If you’ve been sharing your Netflix password with all your friends and family, those days may be numbered. On Wednesday, the streaming giant unveiled a new feature to crack down on people who don’t live together using the same account. The ease of logging in to Netflix has “created some confusion about when and how Netflix can …

Substack has just unveiled its first mobile app, which operates like an RSS reader for Substack writers. Launched in 2017, Substack provides a publishing platform for monetizable newsletters covering a variety of topics, including politics, tech, finance, culture, parenting, music, comics and food. Instead of scrolling through their email inbox, users of the Substack Reader app can access a feed of …

TikTok on Wednesday launched its own in-house music distribution and marketing platform, called SoundOn. Artists can upload their music directly onto the TikTok app, in addition to massive global platforms like Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora. Distribution is free, and TikTok is waiving transaction fees for the first year. It will take a 10% cut starting in year two. Musicians retain …

The foldable phone market continues to skyrocket, with more than 7 million flip and fold units sold in 2021 alone.  That’s an increase of over 260% from the 1.9 million models shipped in 2020, according to a new report from telecom market intelligence firm International Data Corporation, which projects that around 27.6 million flip phones will be sold in 2025 at …

YouTube has given its mobile app’s full-screen interface a revamp, making it a little easier to comment and share what you’re watching by giving direct access to those buttons.  The updates began rolling out on both Android and iOS devices this week, according to YouTube head of product communications Mariana de Felice. They include the ability to like, dislike, share …

Disney is bringing its streaming service Disney Plus to 42 additional countries and 11 territories, greatly expanding its subscriber base and the threat it poses to rivals like Netflix and HBO Max. Disney Plus hit 118 million global subscribers in October 2021, compared to the approximately 222 million paid subscribers Netflix had worldwide in the fourth quarter. HBO Max and the cable …

Instagram on Wednesday started testing Subscriptions, a new feature allowing creators to offer paid followers access to exclusive content. At launch, only 10 US creators have gained access to the new feature during its alpha testing phase, including basketball player Sedona Prince, model Kelsey Cook, actor-influencer Alan Chikin Chow, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and digital creator Lonnie IIV. Content can be …

Twitter on Wednesday made its Communities feature available to Android users around the world. The option, launched on iOS and the Web in September 2021, lets users tweet within a group about a specific topic. The feature is similar to Facebook Groups but remains more public-facing. Within Communities, “people can Tweet directly to a specific audience instead of to all …

Global supermarket chain Aldi opened its first checkout-free grocery store on Tuesday.  The shop, located in Greenwich, southeast London, uses Aldi’s new Shop & Go app to circumvent the need for cashiers and eliminate long lines. Motion-sensor cameras and weight sensors track what’s picked up by customers, who are then charged through the app after they leave.  Facial age-estimation technology …

Apple is making it harder for consumers to take advantage of its discounted education pricing, which traditionally knocks 10% off the price of many Apple products for college students and educators at all levels. To qualify now, according to the Apple website, users have to register with a third-party site, Unidays, which will verify their status as a student or …