“Desperate attempt” to monetise service. AI upgrade of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant will entail a monthly $5 or even $10 fee
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
News subscription
LinkedIn Admits Premium Subscriptions Bring In $1.7bn
LinkedIn makes rare disclosure, and admits premium subscription business delivered $1.7 billion in revenue in 2023
Google Rebrands Bard AI Chatbot As Gemini
Bard becomes Gemini, as Google rebrands chatbot and launches monthly subscription for access to more powerful AI system
Elon Musk Says X To Have Two New Premium Tiers
Owner of X (Twitter) Elon Musk continues to transition from advertising fees towards paid subscriptions for the platform
Amazon Defends Prime Service, Amid FTC Lawsuit
Amazon denies it has been duping millions of subscribers of the Amazon Prime service, as it seeks dismissal of FTC lawsuit
Elon Musk’s X Offers Option To Lock Tweet Replies To Verified Accounts
Twitter (X) users can now block unverified accounts from replying to their posts, in latest move by Elon Musk to monetise platform
Meta Touts Monthly Charge For Ad-Free Facebook, Instagram – Report
User of social networks belonging to Meta could be charged a monthly fee of 10 euros (£8.67) for ad-free access to Facebook, Instagram
Amazon Prime Video To Feature Adverts Next Year
Amazon to include adverts to its Prime Video service in 2024, unless users opt for a higher cost ad-free subscription plan
Elon Musk To Move X Behind Paywall, As Israeli PM Urges Antisemitism Action
Elon Musk has said that X (formerly Twitter) will move to a monthly subscription charge, amid an ongoing antisemitism row
Meta Launches VR Subscription Service Quest+
Meta's Quest+ VR game subscription service gives users access to two specially selected games each month in strategy shift
Musk Says Twitter To Launch Ad-Free Subscription
Elon Musk says Twitter to offer premium subscription tier without advertising, as company seeks new revenue sources
Netflix Advert-Supported Plan To Arrive November
Lower priced ad-supported subscription plan set to arrive in November, to operate alongside existing ad-free plans
Musk Touts ‘Slight Cost’ For Business Use Of Twitter
Twitter for 'casual users' will remain fee, tweets Elon Musk, but businesses using Twitter will be subjected to 'slight fee'
Twitter Paid Service ‘Twitter Blue’ To Cost $2.99
Monthly subscription costing $2.99 will give Twitter users advanced features, including an 'undo' option and 'collection' facility for tweets
Twitter Mulls Digital Payment Option For Users
Monetising option. Jack Dorsey reveals Twitter exploring ways to allow users to receive tips or digital payments from followers
Twitter Develops Subscription Fee To Lessen Ad Reliance
Micro-blogging platform Twitter is developing a subscription product, in an effort to lessen dependence on advertising revenues
Twitter Mulls Subscription Options, As Ad Revenue Plummets
Coronavirus hits Twitter's advertising revenue, causing senior management to mull alternative ways to make money from users
Adobe Restores Services For Venezuela
Software giant Adobe gives users in Venezuela three months free after reaching agreement with the US government
Adobe Warns Of Legal Issues From Use Of Older Photoshop Versions
Really? Adobe warns users of older versions of Photoshop they actual brought, that they could be sued
Facebook Mulls Advert-Free Subscription Model
Would you pay to use Facebook if it carried no adverts? Facebook executives reportedly ponder the option
WhatApp Scam Tricks Users Into Handing Over Subscription Fee
WhatsApp hasn't charged a subscription since it was first launched in 2010
Microsoft Will Block Non-Office 365 Users From Skype, OneDrive & Outlook
Beginning in 2020 users of current standalone Office products will no longer have access to Office 365 services such as Outlook, Skype and OneDrive
Publishers Slate Apple’s Subscription Service
Publishers are pressing Apple to make changes to its App Store subscription service rules for iPad and iPhone
Google One Pass Undercuts Apple Subscription Plan
With One Pass Google is aiming to provide a subscription model that is more lucrative for publishers
Apple Faces Subscription Competition From Google
Apple is facing opposition to its in-app subscription policy, as Google moves to undercut with a service of its own