Tech that...
A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
YOUTUBE LEARNING
SO many times I’ve made the mistake of buying my son a book to help him learn some skill – from playing guitar to learning to draw.
How old school of me... he always tosses the printed word aside and heads for Youtube. There isn’t much you would want to learn how to do that isn’t fully explained by some expert or other on the video network.
But there’s a bit of an issue… despite the popularity of ‘how to’ videos on Youtube, they are hard to make money from and cost a lot – in time if not money – to make.
And there are suspicions from Youtubers that the algorithms which surface good videos favour short and snappy, so it’s also hard to get noticed.
Youtube has now decided to do something about it. It has launched Youtube Learning, a channel on the network devoted to picking up new skills, and has set aside around £15m to fund its own original videos as well as videos from independent creators. Anyone can apply for funding, but you need at least 25,000 subscribers and be able to show you mean business.
Some money has already gone out, to the likes of TED-ED and Crash Course, but there’s more to come. And with that cash will come much knowledge and many more new skills to discover.
NEW IPADS ON THE WAY
JUST as the rumour mill has been predicting for months, Apple is to hold a special event next week, with the expectation that new ipad Pros may be on the way for Christmas.
Word is they’ll take some design cues and technological innovations from the iphone XS, so expect to see no home button, a notch on the front face, and an exceptional camera on the back. Mac enthusiasts are also holding out hope for a revamp of the longneglected Mac Mini desktop, and new imacs.
The event is to be held on Tuesday, October 30, and in a departure for Apple, which normally holds these events at or close to its Californian Bay Area base, will take place in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.