Waiting to be able to hit the “skip ad” button on YouTube has become a ubiquitous experience — but that’s about to change for select educational content on the video platform.

YouTube unveiled on Thursday a host of new tools for learners and creators on the platform, including an ad-free video player for educational content. YouTube is partnering with a handful of established US ed-tech companies in the initial rollout of the feature, including Edpuzzle, Purdue University and Purdue Global. 

“Everyday, teachers and students across the globe are using YouTube to learn, and YouTube Player for Education will help further learning in educational settings by allowing students to engage with new subjects distraction-free,” said Quim Sabrià, CEO and co-founder of Edpuzzle.

Along with the ad-free player, YouTube said qualified creators will be able to offer free and paid courses on the platform in 2023. This will bolster education on the platform and help provide viewers with “in-depth, structured learning,” according to the blog post. Choosing a paid course will give you an ad-free experience and let you play the video in the background.

As part of this rollout, YouTube is also introducing quizzes to the platform, supporting interactivity between creators and viewers by enabling creators to put together short quizzes to help viewers test their knowledge. 

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“For example, a math creator who recently posted a series on algebra can create a Quiz on the Community tab to ask their viewers a question related to a concept taught in their latest video,” YouTube said in its blog. 

Courses will arrive first in the US and South Korea in beta before expanding to more countries, YouTube said. Quizzes will roll out in the coming months, with all creators who have a Community tab gaining access next year. 

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Though MoviePass is set to officially relaunch on Labor Day, the waitlist for the once popular subscription service has already opened. Movie fans have until Monday, Aug. 29, to join the waitlist — but folks aren’t waiting until then to sign up. 

The company said in a tweet Thursday that “overwhelming demand” has caused MoviePass’ site servers to crash, resulting in an error message when people try to join the waitlist. 

MoviePass said it’s currently working to fix the issue, collaborating with its provider to increase capacity to meet demand. The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

MoviePass originally launched in 2011 and tried out various subscription models. In 2017, it debuted its infamous $10 unlimited plan, which let people see one movie a day. The plan brought in thousands of customers but also burned through the company’s money. After several more changes and increased competition from theaters launching their own subscription services, including AMC’s A List and Regal’s Unlimited, MoviePass eventually closed up shop.

Now MoviePass plans to launch a credit-based service. Most customers who sign up during the beta period will be in $10, $20 and $30 price tiers; each will correspond with a number of credits subscribers can use toward purchasing movie tickets. 

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It’s too soon to say whether this relaunch of MoviePass will actually be successful. “Overwhelming demand” on a free waitlist doesn’t guarantee that a service or product will flourish. 

Spotify had more than 2 million people sign up for the Car Thing waitlist, but the streaming service pulled the plug on the product about five months after its release, because of lackluster sales.

Only time will tell if MoviePass will survive this time around.

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We now know how much Spotify paid to acquire Findaway, an audio streaming platform that allows users to create and distribute their own audiobooks: €117 million, or $123 million, according to an updated SEC filing regarding the acquisition last November.

The acquisition marks the music streaming giant’s ambitions to become the world’s leading audio platform, bringing music, podcast and audiobook streaming under one roof. Adding audiobooks to Spotify’s ever-growing library would allow the streaming service to bring in a new base of content creators and listeners to the service. 

But while Spotify’s library of tunes and podcasts is available to everyone — either free with advertising or a subscription plan without ads and other perks — you may need to pay extra to access audiobooks. This would be a significant shift for Spotify, moving toward an “a la carte” model for some, or all, audiobooks under its brand.

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“We believe that audiobooks in their many different forms will be a massive opportunity,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said at an investor presentation last month. “This third vertical of audiobooks further builds on our ambitions to be the destination for creators. We’ve moved from being a music discovery and playback service, to a fully-fledged platform where artists and creators can create, engage, and earn. A platform fueled by subscription, advertising and creator service models, applied to music, podcasts, audiobooks and more.”

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Apple said on Thursday that apps exclusively released in the South Korean App Store can use third-party payment systems to take in-app payment. The move comes after South Korea last year amended its Telecommunications Business Act, which banned app stores from forcing developers to use its first-party payment systems. Google complied with the law in November, and now Apple follows suit.  

The South Korean law clamps down on app stores in an effort to rein in tech giants, who’ve been called out for their monopoly over in-app payments. Apple, in particular, has been criticized for the commission it charges to use its payment system, which critics have dubbed the “Apple Tax.” The tax gives Apple up to a 30% cut on subscriptions and in-app purchases. This has been the source of many developer complaints throughout the years. 

Though developers can request to use a third-party payment system for apps exclusively distributed in South Korea, Apple will still take a 26% commission for payments made through these systems. If an app is available globally, developers must create another version of the app for distribution solely on the App Store in South Korea. 

Apple warns that users will not have access to some App Store features if developers choose to go this route, including features like Ask to Buy and Family Sharing. Moreover, Apple won’t be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management and the like. Instead, developers will now be responsible for these features, and they must report all sales to Apple each month.

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Both Apple and Google opposed the South Korean law, citing the benefits of its first-party system. Namely, both tech giants argued that allowing a third-party payment system undermines their users’ safety and privacy on their app stores, increasing the risk of fraud. 

Lawmakers around the globe are looking to establish limits for big tech. The US Congress is working on a slate of bills aimed at antitrust and privacy that would change the way that tech giants do business. 

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The Department of Justice on Thursday revised its policy concerning the nation’s premier anti-hacking law, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The department is instructing prosecutors not to use the CFAA to prosecute cybersecurity researchers, sometimes dubbed “white hat hackers,” who have good faith intentions to improve technology.

The CFAA is a federal statute, enacted in 1986, that prohibits accessing a computer without authorization or in excess of authorization given. The law has long been criticized for overly broad and ambiguous language as to what constitutes authorized access to a protected computer, or what it means to exceed that authorization.

Up until a Supreme Court case that narrowed the scope of the law last year, concerns were raised that the act could allow prosecution for seemingly innocuous activity, such as sharing a Netflix password or using a work Zoom account to make a personal call.

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With the DOJ’s revised policy, things are getting even more refined, taking pressure off of cybersecurity researchers who are trying to better technology.

“Computer security research is a key driver of improved cybersecurity,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in a press release. “The department has never been interested in prosecuting good-faith computer security research as a crime, and today’s announcement promotes cybersecurity by providing clarity for good-faith security researchers who root out vulnerabilities for the common good.”

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Spotify and the former first family’s production company, Higher Ground Productions, won’t pen a new podcast deal, according to a Bloomberg report Thursday.

The Obamas first signed a deal with the music streaming platform in 2019. Since then, Higher Ground has released a handful of podcast shows on Spotify, including The Michelle Obama Podcast and Renegades: Born in the USA. The deal between the two parties is set to expire this year, and they reportedly won’t be renewing their relationship.

Higher Ground is currently negotiating with other potential partners, including iHeartMedia and Amazon’s Audible, Bloomberg said. Higher Ground is seeking a deal that will allow it to release multiple shows on several platforms simultaneously, which is a major reason why Spotify decided not to renew its deal with the Obamas, the news outlet said.

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Another limitation is that Barrack and Michelle Obama want to limit their appearances on these shows and are willing to appear in only an eight-episode program, according to Bloomberg. 

Michelle Obama said in 2019 that Higher Ground is meant to provide an “opportunity to amplify voices that are too often ignored or silenced altogether.”

Spotify didn’t respond to a request for comment. Higher Ground declined to comment. 

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Samsung is rumored to launch a third foldable device later this year, but this time around the phone may have a rollable or scrollable screen. Reliable Twitter tipster Ice universe on Thursday said Samsung’s “mysterious third foldable device” is set to be released in the second half of this year, adding that there’s a high probability of it being a “scroll screen phone.”

While Ice universe says that the phone is set to be released this year, supply chain analyst Ross Young suggested the device may have been pushed back. “We previously had the Samsung slidable starting production by the end of 2022, then we heard it was pushed out,” Young said in a tweet, adding that he’d have to confirm “if it was pulled back in or not.”

At CES earlier this year, Samsung showed off some concept foldable phones, including one where the phone’s screen expanded to the right with an unrolling motion. Samsung called the concept the Flex Slidable, but wouldn’t say if the device would actually make it to the company’s product line. It’s unclear if the rumored new device would use a similar design. 

Samsung didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The newer foldable phones from Samsung, the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3, have been more popular than their predecessors. According to the company, these foldable phones sold more in their launch month than their predecessors did in all of 2020. 

While foldables continue to garner popularity, companies are tinkering with what could be the next frontier in display tech: rollable or scrollable screens. LG showed a concept of a rollable phone at last year’s CES and, to boot, it began selling its first OLED rollable TV at a whopping $100,000. TCL followed suit in showing a rollable phone concept at this year’s CES. Even Apple submitted a patent for a flexible screen, indicating that a foldable or rollable iPhone could be in the future.

While these rollable phone concepts haven’t made it into product lines yet, rumors suggest they could end up in our pockets and purses within the next few years. 

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Netflix is raising prices for all its streaming plans in the UK and Ireland for the second time in less than 18 months. Prices will rise by 1 to 3 euros or pounds, depending on the plan. The new prices are in effect immediately for new subscribers, while existing subscribers will have 30 days notice by email before their next billing cycle.

For the UK, Netflix will hike prices by £1 a month to £11 for the standard plan, £1 a month to £7 for the basic plan, and £2 a month to £16 for the premium plan. Similarly, prices will rise in Ireland by 2 euros a month to 15 euros for the standard plan, 1 euro a month to 9 euros for the basic plan, and 3 euros a month to 21 euros for the premium plan. 

The price increases in the UK and Ireland follow one announced in the US and Canada in January. If it seems like Netflix keeps upping prices, it’s not your imagination. The company also has been introducing price hikes at a faster clip than in previous years. The increases are a lever for growth that the company is pulling more often lately, as it faces the reality that — especially in markets like the US and the UK, two of the earliest places Netflix operated — there simply aren’t a lot of people left to become new subscribers. 

Amid intensifying competition among streaming services, some have serious questions about whether the company can keep raising prices. Netflix is now one of the most expensive services of its kind. at least in the US. But Netflix has a fatter pipeline of new shows and movies than any of its rivals, and the company argues that while it’s asking people to pay more, they’re getting more too.

“We have always been focused on providing our members both quality and clear value for their membership,” said a Netflix spokesperson. “Our updated prices reflect the investment we have made in our service and catalog, and will allow us to continue making the series, documentaries and films our members love as well as investing in talent and the creative industry. We offer a range of plans so members can choose a price that works best for them.” 

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YouTube on Thursday unveiled its development plans for 2022 on the YouTube Official Blog. 

The video platform is exploring several new features, including the ability for content creators to set channel guidelines — enabling them to shape the tone of the conversation in their comments — and allowing people to shop directly on YouTube via tagged items in their favorite channel’s videos. YouTube also plans to give viewers the option to sort comments timed to the moment they’re watching a video.

YouTube is also doubling down on the potential for adding NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, to the platform. CEO Susan Wojcicki had already put NFTs on the radar last month. The company is considering verifiable ways “for fans to own unique videos, photos, art, and even experiences from their favorite creators could be a compelling prospect for creators and their audiences,” according to the blog post.

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And as TikTok has made short-form video content popular, YouTube is looking for implement new video effects, editing tools and more for their creators under YouTube Shorts.

Moreover, YouTube TV — the video platform’s paid subscription streaming service that offers live TV and on-demand video — is getting some major buffing. One development is that YouTube TV is finally getting picture-in-picture support for iOS, according to The Verge. This will allow YouTube TV members to watch a video while they use other apps on their iPhone or iPad. 

YouTube’s look at 2022 focuses on expanding connections between creators and consumers through collaboration and commerce on the web’s largest video platform.

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Starbucks on Thursday opened a new store located between New York’s Park and Lexington avenues — and it features Amazon Go’s “Just Walk Out Shopping” experience. Along with the ability to use the Starbucks app to order and pick up coffee and tea, Amazon Go lets you pick up snacks and go on your way without having to stop at a cashier. 

This concept store combines Amazon and Starbucks products, so you can just stop for your Starbucks drink, or turn to the Amazon Shopping App to use an “In-Store Code” or Amazon One — which allows you to use the palm of your hand as your identifier — to enter the Amazon Go market and the store’s seating lounge. Entering the Amazon Go market will be like entering any other Amazon Go store, allowing you to pick snacks off the shelf and automatically have them added to your virtual carts. 

The Amazon Go market will include staples from both Starbucks and Amazon, like sandwiches, salads, bakery items, breakfast foods and sous vide egg bites. 

This is the first of three stores that Starbucks plans to open with Amazon Go, with the next store planned to go live in 2022 in the New York Times building. The new method of shopping is the beginning of Starbucks’ “trade area transformation strategy,” looking to meet people’s preference for convenience, quick pick up and contactless pay while still offering a lounge area where people can meet and work over a cup of Joe. 

The Manhattan location’s opening coincides with Starbucks’ Red Cup Day, during which you can claim a free limited-edition reusable cup if you order a holiday or fall beverage at participating US stores.

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