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Peloton treadmill owners will be able to run again without a subscription
Peloton treadmill users will be able to use the "Just Run" feature with or without a subscription and still be able to lock it up with a pin code.
Peloton discounts digital memberships for students, military and first responders
Peloton is cutting the price of its digital memberships for students, healthcare workers, teachers, first responders, military and military families.
Best Buy's $200 Amazon Prime rival offers tech support and free installs
Best Buy has started piloting a $200 membership program meant to rival Amazon Prime and Walmart's own take on a subscription service.
Crunchyroll subscribers can finally watch anime offline
With new membership tiers, Crunchyroll subscribers can watch anime offline.
Roland slashes the starting price of its cloud synth subscriptions
Roland's digital instruments and software just got a lot cheaper.
Russian hacker behind an elite crime forum pleads guilty to multiple charges
Last week, a well-connected Russian cybercrime boss, Aleksei Burkov, pleaded guilty to running an online criminal marketplace and a site that sold stolen credit and debit card data. What's even more intriguing, than the $20 million in fraudulent purchases that Burkov's site facilitated and the exclusive cybercrime ring he ran, is how badly Russia wanted to prevent Burkov from being extradited to the US.
Netflix releases worldwide subscriber stats by region for the first time
For the first time, Netflix is reporting its international business operating results by region. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Netflix shared its streaming revenue and membership info for the US and Canada; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Asia-Pacific and Latin America. This change in how Netflix reports its earnings data highlights how important markets outside the US have become -- especially as Netflix faces new competition.
Lyft's new monthly subscription is cheaper, but doesn't cover ride costs
Last year, Lyft tried to get users to pay $299 per month for its All-Access Plan. That included 30 "free" monthly trips (as long as they were under $15), but people were, understandably, shocked by the price tag. Now, Lyft is trying a new approach. It's Lyft Pink membership offers a 15 percent discount on all car rides, and it's just $19.99 per month, less than 10 percent of the monthly All-Access fee.
Amazon Fresh deliveries are now free for Prime members
Amazon is ditching its $14.99 a month Amazon Fresh fee for Prime members. Prime subscribers in the 2,000 US cities where the fresh food delivery service is offered can use it for free and take advantage of new one- and two-hour delivery windows. Shopping from Whole Foods is also an option here, and it's subject to the same quick delivery times. You can sign up here but you'll have to wait for an invitation -- as Amazon says, "We expect this will be a popular benefit."
Patreon splits its service to cater for different creators
Patreon is rolling out a new price plan structure. Announced today, the new system comprises Patreon Lite, Patreon Pro and Patreon Premium -- three tiers that, according to the company, are designed to better match the needs of creators.
YouTube TV users can pause their subscription for up to six months
Google is now giving YouTube TV subscribers the option of pausing their subscription. Spotted by Android Police, the new feature allows users to pause their membership for up to six months. Google notes that while you won't have access to new or recorded programs while your subscription is paused, YouTube TV will save your previous recordings, though they're still subject to the standard nine-month expiration date. The date that you resume your membership becomes your new billing date.
YouTube looks to merch and memberships to make creators more money
YouTube is having a busy day at VidCon 2018. Aside from launching Premieres, a feature that lets creators hype prerecorded videos with a public landing page, the company is also announcing new ways for them to make more money. For starters, channels with more than 100,000 subscribers will now have access to Memberships, which will allow viewers to pay a monthly fee of $4.99 to get exclusive access to badges, emoji, livestreams, members-only videos and shoutouts, among other perks. This is exactly what YouTube was already doing with Sponsorships, though that was available only to a select group of YouTubers. If you're a creator but don't meet the 100,000-subscriber threshold, YouTube says it hopes to bring Channel Memberships to more people in the coming months.
Amazon brings Whole Food discounts to a dozen extra states
Amazon isn't holding anything back in its crusade to integrate Whole Foods into its brand offering. Since acquiring the chain in August last year, Amazon has been lavishing a range of grocery deals and discounts on its Prime members, and today it's opening up its benefits further still. Prime members at Whole Foods Market stores in 12 additional states, and at all Whole Foods Market 365 stores, will now be able to use their subscription to scoop up extra bargains.
Xbox's $1 Game Pass includes 'Gears of War 4' and 'Mass Effect'
If you've been thinking about trying out the Xbox Game Pass, but don't want to risk the normal $10/£8 price, Microsoft has a deal for you. It's offering the first month of membership for $1/£1, giving you access to well over 100 games. It's also offering Xbox Gold for $1/£1, so Xbox is clearly trying to push users onto memberships over the holidays. This month, new titles include Gears of War 4, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter and others.
Samsung Pay now works with your loyalty cards in the US
Samsung Pay can substitute for your credit and debit cards, but those probably aren't the only hunks of plastic you're looking to replace. What about the points program card for the grocery store, or the discount card for the pharmacy? Relax. Samsung Pay now supports loyalty and membership cards in the US, so you can make the most of those price drops and freebies without bulking up your wallet.
Amazon briefly slashes Prime to £59 ahead of Black Friday
With Black Friday and Christmas on the horizon, Amazon knows that countless Brits would appreciate next-day deliveries and other Prime-associated perks. As a result, the retailer is making it a little cheaper than usual to sign up for an annual membership -- £59, rather than £79. It's a sizeable price-drop, although the deal only runs until Wednesday (November 18th). So if you want in, better act fast. For that price you'll gain access to Amazon's ancillary services, including Prime Video (its Netflix equivalent), Prime Music (its Spotify equivalent) and unlimited photo storage through Cloud Drive. Even if you're an infrequent Amazon shopper, this could make one of its "all-in" 12-month subscriptions worthwhile. It also means you can try some of its more experimental delivery services, like Amazon Pantry and Prime Now, for when your cupboards are bare and it's too cold to brave a trip to the shops.
Age of Conan is selling instant level-80s until January 2nd
Getting a high-level character in Age of Conan now requires you only to break out your wallet and plunk down a few bills. Funcom announced today that players can purchase an instant level 80 character on the cash shop for $40 (or $30 if that player already has another level 80 toon). These new level 80s will come equipped with a set of rare gear, a fast mount, the riding skill, a 56-slot bag, 79 expertise points, and other goodies. If you're planning on picking up one of these "go straight to buff" packages, you'll need to do so before the promotion ends on January 2nd. Age of Conan is also offering bonus free months of subscription and other goods when you sign up or extend your membership by at least three additional months.
Chaos Theory: The value of The Secret World's DLCs
This question was posed to me recently by a few different readers and stream viewers: Are The Secret World's DLCs a good value? As I pondered the question, I decided that instead of answering each query personally, it would be a good topic to explore here in Chaos Theory. Besides, the answer is definitely not a short one! (It can't even fit in a single column!) So why can't I just fire off a simple yes or no to this question? The biggest problem is trying to provide an objective answer to a very subjective situation. While the meaning of value itself is clearly defined, said definition emphasizes that the judgment is individual to whoever is involved. How each player defines value is very personal, so I can't really answer for anyone except myself. What I can do, however, is provide as much of the objective information that I can so you can make your own subjective judgment on the value. Are TSW's issues and sidestories packs worth it? Let's look at the value from various viewpoints and you decide!
Facebook joins the GSM Association to stay in sync with carriers
Facebook has a vested interest in the phone world between its hundreds of millions of mobile users and the Home interface. It's only fitting, then, that the social network has just joined the GSM Association. The company tells FierceWireless that it wants to play an "active role" in the GSMA as an associate member. The move should help Facebook both maintain its cozy relationships with carriers and understand their concerns. Membership could also be useful for Facebook's attempts to democratize internet access through Internet.org -- when it's already enlisting the help of wireless providers, a formal alliance with those networks is only logical.
PlayStation Plus membership will persist and carry over to PlayStation 4
Sony's Jack Tretton just confirmed that a PlayStation Plus membership would carry over and persist when the PlayStation 4 arrives. Tretton promised that users could pay one price for a PlayStation Plus membership on the PS4, the PS3, and the PS Vita. He also hinted, however, that a PS Plus membership may be required for multiplayer on the PS4, while confirming that single-player content won't require a Plus membership. A membership will also include free access to a beta version of Drive Club and other betas, and give players one free game per month.
