Amazon outage breaks large parts of the internet

If your favorite website or internet service isn’t accessible today, it’s probably not just you. Amazon Web Services’ S3 cloud storage is experiencing “high error rates” that have caused chaos among many of the sites that depend on AWS to work. Our own website is one of them, but the failure has also affected some or all of Giphy, Medium, Slack, Quora and a slew of other websites and apps you likely use. Some connected home devices aren’t working correctly, either. Even Amazon’s ability to report problems was broken for a while — the AWS dashboard wasn’t changing color because its issue was “related” to S3’s problems.

Amazon hasn’t explained exactly what went wrong or offered an estimated time of repair, although its status page has narrowed the outage down to a North Virginia location. We’ve asked Amazon for more info and will let you know if it can share additional details.

No matter what’s at fault or how long the outage goes on, the incident underscores a mounting problem: an increasing dependence on a handful of services to power large swaths of the internet. AWS and its rivals make cloud features viable for companies that can’t always afford to run their own servers, but they also increase the chances that a failure will affect many people. Unless the tech industry can find a way to diversify its online data sources, these internet-wide crises aren’t going away any time soon.

The dashboard not changing color is related to S3 issue. See the banner at the top of the dashboard for updates.

— Amazon Web Services (@awscloud) February 28, 2017

The moment the presenter realizes S3 is down. #AWS #S3 #Amazon pic.twitter.com/S8gY1J9lrH

— Ian Sherwood (@ian_surewould) February 28, 2017

Via: TechCrunch, Bloomberg

Source: Amazon Web Services, BuzzFeed Tech (Twitter)

YouTube TV is Google’s live TV service

It’s been rumored for a long time now, but YouTube has just officially announced its entry into streaming live TV. YouTube TV will let you access live and recorded content from major networks both broadcast and on cable. All of this will be coupled alongside YouTube’s existing content, and it’ll work on any screen that YouTube is available on. It’ll be available later this spring to customers in the US for $35 a month with no contract; that’ll let up to six users access content whenever they want.

Networks taking part include CBS, Fox, NBC and CBS along with USA and FX. Sports networks include ESPN, Fox Sports and NBCSN — there’s a total of 10 sports networks available. You can also add on Showtime for an additional fee. Local networks for your area will also be included, so you can get the local news and programming broadcasts from the channels you’d see over the air. All in all, the total of “more than 40 networks” is similar to what you get from something like Sony’s PlayStation Vue (you can see them all below).

Still, there are a lot of major networks missing. Most notable are channels from Viacom, Discovery, A&E, AMC and Turner (including TBS and TNT). CNN is also notably absent from the news networks available. This is a place where PlayStation Vue has an advantage — the $35 plan from Sony includes CNN, TBS, TNT, AMC and a number of other channels that YouTube TV doesn’t offer.

YouTube TV also includes unlimited cloud DVR storage, so you can add any series or sports team to your favorites and it’ll save all of them for you. Naturally, YouTube will also use the massive amount of data is has on your interests to help serve you recommendations thanks to its machine learning network. YouTube TV will also eventually work with Google Home, so you can ask Home to start playing a show on your Chromecast and it’ll “just work.”

The standalone mobile app features three main sections: live, library and home. The live tab shows everything currently being broadcast organized by network. As you scroll, you’ll see a live preview of what’s being broadcast on each channel. If you want to watch, you can just tap and it’ll start playing. If you want to watch something later, you can tap the plus icon and start recording a show. When watching in portrait mode, you’ll see recommendations down below it, but you can of course flip the phone on its side to go into full screen mode. There’s also an ever-present “cast” button if you want to send video to your Chromecast or a compatible TV.

The app’s search page lets you see recommendations by genre and network as well as specific categories tailored to your viewing habits. You can also search for something like “time travel” and get a list of movies or TV shows that feature time travel in the plot. Typing in a specific show will take you to a page listing out all the episodes available to you at any given time. The library is pretty self-explanatory. It features all the shows you’ve recorded, sports teams you’re interested in and also lets you view everything scheduled to be recorded on your DVR.

Lastly, the “home” tab is similar to what you currently see when using the basic YouTube experience. It’s full of things you’ve watched recently, recommendations based on what you watch, things you’ve been watching that you might want to resume, and so on.

The company also wants to offer excellent customer service, something a YouTube executive said is one of cable’s biggest pain points right now. You’ll be able to contact customer service through the YouTube app any time, either via text chat or voice chat.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said that the company was doing this as a way to reach the many younger people who don’t want TV on a standard TV screen. People are watching plenty of TV content on YouTube already — particularly clips from late night shows and sports — but the company wanted customers to be able to get more TV content in that fashion. Wojcicki said that YouTube wants to offer customers TV “whenever they want, on any screen, on their terms.”

This is a separate product offering from YouTube Red, which the company launched in late 2015 as a way to give users an ad-free YouTube experience. It also features some original programming, but overall it’s been more in keeping with the personality-based content rather than longer, high-end productions you might find from the big networks. However, YouTube TV will contain all of YouTube Red’s original programming.

There’s a few unanswered questions, still. Most over-the-top services have some restrictions about what episodes of shows from different networks are available or if you’l be able to save content indefinitely. There may end up being some catches, but YouTube said that users will be able to save “virtually” anything they watch on YouTube TV.

The company focused its big-screen conversation around streaming to your TV with a Chromecast, and in a follow-up conversation a YouTube executive said that would be the only way to get content to a TV for starters. Chromecast and cast-enabled devices will be compatible, but other devices like Apple TV, Roku, the PS4 and Xbox One will be excluded for starters. However, YouTube did indicate that it would work with other companies to get YouTube TV on other platforms in the future.

As for when this will get to consumers, YouTube isn’t saying just yet — it shouldn’t be too long, though. The company says YouTube TV will be available for customers in the next few months.

Update, 4:30PM ET: YouTube executives answered a few questions for the press during its event. The company confirmed that the service will only work in the US and noted that while you get access to YouTube Red content, you don’t get the full ad-free YouTube experience. The company also confirmed that because of Verizon’s deal with the NFL, you won’t be able to watch NFL games on your phone. You’ll be able to on the desktop or a TV, but not on mobile.

Fortunately for those of us who hate ads, you can fast forward or rewind DVR content, so you can skip right over commercials.

Source: YouTube

Wink’s connected home tech uses Alexa to lock your doors

You can already use Alexa to control Wink-compatible connected lights, switches and thermostats, but now the IoT company is letting you use the virtual assistant to lock your doors. Wink announced today that you can employ those handy voice commands to make sure your doors are locked. The company says that smart locks from the likes of Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale that are compatible with its tech are privy to the update.

To get started, add your smart locks to the Wink app. Once you set unique names for each one (if you have multiple), you’ll need to enable the Wink skill inside the Alexa app. After linking that Wink account and saying “Alexa, discover new devices,” you should be good to go in less than a minute. You can then ask Amazon’s virtual assistant to actually lock the door or to check and see if you forgot to do so. Now you don’t have to leave your seat when your dinner guests leave.

Update: This post originally stated that the new capability could lock or unlock your smart door assemblies. That was incorrect, the system can only lock them and confirm that the deadbolts are engaged.

Amazon wants Alexa to answer customer service calls

In the near future, Amazon’s Alexa could be on the other end of your next call to tech support. With call centers expected to become a more than $15 billion industry in the next five years, the online retail giant has apparently identified another market that is ready for a shift in technology. According to a new report from The Information, Amazon is currently prepping a commercial version of Alexa developed specifically for fielding questions from phone calls and text messages.

Amazon Web Services has reportedly codenamed the new software package “Lily” and it is expected to be formally announced around the middle of March. Baked into Lily’s suite of products are Lex and Polly — two AWS developer services that use the same natural language processing as Alexa to power third-party apps as well as voice and text chatbots. The software is designed to be completely self-service from a caller’s perspective, although companies will still need to hire (or outsource) service representatives for matters that need a human touch. The service also integrates with Salesforce and promises a real-time access to a customer’s call history, so frustrated callers should be able to skip the endless phone menus when they dial that customer service line the second or third time.

On the other hand, it’s been a rough day for AWS, so Amazon may have a hard time getting companies with time-sensitive customer service needs to put their trust in a cloud-based solution.

Source: The Information

Expect four new expansions for ‘Battlefield 1’ this year

If you’re a Battlefield 1 fan, get ready to open your wallet and jump into even more WWI-inspired battles. Gaming heavyweights EA and DICE just revealed four new expansion packs for its popular first-person shooter. All four expansions are included in this brand-new annual Premium Pass, which is available for XBox One, PS4 and PC via EA’s Origin service. Each expansion will be available for purchase separately with the first entry, “They Shall Not Pass,” available to premium members on March 14 and March 28 for non-premium players.

This first expansion has you joining the fight as a French soldier to battle across four new maps including Verdun Heights, Fort De Vaux, Soissons and Rupture. There’s a new game mode, too, called Frontlines, which has two teams fighting for control points in what EA calls “a tug-of-war frontline.” The pack also includes two new tank units, an elite trench raider soldier class and a new stationary weapon, the Siege Howitzer.

The three other expansions, titled “In the Name of the Tsar,” “Turning Tides” and “Apocalypse” feature Russian battles, amphibious warfare, and the most infamous battles of the Great War, respectively.

The $49 Premium Pass will give you all current and future expansions, 14 superior Battlepacks (in-game loot), two-week early access to expansions as they release and 16 new multiplayer maps. In addition, you’ll be able to play with new elite classes, armies, 20 new weapons and extra game modes.

You’ll need the original game to take advantage of the Premium Pass. The Battlefield 1 standard edition currently retails for $30 with various bundles available for more.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: EA

Some Users Experiencing Issues With iCloud Services [Updated]

According to Apple’s System Status page, a small number of users are having ongoing issues with some iCloud services, including iCloud Backup, iCloud Drive, iCloud Notes, iCloud Web Apps, iWork for iCloud, and Photos.

Apple says less than 0.04 percent of users are affected by the iCloud problems, with those users experiencing “slower than normal performance.” The iCloud slowdowns may be due to an Amazon Web Services outage that is affecting multiple websites and web services this morning.

Over the weekend, Apple updated the look of its System Status page, and the company now provides additional information on individual services that are experiencing problems. Prior to the update, Apple used a status bar at the bottom of the page to relay problems, but now each service can be clicked for an individual report that better outlines what’s going on.

The page also provides a better look at past incidents that have since been resolved. It is not clear when today’s iCloud problems will clear up, but customers experiencing issues should keep an eye on the System Status page for updates.

Update: Additional services are experiencing issues, including Apple Music, the App Store, Apple TV, and more.

Tag: iCloud
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Google Unveils New ‘YouTube TV’ Streaming Service for $35 per Month

YouTube today officially announced its new streaming television service, YouTube TV, reports Recode. Priced at $35 per month, YouTube TV features access to ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and approximately 30 major cable channels, with television content available alongside YouTube’s own video content.

Separate from YouTube Red, the new TV service will be available as a standalone app that’s launching later this year. While it will be available on laptops and TVs through Chromecast, YouTube TV is said to be focused on a “mobile first” experience, with YouTube expecting most users to watch on smartphones and tablets.

At launch, available channels will be limited to cable networks owned by companies that also own broadcast networks, but that could change in the future.

One thing that distinguishes YouTube TV from its competitors is that while it will feature cable networks owned by companies that also own broadcast networks — so it will offer both ESPN and ABC, both owned by Disney — it doesn’t feature any networks owned by programmers that operate exclusively on pay TV, like Viacom, AMC or Time Warner.

YouTube TV features include cloud DVR options with unlimited storage space, an AI-powered recommendation system, and service that scales reliably for no launch-time outages.

At $35 per month, YouTube TV is at the price point Apple hoped to achieve when it was working on its own now-shelved television streaming service. It’s also a price point that’s competitive with offerings like DirecTV Now, Sling TV, and PlayStation Vue.

YouTube has been working on a streaming television service for more than two years, and while it was originally rumored to be called “Unplugged,” the company appears to have gone with a simpler name. Compared to competing TV services, YouTube TV could potentially have an edge given its impressive existing user base.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal suggested people around the world are watching more than 1 billion hours of YouTube videos every day.

Tags: Google, YouTube
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