Here are just a few of the technology stories I’ve found interesting over the past several days
Amazon Prime Gets a Price Increase
It has finally happened. Amazon Prime has been an $80/year service since it launched in Canada in 2013. That all changes now. Last week Amazon announced that the price of Amazon Prime in Canada is increasing to $100/year.
On one hand, price increases are never fun, and Amazon is an extremely profitable company, though most of it’s profits come from it’s Amazon Web Services division. The Amazon store itself isn’t very profitable. On the other hand, this is the first price increase after almost a decade, so this shouldn’t be surprising overall.
Amazon Prime customers will see the new price reflected at their next renewal.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/04/08/amazon-prime-canada-price-increase/
Elon Musk Won’t Join Twitter’s Board, Got Everything He Wanted Anyway
A lot happened with Elon Musk and Twitter in the last week. But the short summary is that he has turned down Twitter’s offer of a seat on their Board of Directors, likely because joining that board would have come with restrictions on public comments he could make about the company. Not joining the board allows Musk to continue to opine about Twitter as he always has. This also means that Musk is free to continue to increase his stake in Twitter past the 14.9% he would have been restricted to had he joined the board.
This is a very complex story, and I do recommend clicking the link below for much more detail.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/12/23021248/elon-musk-twitter-troll-board-seat-fiduciary-vs-fun
CityTV Launches New Streaming Service on Amazon Prime Video
Rogers’ CityTV network has partnered with Amazon to launch a CityTV+ service that will exist on Amazon Prime Video. Similar to Corus Entertainment’s Stack TV service, CityTV+ is an additional service on top of Amazon Prime Video that gives access to shows broadcast by CityTV, FX and FXX. The service costs $5/month.
The company has also launched CityNews 24/7, which will stream CityNews broadcasts for free on Amazon Prime Video. Corus Entertainment also offers a similar service for Global News on Amazon Prime Video, and when I look in the app today I see the free livestreams for both Global News and CityNews in the app beside each other.
The move by Corus and Rogers to partner with Amazon for these services instead of going on their own is fascinating to me. Both companies already operate their own apps, Global TV and CityTV respectively, and those apps allow streaming content when signed into a cable provider account. I do not understand why Corus and Rogers would not allow users to subscribe directly inside of those apps instead of going through Amazon.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/04/12/city-tv-new-streaming-products-prime-video-channel/
Disney Moving Dancing With The Stars to Disney+
Disney+ will be testing live content coming this fall. Dancing With The Stars, formerly airing on ABC and simulcast on CityTV in Canada is moving exclusively to Disney+. Notably, the show will air live on Disney+ as it did on traditional television. This is a first for Disney, and is likely the company testing the waters on putting live content on the streaming service. Dancing With The Stars may be the first, but it won’t be the last.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/04/08/dancing-with-the-stars-disney-canada/
Netflix Adding Two Thumbs Up Option Because 5 Stars Doesn’t Work For Some Reason
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away Netflix allowed users to rate shows on a 5 star scale. Netflix removed that years ago, replacing it with a binary thumbs up or thumbs down choice leaving users with a less than ideal a binary like or dislike option. There was no way to rate a show as average, only good or bad.
Now, in 2022 Netflix is offering a new choice, two thumbs up, which is exactly one more thumb than a single thumbs up. Maybe this will let a single thumbs up be a “eh, this was good” rating, and a two thumbs up can be reserved for shows someone really likes.
Or, you know, we could go back to a 5 star scale that makes more sense. Netflix is now 60% of the way there. How about next they add two thumbs down, and then maybe a blank face emoji as the “average” rating. I’m only half joking.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/11/23017274/netflix-double-thumbs-up-button-recommendation-curation
Honda is Accelerating its EV Plans
Honda had previously said it would convert its entire vehicle portfolio to zero emissions by 2040, and now the company has announced a plan to make 40% of its portfolio Electric by 2030. That plan includes about $40 Billion USD in investment by 2030, additional money for development of new battery technology, and a production goal of 2 million vehicles per year that are battery powered by the end of the decade.
https://www.engadget.com/honda-40-billion-30-models-electric-vehicles-2030-063213675.html
PC Sales Falling After Pandemic Peak
I don’t have a ton to add to this, but several agencies that track PC sales are showing a decline in those sales. PC sales rebounded to levels not seen in years in 2020 and 2021 as the pandemic raged and people needed upgrades to work (or school) from home. It is likely that sales numbers will fall back to pre-pandemic levels, and we are seeing that trend begin now.