Charter and Comcast team up to build ‘next-generation’ streaming hardware

Two of the largest American cable providers are joining forces to adapt to the internet era. Charter and Comcast have unveiled a joint venture that will create a “next-generation” streaming platform for a range of branded media devices and smart TVs. It will be based on Comcast’s Flex, and will unsurprisingly include services like Peacock and the free-to-watch Xumo alongside “all the top apps.”

The platform will be available on Comcast’s XClass TVs, while Charter will provide streaming devices with voice remotes starting in 2023. Flex and Xumo will still be available as independent products, so you won’t have to buy new hardware.

The telecoms stressed that they each had equal stakes in the joint venture, and that their cable and broadband services weren’t involved. Charter will initially pour $900 million into the project over “multiple years.”

The team-up isn’t shocking. Both Charter and Comcast face ongoing pressure from a growing number of streaming services, including Disney+ and the eventual combination of Discovery+ and HBO Max. It’s also known that Comcast’s Peacock, while moderately successful, remains small compared to heavyweights like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. The new platform could help the cable companies thrive even if their conventional TV subscriptions continue to decline, and might boost services like Peacock and Xumo in the process.

Twitch is reconsidering how it pays top streamers

The biggest Twitch streamers might not rake in as much money in the future. Bloombergsources say Twitch is considering multiple proposals to rethink payment structures, including one that would cut top streamers’ share of subscriptions from 70 percent to the usual 50 percent. Another would establish multiple pay tiers with different requirements, and broadcasters might receive further incentives to run more ads for unsubscribed viewers.

A revamp might offer more freedom, according to the insiders. In return for this less lucrative pay structure, Twitch might drop exclusivity terms and let members of the Partner program stream on rival services like Facebook Gaming or YouTube.

Twitch has declined comment. Bloomberg‘s sources said the revamped terms could be changed or dropped.

The reported proposals come after Twitch implemented multiple efforts to boost long-term profits and satisfy its parent company Amazon. The service recently introduced a program that motivates frequent streamers to run more ads, for instance. While Twitch already figures prominently in Amazon’s business with links to Prime, Luna and Music, it’s clear the online shopping giant wants livestreaming to be more successful on its own terms.

A reduced cut for top-tier streamers might prove risky. Stars like DrLupo and Timthetatman left Twitch for YouTube — while big names like Ninja have returned to Twitch or otherwise signed multi-year deals, they might not be inclined to stay if they think they could earn more at a competing service. There are also longstanding concerns that Twitch hasn’t addressed problems with full-time streaming, such as long hours and the difficulty of taking vacations (subscriptions can plummet even after short breaks). Larger profits might not matter if fewer major creators can justify sticking around.

Apple’s Self Service Repair program is now open to iPhone owners in the US

It took several months, but Apple’s Self Service Repair program is now available in the US. If you have an iPhone 12, iPhone 13 or third-generation iPhone SE, you can buy key parts (such as batteries, cameras and displays) from a dedicated store and consult official repair manuals as you fix a device yourself. You can even spend $49 to rent a toolkit for a week if you’d rather not buy tools you’re unlikely to use often.

The program will expand to other countries later this year, starting with Europe. You’ll also have to wait until later to obtain parts, manuals and tools for Macs. Those kits will be limited to Macs with Apple silicon, so you’ll be out of luck if you want to repair an Intel-based computer.

The debut comes alongside a white paper detailing Apple’s expanding service strategy. The company claimed that it had “nearly doubled” the size of its repair network, and that eight out of 10 of its American customers lived within 20 minutes of an authorized repair provider. It also outlined the rationales behind design and repair decisions, including its emphasis on using official parts (to protect privacy and security) and the lack of schematics for board-level repairs. Board fixes are “best performed” by technicians who can offer high-quality, consistent results, Apple said.

The Self Service initiative is a clear response to mounting pressure to adopt Right to Repair policies. In the US, both federal- and state-level officials have either enacted or proposed Right to Repair rules. There’s also growing advocacy from everyday customers, and leaked emails have suggested that Apple itself has held debates over its sometimes difficult-to-fix products. The program theoretically reduces the incentive to pass repair-friendly legislation, and might soften overall public criticism.

As it is, the fix-it-yourself landscape has changed. Google and Samsung are launching their own self-repair offerings, and companies like Valve are already designing products with repair (if not always by customers) in mind. So long as you’re technically inclined, there’s a real chance you may not have to trust someone else with future repairs.

Subaru’s first EV, the Solterra SUV, starts at $44,995

Subaru has detailed pricing for the Solterra SUV, and it’s clearly costlier (if easier to pronounce) than its Toyota bZ4X sibling. The company’s first EV will start at $44,995 in its Premium trim before the $7,500 federal tax credit and a $1,225 destination fee. This base model includes an eight-inch infotainment system (with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto) as well as driver assists that include rear camera detection, blind spot monitoring and safe-exit door alerts.

Spend $48,495 for the Limited tier and you’ll get a 12.3-inch infotainment system, a 360-degree camera view, a wireless phone charging dock, parking assistance, rear cross-traffic warnings and phone-based digital key support. You can also expect more conventional upgrades like a Harman Kardon audio system, LED fog lights and a power rear door. The $51,995 Touring variant adds a digital rear-view mirror with HomeLink support, a panoramic moonroof, footwell lighting and ventilated front seats.

Regardless of model, you’re largely paying for Subaru’s better off-road capabilities versus Toyota’s EV. All Solterra models come with all-wheel drive (optional on the bZ4x) and a dual-motor setup with 215HP, 249lb/ft of torque and up to a 228-mile range. You’ll also find an “X-Mode” feature to adjust for dirt and snow, while grip and downhill control features help you maintain a steady course.

Sales are still poised to begin sometime in 2022. Reservations are available, though, and will include offers like EVgo charging credit or money toward a Level 2 home charger.

The starting price is higher than the $39,000 some expected. It’s not far from VW’s all-wheel ID.4 Pro ($44,440) or Ford’s Mustang Mach-E Select ($43,895), though, and may represent a better value than those if you’re likely to take your EV camping — and don’t mind the slightly reduced range compared to those alternatives.

Ubisoft shuts down online services for 91 games

You might be disappointed if you were planning an Ubisoft-themed nostalgic gaming session. Kotakureports Ubisoft has shut down online services for 91 games. Many of them are ancient, or versions for old (and sometimes defunct) platforms. You aren’t about to play Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood using the long-dead OnLive service, for instance. However, there are some games you could still play on current hardware, or might have good reason to revisit.

The first two Far Cry games have lost online support for PC, for instance, and Blood Dragon won’t connect on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Just Dance fans may need to stick to newer games. While it isn’t surprising that Ubisoft dropped support for PS3, Wii, Wii U and Xbox 360 versions of Just Dance 2018 and before, PS4 and Xbox One players might not enjoy losing access to the songs from Just Dance 2014 or 2015.

Other classics you might miss include Beyond Good & Evil, the original Ghost Recon, multiple Rainbow Six games, older Settlers titles and certain Splinter Cell releases (including Chaos Theory and Conviction). Games that used Ubisoft Connect won’t let you earn Units, and you can’t unlock content on any platform or access it on PCs.

Ubisoft isn’t exactly rushing to leave some players in the dark — it’s just now shutting off Rainbow Six Lockdown support for PS2, GameCube and original Xbox owners. All the same, you probably won’t be thrilled if you’ve kept an old console around to play the games of your youth.

Ford starts production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup

The electric pickup truck market is now truly competitive. Ford has started “full” production of the F-150 Lightning at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, roughly four months after it stopped taking reservations. The company will start shipping the base Pro model in the “coming days,” Ford said at an event (below). It’s not certain how many Lightnings will reach customers this year, but Ford expected output to scale to 150,000 trucks per year in 2023.

The automaker capped reservations at 200,000 and has stopped taking orders for the 2022 model year. About three quarters of these potential adopters don’t currently drive Ford vehicles, the company said. The firm added that “many” are first-time EV or truck buyers, but didn’t provide figures.

The electric F-150 promises usual EV benefits like acceleration (0-60MPH in 4.5 seconds with an extended battery) and strong, near-instant torque (775lb/ft) with up to a 320-mile range. However, it also has a few uncommon perks. The front trunk is unusually cavernous at over 14 cubic feet, and owners can power their homes, work tools and (eventually) the electrical grid.

Ford F-150 Lightning production line at Rouge Electric Vehicle Center
Ford

The main allure, however, remains the price. While the $39,947 base Pro model won’t satisfy some (you’ll have to pay $72,474 to get an XLT with the extended battery), that makes it the most affordable electric pickup available and within reach of many conventional F-150 buyers. Rivian’s R1T starts at $67,500. Tesla originally quoted a $39,900 entry point for the Cybertruck, but it stopped listing prices. Chevy doesn’t deliver its $39,900 starter Silverado EV until 2024.

This isn’t the first electric pickup in the US. Rivian began production in September. As Ford is keen to point out, though, the F-150 is still the best-selling passenger vehicle in the US. While the Lightning is unlikely to outsell its conventional sibling in the near future, its familiar name could draw in EV newcomers who were wary of smaller brands, or even the Mustang Mach-E. At the least, it puts pressure on Chevy, Rivian and others hoping to challenge Ford’s cargo hauler.

The first Android 13 beta is available now

Google is making good on its promise to deliver the first Android 13 beta in April. The company has released Android 13 beta 1 for Pixel devices ranging from the 4 to the 6 and 6 Pro. The inaugural beta only includes three new features (two of them for developers), but there are now more granular permission controls for shared media files.

Beta 1 also includes all the upgrades from Android 13 Developer Preview 2, including a requirement that apps ask for permission to send notifications. You’ll also find a new photo picker, Bluetooth LE audio and support for MIDI 2.0 instruments over USB.

Anyone can install the beta. As before, though, you probably won’t want to load this release on a primary phone. While betas are generally more reliable, Google doesn’t expect to focus on platform stability until June and won’t release the finished Android 13 until sometime after July. This is meant more for developers who want apps ready by the time the operating system is available to the public.

As it is, these early Android betas don’t typically include every user-facing feature. Google didn’t show Android 12’s Material You redesign until I/O 2021, months after the first previews arrived. While the beta is still useful, it may be worth waiting for I/O 2022 in May if you’re mainly interested in top-level changes.

YouTube’s Super Thanks tipping is now available to partners worldwide

You no longer have to hold back if you’ve wanted to tip YouTube creators with a Super Thanks. YouTube has made the tipping feature available to all eligible creators in the 68 countries where the service’s Partner Program exists. As a viewer, you now have the option to customize the comment that appears when you tip, whether you’re watching on desktop or mobile.

Super Thanks is the latest form of YouTube’s long-running efforts to get fans directly supporting video producers. You can spend between $2 to $50 to show your appreciation and get a specially-colored comment to highlight your contribution. YouTube takes a 30 percent cut, but this is theoretically easier for creators than linking a separate crowdfunding service (such as Patreon) and hoping viewers contribute.

The feature joins the livestream-oriented Super Chat. While it’s still soon to say if the expanded Super Thanks will see much uptake, it could give some creatives a stronger incentive to post videos on YouTube instead of limiting themselves to TikTok, Twitch and other platforms where some form of tipping is already widely available.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe will visit a second asteroid

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will have another mission after it drops off a sample from the asteroid Bennu. The agency has extended the probe’s mission to have it study the near-Earth asteroid Apophis for 18 months. The mission will be renamed OSIRIS-APEX (OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer), and the craft will maneuver toward the space rock 30 days after its September 24th, 2023 Earth fly-by. It won’t gather a sample, though. Instead, it will blast the surface with thrusters to expose the subsurface for examination.

Apophis originally drew interest over fears it would strike the Earth in 2029. Researchers put that worry to rest, but it’s still a highly valuable subject. It will have the closest approach of any known asteroid its size (about 1,000ft), and scientists are eager to study the effect of Earth’s gravitational pull on the object. And unlike Bennu, which is tied to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, Apophis is associated with the regular chondrite variety.

The extension won’t come cheap. A visit to Apophis will add $200 million to the cost ceiling of a mission that’s already expected to cost $1.16 billion. Even so, it might be worthwhile if it helps humanity better understand asteroids and the risks they may pose to Earth.

EU warns Elon Musk that Twitter must follow local content rules to avoid ban

Elon Musk may be buying Twitter to loosen its content moderation, but he might not get to be quite as free-wheeling as he’d like. European Union internal market commissioner Thierry Breton told The Financial Times in an interview that Musk’s Twitter will still be subject to EU regulations, including the new Digital Services Act governing efforts to fight misinformation. The Tesla chief is “welcome,” but “there are rules” he still has to follow, Breton said.

The Digital Services Act requires Twitter and other internet companies to share how they’re curbing false claims on their sites. It also bans ads targeting minors as well as specific ethnicities, political affiliations, religions and sexual orientations. Firms also have to share how their recommendation systems work, offer non-profiling alternatives and share data with researchers. Any company that doesn’t comply risks fines of up to six percent of global turnover and, if they refuse to change, an EU ban.

It’s not certain how Musk will address the warning. We’ve asked Twitter for comment. However, it’s safe to say that Musk’s self-proclaimed “absolutist” approach to free speech will clash with political realities worldwide, not just the EU. The UK punishes companies that fail to limit content deemed harmful, and it’s doubtful authoritarian countries like Russia would allow Twitter without heavy censorship, if at all. Musk may have to accept that some restrictions will remain, even if they aren’t quite as pronounced as they are today.