Roku May Show Ads While Games or TV Shows are Paused
- Written by Elijah Ugoh Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
- Fact-Checked by
Roku filed a new patent late last year for a new technology that will allow it to show more ads when TV shows or games are paused on Roku TV.
The patent, which is still pending, will allow Roku to detect what someone is watching or playing (on their Apple TV or gaming console, for example) via HDMI and show related ads when the content is paused.
Roku has previously monetized inactivity using its Roku City Screensaver as an advertising platform. It initiated sponsorship opportunities for the screensaver last May, featuring prominent brands like Walmart and McDonald’s. The screensaver has been successful, which is probably why the company doesn’t allow developers to add their own screensavers to their apps running on Roku devices.
However, developers of apps running Roku can build dedicated screensavers, which can be downloaded to replace the default Roku City Screensaver.
But, Roku’s reliance on HDMI input is a major challenge that it needs to deal with to make this new business model successful. This is because HDMI inputs become inaccessible to Roku when users switch to external devices like game consoles or competing streaming adapters.
The patent application aims to address this limitation by monitoring the audio and video signals transmitted through HDMI ports, enabling Roku to detect moments of inactivity on a user’s device. The company will have to keep a close eye on users’ activities to avoid randomly interrupting video streams or video games.
To produce relevant ads, the company wants to use audio and video content recognition technologies (ACR) to identify the context of paused content. For instance, if a user pauses a movie on an Apple TV, Roku could analyze the scene and display ads related to the content the user was watching before the pause. With the extra level of tracking this patent seeks, Roku might face some backlash regarding its privacy policies.
While the company is yet to make an official comment on its pending patent, the company’s action seems justifiable, as it reported a loss of $44 million on the sale of smart TVs and other streaming devices in 2023. However, Roku generated a gross profit of about $1.6 billion from selling ads and services, which means it’s unlikely that the option to opt out of these personalized ads will be made available.
X Rewards Influential Users With Free Blue Ticks
- Written by Deep Shikha Content Writer
- Fact-Checked by
Last week, Elon Musk’s social media platform X started giving free blue ticks to verified users with a large following. The blue ticks meant to identify verified accounts of influential people were removed and put behind a subscription fee once Musk took over the company in 2022, sparking controversy.
In addition to the return of free blue checks, Musk announced on X that accounts with over 2,500 verified followers will get Premium features for free. Those with more than 5,000 followers will have access to Premium+ services at no charge. The option to buy X’s premium monthly subscription for about $11/month is still there for everyone else.
Users who earned blue ticks under Twitter’s previous verification system lost their verification badge when Musk decided to remove all the blue checkmarks shortly after buying Twitter. Instead, Musk mandated that accounts must pay for X’s premium monthly subscription to get a blue badge. This led to a rise in fake accounts.
Jason Goldman, who served as Twitter’s head of product before leaving in 2010, says Musk still doesn’t know the actual value of the blue check mark. According to Goldman, the significance of the blue check lies in its ability to verify the account holder’s identity.
“The value that accrued from that was for Twitter as a whole, not for the person who had a blue check mark,” Goldman told CNN .
According to CNN, Musk’s removal of old blue checks was a complicated process that took months. Major brands like Nintendo and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly were impersonated shortly after the paid verification process began.
The Eli Lilly stock dropped due to a fake announcement about lowering insulin prices, for example. X introduced new verification colors for businesses and governments in response. However, paid blue checks remained the norm for verifying accounts.
The adoption of paying for blue ticks sparked a lot of controversy when it was introduced. So, presumably, some influential X users report feeling conflicted about all of a sudden getting their blue ticks back.
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown said, “What happened? I didn’t pay for this. I would NEVER pay for this,” as reported by The Standard .
Musk’s decision to offer free blue ticks to influential users on X has sparked concerns about undermining the original purpose of verification — ensuring authenticity. By tying verification to user popularity and commercial interests, the blue tick doesn’t really signify anyone’s true identity.
