Latest news with #video streaming
Geeky Gadgets
6 days ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Mystery Solved: Apple's Biggest iOS 26 Secret Revealed
Apple's iOS 26 delivers a comprehensive suite of new features and refinements, further solidifying its position as a leader in mobile operating systems. With enhancements ranging from improved CarPlay functionality to subtle yet impactful design updates, this release is designed to elevate the user experience. Below is a detailed look at the most notable updates and their practical implications for users in a new video from iReviews. Watch this video on YouTube. CarPlay Video Streaming: Entertainment on the Go A major highlight of iOS 26 is the introduction of video streaming capabilities for CarPlay. Using AirPlay, users can now stream video content directly to their CarPlay screens. This feature is thoughtfully designed with safety in mind, as it is only operational when the vehicle is parked. Whether you're waiting for your electric vehicle to charge or taking a break in a stationary car, this functionality adds a layer of convenience and entertainment to your downtime. However, it's important to note that automakers will need to update their CarPlay systems to support this feature, meaning compatibility will depend on your vehicle's manufacturer and software updates. New Emojis: Expanding Your Digital Vocabulary iOS 26 introduces a fresh collection of emojis, offering users more ways to communicate emotions, ideas, and expressions visually. While Apple has yet to reveal the specific designs, these additions are expected to align with the latest Unicode standards, making sure seamless functionality across platforms. This update underscores Apple's ongoing commitment to enhancing digital communication by providing users with a richer and more inclusive visual language. Enhanced Location Sharing in iMessage The location-sharing feature in iMessage receives a significant upgrade in iOS 26, offering users greater control and transparency. A new countdown timer now displays how much longer your location will be shared, allowing you to manage this feature with ease. Accessible directly within iMessage conversations, user profiles, and the Find My app, this enhancement simplifies the process of sharing and monitoring your location data. Whether coordinating meetups or making sure safety, this feature adds a layer of practicality to your daily interactions. AirPods Sleep Detection: Smarter Listening Apple continues to refine its AirPods functionality with the addition of sleep detection in iOS 26. This intelligent feature automatically pauses media playback when it detects that you've fallen asleep, offering a more seamless and personalized listening experience. Configurable during the initial setup of iOS 26 beta 3, this update is particularly useful for users who enjoy listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks as they wind down for the night. By integrating this feature, Apple enhances both convenience and user comfort. Liquid Glass Design: Aesthetic Refinements The liquid glass design introduced in iOS 26 represents a subtle yet impactful evolution in Apple's user interface. This refined aesthetic enhances the overall fluidity and sophistication of the operating system, creating a more cohesive visual experience across devices. The design changes extend to CarPlay, making sure consistency in appearance and functionality. Apple is expected to continue fine-tuning this design in future beta releases, further polishing the interface to meet its high standards of usability and elegance. Support for Older Devices: iOS 18.6 RC For users with devices that are not compatible with iOS 26, Apple is rolling out the iOS 18.6 Release Candidate (RC). This update focuses on critical bug fixes and performance improvements, making sure that older devices remain functional and reliable. Scheduled for public release on July 28, this update demonstrates Apple's commitment to supporting its broader user base, even as it pushes forward with new innovations. iOS 26 Beta Updates: What's Next? The iOS 26 beta program continues to evolve, with Beta 4 and a public beta expected to roll out soon. These updates are likely to include additional refinements and adjustments, paving the way for a polished final release. By participating in the beta program, users gain early access to new features and have the opportunity to provide feedback that helps shape the final product. This iterative approach ensures that iOS 26 meets the needs and expectations of its diverse user base. Why iOS 26 Matters iOS 26 represents a significant step forward in Apple's software ecosystem, offering a range of features designed to enhance convenience, safety, and user experience. From CarPlay video streaming to smarter AirPods functionality, these updates reflect Apple's dedication to innovation and user-centric design. The inclusion of a refined liquid glass interface and improved location-sharing controls further demonstrates Apple's commitment to both aesthetics and practicality. CarPlay video streaming introduces a new level of in-car entertainment. New emojis expand your ability to communicate visually and creatively. Enhanced location sharing provides greater transparency and control. AirPods sleep detection offers a more personalized listening experience. Liquid glass design improves the visual appeal and fluidity of iOS. iOS 18.6 RC ensures continued support for older devices. As Apple continues to refine and expand its offerings, iOS 26 sets the stage for a more connected and intuitive user experience. Stay tuned for future updates as the beta program progresses and additional features are unveiled. Explore further guides and articles from our vast library that you may find relevant to your interests in iOS 26 features. Source & Image Credit: iReviews Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DraftKings Makes Royal Debut in Online Sports Betting and iGaming Industry, While Bluesky Receives Highest Social Media Score Ever, ACSI Data Show
ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Entertainment Study 2025, video streaming stumbles 1% to a score of 78 (on a 100-point scale). Social media (74) and subscription TV (70) are unchanged, and online sports betting and iGaming debuts with an ACSI score of 76. While satisfaction with digital entertainment is mostly steady, these industries must find new ways to add value and variety to keep customers happy in an uncertain economy. "Right now, we face a critical inflection point across digital entertainment and betting platforms," says Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. "Consumers are no longer just seeking services. They're demanding comprehensive, intuitive experiences that respect their time and wallet. The winners in this increasingly competitive environment will be the ones who can seamlessly integrate technological innovation, personalized engagement, and clear value propositions." Paramount+, Peacock, and YouTube Premium share video streaming lead Three brands — Paramount+, Peacock, and YouTube Premium — sit atop the video streaming industry with scores of 80 apiece. The former improves 3% year over year, while the latter two are unchanged. All three leading platforms receive strong scores for overall quality and value. Last year's leader Amazon Prime Video slides 4% to meet Netflix (unchanged) at 79. HBO Max (unchanged) and Hulu (down 1%) are next at 78 each, followed by three platforms with scores of 77: Apple TV+ (down 3%), Hulu + Live TV (unchanged), and YouTube TV (up 1%). ESPN+ tumbles 8% to 69, finishing last. While it exclusively offers sports content, its catalog is limited, especially compared to platforms that pair live sports with original programming and full libraries. It only offers limited NFL coverage, and MLB will be done on the platform after the 2025 season. Along with the overall drop in industry satisfaction, all aspects of the customer experience show small declines or no change. Mobile app quality remains the highest-rated aspect of the customer experience despite slipping from 86 to 85. The range of sports programming is the lowest-rated metric by a wide 5-point margin. "As streaming price increases surpass inflation, brands must manage the dynamic between the quality of their service and its cost," adds Morgeson. "In an already saturated market, video streaming services will need to find a balance between preserving a broad appeal and offering a unique experience at a price point that resonates with both old and new subscribers." The device matters … and so does optionality ACSI finds that the device consumers use for streaming impacts the overall experience. Consumers that use a smart TV or a dedicated streaming device are the most satisfied with scores of 80. The least satisfied are smart TV box users at 74. Additionally, many consumers subscribe to both video streaming and traditional subscription TV — and these cord-stackers are the most satisfied at 80. Cord-cutters, who have given up subscription TV, follow with an ACSI score of 79. Verizon Fios maintains stronghold on subscription TV While several brands show significant movement, both positive and negative, the top of the leaderboard remains unaffected. Verizon Fios decisively defends its number-one spot with an ACSI score of 78, widening its lead following a 4% year-over-year improvement. Spectrum posts the largest gain, jumping 5% to second place among the reported brands at 69, while Xtream tumbles 7% to a score of 62, sharing last place with Optimum (unchanged). Like video streaming, all customer experience metrics for the subscription TV industry decline or remain stagnant. Picture quality and mobile app quality top the list at 81 apiece. Call center satisfaction is dead last, unchanged at 68. Customer service metrics like the courtesy and helpfulness of staff and the speed of transaction are among those that experience multipoint declines. DraftKings wears the online sports betting and iGaming crown DraftKings (78) edges out BetMGM (77) and FanDuel (76) in the industry's inaugural measurement. These three operators have put a modest gap between themselves and ESPN BET and Fanatics, each scoring 73. Caesars, the final reported brand, finishes last with a score of 69. Mobile app quality tops the list of customer experience benchmarks at 80 — which shouldn't be surprising considering online sports betting and casino games rely heavily on the mobile user experience. Several other fundamentals — mobile app reliability, privacy, and ease of navigation — are just a point lower at 79 apiece. In an industry poised for exponential growth, operators are battling to find ways of providing an engaging experience with high-tech resources, access to valuable information, personalization, and helpful tools. New AI integrations that assist players in their wagering strategies and the option to use cryptocurrencies for payment, for instance, are just some of the ways companies are trying to differentiate themselves and bring in more users. Bluesky makes a big statement in the social media space Bluesky debuts with the highest ACSI score ever recorded in the social media industry at 82. It leads second-place Pinterest (up 5%) and YouTube (up 1%) by 4 points. The fact that Bluesky has not yet introduced ads certainly works in its favor. The decentralized platform has so far maintained its "friendlier" reputation with users despite the inevitable moderation issues that accompany massive influxes of users. One of the other newcomers, Nextdoor, finishes at the other end of the spectrum with a score of 64. It trails the next lowest-rated sites, Facebook and Truth Social, by 6 points. Although Nextdoor can be a great place to organize neighborhood events or find a sitter, it can also become a platform for neighborhood squabbles and intrusive advertising. Several brands outside of Pinterest show substantial satisfaction gains this year, Snapchat and X each jump 6% to 72 and 73, respectively. Pinterest's efforts to improve both personalization and its user interface are helping secure a new demographic of young users. Snapchat's gain comes from usability improvements to its platform and a return to its messaging and picture-sharing roots. X's improvement is driven in part by changes to the composition of its user base after many left for Bluesky. Contrary to other industries covered in this study, several customer experience metrics improve for social media. Despite ranking at the bottom of the list, ad-related metrics account for much of the positive momentum, alongside key usability metrics. Privacy, relevance of content, and ease of uploading and editing photos and videos are among the metrics that decline. Moving forward, social media networks should focus on finding a balance between ads, targeted content, and user-selected content while increasing perceptions of privacy. The ACSI Entertainment Study 2025 is based on 24,879 completed surveys. For the subscription TV and video streaming industries, customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between April 2024 and June 2025. For online sports betting and iGaming, customers were contacted between November 2024 and June 2025, while social media users were contacted between July 2024 and June 2025. Download the full study and follow the ACSI on LinkedIn and X at @theACSI. No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the data and information in this release without the express prior written consent of ACSI LLC. About the ACSI The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) has been a national economic indicator for over 25 years. It measures and analyzes customer satisfaction with about 400 companies in about 40 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies. Reported on a scale of 0 to 100, scores are based on data from interviews with roughly 200,000 customers annually. For more information, visit ACSI and its logo are Registered Marks of American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. View source version on Contacts Christian Rizzochristian@
Fast Company
18-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Netflix releases Q2 earnings showing a continued stretch of steady growth
Netflix on Thursday announced another quarter of steady growth as the video streaming service's more than 300 million subscribers have become increasingly attractive to advertisers. It's a familiar script that Netflix has followed for the past three years to widen its lead in video streaming while delivering financial results that have usually easily exceeded the analyst projections that steer investors. While Netflix's profit eclipsed Wall Street's expectations by a wide margin in the April-June quarter, its revenue came in right around the bar set by analysts. The Los Gatos, California, company earned $3.1 billion, or $7.19 per share, a 46% increase from the same time last year. Revenue rose 16% to $11.08 billion. Management also slightly raised its revenue forecast for the entire year, citing a belief that its programming lineup will reel in more subscribers in the second half than the first. 'We're really incredibly excited about the back half of this year and confident that it keeps rolling in '26,' Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told analysts during a Thursday video conference. Although he believes Netflix remains 'perfectly positioned to keep thriving,' analyst Thomas Monteiro said investors were disappointed that the company didn't boost its full-year guidance for revenue and its profit margins by even more against the backdrop of its accelerating momentum. Netflix's shares slipped 1% in extended trading, indicating investors expected an even more robust performance. But that is a minor stumble, given Netflix's stock price has soared 43% this year. The stock's strong run began during the second half of 2022 when the company introduced a low-priced version of its service with commercial interruptions as an antidote to an abrupt downturn in subscribers. The video streaming service is also faring well in Hollywood, as evidenced by the 120 Emmy nominations showered upon its programs earlier this week — second only to Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max. In the past quarter, Netflix hailed 'Sirens,' 'Ginny & Georgia' and 'The Four Seasons' as being among its most watched programming. The popularity of Netflix's scripted programming combined with weekly World Wrestling Entertainment spectacles, high-profile boxing matches and periodic National Football League games have enabled its service to retain subscribers while its prices rise, including on the cheapest tier. Netflix stopped providing quarterly updates on its total subscribers at the beginning of this year, but the company's revenue growth leaves no doubt that the number has grown from the 302 million reported at the end of 2024. It's gradually turning into an advertising magnet, too. Although Netflix still isn't selling enough commercials to require a disclosure of its advertising revenue, management continues to highlight the growth in its results. Netflix said its ad revenue for this year is on pace to double from last year. Unlike most major tech companies, Netflix has had the benefit of peddling a service that so far has avoided being whipsawed by President Donald Trump's fluctuating trade war. But Trump has threatened to introduce tariffs on entertainment made outside the U.S., a move that could hit Netflix especially hard because of its global reach. In an apparent olive branch for the president, Netflix made the unusual move of citing its commitment to the U.S. in its quarterly shareholder letter. The company disclosed that it had invested an estimated $125 billion in the U.S. from 2020-2024 and cited sound stages and production facilities in New Mexico and New Jersey as examples of its ongoing expansion in its home country.
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Netflix delivers another strong performance in second quarter while following a familiar script
SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix on Thursday announced another quarter of steady growth as the video streaming service's more than 300 million subscribers have become increasingly attractive to advertisers. It's a familiar script that Netflix has followed for the past three years to widen its lead in video streaming while delivering financial results that have usually easily exceeded the analyst projections that steer investors.
Associated Press
17-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Netflix delivers another strong performance in second quarter while following a familiar script
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix on Thursday announced another quarter of steady growth as the video streaming service's more than 300 million subscribers have become increasingly attractive to advertisers. It's a familiar script that Netflix has followed for the past three years to widen its lead in video streaming while delivering financial results that have usually easily exceeded the analyst projections that steer investors. While Netflix's profit eclipsed Wall Street's expectations by a wide margin in the April-June quarter, its revenue came in right around the bar set by analysts. The Los Gatos, California, company earned $3.1 billion, or $7.19 per share, a 46% increase from the same time last year. Revenue rose 16% to $11.08 billion. Management also slightly raised its revenue forecast for the entire year, citing a belief that its programming lineup will reel in more subscribers in the second half than the first. Netflix's shares slipped 1% in extended trading, indicating investors expected an even more robust performance. But that is a minor stumble, given Netflix's stock price has soared 43% this year. The stock's strong run began during the second half of 2022 when the company introduced a low-priced version of its service with commercial interruptions as an antidote to an abrupt downturn in subscribers. The video streaming service is also faring well in Hollywood, as evidenced by the 120 Emmy nominations showered upon its programs earlier this week – second only to Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max. In the past quarter, Netflix hailed 'Sirens,' 'Ginny & Georgia' and 'The Four Seasons' as being among its most watched programming. The popularity of Netflix's scripted programming combined with weekly World Wrestling Entertainment spectacles, high-profile boxing matches and periodic National Football League games have enabled its service to retain subscribers while its prices rise, including on the cheapest tier. Netflix stopped providing quarterly updates on its total subscribers at the beginning of this year, but the company's revenue growth leaves no doubt that the number has grown from the 302 million reported at the end of 2024. It's gradually turning into an advertising magnet, too. Although Netflix still isn't selling enough commercials to require a disclosure of its advertising revenue, management continues to highlight the growth in its results. Netflix said its ad revenue for this year is on pace to double from last year.
