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This week, Apple is expected to announce some big news at its annual developers conference, WWDC, but ahead of that, the tech world has seen Spotify increase the prices of its Individual, Dual and Family plans for the second time in a year.
The Instagram app also appears to be trying to boost profits by showing “unskippable” ads in users' feeds, while on the product front, Humane, maker of the wearable AI Pin, has warned users that its charging case may spontaneously combust.
Below, Hypebeast has rounded up the top tech news stories from this week to help you stay on top of industry trends.
Humane has warned users that the AI Pin charging case may catch fire.
Humanitarian
Humane, the seller of the AI Pin, has some bad news for customers: The company has sent emails to people who bought the Pin, which is billed as a screenless, wearable AI assistant, warning them to stop using it because its charging case could catch fire. The Verge report.
Humane has not released a statement on the matter, but in an email to buyers said the fire risk stemmed from batteries provided by a third party.
“Following an investigation, we have determined that the battery supplier no longer meets our quality standards and that certain battery cells supplied by this vendor may pose a fire safety risk,” Humane wrote. The Verge“As a result, we have immediately disqualified this battery vendor and are working to identify a new vendor to avoid issues like this and maintain our high quality standards.”
The timing couldn't have been worse for Humane, which is now considering selling the company after shipping just 10,000 AI Pins.
Instagram is testing unskippable ads
Yap Ariens/Nurphoto/Getty Images
Instagram isn't just trying to show more ads in users' feeds, it looks like it's trying to force them in. The app is testing “unskippable ads,” which require users to see an ad before scrolling down their feed. TechCrunch First reported.
Users reported that tester ads appeared on their pages with an “Ad Break” label and a countdown of the number of times they needed to watch the ad before they could scroll.
“We are constantly testing formats that create value for our advertisers,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch. “We will test and learn, and provide updates if this testing warrants formal product changes.”
Spotify raises the price of its premium subscription plans again
Jakub Polzycki/Nurphoto/Getty Images
Spotify is increasing the prices of its subscription services for the second time in a year, following a price increase last July, with the streaming service increasing all monthly fees except for its $5.99 student plan.
Individual plan users, which is what most people have, will pay an extra dollar per month to $11.99, and the Duo plan has also increased by $1, now costing $16.99.
However, Family plan users will see a further increase of $3, bringing their plan to $19.99. In a blog post announcing the price increase, Spotify said the increase will allow it to “continue to invest in and innovate product features.”
