Internet & Websites News - Page 29

The latest and most important Internet & Websites news - Page 29.

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Netflix launches speed test site

Sean Ridgeley | May 18, 2016 2:37 PM CDT

Netflix has launched its speed test site Fast.com. Like Speedtest.net (which it links to for comparison purposes), it tells you your current download speed with a brief data test. In this case, the data is downloaded from Netflix servers.

Netflix launches speed test site

Unlike with Speedtest.net, the test is extremely quick, the site pretty much only features the test itself, and it elects to nix upload speed and ping results, saying it's aimed at consumers of data who want a quick, straightforward tool (which makes sense given a lot of people will learn about it through Netflix).

The company says the results should be similar to what you see with Speedtest.net, so it's not about more accurate results, but simplicity and time.

Continue reading: Netflix launches speed test site (full post)

Google integrating shopping ads into image searches

Sean Ridgeley | May 16, 2016 2:13 PM CDT

Google is set to soon integrate shopping advertisements into its image searches on mobile.

"The most common feedback people have left with Google Images is, 'I like these products - how much do they cost and where can I buy them?'" says Google's VP of shopping Jon Alferness.

When you search for an image on your phone like say, couches, sponsored links with couch prices will show up. If you want more specific links, you can sort by colour, type, location, and store.

Continue reading: Google integrating shopping ads into image searches (full post)

Classic NFL games on their way to YouTube

Sean Ridgeley | May 13, 2016 11:31 AM CDT

Fans of football young and old will have the opportunity to easily discover or relive historic games in NFL history soon. The league is currently negotiating a renewed deal with YouTube whereby it will provide three full, classic games for each of the 32 teams for a total of 96 games; all will be available through the NFL YouTube channel, which currently boasts nearly one billion total views.

No exact date is set for the release of the full games yet, but the league says it will be sometime before the start of the new season (September 8).

The deal will also see highlights for games in progress show up in Google searches for NFL teams in a dedicated box that will also include information like broadcast time, kick-off time, and current score.

Continue reading: Classic NFL games on their way to YouTube (full post)

Google banning payday loan ads

Sean Ridgeley | May 12, 2016 10:36 AM CDT

Google is banning payday loan ads which require borrowers to pay back money within 60 days, as well as ads for loans with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 36% or more. As of July 13, they won't be seen on sites served by AdSense, or at least they'll be seen less (Google says it will monitor the effectiveness). Advertisements for mortgage loans, car loans, student loans, commercial loans, and credit lines won't be affected.

The company states such services and advertisements are predatory and can result in borrowers ending up in a worse financial situation than before they took out the loan, a sentiment echoed by others.

"This new policy addresses many of the longstanding concerns shared by the entire civil rights community about predatory payday lending," says Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "These companies have long used slick advertising and aggressive marketing to trap consumers into outrageously high interest loans - often those least able to afford it."

Continue reading: Google banning payday loan ads (full post)

Amazon opens up its video service, takes on YouTube

Sean Ridgeley | May 10, 2016 12:08 PM CDT

Amazon is opening up its Prime Video service to everyone today, allowing content creators to make money a la YouTube with a sub-service it calls Amazon Video Direct.

Said content will be available to Prime's tens of millions of users at no extra charge, to Amazon users as supported by ads, and through the Streaming Partners Program as an add-on; rentals and one-time purchases are also a distribution option for creators.

Earnings rates are competitive with YouTube (the same in some cases) and can be maximized with included performance metric tools.

Continue reading: Amazon opens up its video service, takes on YouTube (full post)

HBO gets more aggressive in fighting Game of Thrones piracy

Sean Ridgeley | May 9, 2016 3:30 PM CDT

HBO has stepped up its measures to fight Game of Thrones piracy, following the hiring of anti-piracy partner IP Echelon.

Recently, thousands of copyright infringement warnings have been sent out to those pirating the first episodes of the show's sixth season; the company is also requesting takedowns to torrent sites (some of which have removed the torrents in as little as a few minutes -- much quicker than usual), and encouraging ISPs to take action against alleged pirates.

The requests in question also highlight the legal method, something new to these kinds of statements.

Continue reading: HBO gets more aggressive in fighting Game of Thrones piracy (full post)

Spotify hops on original TV train, 12 shows incoming

Sean Ridgeley | May 9, 2016 1:58 PM CDT

Spotify already offers music videos and TV show clips through its streaming service, and will soon offer original TV shows as well. The episodes on offer will range from a few minutes to 15 minutes and will be available to all Spotify users -- premium or not -- that live in the US, UK, Germany, and Sweden. All will be focused on music, and some will tie into albums.

"Music will always be most important, but our audience likes us and wants more from us," said Tom Calderone, Spotify content partnerships chief. "We have to figure out a second act, and I think it will come out of video. The idea is to make sure users know they can come here for something other than playlists."

Calderone joined the company in March of this year after spending 17 years at Viacom, where his put pop stars on the air and rappers on reality TV shows.

Continue reading: Spotify hops on original TV train, 12 shows incoming (full post)

Live TV coming to YouTube coming next year, sources say

Sean Ridgeley | May 5, 2016 12:28 PM CDT

Hulu will be livestreaming TV next year and it looks as though YouTube will be doing the same, according to people familiar with the matter.

It's said YouTube has overhauled its technical architecture to accommodate the new service which could debut as early as 2017, and that the company has discussed plans with most major media companies, including Comcast, NBC, and many more. No rights have as of yet been secured, but it's possible the Hulu deal could help grease the wheels.

The service would be called Unplugged, a nod to the ever-growing community of people commonly known as cord cutters who refuse traditional cable in favor of streaming services.

Continue reading: Live TV coming to YouTube coming next year, sources say (full post)

Hulu will stream live TV in 2017

Derek Strickland | May 5, 2016 9:26 AM CDT

Cord cutters rejoice: live TV streaming is coming to Hulu in 2017.

Hulu will stream live TV in 2017

Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced that Hulu will expand to live TV broadcasts at the company's event in New York, confirming past reports. Hopkins didn't reveal any pricing information or channels, but the Wall Street Journal claims it could cost around $40 per month and possibly include--but not limited to--Bravo, E!, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Syfy, USA, ABC, ESPN, Disney, Fox, Fox News, FX and Fox Sports.

"This means our viewers will be able to enjoy live sports, news and events all in real-time without a traditional cable or satellite subscription," Hopkins said at the event. "We're going to fuse the best of linear television and on-demand in a deeply personalized experience optimized for the contemporary, always-connected television fan."

Continue reading: Hulu will stream live TV in 2017 (full post)

YouTube testing clean Material design

Sean Ridgeley | May 3, 2016 1:37 PM CDT

YouTube has had a pretty similar and somewhat chaotic design for a good six years or so, but it looks like that may finally change. A fresh and clean new design based on Google's Material platform has surfaced online, indicating it's likely in testing as you read this.

If you'd like to try it yourself, open Chrome and follow the steps below as outlined by redditor giorgiomarinel:

Note you may have to be on the US region setting, in Incognito mode, and/or sign out of your account to make it work. Happy Youtubing!

Continue reading: YouTube testing clean Material design (full post)