Media & Entertainment

Media & Entertainment tech news covers everything from Big Tech to streaming services to mobile apps. We dissect startups entering App Stores, the creator economy and more.

How Trump’s Revolutionary Digital Venture Sets Itself Apart from Fellow Struggling Startups

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Former president Donald Trump’s digital media company is losing money, and lots of it. But why is that any different from other “startups,” which often struggle to post a profit for years, if they ever do? Truth Social, the main business of TMTG, has failed to attract more than a few million users. Truth Social, the main business of TMTG, has failed to attract more than a few million users. By the time Trump is able to sell his shares, it’s likely this company will be worth anything like what it supposedly is today.

Global Unbundling of Office and Teams by Microsoft Amidst Extended Criticism

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Microsoft will introduce a new version of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 subscription service that excludes Teams, unbundling a suite following scrutiny from the European Union regulator and complaints from rival Slack. The move follows Microsoft agreeing to sell Office 365 suite sans Microsoft Teams offering in the EU and Switzerland last year. The company introduced Teams as a complimentary offering to the Office 365 suite in 2017. Microsoft has enjoyed an unfair advantage by coupling the two offerings, many businesses have argued. In a statement to Reuters, Microsoft said the unbundling “also addresses feedback from the European Commission by providing multinational companies more flexibility when they want to standardize their purchasing across geographies.”Reuters reported that Microsoft will introduce the new Office 365 lineups on Monday.

“Upcoming Closure of Google Podcasts: Migration to YouTube Music Highly Recommended for Users”

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Google is shutting down its Podcasts app in the U.S. in a matter of days. In 2020, YouTube Music offered a similar transition strategy to move music listeners away from Google Play Music ahead of its shutdown that same year. However, the Google Podcasts app continued to be maintained for years because YouTube Music wasn’t ready to support podcasts until more recently. By the end of 2023, YouTube Music was able to support podcasts globally, and, by February, they had the ability to upload their RSS feeds, too. From its earlier statements, though, the plan is to discontinue Google Podcasts in 2024.

“Palmsy: The Ultimate Device-Exclusive Social Network for Your Posting Cravings”

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When you sign up to a new social network, you have zero friend, zero follower, zero like. A new app called Palmsy is trying to act as social media methadone by letting you post anything and getting likes on them. While the app is reading your contact details, because all posts are local, contact information is not sent to a server. There have been multiple time-limiting apps that try to help when it comes to reducing social media addiction. Some developers have also released very basic apps to post dumb posts without consequences as well.

Activision Probing Malware Stealing Passwords from Gamers

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Video game giant Activision is investigating a hacking campaign that’s targeting players with the goal of stealing their credentials, TechCrunch has learned. Somehow, the hackers are getting malware on the victim’s computers and then stealing passwords for their gaming accounts and crypto wallets, among others, according to sources. Zeebler described the effort as an “infostealer malware campaign,” where malware designed as legitimate-looking software unknowingly installed by the victim surreptitiously steals their usernames and passwords. Zeebler told TechCrunch that he found out about the hacking campaign when a PhantomOverlay customer had their account for the cheat software stolen. After that, Zeebler said he contacted Activision Blizzard as well as other cheat makers, whose users appear to be affected.

UMG Expands Spotify Alliance: New Inclusion of Music Videos and Other Content Following Dispute with TikTok

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The addition of music videos is included among these new features in the U.S.Spotify recently announced its plans to support music videos, saying in March it would test the option in beta in 11 select markets — which, at the time, didn’t include the U.S. With the UMG deal, U.S. users will also have the option of watching music videos instead of just streaming audio. To watch videos, Spotify users can access a new “Switch to Video” option from the app’s Now Playing Screen. For instance, UMG artists will be able to share teasers of upcoming songs and users will be able to pre-save music before a new release. By partnering with Spotify, UMG still has a way to promote its music to fans, even if its artists lose the ability to market themselves on TikTok.

A Quarter of YouTube’s Content Creators Now Earn Money through Shorts

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With TikTok potentially poised for a U.S. ban, YouTube is touting how well its own TikTok competitor, YouTube Shorts, is paying off for creators. TikTok’s year-old fund, which replaced TikTok’s $1 billion Creator Fund, is now exiting beta. YouTube first introduced monetization options for Shorts creators in September 2022, with its plans for expanding the YouTube Partner Progam (YPP). But starting in early 2023, Shorts creators could meet a new threshold of 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. What’s more, YouTube notes that creators participating in the partner program for Shorts often monetize in other ways, as well.

LinkedIn to Introduce a TikTok-Inspired Video Feed on its App

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LinkedIn is testing a new TikTok-like short-form video feed, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday. With this new test, LinkedIn joins numerous other popular apps that have launched their own short-form video feeds following TikTok’s rise in popularity, including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Netflix. Null posted a short demo on LinkedIn showcasing the new feed, which lives in the app’s navigation bar in a new “Video” tab. LinkedIn’s new feed would give creators a new place to share their video content and potentially reach more viewers. It’s possible that LinkedIn may also monetize the feed at some point in the future to entice creators to post their video content on the app.

“Streamlining Sound Creation for Children: Playtime Engineering’s Innovative Musical Toy Startup”

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That’s why Sheets decided to develop the $199 Blipbox, an affordable kid-friendly synthesizer designed for ages three and up. With its chunky control knobs, levers and an easy-to-use randomize feature, MyTracks aims to encourage music exploration and simplify beatmaking for kids. According to the company, all Blipbox devices underwent “rigorous” testing to ensure they are BPA-free and comply with toy safety standards. Blipbox has even been used by music teachers, including helping special-needs kids express their creativity in a non-verbal way. “We got a lot of weird looks from parents,” Kate Sheets says, describing how people reacted to the first Blipbox synthesizer in 2018.

Judge Rejects Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against Anti-Hate Research Organization

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A federal judge sided against Elon Musk today, dismissing a lawsuit brought by Musk and X that targeted a nonprofit that researches online hate. In the lawsuit, X claimed that it lost “tens of millions of dollars” as a direct result of the CCDH’s research. Musk, who personally directed the lawsuit, called the CCDH “an evil propaganda machine” in replies on X. The nonprofit, formed in 2018, researches trends in hate speech, extremism and misinformation on major social networks. Unlike the CCDH lawsuit, X is suing Media Matters for America in Texas, which doesn’t share California’s protections against frivolous lawsuits designed to stifle free speech.