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Roblox, a gaming app used by nearly half of the entire U.S. population of under-16s, has rolled out a new mandatory safety feature to put a stop to children communicating with adults on the platform. Starting on January 7, players in the U.S. were required to submit to facial age estimation via the app to access the chat feature, although age verification remains optional to play the games themselves. Users in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands are already required to complete an age check to chat with other users, but the requirement will now roll out to the U.S. and beyond. The verification is being processed by a third-party vendor, Persona. Once the age check is processed, Roblox says it will delete any images or videos of users. If the age-check process incorrectly estimates a users age, the decision can be appealed and the child’s age verified through alternative methods. Users 13 or older may also opt for ID-based checks. Once users complete the age check, they are assigned to one of six age groups (under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, and 21+). Users can only communicate with players directly above and below their own age group. For example, a 9-year-old cannot chat with users older than 15, and a 16-year-old can only chat with those ages 13 to 20. The feature is designed to prevent children younger than 16 from communicating with adults. About 42% of Roblox users are younger than 13. “As the first large online gaming platform to require facial age checks for users of all ages to access chat, this implementation is our next step toward what we believe will be the gold standard for communication safety,” wrote Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s chief safety officer, and Rajiv Bhatia, its head of user and discovery product, in a blog post. Parental consent is still required for users younger than 9 to access chat features, while age-checked users 13 and older can chat with people they know beyond their immediate age group via the Trusted Connections feature. Leveraging multiple signals, [Roblox is] constantly evaluating user behavior to determine if someone is significantly older or younger than expected, the company execs continued. In these situations, we will begin asking users to repeat the age-check process. The face scan is launching as the company faces increased scrutiny over child safety on the app. Attorneys general around the country are investigating Roblox, and nearly 80 active lawsuits accuse Roblox of enabling child exploitation, with some parents alleging their children encountered predators on the app.
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E-Commerce
Just four days into the new year, awards season kicked off with the Critics Choice Awards. One week later, it’s time for the Golden Globes to shine. The 83rd edition of this star-studded eventwhich takes place on Sunday, January 11, in Beverly Hills, Californiacelebrates greatness in both television and film. Heres everything you need to know about the big night, including how to tune in. History and past controversy of the Golden Globe Awards The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the former organization behind the Golden Globes, was founded in 1943. Under this banner, journalists came together to create an awards ceremony to honor the artists they covered. The first event took place the following year, in 1944. A 2021 Los Angeles Times article revealed several issues within the HFPA, including a complete lack of Black members. This caused many organizations and individuals to boycott the 2022 Globes. NBC declined to air the ceremony, Tom Cruise gave awards back, and several studios distanced themselves. Because of HFPAs many issues, the organization was dissolved and the Globes were sold to Penske Media Eldridge, becoming a for-profit institution. Many are critical of this venture, viewing it as a conflict of interest, as the L.A. Times reported. Penske also owns Dick Clark Productions, the producer of the Globes, and several trade publications such as Variety, Rolling Stone, and The Hollywood Reporter. Who is hosting the 83rd Golden Globes? Despite the ongoing debate, the show must go on. Funny lady Nikki Glaser will emcee the event for her second year in a row. She will be backed up by many talented presenters, such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Macaulay Culkin, Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Queen Latifah, and Regina Hall. Heated Rivalry fans will delight in seeing stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie outside of the “boy aquarium.” Where are the 83rd Golden Globes being held? The 2026 Golden Globes Awards will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This has been its permanent venue since 1961. Who is being honored at the 83rd Golden Globes? This is the first year that the Globes are presenting Golden Week, featuring multiple events leading up to the big night. One of these is a new prime-time special called Golden Eve, during which the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, for outstanding contributions in film and television, will be formally presented. Helen Mirren will receive the former, and Sarah Jessica Parker, the latter. This event aired on Thursday, January 8, but if you missed it, you can watch it after the fact on Paramount+. Who is nominated for a 2026 Golden Globe Award? In the movie world, One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Andersons dark action comedy, leads the pack with nine nominations. Closely on its heels is the Norwegian film Sentimental Value, starring Stellan Skarsgrd. Ryan Cooglers Sinners has seven nods, while Chloé Zhaos Hamnet received six. Both Wicked: For Good and Frankenstein were honored with five nominations. In the television realm, HBOs White Lotus continues its dominance at the Globes with six nominations, while all of Netflixs shows combined received 22. The proposed merger between Netflix and HBO’s parent company could potentially increase Netflixs laurels. Adolescence came in second place with five nods. Only Murders in the Building and Severance tied for third with four each. How to watch the Golden Globes pre-show If you are in it for the fashion, you have red-carpet-arrivals viewing options. The official Golden Globes pre-show will be hosted by Varietys Marc Malkin and Angelique Jackson. It begins at 6:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed for free on Fire TV, Varietys YouTube channel, or Variety.com. Live From E!: Golden Globes 2026 will be hosted by Zuri Hall, Justin Sylvester, and Keltie Knight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. It is available on the E! network and Peacock. How to watch the 83rd Golden Globes Now onto the main event: The 83rd Golden Globes ceremony will air on the CBS broadcast network and on the Paramount+ streaming service. The awards take place tonight (Sunday, January 11) from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. You will need the Paramount+ Premium service to stream the event in real time. Those with Paramount+ Essential subscriptions will have to wait until the next day to view the awards show. If Paramount+ is not in your streaming arsenal, consider other live-TV streaming services that carry CBS, such as DirecTV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV. Just be sure to double-check regional differences before committing to another monthly subscription. And remember that CBS is free if you have an over-the-air antenna.
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E-Commerce
When the inevitable robot uprising comes, Ill be ready, thanks to some valuable lessons I picked up at CES. First, if given the choice of a dance off versus hand to hand combat, opt for the fight. Second, wear a cup when you do. Robotics company Unitree showcased its G-1 humanoid robot at the show. The G-1 is a rarity in the robotic world in that its already on the market for under $15,000. Unitrees booth was an ongoing spectacle, surrounded by people eager for a close look at the dapperlooking unit, wearing a white shirt and button down vest, showcasing impressive dance skills, throwing down moves that even Shabba-Doo and Bugaloo Shrimp could respect. There was another G-1, too — this one with a decidedly more combative directive. By sheer luck, I found myself being asked if I’d like to strap on the gloves and go a round with the G-1. After being force-fed the technology for the better part of a week, I wasnt going to turn down an opportunity to whale on a robot. The fight seemed fixed from the start, though. The G-1 had headgear. None was offered to myself or any other meatbag who stepped into the ring. Its gloves were a cherry red pair from Everlast. The ones velcro’d onto my hands? Salmon colored. As the fight started, I knew I had a few advantages and a few disadvantages. The robot had me beat on strength and stamina, but I had the reach on it. I also had just enough boxing knowledge to know that the best approach was a combination of jabs and upper cuts and to keep my distance. What I didn’t count on was that my height advantage meant that when the robot began swinging, it was mostly at crotch level. I landed several solid shots on its chest cavity, sometimes hard enough to push it back and make it stagger — but, good grief, can that thing take a hit. It just kept coming. The G-1 was terrible at protecting its head, so I focused my next round of punches square in where its nose would have been, had it had to worry about things like oxygen (which, by that point, I was gulping). That hardly slowed it down, but it might have caused some traumatic cranial injuries, as the robot then threw a wild punch combination in the air, completely off target. In the interest of science, I did allow it to land a few hits (with my hip turned). While it wasnt utilizing all of its robotic strength when it hit me, I could feel it. After about four minutes, the robot laid down on the ground and pretended to be knocked out — the company’s way of saying “Ok, time for someone else to have a turn.” When it hopped back up, we posed for a picture together. But I swear it looked ready to throw a few more jabs my way.
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E-Commerce
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