YouTube has lowered the minimum subscriber count for Channel Memberships access from 100,000 to 50,000. Video creators with at least 50,000 subscribers can now offer memberships for $4.99 per month for access to exclusive content, badges and other extras.
The IEEE has announced the approval of the 802.11aq amendment, which allows a person using a device to see available services before connecting to wireless local area networks through an exchange of information between wireless points and the device.
The Food and Drug Administration has unveiled an anti-vaping campaign aimed at teens that includes messaging in 10,000 school bathrooms and on websites and employs geofencing to target young people in schools. The push spotlights the dangers of chemicals used in vaping liquids, with cautionary video ads across social including YouTube, Instagram and Spotify.
Charter Senior Vice President Craig Cowden during a Mobile World Congress Americas session touted the benefits of the 3.7-4.2 gigahertz band. This spectrum has enough bandwidth to be used for 5G and will also serve as a potential way to add capacity to rural broadband, Cowden said.
Instagram has teamed up with TurboVote to provide users with the information they need to register to vote via ads in Stories and feeds. The platform will also run "I Voted" story stickers on the day of the elections; users can employ the stickers to encourage their friends to vote and help them find their local polling station.
Facebook Watch will be launching interactive series "Friday Night Poker" on Friday. The show will feature Q&A sessions and will allow viewers to interact with the hosts and players and potentially win spots on the show.
YouTube has announced that it is phasing out its YouTube Gaming app in March 2019 but is offering an alternative solution to gamers. A new gaming destination was announced this week; it will personalize gaming content, aggregate video and streams for individual games, and integrate subscribed content.
Disney is reportedly planning to launch several programs for its streaming service that center on superheroes not yet starring in stand-alone movies. Loki and the Scarlet Witch are among the Marvel Cinematic Universe superheroes who may be featured.
BBC is exploring ways to raise money to make it more competitive with Netflix and Amazon, Director General Tony Hall said. BBC and the other British public service broadcasters combined spend far less than Netflix does on content, he noted.
HBO and Netflix tied for first place at the Emmys this year with 23 awards each. "Game of Thrones" won best drama series, and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" took home five awards.