Google Meet is now free-to-use for all Google account users

Google Meet graduates from just being a videoconferencing solution for G Suite enterprise and education customers to now being free-to-use for anyone with a Google account. Google Meet supports up to 100 people and a single host on a single free meeting that can last any amount of time. But after September 30, meeting lengths will be restricted to 50 minutes. 

The service will gradually open up Meet to more users, and you can get an alert through this link to know when your account can get access. 

Click to read more ...

Netflix picks up 'Orange is the New Black' team's 'Social Distance' anthology

Embed from Getty Images

Expect to see a new Netflix original that reflects the times courtesy of the Orange is the New Black production team. The new show will be called Social Distance, and it will be produced remotely. As you might have guessed, the focus is on the "new, bizarre, bewildering reality we are all experiencing" in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We feel passionate about finding connection as we all remain at a distance," the production team wrote in a press release. "We've been inspired to create an anthology series that tells stories about the current moment we are living through—the unique, personal, deeply human stories that illustrate how we are living apart, together. We are challenging ourselves to do something new: To create and produce virtually so that our cast and crew can stay healthy and safe."

Click to read more ...

Tim Hortons annual summer camps to go digital this July

Tim Hortons Foundation Camps (Photo courtesy of CNW Group/Tim Hortons)

Tim Hortons' annual summer camp for disadvantaged youth will be going digital this year to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The online "Tims eCamp" will be held this July, and any physical camp experience will be postponed until at least the fall of this year. Meanwhile, those who registered to be part of the physical camp will be eligible to take part in the eCamp. Additional details, including specific registration information, will be shared "in the coming weeks."

Click to read more ...

Crave adds 5.1 surround sound support for select devices

Bell's streaming service now has support for 5.1 surround sound on select devices. Crave announced this back in October, and now it's rolling out to users. Supported devices include Amazon Fire TV devices, Android TV, 4th-generation Apple TV, and Facebook Portal. It isn't clear yet how much of the content supports multi-speaker audio, but MobileSyrup reports that IT: Chapter Two has it. Now, we just hope the service adds 4K support next. A subscription to Crave starts at $9.99 a month, but if you want to add HBO and STARZ content, you need to pay an additional $9.99 and $5.99, respectively.