Janko Roettgers

Google TV’s uncertain future Google has been struggling to monetize its smart TV platform, and is facing increasing costs to keep Google TV sets on store shelves.

Today in Lowpass: Google TV is getting squeezed by Amazon's aggressive spending on so-called bounties for Fire TV retail shelf space, and is struggling to monetize its service. That has some within Google questioning the company's spending on the platform. www.lowpass.cc/p/google-tv-...

A screenshot of the Quest TV VR video app UI

Also in Lowpass today: Meta is getting rid of user-generated VR videos on Quest TV ahead of new initiatives aimed at "VR dads" www.lowpass.cc/p/google-tv-...

This is the first Lowpass story syndicated to The Verge. 🎉

Google TV’s uncertain future Google has been struggling to monetize its smart TV platform, and is facing increasing costs to keep Google TV sets on store shelves.

Today in Lowpass: Google TV is getting squeezed by Amazon's aggressive spending on so-called bounties for Fire TV retail shelf space, and is struggling to monetize its service. That has some within Google questioning the company's spending on the platform. www.lowpass.cc/p/google-tv-...

Introducing Regulator and The Stepback, our new subscriber-exclusive newsletters We’re launching two exclusive newsletters and a partnership with Lowpass by Janko Roettgers.

Big upgrades to The Verge subscription!

- REGULATOR, a new politics newsletter from the incomparable @tinanguyen.bsky.social
- THE STEPBACK, a daily big-picture tech column from the team
- and a partnership with @jank0.bsky.social to bundle his excellent LOWPASS www.theverge.com/bulletin/719...

Thanks!

Lowpass Filtering the future: Join 17,000 AR, VR and streaming executives and enthusiasts and receive in-depth reporting about the future of entertainment every Thursday.

finally, LOWPASS has been a must-read for us since @jank0.bsky.social launched it, and I'm thrilled to bring his writing to our site on a regular basis. Verge subs will see his coverage of the future of tech and entertainment once per week (and can head over to Lowpass for more!) www.lowpass.cc

Thanks Joe!

Thanks Joe!

Thanks!

Lowpass logo

Janko Roettgers photo

Lastly, we’re thrilled to start a new partnership with Lowpass by Janko Roettgers (@jank0.bsky.social). Verge subscribers can look forward to plunging into the world of AR, VR, and the streaming wars with an in-depth report every week.

Lowpass Filtering the future: Join 17,000 AR, VR and streaming executives and enthusiasts and receive in-depth reporting about the future of entertainment every Thursday.

As always, if you want to read all of Lowpass, you can subscribe here: lowpass.cc/subscribe

And if you're a The Verge subscriber, you'll have the chance to subscribe to the paid Lowpass tier at a significant discount starting tomorrow. Stay tuned!

As for Lowpass itself, nothing changes. I'll keep writing about the future of tech and entertainment every Thursday.

With syndicating some of those stories to The Verge, Lowpass doesn't just gain a bigger audience, but also a new revenue stream, which will help sustain & grow Lowpass.

Starting this Thursday, The Verge will be syndicating select Lowpass stories every week. I've admired The Verge for a long time, (and occasionally written for them in the past), so I'm obvs. super happy about this partnership.

Introducing Regulator and The Stepback, our new subscriber-exclusive newsletters We’re launching two exclusive newsletters and a partnership with Lowpass by Janko Roettgers.

I've got some news: Lowpass is partnering with The Verge www.theverge.com/bulletin/719...

A screenshot of Netflix's title page for its NASA+ live stream, complete with a "watch live" button.

Earlier today, Netflix began streaming a live NASA mission. It's part of a much bigger bet on live programming that will soon also include linear TV networks.

In today's Lowpass newsletter, I explain why that's all about fighting back against YouTube: www.lowpass.cc/p/netflix-li...

Scoop: VR-powered animation studio Mindshow shuts down Mindshow had pivoted from being a consumer VR app to producing content for Mattel, Netflix and others.

Also in Lowpass today: A scoop about VR animation startup Mindshow shutting down www.lowpass.cc/p/vr-animati...

Scoop: VR-powered animation studio Mindshow shuts down Mindshow had pivoted from being a consumer VR app to producing content for Mattel, Netflix and others.

Also in Lowpass today: A scoop about VR animation startup Mindshow shutting down www.lowpass.cc/p/vr-animati...

Lowpass Filtering the future: Join 17,000 AR, VR and streaming executives and enthusiasts and receive in-depth reporting about the future of entertainment every Thursday.

The full story is behind the paywall, but you can unlock it with a 7-day free trial: www.lowpass.cc/upgrade?offe...

(Did I mention running a newsletter is expensive? :)

A screenshot of Netflix's title page for its NASA+ live stream, complete with a "watch live" button.

Earlier today, Netflix began streaming a live NASA mission. It's part of a much bigger bet on live programming that will soon also include linear TV networks.

In today's Lowpass newsletter, I explain why that's all about fighting back against YouTube: www.lowpass.cc/p/netflix-li...

Substack accidentally sent push alerts promoting a Nazi publication The 'serious error' harkens back to the platform's 2023 Nazi controversy.

I'm going to include this in tomorrow's Lowpass newsletter as well, but figured I might as well post it here now: People often think my newsletter is on Substack. It's not, primarily because of shit like this: www.engadget.com/apps/substac...

Lowpass Filtering the future: Join 17,000 AR, VR and streaming executives and enthusiasts and receive in-depth reporting about the future of entertainment every Thursday.

So if you value my writing and can spare $8 a month, I'd very much appreciate if you could sign up for / upgrade to the paid Lowpass tier www.lowpass.cc/upgrade

I instead opted for Beehiiv, which has a slightly different business model ... and for a newsletter like mine that has a relatively small paying audience but also ads, actually costs more than Substack would.

Today, my annual bill arrived, and it's more than $1300 😬

Substack accidentally sent push alerts promoting a Nazi publication The 'serious error' harkens back to the platform's 2023 Nazi controversy.

I'm going to include this in tomorrow's Lowpass newsletter as well, but figured I might as well post it here now: People often think my newsletter is on Substack. It's not, primarily because of shit like this: www.engadget.com/apps/substac...

Well Played Astronomer | TWiT.TV OpenAI prepares to launch GPT-5 in AugustTrump’s AI Action Plan Is a Crusade Against ‘Bias’—and RegulationUN tech chief pleads for global AI regulatory cooperation Trump, who

📊 Google's AI-powered search is under the microscope
🤖 GPT-5 launching soon
🚫 Trump's AI plan = no bias checks, no regulation?
@leolaporte.me, @molly.wiki, @jank0.bsky.social, @byjacobward.bsky.social break it down on #TWiT
🎧 buff.ly/5Lg5Xhe
#TechNews #AI

A pie chart showing that 87% of Netflix's live content viewing happens within the first seven days of the original broadcast

Also in Lowpass today: For Netflix, live is live

I crunched the numbers on how people actually watch Netflix's live content: As it happens, or later? www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horiz...

Meta wants to upload the real world Meta has been testing 3D capture and uploads of real-life environments for a new VR app called Horizon Photoreal.

Today in Lowpass: Meta wants to upload the real world

With the recently-leaked Horizon Photoreal, Meta is embracing Gaussian splatting to make VR more lifelike www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horiz...

Disney paid attention to Squid Game. Amazon? Not so much. More data on everyone's favorite death match

The third season of Squid Game has already attracted 122 million views, according to Netflix. www.lowpass.cc/p/squid-game...

Lowpass Filtering the future: Join 17,000 AR, VR and streaming executives and enthusiasts and receive in-depth reporting about the future of entertainment every Thursday.

Most of that post is behind the paywall. I know, ironic! But also a necessary step to make indie tech journalism sustainable. Here's a 7-day free trial so you can take a peek: www.lowpass.cc/upgrade?offe...

Keeping the web alive, despite AI AI crawlers are leading a growing number of publishers to put up paywalls, limit sharing. A new set of licenses aims to help forge a different path.

Also in Lowpass today: A look at the new Creative Commons CC Signals initiative, which aims to give publishers and other content curators an alternative to locking out AI crawlers with paywalls. www.lowpass.cc/p/creative-c...