Earlier today, Apple revised its App Store guidelines to give companies such as Microsoft and Google a way to offer their video game streaming platforms on iOS, but did so with a major caveat. Apple said those companies could release catalog-style apps that collect and link to games iOS users would have to download individually through the App Store. Microsoft, which will launch its xCloud streaming service on Android devices on September 15th, has now come out against the policy.
“This remains a bad experience for customers,” a spokesperson for the company told The Verge. “Gamers want to jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs, and not be forced to download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud. We’re committed to putting gamers at the center of everything we do, and providing a great experience is core to that mission.”
Console Wars, the documentary based on the 2014 non-fiction novel of the same name, will premiere on CBS All Access on September 23rd, CBS Interactive announced on Friday. The company also shared a new trailer for the doc.
Console Wars details the battle between Nintendo and Sega in the 90s, focusing mostly on the Genesis and SNES era. The source material is somewhat controversial for including fictionalized dialogue — albeit between people who took part in the events the book recounts. Judging from the trailer, that’s something the documentary improves on with many of the same individuals — including former Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske — who feature prominently in the book giving on-the-record interviews. Blake J. Harris, the author of Console Wars, helped co-direct the documentary, with Seth Rogen serving as one of its executive producers.
When Microsoft detailed the Xbox Series S earlier this week, it said the console is four times more powerful than the Xbox One. Notably, the company didn’t compare the upcoming console to the Xbox One X. With its ability to play next-generation titles, the Series S will likely end up the more capable system in the long run. But when it comes to playing older Xbox and Xbox 360 games, you won’t get the same enhanced experience that you can currently get through the Xbox One X.
A Microsoft spokesperson told GameSpewthe Xbox Series S will allow you to play the Xbox One S versions of backward compatible titles. “To deliver the highest quality backwards compatible experience consistent with the developer’s original intent, the Xbox Series S runs the Xbox One S version of backward compatible games while applying improved texture filtering, higher and more consistent frame rates, faster load times and Auto HDR,” the spokesperson said.
“Ronnie had been deceased for almost an hour and a half when I got the first notification from Facebook that they weren’t going to take down the video […] what the hell kind of standards is that?” Steen told Snopes.
Earlier this week, Facebook issued the following statement: “We removed the original video from Facebook last month on the day it was streamed and have used automation technology to remove copies and uploads since that time.”
Wachiwit via Getty Images
Later, on September 10th, the company informed Snopes that the video was up on the site for two hours and 41 minutes before it was removed. “We are reviewing how we could have taken down the livestream faster,” it said in a statement. Those two hours and 41 minutes, Steen told Snopes, isn’t fast enough of a response, and is completely unacceptable as friends and family were impacted by the video.
During that time, the video was reposted on other Facebook groups and, according to Vice, spread to fringe forums like 4chan. Users of those sites then reshared the video on Facebook, as well as other places like Twitter and YouTube. But it is on TikTok where the video really went viral.
One of the potential reasons for this spread is TikTok’s algorithm, which is also often credited for the app’s success. TikTok’s main feature is its For You page, a never-ending stream of videos tailored specifically for you, based on your interests and engagement. Because of this algorithm, it’s often possible for complete unknowns to go viral and make it big on TikTok, while they might have trouble doing so on other social networks.
In a blog post published this June, TikTok said that when a video is uploaded to the service, it is first shown to a small subset of users. Based on their response — like watching the whole thing or sharing it — the video is then shared to more people who might have similar interests, and then that feedback loop is repeated, leading a video to go viral. Other elements like song clips, hashtags and captions are also considered, which is often why users add the “#foryou” hashtag in order to get on the For You page — if people engage with that hashtag, then they could be recommended more videos with the same tag.
Anatoliy Sizov via Getty Images
In other words, by using certain popular song clips, hashtags and captions, you could potentially “game” the TikTok algorithm and trick people into watching the video. Though TikTok hasn’t said that’s what happened in this case, that’s certainly a possibility. It’s also entirely possible that as the story of the video got around, people might have simply searched for the video on their own to satisfy a morbid curiosity, which in turn prompts it to get picked up on the For You page again and again.
TikTok, for its part, has been working to block the video and take it down since it started cropping up on Sunday. In a statement it said:
Our systems, together with our moderation teams, have been detecting and removing these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide. We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who’ve reported content and warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family. If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned about someone who is, we encourage them to seek support, and we provide access to hotlines directly from our app and in our Safety Center.
But the company is having a difficult time. Users kept figuring out workarounds, like sharing the video in the comments, or disguising it in another video that initially seems innocuous.
At the same time, however, TikTok has seen a surge of videos that aim to turn people away from the video. Some users as well as prominent creators have taken to posting warning videos, where they would say something like “if you see this image, don’t watch, keep scrolling.” Those videos have gone viral as well, which the company seems to support.
As for why people stream these videos in the first place, unfortunately that’s somewhat inevitable. “Everything that happens in real life is going to happen on video platforms,” said Bart Andrews, the Chief Clinical Officer of Behavioral Health Response, an organization that provides telephone counseling to people in mental health crises. “Sometimes, the act is not just the ending of life. It’s a communication, a final message to the world. And social media is a way to get your message to millions of people.”
“People have become so accustomed to living their lives online and through social media,” said Dan Reidenberg, the executive director of suicide non-profit organization SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education). “It’s a natural extension for someone that might be struggling to think that’s where they would put that out there.” Sometimes, he said, putting these thoughts on social media is actually a good thing, as it helps warn friends and family that something is wrong. “They put out a message of distress, and they get lots of support or resources to help them out.” Unfortunately, however, that’s not always the case, and the act goes through regardless.
It is therefore up to the social media platforms to come up with solutions on how to best prevent such acts, as well as to stop them from being shared. Facebook is unfortunately well acquainted with the problem, as several incidents of suicide as well as murder have occurred on its live streaming platform over the past few years.
Soe Zeya Tun / reuters
Facebook has, however, taken steps to overcome this issue, and Reidenberg actually thinks that it’s the leader in the technology world on this subject. (He was one of the people who led the development of suicide prevention best practices for the technology industry.) Facebook has provided FAQs on suicide prevention, hired a health and well-being expert to its safety policy team, provided a list of resources whenever someone searches for suicide or self-harm, and rolled out an AI-based suicide prevention tool that can supposedly detect comments that are likely to include thoughts of suicide.
Facebook has even integrated suicide prevention tools into Facebook Live, where users can reach out to the person and report the incident to the company at the same time. However, Facebook has said it wouldn’t cut off the livestream, because it could “remove the opportunity for that person to receive help.” Though that’s controversial, Andrews supports this notion. “I understand that if this person is still alive, maybe there’s hope, maybe there’s something that can happen in the moment that will prevent them from doing it.”
But unfortunately, as is the case with McNutt, there is also the risk of exposure and error. And the result can be traumatic. “There are some instances where technology hasn’t advanced fast enough to be able to necessarily stop every single bad thing from being shown,” Reidenberg said.
“Seeing these kinds of videos is very dangerous,” said Joel Dvoskin, a clinical psychologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. “One of the risk factors for suicide is if somebody in your family committed suicide. People you see on social media are like members of your family. If somebody is depressed or vulnerable or had given some thought to it, [seeing the video] makes it more salient as a possibility.”
Dado Ruvic / Reuters
As for that AI, both Reidenberg and Andrews say that it just hasn’t done a great job at rooting out harmful content. Take, for example, the failure to identify the video of the Christchurch mosque shooting because it was filmed in first-person or simply the more recent struggle in spotting and removing COVID-19 misinformation. Plus, no matter how good the AI gets, Andrews believes that bad actors will always be one step ahead.
“Could we have a completely automated and artificial intelligence program identify issues and lock it down? I think we’ll get better at that, but I think there’ll always be ways to circumvent that and fool the algorithm,” Andrews said. “I just don’t think it’s possible, although It’s something to strive for.”
Instead of relying solely on AI, both Reidenberg and Andrews say that a combination of automated blocking and human moderation is key. “We have to rely on whatever AI is available to identify that there might be some risk,” Reidenberg said. “And actual people like content moderators and safety professionals at these companies need to try to intervene before something bad happens.”
As for newer social media companies, they too need to think proactively about suicide. “They have to ask how they want to be known as a platform in terms of social good,” Reidenberg said. In TikTok’s case, he hopes that it will join forces with a company like Facebook which has a lot more experience in this area. Even if the video was streamed on Facebook, it didn’t go viral on Facebook because it managed to lock it down (The company could’ve still done a much better job at being more proactive at taking it down much earlier than it did).
NurPhoto via Getty Images
“Any new platform should start from the lessons from older platforms. What works, what doesn’t, and what kind of environment do we want to create for our users,” Andrews said. “You have an obligation to make sure that you are creating an environment and norms and have reporting mechanisms and algorithms to make sure that the environment is as true to what you wanted to be as you can make it. You have to encourage and empower users when they see things that are out of the norm, that they have a mechanism to report that and you have to find a way to respond very quickly to that.”
The answer might also lie in creating a community that takes care of itself. Andrews, for example, is especially heartened by the act of the TikTok community rising up to warn fellow users about the video. “It’s this wonderful version of the internet’s own antibodies,” he said. “This is an example where we saw the worst of the internet, but we also saw the best of the internet. These are people who have no vested interest in doing this, warning others, but they went out of their way to protect other users from this traumatic imagery.”
That’s why, despite the tragedy and pain, Andrews believes that society will adapt. “For thousands of years, humans have developed behavior over time to figure out what is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable,” he said. “But we forget that technology, live streaming, this is all still so new. The technology sometimes has gotten ahead of our institutions and social norms. We’re still creating them, and I think it’s wonderful that we’re doing that.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
Screenshots of the feature first popped up on the Disney+ subreddit. Disney confirmed to The Vergeit’s running a limited test of GroupWatch. There are plans to roll out the option in other regions this fall — just in time for the cold winter months where you probably won’t be hanging out with your friends outdoors.
There are third-party options through which people can host or join watch parties, but it’s good to see streaming platforms making it easier for folks to do so. The Disney+ offering is far more limited in scope than ones on other services. Prime Video allows you to invite up to 100 of your nearest and dearest friends to join a watch party, while Twitch streamers can theoretically have tens of thousands of people watching something with them in their chat.
Even though new iPhones aren’t expected for another month or so, it seems likely we’ll get updates on all of Apple’s upcoming software releases. According to Bloomberg’s Debby Wu and Mark Gurman, iOS 14 is still expected to hit iPhones this month. And if we get a new iPad, it would only make sense for details about the next iPadOS to be announced as well. Given the fact that iOS and iPadOS are still quite closely linked, both updates should drop around the same time. They have some pretty significant new features, too, including resizable widgets, a new App Library organization system for the iPhone, major updates to Messages, searchable handwriting on the iPad and much more.
Given that Apple is all but certain to announce a new Watch, we should also find out when watchOS 7 will roll out. Typically it arrives along with new hardware, so we should see it this month as well. As mentioned, watchOS 7 will add sleep tracking features to the Apple Watch for the first time. It’ll also include a handful of new watch faces, the ability for apps to include multiple complications, revamped workout and activity apps, a hand-washing app (yup) and a handful of other refinements.
Apple doesn’t typically spend much time on the Mac at these September events, but it’s possible we get an update on when Big Sur will arrive. Last year, Apple announced macOS Catalina availability via a press release in early October, so it’s just as likely they take that route again. But after using the public beta for the last month-plus, it does feel almost ready to go.
An Apple subscription bundle
Ever since Apple announced News+, TV+ and Arcade all in one shot at a services-focused event in 2019, people have speculated that the company would bundle all them together alongside Apple Music. It hasn’t happened yet, but it could be announced next week — Bloomberg reported that an Apple One subscription bundle would be ready this fall along with new iPhones. That means Apple might sit on it for another month or so, but it’s not hardware-dependent, so it could easily be previewed at next week’s event.
A new HomePod or AirPods
Engadget
File these lower on the certainty list, but Bloomberg has reported multiple times that a smaller, cheaper HomePod would be released this fall. The original is starting to show its age, and though it sounds excellent for its price, a $300 speaker is still a tough sell for a lot of people. Combined with the fact that Apple has some much-needed software improvements on the way (like letting the HomePod work with music services besides Apple Music) and the timing for a new speaker does make sense.
As for headphones, rumors have swirled about an Apple-branded, over-the-ear headset for a long time now. Bloomberg again seems to think that they’ll be ready for the fall, but there haven’t been many corroborating leaks. Apple’s success with the AirPods lineup makes an expansion of its headphone offerings likely — whether we see them next week is another story.
It also comes just days ahead of Donald Trump’s Sept. 15 deadline for TikTok to find a new home with an American company. Experts have said it’s unlikely a deal could materialize that quickly, but Trump said Thursday he would not extend the deadline.
Further complicating things are new trade rules in China, which could prevent a buyer from acquiring TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. Reuters reports that China is prepared to use the policy to “delay any deal reached by ByteDance, if it had to.”
TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Streaming game services may offer a catalog app on the App Store to help users sign up for the service and find the games on the App Store, provided that the app adheres to all guidelines, including offering users the option to pay for a subscription with in-app purchase and use Sign in with Apple,” the company said in another section of its guidelines. “All the games included in the catalog app must link to an individual App Store product page.”
Apple has come under fire over its App Store practices lately on a number of fronts, particularly from game publishers. Epic Games, of course, is embroiled in a legal battle with the company over the 30 percent cut Apple takes from in-app payments. Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store soon after that fight flared up.
Microsoft and Facebook (both of whom have expressed support for Epic) have hit out at Apple’s rules too. They said that the guidelines limited their gaming apps on iPhones and iPads. The xCloud and GeForce Now apps aren’t available for iOS devices at all, while you can’t play games through the Stadia or Facebook Gaming apps as things stand.
Last month, Apple said that it had to limit game streaming services because it said it would have to review and approve each title individually — rules that don’t apply to non-interactive streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. Having each game as an individual app means it’ll show up in “charts and search, has user ratings and review [and] can be managed with ScreenTime and other parental control apps.”
Having to download each Stadia or xCloud game (or possibly an app that connects to a cloud server with the full game) that you want to play kind of defeats the core purpose of game streaming. Still, at least it’ll be possible for you to play them on iOS devices from now on.
This move will give game streaming services a degree of parity with Apple’s own game subscription service, Apple Arcade. You need to download games individually with that too.
Elsewhere in the updated App Store guidelines, Apple made some changes that apply to in-person classes that are purchased through an app. One-on-one virtual sessions don’t need to go through Apple’s payment process, but those that have an instructor teaching multiple people will.
If you’ve had your eye on the latest iPad Pros since their debut earlier this year, you can still grab a few models for less. The 256GB 11-inch model is $50 off while the 1TB 12.9-inch model is roughly $64 off thanks to an automatically applied coupon at Amazon. These iPad Pros are pretty much identical to the previous generation with the exception of a new ultra-wide camera and LiDAR sensor. If you won’t miss those features, though, B&H Photo has a sale that slashes hundreds off of some previous-gen models.
The 8-quart Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus is $40 off, bringing the price down to $99. This is one of the upgraded Instant Pot models, with 48 customizable presets (including a sous vide mode); an improved inner pot that’s stovetop-friendly; and a quick-cooling lid. This is a great deal if you’ve been wanting a larger-capacity Instant Pot and like the idea of experimenting with advanced features.
August’s latest WiFi smart lock remains on sale for $219, which is roughly $30 off its normal price. We gave this gadget a score of 80 thanks to its easy installation process; minimalistic design that doesn’t take up too much space; and its compatibility with most virtual assistants, including Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Beats’ Solo Pro wireless headphones are down to $199 at Amazon, $100 off their normal price and an all-time low. These on-ear cans earned a score of 81 from us for their excellent sound quality, good active noise-cancellation and improved design. By dint of them being on-ear headphones, some might find them uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Nevertheless, this is a solid deal if you like that type of fit, or you simply want a new pair for less than the price of competing models from Bose and Sony.
If you want to spend even less on a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, Sony’s WH-CH710N are on sale for only $98, which is $100 of their normal price. These cans may lack a thumping bass, but the sound quality otherwise is good and Sony’s active noise-cancelling tech is just as good as you’d expect. They also promise impressive 35-hour battery life, so you’ll get plenty of work or study sessions in before they need a recharge.
We’re fans of Anker’s Powerline+ charging cables for their braided nylon design and overall reliability. Now you can pick up a couple of extra cables in Anker’s latest one-day-only sale on Amazon. You can get a three-pack of Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A cables for $14 and an MFi-certified Powerline+ II USB-A to Lightning cable for $12, among other accessories included in the sale.
Amazon has discounted its bundle that includes an Echo Dot Kids Edition with the Echo Glow smart lamp to only $50, which is 50 percent off its normal price (and the regular going price of the Echo Dot alone). The Kids Edition is basically just a normal Echo Dot in a fun color and it also includes one year of FreeTime Unlimited, which is Amazon’s subscription that provides child-appropriate books, movies, TV shows, apps and more for kids to use at their leisure. The Echo Glow is a multicolor smart lamp that both parents and kids can use for visual reminders and to inject fun lighting into playtime and activities. If you do grab this deal, remember that your FreeTime Unlimited subscription will renew after one year at the standard $3-per-month price.
Overall physical sales fell to $376 million. That’s a drop of 23 percent year-over-year. Reasons for that include people not visiting music stores, artists not touring (and not selling CDs at shows) and millions of people losing their jobs and entertainment budgets amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And then, of course, there’s the increasing shift to streaming.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that streaming subscriptions are way up. Spotify, for instance, added 12 million Premium subscribers during the six months to hit a global total of 138 million. Paid streaming subscribers in the US increased by 24 percent from the first half of 2019 to more than 72 million. Total streaming revenue rose 12 percent year-over-year to $4.8 billion.
Growth in ad-supported streaming revenues slowed down significantly to three percent year-over-year amid a drop in advertising income across a number of sectors. Despite that, it speaks to the dominance of streaming that revenue from ad-supported streaming ($421 million) was higher than both physical sales and digital downloads ($351 million) during that period.
