A story about a downward-tilting toilet is getting clicks, Instagram says goodbye to branded posts that advertise vapes, weapons, and tobacco, and Canada wants to force streaming services to show more Canadian content.
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You can wave goodbye to those comfort breaks. The founding member of an organization called StandardToilet got the greenlight from the British Toilet Association to distribute his product – a toilet that sits at a 13-degree downward angle – across train stations, pubs, shopping malls and offices. Wired UK reports the founder of StandardToilet says the inspiration came after discovering workers asleep on the toilet and long queues for public toilets. The article also notes that after five minutes of sitting, it will cause a strain on the legs but “not enough to cause health issues.” In the UK, over 1,500 ‘smart public toilets’ that collect visitor data and footfall numbers have been installed by another company called Healthmatic, which provides the computer systems used in public restrooms, and feeds data back to clients, most of whom are public authorities. This data includes tourist visitor numbers to anti-social behaviour.
Trending on Reddit is news that Instagram plans to crack down on influencers whose branded posts advertise vapes, weapons and tobacco. Additionally, the social media giant says it will start putting “special restrictions” around the promotion of other products, like diet supplements and alcohol. In these cases, the company says it’ll let creators restrict who can see their content based on age, tying into an upcoming feature the company mentioned earlier this month when it announced that new users would have to input their birthdates.
And lastly, trending on LinkedIn is a story from the National Post about the Canadian government’s latest efforts to encourage streaming companies like Disney Plus, Netflix and Amazon Prime to have more Canadian content. Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault is spearheading the development of new rules to streaming companies that will force them to put Canadian content upfront. Currently, a Canadian content definition requires a Canadian company to oversee production while having Canadians in key roles like writer, director or lead actor.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing.