Tag: streaming

  • YouTube’s latest experiment adds Shorts to Smart Downloads

    YouTube’s latest experiment adds Shorts to Smart Downloads

    YouTube Premium users are now able to automatically download recommended Shorts for offline viewing through a limited-time experiment. The feature, called “Smart Downloads” has been around for some time for regular long-form videos. Now, it is also available for Shorts.

    The feature is currently being tested with YouTube Premium users and allows them to download recommended Shorts to their devices automatically. Users can enable the feature by going to the Your Premium benefits section in the YouTube app and selecting the Try experimental new features option. Once enabled, the feature will automatically download recommended Shorts based on the user’s recent viewing history.

    It’s important to note that currently you can only have one YouTube Experiment active at a time. For example, I currently have the YouTube Redesigned Watch Page experiment active until July 8th, which means that me signing up to try out the new Smart Downloads for Shorts would automatically remove me from the other experiment.

    This new feature appears to have been available to some users as early as April, but it has now been rolled out to a wider audience. YouTube Premium members can try out the feature until July 15.

    Smart Downloads has been available for regular YouTube videos for some time, and it allows users to automatically download recommended videos for offline viewing. The feature is designed to help users save data and watch videos when they don’t have an internet connection.

    YouTube is constantly experimenting with new features and ways to improve the user experience. Smart Downloads for Shorts is just one of the many new features that the company is testing, and whether it becomes a permanent feature or not likely depends on user feedback. This means that if you are interested in having a feature like this available for Shorts, make sure to sign up for it to make it known to the powers that it’s worth keeping.

  • Spotify Premium prices jump again in the US

    Spotify Premium prices jump again in the US

    Spotify raised its subscription prices in the US last July, increasing the Premium individual plan by $1 to $10.99. This was just two years after a similar price hike for the Family plan in 2021. Now, a year later, Spotify is bumping up prices again. This time, all plans, including Premium Duo and Family, are affected.

    Beginning in July 2024, Spotify Premium will see a $1 increase, bringing its price to $11.99. Meanwhile, the Premium Duo plan will experience a $2 hike, raising its cost to $16.99. The Family plan will undergo the biggest increase, jumping $3 from $16.99 to $19.99.

    New users trying out Spotify will pay the current rate for the first month of their trial. After that, they will start getting charged at the higher price from their next billing cycle. Wondering why Spotify is hiking its premium plan prices again? Well, the company says:

    We’re increasing the price of Premium Individual plan so that we can continue to invest in and innovate on our product offerings and features, and bring you the best experience.

    Spotify dropped the news about the price hike in a blog post and plans to send emails to its current users. This bump in the US comes hot on the heels of a similar move in key global markets like the UK and Australia, announced just recently.

    However, the increase in prices probably won’t slow down Spotify’s expansion. Despite the hike last year, the Swedish company managed to reel in a whopping 113 million free users and 31 million paid ones in 2023. Along with some layoffs, this move helped the company bounce back, reaching more than 600 million users and almost $4 billion in revenue in Q4 2023.

  • Update to Shazam allows users to multitask while the app does its thing

    Update to Shazam allows users to multitask while the app does its thing

    Music discovery app Shazam has been updated to version 17.11 today for the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad Shazam apps. Thanks to the update, Shazam will now continue to multitask and run even if you’re using another app. In other words, Shazam will continue to work in the background finding information about a song even while you’re running another app. You can even use Shazam to identify a song playing on another app.

    While Shazam is listening in the background, you’ll see the Shazam icon appear in the Dynamic Island and the results will be displayed via Live Activities on the iPhone. Among other improvements, Shazam now will listen longer before it decides that it cannot name a specific tune, and, with the update, Shazam can now identify classical music. The new features are available for iPhones running iOS 15 or later, and iPads running iPadOS 15 or later. The Apple Vision Pro spatial computer uses the iPad version of the app.

    The Shazam app is available for free from the App Store. You might not have realized that the app is owned by Apple which announced a $400 million deal to buy it in December 2017 although the deal did not close for another nine months. At the time it announced the transaction, Apple said that it had “exciting plans in store” for Shazam. For the most part, iPhone users are still waiting.

    To make sure that your Shazam app is toggled on for Live Activities, go to Settings > Shazam (you must have the app installed first!) and toggle on Live Activities. When you get a notification about a song via Shazam’s Live Activities, tap on the notification and you’ll get the full Shazam page for the song which shows you the name of the album the tune is on, allows you to listen to the full song, view videos related to the song, and hear audio of songs that are similar to the one you had Shazam discover.

    Here’s how this works. Let’s say you hear a tune you want to know more about, but you’re also in the middle of reading an important story for work on a news app. You open the Shazam app, tap on the Shazam icon, and return to the app for work. The Dynamic Island will alert you that Shazam is on the job and will notify you via Live Activities when it has come up with the name of the song.

  • Your credit card data and other personal info is at risk if you respond to fake Netflix emails

    Your credit card data and other personal info is at risk if you respond to fake Netflix emails

    One of the reasons why so many victims are separated from their money thanks to online scams is that the scammers do a great job of playing with victims’ emotions. You might have been part of a phishing expedition that uses emails that look as though they came from a well-known company that you might do business with. These emails are fake and try to get you to hand over personal data that can be used to wipe out your online accounts.

    But it takes more than a cleverly designed email that includes the logo of your wireless firm to scam you. The email has to get you to act and tap on a link so it might say something that scares you into taking action immediately. One scam uses a phished email from your bank asking you whether a large purchase made with your credit card is valid. The scammers know it is not a legit request so they phrase the message to ask you to tap on a link if the transaction is not yours.

    The victim, worried about getting ripped off, naturally taps on the link and is sent to a page where she is asked for account info including a PIN or password, social security number, and other personal data. The key to the whole attack is to get the victim so scared about losing an important service or such a large amount of money that instead of using common sense, the victim acts emotionally which typically results in him doing the wrong thing.

    The most recent phishing campaign uses an email which the scammer sends randomly hoping for it to be received by consumers with Netflix accounts. Looking to play with the victim’s emotions, under the Netflix insignia the email reads, “Your Membership has expired!” For those who use Netflix often for their streaming entertainment, this might be upsetting. Underneath the streamer’s iconic “N” logo, the message continues. “Dear customer, your Netflix account has expired.”

    The message continues to say, “But as part of our loyalty program, you can now extend for 90 days for free.” The scammer wants you to press the red button underneath the text that says “Extend for free.” Once the next page is open, you probably are asked to give up some of your personal data.” DO NOT DO IT! Even though the button says “Extend for free,” directly underneath it mentions that your credit card data is required to get the free 90 days.

    One of the ways you can detect a scam is to look for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. There are no major issues along those lines with the Netflix email. On the other hand, if you’re offered a deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is not a legit offer. And getting three months of Netflix for free is certainly an offer that is too good to be true. Don’t let the disclaimer at the bottom of the email stating that the message is not a scam convince you that it is on the up and up.

    The domain name did not have the Netflix name included at all which is a major red flag. My wife received the email twice and deleted it both times. And that is exactly what you should do too if you receive the email.

    For its part, Netflix says that it will never ask you to share personal information through an email or text including:

    • Credit or debit card numbers
    • Bank account details
    • Netflix passwords

    If you’ve already shared information with the scammer, immediately change the passwords for your financial apps and call the financial firms you deal with ASAP. Also, change your Netflix password as well. If you receive a text or email that is trying to pass itself off as coming from Netflix, take a screenshot of it and send it to Netflix via email at phishing@netflix.com and type in the date and time that you received the email.

  • Amazon Music takes on Spotify with Maestro, an AI-powered playlist generator

    Amazon Music takes on Spotify with Maestro, an AI-powered playlist generator

    Spotify’s AI DJ raised the bar for music streaming, and now Amazon Music is throwing its hat into the ring with Maestro. This new AI-powered playlist feature is currently rolling out in beta to select Amazon Music users in the US on iOS and Android.

    If you’re part of the rollout, you’ll spot Maestro either on your home screen after updating the app, or by hitting the plus button to create a new playlist. However, where things get interesting is how you create them. Maestro uses natural language, meaning you don’t need technical terms to build your playlists.

    With Maestro, everything starts with a simple prompt telling it what you want to hear. Want a playlist bursting with energy? Type “songs to get me pumped!” or maybe “upbeat summer jams”. Maestro even understands emojis, in case you’re struggling to find the words to describe your mood best.

    However, Amazon is clear: this is a beta feature. Maestro, like any new AI tool, will probably have some hits and misses as it learns what you like. They’ve even built-in safeguards to try to block offensive language or prompts that are just too inappropriate.

    As a brand-new feature, Maestro is currently accessible to a limited number of Amazon Music users across Free, Prime, and Unlimited tiers. If you’re in the beta, you’ll see the option front-and-center in the app. While Unlimited subscribers can instantly listen to and save their generated playlists, Prime and free-tier users get 30-second previews to help them decide if the playlist is a good fit.

    The battle for your ears is getting interesting. Spotify jumped ahead with its AI DJ, but Amazon’s Maestro signals that the competition isn’t far behind. Soon, generating playlists based on moods, vibes, or even bizarrely specific requests might become the standard way we listen to music.

  • Your Spotify subscription may be about to go up in price

    Your Spotify subscription may be about to go up in price

    Spotify, the music streaming giant, is shaking things up with price hikes and a new subscription plan. If you love Spotify but hate ads, get ready to dig a little deeper into those pockets.

    Bloomberg reports that Spotify will raise prices soon. By the end of April, those premium subscriptions in places like the UK, Australia, and Pakistan will go Spotify, the music streaming giant, is shaking things up with price hikes and a new subscription plan. If you love Spotify but hate ads, get ready to dig a little deeper into those pockets.

    Bloomberg reports that Spotify will raise prices soon. By the end of April, those premium subscriptions in places like the UK, Australia, and Pakistan will go up – $1 more for individuals and $2 for couples and families. The U.S. will not be an exception to this, only the price hike will be coming later in the year.

    Here’s where it gets interesting: Spotify is reportedly adding a new $11/month tier – the same price as the current Premium plan. This one gets you ad-free music and podcasts, but audiobooks are off the table. Simply, if you want audiobooks, you’ll have to pay extra.

    This is intriguing considering that Spotify just launched its $9.99 audiobooks plan last month. In addition, it bundled in 15 free hours of audiobook content to the premium plan in the U.S. Spotify has been pretty consistent with prices until last year’s hike. So why are they enacting a price hike now? There are two big reasons I can think of:

    Audiobooks cost money: Adding audiobooks meant making deals with publishers. Spotify needs cash to cover those costs on top of what they already pay for music.
    Record labels want their cut: Spotify hoped audiobooks would lessen their dependence on music deals. But record labels weren’t happy about potentially getting paid less, so they pushed for higher prices to make up for it.

    The question now is whether users will consider having audiobooks a good enough reason to warrant a $1/month price hike, or if they will switch plans to stay at the same price point as before. It’s also hard to say if people will jump ship over this.

    Last year’s hike didn’t scare away users, considering that Spotify actually gained subscriptions afterward. However, only time will tell how this latest round will impact their loyal listeners.up – $1 more for individuals and $2 for couples and families. The U.S. will not be an exception to this, only the price hike will be coming later in the year.

    Here’s where it gets interesting: Spotify is reportedly adding a new $11/month tier – the same price as the current Premium plan. This one gets you ad-free music and podcasts, but audiobooks are off the table. Simply, if you want audiobooks, you’ll have to pay extra.

    This is intriguing considering that Spotify just launched its $9.99 audiobooks plan last month. In addition, it bundled in 15 free hours of audiobook content to the premium plan in the U.S. Spotify has been pretty consistent with prices until last year’s hike. So why are they enacting a price hike now? There are two big reasons I can think of:

    Audiobooks cost money: Adding audiobooks meant making deals with publishers. Spotify needs cash to cover those costs on top of what they already pay for music.
    Record labels want their cut: Spotify hoped audiobooks would lessen their dependence on music deals. But record labels weren’t happy about potentially getting paid less, so they pushed for higher prices to make up for it.

    Your Spotify subscription may be about to go up in price
    Credit: Spotify

    The question now is whether users will consider having audiobooks a good enough reason to warrant a $1/month price hike, or if they will switch plans to stay at the same price point as before. It’s also hard to say if people will jump ship over this.

    Last year’s hike didn’t scare away users, considering that Spotify actually gained subscriptions afterward. However, only time will tell how this latest round will impact their loyal listeners.

  • TikTok launches Youth Council to advise on safety issues surrounding teens

    TikTok launches Youth Council to advise on safety issues surrounding teens

    TikTok, the beloved and sometimes controversial short-form video app, is caught in a political crossfire. Facing a potential US ban due to Chinese ownership concerns, TikTok is scrambling to defend its place in the hearts of its most loyal users – teens.

    One of TikTok’s latest moves is the creation of a “Youth Council”. This group of 15 teens from around the world will advise TikTok on how to make the platform safer for young people. It’s a smart play as concerns swirl around issues like child protection, misinformation, and the app’s impact on mental health.

    The council seems like a well-intentioned way for TikTok to demonstrate its commitment to the safety of its younger users. The teens even collaborate with Praesidio Safeguarding, a UK-based organization focused on online safety. But is this enough to sway regulators?

    TikTok’s influence on teens is undeniable. The app has even encouraged its teen audience to take political action against a potential ban. Some worry that these efforts, while focused on the app’s survival, might draw even more attention to TikTok’s reach among young people. The success of this initiative will likely hinge on a few factors:

    • Real Impact: How much actual power will the Youth Council have to influence changes on the app?
    • Teen Trust: Will teens see the council as a genuine attempt at improvement or a public relations ploy?
    • Policy Sway: Will US policymakers see this council and its efforts as an honest commitment to user safety?

    TikTok is playing a high-stakes game here. Appealing to its teen users makes sense strategically, but whether it can save TikTok from political pressures remains to be seen. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the Youth Council will depend on how much influence they are given within the company and how they are perceived by both teens and policymakers.

  • Spotify launches video course trial in the UK

    Spotify launches video course trial in the UK

    Spotify, the audio streaming giant, is diving into a whole new realm of content – educational video courses. In an announcement today, the company is revealing a launch that begins today for U.K. users, offering a variety of engaging courses to choose from.

    This move signals a shift in Spotify’s approach to content. No longer just about music, podcasts, or audiobooks, the platform is now catering to those seeking personal and professional development. They’ve teamed up with renowned educational tech companies, including BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific, to offer a curated selection of high-quality video courses.

    Spotify’s initial video course offerings span four key areas:

    1. Make Music: Dive into the world of music production and instrument mastery.
    2. Get Creative: Unleash your artistic potential with courses in photography, design, or writing.
    3. Learn Business: Gain valuable skills for entrepreneurship and career advancement.
    4. Healthy Living: Discover techniques for mindfulness, fitness, and wellness.

    Babar Zafar, VP Product Development at Spotify, spoke of this U.K.-based test as an opportunity to explore how to serve the Spotify community better and give them what they are actively interested in by stating: “Many of our users engage with podcasts and audiobooks on a daily basis for their learning needs, and we believe this highly engaged community will be interested in accessing and purchasing quality content from video course creators.” This recognizes a growing trend: many users already enjoy podcasts and audiobooks for self-improvement, and educational video courses are a natural extension of this.

    Spotify is encouraging its U.K. free and premium subscribers to take advantage of this new feature, as they will be able to try out for free for a couple of lessons before having to make a purchasing decision. These courses will be available on the Home and Browse tabs in the mobile app as well as on the web. However, once registered for a course, it will be available on both mobile and the desktop.

    It is unclear if there are plans to bring this feature to users outside the U.K. if this test proves successful. However, the company does state that should this occur, it could pave the way for a more expansive video-based learning experience directly on the Spotify platform.

  • Spotify to launch new Audiobooks feature in April

    Spotify to launch new Audiobooks feature in April

    After bringing music videos to Premium users in select markets, Spotify announced a brand-new feature coming to Audiobooks in April: Countdown Pages.

    This is the same feature that’s been successful for music releases. It allows Spotify users to “pre-save” audiobooks prior to a book’s release date, while authors and publishers can promote their new titles ahead of launch.

    Once an audiobook is pre-saved, a timer countdown will be visible above it until its launch. When the book is actually released, Spotify will notify users so they know they can start listening to it.

    Thanks to Countdown Pages, Spotify users can search for titles on the streaming service as soon as they’re announced. After next month’s update, a “Pre-save” CTA on pages of the books that haven’t been released yet. Additionally, a “More like this” tab will show users similar released book that they can start listening to straight away.

    Countdown Pages for Spotify will be available in all markets where Audiobooks are available beginning in mid-April.

    Since it was released back in 2023, users have played more than 150,000 unique titles through Spotify’s premium service. With a catalog of over 200,000 titles, Spotify believes that there’s room for improvement when it comes to the number of listeners engaging with audiobooks, especially considering that the streaming service has a user base of over 600 million.

  • Tidal lowers pricing of its HiFi lossless music subscription to match Spotify

    Tidal lowers pricing of its HiFi lossless music subscription to match Spotify

    While every other video and audio streaming company is either battling it out or raising its subscription costs sans ads, Tidal today made a surprising move: slashing the price of its high-quality lossless audio plan. This bold change positions Tidal as a truly compelling option alongside streaming giants like Spotify and Apple Music.

    Previously, Tidal’s HiFi lossless subscription cost $20 per month—almost double the price of Spotify’s popular $10.99 plan. Now, Tidal is dropping the price to match Spotify’s exact cost. With the HiFi and HiFi Plus tiers gone and combined into one TIDAL tier, the service will now cost you $10.99 USD a month for an individual subscription.

    Families will be transitioned to the new TIDAL Family plan, which will cost $16.99 USD a month. Additionally, Tidal will offer its DJ Extension as an add-on for individual plans, which will cost an additional $9 USD a month and allow users to access, stream, and mix music from the service’s DJ partners.

    But it’s not all great news, particularly for those that were on TIDAL’s free tier, which will no longer exist. As per the company announcement, anyone on the free tier will now need to sign up for a paid plan in order to continue using the service. You gain some. You lose some.

    It is important to note that, while both TIDAL and Spotify now share a price point, their offerings differ. Spotify boasts a huge music catalog and excellent music discovery features. It’s a crowd favorite, especially for casual listeners who love finding new tunes. However, Tidal’s edge lies in its superior lossless audio quality, making it irresistible for serious audiophiles with high-end equipment.

    Until recently, music lovers wanting lossless quality had a clear choice: Tidal or Apple Music. Spotify’s continued delays in rolling out their promised lossless tier have left users frustrated. Tidal’s pricing shift, effective April 10th, puts serious pressure on Spotify to step up.

  • Google TV gets design tweak that makes your favorite apps more accessible

    Google TV gets design tweak that makes your favorite apps more accessible

    Google TV is once again getting a design tweak. Following the addition of new landing pages last year aimed at simplifying navigation, the “For you” screen is now tackling the “Your apps” row, introducing several updates to make navigation easier and your overall viewing experience more enjoyable.

    The app icons on your Google TV are sporting a brand new look, with the old squares and rectangles gone and circular app icons replacing them. This change aims to give your home screen a more modern feel while also making it easier to locate your favorite applications.

    The update also adds a new shortcut that gives you direct access to free TV channels on Google TV. The platform added over 800 new fully-integrated free channels last year that included hit TV shows, game shows, music channels, various entertainment shows, and more — all without downloading additional apps or paying for a subscription.

    Now, you’ll have yet another way to access these channels, without having to click away from the “For you” section. For your convenience, a new shortcut to free channels will now be added to the “Your apps” row.

    Now that the app icons will be circular, they will take up less space. This opened the door for Google TV to expand the number of app icons visible in the “Your apps” row. You can quickly jump into more of your most-used apps without scrolling.

    You have always been able to rearrange the order of your apps, however, the process wasn’t exactly very user-friendly. Now, Google TV will feature “reorder” and “add app” buttons at the end of the “Your apps” row. This will allow you to take control of your app layout by moving your favorites to the front and seamlessly discovering and installing new apps to enhance your entertainment setup.

    These updates are rolling out over the next few months, so watch your Google TV screen for the transformation. With a sleeker design, easier access to content, and more user control, Google TV is continuously improving at putting your entertainment experience first.

  • TikTok starts to rub out Universal Music Group content, no new deal has been reached

    TikTok starts to rub out Universal Music Group content, no new deal has been reached

    TikTok starts to remove Universal Music Publishing Group content from the pest-like short video app, as no new licensing agreement with the music label has been reached, the social media firm said.

    TikTok has also started to mute videos on its platform that feature songs written by any songwriter signed on to UMPG (Universal Music Publishing Group), after removing the songs from Universal Music Group (UMG), as the licensing deal expired on January 31.

    The report cites a person familiar with the matter, who says TikTok is likely to remove “all the UMPG content before the end of February”, considering the legality of the matter. TikTok, however, has reached out to UMG and is still open to negotiate a new deal, the source added.

    Back in the end of January 2024, Universal Music Group stated that it couldn’t reach new deal terms with TikTok. The disagreements were mainly about how artists are paid and how TikTok uses AI. Universal Music accused TikTok of trying to push for a deal that was less favorable than before.

    UMG is the parent company of UMPG that represents an expansive roster of artists such as Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Sting, The Weeknd, Alicia Keys, Steve Lacy, Drake, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Adele, U2, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, and Bob Dylan. Although I can’t recall any TikTok videos with Bob Dylan…

    The music label had reached a deal with TikTok in February 2021, which allowed users on the video app to add clips from UMG’s catalog to their videos.

    UMG, the world’s largest music company, had said TikTok accounts for only about 1% of its total revenue.
    TikTok said UMG and UMPG catalog represents around 20% to 30% of popular songs, that vary depending on the region

  • Netflix starts forcing grandfathered subscribers to stop paying Apple

    Netflix starts forcing grandfathered subscribers to stop paying Apple

    In 2018, Netflix stopped accepting payments for new subscriptions through the App Store, forcing new subscribers and those returning after a brief hiatus to pay Netflix through its website. It has been six years since Netflix allowed such subscribers to pay for their service through the App Store. This way, Netflix could avoid paying Apple its 15% to 30% cut on in-app transactions that go through Apple’s in-app payment processing platform.

    Netflix representative Momo Zhao told The Verge that all “members on the basic plan who were using an iTunes method of payment” now must pay Netflix directly for service using a credit card or a debit card. Those who signed up for Netflix before the video streamer stopped allowing users to subscribe through the App Store were able to hold on to a good deal for years and continued to pay each renewal period through Apple.

    Netflix has allowed grandfathered subscribers to continue to pay each month through the App Store, but that is about to change. As one “X” subscriber wrote in a tweet, “Netflix stopped working with Apple Pay and didn’t inform me. Now I’m locked out of my $9.99 a month price I had paid for years and I had to get charged $31 until I get a refund through Apple.”

    If you’re in the same shoes as the person who posted the above tweet, you’ll have to pay $5.50 more a month for the same plan you were paying $9.99 a month for or pay $3 less per month for the privilege of having your streaming interrupted by ads. No matter which plan you choose, you’ll be paying Netflix directly.

    To reiterate, if you are a long-time Netflix subscriber and have been paying through the App Store to maintain your Netflix subscription, be on the lookout for an email from the video streamer that says that if you want to remain a Netflix subscriber, you will have to stop paying your bill through Apple. And you might be paying a little more or a little less each month for Netflix service depending on whether you can live with ads running on the videos you’re watching.

  • Apple Podcast bug means no new episodes for some titles although there is a simple workaround

    Apple Podcast bug means no new episodes for some titles although there is a simple workaround

    Remember Apple’s television ads for the iPhone 3G? The ad would tell you, regardless of any problem you need a solution for, “There’s an app for that.” When you think about it, for any subject matter that you have an interest in, there’s a podcast for that. And if you are an iPhone user, you probably use the Apple Podcasts app. But until recently, the app had a serious problem that was preventing users from listening to the latest episodes of certain Podcasts stored in the user’s library.

    The bug prevents the latest episodes for affected podcasts from showing up as these episodes will not automatically be downloaded. This means that these podcasts won’t appear in the Up Next queue. If the user knows that a new episode for a podcast he/she follows has dropped, the episode can be discovered by looking for the new episode in the app’s search tab. But many podcast app users rely on getting alerted by the app whenever a new episode is ready and thanks to the bug, this is not happening.

    It’s unknown exactly how many podcasts are affected by the bug but complaints on social media seem to indicate that the problem is widespread. And there is the aforementioned workaround. Open the Apple Podcasts app and after tapping the Search tab on the bottom right of the screen type in the name of the podcast you want to hear the latest episode of and tap the blue “search” bar next to the space bar on the virtual QWERTY keyboard. Press the Episodes filter above the search results (which is also below the search bar) and the latest episode will be on the top of the list. Just press the play button on the right of the listing to hear it.

    You might not have to do this much longer because some users say that they are now getting new episodes automatically sent to their Apple Podcasts app. If so, that’s good news. If not, try the workaround until your Podcast app is working perfectly again. By the way, if you don’t have the app on your iPhone, click on this link to download it from the App Store.

  • Disney unveils unified Disney+ plus Hulu app experience in beta stage

    Disney unveils unified Disney+ plus Hulu app experience in beta stage

    As reported last month as a result of Disney acquiring the remaining stake in Hulu from Comcast, Disney announced an upcoming unified streaming experience that combined Disney Plus with Hulu. This one-app experience has arrived now as Hulu content is now available to be streamed from the Disney Plus app on Android, iOS, and Google TV.

    Upon opening the Disney+ app, subscribers to both services will now see a dedicated Hulu tile. Clicking on it opens a Hulu Hub, granting access to the thousands of movies and series from Hulu’s extensive library, seamlessly integrated within the Disney+ interface. This eliminates the need to switch between apps, offering a more fluid and user-friendly experience.

    While today’s launch marks a major milestone, it’s important to remember this is a beta phase, with the official launch scheduled for March 2024. This limited release allows Disney to gauge user feedback and refine the experience before the full-scale rollout. Additionally, parents have ample time to adjust parental controls and ensure their children only access appropriate content.

    Some may wonder if integrating Hulu’s more adult-oriented content conflicts with Disney+’s family-friendly image. However, Disney assures that ensuring a safe and secure family environment remains a top priority. The two-step launch strategy allows for a smooth transition, providing parents time to adjust settings and create individual profiles for each family member.

    Disney believes that Hulu on Disney+ will enhance subscriber engagement and value. By bringing diverse content under one roof, users can discover new titles they may have missed. Joe Earley, President of Direct-to-Consumer at Disney Entertainment, emphasizes the benefit of the Bundle, highlighting its competitive price point and the vast library of content it unlocks.

    It’s an exciting next step for Direct-to-Consumer, but people must managed expectations about what the experience is going to be – Joe Early, President of DTC, Disney

    As exciting as this unified experience sounds, this may not be your cup of tea. If that’s the case, and you prefer your apps to remain separate, this will still be an option for you. This integration is not meant to replace either platform, thus Hulu + Live TV and Premium add-ons will still be accessible within the dedicated Hulu app.

    Disney encourages users to explore the beta version and discover the value that bundling both services offers, and believes access to Disney’s original content, blockbuster films, and Hulu’s rich library will entice standalone subscribers to upgrade and unlock the full potential of the platforms.