Meta is tweaking Instagram’s recommendation algorithm to, it hopes, boost “original content” for photo and carousel posts on Instagram. The company tweaked Instagram’s algorithm in 2024 to penalize accounts that recycle other accounts’ Reels posts, but didn’t expand the same protections to photo and carousel posts at the time. (Not that I particularly noticed any difference to the churn on my Reels, personally.) Reshare accounts without “material” edits could see their reach throttled. The question is: where is the line when it comes to a material edit?
Also, you might have noticed a few changes as Engadget moves to its new home at Static Media. Expect to hear more about everything soon, including some adjustments to this very newsletter — we’ll be back in your inboxes very soon. Thanks for your continued support and readership and have a great weekend!
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
Samsung’s rumored smartglasses could appear soon
Android Headlines has shared renders of what it says are “Jingu”, Samsung’s upcoming smart glasses. Reportedly, Samsung’s first pair of smartglasses won’t feature a display, but that’s likely coming with another pair in 2027. The specs will run on the Android XR wearables platform and will likely feature heavy integration of Google’s Gemini. Samsung has a major Unpacked event scheduled for July, so that we can get some official details then. The glasses could cost between $380 and $500 — even when privacy concerns have never been more front and center in folks’ minds
The new Resident Evil movie looks actually (truly) scary
Directed by Zach Cregger, fresh off his Oscar-winning Weapons, we have our first teaser for a new (non-Paul W.S. Anderson) Resident Evil movie. It shows a medical courier fighting for his life at a rural farmhouse, a little bit like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. This is a standalone story set in the Resident Evil universe, with no Milla Jovovich in sight. Maybe she’ll be a Tyrant.
The minimalist Light Phone III will get some minimalist apps
Light has announced a developer program for the Light Phone III, allowing people to create tools for the minimalist device. In addition to providing an SDK, Light will also provide a platform for sharing and distributing tools. “The idea is to provide a curated, non-commercial, open-source platform of user-created tools that expand the utility of the device — without compromising the Light mission to create technology that doesn’t want your constant attention.”
