Justin.tv, one of the streaming video world’s most recognizable names, has shut down. Justin.tv made the announcement on its homepage.
According to the site, the company that runs both Justin.tv and Twitch.tv, the super-popular video game streaming site, decided that it was in its best interest to divert more resources towards Twitch.tv. As a result of this decision, Justin.tv appears to be the sacrificial lamb, providing even more sustenance for the monster that is Twitch, which was recently purchased by Google for a cool $1 billion.
Justin.tv users will likely be displeased with most of the side effects that come about as a result of the shutdown. Justin.tv accounts have been suspended, and are inaccessible. On top of that, videos on Justin.tv can no longer be downloaded, though video archiving and VODs were disabled back on June 15. Pro account holders will get refunds shortly, if they haven’t already.
Justin.tv account holders can switch over to Twitch.tv by completing this form. You must complete and send it by September 5, 2014 in order to be eligible for an account transfer.
Keep in mind that even if you transfer your Justin.tv account over to Twitch, any non-Twitch channels you followed on Justin.tv won’t carry over to Twitch, unless that channel is also transferred. The same goes for your Justin.tv followers; they won’t appear in your Twitch.tv account unless they also transfer over.
Founded by Justin Kan, Justin.tv was a streaming video platform that featured multiple channels, including news, tech, gaming, music, and more. Like other, similar streaming sites, including UStream, Justin.tv provided anyone with a platform to watch and broadcast stuff that they cared about.
However, Justin.tv’s history is peppered with moments of darkness as well. Back in 2008, a troubled youth by the name of Abraham Biggs broadcasted his own suicide on the site. Some users reportedly even encouraged Biggs to take his own life. Others suspected that it was a hoax, while some tried to encourage Biggs not to take his own life. Justin.tv also had its problems with copyright infringement as well.
Though Justin.tv is gone, alternative services will no doubt absorb a significant amount of its user base. There’s the aforementioned UStream, along with LiveStream, and YouTube. Of course, Twitch.tv, which is solely focused on gaming, should see its subscription numbers spike as well.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.