and just eight career home runs — but he was the Opening Day spark for a team who has playoff aspirations. On the mound, the Reds got a solid debut from newcomer Frankie Montas who shut out the Nationals over six innings while giving up just four hits without issuing a walk. That Opening Day combination of power and pitching is exactly what the organization drew up this offseason when they added veterans to a young and talented group of prospects. Cincinnati should be in the NL Central race all year. — Jesse Rogers


Recap | Box score | Highlights

Can the Tigers contend in the AL Central? It has been a long standing question as they’ve been in an extended rebuilding phase — but if they get performances on the mound like they did today, they’ll be in good shape. Tarik Skubal and three relievers shut down the one strength the White Sox have: a veteran lineup that has produced in the past. It also helps to have Javy Baez producing. He batted eighth for Detroit on Opening Day — singling to right on an 0-2 pitch from left-hander Garrett Crochet in the third inning and eventually scoring the lone run of the game.

Meanwhile, Crochet was the lone bright spot for the White Sox. In his first career start he struck out eight over six innings, but unfortunately for Chicago, he had no help at the plate. — Rogers


Recap | Box score | Highlights

Corbin Burnes allowed a first-inning home run to Mike Trout but was otherwise absolutely dominant in his Orioles debut. That was the only hit he allowed in his six innings as he struck out 11 of the 19 batters he faced, with seven of those K’s coming with his curveball. The Angels had no chance. With Kyle Bradish and John Means starting the season on the IL, the Orioles are looking for their big offseason acquisition to get off to a hot start — unlike last season with the Brewers, when Burnes uncharacteristically struggled early on with his control and had a so-so 3.97 ERA through his first 10 starts. Even without Bradish and Means, the Orioles have a chance to get off to a blazing start: Of their first 36 games, only six are against teams that made the playoffs last season, and those six are home games against the Brewers and Twins. — Schoenfield

Opening Day sights, sounds and moments

Continue Reading

Trending