YouTube is removing legacy overlay ads from videos starting on April 6

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YouTube is removing legacy overlay ads from videos starting on April 6
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YouTube has announced via a community post that it will be doing away with the “overlay ads” format on the platform in order to improve the viewer experience. The change will take place starting on April 6th, 2023.

As detailed on the post, “overlay ads” were often very disruptive to viewers as they were overlayed on top of the content, thus interfering or blocking parts of it. The company also explained that it expects this change to cause YouTube Creators very “limited impact” as these types of ads are now only seen on desktop browsers and has not been available on mobile for quite some time now. Additionally, it appears that these legacy ads didn’t perform as well as other formats on desktop and mobile devices.

Sample overlay ad (YouTube) - YouTube is removing legacy overlay ads from videos starting on April 6

Sample overlay ad (YouTube)

Instead of “overlay ads,” the company will be shifting towards other ad formats that are more viewer friendly, although no specifics were detailed on what they will consist of. It is possible that YouTube will simply follow the same formula it did on mobile, by using pre-, mid-, and post-roll ads instead, all of which can typically be skipped over.

Starting on April 6th, 2023, the “Overlay ads” ad format will no longer appear on YouTube to help improve the viewer experience and shift engagement to higher performing ad formats on desktop and mobile devices. Overlay ads are a legacy ad format that only served on desktop and are disruptive for viewers. We expect to see limited impact for most Creators as engagement shifts to other ad formats.

No action will be necessary from creators that are currently using these types of ads on their videos. The ads will simply just stop showing starting on April 6th and the option to use them will no longer be available on YouTube Studio. This change will most likely be noticed by users who watch videos on their desktop computers without the need to use questionable ad-blocking add-ons.

For convenience’s sake, it makes sense for content creators to begin evaluating the content they currently have on the platform and whether they need to start replacing any legacy overlay ads with other ad formats already available on the platform. The company also confirmed via the same post that there are currently no changes planned to any of the other available ad formats.

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DoppelPaymer ransomware group disrupted by FBI and European police agencies

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DoppelPaymer ransomware group disrupted by FBI and European police agencies
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In cooperation with the FBI, European police agencies have made arrests that disrupt the DoppelPaymer ransomware operation

Europol has released information about the arrests of two suspected core members of the criminal group responsible for carrying out large-scale cyberattacks with the DoppelPaymer ransomware. On 28 February 2023, the German Regional Police and the Ukrainian National Police, with support from Europol, the Dutch Police, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), apprehended two suspects and seized equipment to determine the suspect’s exact role in the structure of the ransomware group.

DoppelPaymer is a ransomware group that has been linked to Russia, the EvilCorp group, and Emotet. DoppelPaymer is a mostly enterprise-targeting ransomware with targets including healthcare, emergency services, and education. They have been around since 2019. Last year they claimed responsibility for a high-profile ransomware attack on Kia Motors America.

According to the Europol statement DoppelPaymer relied on Emotet to infiltrate target networks. Emotet is a modular type of malware that can be used to drop other malware on infected systems. At Malwarebytes we have also seen usage of the modified Dridex malware 2.0, for both initial access and lateral movement.

DoppelPaymer was responsible for the attack on a German hospital that led to the death of a patient that could not be admitted. They were also responsible for the costly attack on the St. Lucie County sheriffs department, the Dutch Institute for Scientific Research (NWO), and the Illinois Attorney General’s office. Other victims attacked by DoppelPaymer in the past, include Compal, PEMEX (Petróleos Mexicanos), the City of Torrance in California, Newcastle University, Hall County in Georgia, Banijay Group SAS, and Bretagne Télécom.

The law enforcement agencies used operational analysis, crypto-tracing, and forensics to find the suspects and to determine where the suspects fit into the organizational structure of the DoppelPaymer group. These investigations may lead to further arrests.

Recently we have seen an increased number of take-downs and arrests in ransomware, and related, cases. Better and more effective investigational methods, backed by a shorter time-frame in which cyberincidents have to be reported, and already dwindling ransomware revenue, may significantly bring down the amount of damages caused by ransomware attacks.

How to avoid ransomware

  • Block common forms of entry. Create a plan for patching vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems quickly; disable or harden remote access like RDP and VPNs; use endpoint security software that can detect exploits and malware used to deliver ransomware.
  • Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
  • Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware.
  • Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
  • Write an incident response plan. The period after a ransomware attack can be chaotic. Make a plan that outlines how you’ll isolate an outbreak, communicate with stakeholders, and restore your systems.

Have a burning question or want to learn more about our cyberprotection? Get a free business trial below.

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ARCore support is now available for the Google Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro

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ARCore support is now available for the Google Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro
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Finally, the Google Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro midrange and flagship devices are getting ARCore support. This announcement was made by Google via the ARCore official website. These devices have finally passed the ARCore certification process after being available for over a year.

These devices can now offer great user experience while using AR apps or integrated features. Some of these AR apps include Google Lens, IKEA Place, Pokémon GO, and so many others. Apps like this make use of the device’s camera and motion sensor to integrate its features with the real world.

More users are experimenting with such AR apps, hence this certification is important. But it is not only these Google Pixel devices that recently got ARCore certification. Here are the other devices that also recently got ARCore support.

Google Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro get ARCore support along with other devices

For this certification process, Google ARCore took into consideration a lot of factors. These include the device’s camera, motion sensors, design, and all-around performance. To ensure the last factor mentioned is intact, ARCore takes into consideration the device’s CPU to see if it meets the requirements.

Taking into consideration, the CPU is essential since it is the brain of the entire device. ARCore also says that they are constantly working with various brands to ensure that their devices meet the augmented reality requirements. These brands produce devices in various price segments, ranging from flagship to budget options.

The Google Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro are not the only devices to recently get ARCore support. Joining the list of devices with ARCore support are options from various smartphone manufacturing brands. Asides from the Google Pixel devices, there are other new entries from Infinix, Lenovo, Motorola, OPPO, Sharp, Sony, Xiaomi, and ZTE.

A few other Chinese manufacturers like Fujitsu, FCNT, and Zebra. All devices from these brands retail at various prices, hence bringing AR integration to users regardless of their budget. In the coming months, more devices will also get ARCore support, bringing augmented reality to more people.


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The latest YouTube policy update now allows moderate swearing

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The latest YouTube policy update now allows moderate swearing
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YouTube’s policy update is now giving users room to take certain actions that were once prohibited. In this case, the new policy update now allows users to swear while on the platform. This is surprising as YouTube was previously on an all-out pursuit to root out swearing from their platform.

Both creators and viewers alike were prevented from swearing in their videos or the comment section. Those swearing (especially creators) would face certain penalties as outlined by the YouTube team. This all-out attack on the use of profanity kicked off a few months ago.

After rolling out its profanity policy, YouTube restricted creators from swearing in the first seven seconds of their videos. Also, if the video contains a large amount of swearing, YouTube will then tag it as inappropriate. This will then lead to severe penalties for the channel, but all of this is coming to an end.

YouTube’s policy update says creators can swear just a little bit

With the new policy update, YouTube will allow creators to swear in their videos without getting demonetized. The profanity policy from last year punished swearing creators by demonetizing their videos. This action was aimed at making creators wary of the words they use in their videos.

Now, the video-sharing platform seems to be loosening its grip on creators that swear. The new policy update will give them room to swear in their videos without facing any penalties. As long as creators can reduce the amount of indecent language they use in their videos, they won’t have any problem.

This YouTube policy update now allows users to swear in the first seven seconds of their videos. But, it must be moderate, as the use of strong vulgar speech will make YouTube demonetize the video. After the first seven seconds, creators can still swear but should be mindful of how much they do so.

It is advisable with this new policy update that creators swear just a little. This is important because YouTube hasn’t fully trashed its profanity policy. They only are giving creators a little room to retain the originality of their videos (for those accustomed to swearing) and avoid demonetization.


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Facebook tests a feature it removed in 2016 that users have wanted back

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Facebook tests a feature it removed in 2016 that users have wanted back
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Back in 2016, Facebook, looking to push users toward the Messenger app for texting, removed in-app texting capabilities from the Facebook app. But parent company Meta is considering returning this feature to the Facebook app. The company announced today that over 140 billion messages are sent each day over Meta’s apps (which also include Instagram and WhatsApp in addition to Facebook and Messenger). On Instagram, Reels are re-shared nearly 1 billion times a day and private sharing of Reels is growing on Facebook.
As a result, Meta has been giving some Facebook users the ability to access their Messenger inbox from the Facebook app as part of a test. This test will now be expanded soon which means that more users will be able to take advantage of the integration of Messenger on the Facebook app. Tom Alison, head of Facebook, wrote, “Over the coming year, we’ll build more ways to integrate messaging features in Facebook. Ultimately, we want it to be easy and convenient for people to connect and share, whether in the Messenger app or directly within Facebook.”
Alison also noted that more users are using messaging as a way to build community. He added that “We started introducing community chats to some Facebook Groups last year as a way for people to connect more deeply with their online communities in real time around the topics they care about. And, the early results are promising. Across Facebook and Messenger, we saw the number of people trying community chats increase by 50% in December 2022.”
Over 140 billion Reels are viewed daily over Facebook and Instagram - Facebook tests a feature it removed in 2016 that users have wanted back

Over 140 billion Reels are viewed daily over Facebook and Instagram

Facebook doesn’t see itself as a social media platform anymore and prefers to be known as a place for social discovery and sharing. Using AI, Facebook says that it will “deliver content to the people who will appreciate it the most.” It also is working hard to expand its short-form vertical video platform Reels. Hmm. Short-form vertical videos. Can you think of another app that offers this? Of course you can. Does TikTok ring a bell?

Facebook’s main threat is TikTok despite the possibility that the latter could be banned from the U.S. Between Facebook and Instagram over 140 billion Reels play every day. Facebook uses AI to recommend to users content that goes beyond Reels such as “photos, text, groups, short- and long-form videos, and more.” Alison states that “Using AI to find public Group content based on your interests, we can now show you highly relevant content from public Groups in your Feed– without you having to do any searching or depending on word of mouth to uncover a Group.”

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Great for cloud gaming, but a bit pricey

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Great for cloud gaming, but a bit pricey
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When Logitech announced the G Cloud, I was genuinely excited. Here was another new gaming device that was attempting to leverage the power of cloud gaming. Made for easy access to your favorite titles using services like Xbox Game Pass, GeForce NOW, Steam Link and more.

It even has Android built-in so you can play mobile games if you wish. After using this thing for a few months to serve my couch gaming needs, I can say this is a great device for shorter, casual gaming sessions or even longer gaming marathons. However, it does have a few missteps that I would love to have seen change, or that I hope change in future iterations should Logitech decide to make and release a follow-up.

There are some improvements that could be made. Regardless, the G Cloud has been one of my favorite devices to game on in recent times. And a lot of that is attributed to its ease of use, as well as its comfortable to hold ergonomic design. That being said, it does lose me in a few areas. So let’s get into what makes this a fun gaming device and what Logitech could improve on.

The Logitech G Cloud is built for marathon sessions

Right out of the gate, one thing I noticed about the Logitech G Cloud is that it was designed to deliver great battery life. That’s why Logitech didn’t bake this thing with top-end components with more than necessary performance and power.

It wanted the G Cloud to last you for a good amount of time before needing a recharge. I was presently surprised to learn that it more or less lived up to what Logitech promised. A solid 12 hours at least. Your mileage may vary, of course, but for me, it was consistently getting 12 hours or more. Give or take the odd cycle where it would last a little less time due to my use of Bluetooth headphones and cranking up the brightness on the display.

Overall, though, you should expect the G Cloud to hit that 12-hour mark almost all the time. Which is great. Because if you’re only playing a few hours a day, you shouldn’t have to plug it in until the end of the week. For me, I found myself using it for two to three hours a day. Which meant I could pull it off the charger on Monday with a fresh, 100% battery and not worry about plugging it in until anywhere between Thursday and Saturday.

Some of the best feeling buttons on a handheld

I’m not sure not everyone would agree with me here, but I genuinely love the buttons on the G Cloud. They’re comfortable to press and give a decent amount of feedback. None of the face buttons feel mushy, and the joysticks don’t make my thumbs feel sore after playing for a few hours like some controllers can.

What I like the most though, are the triggers. They have a noticeable curve to them that just fits the shape of your fingers so nicely as you have them sitting there. And this makes a big difference in not only comfort but a tactile feel when pressing them down.

There’s not too much travel in them and both the triggers and the bumpers have grooves that I’m certain are intended to help with grip and prevent slippage should your fingers get a little sweaty. Though I never found this to be an issue. If there’s one downside to the buttons it’s that there are no remappable buttons on the back or anywhere else. So if you like a more custom set of controls, you won’t find them here.

That aside, all the buttons feel great and like they’ll hold up over time. And I didn’t notice any issues with stick drift which was a big plus.

A great ergonomic design that’s lightweight and comfortable

While I love my Steam Deck, there is no denying that it sometimes feels like an ungainly beast. It’s heavy by handheld standards, and the sheer size of it can make it hard to hold when leaning back in bed or on the couch if wanting to play for more than an hour or two.

You don’t really have that problem with the G Cloud. Which is more lightweight and slightly smaller. It has a great ergonomic design that I found was comfortable to hold for hours. Everything feels like it’s in the right place and I wouldn’t change a thing. Save for maybe moving the Logitech G and home buttons a little more north.

I also wouldn’t mind (and would probably prefer) if the two speakers were front-facing as opposed to bottom-firing. But Logitech probably didn’t do this due to room for all the face inputs. On the bottom you’ll also find the USB-C port where you’ll plug in the charging cable, and a 3.5mm audio port for wired headphones if you want personalized audio without having to drain the battery more than gameplay already will.

On the top is where the volume rocker is located so adjusting volume levels is easy enough, and Logitech opted for a power slider here instead of a traditional button. I found this to be a little more finicky than a power button you press but you do get use to it. Logitech also placed a microSD card slot on the top should you need more than it’s already built-in 64GB of internal storage.

Logitech clearly put a lot of thought into the design and build quality of this device. It feels rigid and doesn’t have any flex because it’s one solid unit. While I would leave almost everything untouched, I do wish it came in more than one colorway. A nice matte black would have been a great option.

Satisfying software makes the experience better

Software makes up a good portion of the experience with any system. And Logitech has done a great job here I think. The home interface has an easy to navigate UI with all of your apps laid out in a series of panels you can scroll through horizontally.

Not unlike what you’d find on a PS4 or PS5. Things like the Play Store, GeForce NOW, and similar apps for cloud gaming are already in this list but you can also add more panels if you end up installing a game you want quick access to. A simple downward press on the d-pad brings up the “add app” function where you can select from all of your installed apps and games.

One of my favorite parts about the system software is the audio. You can certainly turn the sound effects off. But for me, they add to the experience. And the unique sound effects for scrolling and menu navigation give it more of a fun feeling. Since this is essentially just a skinned version of Android, you’ll update all your apps via the Play Store just like you did if this were a phone or tablet. And you can easily check for updates by tapping the quick settings buttons above the left joystick and four action buttons.

And when in apps like Xbox Game Pass, you can use the G button to bring up your friends list to see who’s online. This button doesn’t do the same thing in every app though. For instance, in GeForce NOW it takes you back to the home screen just like the home button does. So Logitech’s thoughtful integration doesn’t apply everywhere.

Still, the user interface and software as a whole is easy to use and I don’t think it’s going to bother anyone the way things are set up.

You’re limited to Wi-Fi, and that’s the main downfall

The only real issue with this device is that it is a Wi-Fi-only handheld. It does come with integrated storage. So you can install Android mobile games at your leisure and play them when you desire. But due to the G Cloud’s more mid-range specifications, games like Genshin Impact are probably out of the question. Unless you want to dump the graphics down to their absolute lowest. Either that, or the games tend to suffer from low frame rates.

Logitech wasn’t exactly shy about this fact though. It was straight up from the start that this was designed as a handheld meant for cloud gaming. And that’s really how this device should be used if you want to get the most enjoyment out of it. Therein lies the problem though. You’re limited to using Wi-Fi. Since it doesn’t come with a 5G connection capability. And it doesn’t do too great when connected to a hotspot either, at least not for games that offer online multiplayer. Destiny 2 for example, not great when playing via a tethered connection.

If all you want is something to use on Wi-Fi then you will love this thing. Because it makes for a perfect couch companion and it’s great for playing games in bed.

The verdict: Should you buy the Logitech G Cloud?

I think Logitech had a clear customer in mind when setting out to make this device. But unfortunately for Logitech, it has plenty of competition from handhelds that offer equally (if not sometimes more) compelling features and performance.

The G Cloud is made well and I have enjoyed using it. Thoroughly. However, it’s a tough sell for me at its price point. You can now find it at $50 off the launch price (which was $350), so it’s a better deal now than it was when it first released. Still, $299 is a big ask for something that won’t play graphically demanding local mobile titles, and can’t connect to mobile internet without a hotspot for cloud gaming.

Especially when your phone already does the same things the G Cloud will do. Then you have to factor in that devices like the Steam Deck, which can be had for just a little more money and will play games locally without internet. Not to mention Razer’s newly released Edge can be had in a 5G model. Which is a direct competitor to this handheld. But all of that said the G Cloud is still a really cool piece of gaming hardware and I do think it’s a good buy for some gamers.

Buy the Logitech G Cloud if:

  • You want a dedicated cloud gaming handheld that isn’t your phone
  • You plan to use it mostly at home or other locations that have Wi-Fi
  • Comfort and battery life are important to you.

Don’t buy the Logitech G Cloud if:

  • You want something that connects to 5G
  • You want to play graphically demanding local games

In the end, the Logitech G Cloud is a well-made gaming handheld. If it didn’t suffer from the lack of mobile internet capabilities, it would be a solid buy for more people. Either that, or a price drop down to around $200-$250 would make it more of a good value. I can certainly recommend it. But I do also suggest doing some heavy consideration on why you want one before making the purchase.


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Chinese Sharp Panda Group Unleashes SoulSearcher Malware

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Chinese Sharp Panda Group Unleashes SoulSearcher Malware
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It is currently unclear whether a single actor is responsible for the Soul framework, but it is confirmed that it is attributed to a Chinese group.

The cybersecurity researchers at Check Point have shared their findings of a campaign discovered in late 2020 in which the initial infection vector is the same as previously associated with a Chinese APT group dubbed Sharp Panda.

In their latest campaign, government entities in Southeast Asia have been the target. Researchers state that Sharp Panda has been involved in multiple campaigns targeting Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Chinese Espionage Group Drop SoulSearcher Loader

The group has changed their tactics in this campaign, as instead of using VictoryDll, they are using the new version of SoulSearcher loader to load the Soul modular framework. This framework was previously observed in another spying campaign targeting ICT, defense, and healthcare sectors in Southeast Asia.

It is currently unclear whether a single actor is responsible for the Soul framework, but it is confirmed that it is attributed to a Chinese group. In this ongoing surveillance operation, Sharp Panda specifically targeted Southeast Asian government entities using spear-phishing emails through which they gained initial access to their targets’ networks.

Email Analysis

According to Check Point researchers, these emails contain a Word document with government-themed lures. The attackers leveraged a remote template for downloading and executing a malicious RTF document equipped with the RoyalRoad kit.

Once it has invaded the network, it initiates a string of in-memory loaders, comprising a custom DLL downloader the researchers named “5.t Downloader,” and another 2nd-stage loader that delivers the final payload.

The final payload previously seen in Sharp Panda campaigns was VictoryDll, which enabled remote access and data theft. In this campaign, the attackers targeted a government entity with a geo-fenced C2 server that delivered a new version of the SoulSearcher loader, which can download, decrypt, and load different modules of the Soul modular backdoor in memory.

How Does the Attack Work?

In a blog post, researchers wrote that, the downloader is dropped by RoyalRoad RTF as res6.a onto the disk and executed by a scheduled task with rundll32.exe, Start A, the functionality of which is consistent with previous Sharp Panda activities. The C2 servers of the attackers return payloads to requests from the IP addresses of their target locations due to being geofenced.

Sharp Panda Chinese hackers using Soul malware
The infection chain (Image credit: Checkpoint)

Contrary to the attackers’ previous tactics of sending encrypted data using RC4 with base64 encoding, in the new campaign the payload request is issued to the same PHP path with the host parameter specified and both MD5- hashed and in clear-text. The new version is a simpler version of string encryption, with a loop XORing an encrypted character.

What Data is Stolen?

The downloader collects sensitive device data such as the OS name, hostname, version, username, system type (32- or 64-bit), MAC addresses of the networking adapters, and antivirus software information. If the device is promising enough, the server contains the next stage executable in an encrypted format and its MDS checksum.

  1. Chinese hackers hide malware in Windows logo
  2. Chinese hackers hit Windows, Linux and macOS
  3. Chinese hackers hit Group-IB cybersecurity firm
  4. Chinese state hackers exploiting Log4j vulnerability
  5. Backdoor into FortiOS: Chinese hackers utilize 0-day

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How to watch the 2023 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament online without Cable

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How to watch the 2023 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament online without Cable
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It’s March. And for sports fans, that means one thing – March Madness. But before we get to the NCAA Tournament, we have a ton of conference championships. Including this one for the Big 12.

The Big 12 is a conference with only 10 teams – kinda strange right? Which offers a pretty strange bracket for March. But it is a more straight-forward bracket compared to some other conferences. The favorite for this tournament is obviously the regular season champion, Kansas. Who is also projected to get the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament next week. Of course, if they don’t win the tournament, that could affect that seeding for the NCAA Tournament. Of course, they are definitely in this year, so whatever happens in this tournament, Kansas is dancing in March.

Here’s how you can watch the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament this year.

What’s the Big 12 bracket?

The bracket has been announced, and since it does have 10 teams, some teams do get to skip out on the first round. Here’s the full bracket.

23 MBB Bracket WEB

As you can see, only four teams play in the first round, for a shot to play the 1 and 2 seeds. Which are Kansas and Texas. The good thing here, is unlike other conferences, teams only need to win a max of four games to win the conference tournament. But, a 7 or lower seed winning is pretty unlikely. Especially since they would need to get through Kansas, a pretty big basketball powerhouse, even in 2023.

When is the Big 12 Tournament?

The Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament will kick off at 6PM CT on Wednesday, March 8 with West Virginia taking on Texas Tech. Followed by Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma around 8:30PM CT.

The next round takes place on each day after that. So if you are in the first round and make it to the championship game, that’s five games in five days. The championship game will take place on Saturday, March 11 at 5PM CT on ESPN. So it’s one of the conferences that does end its tournament the day before Selection Sunday.

Where can I watch the Big 12 Tournament?

The 2023 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament will air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU this week. The Big 12 is one of the few bigger power conferences that doesn’t have their own network. So every game is on the family of ESPN networks here.

Every game until the championship, will be on multiple ESPN channels. And that’s because in some regions ESPN may have a different game on, since they do have rights to a lot of games during the conference tournament week.

Sling TV

Sling TV is going to be the best place to watch the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament. It does have the ESPN family of networks available in the Sling Orange package. Which is normally $40 per month, but right now they are running a promo where you can get it 50% off for the first month. That makes it just $20 and you can cancel after March Madness is over.

Sling TV does offer a 7 day free trial, and you can sign up for it here.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is our second option for watching the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament. That’s because it is quite a bit more expensive than Sling TV, at $65 per month. But you are getting all of the channels for this tournament and almost every other basketball tournament – including the NCAA Tournament later this month. On top of that, YouTube TV does offer unlimited cloud DVR, so you can record to watch later on.

YouTube TV does offer a free trial and you can sign up here.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV is a good option, if you don’t like Sling TV or YouTube TV. It’s not that we don’t like Hulu + Live TV, it’s just more expensive and doesn’t offer a whole lot more. For $70 per month, you can get all of the ESPN channels, along with most of the NCAA Tournament channels, to experience March Madness. It also has unlimited cloud DVR like YouTube TV.

Hulu does offer a free trial for Live TV, which you can sign up for right here.

When is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday is happening on March 12. That will be following the conclusion of Sunday’s conference championship games. Typically, CBS airs the Selection Sunday show between 6PM and 8PM ET. Though sometimes it can run a bit late if the 4PM games go into overtime.

During the show, we’ll find out who is in the NCAA Tournament this year, and who is not. While we have “experts” doing bracketology all year long, we kind of have a good idea of who is in and who’s not, the committee can still surprise us. It’ll also be interesting to see who gets to play who.

Keep in mind that conference tournament winners do get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. So 32 teams will already be in the field, and the committee will need to add another 36 teams. As well as seeding them in the correct order. With four regions of 16 teams. Along with the first four games, there’s a total of 68 teams that get into the tournament. And the excitement of March Madness is upon us.

For the NCAA Tournament, the First Four games will take place in Dayton, OH on March 14-15. With the first and second rounds taking place March 16-19. The regionals happening from March 23-26. And the Final Four happening on April 1, with the National Championship on April 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston.


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Watch the 2023 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Without Cable

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Watch the 2023 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Without Cable
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It’s March. And for sports fans, that means one thing – March Madness. But before we get to the NCAA Tournament, we have a ton of conference championships. Including this one for the ACC.

The ACC is one of the bigger basketball conferences in college. It has some pretty big names like Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Wake Forest. Most of which are having down years this year. With Miami winning the regular season conference title. But, that doesn’t mean that they will win the ACC Tournament. As anything can happen.

Here’s how you can watch the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament this year.

What’s the ACC bracket?

The bracket has been announced, and since it does have 15 teams, some teams do get to skip out on a few games. Here’s the full bracket.

Screen Shot 2023 03 05 at 8 46 23 AM

As you can see, four teams get a double bye, while another three get a single bye. With teams ranked 10 through 15 get to play on the first day, which is Tuesday, March 7. To go the distance, from these lower seeds, you’ll need to win 5 games, which in this conference, could be pretty tough. But not out of the question, it is March.

The favorite to win the tournament this year is Miami or Virginia. However, if North Carolina is able to win a game or two, or even the whole tournament, that could move them into the NCAA Tournament next week. Right now, they sit in the “First Four Out”. While beating Boston College or Louisville might not get them in, moving on and beating Virginia (who is a projected 4 seed right now) likely would.

When is the ACC Tournament?

The ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament will kick off at 2PM ET on Tuesday, March 7 with Florida State taking on Georgia Tech.

The next round takes place on each day after that. So if you are in the first round and make it to the championship game, that’s five games in five days. The championship game will take place on Saturday, March 11 at 8:30PM on ESPN.

Where can I watch the ACC Tournament?

The 2023 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament will air on ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU this week. Since ESPN has that deal with the ACC and operates the ACC Network, it comes as no surprise that you can watch it on ESPN’s network channels as well.

The first day of games will be on ACC Network. While the rest of them will be on ESPN. With the championship game on ESPN on Saturday.

Sling TV

Sling TV is going to be the best place to watch the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. It does have the ESPN family of networks available in the Sling Orange package. Which is normally $40 per month, but right now they are running a promo where you can get it 50% off for the first month. That makes it just $20 and you can cancel after March Madness is over.

Sling TV does offer a 7 day free trial, and you can sign up for it here.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is our second option for watching the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. That’s because it is quite a bit more expensive than Sling TV, at $65 per month. But you are getting all of the channels for this tournament and almost every other basketball tournament – including the NCAA Tournament later this month. On top of that, YouTube TV does offer unlimited cloud DVR, so you can record to watch later on.

YouTube TV does offer a free trial and you can sign up here.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV is a good option, if you don’t like Sling TV or YouTube TV. It’s not that we don’t like Hulu + Live TV, it’s just more expensive and doesn’t offer a whole lot more. For $70 per month, you can get all of the ESPN channels, along with most of the NCAA Tournament channels, to experience March Madness. It also has unlimited cloud DVR like YouTube TV.

Hulu does offer a free trial for Live TV, which you can sign up for right here.

When is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday is happening on March 12. That will be following the conclusion of Sunday’s conference championship games. Typically, CBS airs the Selection Sunday show between 6PM and 8PM ET. Though sometimes it can run a bit late if the 4PM games go into overtime.

During the show, we’ll find out who is in the NCAA Tournament this year, and who is not. While we have “experts” doing bracketology all year long, we kind of have a good idea of who is in and who’s not, the committee can still surprise us. It’ll also be interesting to see who gets to play who.

Keep in mind that conference tournament winners do get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. So 32 teams will already be in the field, and the committee will need to add another 36 teams. As well as seeding them in the correct order. With four regions of 16 teams. Along with the first four games, there’s a total of 68 teams that get into the tournament. And the excitement of March Madness is upon us.

For the NCAA Tournament, the First Four games will take place in Dayton, OH on March 14-15. With the first and second rounds taking place March 16-19. The regionals happening from March 23-26. And the Final Four happening on April 1, with the National Championship on April 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston.


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TikTok incentivizes content creators to post longer videos with new monetization program

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TikTok incentivizes content creators to post longer videos with new monetization program
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Popular short-video sharing platform TikTok seems to be ironically asking creators for videos longer than one minute, reports 9to5Mac. There’s a new TikTok Creativity Program that incentivizes content creators on the platform to strive for longer videos so that they can be eligible to earn more money.

Is TikTok changing course? Encouraging creators to post longer videos


Well, isn’t that strange? When TikTok first started, videos on the platform were allowed to be up to 15 seconds long. The short-video format that other social media platforms are now trying to push people into got popular from TikTok. However, the length of the videos allowed on the app has grown since the launch of TikTok. In 2017, the duration of allowed videos grew to one minute (with many users choosing to post 30-second videos), and back in 2021, the maximum video length was increased to three minutes.

And now, TikTok has announced a new Creativity Program, which encourages selected creators to make videos longer than one minute.

For now, it seems the TikTok Creativity Program is an invitation-only beta, but the company has stated that the program will be open to all “eligible US creators” in the next few months.

In order to be eligible for the Creativity Program, content creators need to be at least 18 years old and have a minimum follower and video view requirements (those are not specified at this time), and also an account “in good standing”.

In its official announcement, TikTok states that the new program will help creators boost their creativity and find more ways to monetize their content on the platform. The content that creators who want to benefit from this program have to publish has to be high-quality original content that’s longer than one minute.

TikTok doesn’t specify when exactly the program will become open to all eligible US creators, it only says “in the coming months”.

As 9to5Mac rightfully notes, this seems to be rather peculiar as a move from a company whose app become so popular because of short-form videos. Actually, as many of you may probably know, ever since TikTok stormed the internet with its short videos, many other social media platforms have been looking to copy it.

Instagram, for one, has created its Reels and is encouraging creators to use short-form videos to express themselves. Even YouTube, with a popularity level that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, has opted in for the short-vid craze with its own YouTube Shorts.

It’s no secret to anyone that these short-form video features on YouTube and Instagram are created to compete with the raging popularity of TikTok. So yes, TikTok now trying to somewhat move to longer videos does come as a surprise.


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