Amazon Rolls Out Music Unlimited ‘Family Plan’ to the U.K. for £15 per Month
Amazon has expanded its Family Plan for Amazon Music Unlimited to the U.K., following initial rollout across the U.S. last month.
The plan costs £15 a month, or £149 a year, which works out at a lower price of £12 per month. The subscription supports up to six family members (at least 13 years of age) for simultaneous listening and personal recommendations.
On the plan, a single family member uses a “shared payment method” to pay for the subscription, such as a debit or credit card that Amazon uses to charge each month for the service. Each member can make purchases on Amazon and Amazon Music Unlimited with the shared payment method, while the main subscriber receives notifications of all activity within the group. The plan also retains the same functionality as the Individual Plan subscription.
Amazon Music Unlimited has a library of 40 million songs and is available under four optional plans. Prime members can sign up to the streaming service for £8 per month or £79 per year, while non-Prime members pay £10 per month. For Echo or Echo Dot owners, a cheaper £4 per month plan is available, but is restricted to music playback on the smart device.
Tags: Amazon, Amazon Music Unlimited
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Sony’s PlayStation Division to Release 6 Mobile Games for iOS Next Year
Sony is set to release up to six games for iOS in the financial year starting April in the hope of replicating Nintendo’s phenomenal success with Pokémon Go (via Reuters).
The upcoming titles will bring popular Sony franchises such as Everybody’s Golf to iOS devices for the first time, said the company. Previously Sony has only launched a few games for smartphones through its music entertainment division, but the new games will be “mobile designated” and be produced through its PlayStation business.
Everybody’s Golf on PlayStation 4
Sony also revealed on Wednesday that it is working on 10 mobile gaming titles, including those to be released next year. The 10 titles include PaRappa the Rapper and Arc The Lad. Japan will be first to get the games, before rollout to other Asian countries and eventually likely elsewhere, depending on initial success.
Despite its huge success in the console market worldwide, Sony is facing increasing heat from mobile in countries such as Japan, the world’s third largest game market where mobile gaming accounts for more than half of the $12.4 billion market, according to games research firm Newzoo.
The announcement comes just a week before Nintendo debuts Super Mario Run on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The endless runner game goes live on the App Store on December 15 for $9.99.
Tag: Sony
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Magic Leap will soon test its technology in the real world
We might be getting closer to finally finding out what Magic Leap’s mixed-reality headset looks like. The ultra-secretive company has posted a job listing on Glassdoor for a Field Engineer, who’ll actually have to drive around with its devices and collect data in real world locations. “Work will entail setting up and using high precision equipment to capture both environments and user behavior in home settings,” the listing reads. Magic Leap announced a Star Wars and a Twilio partnership this year, but its technology is still shrouded in mystery even now.
Sadly, the job listing is as vague as the company has been these past years and it’s hard to deduce much from what’s written in it. One thing’s clear, though: the new hire will be based out of the company’s headquarters in Plantation, Florida, so folks living could get the first glimpse at Magic Leap’s mixed-reality device.
Here’s the listing in full:
“This position involves collecting data with Magic Leap devices in real world locations. Work will entail setting up and using high precision equipment to capture both environments and user behavior in home settings. Applicants will be based at Magic Leap Headquarters in Plantation, and drive with equipment to nearby locations for data collection.
A successful applicant will be comfortable working with complex hardware and software, be able to debug common problems, and meticulous with logging of collection data so that all collected data is usable. Some experience working with Linux command line tools is a plus.
Additional Information.”
Via: Quartz
Source: Glassdoor
Sony’s Project Field brings card games to life
From Skylanders to Amiibo, “Toys to life” have been a pretty lucrative way for video game companies to make money. Sony has been more-or-less absent from the field, but today it’s announcing something not too dissimilar: Project Field.
The company is showing off dedicated smart pads that pair with a phone or tablet to bring card games to life. Imagine a game like Hearthstone, for instance, but with physical cards that you buy in store. Or the physical and digital versions of Pokémon Trading Card Game fused together.
When a user places a card on one of the pads, it’s identified using an NFC-like wireless technology. The pad then sends the card’s exact position to the phone or tablet using Bluetooth. Once the card is in the game, the pad is able to detect movement — if you slide a card to another position, for example. The cards will be both readable and writable, meaning in-game status changes can be saved. Depending on the game, players will also be able to “grow” a character, with stats stored on the card.
Sony announced Project Field today as part of a broader push to get PlayStation games onto mobile phones, and says it has “multiple” projects planned for the platform. The first title to be announced is based on Yokai Watch, the hugely popular Level-5 RPG.
This isn’t a drastically new idea — Sengoku Taisen, Kantai Collection and other Japanese arcade games already blend collectible cards with video games. Nintendo’s Amiibo cards for Animal Crossing also have built-in NFC chips. Where Project Field differs is in portability, and potential reach. If the pads are sold at a reasonable rate, players will be able to get an arcade experience anywhere they can bring a tablet.
While Project Field is only slated for release in Japan, the worldwide appeal of Skylanders and Amiibo means an international release doesn’t seem impossible.
Source: PlayStation Japan
Pearl Black Galaxy S7 edge with 128GB storage debuting in Korea later this week
Samsung’s answer to the Jet Black iPhone 7 is here.
Samsung is looking to introduce new color options to increase sales of the Galaxy S7 edge for the holiday season. We’ve already seen the Blue Coral variant break cover last month, and Samsung is now getting ready to launch the Pearl Black color option in South Korea on December 9. Notably, the new color variant is expected to come with 128GB of storage.
The information comes by way of SamMobile, which posted live photos of the device last month. From the images, the Pearl Black color option looks like a glossier version of the Note 7’s Black Onyx variant.
Samsung is expected to officially launch the Pearl Black color option shortly, and as of now there’s no information to suggest it will make its way to global markets. We’ll let you know if we hear otherwise. What do you guys make of the new color variant?
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Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes gets Android-exclusive content ahead of Rogue One premiere
This is the Android content you’re looking for…
Another year, another Star Wars movie for fans to get hyped over. In celebration of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premiering at theatres across North America country on December 16, Android gamers can enjoy exclusive content in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, the massively popular collectable card game RPG set in the Star Wars universe.
Starting today, and exclusive to Android, you can grab the new Rogue One Heroes Pack for free. The pack includes K-2SO, the new Droid that will be featured in the Rogue One movie. Once unlocked, you’re able to keep him forever and upgrade him to seven stars. Expect more Rogue One-based content included in the Heroes Pack.
This Rogue One content is only available for a limited time, so don’t be a scruffy nerfherder — log in and grab your exclusive Heroes Pack before December 16 so you don’t miss out.
Amazon India is giving away six OnePlus 3Ts, Prime members get early access in first sale
Complete the OnePlus Trail for a chance to win the OnePlus 3T.
Ahead of the first sale of the OnePlus 3T in India, Amazon is running a contest through which the retailer is giving away six units of the device along with 20 OnePlus Bullets V2 earbuds. All you have to do is install the Amazon India app, sign in to your account, and start solving clues in the OnePlus Trail. You have two options — the Fantasy Trail or the Tech Trail — and each choice has 12 clues, with 100 points for each answer. Those that accumulate the most points stand a chance to pick up the OnePlus 3T for free.
Amazon is also giving Prime members early access to the OnePlus 3T. The first sale is slated for December 14, but if you’re subscribed to Prime, you will be eligible to buy the device on December 12. You’ll have to register here beforehand.
The phone itself is cometitively priced in India, with the 64GB variant retailing for ₹29,999 ($440). The 128GB version costs slightly more at ₹34,999 ($515).
See at Amazon India
Sony is getting in on the OLED TV action with two new models
OLED TVs represent some of the best in the business. LG is the only real champion of the screen technology right now, with Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and Philips sticking with LCD LED. But that’s all set to change next year as it’s been confirmed Sony will be releasing two 4K OLED screens of its own.
- 11 reasons why your next TV should be OLED
The confirmation comes from John Archer, who has received concrete information from Barry Young, the CEO of the Texas-based OLED Association. He goes on to say shipments are expected in the second quarter of 2017 with sales to then take place in the third or fourth quarters.
The screens themselves are said to use OLED panels from LG Display, but they’ll then likely use Sony’s own screen processing technology. Prices are said to be $1999 for the 55-inch model and $2999 model, which in OLED terms is pretty cheap and less than the cost of some of LG’s best models.
If Sony’s prices are true, we could see new models from LG that are as competitively priced, making OLED an even more compelling proposition.
It’s not clear when Sony will officially unveil the screens. It was initially thought the company would use the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, but it’s now looking as though we may not see them in the flesh until IFA in Berlin in September.
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OLED screens use individual LEDs to produce light, which provide a number of benefits including absolute black since they can turn themselves off, and bright whites. Contrast levels are also some of the best, but the downside is they can’t go as bright as LCD LED screens, which can affect HDR performance. The screen technology you choose for your TV will ultimately come down to personal preference, but we’re glad another TV giant is entering the OLED market.
New Nvidia Shield Android TV box and controller expected for CES 2017
Nvidia’s Shield Android TV box has been around for more than a year but is still the flagbearer for Android set-top-boxes. It was the first media streamer to offer Netflix in 4K and with HDR, and its Tegra X1 processor and 3GB of RAM ensured that it zipped through Android apps and games like a Ryu fireball through a butter wall.
However, times move on and other devices are catching up. Smart TVs themselves offer as many 4K apps, for example, even games streaming services. And games consoles have also beefed up of late. It’s time for a new version of the Shield TV and it looks like we’ll be getting one soon.
Nvidia is said to be unveiling a new version of its Android TV box at CES 2017 in Vegas this January.
Slashgear claims that an anonymous source is familiar with the plans. It says that the Shield TV box itself will largely stay the same, although there will be the addition of 802.11ac Wi-Fi support and MIMO antennas for better wireless connectivity.
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The controller will see the most changes, it is claimed. It will switch from Wi-Fi Direct to Bluetooth Low Energy, which shouldn’t lose the famed low latency the current model offers but should improve battery life. It is also said that the Shield Remote might also make the switch to Bluetooth, which would definitely be a godsend as our current remote loses power far too often.
The Shield game controller will also thin out a bit. The current one is a little unwieldy.
There are no rumours yet on whether the Shield Android tablet will also get a refresh, but we suspect so. Nvidia will also undoubtedly use its CES keynote to detail more action in the automotive space.
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