Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup - 5/12- 5/25

Nokia 3210 gets a modern makeover

What you get with the Google Pixel 8A

Netflix builds a theme park in Roblox

Microsoft to enter mobile gaming arena with cross-platform store launch

Xbox app gets more touch-friendly for Windows handhelds

Step into alternate realities: The interactive Marvel 'What If...?' on Apple Vision Pro

YouTube considers 'Pause Ads'

Google tests AI for scam detection, raising privacy concerns

The future of PlayStation Parties? Sony unveils new PS5 multiplayer invite system

Fujifilm unveils X-T50: A fresh take on APS-C

Ditch the bucket: Dyson WashG1 is a high-tech mop

OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open among first to receive Android 15 Beta 1

OpenAI and Reddit strike up partnership

Scarlett Johansson questions alleged voice mimicry in OpenAI's ChatGPT

Microsoft Surface Pro rebooted: Faster, AI-ready, and now Qualcomm-powered

Sonos unveils streamlined Roam 2 portable speaker

Microsoft unveils Surface Laptop powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips

Google Meet gets smarter audio

Microsoft embraces Arm with improved app translation

YouTube considers 'Pause Ads'

Image: TechSpot

Get ready to be served ads even when you pause your video. YouTube is testing "pause ads" on some TV apps, where the video you're watching is shrunk to sit alongside an ad when you hit pause. This strategy, lauded by Google's Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler, might see a wider rollout.

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YouTube’s new approach to prevent ad-blockers

Screenshot: BleepingComputer

YouTube is testing a new approach to prevent viewers from using ad-blockers while watching videos on its platform. Some users are getting a pop-up notice warning them that their video player will be blocked after three videos. The new alerts are part of an experiment that urges viewers with ad-blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium. The warning says YouTube will block their ability to play videos on the platform unless they disable their ad blocker or add the website to their white list. YouTube says in a notice that these ads "allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide." And if you want to go ad-free, it recommends you get a YouTube Premium subscription.

The website has confirmed that it might temporarily disable playback in "extreme cases" where viewers continue using ad-blockers. The spokesperson added that they will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube. At the moment, this new approach only affects a small number of users, and YouTube didn’t say how many people and regions are part of the test. With the platform seeing ad revenue decline, we won't be surprised if it tries to recoup that this way (at least partly).

Source

New Google Chrome extension displays detailed ad-tracking data

Google has released a new Chrome extension that shows you how advertisers are targeting you. Ads Transparency Spotlight displays the number of ads loading on a page, what advertisers and ad tech companies are present, and what personal data is being used to serve advertisements (like demographics, remarketing, interests, location, etc.). It also shows links to the privacy policy of companies and services present on the page, how each collects and stores data, and why the ads are displayed on a page. According to Engadget, the extension might work differently in regions outside of the US. Some European users can see the advertisers and number of ads, but not the personal tracking info.

This early version of the extension only shows the information on Google-served ads that used Google's Ad Disclosure Scheme. It's designed to help advertisers share how they're using your data. This new extension is part of Google's push to improve its ad transparency and avoid additional privacy-oriented legislation (like the European Union's GDPR laws).

Source: 9to5Google