Hulu reactivates Facebook Connect, includes a free month of Hulu Plus

By Mike Flacy July 12, 2011

On July 1, Hulu attempted to launch Facebook Connect and allow users to tie existing accounts to Facebook profiles as well as gain publishing rights to Facebook feeds. Due to a technical misstep, users who tried to use the Facebook Connect button were logged into accounts of other users. Hulu members posted on Twitter to complain to Hulu’s official account as well. Hulu took responsibility for the lapse in security, but claimed that no user data was leaked in an official blog post.

Earlier this week, Hulu relaunched connectivity with Facebook Connect correctly and is offering a free month of Hulu Plus ($7.99) for existing and new users of Hulu. If a user is already subscribed to Hulu Plus, the next billing date is pushed to the following month. When a user clicks the Facebook Connect button, the requirements to connect the accounts include accessing basic information for the Hulu profile, agreeing to receive email from Hulu, authorizing wall posts and providing data access to liked content such as TV shows, movies, music and books.

The default settings share everything a user watches on Hulu on the Facebook wall. It also shares all comments and other site interactions on the Facebook wall. In addition, the first click of the Facebook Connect button creates a post on the Facebook Wall about Hulu. Users can opt out of this level of sharing on the Hulu profile ‘Privacy & Settings’ page. Connecting an existing account to Facebook also links Facebook friends into the Hulu friends system automatically.

Hulu is hoping Facebook Connect integration will lead to a higher level of social interaction and traffic from the social media juggernaut. The site is also interested in converting more Hulu members into Hulu Plus subscribers with a free month of service. Hulu recently hit 875,000 paid subscribers at the end of the second quarter and is likely on track to reach one million by the end of the summer. At one million subscribers, Hulu Plus subscription revenue would total just under $100 million dollars a year.

To sign up for a free month of Hulu Plus, simply go to Hulu and click the Facebook Connect button.

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Social Media

Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Computing

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Social Media

I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.