Virtual reality is still in its early days as a mass medium, but the dawn of VR subscriptions is now here. On Wednesday, VR studio Wevr launched the first subscription model for VR content with $8 and $20 annual membership levels, in an update to its viewing app called Transport. Wevr is one of several …

Netflix has said TV Everywhere is its own worst nightmare. Now, TV Everywhere is hoping it can make that a reality, despite a track record that might suggest otherwise. TV Everywhere is how traditional pay-TV networks and providers attack the consumer shift to video online and on their phones. By setting up streaming channels included in pay-TV customers’ subscriptions, the …

After years on the sidelines and months of teasing, Pandora is finally giving glimpses of its Spotify-rival subscription. At a presentation Tuesday night and in a blog post Wednesday, Pandora provided peeks at its coming Premium tier, a full-fledged on-demand music subscription similar to Spotify and Apple Music. The new tier will launch early next year and cost about $10 …

Google Play has 4K movies on its digital shelves. Tuesday, Google said in a blog post that its Play Movies store has more than 125 movies in 4K resolution starting in the US and Canada. Customers can buy the high-def movies on their Android device or on the web, and then stream them on Chromecast Ultra, Sony Bravia Android TV …

YouTube, the music industry’s No. 1 enemy earlier this year, said Tuesday it has paid more than $1 billion in advertising revenue to artists, labels and publishers in the last 12 months. The figure, released in a blog post by YouTube business chief Robert Kyncl, is part of the video giant’s effort to mend fences with its critics in the …

Thanks to hordes of crazed “Stranger Things” fans, Netflix is testing the idea of merchandise for the retro sci-fi hit, a break from typical practice. Netflix is exploring consumer products for “Stranger Things” because of the “huge demand for people who want a T-shirt with Eleven on it,” the company’s top content executive, Ted Sarandos, said Monday at a financial …

The lifeblood of iHeart is still radio, now pumped with options for the digital age. iHeartMedia, the biggest terrestrial radio company in the US and operator of online service iHeartRadio, launched two streaming memberships in a beta “test” mode Thursday, giving customers ways to unlock more access to tunes. A $5-a-month “Plus” membership lets you replay songs you hear on …

Now playing: Watch this: As president, Donald Trump could send unblockable texts 1:10 President-elect Donald Trump will have access to a system that can send unblockable texts to every phone in the US once he takes the oath of office. Wireless Emergency Alerts are part of a program created by a 2006 act of Congress. WEAs can be targeted messages …

Call it Apple hearts U2, part two. The gadget giant is expanding its partnership with Red, an HIV/AIDS advocacy organization founded by U2 singer Bono. “Of course corporations should have values, because people should have values,” CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with USA Today. “And corporations are just a bunch of people.” Starting Wednesday, a day ahead of …

YouTube launched support for for 4K live-streaming Wednesday. Google’s massive video site said the new format would let creators and partners stream “incredibly high-resolution video” and give viewers the option of watching a clearer picture if viewing a live stream on 4K-enabled device. 4K is a measurement of video resolution. It multiplies the number of pixels compared with traditional “high-definition” …