Oof, when did streaming movies, games, and music get so expensive?

Cable used to be the only game in town for wide entertainment. Sure, if you wanted to subscribe to a game like EverQuest or World of Warcraft, you could (and well, guess the rest of us were never seeing you again). But for variety, cable is what you had—and it wasn’t cheap. So when streaming services came along, they seemed like an answer to everyone’s budget prayers. These days there’s a digital subscription available for most interests, including gaming. And individually, they’re affordable. Or at least, they were. Xbox Game Pass just went up in cost. (Even if you use the conversion hack to get it cheaper.) So did PlayStation Plus. GeForce Now so far is exempt, but PC gamers haven’t been able to sit assured about much these days. Meanwhile, on the TV and movies side of things, Netflix is rumored to be raising prices yet again. Disney+ and Discovery+ have already announced hikes. And in an extremely annoying variation of shrinkflation, Amazon Prime Video and multiple services are adding adverts to their basic streaming plans (or have already done so). As for music, Spotify also got more expensive, sending notice to subscribers with little fanfare. Streaming was great when you were paying less than $25 per month for all the content you could want. But now subscribing to even three services ad-free runs almost $50 per month. Let’s say you want regular access to Game Pass, Netflix, and Disney Plus—that’s already $40 to start with, if you’re only a PC... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2023-10-04 14:10:27 UTC ]

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Election for New York City’s money manager is a battle of the boroughs

Overshadowed by the drama-filled mayoral race, a quietly competitive contest is brewing between the candidates vying to become New York City comptroller: the city’s top watchdog and fiscal officer, charged with auditing its multibillion-dollar budget, scrutinizing mayoral agencies and stewarding... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2025-03-27 19:48:06 UTC ]
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Trump administration seeks to starve libraries and museums of funding by shuttering this little-known agency

The consequences of shutting down the Institute of Museum and Library Services would be particularly dire for smaller museums and rural museums. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2025-03-20 12:49:52 UTC ]
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Trump is attacking libraries and museums in every state. Here are 3 things you can do to help communities fight back

An executive order slashes much-needed federal funding for these services, but you can aid the effort to save them by signing a petition or joining a protest. On Friday, President Donald Trump issued yet another executive order aimed at gutting our federal agencies in the name of fiscal... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2025-03-18 20:00:00 UTC ]
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Trump is trying to destroy libraries.

Image from the New York Public Libraries Digital Collections The hogmen and shock troops of the Trump-Musk administration have gone after another essential and beloved mainstay of public life: libraries. Trump signed a broad executive order last Friday that puts libraries in existential danger... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-18 16:54:24 UTC ]
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'A library is more than a place with books, it is a lifeline'

Research by the BBC finds libraries are being lost at a rate of about 40 each year. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2025-03-18 01:41:07 UTC ]
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OverDrive Distributes Podium’s Audiobooks Outside North America

OverDrive will distribute Podium's audiobooks to libraries and schools outside of the United States and Canada. The post OverDrive Distributes Podium’s Audiobooks Outside North America appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-03-07 14:40:34 UTC ]
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How Libraries and Librarians Support Romance

From romance conventions to preserving romance history, here's how libraries and librarians support the beloved genre. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-02-28 12:30:00 UTC ]
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Library Database Providers Clash Over Subscription Models

Data and analytics resource ProQuest will “phase out one-time perpetual purchases of digital collections” and require libraries to lease content rather than make permanent acquisitions, shocking the library and university press community. Competitor EBSCO responded by assuring customers that it... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How presidential libraries mirror the legacy-building of emperors

Presidential libraries in the United States today follow the same principle: They become monuments to the former presidents, while giving back to their local communities. Here in Atlanta, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum has been part of my daily life for years. Parks and trails... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2025-02-22 09:30:00 UTC ]
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American Library Association Establishes Public Supporter Program

Using its I Love Libraries website as a platform, the ALA has launched a public supporter program intended to generate donations and keep library patrons apprised of the organization’s advocacy work and grants. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Sending Scholarly Works to Far-Flung Seminaries

The Theological Book Network ships millions of religious studies texts to scholars whose libraries can't afford costly-but-essential books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In Portugal: De Marque’s BiblioLED Project Is Activated

The Portuguese network of libraries has launched a new program for digital book access, provided by Québec City's De Marque. The post In Portugal: De Marque’s BiblioLED Project Is Activated appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-02-04 16:05:31 UTC ]
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Your Library’s Hoopla Digital Collections Are Breaking Their Budget

If you've noticed changes to the digital materials you can borrow from your library, that's because that access is costing libraries way more than ever before. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-02-04 14:30:00 UTC ]
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Libraries are Good in Ways You Might Not Expect

Libraries are good for you in ways you might not have thought of, an overdue translation comes to English, dystopian novels pop (again). All in today's book news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-02-03 17:25:00 UTC ]
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Lit Hub Daily: January 30, 2025

How Trump’s unconstitutional federal funding freeze put libraries (and everything else) at risk: “They are not afraid to threaten vast swathes of vulnerable Americans—the point is to be cruel and to punish.” | Lit Hub Politics “When I think about it, tucking the label / back into my husband’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-01-30 11:30:26 UTC ]
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It’s official: Research has found that libraries make everything better.

Science has backed up what many of us have long been saying: the library rocks. A study from the New York Public Library surveyed 1,974 users on how the library makes them feel and how it affects their lives, and the results are overwhelmingly positive. The researchers’ analysis (which used... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-01-28 16:23:23 UTC ]
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Digital Checkouts Rose 17% at OverDrive

Digital borrowing of e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines rose to more than 739 million checkouts at the libraries and schools who use OverDrive's Libby and Sora apps. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Pediatrician in Harlem emphasizes reading to help kids stay healthy

Pediatrician Dr. Genna Ableman juggles the usual clinical tasks at every wellness visit: measuring a child’s vitals, administering vaccines and talking about nutrition. But she also makes time for what she says is one of the most critical ways to improve a child’s health: reading.Ableman,... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2025-01-24 11:03:08 UTC ]
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How the Librarian of the Year is helping his beloved Los Angeles

Librarian of Year John Szabo, of the Los Angeles Public Library, talks about the fires and why libraries are so important in these political times.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2025-01-23 16:45:45 UTC ]
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“Adults Only” Room, 140 Banned Books, & New Restrictions on Children’s Access Come to an Idaho Public Library System

Kootenai County libraries will create an "adults only" room, revoke library access to minors, and seek to ban purchases of a wide swath of book topics for anyone under 18. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-01-20 14:25:00 UTC ]
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