Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Spotify quietly locks lyrics behind a paywall
According to unconfirmed reports, Spotify is testing a new feature that will hide all the song lyrics behind a paywall. This means free users won’t be able to see the lyrics within the Spotify app unless they upgrade to Spotify Premium. Needless to say, this change has been met with frustration from many free users as they usually find in-app lyrics pretty useful and handy. However, Spotify still hasn’t officially confirmed about testing this feature. But many are concerned that the company may permanently hide the lyrics behind the paywall as part of its aggressive monetization strategy. Even though if the company does launch this feature, it may initially launch this feature only in few markets.
2)
YouTube encounters a hiccup in uploading fresh content.
There have been media reports that since Thursday afternoon YouTube has been experiencing issues with uploading videos. Creators were encountering problems were uploads seemed to get stuck in processing despite showing “Upload complete” on YouTube Studio. The good news is that YouTube acknowledged the issue and their engineering teams were working to fix this issue. There is no update yet on when the exact fix will be implemented, but hopefully it’ll be resolved soon. If you’re also facing problems in uploading videos then Keep an eye on YouTube’s official social media channels like Twitter & Instagram to receive latest update on this issue.
3)
Microsoft rolls out passkey support for all consumer accounts
Microsoft has just announced full-fledge roll-out of passkey support for all their consumer accounts. This means Microsoft users can now ditch traditional passwords and instead sign in into their accounts by using biometrics like facial recognition or fingerprint scanning. The good thing is that the passkey feature won’t just be restricted to Windows but will also be available on IOS and Android apps. By making passkeys available across all platforms, Microsoft has made it clear how seriously it is taking the security of its accounts. The new age passkeys are considered more secure than traditional passwords because they eliminate the risk of phishing attacks or password breaches. Going forward in future, passkeys are likely to permanently replace traditional passwords.
4)
Amazon’s Twitch launches new short-form video feature
Amazon’s Twitch recently launched a new feature called “Discovery Feed” that dives into the world of short-form video content. It’s seen as a potential competitor to TikTok, especially considering the uncertain future of TikTok in the US market. However, unlike TikTok where users create original short videos, Twitch’s Discovery Feed only curate clips from existing live streams on the platform. This new feature is currently available as a tab on the Twitch mobile app, making it easy for viewers to browse through short, engaging content. Although Discovery Feed may not pose credible challenge to TikTok, it is likely to offer unique experience to all its users.
5)
TikTok & Universal Music sign a new Licensing Agreement, ending month long deadlock.
Universal Music Group and TikTok have just announced a new licensing agreement. This means music from Universal Music Group’s artists will be returning to TikTok after a short period of absence. In February 2024, Universal Music pulled its music from TikTok due to disagreements over royalty payments, protections from AI-generated content, and online safety measures. Overall, this deal brings good news for TikTok users as they will get to listen to wealth of music content. Universal Music, on other hand, can use TikTok’s massive reach to promote its new albums and artists. In a nutshell, this is a win-win deal for both parties.
