Spotify Free Streaming Tier Goes Live for iPhone Users [iOS Blog]
Spotify’s new free listening tier for smartphone customers, originally announced last month, is finally live for iPhone users. Previously, Spotify limited its free listening to desktop users, requiring a $9.99 monthly subscription for music access on mobile devices beyond Spotify’s free radio streaming.
On the iPhone, Spotify’s service is built around shuffling, much like similar services from Pandora and iTunes Radio. Customers can search for a specific artist or song, but will be required to shuffle through an artist’s catalog to access the music. Pre-compiled playlists can also be accessed, but unlimited search and listen access is not available.
Only paid iPhone subscribers will be able to listen to music offline, a must for users hoping to listen to music on airplanes. iPad users see a slightly different service, working similarly to how the current PC version of Spotify does. Users can pick and choose songs to listen to without forced shuffling, but they still won’t get access to offline tracks.
– Your music: Listen to all the playlists you’ve created and playlists from the people you follow. Spotify lets you discover new music, save, shuffle and share.
– Your favourite artists: Want to listen to a certain artist? Just hit shuffle play, sit back and listen to their entire catalogue. Don’t settle for something similar. Don’t settle for just one track from the artist you want to hear every 20 minutes.
– Discover great new playlists: Going for a jog or to the gym? We’ve got the playlist to help you go the extra mile. We know you just want the perfect music for a specific moment in time – and we’ve got you covered. There’s something for every mood, genre or moment.
Spotify for iPhone can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: Dell VP Neil Hand
Curious about recent Dell tablet plays like December’s Venue 8 Pro? Wondering what the company is going for with its recent “startup” ad campaign? Good news: We’ve got Neil Hand, the VP of Dell’s tablet group hitting the stage next.
January 8, 2014 12:30:00 PM EST
Follow all the latest CES 2014 news at our event hub, and check out our full stage schedule here.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: GoPro Creative Director Brad Schmidt
GoPro’s Creative Director, the man Forbes called “The Mad Billionaire,” Brad Schmidt may have the coolest job description ever. He’ll join us on-stage to talk about the space-defining success of his company’s little action camera.
January 8, 2014 1:00:00 PM EST
Follow all the latest CES 2014 news at our event hub, and check out our full stage schedule here.
Filed under: Cameras
Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG with QNX Car 2.0 hands-on
Tucked in a corner of the massive North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center is a Mercedez-Benz CLA45 AMG wrapped in flat black vinyl. The only thing that stands out about this car are the big red brakes, that is, until you pop open a door and spy the beautiful expanse of touchscreen that extends from passenger door across to and including the instrument panel. QNX has extended on the technology we saw in 2013 with both better looking panels and a seriously handsome interface. For instance, the system can now run Jellybean apps — as demonstrated by the inclusion of iHeartRadio — a phone / tablet app which hooks into the system for passenger interaction and fullband duplex stereo vehicle to vehicle calling.
QNX also demonstrated it’s Car 2.0 platform’s flexibility when it comes to navigation. Rather than just one nav platform, the CLA45 included Elektrobit, Kotei Navi & Data, Aisin AW, and Nokia HERE to show how the system could be integrated into any vendor environment. Have a look at our gallery just below the fold.
Filed under: Transportation
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: 50 Cent
Yep, that 50 Cent. SMS Audio’s CEO will be joining us on-stage for a second year in a row to discuss the latest additions to the line of headphones that bear his name.
January 8, 2014 1:30:00 PM EST
Follow all the latest CES 2014 news at our event hub, and check out our full stage schedule here.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video
Droplr’s speedy file sharing now starts at $5 per month with unlimited storage
Droplr members wondering (and worrying) about the company’s switch to a pay-only service now know just how much it will cost to keep sharing files. The developer has announced that its Droplr Lite tier will start at $5 per month, or $50 per year; if you want customization, image embedding or password-protected sharing, you’ll need to shell out $10 per month ($100 per year) for Droplr Pro. Existing users get a 30 percent discount in return for their loyalty. There are a few strong incentives to pay whether or not you’re a long-time customer, though. All members now get unlimited storage, with uploads increasing to 2GB each. You can also sign up for a new $10 per person Business tier with collaboration features, and individual subscribers can knock 10 percent off their bill with each person they refer. There’s even a Droplr for Mac 4 app update launching at the same time with a redesigned menu bar item, improved searches and a sharing shortcut. The pricing changes take effect immediately, but everyone gets a 30-day free trial to help make their decision. Whatever your feelings about paying up, you can find out more at the source link.
Filed under: Storage, Internet
Source: Droplr
JBL’s Flip 2 speaker, Synchros S400BT cans and J46BT in-ears suit all listening habits
Portable audio wares are never in short supply here at CES, and JBL is looking to do its part to maintain those levels. Adding to the fray, the company has announced a Bluetooth-enabled trio with the Flip 2 speaker, Synchros S400BT headphones and J46BT in-ears to suit a variety of mobile listening sensibilities. The Flip 2 is the follow up to last year’s Flip and offers tech for making clearer speakerphone calls on top of its rechargeable wireless chops. There’s also a pair of drivers and on-board bass port to handle the audio duties for the $129 unit. If you’re ready to upgrade from the previous model, the Flip 2 is up for pre-order now in red, blue, yellow, white and black color schemes and is set to ship next month.
Next, the Synchros S400BT cans offer both wired and wireless listening thanks to Bluetooth 3.0. Packing in advanced aptX functionality and JBL’s PureBass for improved audio quality, the set sports soft ear cushions, steel headband and collapsible form factor. On the left ear cup, controls for volume, track control and receiving calls are sorth with a touch-sensitive panel. In fact, an LED light tracks your finger in order to cater to your cues on the $299 device. The S400BT will be available in black and white when it arrives in February, but you can nab a pre-order now — if you’d rather lock a pair down.
Last but not least, for the in-ear listening crowd, the J46BT wireless buds sport Bluetooth 4.0 compatibility and an in-line remote for switching back and forth between Katy Perry and incoming calls. The J46BT are shipping now for $99 in your choice of black, white or blue.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video
(UPDATE) @evleaks leaks more Android on Nokia, release imminent?
This morning @evleaks posted a photo with that caption “Android on Nokia ( -virtual buttons)” that could perhaps be further suggesting a Nokia device running Android is in the works.
The device pictured also appears to be a dual-sim smartphone.
Rumors began in November when @evleaks leaked a photo of a device codenamed ”Normandy” that was said to be a low-end Android device.
This Lumia-style device, according to a report by The Verge, has “no apparent capacitive buttons for navigation” and ”supports Android applications like Skype, and other popular top apps.”
Comparing the above image to smartphones running Windows Phone, the navigation bar is nearly identical as far as the layout of the status bar icons.
This may be a heavily skinned version of Android, much like Amazon does with its Kindle tablets. If you ask me, while it was reported to have no capacitive buttons, the caption might mean “minus virtual buttons” and it appears to have one capacitive button, which is a back button. That dialer also looks like the KitKat dialer.
While @evleaks has proved accurate nearly every single time out, this one has our radar up.
UPDATE: GSMArena noted another leak of an AnTuTu test that the device, “Nokia RM-980 A110,” features a 4-inch FWVGA display (480×854 pixels), Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 5 MP rear camera and runs Android 4.4.1 KitKat.
The post (UPDATE) @evleaks leaks more Android on Nokia, release imminent? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung is throwing in some goodies with a purchase of the new NotePRO or TabPRO tablets
Two days ago, Samsung announced their new line of Galaxy TabPRO and NotePRO tablets at CES. It seems as though they’re trying to make the launch a big one by offering some free services from 11 popular companies.
There are quite a few exciting ones like a one year free subscription to Evernote premium and a free 50 GB of Dropbox storage for 2 years. It’s pretty normal to see multiple services providing incentive to purchase a new product, but usually never to this standard. The promotion will be limited to the original launch of the products, though we don’t know how long the deal will go on.
Is this enough incentive for you to go out and buy one? This offer is definitely something to consider when making your next tablets purchase.
Via: Android Central
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MTV first network to introduce optimized mobile viewing experience
MTV on Wednesday becomes the first TV network to introduce a “fully optimized TV Everywhere/ authenticated viewing experience” on mobile devices. Starting immediately, fans can view full episodes and seasons of series such as “Teen Wolf,” “The Real World Ex-plosion,” and “Girl Code,” from most Android devices. Looking ahead, sister stations VH1, CMT and Logo TV will get the same treatment.
MTV BECOMES THE FIRST NETWORK TO LAUNCH OPTIMIZED TV EVERYWHERE VIEWING ON MOBILE WEB
In Addition to the MTV App Fans Can Now Watch MTV Hit Series Like “Teen Wolf,” “Real World: Ex-Plosion” and “Girl Code” Directly on the Mobile Web
New York, January 8, 2014 – After launching a successful video viewing app in June, MTV today became the first television network to launch a fully optimized TV Everywhere/ authenticated viewing experience on mobile web. Beginning today, fans can watch full episodes and seasons of hit MTV series like “Teen Wolf,” “The Real World Ex-Plosion” and “Girl Code,” from all iOS and most Android devices. In the coming months, similar experiences will be launched for MTV’s sister brands VH1, CMT and Logo TV.
“We’re actively listening to our audience and optimizing our product and design approach to complement how they lead their lives,” said Kristin Frank, EVP of Connected Content for Viacom Music and Logo Group. “With today’s launch, we’re providing our fans with yet another entry point to enjoy their favorite MTV shows and characters.”
In addition to TV Everywhere viewing on mobile web, MTV’s re-launched show pages will feature increased interactivity to allow fans to interact with a show’s cast and characters. In the coming months, MTV will be rolling out additional features.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of another TV first. In October, MTV became the first network to pre-release an entire season of a series exclusively on an app via authentication. During its pre-release window, “Wait Til Next Year” helped drive the apps biggest streaming week to date per person and increased downloads 47% week-over-week. The series television premiere drew an 8% time period uptick in P12-17. MTV’s three-in-one video viewing app has been downloaded more than 2 million times since its launch in June.
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