YouTube to let users launch pre-recorded videos as live moment
San Francisco, June 22: Google-owned YouTube has announced several new updates to the platform including the new "Premieres" feature that would allow creators to debut pre-recorded videos as a live moment.
Premieres are starting to roll out to creators today and will be available broadly soon, Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Product Officer, said in a blog post on Thursday.
"When creators choose to release a Premiere, we'll automatically create a public landing page to build anticipation and hype up new content," Mohan added.
When all fans show up to watch the premiere, YouTube will enable them to chat with each other and with the creator in real time via live chat.
"It's as if a creator's entire community is in one theatre together watching their latest upload," Mohan said.
"Premieres" would roll out over the next two weeks, reaching select YouTubers who were beta test partners first, The Verge reported.
YouTube also announced a new "Merchandise Integration" option with which creators could make products like shirts and mugs and have their items advertised on a shelf below their video, the report added.
To help businesses grow, the video-sharing app additionally notified that as part of the new updates, YouTubers could get an opportunity to be hired by brands for branded content curation with "Famebit Integration" feature.
This feature does not have a set roll out date as yet.
YouTube made all these announcements at VidCon US 2018 that commenced on June 20 in Anaheim, California and will continue till June 23.
"With more than 1.9 billion logged-in users who come to YouTube every month and localised versions stretching across 90 countries and 80 languages, we're opening up the world to anyone with a cell phone and an Internet connection," Mohan said.
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Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora sent to 7-day ED custody
New Delhi/Gurugram (PTI): A court in Gurugram has sent Punjab's Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora to seven days of ED custody in a money laundering case, officials said on Sunday.
Arora, 62, was arrested on Saturday evening from his official residence in Chandigarh by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a GST fraud case following raids against him.
The central agency had also searched the premises of a company linked to Arora, Hampton Sky Realty Ltd, in Gurugram. The company said it had faith in the legal process and was fully cooperating with all the statutory authorities.
Arora was brought by the ED sleuths to Gurugram, Haryana, from Chandigarh by road, the officials said.
The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Gurugram sent Arora to seven-day ED custody. The agency had sought his 10-day remand, they said.
The minister's lawyer told reporters that the ED registered the case on May 5 and arrested Arora on May 9. He claimed this was a "politically motivated" case.
According to the ED, the probe under the PMLA pertains to "fake" GST purchases of mobile phones worth more than Rs 100 crore and subsequent exports to "round trip" alleged illegitimate funds from Dubai to India.
The agency alleged that multiple fake GST purchase invoices were acquired from "non-existing" firms in Delhi to falsely claim Input Tax Credit (ITC).
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal condemned the ED action, accusing the Centre of using agencies like the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation as "weapons" to scare opposition leaders into joining the BJP.
The BJP hit back, saying Kejriwal and his party were rattled as they knew that "their days are numbered in Punjab".
