The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a weird impact on worldwide PC shipments. At the start of the pandemic, shipments fell due supply chain issues that began when Chinese factories shut down. Once production of PC components ramped up, computers flew off the shelves to meet strong demand from folks who were working from home. […]
subscriptions
Lilbits: Apple’s new Mac Pro could have a 48-core CPU, Lenovo Tab M9 leaked, and Linux smartphone news
This summer Apple launched the M2 processor with up to 18% faster CPU performance, 35% faster graphics, and 40% faster AI performance than the Apple M1 chip. But that’s just what you get with the entry-level chip with 8 CPU cores and up to 16 CPU cores. Apple is also rumored to be working on […]
Fairphone Easy is a different kind of smartphone subscription (pay to keep your phone longer rather than for upgrades)
Subscriptions are nothing new in the smartphone space. Wireless carriers and phone makers have long offered customers a chance to pay for phones in a series of monthly installments rather than putting down a bunch of cash up front. And many plans also include cheap or free upgrades to newer phones every few years. Fairphone’s […]
Microsoft’s Clipchamp video editor for Windows 11 doesn’t charge you to export HD video anymore
When Microsoft introduced the Clipchamp video editor for Windows 11 earlier this month, the company focused on how you could use it to record, trim, and add transitions, text, and other effects to videos. What the company didn’t mention in its blog post was that many of features were only available with a paid subscription. […]
Lilbits: Would you pay a subscription to always have the latest iPhone?
Over the past few years we’ve seen a growing number of companies move to subscription models for things you used to be able to pay just once for. Want to use Adobe Audition or Premiere? You need a subscription and if you stop paying, you lose access. QuickBooks recently went the same way. And Microsoft […]
Google is sunsetting FeedBurner email subscriptions (it’s time to update your settings if you subscribe by email)
Google-owned FeedBurner used to be a wildly popular service that websites used to customize their RSS feeds, publicize them, and offer readers a way to get updates via email. But Google has let FeedBurner languish over the years, occasionally remembering the service still exists just long enough to remove useful features. The latest update? Google […]
Pocket Casts is now free (with optional subscription-based features)
One of the most popular podcast apps for iOS and Android is now available for free. Previously the Pocket Casts app for Android cost $4, while the iPhone app was $4. Now you don’t have to pay a penny to use either one. But the company behind the app needs to make money somehow. Enter Pocket […]
Report: Apple News subscriptions may be on the horizon
Over the past few years millions of people have switched from buying CDs or even MP3 albums to paying $10 per month for music streaming services like Spotify, Google Play Music Unlimited, and Apple Music. And millions of folks pay a similar price for access to streaming movies and TV shows from Netflix, Hulu, or […]
Microsoft steps up push for Office 365 subscriptions over single-license Office installs
There are currently a few different ways to get your hands on Microsoft Office. There are home and business versions of Office. And make a one-time purchase to get a version of Office that you can install on a single PC or pay for an Office 365 subscription that lets you install the operating system on one […]
Apple, Google to offer app developers bigger cut of subscription revenue
Apple and Google both take a 30 percent cut of revenue from apps sold through the App Store and Google Play Store, which means developers only get 70 cents for every $1 purchase. The same goes for in-app subscriptions that use the App Store or Google Play for billing, which means that if you pay […]
Netflix is now $10 per month for new members after latest price hike
Less than a year and a half after raising the price of a Netflix subscription from $7.99 to $8.99, Netflix has implemented another $1 increase. New subscribers will now have to pay $9.99 per month for the most popular Netflix plan, which allows customers to stream HD video on up to two devices simultaneously. Existing subscribers […]
Netflix hikes prices by $1 per month (£1, €1 in UK, Europe)
Good news everyone! If you’re a current Netflix subscriber, you can continue paying the same monthly rate for the next 2 years. Oh yeah… that’s probably not really news, since it’s the same rate Netflix has been charging most customers for its instant video streaming service since inception. Here’s what’s new: the company has announced that new customers […]