What to expect from Netflix's new subscription with ads

Friday is officially here, and something else is almost here: Netflix with ads.

After months of talking about it, Netflix has finally released more details about its newest subscription tier, "Basic with Ads." The service will launch in November — but keep in mind that it won't come with all the bells and whistles Netflix's other plans offer.

I'm your host, Jordan Parker Erb. I've got the deets you'll want to know about Netflix's new plan, so let's get into it.

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1. Your next Netflix binge could come with ads. At $6.99 per month, the subscription is $3 less than Netflix's basic ad-free plan — but it will also come with more restrictions. Here's what we know about the plan, "Basic with Ads," available starting next month:

• If you subscribe to the ad plan, Netflix says you can expect four to five minutes of ads per hour. They'll play before and during shows and movies.
• Some content will be missing from the ad-supported plan due to licensing agreements with other companies. You also won't be able to download shows or movies, and streaming quality will cap at 720p.
• Basic with Ads will become available in Canada on November 1, and in the US and UK on November 3.

Everything you'll want to know about Netflix with ads.

In other news:

2. Apple is even more of a bank now — if you have an Apple Card. The company announced Apple Card users could automatically deposit cash-back rewards into a high-yield savings account, which is operated through a Goldman Sachs partnership. Get the details on the savings account.

3. Wall Street is questioning Meta's "desperate" metaverse push. This week, Meta gave the world a look at its latest product reveals, which included, among other things, the launch of avatar legs — and investors are not impressed. Why bipedal avatars aren't enough to placate investors.

4. MacKenzie Scott donated $15 million to help get affordable eyeglasses to millions of people. The philanthropist donated the money to VisionSpring, a social enterprise that provides affordable eyeglasses to those who couldn't otherwise afford them. Get the full rundown here.

5. VCs shared their picks for the most promising cloud-software startups of 2022. We asked top investors to name the most promising startups they've seen this year, both in and out of their portfolios. The companies they listed range from project-management to research-collaboration tools. Here are their 16 picks.

6. TikTok is already Gen Z's social platform of choice. It might be coming for Spotify next. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is talking to music labels to expand its music-streaming services globally, per The Wall Street Journal. How TikTok is moving to compete with Spotify.

7. Dataminr will soon get a new social-media-surveillance contract for the White House. Dataminr is in Twitter's official partner program, which gives it more access to Twitter data. It will use the data to provide the White House with news alerts. What we know so far.

8. In a leaked survey, Shopify probed employees about whether they view Amazon as a rival. In its semiannual survey, the company asked workers to weigh in on their work, coworkers, and managers — as well as what they think about e-commerce giant Amazon. Here's what Shopify asked its staff.

Odds and ends:

9. Polestar finally took the wraps off its long-awaited third vehicle: the Polestar 3. The $84,000 electric SUV promises 300 miles of range, loads of technology, and a minimalist interior. Get a look at the EV rivaling Tesla and BMW.

10. The James Webb telescope captured a stunning image of a rare "fingerprint" in space. Once every eight years, two stars come close to each other in orbit, resulting in concentric rings of light radiating from the pair. Get a closer look at the fingerprint.

The latest people moves in tech:

• The creator of Amazon's Kindle has left the company, along with a top Alexa executive.
• About 431 people left Goldman Sachs this summer. Google and Amazon are among the biggest firms poaching Goldman's talent.

Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.

Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.