Songza to shut down, merge with Google Play Music
Songza, a site that offers curated playlists based on the user’s preferences, is shutting down on January 31st, 2016. However, many of its features will be integrated into the free tier of Google Play Music.
In an email sent to Songza users this week, the team behind the free music playlist service said that this move will allow Google Play to “focus on building a single, cohesive product.”
“Songza will become Google Play Music, and you will no longer be able to access Songza.com or the Songza mobile apps,” explained the email.
“Using all of Songza’s features in Google Play Music is 100% free and doesn’t require a credit card.”
Users will also have the chance to migrate their Songza accounts to Google Play Music, which will continue to keep track of their music activity.
First launched in 2007 and bought by Google in July 2014 for an undisclosed sum, Songza provides users with human-curated playlists. Users can input information like date, time and previous listening history to receive playlists based on predictions on their mood or activity on demand.
Source: TechCrunch
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Verizon offering “free 2GB for life” to XL and XXL subscribers
Verizon isn’t usually known for being very generous with their data but lately they have been doling it out like it’s month-old Halloween candy. Today they announced that customers who activate a new line or upgrade their phone on an XL or XXL data package between now and January 6th will get 2GB of free data per month for life.
Additionally, this applies to every line on the account, so if you have 4 lines on the XL or XXL data packages (14GB and 20GB, respectively) each of them are eligible for this promotion (up to 10 lines per account) and you and your family could add 8GB to your plan for life. When wireless companies say “for life” anymore I have a lot of questions – Sprint didn’t really live up to that mantra and everyone has been doing their best to push their customers off of their unlimited data plans in every way that they can think of.
In the press release it says, “To receive the bonus data for life, customers must remain on the XL or XXL Verizon Plan and the line must remain active on a phone.” My first concern was what happens when the XL and XXL plans are no longer offered as options? Wireless companies switch around their data offerings every few years it seems and I was concerned that customers would be pushed off of the promo when the XL and XXL plans go away inevitably. Verizon responded by reaffirming, “In the future, the customer would keep the bonus data when performing an upgrade as long as they don’t change plans. To receive the bonus data for life, customers must remain on a qualifying plan.”
“As for the device, it needs to be a smartphone or basic phone only” (not sure what other options there are), but more importantly,”The promotion is eligible for VZW approved BYOD. Customers can activate their own devices when the devices are approved VZW CDMA devices,” so you can bring your Nexus 5X, 6P, or Moto X Pure to the network and qualify for this promotion. This also means that you don’t need to bind yourself to an Edge plan if you prefer not to – “You can upgrade or activate using device payment or full retail but you need to be on the XL or XXL size Verizon plans.”
So we don’t get to say it often, but Good Guy Verizon is here today. If you were thinking about upgrading your phone or bringing your unlocked phone to Verizon maybe now is the time!
Source: Verizon Wireless
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Apple’s Swift Programming Language Now Open Source
As promised, Apple has officially made its Swift programming language open source, making the project available through Swift.org.
We are excited by this new chapter in the story of Swift. After Apple unveiled the Swift programming language, it quickly became one of the fastest growing languages in history. Swift makes it easy to write software that is incredibly fast and safe by design. Now that Swift is open source, you can help make the best general purpose programming language available everywhere.
Announced at WWDC 2014 and launched alongside iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite a few months later, Swift marks a significant step forward from the Objective-C previously favored by Apple.
On December 3, 2015, the Swift language, supporting libraries, debugger, and package manager were published under the Apache 2.0 license with a Runtime Library Exception, and Swift.org was created to host the project. The source code is hosted on GitHub where it is easy for anyone to get the code, build it themselves, and even create pull requests to contribute code back to the project. Everyone is welcome, even just to file a bug report. There are excellent Getting Started guides available here on the site as well.
The project is governed by a core team of engineers that drive the strategic direction by working with the community, and a collection of code owners responsible for the day-to-day project management. Technical leaders come from the community of contributors and anyone can earn the right to lead an area of Swift. The Community Guidelines includes detailed information on how the Swift community is managed.
With the open sourcing of Swift, Apple has also released a Linux port to expand access to the language. Apple has also begun sharing design guidelines related to the upcoming Swift 3, setting the stage for “a more cohesive feel to Swift development.”
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iPad Pro Launches in Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan
iPad Pro launched in the U.S. and 40 total countries in November, and this week the 12.9-inch tablet became available in the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan through the Apple Online Store and select authorized resellers.
Pricing for the 32GB Wi-Fi base model in the three Asian countries starts at ₱42,990.00 in the Philippines, ₩999,000 in South Korea and NT$27,900 in Taiwan. 128GB Wi-Fi and 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular models are also available.
Apple’s website continues to list the iPad Pro as “coming soon” in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Israel, South Africa, Vietnam and select other countries. The large-sized tablet is now available in the countries and territories listed ahead. Read more 
ESPN Brings WatchESPN Live Video Coverage Into Main iOS App
ESPN today announced an update to its iOS app that will let users stream live sporting events from the separate WatchESPN service directly within the core app, a feature that would previously redirect users to a separate download of WatchESPN. Specifically concerning videos, the ESPN app before today’s update only allowed for short clips and game highlights.
“Offering the convenience of live streaming within one app reinforces the value of the multichannel subscription,” said Sean Breen, Senior Vice President of Affiliate Sales, Disney & ESPN Media Networks. “Even with WatchESPN’s recent record-breaking viewership, we continue to be aggressive in driving awareness to a large scale audience and to incentivize video subscribers to authenticate.”
ESPN representatives promised that logging into the new app will be the same process as before, and users can expect to see a simple “WatchESPN” tab at the bottom right of the screen. On the iPad, the app will also support multitasking with a picture-in-picture mode that keeps playback rolling even as users leave the app’s homepage.
The company noted that it will be keeping WatchESPN up on the App Store as a solo, “full experience,” for those who specifically want live streaming capabilities and none of the various other game-tracking features of the base app. To use WatchESPN in any capacity, users have to check for support from their cable provider and then link the two accounts within the app.
ESPN mentioned that the move to consolidate its two popular mobile apps comes after “record-breaking audience viewership” for its WatchESPN software across all platforms of its availability. September was its most-viewed month ever — excluding months the World Cup took place — with 11 million total viewers on the app that watched 2.2 billion minutes in total of ESPN content.
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Samsung Electronics president: “Next year will be tough”
Reporters interviewing the new head of Samsung Electronics. Notice the phones they are using: LG, Apple…
For those Samsung fans who have been following the company in the news recently, there is a recurring theme going on: performance and change. The OEM’s Q3 earnings were quite profitable though due to component sales and a favorable exchange rate, not smartphone sales. Last month the conglomerate’s CEO said “if we resist changes, then we won’t survive” and just this week J.K. Shin was replaced as the head of Samsung Electronics.
Dong-jin Ko, who replaces Mr. Shin, told reporters earlier today that, “Next year will be tough” and that he doesn’t anticipate the mobile segment to see a “huge upturn”.
Mr. Ko’s remarks came following a weekly meeting with key leaders of Samsung Group affiliates, and included commentary that he will be working closely with J.K. Shin, who was recently reassigned to mid-term strategies. Still, Mr. Ko sought to downplay any panic that might possibly ensue, stating that, “No major organizational overhaul is set” because the business is not in “deep trouble.”
Samsung is hoping that products like the newly announced, refreshed Galaxy A7 will be a hit.
Samsung has been facing keen competition in recent years from Chinese OEMs, and with it diminishing market share and profits. In a new report yesterday, insider sources claimed that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will forgo a major design refresh and instead focus on internal component upgrades such as the SoC, display, camera, and memory. Rumors have also been circulating that the S7 will see a return to microSD support after Samsung chose to remove it this year, much to the displeasure of some long-time customers.
Report: Sharp gearing up Super IGZO display production
Both LG and Samsung are making preparations to ramp up OLED display production over the next couple of years and the latest industry reports suggest that Sharp is preparing to begin mass production of its rival next generation Super IGZO display panels as well.
According to the report, Sharp’s Super IGZO display boasts a boost to resolution over its current IGZO line-up. Furthermore, the display will also apparently be 10 to 20 percent more energy efficient, making them a very tempting prospect for mobile as they already consume a fraction of the power of TFT LCD displays. Mass production of this new display could begin in early 2016 at Sharp’s Kameyama Plant No. 2 in Mie Prefecture.
Sharp has announced a number of extremely pixel dense IGZO mobile displays in the past twelve months and these panels are expected to enter production in 2016. However, the company is yet to announce any customers for its growing display portfolio.
See also: Sharp in-cell display promises thinner smartphones
With many other major players in the display market banking on increased demand for OLED type displays, some are expecting that this could have an impact on LCD unit sales. As a LCD manufacturer that is already struggling for cash, Sharp may also be looking to diversify risk with its IGZO manufacturing line. The company is targeting 50 billion yen (US$ 403 million) in IGZO sales by 2020.
Movies and TV shows might be heading to YouTube Red
Back in October Alphabet launched YouTube Red, an ad-free version of its popular streaming service with offline viewing and some music to boot. At $9.99 per month it’s a tough call against some of the other services out there, but movies and original TV series’ could be heading to the service to offer some extra value for money.
According to the Wall Street Journal, YouTube executives have been meeting with various Hollywood business types to negotiate licenses for new content and to discuss pitches. We don’t have any idea about the shows or movies that YouTube is after or how far along negotiations have gotten, but such a move would put the company in direct competition with Netflix and Amazon.
Although traditionally the home of user created content, YouTube is no stranger to industry created content. The service has had one-time digital rentals for a little while and has also recently announced plans to produce 10 of its own movies and shows for Red, which will star some of the most popular faces on YouTube. Exclusive third party shows would certainly round out the company’s media catalogue and offer up some competition to Amazon and its rivals, who have all steadily been securing licenses for extra content.
The launch: YouTube Red, Google’s ad-free video service, arrives for just $9.99 per month (Updated)
Google is already catering for a lot of on demand media with its books, film and music stores. If YouTube can successfully negotiate some exclusive content for its Red streaming service, the company could become a one stop shop for all of our media needs.
Deal: Zuz smart charger can charge your devices and help you find your car
We all need a good car charger, right? Keeping your smartphone juiced up is part of a good driving experience. There is nothing more annoying than a phone dying in the middle of a road trip. But you know what else really gets on my nerves? When I can’t find my car!
What if we told you there was an accessory that could charge your devices and help you easily find your car? Well, there is, and it is available from the AA Deals Store with a 40% discount. The Zus smart car charger can be yours for only $29.99.
But what makes this little gadget so special? It’s an all around great charger, and it has a few additional features to boot. For starters, it can charge two devices simultaneously, and twice as fast. It even features its own lighting mechanism, which will help you easily plug in any device in the dark.
But the fun begins when you move on from just the charging capabilities. This unit can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Simply pair it with your smartphone and the official app will remember where you left your car. Simply stroll through the parking lot by navigating back to your Zus charger.
Pretty neat, right? Go ahead and sign up for it by clicking the button below!
HTC One smartwatch could finally arrive in February 2016
Over the past two years, we’ve heard several rumors talking about HTC working on their very own smartwatch. Well, the company’s first wearable gadget might be just around the corner, if @evleaks is right.
HTC fans, you'll finally have One watch to call your own come February.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) December 3, 2015
Evan Blass aka @evleaks, has tweeted that the HTC One watch is coming in February 2016. Since Mobile World Congress 2016 will be held between February 22 and February 25, there is a high probability that HTC’s first smartwatch will be announced then.
Rumors suggest that the HTC One watch would feature a circular display with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels. The upcoming gadget is said to be codenamed Halfbeak. Of course, none of this can be confirmed as of yet.
See also: Best Android Wear watches
Android Wear-based smartwatches have been around since mid-2014, with several OEMs adopting the platform and releasing multiple SKUs. The smartwatch landscape has changed quite a bit since them: Samsung recently launched the Gear S2, TAG Heuer launched a $1500 smartwatch, Pebble announced their first round smartwatch called Pebble Time Round, and Motorola’s Moto 360 Sport is coming to the US for $299 on January 7th. A research report released in August this year talks about the falling consumer interest in wearable devices. Despite this, it looks like HTC will make an attempt to woo the market.
HTC was one of the companies that Google originally announced as partners working on Android Wear. Despite some false alarms, we’re obviously yet to see HTC’s take on the Android Wear concept.
Are you excited for the HTC One watch? Let us know in the comments below.
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