NEWS

YouTube’s homepage redesign focuses on usability, giving you control over recommendations

Published

5 years ago

November 7, 2019

youtubes homepage redesign focuses on usability giving you control over recommendations

YouTube’s homepage is getting a makeover. The company announced today an updated, cleaner design that does away with information density to instead give more room to the videos and their titles, plus other new features like an “Add to Queue” option on the desktop, a desktop version of YouTube’s stop suggesting feature and more.

The design changes rolling out today are focused on the desktop and tablet versions of YouTube, not the YouTube mobile website or app, the company says.

Google, as of late, has been doing away with tighter, more compact displays of text and imagery in its products, allowing the content itself to have more room to breathe. For example, the makeover of the Google News in Search spread out news articles into cards, instead of more compressed groupings of headlines. These sorts of changes benefit readability, but they also mean there’s less content visible on the page before you have to scroll down.

The same now goes for YouTube.

In the updated design, there are fewer videos per row as YouTube is allowing for longer video titles and larger video thumbnails, which makes it easier to see what the video is about.

It’s also adding higher-resolution previews and is giving more space to the channel icons beneath each video, so you can quickly identify those from your favorite creators.

before after new

These changes will impact the homepage’s layout, to some extent.

YouTube says it’s removing some of the content shelves — those areas where it organizes videos by channels and topics. The new homepage will still show some of these same videos, but they won’t be grouped into these shelves anymore. Instead, YouTube’s new design shows videos in shelves like Breaking News and Top News, when it makes sense.

Meanwhile, YouTube is bringing its “Add to queue” option to the desktop. Now, you’ll be able to click on a button on the video thumbnail to either add the video to your Watch Later list, as you can today, or now, to your queue.

You also can do this while still watching a video that’s been minimized to the corner of the page.

Queues are a useful way of quickly building out a playlist on the fly, but they aren’t meant to take the place of a proper playlist — that is, they’re not meant to be saved for later viewing once the queue is complete. YouTube says its desktop queue clears when you close your browser. That means if you want to save videos for viewing across devices, you’ll still want to use the “Watch Later” button as before.

queue shortened large

Another new feature is one that’s making the jump from mobile to desktop.

Earlier this year, YouTube rolled out a series of changes that allowed users to gain more control over what videos were appearing on their homepage and in their Up Next suggestions, which is powered by algorithms. It introduced a “stop suggesting” feature in the form of a button that would allow you to stop being shown videos from a particular channel.

Now that same “Don’t recommend channel” option will be available on the desktop.

You’ll find it on the three-dot menu next to a video on the homepage. Once clicked, that channel’s videos won’t hit your YouTube homepage again. However, this is not a full “block” button — the videos can still come up in search, the Trending tab or if you visit the channel directly.

dontRecommend

Also earlier this year, the YouTube Android app was updated with a new feature that allowed users to select their favorite topics and customize their Home feed with related videos.

This same feature will make its way to desktop and tablets in the near future, but wasn’t ready for today’s launch.

All the changes today are a big boost for readability and usability, though for some creators they also may be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, creators’ videos are being given more real estate on the homepage and their own branding is larger. But on the other, the decreased homepage density means there are fewer spots available to showcase videos before viewers have to scroll down.

The latter changes focused on allowing users more direct input into which videos are shown to them arrive at a time when YouTube has come under pressure, along with other social media companies, for helping to spread hate speech and disinformation by way of algorithms that continually adapt to display more of what people want, no matter how terrible.

To what extent YouTube is culpable is being heavily debated. Contrary to earlier reports, one newer study indicated that it’s not so much the algorithm that radicalizes people, but rather the active communities they find online. But it’s a complex issue. And those who have extricated themselves from dark YouTube rabbit holes point to a variety of factors that led them astray — feeling of isolation, depression and not knowing one’s place in the world, for example, combined with video recommendations that invite them deeper into ever more extremist online communities.

YouTube’s response has so far been to stand by free speech (at least to some extent), while also giving users more tools to make decisions for themselves — like the changes mentioned above.

This sentiment of “if you don’t like it, just don’t watch it” (now by way of an algorithm-override button) isn’t unique to YouTube. These days, it’s common to see people respond to others who are getting angry on Facebook threads by telling them to “just keep scrolling.” In other words, there’s a growing sense that people will have to take personal responsibility to navigate today’s web, as filled as it is with things that a large majority don’t want to see.

YouTube says its updated design will begin rolling out today across desktops and YouTube apps on Android and iOS tablets, and will reach everyone soon.

TechCrunch

NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

Published

3 weeks ago

August 21, 2024

Max

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

Published

6 months ago

March 20, 2024

Max

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.