MacRumors

Google is launching YouTube Music next week, shortly followed by YouTube Premium – a revamped version of its ad-free YouTube Red subscription service with a renewed focus on original programming. Announced on Wednesday in a blog post, the shake-up in services represents a splitting of the original YouTube Red subscription model, which gave users both ad-free music streaming and access to original video content for $10 a month.

The new YouTube Music-only service will also cost $10 a month and replaces Google Play Music – existing subscribers will be migrated automatically (that includes non-paying users who have purchased music via Google Play or used the service to upload tracks and playlists). The rebranded service includes personalized playlists, intelligent search, support for background playback and music downloads for offline listening.

The streaming service will also remove ads from music videos, but not the rest of YouTube. An ad-supported version of YouTube Music will be available for free. As part of the launch, Google is promising a "reimagined" mobile app and desktop player that's "designed for music".

YouTube Music is a new music streaming service made for music: official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio plus YouTube’s tremendous catalog of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos that you can’t find anywhere else - all simply organized and personalized. For the first time, all the ways music moves you can be found in one place.

YouTube Premium, meanwhile, will cost $12 a month, and includes all the benefits of YouTube Music plus access to original shows as well as ad-free viewing for all of YouTube. The extra $2 over the original YouTube Red subscription will pave the way for more YouTube Originals from around the globe, featuring comedies, dramas, reality series, and action adventure shows from the U.K., Germany, France, Mexico, and more. Existing YouTube Red members will continue to pay the current price for YouTube Premium, however.

YouTube Music and launches on Tuesday, May 22 in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea, rolling out to more countries in the following weeks. They will include Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

YouTube Premium will roll out "soon" in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Korea, later followed by Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Subscription based music service and Apple Music competitor Tidal is months behind on its royalty payments to record labels according to a report from Norwegian news site Dagens Næringsliv that was translated by Music Business Worldwide.

Multiple sources have said that Tidal has not making timely payments to "three major international companies," claims confirmed by two Norway-based labels: Propellor Records and its distributor, Phonofile, a company owned by Sony.

Phonofile CEO Sveinung Rindal said that reports of delayed payments are correct, while Propeller Recordings CEO Frithjof Boye Hungnes said the company had not been paid since October. "People are talking about withdrawing [their music from TIDAL]; I think there is a pretty upset mood," said Hungnes.

Tidal in December was said to be facing money problems due to stalled user growth, and reports suggested that it could run out of working capital within six months.

Dagens Næringsliv has been investigating Tidal in recent weeks and has also accused the streaming music service of falsifying and inflating streaming numbers for Kanye West's The Life of Pablo album and Beyonce's Lemonade album.

Tidal claimed that Kanye West's album achieved 250 million streams within 10 days and that Beyonce's album reached 306 million streams within 15 days, figures that were said to be false following a year-long investigation conducted by Dagens Næringsliv and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Center for Cyber and Information Security.

During the time that Tidal announced the Kanye West album figure, for example, Tidal said that it had 3 million subscribers. At 3 million subscribers, to reach that streaming number, each Tidal subscriber would have needed to play the Kanye album more than eight times per day, as Music Business Worldwide points out.

Tidal has called the claims a "smear campaign" of lies and falsehoods, constructed from stolen and manipulated information. "We will fight these claims vigorously," the service said in a statement.

Hulu today announced several features that are coming to the web and its mobile apps for iOS and Android to optimize the mobile viewing experience.

Hulu's Live TV guide, which debuted last week on the Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, and Nintendo Switch, will be added to mobile devices, allowing users to get to live TV with fewer clicks, see what's on, and see what's coming up.

On iOS and Android devices, a portrait player will let users see what's on and switch between channels without having to browse in landscape mode. Rotating the phone horizontally will then launch into full screen mode. When watching on-demand content, Hulu will offer up recommendations on what to watch next when the phone is rotated into portrait mode.

For Watch History, Hulu is adding "Stop Suggesting" and "Remove" toggles to allow users to better tailor their recommendations to their tastes.

Hulu also plans to enhance scrubbing and frame previews, so it's easier to navigate through shows and movies to find a specific scene, rewatch content, or skip ahead.

HDMI support is being added to iOS to allow an iPhone to be connected to a TV with a Lightning to HDMI adapter, and on the web, live TV subscribers will have access to the new Hulu experience for web.

All of these features will begin rolling out to Hulu users starting next week.

Accessory maker Speck today launched a notable sale that discounts products by 45 percent across its online storefront, ranging from smartphone cases to bags, screen protectors, cables, and more. To see the sale prices, find an item to add to your cart, click "View Cart" in the pop-up menu, then enter the discount code SUPER45 in the box at the bottom lefthand corner of the screen.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Speck offers free U.S. shipping and $5 two-day shipping on all orders, and the 45 percent discount will be applied to the total order cost, so multiple products can be purchased at once. Note that if Speck's products already have a promotion running, like the current offer for $10 off MacBook cases, then the 45 percent savings won't get applied in the cart. The company also limits the color options available under the promo code in some cases.

Speck's sale runs through Friday, May 18, so check out a few ideas on items to buy in the list below, and head over to Speck's dedicated Apple section for more discounted Apple accessories. If you have non-Apple products, the sale also covers accessories for products from Samsung, Microsoft, Google, and others.

iPhone Cases

• Presidio Grip iPhone X / iPhone 8 - $21.97, down from $39.95

• Presidio Inked iPhone X / iPhone 8 - $24.72, down from $44.95

iPad Cases

• Balance Folio for 9.7-inch iPad - $21.97, down from $39.95

• Balance Folio for 12.9-inch iPad Pro - $27.47, down from $49.95

• Durafolio for iPad Air 2 - $32.97, down from $59.95

Belkin also has a sale going on this week, offering customers the chance to get 25 percent off select products on its Steals and Deals page using promo code STEAL25. Products available in the sale include USB car chargers, iPhone armbands, iPad cases, Apple Watch bands, USB-C and Lightning cables, and more.

Our exclusive deals with Anker are also ongoing this week, so if you haven't taken a look at the discounted products be sure to visit our blog post on the sale. Anker's devices marked down include iPhone X cases, Lightning cables, wall chargers, a wireless Qi mat, and more. The exclusive promo codes will last through May 31, 2018.

Visit our full Deals Roundup for more information on this week's sales.

Twitter today unveiled new details on its upcoming activity API changes, which will affect how third-party apps are able to access Twitter APIs and provide services to Twitter users who prefer to use apps like Twitterrific and Tweetbot.

Third-party Twitter app developers will be required to purchase a Premium or Enterprise Account Activity API package to access a full set of activities related to a Twitter account including Tweets, @mentions, Replies, Retweets, Quote Tweets, Retweets of Quoted Tweets, Likes, Direct Messages Sent, Direct Messages Received, Follows, Blocks, Mutes, typing indicators, and read receipts.

Premium API access, which provides access to up to 250 accounts, is priced at $2,899 per month, while enterprise access is more expensive, with pricing quotes available from Twitter following an application for an enterprise account.

At least some third-party apps have said they will not be able to afford access to the new Twitter APIs, including Twitterrific.

These APIs also will not include access to streaming connections, which Twitter says are used by only 1 percent of monthly active apps.

Twitter says it will be delaying the deprecation of its current APIs for three months to give developers time to transition over to the new platform. These APIs will be deprecated on Wednesday, August 16 instead of June 19, the original date Twitter planned to end support for the APIs.

It is not yet clear what impact all of these changes will have on major third-party Twitter apps, but we should hear updated details soon. Tapbots, the creators of Tweetbot for Mac and iOS, said on Tuesday that its apps will continue to function, but a few features could be slower or removed.

Tapbots says the worse case scenario on Mac is that notifications for likes and retweets will not be displayed, and notifications for tweets, mentions, quotes, DMs, and Follows could be delayed by one to two minutes.

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced over two years ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 56 includes bug fixes and feature improvements for JavaScript, WebAssembly, Web API, Security, CSS, Rendering, Media, and Web Inspector.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

Facebook today announced three new mobile app features aimed at helping its users better "create and save memories," with a launch in India first and then rolling out to the global community "shortly thereafter" (via The Verge).

The first feature allows photos and videos taken with Facebook's in-app camera to be saved directly to a user's Facebook account in the cloud, and not onto their device's storage. This is aimed at the India market due to the popularity of cheaper entry-level devices in the country and their inherent storage limitations.

These pictures and videos will only be visible to the user after they're saved, but can then be posted to a wide audience. According to The Verge, "If there's a capacity limit to the new storage options, Facebook doesn't mention it."

Also in the camera, users will be able to share voice messages as "Voice Posts" thanks to a new audio option. This is another aim at the Indian smartphone user market, since local users will be able to quickly record a voice message and send it to a friend, without Facebook needing to update its app with more native language keyboards.

Lastly, users will gain an ability to archive their favorite Facebook Stories before they disappear after 24 hours. Facebook debuted a somewhat similar feature for Instagram late last year, allowing users to highlight their favorite stories permanently on their main profile as a way to show off their personality to any visitors.

Facebook is also gearing up to launch a major Messenger update, which will introduce a dark mode, customizable chat bubbles, and a simplified user interface into the chat app. Facebook revealed the update during its F8 conference earlier this month, admitting that Messenger had become cluttered over the last few years and promising that the new update would greatly streamline and simplify the app.

Netgear's line of connected smart home cameras, called "Arlo," currently only support HomeKit for the Arlo Baby camera. However, this could be changing in the near future as release notes posted by an Arlo community manager on the company forums suggest that support for HomeKit will be part of a soon-to-launch firmware update for the Arlo Pro camera.

There are a variety of wire-free and AC-powered Arlo devices, including the base Arlo camera, Arlo Pro, Arlo Pro 2, Arlo Go, Arlo Q, and Arlo Q Plus. According to the release notes in the forums, HomeKit would only be coming to the wire-free Arlo Pro camera. Recent release notes for the Arlo Pro 2 lack a mention of HomeKit support, but it's unclear why the company would limit HomeKit to just the first generation of the Arlo Pro line.

For the Arlo Pro, the update also includes a fix for high pixelation of images, support for new Wi-Fi codes, and more.

Arlo Pro Camera 1.092.0.13_19715
- Fix for high pixilation of images
- Include backwards error correction to minimize ghosting
- Add support for new wifi codes
- Add support for Homekit
- Add support for H15 hardware
- Bug Fixes

Netgear introduced HomeKit into the Arlo Baby camera in February through an update to the Arlo iOS app. When smart home devices support HomeKit, users can then add them into Apple's Home app, where it's much easier to connect a variety of products into scenes for a home that can then be controlled with a tap of a button or through Siri.

Yesterday, Netgear launched the Arlo Security Light as a companion product to its cameras. The wire-free LED light illuminates outdoor areas, can detect motion, and mainly touts Amazon Alexa support on its web page.

Apple sells the Arlo Baby camera on Apple.com for $189.95, along with other HomeKit-compatible security cameras like the Logitech Circle 2 ($179.95) and D-Link Omna Cam ($149.95). Arlo Pro cameras are comparatively more expensive because they require a base station. Arlo Pro starts at $249.99 for one camera and a station, and the Arlo Pro 2 starts at $479.99 for two cameras and a station.

(Thanks, Ryan!)

Instagram is developing a Usage Insights feature for its social media platform that will let users know how much time they're spending in the app.

TechCrunch on Tuesday highlighted code buried in the Android version of Instagram that reveals the new time management controls headed for the app, and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom has since confirmed the features are indeed in development for the platform as a whole.

"It's true," said Systrom, adding in a series of tweets: "We're building tools that will help the IG community know more about the time they spend on Instagram – any time should be positive and intentional. Understanding how time online impacts people is important, and it's the responsibility of all companies to be honest about this. We want to be part of the solution. I take that responsibility seriously."

The upcoming feature reflects a recent trend by big tech companies to acknowledge the unhealthy habits that their products can promote, especially among younger users. Facebook-owned Instagram joins Google and Apple in a pool of companies that have recently confirmed they are developing methods to promote more meaningful engagement online and cut down on anti-social browsing.

Last week, Google announced several tools for users of its latest Android operating system that would help them better manage their screen time. These include a new do not disturb mode called "shush" that makes it easier for users to ignore notifications, and a "wind down" mode that gradually changes screen color to grayscale and lowers brightness as bedtime approaches.

Earlier this year, Apple responded to an open letter from two major investors asking the company to do more to reduce growing smartphone addiction among children. The letter cited several studies revealing the negative effects of smartphones and social media on children's mental and physical health, and urged Apple to offer more tools and choices to help prevent harm.

In a statement provided to The Wall Street Journal, Apple said it "thinks deeply" about how its products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them. "We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids," the company explained.

The fruits of Apple's commitment could appear as soon as next month at the Worldwide Developers Conference, where users can expect a preview of iOS 12: Apple plans to offer updated parental controls in the upcoming version of its mobile OS, starting with a new Digital Health tool that will let parents know how much time their children have spent using iOS devices, which will allow parents to better monitor screen time.

Logitech today announced the launch of a new accessory for the wired and wire-free versions of its Logitech Circle 2 camera, the Magnetic Mount.

With the Magnetic Mount, which attaches right to the bottom of a Logitech Circle 2 camera, you can stick the Logitech Circle 2 on any magnetic surface, like a refrigerator, a metal door frame, a light fixture, a rain gutter, or any other compatible metal.

We were able to test the Magnetic Mount ahead of its launch, and Logitech has made sure to equip it with a strong magnet that offers a solid attachment to any flat surface. We mounted the camera on a variety of magnetic surfaces, including a refrigerator and the metal frame of a mirror, and were pleased with the sturdy connection.

The Magnetic Mount increases the number of places and ways you can position a Logitech Circle 2 camera, allowing it to get into some areas where it previously would have been tough to mount.

You can use this with a wired or a wireless camera, but it's going to work best with the wire-free options just because there's no need for a plug and there's no cord that gets in the way.

If you want to mount the Logitech Circle 2 in an area where there's no magnetic surface, the Magnetic Mount is still worth checking out. Logitech ships the Magnetic Mount with an adhesive-backed metal plate that can be attached anywhere. You'll want to be careful where you put this metal plate though, because Logitech says it's one time use only and has the potential to damage delicate surfaces.

Logitech's Magnetic Mount joins several other mounting options for the Logitech 2 cameras including the Window Mount and the Plug Mount.

You can purchase the new Magnetic Mount from the Logitech website for $19.99. The Circle 2 camera is priced at $139.99 for the wired version and $149.99 for the wire-free version.

At its Google I/O developer conference last week, Google debuted a revamped Google News app focusing on balanced news delivery with personalized news suggestions, and as of today, the new Google News app is available for download on the iPhone and iPad.

According to Google, the News app is designed to use "the best of artificial intelligence to find "the best of human intelligence" by taking advantage of new AI techniques to organize a constant flow of new information into digestible storylines.

A "For You" section offers up personalized news suggestions based on user interests, which is designed to learn user preferences through continued usage. It displays five personalized stories with a mix of important headlines and local news.

A "Headlines" section offers the top headlines in the world, and an accompanying "Full Coverage" feature is meant to provide details on all of the different ways a particular story has been presented by a variety of news sources, aggregating the headlines from multiple publications.

Through the "Newsstand" tab, you can discover various news websites as well as more than 1,000 magazines, and you can subscribe to paid news sites like The Washington Post and The New York Times using a Google Play account if so desired.

Google News for iOS replaces the existing Google Play Newsstand app, which has been overhauled with a new name and a new design with the launch of Google News. Full release notes for the update are below:

Google Play Newsstand is now Google News!

What's new:
- Enjoy an entirely new, cleaner look, designed for a better reading experience
- Get up to speed with a smarter briefing that shows you the top five stories for you right now
- Explore all the coverage of a story in one place. See a timeline of events, FAQs, people and places involved, perspectives, analysis and more for every news story
- Subscribe to credible sources with a single click

Google News can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]