Streaming

Plex is making some massive adjustments, and users -- both free and paying -- are going to feel the impact. Sadly, the company has announced price increases for its Plex Pass subscription, a new “Remote Watch Pass,” and a decision that will end free remote streaming for personal media collections.

Starting April 29, 2025, the cost of Plex Pass is going up. The monthly plan will jump to $6.99, the annual plan to $69.99, and the Lifetime Plex Pass will more than double to $249.99. However, there’s still time to grab a lifetime subscription at the current $119.99 price before the hike kicks in. Plex says these changes will help fund future improvements, such as an integration with Common Sense Media, an upgraded server management app, and a new open API for server customization.

Firefox users running older versions of the web browser could be in for a really nasty surprise. On March 14, 2025, a critical root certificate will expire. And, if your browser isn’t updated to at least Firefox 128 (or ESR 115.13+ for those using the long-term support version) your add-ons will be disabled. Additionally, streaming services that require DRM may even stop working!

For anyone still using an outdated version on Windows, macOS, Linux, or Android, time is running out to avoid these annoyances. Even those sticking with older operating systems (such as Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, or macOS 10.12–10.14) need to at least update to ESR 115.13+ if they want to keep their add-ons and media playback working.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and I suppose I’m excited. As a New York Jets fan, I can never truly enjoy football -- it’s a miserable existence. However, I enjoy all things sports, so even though I hate both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles (and refuse to cheer on either team), I will still tune in and watch the big game.

This year, you can watch the Super Bowl in 4K for free, which is definitely cool, but taking things a step further, if you have Xfinity TV service and the right hardware, you can experience the game in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos too. This upgrade is part of Comcast’s new “Enhanced 4K offering” on X1.

Black History Month is officially here, and Google is kicking things off with a major celebration of Black creators, artists, and innovators across its platforms. From YouTube and Google TV to the Play Store and Chrome, the search giant is making it easier than ever to explore Black culture all month long.

On YouTube, Google is shining a spotlight on rising Black stars and legendary voices in music, TV, and social media. YouTube Music is serving up playlists dedicated to regional dance genres like Chicago House and NOLA Bounce, while artwork from Stonie Blue will bring even more energy to the platform throughout February.

The UK government is considering introducing an additional tax for subscribers of streaming services such as Disney+ and Netflix. The money raised in this way could be used to help fund the BBC, which has been struggling financially for some time.

Several ideas are being floated to try to top up the coffers of the public service broadcaster which is largely funded through the television license fee. With the license fee already somewhat controversial, the idea of charging users of non-BBC related streaming services is likely to provoke angry reactions.

Not content with providing access to music on demand, it did not take long for Spotify to branch out and start hosting podcasts. More recently, audiobooks were introduced, and now the company has announced a series of new audiobook features.

Books and video may not seem like natural bedfellows, but this is one of the things that is currently being tested. Other new features include author pages which are similar to artist pages, and an interesting “follow-along” option.

With mobiles connected to the internet on a near-permanent basis, it is easy to take for granted. This means that whenever a connection is not available, it is very apparent. Now Spotify is taking steps to help reduce the impact of a loss of connection.

While it is already possible to create offline playlists, this is something that needs to be done manually and it’s all too easy to find yourself on a flight with the sudden realization that you forgot to set it up. And this is precisely where the new Offline Backup mode helps, creating offline playlists automatically, based on your recent listening.

You may remember a couple of years ago when Kate Bush’s song "Running Up That Hill" peaked at number one on the charts. Not unusual, given somebody always has the top song, but this was different. You see, that particular track was released decades earlier -- 1985 to be precise.

What caused this unexpected resurgence in popularity? In 2022, during the fourth season of the smash-hit Netflix series Stranger Things, the song was featured multiple times, bringing it back into the spotlight.

For the second time in a year, Spotify has announced a hike in prices for US customers. The increase in subscription fees are significant in their own right (rising by up to 17 percent), but the fact that the company has already increased prices in the last year makes this latest announcement sting.

The new pricing structure also comes on the back of Spotify's recent announcement of record profits, increased revenue and a jump in subscriber numbers. The higher pricing applies to new subscribers with immediate effect, and will be implemented for existing users in July.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix says that it is to stop reporting quarterly membership numbers. The company will, mostly, keep details about subscriber numbers to itself from Q1 2025, it announced.

Although Netflix will instead start to report the amount of time users spend on its platform as well as information about revenue growth, the company says that it will still share "major subscriber milestones as we cross them". In its shareholder letter, Netflix also boasts that it is generating very substantial profit and free cash flow.

Disney CEO and Elon Musk nemesis Bob Iger has said that the company is ready to start clamping down on Disney+ subscribers from sharing their passwords to give other people free access to their account.

Netflix has already taken steps in this direction, and now Disney has revealed that it is going to start tackling the matter in earnest this summer. Speaking on CNBC, Iger indicated that measures to prevent password-sharing would begin In a handful of countries and markets in June before applying to all subscribers in September.

In 1959, a doll came onto the market that was saturated with them. It shouldn’t have been a big deal; a ho-hum moment. Something about it caught on, though, and it became bigger perhaps any toy and things went forward from there. Barbie had every occupation from doctor to architect and even met a boyfriend, Ken. 

Dolls had been around forever, but Barbie caught on for some reason. Inventor Rauth Hadler had noticed something with her daughter, who played with paper dolls -- she gave them adult personas. It’s amazing where ideas can come from. Hadler ran with it and went to Mattel with the idea. The rest we all know. 

The hitherto cheapest means of accessing Apple Music is no more. Apple has announced that it is killing off the $4.99 per month Apple Music Voice Plan.

Introduced back in 2021, this tier allowed for access to the entire Apple Music catalog, but only via Siri, and the discontinuation of this plan means that the cheapest generally available Apple Music subscription is now $10.99 (although students have a $5.99 option). So, what does this means for anyone currently on the Apple Music Voice Plan?

Today, Linksys launches its first Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System. Called "Velop Pro 7," it's all about making your home internet experience a breeze. Whether you're streaming movies, working from home, or gaming, this system has got you covered. And guess what? Setting it up is a piece of cake -- it takes less than 10 minutes!

Nowadays, every house has at least ten gadgets like phones, tablets, or smart TVs all connected to the internet. And with things like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) becoming more common, having a strong internet connection is key. The Velop Pro 7 is Linksys’ newest and best system that helps you make the most out of these cool new technologies without any hassle.

As Netflix revealed its quarterly earnings, the company also announced a couple of subscription price hikes for its customers in the US, UK and France. The price increases come despite Netflix's recent password-sharing crackdown which it says has resulted in millions of new revenue-bringing subscribers.

Both the Premium plan and the Basic plans will increase in price, but the Standard and ad-supported plans will remain as they are. Although Netflix's Basic plan is no longer available to new customers, users who have been grandfathered on this tier face the largest price jump.