This week Apple announced their new mixed reality “spatial computing” headset, Twitch updated their terms, and there is backlash against Reddit’s effective shutdown of third party tools. WordPress now has an AI assistant. Google Meet has improved it’s picture-in-picture on the web.
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Creator Weekly Live
Sunday I’ll be live with a recap of this week’ top updates! It’s scheduled for 10:30 AM Pacific time (5:30 UTC). Set a reminder or join on YouTube here.Watch last week’s episode.
What do you think of this week’s updates? Would you use the new Apple AR goggles? Join the live chat!
YouTube has new Pride emotes from artists Mia Saine and Wednesday Holmes. You can use these in live chat and comments on YouTube. They are also highlighting LGBTQ+ creators on the official YouTube channel.
Google is celebrating Pride in a number of ways: a new Meet rainbow tinted background that adds an AR rainbow flag heart to your cheek, a new Ballroom culture hub on Google Arts & Culture, 🏳️🌈 highlighted shows and movies on Google TV and more.
Twitch has a Together for Pride shelf on its front page, and is hosting a live Pride event on June 30.
Tiktok’s Pride campaign is titled “You Belong Here”, highlight LGBTQ+ creators and small businesses. You can find related content under the #ForYourPride, #PrideAnthems, and #LGBTQBusiness hashtags.
Snap is celebrating Pride with a limited edition Bitmoji outfit, Spotlight challenges (with a chance to win $$$), and the new Seen AR filter with encouragement to use it to tell your own story.
Pinterest is highlighting LGBTQIA+ creators on Today’s Inspiration page, promoting LGBTQIA+ brands in Shopping Spotlights (in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, US), and highlighting a “Pride and Progress” board from drag performer Sasha Colby.
Surprisingly there hasn’t been an announcement from Meta (Facebook, Instagram) this year. Although Instagram has enabled rainbow hashtags as in previous years.
Not surprisingly, Twitter also seems to not be celebrating.
The Twitch 2023 Updated Monetized Streamer Agreement includes the following changes:
That originally included a significant update to their Branded Content Guidelines, with strict limits on how “branded content” - content from streamers being paid (or given something of value) to promote - could be displayed. Read an overview from Noah Dows (MyLawyerFriend).
The new guidelines were so restrictive, it would make it difficult for creators to fulfill sponsorship agreements or to promote charities.
After much feedback, Twitch then removed most of those changes, clarifying that they were meant to prohibit third party ad networks, not direct sponsors.
I was going to write more about them, but they seem pretty reasonable now.
The other significant change is that it appears that “Simulcasting” to “Twitch-like services” (YouTube, Facebook) is now prohibited for everyone.That originally only applied to monetized streamers. This limits simulcasting - simultaneously streaming to multiple platforms - to “mobile-first services” (TikTok, Instagram).
If you live stream on Twitch, take time to carefully read the current terms and agreements to make sure you understand which changes apply to you.
Notably Apple does not appear to be trying to compete with VR devices or to launch you into the “metaverse”. Instead, what Apple is selling is a “spatial computer”.
The launch video highlights its key features: it will display huge virtual screens for work, surfing the web, watching movies or viewing your photos. You can interact with the virtual displays by just moving your hands or eyes or by using voice commands. It also includes a 3D camera and spatial audio.
When you participate in video calls, you are represented by an animated 3D avatar of your head that reflects your expressions.
You can also interact with people in the real world, as you can see your space and any people. And people will see your (eerily lit) eyes on the front of the goggles.
It will be available next year for $3500 (!).
With the hefty price tag, limited apps, and a wired battery that only lasts two hours, it’s clearly not meant for the mass market.
And I was struck by how lonely it seems. You can watch a movie on a giant virtual screen, but no one else can watch the movie with you. And I think it would be hard to be in the moment with your family if you are using your big face goggles to record them for later playback.
It remains to be seen if this is truly the start of something new.
Some reviews:
Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features: One notable change is that Apple will strip trackers from URLs when shared in Mail or Messages.
iOS 17 makes iPhone more personal and intuitive: “ The release introduces major updates to communications apps, easier sharing with AirDrop, more intelligent text input, and new experiences with Journal and StandBy.”
Apple previews new features coming to Apple services this fall: “Users will be able to create Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music, browse offline maps and trails with Apple Maps, enjoy new experiences in Apple Podcasts, and much more.”
macOS Sonoma brings new capabilities for elevating productivity and creativity : “With more ways to personalize with widgets and stunning new screen savers, significant updates to Safari and video conferencing, along with an optimized gaming experience — the Mac experience is better than ever.”
iPadOS 17 brings new levels of personalization and versatility to iPad: “Featuring a redesigned Lock Screen and interactive widgets; intelligent new features in PDFs and Notes; updates to Messages, FaceTime, and Safari; and the all-new Health app.”
Most third party apps will need to pay for API access, and Reddit has priced it so that apps like Apollo and Reddit is Fun cannot afford to pay. Many have announced they will shut down on June 30.
As explained in a post on r/explainlikeimfive, “when you go from free for over a decade to a $20 million fee for one year, with 30 days notice, something's not right.”
It seems that this change will disproportionately affect subreddit moderators and power users who find the features on Reddit.com (and the mobile app) to be insufficient. The vision impaired moderators of r/Blind have said they will be using access to the third party screen readers they need to moderate their community.
And so there is going to be a protest starting June 12. Participating subreddits will go dark (or at least not allow posting) for 48 hours. And Redditors are encouraged not to visit the platform for those days.
In response, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman (u/spez) hosted an AMA (“ask me anything”). Here’s an overview of what he and other admins said.
He has noted that “non-commercial, accessibility-focused” apps will continue to have free API access, but the details are unclear on what apps will be given this exception.
There are also apparently improvements in the official Reddit app, particularly for moderators, that are being worked on. But there’s no estimated date when those will be available.
It appears Reddit has lost the trust of many moderators, developers, and users.
Will a two day blackout result in any changes? I suspect not. But I’m also going to stay away from Reddit while it’s happening.
Pride Month
June is Pride Month and most platforms are highlighting LGBTQ+ creators.
YouTube has new Pride emotes from artists Mia Saine and Wednesday Holmes. You can use these in live chat and comments on YouTube. They are also highlighting LGBTQ+ creators on the official YouTube channel.
Google is celebrating Pride in a number of ways: a new Meet rainbow tinted background that adds an AR rainbow flag heart to your cheek, a new Ballroom culture hub on Google Arts & Culture, 🏳️🌈 highlighted shows and movies on Google TV and more.
Twitch has a Together for Pride shelf on its front page, and is hosting a live Pride event on June 30.
Tiktok’s Pride campaign is titled “You Belong Here”, highlight LGBTQ+ creators and small businesses. You can find related content under the #ForYourPride, #PrideAnthems, and #LGBTQBusiness hashtags.
Snap is celebrating Pride with a limited edition Bitmoji outfit, Spotlight challenges (with a chance to win $$$), and the new Seen AR filter with encouragement to use it to tell your own story.
Pinterest is highlighting LGBTQIA+ creators on Today’s Inspiration page, promoting LGBTQIA+ brands in Shopping Spotlights (in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, US), and highlighting a “Pride and Progress” board from drag performer Sasha Colby.
Surprisingly there hasn’t been an announcement from Meta (Facebook, Instagram) this year. Although Instagram has enabled rainbow hashtags as in previous years.
Not surprisingly, Twitter also seems to not be celebrating.
Updated Twitch Terms of Service and Monetized Streamer Agreement
Twitch updated their Terms of Service with changes that will affect Partners, Affiliates and regular users. Based on chatter on Twitter, this has been very confusing, and Twitch has had to clarify and partially walk back some of the changes.The Twitch 2023 Updated Monetized Streamer Agreement includes the following changes:
- Non-exclusive: monetized streamers can now simulcast to mobile-first vertical video platforms (TikTok, Instagram), and post videos on demand anywhere immediately after the live broadcast ends)
- Revenue share information is on the Twitch Dashboard, rather than in your contract. All monetized streamers will earn from a percentage based revenue share model (“up to” 55% of ad revenue).
- No set term for the contract
- Both Affiliates and Partners will have to accept the same Monetized Streamer Agreement
That originally included a significant update to their Branded Content Guidelines, with strict limits on how “branded content” - content from streamers being paid (or given something of value) to promote - could be displayed. Read an overview from Noah Dows (MyLawyerFriend).
The new guidelines were so restrictive, it would make it difficult for creators to fulfill sponsorship agreements or to promote charities.
After much feedback, Twitch then removed most of those changes, clarifying that they were meant to prohibit third party ad networks, not direct sponsors.
I was going to write more about them, but they seem pretty reasonable now.
The other significant change is that it appears that “Simulcasting” to “Twitch-like services” (YouTube, Facebook) is now prohibited for everyone.That originally only applied to monetized streamers. This limits simulcasting - simultaneously streaming to multiple platforms - to “mobile-first services” (TikTok, Instagram).
If you live stream on Twitch, take time to carefully read the current terms and agreements to make sure you understand which changes apply to you.
Mixed reality with the Apple Vision Pro
At this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Apple announced its much-anticipated augmented reality headset the Apple Vision Pro.Notably Apple does not appear to be trying to compete with VR devices or to launch you into the “metaverse”. Instead, what Apple is selling is a “spatial computer”.
The launch video highlights its key features: it will display huge virtual screens for work, surfing the web, watching movies or viewing your photos. You can interact with the virtual displays by just moving your hands or eyes or by using voice commands. It also includes a 3D camera and spatial audio.
When you participate in video calls, you are represented by an animated 3D avatar of your head that reflects your expressions.
You can also interact with people in the real world, as you can see your space and any people. And people will see your (eerily lit) eyes on the front of the goggles.
It will be available next year for $3500 (!).
With the hefty price tag, limited apps, and a wired battery that only lasts two hours, it’s clearly not meant for the mass market.
And I was struck by how lonely it seems. You can watch a movie on a giant virtual screen, but no one else can watch the movie with you. And I think it would be hard to be in the moment with your family if you are using your big face goggles to record them for later playback.
It remains to be seen if this is truly the start of something new.
Some reviews:
- Matthew Panzarino @ TechCrunch: First impressions: Yes, Apple Vision Pro works and yes, it’s good
- Brian Heater @ TechCrunch: Sorry, but Apple’s Vision Pro isn’t for you
- Ben Lovejoy @ 9to5Mac: Apple Vision Pro looks insanely impressive – but my Vision Air 2 guess still feels right
- Marques Brownlee: Apple Vision Pro Impressions!
Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features: One notable change is that Apple will strip trackers from URLs when shared in Mail or Messages.
iOS 17 makes iPhone more personal and intuitive: “ The release introduces major updates to communications apps, easier sharing with AirDrop, more intelligent text input, and new experiences with Journal and StandBy.”
Apple previews new features coming to Apple services this fall: “Users will be able to create Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music, browse offline maps and trails with Apple Maps, enjoy new experiences in Apple Podcasts, and much more.”
macOS Sonoma brings new capabilities for elevating productivity and creativity : “With more ways to personalize with widgets and stunning new screen savers, significant updates to Safari and video conferencing, along with an optimized gaming experience — the Mac experience is better than ever.”
iPadOS 17 brings new levels of personalization and versatility to iPad: “Featuring a redesigned Lock Screen and interactive widgets; intelligent new features in PDFs and Notes; updates to Messages, FaceTime, and Safari; and the all-new Health app.”
Many Subreddits will go dark on June 12
In April Reddit announced that they would be limiting access to their Data API. Reddit finally shared the details of this change, which will go into effect at the end of this month.Most third party apps will need to pay for API access, and Reddit has priced it so that apps like Apollo and Reddit is Fun cannot afford to pay. Many have announced they will shut down on June 30.
As explained in a post on r/explainlikeimfive, “when you go from free for over a decade to a $20 million fee for one year, with 30 days notice, something's not right.”
It seems that this change will disproportionately affect subreddit moderators and power users who find the features on Reddit.com (and the mobile app) to be insufficient. The vision impaired moderators of r/Blind have said they will be using access to the third party screen readers they need to moderate their community.
And so there is going to be a protest starting June 12. Participating subreddits will go dark (or at least not allow posting) for 48 hours. And Redditors are encouraged not to visit the platform for those days.
In response, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman (u/spez) hosted an AMA (“ask me anything”). Here’s an overview of what he and other admins said.
He has noted that “non-commercial, accessibility-focused” apps will continue to have free API access, but the details are unclear on what apps will be given this exception.
There are also apparently improvements in the official Reddit app, particularly for moderators, that are being worked on. But there’s no estimated date when those will be available.
It appears Reddit has lost the trust of many moderators, developers, and users.
Will a two day blackout result in any changes? I suspect not. But I’m also going to stay away from Reddit while it’s happening.
YouTube and Video
YouTube mobile viewers will be able to remix Clips into new Shorts. (more details from Creator Insider. Learn more about remixing in the YouTube Help Center.)YouTube is mythbusting: Do yellow monetization icons impact search and discovery of the video? The short answer is no, because a video that is not advertiser friendly may not violate the Community Guidelines. But it is noted that if videos are age-restricted, they may no longer be promoted to under-18 viewers.
YouTube wants more members in its invite-only YouTube Shorts Creator Community. All you need to do is to upload Shorts with the #shortsfriends hashtag. Then you - or someone else - can fill out the referral form to request admission into the Shorts Community.
TikTok is opening up their paid “series” feature to more creators. This allows a collection of content to be placed behind a paywall. Eligibility requirements include at least 10,000 followers, at least 1,000 video views in the last 30 days, in an account that is at least 30 days old.
TikTok has launched a 30 Days of #GamingOnTiktok, with events, CapCut templates, and highlighted gaming creators.
TikTok is opening up their paid “series” feature to more creators. This allows a collection of content to be placed behind a paywall. Eligibility requirements include at least 10,000 followers, at least 1,000 video views in the last 30 days, in an account that is at least 30 days old.
TikTok has launched a 30 Days of #GamingOnTiktok, with events, CapCut templates, and highlighted gaming creators.
Web Publishing
Google reminds website owners to update to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) before July 1. New GA4 features seem heavily oriented towards Google Ads advertisers, which may be why I find it not particularly useful.WordPress’s new Jetpack AI Assistant can draft a blog post, adjust the tone of your content, create a title for your post, check your grammar and spelling, and translate your content. It’s currently free (for a limited time) to all WordPress.com customers.
WordPress.com has improved reblogging. Now you can add your own title, there’s no longer a default featured image, and there’s an improved look for the embedded link. You can reblog directly from WordPress Reader in your WordPress.com account.
Google Communications
Google Meet has an improved picture-in-picture window on desktop. This will make it easier to stay engaged in a meeting while viewing another window. The old picture-in-picture window only let you turn off (or on) your camera and microphone, or leave a meeting. The new picture-in-picture window now lets you raise your hand, turn on (or off) captions, use the in-person chat and more. Note that this feature is only available in Chrome.Google Meet is making it easier to manage meeting join requests. Instead of an intrusive popup, join request will be able to be managed in the People panel.
Google Chat is getting smart compose, which suggests phrases as you type. A similar tool is available in Gmail. Smart compose will be available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
More
Google’s Password Manager is getting several useful updates on desktop, including a dedicated spot in the Chrome menu (to make it easier to find), biometric authentication, add notes about the account with the saved sign-in, and import your data from other password managers.From Aeon: How ingenious university librarians in the 1970s revolutionized search.
From Ars Technica: With 7,000+ satellites and growing, is space sustainable? An Ars Frontiers recap
That’s all the updates for this week. Subscribe to get the Weekly Update in your email inbox or favorite feed reader every week. Miss last week’s update? Get the June 3 edition here.
Header image background: June 8 was World Ocean Day.It’s celebrated in the cover image of Ocean by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels. Free to use, no attribution required.
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Spam and personal attacks are not allowed. Any comment may be removed at my own discretion ~ Peggy