YouTube is reportedly testing online games for mobile and desktop
Google is looking at online games as a new possible source of income for YouTube, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal. The video hosting platform has reportedly invited employees to test a new product called Playables, which gives users access to online games right on YouTube itself.
Telegram is adding Stories next month
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced that the messaging app was adding Stories in early July. With Stories on Telegram, users will be able to decide who can see each of their stories. Stories will be placed in an expandable section at the top of your chat list. Users will be able to hide Stories posted by any contact.
eCommerce Lending Platform Onramp integrates Walmart Marketplace
Onramp now has ways for eCommerce sellers on Walmart Marketplace to get credit. In a news release on Monday (June 26), Onramp said that the integration of the eCommerce lending platform with the marketplace makes it possible to offer growth capital funding to sellers with repayment terms that match their online sales.
Google Wallet is adding QR code card payments for NFC-less phones
Google Wallet is expanding beyond NFC with support for credit or debit card payments through QR codes in Brazil. Google is making it so that Android devices will be “capable of making digital payments with credit and debit cards by using their camera to scan dynamic codes in payment machines.” This is aimed at countries like Brazil, where a “significant portion of smartphones do not have NFC” for contactless payments.
YouTube limits ad blocker usage in new test
YouTube is running a new experiment to limit usage on ad blockers by asking users to turn it off or buy a premium subscription after three videos. Users on Reddit posted screenshots of the streaming service showing a warning sign to people using an ad-blocking extension on a desktop as spotted first by Bleeping Computer. The warning says: “Video player will be blocked after 3 videos.”
Canadian news was blocked by Google due to the new Online News Act
Canada is experimenting with a new Online News Act, which was passed by parliament on June 22. It aims to balance the struggles of modern journalism by forcing big tech companies to pay the Canadian media for news.