YouTube offers a readily available television interface for people who access the service using an ordinary web browser. This interface is most commonly used by people who have a small computer, such as a PC stick or Linux box, hooked up to their TV as a substitute for a streaming device, but that'll be changing in the near future.
The dedicated YouTube Kids website has launched and it comes with a parental lock so simple that one may think they're being trolled. Upon launching the website, kids are introduced to a big, bright screen that advises them to get a parent in order to answer a question and unlock the portal. That question? A simple math problem that most kids could easily solve without a calculator.
Relying on continued success on YouTube to make your living can be a stressful thing. YouTube recognizes that, and in an effort to reduce stress among its creators, the company is about to roll out a controversial new feature on a broad scale. Starting next month, it will begin hiding exact subscriber counts on YouTube channels, instead giving viewers only a general idea of how many subscribers a channel has.
YouTube has been heavily criticized for years over the growing number of faux videos for kids on its platform that show violent, disturbing, or otherwise mature content unsuitable for young audiences. In regards to that, the company quietly announced a policy change on its support forum this week stating that it will remove 'misleading family content' going forward, including videos that target 'younger minors.'
Waze is getting YouTube Music integration, bringing more streamlined access to streaming music to the navigation app without having to jump between the two. The update pulls everything from albums and playlists, through personalized mixes, into Waze's new app.
With few exceptions, YouTube's original shows have only been available to YouTube Premium subscribers, locking them behind a relatively pricey paywall. That will change starting late next month, Google has quietly revealed, when many YouTube Originals will be made free for everyone to access. This doesn't mean YouTube Premium subscribers should cancel their plans, however -- there will be perks available only to those who pay.
W Hotels, specifically the W Hotel in Washington, DC, has introduced a new room service option that'll appeal to YouTubers: the Sip & Slurp menu for filming mukbang videos. The new menu is pricey and only available for a limited time, offering customers more than just food -- they also get a lapel microphone and cell phone stand for recording the content.
For many college students, the end of August marks their return to school -- and for many people, they're starting university for the first time, opening the door to all sorts of student discounts and promotions. Companies are vying for students' limited budgets, offering incentives for people to sign up in the form of free promotions and discounts. Among those companies is YouTube, which has three free months for eligible students.
If you're looking for a live streaming television service, Google is hoping you'll choose its YouTube TV service. To help lure in new customers, YouTube TV has doubled the length of its free trial, extending it to a full 14 days before customers have to cancel or pay.
It seems that Elon Musk envisions Tesla's cars as more than transportation machines. Not so long ago, the electric car maker started adding the ability to play games on cars' displays. That naturally requires more interaction than some drivers and passengers might be comfortable with but what about passive forms of entertainment? That may be the line of thinking behind the visionary's revelation on Twitter that cars will soon play videos from Netflix and YouTube but not while it might be dangerous to do so.
In the war for music streaming dominance, functionality and feature sets are a big deal. YouTube Music's recent launch means it has some catching up to do to more established players like Spotify and Apple Music, and today, it's trying to give itself an edge by rolling out a feature it's unique situated to deliver. If you're a YouTube Music subscriber, you'll now be able to switch between audio-only tracks and music videos at will.
YouTube Premium, the subscription service offered by YouTube for users who want access to more features, has added the ability to save videos from favorite channels and recent topics for offline viewing. The new feature, which is only available to subscribers, helps users ensure they always have access to the videos that interest them the most.