Plex: Everything you need to know!

Do you want to start hosting a home media server? Plex is your best option!

While streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have a healthy catalog of content, they don’t have everything. It’s also a bummer when the show you’ve been binging gets removed while you’re still watching it. If you want to make sure you’ll always have access to your favorite shows and movies, a home media server may be the best option. There are a few different programs that let you run a home media server, but none are as pervasive as Plex.

Here’s everything you need to know about Plex!

What is it?

At its most basic level, Plex is a program that lets you access your movies, shows and other content from any device, so long as you have access to the Internet. It works in two pieces: at home, your desktop, network attached storage or even your NVIDIA Shield TV stores the files. The Plex Media Server program gets installed, and does the hard work of actually transcoding and pushing your files over the Internet.

The other piece is your smartphone, Chromebook, tablet, game console or streaming stick. Install the Plex application on your device, sign in, and you’ll have access to all of your content. Since all the processing is done on your server device, your smartphone or other client just needs a strong Internet connection for your media to play.

What content is supported?

Plex can host movies, TV shows, music, photos and personal videos. Plex also lets you automatically sync photos and videos taken on your phone with your home server, just like you would with Google Photos. Finally, Plex has started offering a curated news service.

How much does it cost?

Plex has two tiers: the free tier and the Plex pass. While other free services may be useless trails, Plex’s free tier actually has a robust set of features. The free tier offers:

• Support for nearly any music, photo and video format.
• Access to your content on any supported platform, anywhere you have an Internet connection.
• Customs collections — you could create a collection of superhero movies, for instance.
• Automatic organization of your library, including importing album artwork and DVD covers.
• The aforementioned Plex News service.
• Support for VR headsets.
• Sharing your libraries with friends and family.
• Recommendations based on the shows and movies you’ve watched.
• Support for as much storage as you’re willing to buy.
• Online channels such as NPR, TED Talks and more.
• Chromecast support.

While you can easily get by with the free tier, the Plex Pass offers enticing options such as the ability to download your media for offline viewing, DVR support, Live TV support — though this also requires a compatible antenna — the aforementioned photo syncing and early access to new features.

A Plex Pass costs $5 per month, $40 per year, or $120 for life.

What platforms are supported?

The Plex Media Server can be installed on any Windows, macOS, or Linux desktop; on compatible network attached storage units; on the NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 router; or on the NVIDIA Shield TV.

The Plex client is available for iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Windows (including Windows 10 Mobile), Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Amazon Fire tablets, Fire TV, Roku, any web browser, and most other smart TV platforms.

What else do you need?

You obviously need some files to stream, and you’ll want to make sure they are named correctly. Your server should be something that stays powered on, like a desktop or your home router.

You’ll also want to make sure your router has the Universal Plug-and-Play (UPNP) protocol enabled. This protocol is what Plex uses to make your files available outside your home network. The instructions for turning this on vary from router to router, and some routers don’t even offer this feature for security reasons.

Finally, be cognizant of how many people are going to access your server at once. A NVIDIA Shield TV or a NAS unit aren’t going to have the power to serve as many video streams as a more powerful desktop would. You’ll also need some extra power for the Live TV and DVR features.

More: Your whole family will appreciate a home media server

What say you?

Do you use Plex for your media server needs? Let us know down below!

TicWatch Pro announced with battery-saving second screen and NFC

The watch is coming this summer with a price tag under $300.

Mobvoi is one of the few companies that’s been keeping Wear OS alive for folks not interested in watches from Kate Spade and Michael Kors, and the latest addition to its lineup, the TicWatch Pro, is shaping up to be its most exciting release yet.

Where Mobvoi’s TicWatch S and TicWatch E have been cheaper/more affordable watches, the TicWatch Pro aims to offer every feature you could ask for. There’s NFC for making mobile payments with Google Pay, a heart-rate sensor, step-tracking, a potential LTE model in the U.S., an OLED display, etc.

All of that sounds like stuff you’d expect from a flagship smartwatch, but Mobvoi’s trying something different with the TicWatch Pro by adding a second FSTN LCD display on top of the OLED one. Here’s how it works.

When you’re interacting with the TicWatch Pro, you’ll see the OLED panel and use it like you would any other gadget. However, when you toggle the screen off or the watch is just sitting on your wrist, the OLED screen will turn off and the LCD one will kick into gear — showing basic information such as the time, your heart-rate, battery life, steps-taken, etc. When you lift the watch to your face or tap on the screen, the LCD will shut off and you’ll be met with your regular Wear OS interface and OLED display.

The TicWatch Pro in normal mode (left) and with the power-sipping LCD panel (right)

This setup is designed to extend the battery life of the TicWatch Pro as much as possible, and according to Mobvoi, will result in two days of use before needing to charge up.

That’s not as impressive as the 4-5 days you can get out of watches like the Fitbit Versa and Ionic, but it’s still better than a lot of other Wear OS options on the market right now.

Furthermore, the TicWatch Pro will also come with an “Essential Mode” that’ll completely turn off Wear OS and the OLED screen and only show you the basic info found on the LCD panel. If you want to toggle Wear OS back on, you’ll need to wait about one full minute for the boot process.

Mobvoi plans on launching the TicWatch Pro this summer for somewhere under $300.

See at Mobvoi

NVIDIA Shield TV gets Android 8.0 Oreo update starting today

NVIDIA Shield TV is still the gold standard for Android TV. It starts at $179 on Amazon.

The only Android TV box you should buy just got better.

Big news for those of you who have NVIDIA Shield TV — which, by the way is the only Android TV box you should consider right now. The Android 8.0 Oreo update (which brings it up to the latest major version of Android) is available starting today.

This’ll bring along a major update to the user interface. You’ll get new sections along the left side of the screen, with your favorite apps (customizable, of course), play next (where what you’ve been watching and playing recently will appear) and channels (which is what apps are now called, sort of).

In addition, Amazon Prime Video will get a major refresh, Plex Media Service is improved, and a whole bunch more.

And, of course, Google Assistant still plays a big role here, and that means you can take advantage of all the smart stuff you’ve got scattered throughout your home, accessible via the Shield remote or game controller.

A few other things NVIDIA says to look out for:

• Hold the back button to access to the settings menu from the home screen
• A higher polling rate for gaming mice for NVIDIA GameStream
• Improved support for game controllers like the Shield controller, Xbox 360 and DualShock controllers
• Can connect to Wifi without disconnecting Ethernet
• Improves Bluetooth re-pairing

To update your Shield TV, just head into the settings menu, then About, then choose the update option.

NVIDIA Shield Android TV

• Read our Shield Android TV review
• The latest Shield Android TV news
• Shield vs. Shield Pro: Which should I buy?
• Join the forum discussion
• Complete Shield Android TV specs

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YouTube Testing Non-Chronological Video Order in Subscription Feeds for Some Users

Following in the footsteps of companies like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, YouTube this week confirmed that it is “experimenting” with a way to organize its users Subscription Feeds that removes reverse chronological order and uses algorithms to “personalize” the video order. The news came from the @TeamYouTube Twitter account after it responded to a disgruntled user (via iGeneration).

YouTube’s Subscription Feed traditionally begins with a “Today” banner, presenting users with a reverse chronological list of every video that has been posted by the YouTubers they subscribe to, going back to “Yesterday,” “This Week,” “This Month,” etc. For those in the experiment, this order is replaced with what Team YouTube calls a “personalized order,” which appears to use a viewer’s watch history and other factors to recommend videos from their subscriptions that the company thinks the user will want to watch.

Just to clarify. We are currently experimenting with how to show content in the subs feed. We find that some viewers are able to more easily find the videos they want to watch when we order the subs feed in a personalized order vs always showing most recent video first.

— Team YouTube (@TeamYouTube) May 23, 2018

YouTube already presents “Recommended” videos on its homepage and in the sidebar of other videos, leading many YouTubers to respond negatively to the change of the last chronological list of videos that could be found on the service. It’s unclear what platforms the experiment is currently taking place on, but if it launches for all users it would likely affect YouTube across mobile, desktop, TV, and more.

Using algorithms to surface content has long been popular among social media networks. Facebook’s News Feed has done this for years, and Instagram followed in March 2016 stating that as it’s grown its users “often don’t see the posts [they] might care about the most,” although the company has made slight tweaks to the algorithms since then. For its part, Twitter as a whole still shows tweets from new to old, but it does choose to surface non-chronological content with features like “In case you missed it,” displaying followers’ liked tweets among your own, ads, and more.

Tag: YouTube
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Pioneer Releases Wireless CarPlay Systems

Pioneer has joined Alpine as the second electronics maker to release wireless CarPlay systems for aftermarket installation.

AVH-W4400NEX
Introduced at CES 2018 in January, product listings have since confirmed that Pioneer’s latest AVH-W4400NEX and AVIC-W8400NEX receivers are capable of not only wired and wireless Android Auto, but also wired and wireless CarPlay, enabling drivers to connect an iPhone to either receiver via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Receivers with wired implementations require connecting an iPhone with a Lightning to USB cable to access CarPlay functionality.

The lower-end AVH-W4400NEX features a double-DIN design with a seven-inch resistive touchscreen. The receiver has a suggested price of $699.99 in the United States through resellers such as Crutchfield and Sound of Tri-State. It’s also available for C$899.99 in Canada via Best Buy’s online store.

The higher-end AVH-W8400NEX features a double-DIN design with a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen. The receiver has a suggested price of $1,199.99 in the United States through resellers such as Crutchfield and Sound of Tri-State. It’s also available for C$1,399.99 in Canada via Best Buy’s online store.

AVH-W8400NEX
The $300 price difference between the two receivers largely relates to the type of touchscreen used. Capacitive touchscreens—think of an iPhone—rely on the electrical charge of a finger, and are generally considered to be better than resistive touchscreens, which rely on the physical pressure of a finger or stylus.

Both receivers feature CD/DVD drives, AM/FM, HD Radio, SiriusXM compatibility, two rear USB-A ports, SD card readers, and hands-free phone calls and music playback via Bluetooth in standard AppRadio Mode.

Alpine released the first aftermarket wireless CarPlay system in June 2017. Its iLX-107 receiver features a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen and is available for a suggested price of $900 in the United States. Wireless CarPlay is also available in select new vehicles from BMW, and Mercedes-Benz starting soon.

Pioneer has also released some wireless CarPlay receivers in Europe, according to the blog CarPlay Life. Thanks to MacRumors reader Dean Cobb.

Related Roundup: CarPlayTags: Pioneer, wireless CarPlay
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Vevo Shuttering iOS and Android Apps to Focus Music Video Business on YouTube

Music video platform Vevo has confirmed that it will be shutting down all of its mobile apps and consumer-facing video hosting website, signaling a shift in its business to focus on YouTube (via Variety). Apps affected include those for iOS and Android, but as of now “select” smart TV apps, potentially including Apple TV, will continue to run.

Vevo is well known for being a platform that users can go to watch the latest music videos, but many viewers simply use the company’s YouTube channel, leading Vevo’s iOS, Android, Apple TV, and other apps to struggle with growth. After the discontinuation of its apps and website, Vevo’s YouTube channel will become the primary source of its music video distribution.

Major-label owned Vevo is giving up on plans to build its own music video platform outside of YouTube’s control: Vevo is shutting down its mobile apps and consumer-facing website, the company announced Thursday morning.

“We will phase out elements of our owned and operated platforms,” the company said in a blog post Thursday. “Going forward, Vevo will remain focused on engaging the biggest audiences and pursuing growth opportunities.”

To ensure a smooth transition, Vevo will provide a playlist tool to its mobile app users so they can import their Vevo playlists over to YouTube. In the iOS app [Direct Link] for iPhone and iPad, Vevo offers its users personalized recommendations, user profiles to follow, specific notifications about new videos and live performances, and more — all of which will now go away.

The announcement comes a few weeks after it was revealed that YouTube and Vevo have a new deal that lets YouTube sell the music video platform’s clips directly to advertisers, in an effort to boost ad sales. The sunsetting of Vevo apps also follows months of shakeups at the company, with former CEO Erik Huggers leaving in December, head of product Mark Hall leaving in January, chief technology officer Alex Nunes departing in the spring, and “significant” layoffs to Vevo’s product and engineering teams at the same time.

Apple has also been increasing its focus on music videos within its Music app, launching a dedicated “Music Videos” section inside of Apple Music this spring. In the new area, subscribers can find new weekly playlists for various genres, browse through the latest videos, watch exclusive content, and more.

Tag: Vevo
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Apple Pay Offering Free Delivery From Postmates for First Orders Placed by New Customers

Apple Pay is launching a new promo today, offering new Postmates customers the chance to get their first delivery free when they check out with Apple Pay. This summer promotion is a bit lengthier than previous offers from Apple, running through 11:59 p.m. on June 30.

Apple notes in the fine print of the deal that the offer is only applicable to new customers who have not previously made an order on Postmates. Otherwise, you can place your first order, use Apple Pay to check out, and wave the delivery fee. No promo code is required.

The summer-themed e-mail promotion also highlights other stores where Apple Pay is accepted, like Whole Foods, Gap, and Crate and Barrel, where Apple says you can “find all you’ll need to entertain” for summertime parties. In apps, the company encourages you to pay using Apple Pay in Overstock, Jet, and Kohl’s.

Apple previously partnered with Postmates in one of these promotions during the holidays last year, offering free deliveries on all orders over $20 if you used Apple Pay to sign up for Postmates Unlimited. More recently, the company has promoted Hayneedle, 1-800-Flowers, and Instacart.

Related Roundup: Apple PayTag: Apple Pay promo
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Swapping an iPhone for a BlackBerry made me appreciate the physical keyboard

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Once upon a time, the touchscreen didn’t exist on smartphones. There was only an alphanumeric keypad, or a miniature version of a full keyboard on devices like a BlackBerry. If you conducted every part of your life via email, and needed to type at lightning speed, then a BlackBerry was likely by your side.

I never saw the attraction, and went straight from an alphanumeric keypad to a touchscreen without a thought. As we know, after a (very) rough patch, BlackBerry is back with the same strong ideals and a compelling phone package that catapulted its name to fame a decade or more ago. Including the return of what made it famous in the first place: The physical keyboard. It’s about to release a follow-up to that phone, the BlackBerry KeyOne, which last year got BlackBerry fans all sweaty under their collar and ties.

The upcoming KeyTwo will turn more heads. But what if you’re like me and a physical keyboard newbie? Is that physical keyboard the typing nirvana grizzled smartphone owners make it out to be — offering speed, tactility, and precision? Should you and I, touchscreen typists, be tempted to give it a try?

Muscle memory

I purchased my first smartphone, an HTC Touch, in 2007, which means I’ve been typing on a touchscreen for more than a decade. Transferring my mobile activity over to the KeyOne, the phone used in this experiment, was exciting. It just looks so different. The phone is incredibly solid, with real heft and weight, something made more noticeable in your hand because the keyboard is very low-slung. It’s close to the bottom of the KeyOne’s body. Put it next to an iPhone X, and the entire keyboard takes up the same space occupied by only the two lowest rows of the touchscreen keyboard.

I settled into resting the phone on two fingers with my right hand, and gripping it almost like a game controller with the other.

This is obstacle one, the first of several on the journey to typing properly with the KeyOne, and all are related to muscle memory. Just holding the phone in preparation to type feels different, and you must readjust your grip straight away. It’s harder than it sounds too, and even after several weeks typing on the KeyOne, my fingers and hands haven’t naturally adjusted to the way the KeyOne needs to be cradled. Oddly, it’s the pinky finger that’s the problem. It usually acts as a support under a touchscreen phone; but the KeyOne’s low keyboard makes this impossible.

Eventually, I settled into resting the phone on two fingers with my right hand, and gripping it almost like a game controller with the other. It’s not what I’d call comfortable, and I still shift the phone around trying to find a more natural position; but it works. My thumbs were the next problem. They didn’t seem to bend in the right way, and actually pressing down keys obviously took more effort to do than tapping a piece of glass. It’s more the angle of the middle knuckle that’s new, as pressing the keys is performed with the tip of your finger, rather than the pad.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

After a few days adjusting to the shape of the phone, the angle of my thumbs, and settling into holding the phone “properly,” it was time to start typing at the 60-plus words-per-minute I’d seen people averaging out at on BlackBerry forums.

The need for speed

If I was aiming for 60 words-per-minute, I had a lot of work to do. According to the Typing Speed Test app downloaded from Google Play, my average was 25 words per minute. Carrying out the same test on the OnePlus 6, I averaged about 35 words per minute. On the iPhone X, using a different app, I could manage 48 words per minute. I hadn’t set any keyboard on fire with my speed, but I was definitely faster on the touchscreen.

Accuracy was usually 10 percent to 15 percent higher when typing on the BlackBerry.

Is that it, the end? Touchscreens forever? No. What surprised me was the accuracy was usually 10 percent to 15 percent higher when typing on the BlackBerry compared to the touchscreen, showing just how much I usually rely on the autocorrect to make my messages not look like they were typed when I was drunk.

Even after a couple of weeks my speed didn’t improve much. However, I did get used to using the gestures on the KeyOne, which quickens the message-creation process. Swiping up on the touch-sensitive keyboard to select auto-suggested words is very helpful, and the more you use it, the better it gets at understanding what you may say. It’s also handy to swipe to the side to delete words, which I utilized a lot. This was also surprising, having never got used to gesture-based touchscreen keyboards like Swype.

Tactility

Physical keyboards on phones are often trumpeted online as the last word in speed, and this may be the case for those who owned a succession of BlackBerry phones, but its not for anyone used to a touchscreen. This emphasis on speed actually misses the point entirely. Typing on the KeyOne didn’t make me faster — it only made me slightly more accurate; but it did feel different, and in a good way.

What people don’t always mention about physical keyboards on phones is the pleasing feeling of those tiny buttons under your thumb. There’s something wonderfully mechanical about pressing each key in succession. Not in a tedious retro-is-so-cool way, but because it connects you physically to the device more. Not better — it’s just a different degree of tactility.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

This enjoyment — yes, actual typing enjoyment — was increased by the gestures, whether it was swiping away a misspelt word or sliding up and down to scroll through a webpage, the multifunction keyboard works as a coherent part of the phone, rather than a tacked-on nod to the past, at the risk of romanticizing it too much. Typing on the KeyOne became like pulling down the arm on a slot machine compared to tapping a button to spin. It’s a physicality that simply can’t be replicated.

Satisfaction

Notice I’m not saying better, or improved upon. It’s not that. I type faster on a touchscreen, after all. But I don’t derive any satisfaction from doing so. It’s a process, or a means to an end. The BlackBerry KeyOne isn’t quite so — digital — about it. Has it converted me? Not quite. The lure of a big touchscreen is still too much, and I can bash out messages quicker on it too. However, with BlackBerry telling Digital Trends it has two new phones coming this year that aren’t based on the KeyOne or Motion, we’re excited to see if one is the rumored Uni, which may have a retractable keyboard and the desirable big screen.

Individuality in the smartphone world is in short supply. A phone with a physical keyboard is genuinely unusual, and what we want to do here is encourage you to give the KeyOne or forthcoming KeyTwo a try. Not because of any possible typing speed improvement, but because typing in a BlackBerry keyboard today is so delightfully unique.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Dead rising: Old phones we want to see zapped back to life
• It’s only business: BlackBerry Motion vs. LG G6 camera shootout
• BlackBerry wants you to do its advertising by joining its fan league
• Here’s everything we know about the Blackberry KeyTwo
• Everything we know about the “BlackBerry Ghost” smartphone so far

Best BBQ and Grilling Accessories for Android

Take your barbecue to the next level with these great grilling gadgets.

Summer is finally here, which means it’s time to fire up those BBQs. Check out these great gadgets that will deliver the perfect BBQ to your family and friends every time and earn you the title of Grill Master.

• GrillEye Smart Meat Thermometer
• iGrill2 by iDevice
• Refuel Smart Propane Tank Gauge for Smartphones
• Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker
• Lynx 30-Inch Freestanding SmartGrill

GrillEye Smart Grilling & Smoking Thermometer

For $70, the GrillEye smart meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking the perfect burger or steak by monitoring the internal temperature of the meat, notifying you via Bluetooth when it’s cooked to perfection.

Everything is housed in a small unit that features a built-in stand and includes an anti-glare screen so you can easily read the temperature. All you need is the GrillEye app on your phone, a solid Bluetooth connection, and a hot grill to get going.

Simply go into the app and select the type of meat you’re cooking, as well as your preferred doneness. There are six probe ports to use which allow you to track the wellness of six different meats at the same time, so you’ll be able to precisely monitor the temperature of whatever you’re cooking for all your guests.

Once you’ve got everything set up, you can sit back and relax until the app notifies you that your food is done. The GrillEye features 300 feet of Bluetooth range so you can enjoy the company of your guests as you wait for that notification.

The display on the device itself also shows you the current temperature and the target temperature for each probe so you can check in on how things are cooking without having to lift the lid and letting any heat escape. Works with BBQs or smokers.

See at Amazon

iGrill2 by iDevice

The Weber iGrill2 is another great tool for tracking your BBQ with your phone so you can spend more time entertaining and less time over the grill, with everyone getting their steak cooked exactly the way they want it.

This one comes with four color-coded meat probes, so you can conveniently track each slab of meat individually and mingle with your guests without standing over the grill, thanks to 150 feet of Bluetooth range.

If you are frequently cooking for picky guests who like their meat cooked to a particular doneness, the iGrill2 is the perfect device for you.

You can pick up the iGrill2 for about $117.

See at Amazon

GasWatch Bluetooth Propane-level Indicator Scale

Few things are more disappointing than getting ready to barbecue, only to find out that your propane tank is empty. The GasWatch is a scale for your propane tank that lets you monitor your propane tank from wherever you are, wirelessly, via the GasWatch app.

The gauge, placed under the propane tank, acts as a dedicated scale. So instead of having to bend down, lift the tank, and guess how much propane is left, the Refuel Smart Propane Tank Gauge does all the heavy lifting for you for only $30.

If your phone isn’t on you, you can use the LED indicator that magnetically mounts to your barbecue to check at a glance if you’re good to grill or need to refill.

See at Amazon

Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker

Whether you’re a beginner or expert smoker, the Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker will allow you to perfectly slow-cook your favorite meals and go about your day without having to constantly check in on things.

Set up your smoker within range of your home’s Wi-Fi signal, and you’ll receive notifications to your phone through the Char-Broil SmartChef app when the smoker has preheated or when your meat is ready to go.

That means you’re able to get everything cooking and then go for a run, go hang out with your guests, or get work done until you’re notified that your food is ready to eat.

With a smoker box that can provide 6.5 hours of smoke, four chrome racks, 726 square inches of cooking space within the unit, along with cooking options and recipes for beef, poultry, pork, and seafood built into the app, you’ll be able to keep your friends and family well-fed without having to dedicate your whole day to the cook.

You can pick up the Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker for about $167.

See at Amazon

Lynx 30-inch Freestanding SmartGrill

Filed under ultimate fantasy, the Lynx SmartGrill lets you set and control your BBQ with your smartphone or even just your voice.

That’s right. You’re able to slap your meat down on the grill and tell your BBQ what your cooking and how you want it cooked and the SmartGrill will do everything else for you. Peruse the SmartGrill by Lynx app for delicious recipes, then once you’ve done the meal prep, the SmartGrill takes over from there.

From the app, the SmartGrill will tell you when it’s time to flip and when your food is cooked to perfection. And it’ll remember how you like your steak cooked, so you can tell it you’re cooking steaks and it will set the heat accordingly.

Featuring backlit blue LED control knobs, a dual-position internally-powered rotisserie, and fold-down stainless steel shelves, it’s got the looks to go along with the smarts. And in case you were wondering, all the electronics are housed in a weather-proof compartment under the hood and the SmartGrill also comes with a vinyl cover to protect it from the rain.

This is the perfect grill for someone who loves to invest in emerging technologies and also has an insatiable appetite for BBQ. These grills start at $7,000 for the 30-inch model and go up as high as $10,000 for the 42-inch model.

See at Lynx

Did we miss anything?

Is there a connected device you use for BBQing that we didn’t include? How do you like your steak? Let us know in the comments below!

Instapaper Service Temporarily Suspended in Europe Due to GDPR

Popular read-it-later service Instapaper has temporarily suspended user access across Europe as it comes to terms with the EU’s impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.

In a message sent to users yesterday – subsequently shared via Twitter courtesy of tech reporter Owen Williams – the bookmarking service said it needs extra time to make necessary changes to comply with GDPR before the deadline on Friday, May 25.

Starting tomorrow May 24, 2018, access to the Instapaper service will be temporarily unavailable for residents in Europe as we continue to make changes in light of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which goes into effect May 25, 2018. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we intend to restore access as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about your account, would like us to generate an export of your saves, or want to check in on our progress, please let us know at support@help.instapaper.com. We look forward to having the same Instapaper service you know and love accessible in Europe in the very near future. Thanks for your patience.

Instapaper gave no indication how long the service would be suspended, and offered no further details on why it has waited until now to take action, almost two years after companies were informed of the GDPR timeline.

Created by Marco Arment in 2008, Instapaper was one of the first apps that implemented read-it-later functionality, and it was certainly one of the most widely used and well-known apps in the genre. The service was acquired by Pinterest in 2016, which may have complicated efforts for GDPR compliance given the potential for data sharing between the parent company and its subsidiary.

Businesses that interact with users in the EU must comply with the GDPR law, which sets out requirements on the collection, storage, and handling of personal data. Companies who fail to do so by the deadline risk heavy fines.

On Wednesday, Apple launched a new Data & Privacy website, which provides customers in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland with the ability to download all the personal information tied to their Apple ID account.

(Via The Verge.)

Tag: Instapaper
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