Category: Technology

Yet another streaming service is raising its prices. This time, it’s Amazon Music Unlimited that’s getting more expensive. Prime members will pay $11 a month or $109 a year for an individual plan, up from $10 and $99, respectively. Listeners who aren’t part of Prime will see their monthly rates change from $11 to $12 for the individual plan. The family plan is also seeing increased prices, from $17 to $20 per month and from $169 to $199 for a year.

The new pricing structure took effect for new customer sign-ups on January 29. Current subscribers will be charged the updated rates in their next billing cycle on or after March 5.

The FAQ detailing the increased costs states that the change will bring listeners “more content and features,” which was the same rationale given when Amazon Music Unlimited previously raised its fees in 2023. The service has added the ability to borrow Audible audiobooks and a personalized year-in-review since then, which is nice, but possibly not as nice as paying less each month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/amazon-music-unlimited-subscription-prices-are-rising-again-232426667.html?src=rss 

Netflix’s next Tudum fan event will take place on May 31 in Los Angeles. For the first time, the company will stream the event live on its own platform. Past iterations have been livestreamed on YouTube, Twitch and Netflix’s social channels.

Tudum, which is meant to sound like the audio effect that plays at the start of any Netflix program, is the streaming business’ showcase of its content lineup. The company has used this event in previous years to share behind-the-scenes tidbits and first looks at upcoming programming. The 2023 Tudum drew 11,000 attendees in São Paulo, Brazil and 78 million viewers streamed it, according to the company.

While there will probably be some fun announcements and reveals, the most notable takeaway is that Netflix is pushing more definitively into the live event space. A Chris Rock comedy special in 2023 was the company’s first livestream. It also snapped up the rights to livestream the Screen Actors Guild awards on its platform and hosted a flashy boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul in 2024. However, the Tyson/Paul match had extensive technical issues. Airing its own event and keeping those millions of eyeballs on its own platform will be positive steps for the company’s ambitions in this space. Assuming everything works. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-will-stream-its-2025-tudum-event-on-netflix-222604357.html?src=rss 

In one of his first major acts since taking over as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr has directed the agency to open an investigation into NPR and PBS. Carr informed informed both organizations of the probe in a letter in a letter that was first reported by The New York Times.

In the letter, Carr says that the public media companies may be running afoul of FCC rules regarding noncommercial educational broadcast stations or NCEs. “I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” he writes. “In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.”

FCC guidelines prohibit NCEs from airing the kinds of commercials that typically appear on other TV and radio stations. Sponsors are, however, permitted to “receive on-air acknowledgements,” as Carr notes.

In statements, both NPR and PBS said they comply with FCC regulations. “NPR programming and underwriting messaging complies with federal regulations, including the FCC guidelines on underwriting messages for noncommercial educational broadcasters,” NPR CEO Katherine Maher said. “We are confident any review of our programming and underwriting practices will confirm NPR’s adherence to these rules. We have worked for decades with the FCC in support of noncommercial educational broadcasters who provide essential information, educational programming, and emergency alerts to local communities across the United States.”

A spokesperson for PBS said that the organization “is proud of the noncommercial educational programming we provide to all Americans through our member stations,” and that “we work diligently to comply with the FCC’s underwriting regulations and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that to the Commission.”

President Donald Trump, who named Carr FCC as chair last year, has made no secret of his disdain for PBS and NPR, which he threatened to defund during his first term in office and during his campaign last year. Likewise, Trump confidante and DOGE head Elon Musk, has also mused about eliminating funding for public media.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/trumps-fcc-is-coming-from-npr-and-pbs-now-too-205240249.html?src=rss 

The Video Game History Foundation has unveiled its digital library, a massive undertaking that makes the organization’s own materials as well as some private collections available for anyone to read. This project was first announced in December 2023, and the collection is still in early access. The VGHF said it would continually be working to digitize and add more content to the library.

Even though this will be an ongoing endeavor, there is already a whole lot to check out. The library includes out-of-print publications like Electronic Gaming Monthly and Nintendo Power alongside industry trade magazines, which casual players might never have the chance to read otherwise. There are also materials from behind the scenes of game development, such as video recordings of developer Cyan’s work on the landmark game Myst and interviews with the team. You can also find press kits, promotional materials and all sorts of other ephemera. Everything is free to browse, just like a regular public library.

In short, this is amazingly cool for gaming nerds.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-video-game-history-foundations-online-library-is-now-open-213118544.html?src=rss 

The well-regarded Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale via Amazon for $329, which is a discount of $70. This is a record-low price for the company’s smartwatch, tying a deal found on Black Friday.

This model actually topped our list of the best smartwatches, as we said it “does everything right that the Series 9 did” while adding “small but useful features.” These include a bigger screen that’s easier to see from different angles and an overall thinner form factor. The large display comes in handy, particularly when looking for road names on Maps and adjusting settings.

We heaped praise on Apple’s smartwatch in our official review, calling out the improved battery life, enhanced tracking metrics and newly-designed speakers. The Series 10 also keeps an eye on sleep apnea metrics, which is pretty cool. It’s still the best smartwatch around for iPhone owners, and a decent option for everyone else.

On the downside, this is an extremely iterative improvement when compared to the Series 9. There’s nothing game-changing here, though all of the design tweaks are appreciated. If you currently own a Series 9, you may want to wait until the announcement of the Series 11. Past as prologue, this is likely to happen sometime in September.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-series-10-is-cheaper-than-ever-200034162.html?src=rss 

Max is set to expand its viewing options, starting with the first race of this year’s NASCAR Cup Series this Sunday. For the first time, the streaming service will offer a multiview option with the NASCAR Driver Cam feature, which Max plans to offer during every race on the 2025 schedule.

Every car — as many as 40 per race — will have a 1080p driver cam. Fans will be able to watch up to four of these at once. They can select individual driver cams or choose between two pre-set options featuring four streams each. Max says the drivers included in these will be selected “based on the most compelling matchups and storylines each week,” as well as a fan vote on X and Instagram.

The NASCAR Driver Cam will include an audio mix of scanner team radios and ambient car noise. Each driver’s stream will also have live stats such as their position, race status, lap number and stage, along with telemetry data like their car’s speed and RPM. Leaderboards will be available in multiview too. You’ll be able to pause, rewind and fast forward the live video, and each driver’s stream will be available on demand after races.

It’s an intriguing, and arguably overdue, step by Max that could help make NASCAR races feel more immersive. Rival streaming platforms such as DAZN and YouTube TV have long offered sports multiview options.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/nascars-driver-streams-finally-bring-multiview-to-max-194522437.html?src=rss 

Forza Horizon 5 and its predecessors have long been exclusive for Xbox and PC. However, the latest installment of the driving game, which takes place in a beautifully rendered depiction of Mexico, will cross over to the PlayStation nation later this year. The exact date has not been announced yet. When it does become available, the PS5 will have cross-play support, which was already offered between Xbox and PC, and players will be able to purchase all the same Car Packs, such as the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions.

Along with PlayStation support, Forza Horizon 5 will also be getting a free content update called Horizon Realms. This will include a selection of the more popular limited-time Evolving World accolades, but developer Playground Games hasn’t revealed any additional details yet.

Forza Horizon 5 is just the latest once-exclusive Xbox game to bridge the console divide. The game has been out since November 2021, so opening it up to a new audience could help boost sales long after they’d usually be petering out. In a similar vein, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle debuted as an Xbox exclusive in December, but will roll out to PlayStation some time this spring. Other former exclusives that have left the Microsoft silo include Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Grounded.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/forza-horizon-5-will-be-cruising-onto-the-playstation-5-this-spring-201714287.html?src=rss 

UPS is continuing to withdraw from its business relationship with Amazon. By the second half of 2026, UPS said it will cut its shipping volumes for Amazon by more than 50 percent under the companies’ revised arrangement.

“Amazon is our largest customer, but it’s not our most profitable customer,” CEO Carol Tomé said during an investor call about the shipping and logistics company’s latest financials.

Business with Amazon accounted for about 11 percent of UPS’ 2024 revenue, which totaled $91.1 billion. Amazon was a larger share of UPS’ revenue during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2020, the retailer was responsible for 13.3 percent of its annual revenue. UPS shared similar plans to cut back its business with Amazon in 2023 as its revenue from the retailer dwindled from quarantine-era levels.

Although Amazon does rely on outside companies for some shipping, those relationships have sometimes turned tenuous as the retailer continues to grow its in-house options for delivering orders. In 2019, FedEx took a similar path of uncoupling its services from Amazon when it announced that it would not renew its ground-delivery contract with the big tech partner. A few months later, Amazon blocked third-party sellers from using FedEx ground-delivery services.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ups-plans-to-slash-its-shipping-business-with-amazon-by-half-185913504.html?src=rss