YouTube to bring non-skippable ads to all creators

YouTube is hoping it can help its creators earn more by brining non-skippable ads to everyone, meaning creators can start to monetize their videos. This feature was first available to a select few as an experimental option but now it’s coming to everyone who’s part of YouTube’s Partner Program. Advertisers, as we know, tend to pay more for ads that get watched in their entirety. As a viewer, it’ll probably concern you how long these videos are. But according to a Google Help page you can expect these non-skippable ads to be between 15 to 20 seconds.

Creators who get access to this feature will have it auto-activated for all the previous uploads and you’ll get access to tools to track the performance of these non-skippable ads. If it looks like there’s a decline in viewership or earnings, this feature can be deactivated for all videos in the settings.

Source: Engadget

Facebook’s new test feature shows what you share in common with strangers

Facebook wants you to connect with strangers in a more meaningful way—or it’s at least going to show strangers things you have in common with them. The social network is testing out a new “things in common” feature in the US that will show tidbits of information about you when you do things like comment on public posts. It’ll show things like “Went to the University of so-and-so” or “From this part of the world.” It’ll only show information you’ve decided to make public. But whether this will be good or bad for public discourse is something we don’t know yet, especially if you’re discussing a hot-button topic. But Facebook hopes it helps people connect with each other.

"Knowing shared things in common helps people connect," the spokesperson told Engadget. "We're testing adding a 'things in common' label that will appear above comments from people who you're not friends with but you might have something in common with. Only information that people made publicly available on their profiles will be eligible to show up." There isn’t any word though if this feature will end up as an actual feature for the social network.

Production for ‘Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ put on hold after James Gunn firing

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Photofest

Following the firing of James Gunn, Marvel Studios and Disney are on the lookout for a new director for the third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy. And that’s put the production of the film on hold. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this has pushed the timeline of the film further. Pre-production was supposed to start this fall but now crew members for certain positions reportedly have been let go. And production, which was scheduled to begin this winter, doesn’t look like it’s going to push through.

Gunn was fired in late July after prominent far-right bloggers and personalities dug up offensive and questionable tweets from Gunn’s timeline, some of them around a decade old. Gunn reportedly met with Disney chairman Alan Horn and Marvel Studios co-president Kevin Feige to talk about his return for the final installment but Horn wouldn’t budge. The cast, in an open letter, have asked the studio to reinstate Gunn. But Disney hasn’t commented on the matter. 

Instagram tries to build virtual communities for college students

Remember how Facebook used to be an online community to connect Harvard students? Well, it seems the social network wants to connect with its past and is extending this to its other social network Instagram. The Facebook-owned company is testing out a feature that will bring college students together into groups. Instagram is inviting select users to join groups for their schools. The social network is able to figure this out based on the accounts they follow, their connections, and public posts. This can be seen as Instagram’s attempt to attract the younger set of users who now refuse to use Facebook.

Those who opt in need to choose their university and graduating year from a set of predetermined choices. Once they’re in, Instagram will show them lists arranged by members’ classes to make it easier to find people from the same year. Public stories are also viewable within the list. There is also access to direct messaging members in the list. Instagram has to develop this further though to make sure creeps don’t make it in. CNBC says one of its reporters got invited to join the community for their alma mater as a current student. Instagram assures that the feature is in its early phases and tools to report inappropriate usage are in place.