Articles about media

While WhatsApp is, ostensibly, a messaging, chat and video calling platform, it is more than that; it is also a pseudo social media platform. The Status section of WhatsApp has gradually evolved over the years to become a way to not only indicate your availability, but to express much more.

And now Status has received another massive upgrade. It is now possible to display a collage of multiple photos, share music, and much more. A plethora of new options are rolling out globally; here's what you have to look forward to.

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If you watch TV over the internet these days -- and lots of people do -- you’ve got a plethora of choices like YouTube, Hulu, Fubo, and Sling. The last one is my personal pick. It’s generally been pretty good. The firm offered 200 hours of cloud DVR service, which was always fine, at least for me.

Recently, Sling upgraded that amount from 200 hours to unlimited, which sounded great -- on the surface. Unfortunately, it came with a bunch of problems.

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It’s no secret that the NFL’s contract for Sunday Ticket with DirecTV expires after the upcoming NFL season, the 2022-23 one. That’s good news for pretty much anyone who doesn’t or who can't get the satellite service. 

While rumors abound of who will get the new Sunday Ticket deal -- Apple TV+ has long been rumored to be the front runner -- the real preferred favorite of the people out there has been to make it available through all services, like any channel -- sign a contract with the normal restrictions (blackouts, etc.) 

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In the span of the last 13 days, we have seen a steady, but ever-increasing flow of major companies exiting the Russian market. Big names who have announced they will be pausing business in Russia include Microsoft, Google, and Apple, as well as non-tech entities such GM, Ford, McDonald’s, Starbucks and VW. That’s just scratching the surface.  

Today will be another big jolt to the country’s economy. Or, at the very least, the people’s lifestyle, as WarnerMedia is now exiting Russia.

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Not long ago, Sling rolled out a major change to its platform, adding and removing features and altering the overall look of the interface. While I welcomed some of those changes, the majority of them I panned. 

One I failed to mention when I went over the new, greatly altered look and functionality of Sling, was the inability to browse the guide while continuing to listen to the broadcast you’re currently watching. That feature had been available in the earlier iteration of the service -- you just had to press the up-arrow on your remote to access it. 

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If you want to be a world-famous YouTube creator or Twitch streamer, you have to have a great personality and a way to stand out in the crowd. For most people, it will never become more than a hobby -- getting rich from these platforms is rarified air.

With all of that said, and with personality and gimmick aside, you really need good hardware too. For instance, if I discover an interesting streamer on Twitch, I won't bother subscribing if it's difficult to hear them speak -- a good microphone is essential. And no, quality gear doesn't have to break the bank. For instance, today, Turtle Beach unveils the latest product from its Neat Microphones subsidiary. Called "Skyline," it is an affordable USB mic with an elegant design.

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Sometimes those old sayings from our youth prove to be true. "Be careful what you wish for" is one that springs to mind.

It’s been over a month since Sling announced a fresh new interface update was on the way. Now it begins finally rolling out. One thing that is readily noticeable is that it truly is a brand new interface. Almost everything has changed. 

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If you are a cord-cutter, a phrase some people like to debate, then you may be familiar with a great way to get your local over-the-air channels. The service is called Locast, and it rebroadcasts all the OTA without the rabbit-ears. That fills one of the great empty spots that folks had when it came to getting rid of cable or satellite. 

Unfortunately, there are some rather powerful entities out there that don’t like this idea very much. Why? Because Locast doesn’t charge (although it does request a monthly "donation" to keep the stream flowing uninterrupted), so there’s no cut for them to take. On Tuesday, Locast was dealt a huge blow when Judge Louis Stanton said a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox would be allowed to proceed to trial.

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Kodi is a wonderful open source media player that provides users with an immersive experience that is optimized for the living room. While the software gets a bad reputation because some (most?) people use it for piracy, many strictly use it for legal media consumption. As more and more illegal Kodi add-on maintainers face legal trouble, and streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ remain competitively priced, fewer folks are seeking pirated content nowadays.

LibreELEC is a Linux distribution that exists solely to run the aforementioned Kodi. It supports many hardware configurations, including traditional x86_64 for PC and some ARM devices like the Raspberry Pi 4. And now, a stable version of LibreELEC 10 becomes available for download. Sadly, support for the Raspberry Pi 0 and 1 is now discontinued.

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