News

Blocking Users Is About To Get Tougher On X

The latest move could be about increasing engagement, though it’s hard to ignore the fact that the 2024 US presidential election is looming.

Published

10 months ago

September 24, 2024

Nour Nasir

blocking users is about to get tougher on x

According to the ever-controversial Elon Musk, social media platform X is about to lose its block feature. The CEO confirmed the upcoming change in a reply to Nima Owji, the developer who first reported the news.

High time this happened.

The block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block seeing, public post.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 23, 2024

Since its inception when the site was known as Twitter, the block feature has allowed users to prevent unwanted views and engagement on their public posts. However, when the latest update kicks in, those blocked accounts will once again be able to view all public posts.

Although Musk originally threatened to remove the block feature entirely, the latest tweak to X won’t go that far and will instead mean that blocked users will only be able to view public posts, not engage with them via likes, replies, or reposts.

Also Read: How To Find & Cancel Pending Instagram Requests

Musk’s confirmation of the upcoming changes has been alarming to many users who have faced trolling or stalking on the platform. It will also now be trivially easy to screen-capture and repost content from accounts that were previously invisible due to blocks.

News

Google Launches Flow And Gemini Photo-To-Video In MENA

Creators in the Middle East and North Africa can now use Gemini to turn photos into short videos, and access Google’s new AI filmmaking tool, Flow.

Published

3 days ago

July 11, 2025

Nour Nasir

Google

Google has rolled out new AI-powered creative tools across the Middle East and North Africa, including a photo-to-video feature in Gemini and the regional launch of its AI filmmaking platform, Flow.

The photo-to-video tool is available to Gemini Advanced users on Pro and Ultra plans. It allows users to transform still images into animated, sound-enhanced video clips up to eight seconds long. To use the feature, users select “Videos” from the Gemini prompt menu, upload an image, and describe the desired animation and audio. The tool then generates a short video that can be shared or downloaded directly from the interface.

Designed to animate static moments, the feature supports a range of creative use cases — from bringing illustrations and paintings to life to adding movement to everyday scenes or natural landscapes.

Alongside this, Google is launching Flow: a more advanced platform for AI-assisted video creation. Built on Google’s Veo, Imagen, and Gemini models, Flow is designed for both professional filmmakers and beginners looking to build scenes, experiment with visuals, or explore new storytelling formats.

Flow includes tools such as:

Camera Controls for setting motion paths, angles, and perspectives.
Scenebuilder for extending or linking shots with smooth transitions and consistent subjects.
Asset Management for organizing prompts and generated material.

Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide

Flow is now accessible in Arabic and across MENA markets. Google reports over 40 million Veo 3 video generations have been made across Gemini and Flow in the past seven weeks alone. All content includes a visible AI watermark and an invisible SynthID marker to ensure traceability.

Both Flow and Gemini’s photo-to-video tools are available through Google’s subscription-based AI tiers.