YouTube ad-free subscription service said to launch on October 22nd
YouTube is expected to release a subscription service that will get rid of ads; there is no secret there. The rumors have been going strong about it. The issue is so far all we have gotten is a general sense of the idea. Needless to say we have been itching for more details, and today we might be getting the best YouTube murmurs around the inter webs.
Sources have been told that a launch is to be expected by the end of October, but that is merely words. Those who need a bit more proof can now turn to look at an email YouTube content creators have been getting. This message (posted at the bottom of this article) asks that YouTube channel owners agree to a new set of terms of service, or else their videos “will no longer be available for public display or monetization in the USA”. This action must be taken care of by October 22nd, which strongly suggests this may be the same day Google launches the new YouTube subscription service.
This evidence is accompanied by other rumors coming from “video industry sources”, who claim this service is to be bundled with YouTube Music Key, the company’s music streaming paid subscription. But most of you are probably more worried about how much subscribers will pocket out to get an ad-free YouTube and Music Key, a due that is rumored to be named YouTube Red.
The details are actually a bit weird, as it’s said Google will charge only $10 a month for this. This would be the same amount of cash Music Key was expected to cost on its own, leaving much of the industry scratching heads. Is this a good decision, financially, with music labels likely getting most of the money? We are sure Google wouldn’t go ahead and lose money doing this. Right?
Maybe YouTube Music Key simply needed more to offer than its own music streaming capabilities, and the promise of no ads will simply entice more users to sign up. Where do you stand on this? Would you pay $10 a month to get rid of ads and gain access to Music Key?
Letter to YouTube content owners:
For years, YouTube’s fans have been telling us they want more — more choice when watching their favorite content, more ways to support their favorite creators and, above all, the option to watch their favorite videos uninterrupted.
To give fans more choice we will be launching a new ads-free version of YouTube, available to fans for a monthly fee. This service will create a new source of revenue over time that supplements your advertising revenue. That’s why an overwhelming majority of our partners — representing over 95% of YouTube watchtime — have asked for and signed up for this service.
As you heard in our previous emails, we want to ensure that fans who choose to pay for an ads-free experience can watch all the same videos that are available on the ads-supported experience. That’s why we’re asking you to update your agreement to reflect the updated terms for the ads-free service.
To accept, simply log into YouTube.com as “pakafka” from a desktop or laptop and follow the prompts by October 22nd.
If you haven’t signed by that date, your videos will no longer be available for public display or monetization in the United States. That outcome would be a loss for YouTube, a loss for the thriving presence you’ve built on the platform, and above all, a loss for your fans. We remain committed to working with you, as we always have. And of course, at any time, you can accept the updated terms which will make your videos public and monetizable again. Common FAQs can be found here.
We believe these new terms will greatly strengthen our partnership for the future. We went through a similar process three years ago when we began distributing and monetizing your content on mobile devices. Today, mobile represents over half of all watchtime and mobile revenue is up 2x in just the last year. Just as with mobile, we’re confident this latest update will excite your fans and generate a previously untapped, additional source of revenue for you.
If you have questions or encounter technical difficulties, we’re here to help: reach out to us for support here.
The YouTube Team
Latest iPhone screen bypass is tougher than the Contra code
Apple has just rolled out iOS 9.1, and it unfortunately has a flaw in tow that gives nosy techies a way to bypass your lock screen — yet again. YouTube user videosdebarraquito posted a recording of how the hack is carried out, as you can see below the fold. Similar to previous bypass techniques (and there were several), the latest one is also quite tough to execute: the hacker has to be fast enough to launch Siri after typing in five incorrect passcodes and before the device locks him out. The timing has to be perfect or else it wouldn’t work, but if it does, then he can jump into the clock app from Siri, then into Messages, Contacts and Photos.
That potentially compromises your friends’ and families’ details, private communications and images. Thankfully, Ars Technica says that the technique doesn’t always work. It might be because the other people who attempted it weren’t fast enough (we sure weren’t when we tried), but it could also be due to specific settings. To be safe, you can use a six-digit/letter passcode instead of four, disable Siri until the flaw gets fixed or make sure no random person touches your phone.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: videosdebarraquito (YouTube)
AT&T Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge start receiving Android 5.1.1 update
If you’re a Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge owner and you’re a subscriber of AT&T, we have some good news for you. Starting today, owners of either handset will receive an update to Android 5.1.1.
Android 5.1.1 is currently the latest and greatest version of Google’s Android operating system, that is, until September 29. The update will be rolling out via OTA in waves, so it may be today, tomorrow or the next day that your handset gets the notification to update. If you’re impatient, you can check in your settings under About and software updates.
With the new update, users will get access to Samsung’s new wireless payment service, ‘Samsung Pay’. Which begins on September 29 if you live in the United States. Samsung advises users to have at least 50% battery life prior to beginning the update. In addition, you might want to connect your handset to a stable Wi-Fi connection in order to avoid data overages. Happy updating!
Source: Android Central
Come comment on this article: AT&T Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge start receiving Android 5.1.1 update
Sprint thinks its existing wireless spectrum is enough
Phone carriers usually have a voracious appetite for wireless spectrum, and for good reason: they don’t want to lose your business because their networks are overloaded or missing coverage. Sprint isn’t in a hurry, however. The provider just announced that it’s passing on the FCC’s upcoming 600MHz auction after determining that its existing airwaves are “sufficient” for its future needs. The goal right now is to improve service on the frequencies that Sprint already has by adding tons of extra cell sites and aggregating bandwidth.
This isn’t necessarily a bad idea. Sprint has a ton of spectrum to work with, and the biggest challenge is to make sure you can use those untapped (or poorly tapped) resources. And while Big Yellow is no longer bleeding cash as much as it used to, it could certainly stand to save the billions of dollars it would need to outbid the likes of AT&T and Verizon.
However, passing on the auction is still a big gamble. Sprint is betting that there won’t be a big spike in demand that requires more spectrum than it has, or that the lack of 600MHz support won’t hobble compatibility or performance down the line. Moreover, there’s a concern that Sprint doesn’t always make the wisest investments in its own network. Remember how Sprint jumped on WiMAX in order to have 4G data before everyone else, only to regret its decision and spend a lot of time playing catch-up with its LTE-toting rivals? Yeah. History certainly isn’t guaranteed to repeat itself, but there is a chance that Sprint could save money now only to lose a lot more down the road.
[Image credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: Sprint
YouTube’s ad-free subscription service may still be on track for a late October debut
YouTube’s upcoming ad-free subscription service looks like it’s slated for an October release, which should be less than a month away, assuming everything stays on track. This new service is expected to be rolled up into YouTube’s Music Key subscription, which we think might get a name change to YouTube Red. Nothing is certain just yet, but we’ve all expected something to happen with Google’s video streaming service sooner or later, and we’ve been hearing things for a while.
Both the ad-free music and video service is expected to be sold as one single package through Google and will cost about $10 per month. It’s tough to see how Google will make money doing that, especially considering the bulk of its revenue comes from advertising, but no details are set in stone just yet. It’s always possible that it’ll be offered at an introductory price then raised later on, similar to what happened with All Access initially.
Since Music Key is currently bundled in with All Access, it’s not exactly clear how things will split apart, if they will at all. It’s hard to imagine Google being able to bundle all three services into one for less than $10 a month, but we’ll see as we get closer to the actual date of release.
source: re/code
via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: YouTube’s ad-free subscription service may still be on track for a late October debut
Hangouts 5.0 update expected to fix lag issues and bring support for GIFs
Google Hangouts is rumored to get an update to version 5.0 pretty soon, and it’s going to bring a handful of much needed bug fixes. One of the biggest things that’s been lacking in Hangouts has been GIF support, and it looks like the update will be fixing that.
Currently, Hangouts 4 sends GIFs as static images until the recipient taps on the image. That takes a lot of fun out of sending GIFs, so being able to see the files animate in real time is a very welcome addition.
The update is also expected to bring some lag fixes, which has been a problem for Hangouts recently. No word on when the update will be live, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.
via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Hangouts 5.0 update expected to fix lag issues and bring support for GIFs
Google mistakenly lists Huawei Watch with 4GB of RAM
Google listed Huawei’s new Android Wear smartwatch on the Google Store a few weeks back. Up until this point, no one realized that the company mistakenly listed the watch with 4GB of RAM.
Now 4GB of RAM on a smartphone is just becoming the norm, but on a smartwatch? The majority, if not all Android Wear smartwatches have 512MB of RAM installed. But according to the Huawei Watch’s listing on the Google Store, this is not the case. Now obviously it’s an error because everywhere else the Huawei Watch is listed with 512MB, and 4GB or RAM on a smartwatch is kind of overkill. I’m sure once Google discovers the mistake, it will provide a fix.
The listing shows 512MB of RAM, 4GB of RAM. One could infer that the company meant 4GB of on-board storage space because that’s what most smartwatches have these days. If you happen to be interested in purchasing the Huawei Watch, it will cost you $399 at the Google Store.
Come comment on this article: Google mistakenly lists Huawei Watch with 4GB of RAM
AT&T Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge now getting Android 5.1.1 update
It sure took AT&T a while, but the popular carrier is finally releasing the Android 5.1.1 update to Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge devices across the USA. Plenty of online reports claim the update started rolling out today and is ready for download.
Before proceeding with the update, keep in mind this is a 660 MB file, which is a pretty hefty size. You will want to give the device time for it to download, preferably over a WiFi connection.
There are a few main changes in tow. Of course, the usual Android 5.1.1 improvements are around, including improved Quick Settings, revamped volume settings and more. But this specific update also brings some neat improvements that are exclusive to the Galaxy devices.
Samsung users can now get rid of the S Settings and Quick Connect buttons, for example. There’s also changes to the icons, making them look more similar to those in the Galaxy Note 5. The camera app should also be getting some added functionality, and Guest Mode is likely to be added, as well as Android Pay.
Those who are not getting the notification to update should head over to Settings > About Phone > Software Update and check to see if they have any upgrades available now. Those Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge devices deserve it!
Have any of you guys gotten the update? Can you find any other new changes? Hit the comments to let us know!
Aaron Sorkin Apologizes for Blasting Tim Cook’s ‘Opportunistic’ Comment
Early this month Tim Cook sat down with Stephen Colbert for an interview and called movies made about Steve Jobs “opportunistic.” Yesterday, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin issued a scathing response to Cook, saying “if you’ve got a factory full of children in China assembling phones for 17 cents an hour you’ve got a lot of nerve calling someone else opportunistic.”
Today, during an interview with E! News, Sorkin walked back his comments, saying that both he and Cook went a little too far.
“You know what, I think that Tim Cook and I probably both went a little too far. And I apologize to Tim Cook. I hope when he sees the movie, he enjoys it as much as I enjoy his products.”
Sorkin’s Steve Jobs film, which stars Michael Fassbender as Jobs and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak will be released in New York and Los Angeles on October 9. The film will expand to more theaters on October 16 and open nationwide on October 23. Early reviews of Steve Jobs have called it “thrilling”, with Oscar buzz surrounding the film.
The film is based on Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography, which Cook has said does a “tremendous disservice” to the Steve Jobs that he knew. The movie follows Jobs during three product launches, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how Jobs interacted with friends, colleagues and family.
Uber starts testing pre-paid service for events in NYC
Uber is launching yet another new product, but this one targets a specific group of people: event organizers, especially those tired of fielding calls from guests who can’t make it due to car troubles. The service called UberEvents allows organizers to buy and secure passes ahead of the occasion to send to guests, clients or whoever needs one to get to the location via email. Guests will only have to enter the code under the Promotions section of the Uber app to hail a ride. Now, nobody will be able to use car issues as an excuse anymore, and party planners won’t have to worry about how to send drunk guests home. Uber is initially making Events available to Business users and select people in New York City, though the service will be accessible by everyone in the metropolis within the coming weeks.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Uber
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