You’ve got to spend money to make money. That appears to be the mantra over at Netflix, where the DVD-by-mail service turned mega-streaming outlet has racked up nearly $20 billion in debt expanding its platform to new areas, producing original content, and buying the rights to show other company’s movies and TV shows. [More]
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There’s A Limit To Downloading Some Movies On Netflix
By 6.15.17
Last fall, Netflix began allowing users to download some content for offline viewing. While the service was a welcome addition for many, it came with a few restrictions, some of which users are just now experiencing: Some shows and movies can only be downloaded a finite number of times. [More]
Verizon, AT&T Pull Ads From Google, YouTube After Ads Run Next To Offensive Videos
By 3.23.17
Days after Google began apologizing to advertisers that stopped running YouTube ads after learning their brands were being featured alongside offensive and hateful videos, Verizon and AT&T say they are also pulling the plug on ads with the tech giant. [More]
Netflix May Let Users Download Videos For Offline Viewing, But Probably Not You
By 11.2.16
While competitors like Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes allow users to download videos for offline viewing, Netflix has yet to offer this option. Netflix is now considering the idea, but probably not for its millions of customers in the U.S. [More]
YouTube Adds 360-Degree Live Streaming Video Capabilities
By 4.18.16
For the better part of a year, YouTube has allowed users to post 360-degree videos. Today, the company took that initiative further by launching immersive live streaming. [More]
Verizon Completes $4.4B Acquisition Of AOL
By 6.23.15
It’s not often you hear about a shotgun wedding between two tech companies, but that’s apparently what happened for Verizon and AOL, as the recently betrothed said today that they had officially completed a $4.4 billion acquisition proposed just a month ago. [More]
HBO Now Reportedly Coming To A Google Or Android Device Near You… Soon
By 5.28.15
When HBO (kind of) cut the cord and announced it would finally launch a long-awaited standalone streaming service earlier this year, many Android users were left on the sidelines as it was revealed that HBO Now would start as an Apple exclusive. Now those once disconnected consumers can rejoice (if they so choose) because the service will soon be available on Google devices and Chromecast. [More]
YouTube Kids Accused Of Running Beer Ads, Crotch-Grabbing Lessons, Wine-Tasting Tips
By 5.19.15
Since Google launched the YouTube Kids app in February, the service has come under fire from consumer advocates for its advertising practices. Now, instead of focusing on the commercials shown through the service, several of those same groups are raising concerns with federal regulators over what they call disturbing and potentially harmful content for young children to view. [More]
Verizon Buys AOL For $4.4 Billion To Create Video Content, Ad-Sharing Mega-Company
By 5.12.15
Old tech and new tech are coming together in a massive $4.4 billion deal, with mobile service powerhouse Verizon Communications buying the brand of the ’90s AOL — a deal that gives the country’s largest mobile phone operator a stronger foothold in the race to create ad-content that targets customers as they move from desktops to mobile devices. [More]
Instagram Updates Community Standards To Clarify Rules On Porn, Harassment
By 4.17.15
So far in 2015, some of the top social media and blogger platform companies have made changes to their content policies. While Facebook clarified its approach to complaints about supposedly offensive posts, Google went back-and-forth on its content policy regarding sexually explicit or graphic nudity on its Blogger platform. Now, Instagram is getting in on the action by adding details to rules governing user conduct and what is deemed appropriate content on the photo sharing site. [More]
Google Reverses Content Policy Prohibiting Adult Content On Blogger Platform
By 2.27.15
In an abrupt about-face, Google announced early Friday morning that it would reverse a content policy change made just three days earlier that banned the users of the Blogger platform from sharing sexually explicit or graphic nudity on their sites. [More]
Google Changes Content Policy To Prohibit Adult Material On Blogger Platform Starting March 23
By 2.24.15
Starting next month all users of Google’s Blogger platform must adhere to a more stringent content policy, which includes banning users from sharing sexually explicit or graphic nudity on their sites. [More]
Overstock.com Still Trying To Be Amazon, Launching VOD & Streaming Service
By 1.20.15
Back in 2013, online retailer Overstock.com engaged in a tit-for-tat book-discounting battle with Amazon. While the short-lived competition didn’t exactly prove to be a sales dream for O.co, the company is now reportedly preparing to take on its e-retail arch nemesis again by launching video-on-demand and streaming services. [More]
No More Daily Show Or Colbert Report On Hulu
By 3.2.10
The New York Times is reporting that Viacom plans to pull its Comedy Central programming from Hulu next week because it can’t reach an agreement with the video site on compensation. In a post today on its blog, a Hulu executive notes that Hulu was “unable to secure the rights to extend these shows,” and that they’ll be gone as of 11:59 pm PST next Tuesday, March 9th. After that, you can continue watching them on TheDailyShow.com and ColbertNation.com. [More]
Facebook Will Let Users Help Draft New Terms Of Service
By 2.26.09
We are open to putting the documents up to a vote. The rules people must do when on the site and what we must do, a two way thing. There will be Comment periods, a council that will help on future revisions.
What Facebook's Users Want In The Next Terms Of Service
By 2.23.09
Now that Facebook has said they’re drafting a new Terms of Service based on community input, that community has eagerly put forth their proposals in the Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities Facebook group. Forum admin Julius Harper went through the 27 pages of feedback and pulled out the three major areas the community seemed most concerned about. Here’s what the people are demanding:
Google Removing Google+ Requirement For YouTube, Other Product Interactions
Just a week after Google said it would ship its Google+ Photo platform into the ether, the company announced more plans to distance its social network venture from its other products by ditching a requirement that tied user activities to their public profiles. [More]