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YouTube TV Adds 4K Support…For a Price

Matt Milano
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YouTube TV Adds 4K Support…For a Price

YouTube TV has announced support for 4K video, although it comes at a $20 premium.

YouTube TV is one of the leading streaming platforms and has become a popular option among cord cutters. The platform has similar pricing ($65 per month at time of writing) as Hulu with Live TV and fuboTV, although it does have some competitive advantages. Chief among them is unlimited DVR space.

The company is looking to add another major advantage in the form of full 4K content, something that most platforms have only limited support for. The caveat is that YouTube TV will charge more per month for 4K.

4K Plus will be available at an additional $19.99/month, but right now, new users can get a one-month free trial and then a price of just $9.99/month for one year.

Customers who upgrade to the 4K plan can also enjoy unlimited simultaneous streams at home, up from the three streams currently allowed. In addition, content can be downloaded to a phone or tablet for on-the-go watching.

The company is also adding 5.1 Dolby audio for all members.

Overall, the upgrades are welcome additions and help cement YouTube TV’s position as leader of the streaming pack. Nonetheless, $20 a month is a rather steep price for what are largely unnecessary upgrades.

Parallels Plans to Bring Windows 11 to macOS

Matt Milano
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0
Parallels Plans to Bring Windows 11 to macOS

Parallels is already working on supporting Windows 11 on Apple’s macOS, although no release date has been set.

Parallels is one of the leading virtualization companies and has been a stalwart on the Mac platform for years. The software allows Mac users to run Windows and Linux from within macOS.

The company recently updated its software to support Apple’s M1 processors, based on the same processor the company uses in its iPhone and iPad. The company confirmed to iMore that it is now working to support Windows 11 as well.

“Since Windows 11 has just been announced recently, the Parallels Engineering team is waiting for the official Windows 11 Insider Preview build to start studying changes introduced in the new OS to deliver full compatibility in future Parallels Desktop updates,” Nick Dobrovolskiy, SVP of Engineering and Support told iMore.

Parallels did not give a release date, or even a window, but did say it “will surely do everything that’s possible to make it happen.”

TikTok Introducing Three Minute Videos

Matt Milano
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0
TikTok Introducing Three Minute Videos

TikTok is introducing longer videos, up to three minutes, giving users even more opportunity to express themselves.

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms, and has redefined social media with its short videos. While 60 seconds allows creators to do quite a bit, the company is now looking to expand the length of the videos even more, up to three minutes long, giving content creators even more freedom.

Some users may have already noticed three-minute videos. The company says it has letting some creators around the world experiment with the new feature in advance of a full release.

Three minute videos will be rolling out in the coming weeks to all users.

With all the ways our community has redefined expression in under 60 seconds, we’re excited to see how people continue to entertain and inspire with a few more seconds – and a world of creative possibilities.

Google Bringing HTTPS-Only Mode to Chrome

Matt Milano
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0
Google Bringing HTTPS-Only Mode to Chrome

Google appears to be working on an HTTPS-Only Mode for Chrome, a move that will significantly improve the browser’s security.

HTTPS is the secure version of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). When a website’s address begins with “https”, the communication between web browser and website is secure. While many websites automatically use HTTPS, some still do not, representing a potential security risk if any sensitive information is sent or received from it.

Google is now working on an HTTPS-Only Mode for Chrome that would automatically upgrade any insecure website connections to secure ones, at least where possible. The move follows similar ones by Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

According to The Record, Google is working on the feature in Chrome Canary 93. It’s unclear, however, if the finished version will be ready in time for the official release of Chrome 93, or if HTTPS-Only Mode will debut later.

As the maker of the most popular web browser (by far), it’s disappointing Google is so late to the party with such an important feature. Nonetheless, at least it is joining the party.

TikTok Releases 2021 Q1 Transparency Report

Matt Milano
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TikTok Releases 2021 Q1 Transparency Report

TikTok has released its first transparency report of the year, detailing the measures it has taken to protect users.

TikTok has been under ongoing scrutiny for its privacy practices, as well as for not doing enough to protect the privacy of minors. Not surprisingly, its 2021 Q1 transparency report addresses a number of issues the company will likely use against its critics.

The company says that during the first quarter of 2021, it removed 11,149,514 accounts for violating its Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. Of those, 7,263,952 were suspected of belonging to someone under the age of 13. For users in that demographic, TikTok has TikTok for Younger Users, with curated content and additional safeguards in place.

TikTok also says it removed 86.1% of videos featuring adult nudity and sexual activity proactively, before they could be reported. A total of 89.8% were removed within 24 hours of being reported.

Similarly, when it came to videos that featured harassment and bullying the company says “66.2% were removed before they were reported to us, and 83.8% were removed within 24 hours of being posted.”

It’s clear TikTok is working to address the criticism it has faced. It remains to be seen if such efforts will win over any critics.

Apple Extends Trade-In Program to Include LG Smartphones

Matt Milano
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0
Apple Extends Trade-In Program to Include LG Smartphones

Apple is expanding its trade-in program to include four LG smartphones at a time when the latter is shutting down its smartphone business.

LG announced in April it would shut down its smartphone business by July 31. Once one of the leading smartphone manufacturers, the company fell behind Apple, Samsung, Huawei and others. LG explored a number of options before finally settling on shutting the division down.

First spotted by AppleInsider, Apple has added four additional LG smartphones to the trade-in program.

  • LG V60 ThinQ 5G, up to $180
  • LG V50 ThinQ 5G, up to $125
  • LG V40 ThinQ, up to $65
  • LG G8 ThinQ, up to $70

Apple is clearly looking to capitalize on LG’s exit from the smartphone business. The trade-in deals may help the company pick up some LG customers.

HBO Max Rolls Out in 39 Additional Territories

Matt Milano
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0
HBO Max Rolls Out in 39 Additional Territories

HBO Max is expanding beyond the US, rolling out in 39 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.

HBO Max is AT&T’s streaming service, and has operated exclusively in the US. As more and more customers cut the cord, the streaming service has been a bright spot for AT&T, especially as DirecTV shed subscribers by the millions prior to AT&T spinning it off.

As the company doubles down on HBO Max, global expansion is a priority, making today’s announcement an important step in that direction.

“Over our first year since launch, fans in the U.S. have chosen HBO Max as one of their favorite streaming platforms. With today’s launch, we are introducing our global platform and providing a brand new user experience to millions of fans across Latin America and the Caribbean. There couldn’t be a better place to begin our global journey, as WarnerMedia has been a favorite and trusted source for compelling and entertaining content for the whole family,” said Johannes Larcher, Head of HBO Max International.

HBO Max has committed to producing 100 local originals in Latin America, in addition to providing access to fan-favorite sports and programming.

“The big day has finally arrived, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. HBO Max launches in our region with an unprecedented offer rewarding our first wave of subscribers and sure to delight our fans by making our collection of movies and TV series more accessible and more affordable than ever before. This past year with its unprecedented health and economic crises has been challenging for our fans from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego, and so we are thrilled to bring some joy and inspiration to the entire community through this exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime launch offer,” stated Luis Durán, General Manager of HBO Max for Latin America.

Microsoft Brings Xbox Cloud Gaming to iOS

Matt Milano
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0
Microsoft Brings Xbox Cloud Gaming to iOS

Microsoft has brought its much-anticipated Xbox Cloud Gaming service to Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

Microsoft has been expanding its Xbox gaming platform beyond its namesake console. As part of that endeavor, Microsoft has been working to bring its Xbox Cloud Gaming service to market, as that will enable the widest adoption.

After a beta in April, for both iOS and Windows 10 PCs, Microsoft has announced the service is now out of beta and available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members.

Best of all, the company says the experience will be seamless across all devices.

Cloud gaming provides seamless play across your devices. When you’re streaming games on a PC or mobile device, your game is playing from Xbox hardware in a Microsoft datacenter. This means you can jump into a game, connect with your friends, and play through the Xbox network just as you’ve always done. That’s right, your game saves are just the same wherever and whenever you play, so you can pick right back up from where you left off. 

Microsoft’s announcement is good news for gamers, and should be a big win for the company.

Twitter Down for Some Users, Ad-Blocking Blamed

Matt Milano
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0
Twitter Down for Some Users, Ad-Blocking Blamed

Twitter appears to be down for some users in France, with at least some blaming ad-blocking software.

Twitter users started reporting an outage on Downdetector Sunday, primarily when accessing Twitter via a desktop web browser. Phone and tablet apps appeared to work just fine.

Interestingly, according to some users, turning off ad-blocking software in their web browser fixed the problem. So far, Twitter has not issued a statement or acknowledgement.

It remains to be seen if the issue was the result of an error, or if Twitter is beginning to target ad-blocking software.

Windows 11 Will Allow Sideloading Android Apps

Matt Milano
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0
Windows 11 Will Allow Sideloading Android Apps

A Microsoft engineer has confirmed that Windows 11 will support sideloading Android APKs.

Microsoft made headlines when it announced its upcoming Windows 11 would support Android apps via the Microsoft Store. Given the large catalog of apps, however, it’s unlikely all Android apps will be available in the Microsoft Store. This led some to wonder if Microsoft would allow sideloading via other sources.

It appears the company will, at least according to one Microsoft engineer.

Obviously, nothing is written in stone, especially since Miguel is a developer and not a Microsoft spokesperson. Nonetheless, it’s an encouraging development (pun intended) for Android and Windows users.

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