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YouTube now blocking background playback on mobile browsers

YouTube has started to block third-party mobile browsers from using a background playback loophole. Background playback is supposed to be limited to YouTube Premium subscribers through the official iOS or Android app, but many people have been using browsers like Brave, Vivaldi, and Edge to get background playback without a subscription. Not anymore. "Background playback is a feature intended to be exclusive for YouTube Premium members," says an unnamed Google spokesperson in a statement to Android Authority . "While some non-Premium users may have previously been able to access this through mobile web browsers in certain scenarios, we have … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/1hxI8Kn
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A community organizer’s guide to Signal group chats

With ICE and CBP roaming the streets, united community action is more important than ever right now - from local mutual aid groups to school safety patrols. Known for its privacy features and end-to-end encryption, the Signal messaging app has become a popular platform for organizing these community groups. Signal can be a great tool for private messaging, but it's at its best if you know how to use all the privacy options. Not all of these options are automatic or even immediately obvious; there are also some best practices that are helpful for participating in and leading group chats. Signal and your First Amendment rights As you're as … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/kmUbTVG

How to tear gas children

The day after the second general strike in Minneapolis, the labor unions of Portland, Oregon, marched in solidarity. It was the warmest day that Portland had seen in a while, with sun peeking out from the clouds here and there. Many people had brought their entire families; not just older children, but toddlers in strollers and wagons, too. Some brought their dogs. The chants were typical: "ICE out of Portland" and "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here." But the children were so visible that City Councilor Mitch Green felt a slight twinge of awkwardness. "There's some other folks saying, you know, 'Fuck ICE,' but, like, there's chil … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/yPrB7QY

Now anyone can tap Ring doorbells to search for lost dogs

Truffle, a chocolate lab found using Ring’s Search Party feature. | Image: Ring Ring is opening its Search Party pet finder service to non-Ring owners through the free Ring Neighbors app. The service has helped reunite owners with "more than one lost dog a day" since launch, according to the company. Anyone in the US can share a photo of their missing pet after they download and register in the app. If a neighbor's AI-enabled Ring camera detects the lost animal, they'll be able to alert the pet's owner. Ring is also committing $1 million to equip animal shelters across the country with camera systems. The company launched its Search Party feature in September and, despite some misgivings about it being enabled by defa … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Wkgcjme

Vivo and Oppo’s telephoto extender comes to iPhone

The RetroVa kit looks almost identical to PGYTech’s accessories for Vivo and Oppo. | Image: PGYTech PGYTech, the accessory manufacturer behind the official telephoto extender lenses for recent Vivo and Oppo flagships, has launched a Kickstarter for a new version developed for iPhones. The RetroVa Vintage Imaging Kit looks an awful lot like the camera kits for those phones, complete with a custom case, slide-on camera grip with built-in battery and manual controls, and of course a 2.35x telephoto lens extender. This is the first to include a microSD slot though. There are versions for iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Since it's unofficial, the telephoto will only work in PGYTech's camera app, not Apple's. Other co … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/9aFD2q8

The tragedy of Supernatural

When you picture a virtual reality headset user, you're probably not picturing someone like Sherry Dickson. At 69, the snowy-haired, retired elementary school teacher hops into her Meta Quest headset five days a week, for roughly 60 to 90 minutes at a time. She's not attending live concerts or watching immersive films. Dickson, a fitness buff since Jane Fonda workout videos in the '80s, largely uses her headset for one reason - to play Supernatural , a VR fitness game with a huge, loyal fan base and a tight-knit community. Supernatural isn't dead, but it might as well be. A few weeks ago, Meta shut down three VR studios as part of broader l … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/1cQpimU

This tiny pocket-friendly e-reader is packed with frustration and potential

I've used and reviewed dozens of e-readers over the years, but the 5-inch Kobo Mini remains my favorite for one simple reason: It was small. While it lacked useful features like screen lighting and page turn buttons, its size made it an e-reader I actually wanted to carry every day. The $69 Xteink X4 e-reader is even smaller than the Kobo Mini and E Ink smartphones like Boox Palma . It's satisfyingly pocketable but also frustratingly unintuitive and functionally limited out of the box. That could be a deal-breaker were it not for a growing community of users working to improve it. Like the Kodak Charmera , I was pleasantly surprised at how sm … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/INztfku