Spotify’s ‘Secret Genius’ may help smooth things over with songwriters

Spotify announced the launch of Secret Genius today — a global, songwriter-focused initiative that will highlight the contributions of those working behind the scenes in the music industry. It’s a move that acknowledges members of the music world that Spotify has had a contentious relationship with in the past.

One component of Secret Genius is the Ambassador Program through which over a dozen songwriters will host workshops to create music alongside their peers. Secret Genius will also create playlists that compile the ambassadors’ hits and produce podcasts where songwriters will describe how some of their well-known songs were made. And this Fall, Secret Genius will host an award show honoring songwriters, producers and publishers voted on by their music industry colleagues.

Spotify has had a rocky relationship with songwriters and artists. Last month, the company settled a lawsuit over unpaid royalties by setting up a $43.4 million fund to compensate publishers and songwriters who hadn’t been properly paid. And earlier this year, Spotify made a similar settlement with the National Music Publishers Association that cost them $21 million.

But it has been trying to make things right. The company recently limited its free streaming option, allowing some artists to release new albums to paying Spotify customers only for the first few weeks. And Spotify purchased the company Mediachain in order to streamline information about the proprietary rights for any given song.

While it’s not thrilling to hear that there will soon be another award show to follow, acknowledging the work of writers, producers and publishers is the right thing to do and a good look for Spotify.

Via: Variety

Source: Spotify

Pandora AutoPlay spins a custom mix when a playlist ends

Pandora Premium has been out for a few months now, and today the company is adding a notable feature from Rdio, the music-streaming service Pandora purchased in the fall of 2015. AutoPlay does just what it says — when you finish listening to an album or playlist, Pandora will keep right on playing. But rather than looping the album or playlist, Pandora will generate a queue of songs based specifically on your listening habits. Those songs will also be tailored to the music you were just listening to so it hopefully matches up well with what you’re in the mood to hear.

Having used AutoPlay in its previous incarnation as part of Rdio, it’ll definitely be a welcome addition to Pandora Premium. The $10/month streaming music service competes with market leaders Spotify and Apple Music — and while we found there’s a lot to like about Pandora Premium it’s also not quite feature-complete yet. I have little doubt that AutoPlay is a good addition to Pandora, but hopefully the company will add more robust queueing features soon. For now, the service doesn’t let you add any songs, playlists or albums to an ongoing queue as you go, something pretty much all of its competitors do. And Spotify has been slowly rolling out a similar feature; when you finish an album or playlist, it automatically plays a related artist radio station.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that there’s a bit of uncertainty around Pandora right now — the company is said to be looking for a buyer. That doesn’t mean that Pandora’s music services are going anywhere, but it’s hard to say what a purchase or new partnership will mean for it going forward.

Even Republicans think Trump tweets too much

If you spend all of your time on social media, you probably aren’t devoting enough time and attention to doing the job you’re paid to do. For the current leader of the free world, however, Twitter is a megaphone that he is loathe to surrender. But, according to a poll conducted by Morning Consult and Politico, the presidential Twitter habit is too much even for people on his own side. The document says that 53 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of Trump voters now feel that the official “tweets too much.”

It’s not the first time that those on that side of the aisle have criticized the Trumpian addiction to 140-character missives. Majority leader Mitch McConnell has said, both publicly and privately, that he is “not a fan of the daily tweets.” What’s interesting, however, is that those numbers have been steadily increasing: when asked the same question back in December, only 42 percent of Republicans expressed such fatigue.

There is also broader agreement that, in general, the tweeting is proving to be an unnecessary distraction from the business of government. Plus, it’s also plunged the president into a potential mess, since lawyers believe that blocking users on the site may be a first amendment violation. Not to mention, you know, the whole covfefe thing.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Morning Consult, 2 (.PDF)

iOS 11 Streamlines Creation of Custom Apple Watch Faces With New Share Sheet Option in Photos

Apple has made it easier than ever for users to create custom watch faces on their Apple Watch in iOS 11, thanks to a new share sheet option within Photos on iPhone.

On the current operating systems for iPhone and Apple Watch, users can choose a “Photo” watch face to add to their Apple Watch, but the only way to change the picture is to customize the face on the Apple Watch and swipe left and right through photos in a synced album. “Photo Album” is also available, which automatically shuffles up which picture will appear on Apple Watch — again, within a selected album — each time the wrist is raised.

Now, Apple has added in a simple new share sheet to Photos on iOS 11, as spotted by French site Watch Generation [Google Translate]. After a photo is selected the sheet gives the option to “Create Watch Face,” then users have to choose which face they prefer: a typical photo face where the image is presented as normal, or they can turn the image into one of Apple Watch’s new kaleidoscope faces.

For the Photos face, users can now also select 10 custom images directly within the Watch app to add into the photo rotation of the watch face. This should make creating a custom Photos watch face much easier than the current method in iOS 10, where users either have to choose from one of the pre-set albums in iOS, or go into the Photos app to build a custom one with the images they want to see on their Apple Watch face.

For the kaleidoscope watch face, Apple appears to have multiple pre-set images to choose from that result in the distorted images seen at WWDC this week, including a flower and a few of the colorful exploding sand imagery already available as iOS wallpaper options. When users add in a custom image, it’ll appear at the end of this list. There are also custom styles of kaleidoscope to choose from, including one that distorts images with triangular geometry (“Facet”) and one with softer circles (“Radial”).

Check out previous MacRumors coverage from WWDC week for more iOS 11 tidbits, including easier Wi-Fi password sharing, new AirPods controls, Control Center customization, QR code support in Camera, and more. There’s also our hands-on video with the new iOS that walks through a few of the biggest additions to the iPhone software, which will launch for everyone sometime this fall.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3, watchOS 4, iOS 11
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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United Nations summit seeks to save humanity with artificial intelligence

Why it matters to you

For better or worse, AI will soon be integrated into almost every aspect of out lives. Meetings like these hope to make it for better.

Standing on stage in front hundreds of policymakers, academics, and industry leaders in a United Nations conference room on Wednesday, Margaret Chan admitted she’s probably the least knowledgeable person present on the topic of artificial intelligence.

Chan, an expert in her own right as director general of the World Health Organization, was nonetheless chosen to open a panel of the first inaugural AI for Good Global Summit, a UN-hosted event that hopes to guide AI development with ethical, social, and sustainable goals in mind. And she raised some important issues about how this technology will effect society.

Despite her claim to ignorance, Chan is relatively optimistic about emerging technologies and their potential health benefits. She flashed a wearable that tracks her daily steps and admitted she was yet to meet her goal.

Addressing the crowd, she asked, “What gadgets could you create to make individuals make healthy choices and live healthier lives?”

Still, Chan voiced a few points of caution during her speech. She pointed out that medical conditions are often complex, while diagnosing them can require a context and intuition exclusive to humans. AI may stand in for some medical roles but is far from being able to replace human interactions.

But her more pressing comments addressed issues of the developing world which she believes we often miss in the developed world. Namely, a lack of resources.

“I’d be hard-pressed to recommend AI for health care in regions where standard machines don’t work for want of electricity,” she said. As a follow-up, she questioned the value of an early cancer diagnosis in a developing region if treatment there is unavailable.

Meanwhile data, which is hoarded by governments and companies, and is widely regarded as today’s most valuable resource, is lacking in developing regions.

The next question then is how emerging technologies — particularly AI — can bring these regions up to speed. How can AI help optimize infrastructure and transportation channels to move medical goods more efficiently? Could it predict political and economic events that disrupt development? How might AI improve education, better training doctors to treat their patients?

Experts think AI could solve the world’s most complicated issues and it’s what these few hundred delegates have met in Geneva for three days to discuss. At the summit they’ll explore the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals — among them, ending things like poverty, hunger, and inequality — to consider how AI can be used to make our future better for everyone.

Over the next couple months we’ll review some of the most innovative and disruptive ideas to come out of the conference — from attainable short-term goals to moonshots — diving deep into complex issues that will shape or break our world.

Stay tuned.

United Nations summit seeks to save humanity with artificial intelligence

Why it matters to you

For better or worse, AI will soon be integrated into almost every aspect of out lives. Meetings like these hope to make it for better.

Standing on stage in front hundreds of policymakers, academics, and industry leaders in a United Nations conference room on Wednesday, Margaret Chan admitted she’s probably the least knowledgeable person present on the topic of artificial intelligence.

Chan, an expert in her own right as director general of the World Health Organization, was nonetheless chosen to open a panel of the first inaugural AI for Good Global Summit, a UN-hosted event that hopes to guide AI development with ethical, social, and sustainable goals in mind. And she raised some important issues about how this technology will effect society.

Despite her claim to ignorance, Chan is relatively optimistic about emerging technologies and their potential health benefits. She flashed a wearable that tracks her daily steps and admitted she was yet to meet her goal.

Addressing the crowd, she asked, “What gadgets could you create to make individuals make healthy choices and live healthier lives?”

Still, Chan voiced a few points of caution during her speech. She pointed out that medical conditions are often complex, while diagnosing them can require a context and intuition exclusive to humans. AI may stand in for some medical roles but is far from being able to replace human interactions.

But her more pressing comments addressed issues of the developing world which she believes we often miss in the developed world. Namely, a lack of resources.

“I’d be hard-pressed to recommend AI for health care in regions where standard machines don’t work for want of electricity,” she said. As a follow-up, she questioned the value of an early cancer diagnosis in a developing region if treatment there is unavailable.

Meanwhile data, which is hoarded by governments and companies, and is widely regarded as today’s most valuable resource, is lacking in developing regions.

The next question then is how emerging technologies — particularly AI — can bring these regions up to speed. How can AI help optimize infrastructure and transportation channels to move medical goods more efficiently? Could it predict political and economic events that disrupt development? How might AI improve education, better training doctors to treat their patients?

Experts think AI could solve the world’s most complicated issues and it’s what these few hundred delegates have met in Geneva for three days to discuss. At the summit they’ll explore the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals — among them, ending things like poverty, hunger, and inequality — to consider how AI can be used to make our future better for everyone.

Over the next couple months we’ll review some of the most innovative and disruptive ideas to come out of the conference — from attainable short-term goals to moonshots — diving deep into complex issues that will shape or break our world.

Stay tuned.

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

HPlayer

Downloads and watches videos from your Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, Box, and other cloud drives from your iPhone even if you’re offline.

Available on:

iOS

Splashtop Personal

Use Splashtop to access your computer on the local network with best-in-class video streaming performance. View and edit Microsoft Office and PDF files, and put your Mac in your pocket.

Available on:

iOS

iPicBox Pro

Store your photos safely in this app. All your photos stored in iPicBox are 100-percent private. Your photos are only stored on your device and are never uploaded to the app’s servers.

Available on:

iOS

Speak2See

Speak2See utilizes state-of-the-art voice recognition to rapidly convert your words into large, legible text. Your iPhone and iPad are instantly upgraded to visual pocket communicators.

Available on:

iOS

California Law

Californian? Interested in Californian law? This app is for you. LawStack’s complete California Law (CA) in your pocket so you can leave the heavy book at home. A number of these state-law apps are free today.

Available on:

iOS

WidgetCal

This app shows a weekly or monthly view for your events and reminders, all with a beautiful layout directly in your Notification Center. Access your calendar without hassle.

Available on:

iOS

Breathe new life into your “obsolete” smartphone by using it as a smart home gadget

Update: Added Cloud Baby Monitor and Presence.

Just because your old smartphone is a couple of generations old doesn’t mean it can’t be put to good use. When you get down to it, even the most outdated phone is still a palm-sized computer stuffed with advanced sensor tech. So instead of throwing it away or reselling it for less than what you paid originally, why not repurpose it?

There are dozens of incredible Android and iOS apps that can transform your phone into a useful smart home fixture, as well as a myriad of low-cost “accessories” that can add extra functionality to your device. Below you’ll find a quick roundup of the best ones around.

Manything

Manything is a free iOS app that can convert your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into a Wi-Fi-connected security camera. Then, you can use a second iOS device as your mobile monitor or opt to keep an eye on things from the Manything web app. But it’s more than just a security camera; it’s also got its own IFTTT channel, so you can link it to a huge range of web services and connected devices. For example, if you’ve got Philips Hue lights in your house, you could set them to turn on automatically whenever Manything detects motion — making your phone act as both a motion-activated smart switch and a handy home-security tool that makes it look like someone’s at home.

Download now for:

Android iOS

Salient Eye

Much like Manything, Salient Eye turns your phone or tablet into a network-connected security cam; the only big difference is that it works with Android devices instead of Apple ones (though an iOS version is in the works). It’s completely free to download and use, and it comes with a boatload of useful features, such as auto-capture on motion detection, email and text alerts, a sound alarm, and a decent chunk of free online storage space. The best part? It works with any phone running Android 2.2 or higher, so no matter how old your brick might be, it’ll still be able to run the app. Just don’t expect crisp, 1080p video playback from your first-gen Samsung Galaxy.

Download now for:

Android

Dormi

For a one-time price of just seven bucks, Dormi will take any Android phone or tablet running Gingerbread version 3.2 or greater and put its internet connectivity and advanced video and audio sensors to good use. Once you’ve got it installed, you just plug the device into the wall and let it run like a regular baby monitor. From there, you can use your primary phone to monitor audio or video at any point, or simply configure the app to send you automatic alerts when your baby wakes up. It constantly senses ambient noise in a given room, so as soon as your little monst — err, bundle of joy — wakes up and starts crying, you’ll know.

Download now for:

Android

Cloud Baby Monitor

This app gives you high-quality video and unlimited range through Wi-Fi, 3G, or LTE. This app is extremely versatile, and it functions as a home security camera or a baby monitor. It is capable of alerting you to noises or motion, and for your baby, it can play a lullaby or just white noise to help them sleep. You can use it to talk to your baby remotely, and it is compatible with the Apple Watch, so you can get motion or noise alerts right on your wrist. If you work on a Mac, then you can also install it on your Mac and monitor your home as you work.

Download now for:

iOS

Presence

This app offers high quality home monitoring video together with motion alerts that you can use for anything you might want to monitor in your home — or anywhere else. It also offers 2-way video calling, so that you can talk to your baby or your loved ones. Presence also comes with 50MB of free cloud storage. If you pay $5 per month to upgrade to Presence Pro video, which is currently only available in the iOS version, you’ll get 5GB of cloud storage and advanced motion detection features. Add Presence Security sensors, which start from $35, to your house and you can build a complete security system. Check out their website to find out more.

Download now for:

Android iOS

Strava’s new directory makes it easier to find fitness-enabled apps

Why it matters to you

Ever wonder what cool stuff you could do with your workout data? Strava’s app directory shows you in detail.

Ever since Strava, the self-coined social network for athletes, let third-party developers access its data, the number of Strava-enabled apps has gone up exponentially. As of June, nearly 18,000 apps and products take advantage of Strava’s application program interface (API) and more are on the way. That is why Strava’s introducing a way to keep track of them all: The Strava app directory.

Strava’s directory showcases Strava-enabled apps across categories like data importers, visualizers, prints, social motivation, charity, performance, training apps, and others. They run the gamut but some let you meet new running partners based on your pace and geography, turn your activity into 3D prints, overlay data on video clips, and more.

To celebrate the app directory’s launch, Strava is highlighting a few of the best on its blog.

Tapiriik, a “data importer,” synchronizes fitness activities between a variety of sources including Strava, Garmin Connect, TrainingPeaks, Dropbox, and several more. Earn Your Name and Relive, two Strava “visualizers,” analyze your ride data and give you a nickname with a customized poster, and create 3D videos of your runs and rides.

Other Strava-enabled apps include Xert (“training”), which adjusts workout plans to suit your needs, and Everyday Hero (“charity”), which uses Strava to track your miles logged for fundraising. Nice Trails, one of the directory’s more creative listings, turns your adventures into 3D sculptures.

“In the past few years, we’ve seen an explosion in the number of cool apps being developed by members of our community using Strava’s API,” Mateo Ortega, Strava’s head of integration, said in a statement. “We created this directory to help our athletes find fun, useful, and interesting ways to get more out of their Strava data, as well as shine a light on these creative developers who are using Strava as a platform.”

Strava is free to use, but the Premium tier ($60) adds daily schedule and riding advice, plus plans tailored to take into account the time you have to ride and the date you want to achieve your goal. You get leaderboard filters (by age and weight), a workout effectiveness ranking (Suffer Score), a real-time emergency monitoring feature, the ability to download third-party routes, and more.

Strava’s app directory is another peg in the company’s impressive ladder of achievements. More than 1 million athletes join the network every 40 days, Strava said, and its users upload 16 activities every second and 10 million every week.

It’s not the only improvement Strava has made recently. In August, it gained Beacon, a feature that lets users share distance, caloric expenditure, and speed in real time.  In March, it added Live Segments, a cyclist-focused feature that serves up real-time audio and visual cues.

Sprint teams up with Tidal to offer six months of its premium music service

Why it matters to you

Sprint subscribers can now get up to six months of free Tidal service.

It wasn’t that long ago that Sprint, the U.S.’s fourth-largest carrier, invested heavily in Tidal, the music service owned by Jay Z. Speculation at the time suggested Sprint would extend exclusive Tidal deals to subscribers, and that’s proven to be spot on: On Thursday, June 8, the carrier announced customers will get complimentary six-month trial of Tidal’s priciest service, Tidal HiFi.

“We recognize that music streaming is one of the most important services for consumers,” Marcelo Claure, Sprint president and CEO, said. “More than two thirds of mobile subscribers stream music an average of 45 minutes per day, making our partnership with Tidal a natural fit for Sprint and our commitment to offering innovative, affordable and worry-free service. We’re providing our customers and anyone who signs up for Sprint a complimentary six-month trial of Tidal HiFi so they can experience all the unique and exclusive content Tidal has to offer.”

Starting June 9, Sprint customers can visit Sprint.com (or a brick-and-mortar Sprint location) for information on how to add Tidal HiFi to their plans. Tidal HiFi plans include on-demand access to more than 48.5 million music tracks, 175,000 videos, and exclusive content from artists like Calvin Harris, Nicki Minaj, and Beyonce. That’s in addition to curated playlists, live-streams, music videos, ticket giveaways,

quka/123RF

Once the six-month Tidal trial ends, subscriptions go up to $10 per month for Tidal Premium.

To mark the promotion’s launch, Tidal and Sprint are teaming up to fund a charitable project aimed at children who lack internet at home. The 1Million Project, which seeks to connect 1 million low-income high-school students who lack access to an affordable internet subscription, will provide free mobile devices and up to four years of free high-speed wireless connectivity for high school kids who qualify.

Starting June 9, Sprint will donate $2 for every new line action — up to $1 million total — with a device purchase or lease to support the 1Million Project.

“Education is key to a bright future, and unfortunately not everyone has access to the tools and resources needed to succeed, including internet access and mobile devices,” Tidal artist-owner, Nicki Minaj, said. “I’m so proud to work with Sprint and Tidal, who are prioritizing programs like the 1Million Project in order to ensure that a student’s zip code and family financial situation aren’t roadblocks to a successful future.”

The Tidal deal dovetails with Sprint’s discounted rate plan. For a limited time, the carrier’s covering any cancellation fees new customers incur up to $650 per line, in the form of a prepaid reward card. And for a limited time, Sprint is offering four lines of unlimited data, talk, and text for $22.50.