Apps

Netflix introduces new Play Something feature

It does all the work for you

Published

April 28, 2021

GadgetMatch

Tell us if you can relate: You just finished a show on Netflix and you can’t pick which from the growing list of titles on your My List you should watch next. We’ve all been there and Netflix knows that. Enter, the Play Something feature.

Announced on a blog entry by Director of Product Innovation at Netflix Cameron Johnson, the Play Something feature will alleviate the burden of choice from you and just play whatever it thinks you’ll want to watch next. Somewhat like how Live or Cable TV works but it’s a tad more personalized. It’s completely based on titles you’ve watched in the past.

You can find Play Something in multiple ways on your TV:

Underneath your profile name
The tenth row on your Netflix homepage
The navigation menu on the left of the screen

When you hit the ‘Play Something’ button, Netflix will show you a series or film they “know” you’ll love based on what you’ve watched before.

Or with one more click you can ‘Play Something Else’ and get:

A brand new series or film
A series or film you’re already watching
A series or film on your list
An unfinished series or film you may want to revisit

Neat! Right? For now it will only launch on TVs but Netflix is already working on some form of mobile implementation. Other devices should follow suite.

Also, for members that use screen-readers, Play Something fully supports Text-to-Speech (TTS). Users can visit the Accessibility help center for more information on how to enable the feature on your TV device settings.

Apps

Apple Music launches ‘Rihanna’s Road to Halftime’

In anticipation of Super Bowl 2023

Published

February 2, 2023

GadgetMatch

After succeeding Pepsi as NFL’s official Super Bowl Halftime Show partner, Apple Music is pulling all the stops as it braces for its first ever show in the sports event, which features music icon Rihanna.

In anticipation of her upcoming Super Bowl LVII halftime performance in Glendale, Arizona on February 13, Apple Music has launched “Rihanna’s Road to Halftime”, letting streamers experience the superstar’s music catalogue in deeply-enriched multidimensional sound.

Apple Music Radio will also be holding a Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show press conference on February 10, with Nadeska Alexis interviewing Rihanna herself ahead of her highly-awaited performance in United States’ annual sports spectacle.

An 8-episode “Rihanna Revisited Radio” will also keep fans engaged as the countdown to Super Bowl LVII continues ticking.

Even after the performance itself, Apple Music will have people covered with its “Halftime Recap Radio” to wrap everything up.

Meanwhile, the new Apple Music Sing feature will also allow subscribers to take the mic and reenact Rhianna’s hits on compatible iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV 4K models.

Apps

Controversial Netflix policy might ban users for sharing passwords

Company says plans are still unconfirmed

Published

February 2, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Likely eclipsed only by Twitter, Netflix has gone through a ton of changes since last year. Underlying most of the new changes is a desire to curb password sharing. Now that 2023 is alive and kicking, the platform is readying its grand strategy to eliminate the phenomenon once and for all. Before the company can reveal their plans, a new report has leaked what’s coming for subscribers.

According to The Streamable, Netflix has changed its Netflix Help Center to reflect the new strategy. Based on the changes, the platform will require all profiles using a single account to be from the same primary location. If the platform detects that someone is using the account in another location, Netflix can reportedly block that user automatically.

To remain in the fold of an account, devices must sign into their home Wi-Fi every 31 days to check in. Any device who can’t do so might get blocked. Incorrect blockings can only be resolved with a call to Netflix’s support.

Now, the biggest controversy revolves around those who travel regularly. Users can reportedly request for a temporary code from Netflix to use the service in another location for seven consecutive days.

Though the changes were spotted on Netflix’s official pages, none of them have been officially announced yet. The page has been reverted to a vaguer version which only asks users in other households to have their own account. In a separate statement issued to The Verge, the company has stated that plans for subscribers (in the United States, at least) are still unconfirmed.

Still, the changed website is viewable via archiving sites like Way Back Machine. A change in the official support page might have come from a premature announcement, rejected plans, or an error.

Apps

Twitter cancels CoTweets

Less than a year after launch

Published

February 1, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Last year, Twitter unleashed CoTweets, a unique way to collaborate with other users to create tweets. With the new feature, two users can co-author a post. Among all the new features that the platform introduced as of late, CoTweets seemed like a no-brainer in today’s content landscape. However, the feature is unfortunately short-lived. Twitter has abruptly cancelled CoTweets.

As of today, Twitter has ended the CoTweets feature through a small notice in the feature’s support page. Users will no longer be able to create new ones starting today. Plus, already existing posts will be viewable only for another month.

Though the feature is gone for now, Twitter is not giving up on the ability to co-author tweets. Even after today, the company is still looking for other ways to introduce the feature in the future.

For the past few months, Twitter has gone through a lot of changes. Since Elon Musk acquired the platform, the billionaire implemented his unique vision as to how Twitter evolves in the long run. Of note, CoTweets was one of the last features implemented before the acquisition. Whether or not the cancellation stems from Musk’s vision is an open question. Regardless, Twitter is changing once again.