Friday
Nov122021

Twitch is now accessible on the Nintendo Switch

Twitch has finally come to the Nintendo Switch, allowing you to watch live streams on this handheld. You will get the same functionality available on other consoles, like on-demand videos. The app is for watching streams but not for streaming. After all, the device doesn't have a camera, and you'll need to route video through a PC to create content with it. 

Source: Engadget

Friday
Nov122021

Amazon Prime Video app on iOS gets clip sharing feature

Amazon

Amazon has added a new clip-sharing feature to its Prime Video app in the US. This will let users who want to share favourite moments from select Amazon Original shows. As Engadget pointed out, the feature's limitation might have something to do with any rights or licensing issues. Right now, it's available for season one of The Boys, The Wilds, Fairfax, and Invincible, with more shows and movies to follow. Those with access to the feature can access the Share a Clip option, where the app will pause the video and make a 30-second clip of what you just watched. You can view the video before you share it.

Friday
Nov122021

Instagram adds text-to-speech, voice effects for Reels

Instagram wants you to use its TikTok-rival Reels more. The Instagram short-form video format gets a couple of audio tools that are popular on TikTok. One is text-to-speech, which puts robotic voiceovers on your videos. This accessibility feature lets you type the text for your videos, which will then be read aloud in this robotic voice. It's accessible through the Text bubble on the lower-left corner of the screen. You have two voice options to choose from.

Aside from text-to-speech, there are now voice effects, too. So, you can change your voice depending on what vibe you're going for. You can change your voice to sound like you've inhaled helium, or like a giant, or more. Both tools have been rolled out already, so you can try it out now.

Source: Engadget

Friday
Nov122021

Spotify buys audiobook platform Findaway

elnaz asadi/Unsplash

Spotify's newest acquisition suggests it wants to develop its library of audiobook titles. The company bought the audiobook platform Findaway, an Ohio, US-based company with a catalog of over 325,000 titles. It has partnerships with companies like Apple, Amazon, and other retail giants. The service also makes tools for audiobook creators. 

The streaming service hasn't released the acquisition details, and it wouldn't go into the specifics about what it plans. But the company has said in a statement that this deal can help it "quickly scale its audiobook catalog" and create new opportunities for authors and publishers.

Source: Engadget