Top 5 Tech Reads: Dec 11–17

via Mashable

A new Reddit mobile app, a deeper look at the Net Neutrality repeal, and rumors of the Samsung Galaxy S9. Check out our top tech reads from last week!

1. Reddit launches new mobile apps with support for real-time comments, chat, mod tools and more. The apps are getting a major upgrade — the first since their launch last year. The updated apps introduce a number of new features focused on media consumption — including how it handles photos, videos and GIFs — plus the addition of things like live comment feeds, in-app chat, tools for moderators and more. (TechCrunch)
2. Why Net Neutrality Was Repealed and How It Affects You. The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, which required internet service providers to offer equal access to all web content without charging consumers for higher-quality delivery or giving preferential treatment to certain websites. (NYT Tech)
3. Samsung Galaxy S9 might be announced in February. There were murmurs that Samsung would switch things up this year and reveal the Galaxy S9 at CES in January, instead of at its own “Unpacked” event a few months later. But it appears that may not happen. Samsung could still unveil another phone — perhaps the long-rumored foldable “Galaxy X” — at CES, though. A Bloomberg report claims Samsung is expected to unveil two versions of the Galaxy S9 — a regular S9 and larger S9+, which sounds about right considering the company did the same for the last two years running with the S7 and S8.(Mashable)
4. Facebook will soon demote posts that beg for likes, comments, and shares. Starting this week, Facebook will begin demoting spammy or “engagement bait” posts that goad users into taking actions like sharing, tagging, liking, or commenting. Posts which prompt users to “Tag a friend who likes to nap!” seem popular because they game Facebook’s algorithms, which causes Facebook to prioritize those posts in more News Feeds. (The Verge)
5. Finnish autonomous car goes for a leisurely cruise in the driving snow. It’s one thing for an autonomous car to strut its stuff on a smooth, warm California tarmac, and quite another to do so on the frozen winter mix of northern Finland. Martti, a self-driving vehicle system homegrown in Finland, demonstrated just this in a record-setting drive along a treacherous Laplandish road. (TechCrunch)

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