Spotify in ‘Advanced Talks’ to Purchase SoundCloud

Streaming music service and Apple Music rival Spotify is in “advanced talks” to acquire audio distribution platform SoundCloud, reports Financial Times. Little information is available on the terms of the potential deal at this time.

SoundCloud, which allows users to upload, promote, and share audio recordings ranging from music to podcasts, has upwards of 175 million total listeners a month, which could bring a huge influx of customers to Spotify and give it an edge over Apple.

Spotify has 40 million paying subscribers compared to Apple Music’s 17 million paying subscribers, but Apple Music’s numbers have been growing steadily since its 2015 launch. Apple Music is also backed by the strength of Apple’s subscriber base, which dwarfs that of most other music services and gives the company a huge pool of potential future subscribers.

As competition heats up between Spotify and Apple Music, the two have become bitter rivals and have been involved in some public battles over issues like exclusivity, the App Store, and free listening tiers in recent months.

SoundCloud recently introduced a new subscription service designed to compete with Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and other music streaming options. SoundCloud Go, priced at $9.99, gives users on-demand ad-free access to 125 million tracks, including premium licensed content.

With a SoundCloud acquisition, Spotify could potentially add all of that user-created content to its own music catalog, giving customers more original content to listen to along with its existing licensed content.

Tags: Spotify, SoundCloud
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Best heavy duty cases for Moto G4

Which heavy duty cases are best for the Moto G4?

You’ve just picked up your shiny new Moto G4 and you’re looking for a good protective case for it. That’s where we come in: here are some picks for the best heavy duty cases for the Moto G4.

• Cimo Moto G4 hybrid case
• TUDIA Extreme Protection case
• DAYJOY Moto G4 case
• J&D Moto G4 kickstand case
• OEAGO Defender case for Moto G4

Cimo Moto G4 hybrid case

Coming in a variety of colors, the Cimo Moto G4 Hybrid case offers good protection while enhancing the look of your Moto G4.

Composed of two layers, a soft flexible inner layer and a hard outer layer, the Cimo Moto G4 hybrid case protects against drops and shocks. Additionally, it has a grippy texture on the back that helps you keep hold of your Moto G4, preventing you from dropping it. It also has raised bezels around the edge to protect the screen and the camera lens from getting scratched when you lay your phone down.

Like most heavy-duty cases, the Cimo Moto G4 hybrid case does add to the thickness of your phone; however, that is to be expected from a case that’s supposed to protect it from damage.

If you’re looking for a good protective case for a decent price that’s comfortable to hold and is nice looking, then the Cimo Moto G4 hybrid case is for you.

See at Amazon

TUDIA Extreme Protection case

The TUDIA Extreme Protection case is a protective case that easily snaps on your Moto G4 while also keeping it looking sharp.

The TUDIA Extreme Protection case is made out of two layers: a hard polycarbonate outer shell that fits over a soft thermo-plastic urethane (TPU) inner shell. The two layers form a protective shield against shocks and drops, as well as keep out dust and dirt.

It’s stylish, too: it comes in four different colors — black, slate, mint and rose — so choose the one that suits you best.

If you’re looking for a stylish yet protective case for your Moto G4, the TUDIA Extreme Protection case is a great option.

See at Amazon

DAYJOY Moto G4 case

If you want a rugged case that makes your Moto G4 hard to drop, and you want a kickstand that you can prop up at any angle, then the DAYJOY Moto G4 case is the one you want.

Like other heavy-duty cases, the DAYJOY case has two layers: a hard polycarbonate outer layer and a soft inner layer made of flexible thermo-plastic urethane (TPU). This dual-layer construction helps to protect your device from the shocks associated with drops and well as preventing it from getting scratched up.

The back features ridges along the upper half to help you maintain your grip when you are holding your Moto G4, while the bottom half is smoother and contains the kickstand. The kickstand is able to rotate 360-degrees, so you can prop your device up at any angle that’s comfortable for you to read, play games, or watch videos.

See at Amazon

J&D Moto G4 kickstand case

The J&D Moto G4 kickstand case is just what it says on the tin: a protective case that comes with a kickstand.

Made of a hard polycarbonate outer shell and a soft silicone inner shell, the J&D G4 kickstand case protects your Moto G4 if you drop it and prevents scratches.

The kickstand allows you to prop your Moto G4 up for reading, playing games, or watching videos in comfort, and it’s ruggedly stylish, with an opening in the back to display the Motorola logo. Carry your phone with pride.

If you’re looking for a rugged case with a kickstand that has an opening in the back for the Motorola logo, then the J&D kickstand case is on the top of your list.

See at Amazon

OEAGO Defender case for Moto G4

The OEAGO Defender case for the Moto G4 is a protective case with a grippy back that helps you maintain hold of your Moto G4.

Composed of a hard outer shell and soft core, the OEAGO Defender protects your device against scratches and drops. It covers the buttons of your Moto G4 in the soft core material, shielding the weak points from damage. Don’t worry, though, the button coverings don’t interfere with their functionality in any way.

Additionally, the OEAGO Defender has a kickstand that can open to a 45-degree angle for comfortable reading, gaming, or for watching videos.

If you’re looking for a solid case for your Moto G4 that has a kickstand and helps you grip your device, then choose the OEAGO Defender.

See at Amazon

Let us know

Did we miss any awesome cases? Let us know all about in the comments below.

Moto G4 and G4 Plus

• Moto G4 Plus review
• Moto G4 and G4 Plus specs
• The latest Moto G4 news
• Join our Moto G4 and G4 Plus forums!

Moto G4:

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Moto G4 Plus:

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Pixel hype: Can the first real ‘Google phone’ make a splash outside the Android bubble?

The big message the company needs to convey on October 4 is why normal people should care about a phone ‘made by Google.’

Do you have an Android phone?

No, I have a Galaxy.

Just about every one of us at Android Central have had some variation on that conversation over the past few years. It underscores the difference in how normal people — those who don’t live and breathe smartphone industry nonsense every day — view phones. For the vast majority of humans, the way a phone looks and what it’s able to do is way more important than the operating system it runs or how up-to-date its software is.

That’s not to say consumers are ignorant, just that priorities outside of the Android/gadget nerd bubble are different.

Google’s Nexus phones never enjoyed mass appeal.

That’s partly why Google’s Nexus phones didn’t catch on in a big way. Taken as a whole, their biggest selling point was that they ran Google’s software as the company intended, and got new Android versions as soon as they were available. With the possible exception of the Nexus 6P, Google and its partners largely struggled to nail other really important parts of the experience — fundamental things like camera and battery life. Even the most visibly popular Nexus, 2013’s Nexus 5, sold because it was cheap. Without the Nexus badge or Google’s software, it was a boring plastic nothing with bad battery life and a temperamental camera.

Perhaps just as importantly, Google never really learned how to play the carrier game in the U.S.

The move to the Pixel brand suggests that Google, through its new hardware division, is serious about making a phone for the sake of making a phone, not just as a reference device for developers and a niche curiosity for enthusiasts. Serious money is being spent on serious, real world advertising — the sort you would expect to precede a major new Galaxy device.

And the “made by Google” marketing line — although pedants will point out HTC, as an ODM, is actually behind the Pixel phones — is the first step in a journey that could take us through to new Google tablets and eventually laptops running the rumored ‘Andromeda’ OS. Google wants everyone to know it’s serious about hardware, starting with the first Google phones next week.

Google needs to show normal people why its phones are exciting in a world that contains the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7.

So at its October 4 launch event, Google needs to set expectations. More importantly, it needs to show normal people why its hardware is worth getting excited about in a world that contains the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7. By all accounts, it’ll be asking for a hefty chunk of cash for its Pixel phones. At that price point, excellence across the spec sheet is table stakes.

The challenge shouldn’t be underestimated. Even ignoring the iPhone for a second, Samsung’s making life really hard for anyone selling an Android phone for north of $600 — as evidenced by the fact that the generally decent HTC 10 hasn’t made much of a dent in anything this past half-year. (Sure, Samsung’s facing its own difficulty over exploding Galaxy Note 7s and an unprecedented global recall, but in the meantime it’s still selling GS7s by the boatload.)

Both Apple and Samsung have full U.S. carrier coverage, almost unrivaled consumer mindshare and massive marketing budgets. Google may have money to spend, but it’s effectively a newcomer in this field. The Google brand is valuable (second only to Apple, in fact), but mostly not associated with physical goods.

More: Everything we know about Google’s Pixel phones

If the leaked specs are to be believed, the Pixels will use standard high-end Android internals, just like many other phones currently on sale. From what we’ve seen so far, the body containing all this stuff is a standard metal-and-glass affair, much like its soon-to-be rivals. Maybe it’s software and services that’ll differentiate things — Google’s clearly been hard at work on a new UI for its own devices. But for a hardware-themed event, that seems like a bit of a mismatch.

When Microsoft does hardware events, we get crazy new concepts like the Surface and Surface Book. When Apple launches new hardware, we get Jony Ive in a white room talking about magnetized ultra-fine iron particle baths and buttons that aren’t really there. If Google is to prove itself in the world of hardware, it needs something of similar impact, not just another pretty nice Android phone with decent Google software and services.

That’ll determine whether Pixel becomes just another phone for enthusiasts, or whether it marks the beginning of Google as a major brand in hardware.

If so, maybe someday when you ask someone if they have an Android phone, they’ll reply, “No, I have a Pixel.”

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Everything we know so far
• New navigation buttons
• Google UI + circular icons
• Android 7.1 Nougat
• Pixel vs Pixel XL
• Older Nexus phones

How to pair Bluetooth headphones with your Android phone

How do I pair Bluetooth headphones on Android?

With Apple getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack on the new iPhone, there has been some speculation as to what’s next for Android. Luckily, there is no one, proprietary port that could replace the headphone jack on Android phones… For now. So, whether you want to future-proof yourself or you just want the convenience of wireless headphones, getting a pair of Bluetooth cans isn’t a bad idea at all.

All you have to do is pair them with your Android phone and away you go. Here’s how!

How to pair Bluetooth headphones to your Android phone

Whether you have a Samsung device or something a little more “pure Android”, the process is pretty much the same.

Before you get started, turn on your headphones and make sure they’re in pairing mode. Instructions will come with the headphones.

Launch Settings from the Notification Shade, your home screen, or the app drawer.
Tap Bluetooth.
Tap the switch to turn Bluetooth on.

Tap the headphones under Available devices.

Your headphones should automatically pair. For some headphones, you may have to hold a pair button during pairing, but for most, you’ll just put them into pairing mode, tap them on your phone, and that’ll be it. They’ll show up in your known devices and automatically connect from then on.

Questions?

Questions about pairing Bluetooth headphones to your Android phone? Let us know in the comments below!

Too sick to stand: What it’s like to ride the first VR video game roller coaster

Virtual reality roller coasters are certainly cool, but are they really the future of theme parks?

Whose bright idea was it to strap a vomit-inducing virtual reality headset to people’s faces and then flip them upside down at 55 miles per hour?

It’s certainly not my idea of fun, but in the spirit of Halloween and all the thrills that come with it, Samsung and Six Flags debuted Rage of the Gargoyles, one of the first virtual reality coasters with a video game built into the ride. You play it by pointing your head at moving targets with the Gear VR while flying through the air on one of eight participating Six Flags coasters around the U.S. The game is meant to seamlessly integrate with all the twists and turns of the coaster its synced to, and Six Flags even promises that you won’t feel any motion sickness. Well, I’m here to tell you that this is not entirely true, as I learned from my own experience playing Rage of the Gargoyles.

Read more at VR Heads

How a 3D-printed boat race united a Red Hook community

Last Sunday, nearly 500 people gathered at Valentino Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn, to cheer on close to 20 radio-controlled boats as they sped towards a target 150 feet away. The boat races were part of the second annual Red Hook Regatta, which was born last year as a means to highlight the area’s history as a freight port, as well as the work of local youth. The competing vessels were either handmade or 3D printed, and were created to showcase the expertise of Red Hook’s so-called Digital Stewards.

The Digital Stewards fellowship is part of the Red Hook Initiative, which is a nonprofit that was founded in 2002. The yearlong program gives local youth free training in technology, digital media and skills such as 3D modeling, web development and WiFi architecture. It also includes a paid three-month internship. In the fellowship’s last two generations, the Stewards have been learning how to create 3D models and design boat hulls that had to be watertight.

After completing their masterpieces, two of the fellows, Laurenzo Reed and Jesus Benitez, felt that there needed to be a celebration at the end of the program to showcase what the Stewards had been doing, especially around 3D printing. Event organizer David Sheinkopf thought it was a good idea. He said he had wanted to do a 3D printed boat race for awhile, because he thought “everyone would love it,” and that it is a good opportunity for education about and exposure to tech.

Sheinkopf co-directs the education and tech integration arm of Red Hook-based nonprofit foundation Pioneer Works. He’s been working with the Digital Stewards three years now, and recently received a grant for the organization to integrate civic journalism in their programs. That led him to research the area’s history and talk to older members of the community. He learned that about 10,000 people lost cargo-related jobs in the 1950s, when the local shipping industry made the move to container stations,. And so, to tie the historical relevance to the modern technology that the community’s youth were learning in the fellowship, the 3D printed boat race was born.

This year, three main events anchored the Regatta’s program: a first-ever homemade (non-3D-printed) boat race, a halftime show and a 3D-printed boat race. Each vessel had to fit within a 2 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot box, and was equipped with a motor and rudder. About 14 teams competed in the 3D printed category, compared to just four for the DIY, and each team consisted of a captain and a stevedore (a cargo loader). The captain was in charge of steering the boat towards two magnet-equipped fishing hooks at stations about 150 feet out in the water, while the stevedore’s duty was to load the boat with foam bricks. These had metal attachments on them so they could be easily picked up by the hooks.

One of the competing vessels heading back to shore after offloading its cargo.

The goal of the race was to send your vessel, loaded with one foam brick at a time, to one of the hooks. You’d score a point if your boat delivered a brick to the nearer checkpoint, and two points if your cargo got picked up at the station farther out. Then, you’d have to steer your boat back to the coast to get another brick and head back out to the hooks. The team that scored the most points within 15 minutes won the race.

I joined former Digital Steward, Robert Smith this year as the stevedore to his boat (which he named Ice Kingdom). The white, almost grandfather-clock shaped hull was slightly over a foot long and about five inches wide. A laser-cut piece of plastic that covers the hull is the only part of the boat other than the motor and transmission (provided by the event’s organizers) that weren’t 3D printed. The hull is covered to provide a platform for the foam bricks, as well as stabilize the ship. On Smith’s boat, this plastic covering had some Transformer stickers as well as the letters ICE. “Be careful, it’s an Autobot,” he told me.

Small parts of the boats, such as rudders and rotors, were printed with a Makerbot Replicator 2 at Pioneer Works’ lab in Red Hook. The hulls were printed with a Gigabot 2, which has a larger platform and capacity.

Smith working on his boat right before we launched it into the water.

Up until the very last minute before the race, Smith tinkered with the boat’s motor and rudder, tightening wires and ensuring everything worked, while I tried to (trash) talk to some of our competitors. Not all of them were affiliated with the Digital Stewards program. Susse Soenderby and Guri Venstad, who hail from Norway and Denmark respectively, learned of the race through Pioneer Works. Their vessel, a colorful mermaid-esque ship named Frøja was modeled in Solidworks. The ladies printed their hull at 3D printing service 3D Hubs, then painstakingly sandpapered and spray-painted the hull with a gorgeous blue-green gradient themselves. The result was stunning and looked more like a toy you could buy off the shelf for your Barbie than a 3D printed project.

The gorgeous paint job on Frøja.

In the end, although Ice Kingdom and Frøja lost to winners Malachi and La Corncita, both created by Digital Stewards, all participating boats performed respectably, and not a single vessel got lost at sea. Ice Kingdom was even the first to score a point at all, but eventually had to bow out due to motor failure.

Despite many frustrating defeats, people who turned up to show support remained in high spirits. A particularly heartwarming entrant was crowd favorite Garbage Boat, an artistic bag of trash strapped to a motor that competed in the DIY category. Garbage Boat, and its maker Sam Levine, drew loud cheers and applause, even though they failed to score a single point. And the halftime show, which had organizers landing a drone on a homemade 6-foot aircraft carrier, was yet another demonstration of tech coming out of Red Hook.

The homemade aircraft carrier on standby before the halftime show.

Spectators were also treated to a performance by neighborhood children’s dance team Flagpole’s Finest, and kid-friendly activities were also available throughout the day for younger attendees. Sheinkopf said, “Our goal with this race was to have an event that was so inherently interesting and weird and different” that it would attract a truly diverse audience. And indeed, I saw people of all ages, ethnic groups and genders out that day. This level of representation in the turnout was, to Sheinkopf, “a measure of success.” And as for what events like this can do for local youth, he believes “just putting these young adults in proximity to all this tech just makes it more real.”