YouTube is reportedly using AI to allow some of its premium subscribers to jump ahead to the most watched or best parts of a video.

When viewers double tap to skip ahead, instead of usually skipping 10-seconds ahead, a pill-shaped “jump ahead” button will appear on the bottom-right corner for a few seconds before disappearing, according to 9TO5Google.

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Once the button is tapped, a text page reading “jumping over commonly skipped section” will be overlayed as YouTube uses AI and watch data to identify the next best part of a video.

In fact, YouTube is currently testing a suite of new experimental features for its premium members according to an experimental page seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

While the page states that there are currently no experiments available at the moment, YouTube is allowing viewers to sign up for experiments and be rewarded with gift cards for their time.

“If a study is a good fit for your profile, you’ll receive a follow-up questionnaire and details about what the study involves, including next steps and locations,” said a statement on the page.

As YouTube ramps up its premium offerings, it is also strengthening its enforcement on third-party apps that violate its terms of service and, in particular, on ad-blocking apps. 

In a statement, YouTube said that viewers using these third-party apps may experience “buffering issues” or see the error message, “The following content is not available on this app” when trying to watch a video. 

It said that it would like to emphasise that its terms do not allow third-party apps to turn off ads because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership.

“Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service,” it said. 

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Expanding Opportunities Through Meet-ups, which was aimed at encouraging networking between start-up business owners and entrepreneurs, Hwengwere said young people needed to be trustworthy to expand their networks.

BUY Zimbabwe founder Munyaradzi Hwengwere says entrepreneurs need to enter into economic alliances to improve Zimbabwe’s economy.

Speaking at an entrepreneurial business seminar last week called: Expanding Opportunities Through Meet-ups, which was aimed at encouraging networking between start-up business owners and entrepreneurs, Hwengwere said young people needed to be trustworthy to expand their networks.

“We have young people who have realised the power of networks, but instead of getting frustrated about it, they have decided to come together and become the network itself. There is a need for us to realise the opportunities that come with networks and leverage on the opportunities in Zimbabwe and across the world towards success and improve the ecosystems of the economy in Zimbabwe,” Hwengwere said during the event which was organised Yarutso Car Rentals and Yarutso Adventure founder, Victor Madzedze.

“There is a need to improve attitude, eagerness and the ability to fulfil promises, which are the fundamentals of competence in networking. Humility must walk together with intelligence, focus, hard work and trust and this is one of the challenges most young people have that they are not willing to learn and that leads to arrogance.”

He urged young people to be humble enough to learn from those more experienced to expand networks and ecosystems.

Chief executive officer of Qupa Micro-finance — an entity under ZB Financing Holdings Limited — Jade Tsokodayi said entrepreneurs must utilise all sources of financing around them when starting businesses.

The CEO noted that this would avoid the debt crises that come with borrowing from micro-financing institutions.

Tsokodayi encouraged entrepreneurs to establish their businesses first before approaching micro financing institutions.

“So, for financing, do not look further than yourself, you need to make sure that you redeem all and everything around you. When you are more established you then approach micro-finance institutions like us. When you are still starting, the cost of financing could be exorbitant and you might end up in debt instead of flourishing as a business,” he said.

“When starting, utilise family, friends and the fools around you. So many people are so successful due to their uncles who had money. Some are up there because they had friends who were well established, and some are successful because they had fools out there with the money, but without ideas.”

He encouraged small businesses to bank their money so that they have traceable financial statements that are necessary when one needs to get financing from micro-finance institutions for capital.

Tsokodayi also said entrepreneurs should see micro-finance institutions as partners rather than loan sharks.

“If you borrow, please pay for you to maintain relationships with these financial institutions. Remember, if you are a bad creditor, you are blacklisted from getting any form of financing. This is a form of professionalism that any business needs and when it gets to a point that you are blacklisted, being successful will be very hard,” he said.

“When you are confident that you are established, you come to us, and we will take you through every process to proper financing. We will need you to put all your financial statements on the table. We have realised that most people are missing out on basic financial services because they do not bank their money.”

Tsokodayi urged entrepreneurs to have several lines of income to sustain their businesses, while embracing networking in their business plans in the process.

“When establishing your businesses, never rely on one source of income. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. When you decide to be an entrepreneur, never lose focus and the reason why you started in the first place. Networking is also the key to success,” he added.

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Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube, however, said BCC was aware of the illegal activities, but warned that residents and the MRP should not take the law into their hands.

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has warned the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) against attacking apostolic sects worshipping in open spaces across the city after the opposition political party raided some church shrines in a clean-up operation last week.

On Wednesday last week, MRP activists raided apostolic sect shrines located in a bush between Mzilikazi and Entumbane high-density suburbs. The party claimed that it was cleansing the environment of activities that are alien to Matabeleland culture and ordered the church members to remove their ritual cloths and flags.

Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube, however, said BCC was aware of the illegal activities, but warned that residents and the MRP should not take the law into their hands.

“The City of Bulawayo is aware of the open air worship sites, mounted flags, makeshift structures in various open spaces in the city and has been endeavouring to address the challenges. The City of Bulawayo notes the concerns which have been raised by the residents and also by MRP,” Dube said.

“It should, however, be noted that any actions conducted should be within the confines of the law. Residents should not take the law into their hands, but should allow the City of Bulawayo and law enforcement officers to deal with the issues legally.”

He also noted that council by-laws stipulate that open air worshipping is not permissible on council land, including land use without prior written approval of council.

Urging open air churches to instead utilise council community halls for worshipping, he added: “The City of Bulawayo further notes that it’s not possible to maintain public health and sanitation in open air worship locations as there are no buildings, piped water nor are there lavatories.

“This, thus, may result in open defecation which is one of the key drivers of diseases such as diarrhoea or cholera. Council is conducting awareness campaigns visiting these groupings and in some instances destroying illegal structures.

“We have also been considering collaborative efforts with religious leaders by encouraging them to visit the city and register their church stands. That way, ablution facilities can be built at an authorised place.”

However, MRP spokesperson Velile Moyo said their patrol uncovered an unprecedented deluge of illicit practices at the shrines.

“This area has been taken over by various spiritual cults and church groups, which have erected shrines and worship sites, with some even building permanent structures and thatched houses with stone walls,” he said.

Moyo said they counted more than 47 shrines with some church leaders claiming to have been legally settled by BCC and having leases or paying rentals.

He called on the BCC to publicly clarify whether these claims were true or false and, if so, to disclose the local area development plan.

“Despite Zimbabwe’s Constitution guaranteeing freedom of spiritual worship and association, a sinister trend has taken hold in Bulawayo — the proliferation of cults and demigod worship, preying on the vulnerable and desperate.

“These unscrupulous entities, masquerading as religious groups, are exploiting the public’s trust and their hard-earned cash. The illicit occurrences at the Entumbane shrines are starkly evident upon observation.

“During visits to these sites, it was alarming to note that the majority of shrines lacked proper toilet facilities. Only a couple had makeshift solutions such as portable single squat-hole toilets or primitive (grass-walled) trench latrines.”

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