All posts tagged: Facebook

Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell dies: ‘Terribly sad news’

Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell dies: ‘Terribly sad news’

Published by Sam Flores

Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died. The “terribly sad news” was announced by Greg Brooks, the band‘s official archivist, on Facebook this week. Mitchell was Queen’s second bassist, after Mike Grose, and played 13 gigs with the band between August 1970 and January 1971 before leaving because he “wasn’t enthusiastic enough about their music“. Doug Bogie then took over for two gigs before the band finally settled on long-time bassist John Deacon. Queen released their self-titled debut album in 1973 and achieved international stardom with their 1975 record A Night at the Opera. In 2018, Mitchell spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about his time with the band in their early days. “We played quite a few concerts in England, notably in Liverpool,” he said. “Since we didn’t have enough original songs to last a whole show and Freddie [Mercury] loved classic rock & roll, we played that too.” Asked about his exit from the band, Mitchell told Rolling Stone that he was “fired” because his fellow bandmates “thought I was useless”. However, he went …

Facebook Has a New Marketplace App and Verification Checks for Everyone

Facebook Has a New Marketplace App and Verification Checks for Everyone

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Many of us only open Meta’s original social media app to browse listings on Facebook Marketplace. Now, sellers are getting a new standalone app to help manage their listings, Meta announced on Friday. The app is called Seller, and it’s available now to download on iOS and Android. You don’t have to download the app to sell things on Facebook, but it is designed to offer you better ways to manage your listings and interact with buyers. You’ll have all your Marketplace history in the Seller app once you log in with your Facebook account. On the homepage, you get an overview of all your activity and reminders about tasks you need to do to complete sales. There’s a dedicated data insights tab, which would be useful for people trying to turn their reselling hobby into a real business. The messages inbox would presumably help keep your conversations with potential buyers separate from chats with your friends and family in Messenger. Facebook’s core strengths in the TikTok era have been Marketplace and Groups. These two …

Facebook Marketplace Enters The AI Thirst-Trap Era

Facebook Marketplace Enters The AI Thirst-Trap Era

Published by Jenni Sidey

Searching Facebook Marketplace in the AI era has revealed a strange new phenomenon: sellers are running product photos through chatbots or image generators to insert scantily clad women into listings. This marketing ploy seemingly bets that thirst-trap imagery will boost clicks and improve the chances of selling whatever item is listed on the online marketplace. “This dude on FB Marketplace has multiple listings for heavy Caterpillar industrial equipment superimposed with AI-generated female models. Must have industry-leading click-through rates,” journalist Trung Phan wrote on X. This dude on FB Marketplace has multiple listing for heavy Caterpillar industrial equipment superimposed with AI-generated female models. Must have industry-leading click through rates. Absolutely crying rn. https://t.co/Mpx6QIdOtQ pic.twitter.com/EINbmxJO66 — Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) May 28, 2026 Sure enough, the thirst-trap imagery appears to be working… Oh trung I tried the same thing with my gym machinery, and im flooded with interest today LOL pic.twitter.com/a9E47WwYBy — Simon Biscuits ☻ (@seempaq) May 28, 2026 Here’s another example. One Facebook Marketplace seller said the marketing ploy absolutely works. The listings were dead until I …

Norwegian journalist says Meta suspended her accounts after challenging Modi

Norwegian journalist says Meta suspended her accounts after challenging Modi

Published by Sam Flores

A Norwegian journalist who publicly challenged Narendra Modi over press freedom in India during his visit to Oslo has claimed that her Instagram and Facebook accounts were suspended days after the exchange triggered a political controversy. Helle Lyng, an Oslo-based reporter with the newspaper Dagsavisen, said on Wednesday that she had been locked out of both Meta-owned platforms following a wave of attention surrounding her questioning of the Indian prime minister and senior diplomats. “If you’re trying to reach me on Instagram or Facebook, I would like to let you know I have been suspended from both accounts. I have wanted to respond to as many Indians as possible, but my responses will now be delayed. I hope I will get my accounts back,” she wrote on X, tagging Meta. The company has not publicly commented on the suspensions or provided a reason for the accounts being disabled. The Independent has reached out seeking a comment from the social media giant. The dispute began earlier this week during a joint appearance in Oslo by Mr …

‘Muslim only’ flat rentals advertised in London

‘Muslim only’ flat rentals advertised in London

Published by Sam Flores

Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, an investigation by The Telegraph has found. The listings, posted on Facebook, Gumtree and Telegram, a social media and messaging channel, feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”. Others include direct appeals to Punjabi and Gujarati speakers or Kerala and Haryana people, while there are also job vacancies on the platforms that are advertised for men only. On Facebook, a company called Roshan Properties, which also has a TikTok account, had dozens of listings stating “prefer Muslim boy”, “one double room is available for Muslims” and “suitable for Punjabi boy”. Others advertised for “Hindus only” while there are also posts from those seeking to rent on religious lines, including one listing that states: “The house should be alcohol and smoke free.” Facebook took the page down after being alerted by The Telegraph. Gumtree listings also include requests for only Muslim and Hindu tenants. All the advertisements appear to breach the Equality …

Houston city bus listed on Facebook Marketplace

Houston city bus listed on Facebook Marketplace

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. You can find a lot of random things for sale on Facebook Marketplace: vintage collectibles, oversized teeth in a suitcase, and even a World War I shipwreck. Now bargain hunters can get their hands on a 2002 Houston METRO bus for the low, low price of $2,800. Software developer Julius Jones and a friend purchased the bus at an auction in 2017. Jones told ABC 13 that he sold the vehicle to a man who planned to renovate it, but the man reportedly later returned the bus, blaming it for breaking up his marriage. So while it might seem like a good deal, it could be cursed. Former METRO bus listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace “When buses are decommissioned, METRO removes all onboard equipment and identifying information, including bus numbers and most exterior decals, before the vehicle is disposed of in accordance with federal requirements,” a spokesperson for METRO Houston told ABC 13. “In some cases, larger exterior …

Abandoned motel with lights still on and mattresses on beds | US | News

Abandoned motel with lights still on and mattresses on beds | US | News

Published by Sam Flores

The motel has been closed for two years (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/Mint Images RF) Amazing photographs shared on Reddit offer a glimpse into a deserted US motel that was forced to close down after being hit by a hurricane. The striking images reveal the distinctive property, which boasts an entirely turquoise colour scheme both internally and externally. The Reddit user uploaded several shots of the motel, commenting: “Pretty much nothing there but cool to see.” The photographs reveal rubbish scattered across the car park, whilst interior shots suggest the building remains in relatively decent condition. Despite bedding, cushions, and various debris littering one hallway, much of the property appears largely unchanged from its operational days. READ MORE: ‘I’ve visited Disney parks over 50 times – these are the major errors to avoid’ READ MORE: Inside America’s ‘scariest’ motel with 6,500 clowns and mysterious unseen voices One photograph captured within a guest room reveals two mattresses on twin beds, both appearing to be in excellent condition. The room’s interior walls feature neutral beige paint, enhanced …

Facebook AI Slop Has Grown So Dark That You May Not Be Prepared

Facebook AI Slop Has Grown So Dark That You May Not Be Prepared

Published by José Betancourt

For years now, Facebook’s feeds have been drowned out by an unrelenting tidal wave of AI slop, turning the platform — which feels like it’s long been abandoned by practically anybody under the age of 65 — into an unrecognizable digital hellscape. It’s already been two years since we came across a picture of “shrimp Jesus” for the first time, an early form of AI-generated junk that foreshadowed an even more nonsensical future, culminating in Merriam-Webster making “slop” its 2025 word of the year last month. Now, thanks to the advent of accessible text-to-video generators, which can cough up footage from a simple text prompt, the situation on Facebookand other Meta platforms is turning from dire to disastrous. A quick perusal of the r/FacebookAIslop subreddit reveals the macabre underbelly of the AI slop world, once again highlighting how social media feeds have turned from posts created by our friends and family into an endless parade of mind-numbing drek. One 50-second video making its rounds shows what appears to be a humanoid cat cooking a meal, …

How to be an extraordinary Christian during Ordinary Time

How to be an extraordinary Christian during Ordinary Time

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — With Christmas season over, Christians move into what the church refers to as “Ordinary Time.” This is the time outside of Christmas season, Lent and Easter season. “Ordinary” in English means “routine, usual, common.” In other words, nothing special. But the name “Ordinary Time” originally comes from the fact that the weeks are numbered using ordinal numbers — like first, second or third. For example, last Sunday was the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. This year, there are six Ordinary Sundays before we reach Lent. We then do not return to Ordinary Time until after Pentecost; Ordinary Time then continues until Advent, for a total of 34 weeks in Ordinary Time this year. But there is no reason that Ordinary Time must be ordinary. It can be special if we use it to deepen our experience of the Scriptures and prayer. Catholics should be embarrassed by how little they read the Scriptures. According to Pew Research Center, only 12% of Catholics read the Scriptures at least once a week, compared with 52% of evangelical …