YouTube gets more precise seeking, pinch-to-zoom, other design changes

Source: YouTube

YouTube is rolling out some new design changes you may find helpful. The app is getting precise seeking with a more usable frame-by-frame preview when you scroll, allowing you to find the exact part of the video you want to see. The app is also bringing its pinch-to-zoom feature from a test with YouTube Premium subscribers to all users, allowing you to zoom in on videos the same way you would with photos.

The app is also getting a new ambient mode that uses "dynamic colour sampling," so the app's background matches the video or playlist you're watching. This feature is coming to the web and mobile for those using a dark theme. The dark mode is getting darker so that "colours truly pop on your screen." And the "subscribe" is getting a makeover, too, with the like, share, and download buttons "formatted to minimize distractions." Video thumbnails now get rounded corners to match Google's Material You design changes.

Source

TikTok, Samsung partner to introduce StemDrop music collab tool

Source: TikTok, Samsung

TikTok and Samsung are introducing a new way to record and mix music on the platform. Stems are what you call the building blocks of a song broken down into elements like vocals, drums, and bass. TikTok is getting a StemDrop Mixer to help you mix and master songs to your liking. Simon Cowell is the creative director behind this initiative, with Syco Entertainment and Universal Music Group on board. 

This feature will launch on October 26 with a new 60-second song from music producer Max Martin (who has worked with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Taylor Swift, and more) and his collaborators Savan Kotecha and Ali Payami. You can access the stems through the feature to make the song your own. You can check out the project over at its TikTok account or its website for access to the downloadable stems. StemDrop will also share curated versions of the song from week to week.

Source: 1 + 2

Google brings its AR prototype test to Canada

Source: Google

Google is expanding its real-world augmented reality prototype test to the country. Next month, Google AR will bring this small-scale testing to select Googlers in Waterloo and Toronto under the "same privacy and safety measures originally outlined." As 9to5Google pointed out, the Kitchener-Waterloo region is where Focals maker North is located, which Google acquired in 2020. It's also home to "Google's biggest R&D office in Canada."

This "small-scale testing" is done in public instead of in labs with prototypes that include those that "look like normal glasses with an in-lens display," microphone, and camera. The company wants to "ensure device durability, optimize user experiences and improve overall helpfulness of potential smart glasses." 

Click to read more ...

'Andor' soundtrack Vol. 1 drops on streaming

Source: Lucasfilm

If you've been loving Andor and everything about this Star Wars series, you'll be happy to hear that the first volume of its soundtrack has just dropped. You can now listen to this Andor soundtrack on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. It contains music from the first four episodes of the show. 

Source