Netflix lets you preview some original shows, films for free

In the face of growing competition in its space, Netflix lets anyone watch a number of its original films and shows for free. The streaming service has a new "watch free" page that previews content like Bird Box, Stranger Things, Grace and Frankie, The Two Popes, Murder Mystery, and the like without signing into a Netflix account. For the shows, only the first episode is available. 

If you want to check out the free content, you need to watch in a browser on a computer or an Android phone. It isn't accessible through the Netflix mobile apps or on the iPhones' mobile browser. Netflix previously offered its hit rom-com To All the Boys I've Loved Before for free for around a month, and it has put up some of its documentaries on YouTube for free to help out educators and students.

Source: Engadget

Telus is donating proceeds from VOD rentals of films by Black creators to Black Health Alliance

Telus has announced that it's donating proceeds from video-on-demand rentals from films like Black Panther, Hidden Figures, Moonlight, and over 60 other movies by Black creators to Canada's Black Health Alliance. The initiative kicked off earlier in August and will last until Friday, September 4, topping out at $20,000. The Black Lives Matter Movement collection also includes a select number of Canadian films, including Secret Alberta: The Former Life of Amber Valley and Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future. The collection is available to Telus Optik customers in British Columbia, Alberta, and parts of Quebec.

According to Telus spokeswoman Liz Sauve, this rollout is part of a broader effort from the Vancouver telecommunications giant to join others in "speaking out against racial injustice and the ignorance, negativity, and hate that underpins any form of discrimination against the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) community."

Source: The Canadian Press

'Pokémon Go' will not work on older Android, iOS devices starting Oct. 2020

If you're using a device that runs on Android 5, iOS 10 and 11, and the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 (even those running on iOS 12), you will no longer be able to access Pokémon Go starting October. Niantic announced it will stop supporting these devices, but the developer didn't explain why its cutting ties with the older mobile platforms and phones. 

But since Pokémon Go is an augmented reality-based game, it demands more performance than regular games. Perhaps the upcoming update will prevent the game from running smoothly on these older devices.

Source: 9to5Mac

Apple brings back iPod 'Music Quiz' game on iOS 14

Apple is bringing back one of those classic iPod games on iOS 14. The Music Quiz game is now accessible through the My Shortcuts section of the operating system. If you don't remember the game, it's where your iPod plays songs at random and asks you to name them to rack up points. The iOS 14 version only lasts for five rounds, but you can keep playing and share your score on social media—which, of course, wasn't available on earlier iPods.

The Music Quiz only works with the built-in Music app. But it accesses Apple Music, iTunes purchases, and locally-synced songs from other sources. And since it works with the Shortcut function, you can even modify the game to suit your tastes. As Engadget points out, Apple is using the nostalgic title as a way to promote Shortcuts. But if you miss it, here's an excellent way to revisit the game.

Source: 9to5Mac