Kalakshar US

On January 29, Amazon started inserting ads into the viewing experience of Prime Video subscribers. The company announced the change last year, telling customers that it will start showing “limited advertisements” with its service’s movies and shows so that it could invest “in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.” Those who don’t want to see ads will have to pay an extra fee of $3 a month. What it didn’t say, however, is that it’s also removing subscribers’ access to Dolby features if they choose to stay on the ad-supported tier. The change was first spotted by German tech publication 4kfilme and was confirmed by Forbes. 

Forbes tested it out by streaming an episode of Jack Ryan, which was encoded with Dolby Vision high dynamic range video and Dolby Atmos sound on a TV that supports the technologies. The publication found that the boxes overlaid on top of the video confirming that Dolby Vision and Atmos are enabled were missing when they used an ad-supported account. Those boxes showed up as usual when played with an ad-free account. 

That means customers will have to resort to paying the additional $3 a month on top of their subscription fee if they want to keep playing videos with Dolby Vision and Atmos enabled and if they don’t want their shows and movies interrupted by commercials. To note, Forbes also found that ad-free accounts still have access to HDR10+, which is a technology comparable to Dolby Vision. 

Subscribers have been unhappy with the change, as expected, enough for a proposed class action lawsuit to be filed against the company in California federal court. The complaint accuses Amazon of violating consumer protection laws and calls its change of terms “deceptive” and “unfair.” It argues that those who’ve already paid for a year-long Prime subscription are expecting to enjoy an uninterrupted viewing experience as Amazon had promised. But since they’re also affected by this recent development, Amazon is “depriving them of the reasonable expectations to which they are entitled.” The class action is seeking at least $5 million in damages and is asking the court for an injunction “prohibiting [Amazon’s] deceptive conduct.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-video-wont-offer-dolby-vision-and-atmos-on-its-ad-supported-plan-093327322.html?src=rss 

It could be a challenge hailing a ride from certain airports on Valentine’s Day this year. Thousands of rideshare and delivery drivers for Uber, Lyft and DoorDash are planning to hold a demonstration on February 14 to demand fair pay and better security measures, according to Reuters. The strike was announced last week by Justice for App Workers, a coalition representing more than 100,000 rideshare and delivery drivers across the US. 

Based on the group’s page for the rally, workers participating in the demonstration won’t be taking rides to and from any airport in Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island and Tampa. The coalition is asking drivers to join the event and “demand changes from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and all the app companies profiting off of [their] hard work.” Meanwhile, Rideshare Drivers United, an independent union for Uber and Lyft drivers in Los Angeles, also revealed that its members are turning off their apps on February 14 to protest “the significant decrease in pay [they’ve] all felt this winter.”

While the strikes could see the participation of tens of thousands of workers, Uber believes it won’t have an impact on its business since only a small portion of its drivers typically take part in demonstrations. The company told The Hill and CBS News that a similar protest last year didn’t affect its operations and that its driver earnings remain “strong.” In the fourth quarter of 2023, “drivers in the US were making about $33 per utilized hour,” the spokesperson said. 

The groups announced the strikes just a few days after Lyft promised guaranteed weekly earnings for its drivers in the country, ensuring that they’ll make at least 70 percent of what their riders had paid. DoorDash didn’t respond to the publications’ requests for comment, but it currently pays its drivers $29.93 for every active hour in states with minimum wage requirements for app-based delivery workers. It recently introduced new fees for customers in New York City and Seattle as a response to their new minimum wage regulations.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uber-lyft-and-doordash-drivers-are-striking-on-february-14-055949899.html?src=rss