If Black Friday usually means an add-to-cart frenzy of items youre not even sure youll like after 48 hours, fear not. We found early Wayfair Black Friday deals on items youll want to keep around for a long while (not to mention that are available to shop from your sofa). Said deals are already going strong onlineno anxiety-inducing in-person brouhaha required. If youre aiming to refresh your living room and cookware (you definitely need a new nonstick pan) or want to snag a new area rug and and piece of wall art to update your interior design this holiday season, head straight to the Wayfair Black Friday Sale.Read ahead to find all of our favorite early Wayfairs Black Friday sale deals and get your home decor refreshed and ready for the holiday season and beyond. And mark your calendar for the main event, which will start November 21.PS: If youre in the market for furniture, mattresses, vacuums or other home deals, check out our full Black Friday and Cyber Monday lineup here.Furniture DealsCleo Velvet Upholstered Platform Bed by Kelly Clarkson HomeFew things will make you feel more like royalty than a velvet bed. But this one doesnt go overboardthe simple stripes of cushion ground the luxe material and create a solid anchor for a whole crew of pillows. The best part? You dont need a box spring.Husno Rubberwood Solid Wood Dining TableJust because you have a small apartment doesnt mean you cant have a dining roomyou just have to get creative. This 47-inch table can also be used as a workspace. The vibe leans Scandinavian, so itll slip right into your existing home decor scheme without interruption.Hertford Linen Accent Chair by Sand & StableMidcentury enthusiasts will love the combination of wood frame and linen-blend upholstery on this classic lounge chair. Deem it your reading perch and find a sculpural side table to plop right next to it. It also comes with a lumbar pillow for extra support.Sealy Cool 12" Medium Memory Foam MattressWhile the term cool in the bedroom used to refer to the other side of the pillow, youll now find pillows, sheets and even mattresses laden with cooling technology, promising an end to the night sweats. The Sealy Cool 12 is counts itself as one of the top cooling mattresses in the game. It features a medium firm memory foam infused with SealyCool gel and Copper Cool technology, providing ample support and cooling all night long. It comes rolled up in a box for convenient delivery and setup and is designed and assembled in the USA.17 Stories Bed Frame with 2-Tier Storage Headboard and Power OutletsOnce youve found your mattress, take advantage of the other Wayfair sleep deals and snag a frame to fit your new bed. This frame comes with built-in plugs, so you can always keep your devices charged and two-tiered storage on the headboard perfect for books, art or a zillion half-empty cups.Dingler 77'' Upholstered Sleeper SofaWe tested this budget sleeper sofa ourselves and were very pleased with the results, especially considering the price point. Reviewer Rachel Fletcher said had this to say: This is a sofa bed (vs. a sleeper sofa), so it is designed to be used without a mattress. You unfold the sofa, slap on a sheet (I had better luck with a flat sheet than a fitted), and your bed is ready for the evening. If you enjoy a firm sleeping surface (which I tend to), this is right up your alley.Steelside Dustin Media ConsoleMedia console, TV stand, a place to line up the 10 cups you accumulate during the workdaywere not going to tell you how to use this piece of living space furniture. But the step-up design is fun, and we love that. The natural wood grain and sleek black hardware is a nice touch, too.Mercury Row Campanelli Coffee TableAmong the Wayfair Cyber Monday deals youll find a big selection of coffee tables and tv stands, like this simple, mid-century-inspired table from Mercury Row. The curved lines and abstract looks standout, but the top comes in different colors to help the table blend into whatever design style you are looking for.Steelside Aichele Vegan Leather Wingback ChairAs we nestle into the coziest time of year, consider where youre going to curl up on the coldest days. This faux leather chair from Steelside is stylish enough to stand out but isnt overbearing, meaning it could be the focal point of a room or simply do its duty as an accent chair. Add in your favorite new mystery novel, a wool blanket and some Earl Gray to really round out the wintry vibes and stay cozy until spring has sprung.Ashalyn Upholstered OttomanPair your new armchair with a cozy, upholstered ottoman to make it the coziest duo in your home. Designed for reading, relaxing with Netflix after a long day, or to serve as an extra surface for throws and other necessities, its 38% off and also available in black.Teele 18" Wide Round Pouf OttomanIf natural fibers are more your look, we get it. Thats where this 65% off jute option comes into play. Its available in seven colorways if you want something that pops, but were partial to the un-dyed version pictured.Harriet Bee Tena Solid Wood Standard Bunk BedsBunk beds offer so much extra room for activities. We think this kid-friendly design with easy-to-manage stairs and plenty of storage is more than ideal for little ones sharing a room or for extra sleeping space in a guest room.George Oliver Hermas 82.3'' Vegan Leather SofaStorage isnt always pretty, but it sure is in this case. Ideal for a small living room where every piece of furniture needs to double as storage space, this single-arm sofa is high on our list of Wayfair Cyber Monday sale deals. The chaise-style seat is hiding a pocket of storage underneath, while two drawers pull out to pack in even more space.Mercury Row Henline Solid Wood Spindle BedMade of solid wood, the slatted headboard on this frame is reminiscent of Shaker-style furniture and the curved shape gives off wingback vibes. Its a lot of detail for a bed, but it doesnt look like its trying too hardand thats hard to nail down.Home Decor DealsNayelis Metal Arch MirrorThere are few places that arent made better with a mirror in a fun shape. This one is great for the entryway, bedroom, hallway, living roompretty much any wall with some empty space.Pippi Modern Floating Shelves (Set of 2)Theres a world of possibility when it comes to floating shelves. Make a candle hub, pile a few books from your to-be-read stack, or display your favorite souvenirs. These are made of pinewood and each one can hold up to 75 pounds. As is, theyre pretty rustic, but you could paint them a bold color. Just an idea.AllModern Laurene Blackout Curtain PanelTheres something timeless about a bold windowpane pattern. This set of blackout curtains is the key to snoozing right until your alarm goes off (and then some). The linen material adds some great texture, making these seem way more expensive than their actual price tag.Knitted Throw BlanketYou can never have enough throw blankets, especially once winter hits. This one comes in 28 colors and packs some major fluff into its chevron pattern. A kick of fringe is a nice touch when youve got it folded over your couch or favorite lounge chair.Kelly Clarkson Home Anderson Metal Table VaseFlowers deserve to shine, so give them a worthy home. It may look ceramic, but this vase is made of metal and could hold its own on a mantle. The ribbed exterior is chic, and the neutral color palette means those bright pink anthuriums will really make a statement.AllModern Edgar Throw PillowCan you have too many throw pillows? The Edgar Throw is available in over 20 colors and comes with either a down or a polyfill insert. If you dont need inserts, you can buy the pillow covers on their own and fill it yourself. Add one or two to accessorize your bedroom furniture or plop one down on each of your bar stools for a comfortable seatregardless of where you use them, more pillows are always a good option.Loloi Sorrento Oriental Machine Made Power Loom Polyester Area RugYou can get up to 80% off area rugs during Wayfairs Black Friday event, including this machine-made rug from Loloi. The price above is for the 710 x 102 rug size, but there are over 10 sizes to choose from, meaning you can find a rug to fit any space. The Sorrento Oriental rug is power-loomed in Turkey from 100% Oeko-Tex certified polyester pile, meaning you wont have to deal with any pungent smells or harmful chemicals upon arrival.

Population V2 Crowd Simulator Adds More Control and Powerful UI Features By BlenderNow on November 20, 2024 Add-ons The latest release of Bproduction's Population crowd simulator for Blender adds finer control over motion paths using pinch/deflate, look target control, new painting and group options and more!What's New in Population V2 ?Paint your crowd: Thanks to the new mode, you can paint your crowd directly in the 3D viewport.Bidirectional Crowd: Characters can now cross each other in 2 directions when walkingPinch/ Inflate: Enlarge or shrink your characters' path in follow curve modeGroup Mode: Allows you to vary the density of the crowd according to its position, perfect for concerts or auditoriums.On vertices mode: Add characters based on an object. Maximum control over the position of your characters.Look Target in Stadium mode:Free seating in stadium mode:Add groups of characters: x3, x5 or x7 to create a crowd quickly.Progress bar, loading time divided by 4, improved addon stability, and much more...Discover Population V2 on Blendermarket with -30% OFF for the launch of this new version for a few days only

BlenderNation and Blender Artists are Leaving X/Twitter By Bart on November 20, 2024 BlenderNation I have decided to stop posting to the X/Twitter accounts for BlenderNation and Blender Artists.Two reasons have led me to this conclusion: First and foremost, X has become a fascist and anti-democratic instrument. Continuing to post there makes me a supporter of their policies and an accomplice in their goals.X also recently announced that all content will be used to train their new AI - with no way to opt out. Since I share a lot of artwork from the Blender community on my sites and social media, this would mean I'd be sharing YOUR work with their AI, and I don't want to do that.With a combined 220k followers this is going to hurt. But after spending a lot of time looking at how this would impact my websites I realized that I was just looking for a reason to look away and comply with the fascism for traffic.I cant morally justify staying on X anymore, so I'm making what I believe is the right call. To prevent others from squatting and abusing the accounts, I will not delete the accounts. I'm also looking into how to delete the massive amount of posts on them, but this may take some time.AlternativesFortunately, we have are alternatives! We also have accounts on Mastodon and Bluesky. Personally, I think that Mastodon/the Fediverse most closely aligns with our values of freedom, open source and open data. Find us on @blendernation + @blenderartists.Bluesky is growing quickly too, but there are some concerns about their investors - we'll see how that plays out. You can find us there on @blendernation.com and @blenderartists.org.Finally, we have a newsletter! Sign up to get a daily overview of our latest posts.Support BlenderNationThank you for reading this. As I mentioned above, this is going to have an impact on the finances that help keep this site running. If BlenderNation is close to your heart, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon!

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Since election day in the US, usage of the Bluesky app is more than 500% higher in the US and over 350% higher in the UK.Bluesky, the social networking service originally created as a spin-off from Twitter, is seeing the most sustained growth since it emerged from an extended invite-only beta test period. The growth is linked to users either leaving X or investing more time in exploring a promising alternative.As Techdirt editor and Bluesky board member Mike Masnick noted in a post, this burst of new users is shaping up to be different than any the service has seen previously. Before he joined the board, Masnick is the author of the paper credited with inspiring the creation of Bluesky, Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech.Key takeawaysOn Nov. 6, the day after the US presidential election, both website traffic and app usage spiked for Bluesky in the US as it became the destination of choice for journalists and opinion leaders (as well as followers of those people) who decided to either stop using X or begin using it less.In the days since the election (through Friday, November 15), usage of the Bluesky app is up 519% compared to the first 10 months of the year. The UK echoed the trend, with Bluesky usage up 352% compared with the first 10 months of the year.Blueskys audience is still much smaller than that for Threads, let alone X but could catch up with Threads if it keeps growing at this rate. As of Nov. 15, the US daily active user count for X was more than 10 times that of Bluesky, and Threads is more than 1.5 times bigger than Bluesky. Prior to the election, Threads had over 5 times more daily active users, so Bluesky has narrowed the gap considerably.Based on worldwide estimates for Android, Bluesky usage since election day is up more than 360% from where it was in the first half of the year.Accelerating daily growth in the US and UKThe growth of Bluesky has been fueled by a rush of users either deactivating their accounts on X (see our blog post) or committing to use it less while exploring alternatives. Threads, the Meta Platforms alternative, is significantly bigger and also seeing strong growth, but the explosion of use of Bluesky in the US is more sudden and dramatic. The political dimension of the change is that X owner Elon Musk made himself an outspoken advocate for the candidacy of Donald Trump, although some users may be switching for various reasons such as changes in Xs algorithms and policies.Bluesky and its user and developer communities have been actively encouraging the transition with mechanisms such as Starter Packs of recommended users to follow (searchable via blueskydirectory.com) and a Chrome extension that helps automatically map the accounts a user follows on X to their new home on Bluesky.Heres the dramatic uptick of daily active users of the app in the US and for the UK.In both the US and the UK, visits to the Bluesky website surged ahead of those for the Threads website, reflecting strong interest from potential new users.A different pattern worldwideWorldwide, the pattern looks different, particularly as measured by app daily active users (for Android, in this case), reflecting a huge influx of Brazilian users during the period when access to X was banned in that country. That increase was more than twice as big as the recent post-election surge (see detail below).Worldwide, Bluesky didnt quite surpass Threads in website daily visits in the days since the election, but it came close.Boom and bust in Brazil leaves X with much higher usage, albeit down from the peakWhen using X was not an option for users in Brazil, many of them picked Bluesky over Threads as the substitute that was closest to the experience they were used to. After the government lifted its ban on X, usage dropped dramatically as X users returned to that platform. However, usage of Bluesky for the most recent week, at 1.4 million daily active users on Android, was still about 17 times higher than it was earlier this year.A strong trend, at least for nowAt the moment, Bluesky is enjoying a virtuous cycle of rapidly increasing usage driving press coverage, which in turn drives more users to sign up and begin experimenting with Bluesky. The Washington Post headline Liberals are fleeing X again this time for Bluesky explains part of this phenomenon. Political leanings arent the only reason to switch, however. Bluesky offers features some users find appealing, such as a decreased emphasis on algorithmically driven newsfeeds in favor of more personally created feeds of accounts to follow and also shared lists of accounts worth blocking.We will be watching to see if the strong upward trend for Bluesky that has persisted since the election proves lasting for the weeks and months to come.The Similarweb Press Office can pull additional or updated data on request for the news media (write to press@similarweb.com). When citing our data, please reference Similarweb as the source and link back to this post.MethodologyDisclaimer: All names, brands, trademarks, and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The data, reports, and other materials provided or made available by Similarweb consist of or include estimated metrics and digital insights generated by Similarweb using its proprietary algorithms, based on information collected by Similarweb from multiple sources using its advanced data methodologies. Similarweb shall not be responsible for the accuracy of such data, reports, and materials and shall have no liability for any decision by any third party based in whole or in part on such data, reports, and materials.by David F. Carr David covers social media, digital advertising, and generative AI. With a background in web trends since the 1990s, hes also the author of "Social Collaboration for Dummies". Related Topics: Social Media NewsThis post is subject to Similarweb legal notices and disclaimers.

MetacrossPokemon Go developer Niantic is using player data to train AI that could power map-roaming robotsAccording to a Niantic blog posts, Pokemon Go players have been helping train machine learning models for a while.Image credit: The Pokemon Company/Niantic Labs News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on Nov. 20, 2024 A blog post on the Niantic website has gained the attention of numerous Pokemon Go fans and tech-savvy folks alike due to the company's lengthy description of its work training up a machine learning powered geospacial model through its apps. That means you, yes you, might have played a part in building it up.The blog post in question, titled "Building a Large Geospatial Model to Achieve Spatial Intelligence" states that through Niantic's Visual Positioning System, it has gathered a lot of data and put its geospacial model through a lot of training (thanks, 404 Media).To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "As part of Niantics Visual Positioning System (VPS), we have trained more than 50 million neural networks, with more than 150 trillion parameters, enabling operation in over a million locations. In our vision for a Large Geospatial Model (LGM), each of these local networks would contribute to a global large model, implementing a shared understanding of geographic locations, and comprehending places yet to be fully scanned."Okay, so there are probably a few big questions here. First, what's this geospacial model actually do? Well, in simple terms, it'll help computers percieve and navigate real-world environments. What this actually means for tech, as laid out in the aforementioned blog post, is that stuff like AR glasses, robots, and autonomous systems will be better able to walk across the street without struggling to identify the lamppost they're walking towards.https://bsky.app/profile/josephcox.bsky.social/post/3lbcr7erh2c2rSecond question, what's this Visual Positioning System? Well, Pokemon Go players might know it through the lens of the game's AR mapping tool. These have ben part of field research tasks for a bit, and have the player scan parts of the world for in-game rewards. The VPS, as explained in another Niantic blog post, is a bit of tech that better maps AR content to the real world. So, again in simple terms, the way the game maps a poke stop to a local museum, rather than the pub toilets.Niantic states it's now got over 10 million locations scanned by its users across its many games, even providing a heat map to show the majority of this data has been gathered in Japan, the Coastal US, and Central Europe. AI and machine learning models have gotten a well-deserved bad wrap for their use in bunch of useless shite. But, if you're on board with AI development, this does point to real technological improvements as far as AR goes. One just hopes you've not been using Pokemon Go to scan your entire house for Niantic, lest a real life Metacross breaks down your bathroom door like in The Shining.What do you think about all this? Personally speaking, I'm largely against AI tech on an environmental level, at least until we've got a good solution to the energy crisis, but maybe you feel differently! Let us know below.

Attempts Were Made"There was always going to be live action" - As the Minecraft movie gets a new trailer, its director and producer try to defend its controversial look"A lot of the people who will see it were not born when the first contracts and the first discussions were had."Image credit: Warner Bros/ Mojang News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Nov. 20, 2024 As A Minecraft Movie gets a new uncanny valley as heck trailer, its director and producer attempt to defend how it looks.Warner Bros. released a new Minecraft Movie trailer yesterday, giving a much more comprehensive look at the upcoming video game adaptation, complete with a duck roasted by lava, that classic chill music, and skeletons trying to kill you with bows and arrows. It's certainly a better trailer than the first one, but obviously it can't change that slightly terrifying and controversial look that mixes live action and CGI. The first trailer quickly proved divisive amongst fans, and alongside the release of this latest trailer for Warner Bros., IGN put out a new interview with director Jared Hess and producer/ Minecraft senior director of original content Torfi Frans Olafsson where they attempted to defend the decision to use live action.Watch on YouTube"I mean, look, we knew this game represents so many different things to so many different people," Hess said, talking of that partial negative reaction to the first trailer (which wasn't as passionate as that first trailer for the original Sonic movie, a situation Hess wanted to avoid at all costs). "We knew that whatever we led out with, there was going to be strong opinions across the spectrum of what people were expecting, what they wanted it to be. Everybody brings their own special personal connection to the game. So we were ready for everything."To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Olafsson took the time to specifically respond to the live action criticism, saying, "I mean, that was one of the things [fans were saying in response to the trailer]: Why is it live action? Why isn't it animated? I think a lot of people were expecting that, and just the fact that there was live action and directly real-life characters and physical sets, didn't feel right with them, because in their imagination, they've been playing it for a very long time."And they've kind of projected and seen a bunch of content obviously that's been made both by us, the community, we've made a story mode. We made animated content before, and there's a lot of it out there. But that was also one of the reasons why the filmmakers wanted to go with live action rather than animate it, rather than do something that's been done before."The producer goes on to note that the movie has been in development for a "very, very long time", and by that he means at least 10 years. "A lot of the people who will see it were not born when the first contracts and the first discussions were had, and there was always going to be live action."I'm not sure how strong a defence that actually is, just because there was always going to be live action doesn't mean there should have been. Olafsson and Hess do also talk about how strong the team is that has worked on the film, and at the very least the effects themselves don't look bad. They just look strange with the human cast being green screened amongst them. Either way, we'll find out how it actually is when it finally releases April 4, next year.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube785kRemember back in September when Warner Bros. revealed the first trailer for the Minecraft Movie and everyone lost their minds because it didn't look great? Well, the second full-length trailer is now here and it looks... better? We guess.Prepare yourselves, folks, it looks like the live-action adaptation will feature some Steve lore. The trailer kicks off with a peek at Steve's backstory "As a child, I yearned for the mines", heh showing us how Jack Black's protagonist got to the blocky world in the first place. At least, it kinda explains it. There's only so much realism you can pour into a product like Minecraft at the end of the day.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube785kWatch on YouTube The script still sounds cheesy as hell, the green screen is more than a little distracting, and we're still not quite sure what Jason Momoa is doing here. But hey, at least this one uses the OG music.'A Minecraft Movie' (yep, that's the title they're going with) will land in North American cinemas on 4th April 2025, with an international release starting 2nd April 2025. Blocked"Please send this back to the crafting table"The goal is to authentically capture "the spirit of Minecraft"What do you make of this new Minecraft Movie trailer? Will you be heading to cinemas to check it out next year? Let us know in the comments.[source youtube.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesThe First Review For Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Is InFamitsu rates itRound Up: The Reviews Are In For Dragon Quest III HD-2D RemakeThe Scores of SalvationDonkey Kong Country Returns HD - Best Pre-Order Deals And Cheapest PricesIncluding the new Adventure BundleSonic 3 Director Teases Another Character Reveal At The End Of The MovieBut who will it be?

If you've been wanting more Pokmon avatars for your Switch, the Switch Online 'Missions and Rewards' program is now offering new and returning icons.As highlighted by Serebii.net, you can now get icons based on Pokmon Scarlet and Violet's DLC offerings. The first wave is now underway and will be followed by multiple other icons featuring trainers and various Pokmon from the newest entries.Here's a look at what's up for grabs (including a Shiny Rayquaza):NSO Icon Alerts on social media has provided a closer look at the first wave of offerings based on The Teal Mask. The avatars are 10 Platinum Points each and borders & backgrounds will set you back 5 Platinum Points each.In some related news, a new distribution event is also available for Scarlet and Violet. And in some other Pokmon news this week, Scarlet and Violet have also surpassed the sales of Pokmon Red and Green in Japan. You can learn more about this in our previous coverage on Nintendo Life: Finally overtaking Red and GreenGet 'em while they're hotSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube785kWatch on YouTube Will you be grabbing any of these new icons? Let us know in the comments.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesMario & Luigi's Future In Doubt As A Potential Sony Acquisition EmergesMust... consolidate...New Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Update Leaves The Switch BehindLa-li-lu-le-lower resolutionReview: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Switch) - Square Doesn't Drop The Ball, Just Some FramesThe wait is finally overThe First Review For Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Is InFamitsu rates it

The U.K. government is not ruling out further beefing up existing online safety rules by adding an Australian-style ban on social media for under 16s technology secretary, Peter Kyle, has said. Back in the summer the government warned it may toughen laws for tech platforms in the wake of riots that were perceived to have been fuelled by online disinformation following a knife attack which killed three young girls. Since then its emerged that some of the people prosecuted for rioting were minors amping up concerns about social medias influence on impressionable, developing minds. Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today program on Wednesday Kyle was asked whether the government would ban social media for under 16s. He responded by saying everything is on the table with me.Kyle was being interviewed as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) set out its priorities for enforcement of the Online Safety Act (OSA) which parliament passed last year. The OSA targets a grab-bag of online harms, from cyberbullying and hate speech, to intimate image abuse, scam ads and animal cruelty, with U.K. legislators saying they want to make the country the safest place to go online in the world. Although the strongest driver has been a child safeguarding impetus, with lawmakers responding to concerns that kids are accessing harmful and inappropriate content. DSITs Statement of Strategic Priorities continues this theme, by putting child safety at the top of the list. Strategic Priorities for online safetyHere are DSITs five priorities for the OSA in full: 1. Safety by design:Embed safety by design to deliver safe online experiences for all users but especially children, tackle violence against women and girls, and work towards ensuring that there are no safe havens for illegal content and activity, including fraud, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and illegal disinformation.2. Transparency and accountability:Ensure industry transparency and accountability from platforms to deliver online safety outcomes, promoting increased trust and expanding the evidence-base to provide safer experiences for users.3. Agile regulation:Deliver an agile approach to regulation, ensuring the framework is robust in monitoring and tackling emerging harms such as AI generated content.4. Inclusivity and resilience:Create an inclusive, informed and vibrant digital world which is resilient to potential harms, including disinformation.5. Technology and innovation:Foster the innovation of online safety technologies to improve the safety of users and drive growth.The mention of illegal disinformation is interesting since the last government removed clauses in the bill that had focused on this area over freedom of speech concerns. But in the wake of the summer riots the government said it would review OSA powers and could seek to strengthen them in light of social media use during the disorder.It is essential that we learn from these events and hold platforms to account for their part in securing the UK online information environment and safeguarding the UK from future crises, the government wrote. In Wednesdays full draft statement, it also had this to say on online mis/disinformation:A particular area of focus for the government is the vast amount of misinformation and disinformation that can be encountered by users online. Platforms should have robust policies and tools in place to minimise this content where it relates to their duties under the Act.Countering misinformation and disinformation is challenging for services, given the need to preserve legitimate debate and free speech online. However, the growing presence of disinformation poses a unique threat to our democratic processes and to societal cohesion in the UK and must be robustly countered. Services should also remain live to emerging information threats, with the flexibility to quickly and robustly respond, and minimise the damaging effects on users, particularly vulnerable groups.DSITs intervention will steer how Ofcom enforces the law by requiring it to report back on the governments priorities.For over a year, Ofcom, the regulator tasked with overseeing Internet platforms and services compliance with the OSA, has been preparing to implement the OSA by consulting and producing detailed guidance, such as in areas like age verification technology. Enforcement of the regime is finally expected to start from next Spring when Ofcom will actively take up powers that could lead to fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover for tech firms that fail to meet the laws duty of care. What I want to do is look at the evidence, Kyle also said on kids and social media, pointing to the simultaneous launch of a feasibility study which he said would look at the areas where evidence is lacking.Per DSIT, this study will explore the effects of smartphone and social media use on children, to help bolster research and strengthen the evidence needed to build a safer online world.There are assumptions about the impact [social media] has on children and young people, but there is no firm, peer reviewed evidence, Kyle also told the BBC, suggesting that any U.K. ban on kids use of social media must be evidence-led. During the interview with the BBCs Emma Barnett, Kyle was also pressed on what the government has done to tackle gaps that he had previously suggested the online safety law contained. He responded by flagging a change its enacted that requires platforms to be more proactive about tackling intimate image abuse. Tackling intimate image abuseIn September DSIT announced that it is making sharing intimate images without consent a priority offence under the OSA requiring social media and other in-scope platforms and services to clamp down on the abusive practice or face the risk of big fines. The move effectively bumped up the severity of the intimate image abuse sharing offence within the Online Safety Act, so platforms have to be proactive in removing the content and prevent it from appearing in the first place, DSIT spokesman Glen Mcalpine confirmed. In further remarks to the BBC, Kyle said the change has meant social media companies must use algorithms to prevent intimate images from being uploaded in the first place. They had to proactively demonstrate to our regulator Ofcom that the algorithms would prevent that material going on in the first place. And if an image did appear online they needed to be taken down as fast as reasonably could be expected after being alerted, he said, warning of heavy fines for non-compliance. Its one area where you can see that harm is being prevented, rather than actually getting out into society and then us dealing with it afterwards which is what was happening before, he added. Now, thousands and thousands of women are now protected prevented from having the degradation, the humiliation, and sometimes being pushed towards suicidal thoughts because of that one power that I enacted.