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[Fox News] Stream more, pay less by lowering your monthly streaming costs
Gone are the days of boundless free trials and ad-free subscriptions for every tier of subscription memberships.
It seems now that every year our favorite subscription services are threatening to increase membership plan prices or strip away benefits previously provided based on your membership tier. Streamers have claimed to be struggling with costs as well as increasing their subscriber base.
Despite people abandoning costly cable bundles in exchange for cheaper streaming services, now those costlier monthly subscription services are really adding up.
It pays to take a good look at which services you’re subscribed to already, ways you can stop overpaying and a clear look at the different plans and how they measure up against one another. Let’s check to see which services have gone up and which ones are worth sticking with.
According to Nielsen, “Americans streamed 21 million years’ worth of content [in 2023]”, which is a 21% increase from 2022. Add up all of your monthly streaming bills, and you are likely spending more than you are aware of.
Ninety-nine percent of U.S. households are subscribed to ONE or more streaming services. On average, Americans are spending around $46 per month on streaming services. Others are paying more and sometimes don’t know it. There is an easy way to get a handle on out-of-control spending on streaming.
MORE: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM STREAMING HACKS
Audit your credit card bill to discover recurring streaming charges. While looking at your bill online, sort by name over a number of months to help the recurring charges stand out. Then check your app store settings for subscriptions you may not be using any longer but are still paying for each month.
How to check iPhone subscriptions
To check recurring app subscriptions on iPhone, start by tapping Settings > tap your name > and tap Subscriptions
How to check Android subscriptions
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.
To check recurring app subscriptions on Android, Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Payments & Subscriptions > Manage purchases, Manage subscriptions, or Manage reservations
How to check Amazon subscriptions
To check recurring subscriptions on Amazon on your smartphone, click your account settings tab after logging into Amazon > then tap Memberships and Subscriptions to see what recurring services are subscribed to.
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Over the past year, Netflix just started offering advertising-supported subscriptions at a reduced monthly rate of $6.99 (vs. the ad-free standard tier, which starts at $15.49). Disney Plus costs $7.99 a month for ad-supported streaming (vs $13.99 a month for ad-free playback).
Because most streaming services are month-to-month and offer the ability to cancel at any time, there is no reason not to start and stop your subscription.
Most streaming services offer the ability to now add users to subscription plans. When done correctly and with the right people, splitting a subscription can save you money.
Amazon Prime – $139 a year or $14.99 a month subscription, which includes Prime Video; can be shared by two adults at separate addresses
Apple TV – offers various tiers:
(1) If you buy an Apple device, Apple TV+ is included free for three months.
(2) A monthly subscription is just $9.99 per month after a free seven-day trial.
(3) Apple TV+ is included in Apple One, which bundles up to five other Apple services into a single monthly subscription. Apple One plans start at $19.95 per month. You can choose a more premium tier, such as ‘Family’ ($25.95/month) or ‘Premier’ ($37.95/month), which allows you to share an account with up to five people.
(4) The Apple Music Student Plan comes with a free subscription to Apple TV+.
While some services let you share with friends and family who reside outside your home address, other streaming companies, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Netflix, and Max, require those who share the same plan to live under the same roof.
Netflix is starting to check subscriber locations in some Latin American countries that could come to the U.S. in the future to enforce shared accounts at different addresses. Netflix started to enforce fees for subscribers sharing the same account but who do not reside in the same address. Netflix, however, does now have subscription levels where you can add users who can sign in with their own username and password, so the account owner doesn’t have to share the master username and password with others. Share the account, not your information.
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Some streaming services like Disney Plus allow you to bundle multiple platforms to save you money. For instance, if you pay for the Disney Bundle Duo Basic for $9.99/month, you get Disney Plus (with ads) and Hulu (with Ads). Separately, each of those subscription levels would cost $7.99/month. That means a saving of $5.99 a month. So, double check to see if your favorite streaming platforms offer similar bundles for cost savings.
While it sounds counterintuitive, if you know you’ll keep watching a platform for a whole year, it may save you money in the long run to buy the whole year upfront. For instance, Disney Plus allows you to purchase a whole year’s subscription to the Premium tier for $139.99, which breaks down to $11.66/month or a savings of $27.89 (or two months free) compared to the monthly subscription of $13.99.
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If you choose not to purchase a streaming service, there are a bunch of free TV shows and movies available on a variety of platforms. Tubi from Fox Entertainment, Amazon’s Freevee, PlutoTV, and Roku Channel are free channels to watch with ads. Be sure to check out our picks for the best sites to stream free movies, TV shows, and live news in 2024.
Some ad-free streaming services like Hoopla and Kanopy let you watch for free with an active library card membership.
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In an effort to help you get a bird’s eye view of how much streaming services cost, below is a breakdown of the top streamers and their cost at the time of publishing: The streaming services market is very competitive, with different platforms offering various plans and prices.
Though streaming services are adapting to economic challenges by passing along the burden to the consumer by increasing subscription costs or eliminating some benefits at the base subscription level, these services aren’t going anywhere and are a staple of most American lives. Having good awareness, however, of what you are subscribing to and adopting a savvy strategy could still have you coming up on top.
Has the rising cost of streaming services changed your viewing habits? Are you planning on incorporating any of these cost-saving strategies? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
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[Fox News] How to type faster, easier with 1 hand on your iPhone
Typing with one hand can be a real challenge.
Whether you’re juggling a coffee cup, holding onto a subway pole or carrying a shopping bag full of groceries, we’ve all been there.
However, did you know that your trusty iPhone has a secret keyboard trick that makes one-handed texting a breeze?
Remember the days when cellphones were compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand? Those tiny devices were perfect for quick texts. But as technology evolved, so did our expectations. Today’s iPhones have large screens, although navigating these expansive screens can feel like trying to play piano with boxing gloves on.
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Apple has a clever solution tucked away in your iPhone’s message app. By enabling the one-handed keyboard, you can effortlessly type messages using just a single hand. Let’s unlock this feature step by step:
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Want to set your default keyboard for all apps? Follow these additional steps:
MORE: HOW TO MAKE YOUR DEVICES IMPOSSIBLE TO SNOOP ON WITH A PRIVACY SCREEN
Typing with one hand on your iPhone doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the one-handed keyboard trick, you can easily adjust your keyboard layout to suit your needs. Whether you’re left-handed or right-handed, you can enjoy the convenience of texting with just one hand. Plus, you can customize your default keyboard for all apps, so you don’t have to switch back and forth.
What are some other situations where you need to type with one hand on your iPhone? How do you cope with them? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.
Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:
Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
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[Fox News] Fox News AI Newsletter: Jake Gyllenhaal movie facing AI lawsuit
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Road House’ facing AI lawsuit, director drama ahead of debut
– Google Gemini: AI fiasco reignites concerns of political bias at tech company dating back to Trump’s victory
– The creepy-eyed robot that wants to be your friend and teacher
ROUGH ‘ROAD’: The Jake Gyllenhaal-starring “Road House” remake is facing two major hurdles ahead of its release. Last week, screenwriter R. Lance Hill filed a lawsuit against MGM Studios and its parent company, Amazon, alleging copyright infringement and the use of AI to skirt a deadline in violation of the new actors’ and directors’ guild deals.
‘IDEOLOGICAL ECHO CHAMBER’: The controversy surrounding the artificial intelligence chatbot Gemini is reigniting concerns about political bias at Google, a company that has repeatedly been accused of favoring Democrats and fostering a culture of progressive workers.
CAPITALIZING ON CONSUMERS: Elon Musk is suing ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman, among others, saying they had abandoned the company’s original founding mission to develop open-source artificial general intelligence technology for the benefit of humanity over profits.
CREEPY COMPANION: Have you ever wished for a robot friend who can keep you company, teach you new skills and inspire you to explore the wonders of technology? If so, you might want to check out Doly, the latest creation from Limibit, a technology startup based in Ontario, Canada.
AGE-APPROPRIATE?: The Microsoft artificial intelligence chatbot Copilot said it can be okay to teach nursery school children about a variety of potentially age-inappropriate topics, including diversity, equity and inclusion, transgenderism and sex.
AI RISING: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Friday that artificial general intelligence could, by some definitions, arrive in as little as five years.
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Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
[NewYorkPost] Europe’s Digital Markets Act forces tech giants to make changes to be ‘fairer’ — here’s what that means
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