Apple Music, Spotify supports #BlackLivesMatter in an unprecedented fashion

Apple Music is using its platform to stand with #TheShowMustBePaused and #BlackLivesMatter social equality movements in response to widespread unrest, violent protests, and riots that have affected various American cities. The past few days have seen a swell of civic unrest after the death of George Floyd, a black man that died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis. Visiting Apple Music and going to any of its stations or the Browse section leads to the above page and a Listen Together call to action which plays only black music, much of which is timely in this time of protest. 

Update on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 8:55AM by Nicole Batac

Spotify, for its part, placed black filter over the covers of some of its prominent playlists and podcasts, while adding eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence to these participating playlists and podcasts—which is the length of time officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck.

Sony PlayStation 5 event postponed in respect of ongoing protests

Sony planned to launch the PlayStation 5 on June 4 but has decided to postpone the event. In a simple statement released on Twitter, Sony said, “While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.” 

The company defers holding the launch for its next-generation console as numerous protests against police brutality and racism are happening in the US, Canada, and other parts of the world. The protests were sparked by the death of the American George Floyd in the Minneapolis police's hands. 

Google announces six new free games coming to Stadia Pro this June

Image courtesy of Bethesda

Google announced a few updates regarding Stadia, and an important part of the announcement is the new free games coming to Google Stadia Pro. The six titles include Get Packed, Little Nightmares, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Superhot, and Panzer Dragoon Remake. The Elder Scrolls Online will be coming later on June 16. 

Aside from introducing the new games, Stadia is getting some significant updates on the Chrome browser. It gets wireless Stadia Controller play support, and for Stadia Pro users, you get to play in 1440p resolution. If you're a new user and want two free months of Stadio Pro, you'll need to redeem the offer before June 3. It'll be back down to one month starting on that date. 

TIFF partners with Bell Media for 'Parasite' and 'Paris is Burning' cinema nights

The Toronto International Film Festival continues its partnership with Bell Media to host "Stay-at-Home Cinema" nights with two new entries. The record-breaking Korean film Parasite will be streaming on Tuesday, June 2, with a live stream that kicks off at 7 pm ET. The movie starts at 7:30 pm ET. The live stream will have Cameron Bailey, artistic director and co-head of TIFF, along with filmmaker Sharon Choi, who served as Parasite director Bong Joon Ho's interpreter, and Tom Quinn, co-founder of Parasite's North American distributor, Neon.

On Friday, June 5, the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning will be streaming at the same time in celebration of Pride Month 2020. It will also have a featured guest, but it hasn't been confirmed who the guest will be. If you want to participate in these experiences, you will need to have a Crave subscription with a starting price of $9.99 a month.