Watch Apple's iPhone 11 launch on YouTube
Apple is due to launch the iPhone 11 on Tuesday -- along with, it is rumoured, "one more thing" -- and the company has gradually started to expand the availability of the live stream of the event.
Originally only available to view on iOS and macOS, Apple opened up live streams of its launches to Edge, Chrome and Firefox users over the years. This time around, you can tune in live on YouTube -- regardless of what device you're using -- and find out everything there is to know about the new devices.
Google pulls out its death hammer once again -- YouTube messaging is the next victim
Google has announced that it is killing off yet another of its messaging tools. This time rather than terminating a standalone messaging tool, it is the direct messaging feature of YouTube that is for the chop.
The cut-off date is less than a month away, but Google warns that some messaging elements -- including the sharing of videos through messages -- may vanish before the ultimate end date of September 18.
Congratulations, nerds! PBS is finally coming to YouTube TV
Is PBS a TV channel for nerds? Well, yeah, but that's OK. Please know, I don't mean that as a negative. Look, "nerdy" is considered by many to be a synonym for "intellectual." Hey, not everyone is into sports and mindless television. If you like Public Broadcasting Service, be proud! You are probably a very cultured person. Hell, I rather like PBS, and I am not at all embarrassed of that.
Believe it or not, even though YouTube TV has tons of excellent channels, it doesn't have PBS. Weird, right? I mean, many people consider PBS to be "free" TV, as it can be pulled in over the air with an antenna. While that is true, in some areas, OTA TV is damn near impossible to get. Not to mention, it is often included in even the most basic cable TV packages.
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen hits 1 billion YouTube views
I recently watched the Freddie Mercury (R.I.P.) and Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" on HBO. The film was enjoyable, but not particularly good. It lacked depth and emotion, feeling more like a caricature of the band. Ultimately, it did a pretty good job of educating younger folks about the group, and highlighting their many great songs, so I suppose that is a good thing. While Mercury is a fascinating man, it would have been nice to have the other members of the band get more attention.
Queen's most popular song (and their best) is the film's namesake -- "Bohemian Rhapsody." The song and the band were before my time, so I first encountered the song when watching the movie "Wayne's World" as a child. I immediately recognized the brilliance of the music despite it being used as a prop in an iconic movie scene -- it also saw a resurgence on the radio at the time because of the Mike Myers movie. And now, the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen has achieved 1 billion views on YouTube. To mark the milestone, there is a new remastered version of the video (embedded below).
Save the children! Crush their YouTube dreams!
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
It’s the age-old question, one posed to nearly every child at some point in their formative years. In generations past, the answers were typically aspirational -- Doctor, Fireman, Astronaut, etc. However our current crop of young, Western-educated padawans has a different goal in mind: They want to be YouTubers.
How YouTube and Netflix will destroy the world!
Like YouTube? Enjoy Netflix?
Then you’re a bad person! It’s people like you who are destroying our planet and dooming future generations!
YouTube app returns to Amazon Fire TV, while Prime Video comes to Chromecast
A few months back, we shared with you some very, very good news -- Amazon and Google were burying the hatchet. You see, the two giant companies were at odds, keeping their respective video apps from each other's hardware platforms. Then in April, the two companies announced that the feud was over -- YouTube was coming back to Amazon Fire TV, while Prime Video would come to Chromecast.
Wow! Great news, right? Well, yes and no. While it was undoubtedly positive, it was not immediate -- consumers would have to wait months for this to happen, sadly. Well, folks, today it finally becomes a reality!
YouTube clamps down on hate speech by banning supremacism, Holocaust denial and more
YouTube's on-going battle against hate speech on its platform continues, and the site has just announced new policies that it hopes will help to further curb the problem.
As part of its new rules, YouTube is now taking a tougher stance against discriminatory material, banning supremacist videos such as those that promote Nazism. Also banned are videos that seek to spread misinformation by denying that "well-documented violent events", such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, ever occurred. Holocaust denial is also banned.
Confirmed: YouTube Originals content will be free
YouTube CBO Robert Kyncl has confirmed that all of the company's Originals content will be made available free of charge.
Currently locked behind a paywall, Originals will become free and ad-supported. At the moment, it is not clear exactly when the change will happen, but it is certainly in the cards, meaning shows like Cobra Kai should reach a larger audience.
Google and Amazon bury the hatchet over childish YouTube and Prime Video hostility
Amazon Fire TV provides a really great media consumption experience. And yet, I do not use it. Why? Well, I am a huge YouTube user -- both the regular video service, plus YouTube TV, and unfortunately, Google kept those services off of Amazon's TV hardware. In a bit of "tit for tat," Amazon kept its own Prime Video from Google's Android TV and Chromecast devices. Ultimately, this hostility hurt consumers, which is very unfortunate.
Today, Google and Amazon finally bury the hatchet. YouTube apps are coming to Fire TV, while Prime Video is coming to both Android TV and Chromecast. Even Google's YouTube Kids app will be coming to Amazon's hardware!
YouTube TV adds several new channels while increasing monthly price
Many people are "cutting the cord" these days, opting for streaming television services rather than traditional cable or satellite. And no, it is not only about saving money. Sure, many folks were tired of the added fees that cable companies charge, such as to rent the cable box and remote -- it can feel like you are being robbed. But also, cable boxes often have poor user interfaces, lacking the modern and fluid experiences consumers expect nowadays thanks to operating systems like Android and iOS. Speaking of mobile, streaming TV services work while on the go, while many cable providers lag behind in that regard.
When I cut the cord, I went with YouTube TV. Why? Well, its channel offering was pretty good, and its price was only $34.99. It later went up to $39.99, however, but I kept the original price through grandfathering. Most importantly, its unlimited DVR put it ahead of the competitors. If you are a YouTube TV customer like me, I have good news and bad news. The good news is actually great news -- the service is adding several channels from Discovery, such as HGTV, Food Network, and Investigation Discovery to name a few. The bad news is sad, but not catastrophic -- YouTube TV is getting a big monthly price hike. And yes, this includes all customers -- no one gets a grandfathered price.
Hey Google! This is the modern YouTube we need
YouTube has never had the best layout. Despite going through numerous design changes over the years it’s always looked a bit of a muddle, and unearthing great content to watch has never been as easy as it should be.
What Google’s video site has needed for quite some time now is a fresh take to bring it more in line with its newer rivals, like Instagram and TikTok. Something like this.
YouTube disables comments on videos of minors because of child predator fears
Amid mounting fears about child predators and pedophile rings operating online, YouTube has announced that it is disabling comments on videos that feature minors.
For now, the efforts are focused on videos that feature young children, but in the coming months it will expand to include older minors that YouTube says "could be at risk of attracting predatory behavior". The site is also stepping up its use of algorithms to not only identify videos that contain children, but also to monitor and moderate comments.
YouTube updates its strike system to make it 'clear and consistent'
Following criticism of how its strike system was implemented, YouTube has announced an update to its Community Guidelines that helps to make things clearer.
In the past it was often the case that strikes were handed inconsistently, and it was not always clear what misdemeanour had occurred. The updated system comes into force in the next few days, and it is slightly more lenient on first-time offenders.
YouTube is to blame for the increase in Flat Earthers
In recent years it seems that there has been an astonishing increase in the number of Flat Earthers -- people who believe that the Earth is flat, and anything that suggests otherwise is a conspiracy. The thinking is that, for some reason, NASA, international government, scientists and so on are all desperate to convince people that the Earth is round when it is in fact flat.
While Flat Earther numbers are still relatively small, the increasing membership of this school of thought in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary is both confusing and worrying. So just what is going on? The rise in internet usage has been blamed for the spread of fake news, conspiracy theories and all manner of bizarre ideas, and a new study has concluded that one particular site is responsible for the increasing support for the Flat Earth theory. That site is YouTube.
Recent Headlines
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.