Shazam Debuts Redesigned Apple Watch App That Identifies Songs Faster

Shazam, the service designed to listen to music and identify lyrics, today updated its iOS app with support for iOS 11 and watchOS 4.

The update includes an entirely revamped version of the Shazam Apple Watch app, with a new look and feel and some impressive speed improvements.

Shazam for Apple Watch is able to identify songs much more quickly, and there’s a new more convenient feature that lets users set Shazam to listen and then lower their wrists. When the song is identified, Shazam offers up a little haptic tap.

As MacStories points out, on one of the new Apple Watch Series 3 models, Shazam was able to identify music that was playing in just a few seconds. Shazam is also able to operate entirely over LTE on the new devices when an iPhone isn’t available.

The new app also supports listening to previews of song matches directly on the Apple Watch, with the interface displaying list of the last handful of songs that were identified.

Shazam can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Shazam
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Apple Named World’s Most Valuable Brand for Fifth Consecutive Year

Apple was named the world’s most valuable brand in Interbrand’s 2017 Best Global Brands ranking this week, marking Apple’s fifth consecutive year in the position.

Apple’s Interbrand valuation was up three percent, coming in at $184.15 billion to beat out Google ($141.7B), Microsoft ($80B), Coca-Cola ($69.7B), Amazon ($64.8B), and Samsung ($59.3B). Apple and Google together have held the top two positions for several years, but Microsoft’s #3 position is new and comes thanks to double-digit percent growth.

Though Apple struggled with its first year-over-year revenue decline in 2016 due to flagging iPhone sales, the company rebounded during the first quarter of 2017 to set new revenue records and has maintained its sales pace throughout the year.

Apple was not included in the top five Growing Brands category, with Facebook (48 percent growth), Amazon (29 percent), Adobe (19 percent), Adidas (17 percent), and Starbucks (16 percent) leading that list.

To determine a brand’s cumulative value, Interbrand considers the financial performance of branded products products and services, the role the brand plays in influencing customer choice, and the strength the brand has to command a premium price.

Along with Interbrand, several other companies offer brand rankings, like Forbes, and Apple often tops those lists as well.

Tag: Interbrand
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New Fluent Forever language-learning app breaks Kickstarter records

Why it matters to you

New Fluent Forever app promises to teach you to speak other languages by changing the way you think about learning them.

Whether for fun or business, many of us would like to speak another language. There are various apps like Duolingo and Memrise in existence that help make this easier, but a new Kickstarter campaign wants to add another to the mix. It’s the work of Gabriel Wyner, an opera singer, multilinguist, and author of the Fluent Forever language-learning book — and he’s convinced that he’s come up with a way to crack the challenge of teaching people new languages.

The “hook” for the subscription-based app is not to get users to think in terms of translating individual words, but instead building up new associations between concepts and a large number of foreign words, which they can then access when trying to think of a particular word.

“Fluent Forever has always focused on memory as the primary barrier to language learning,” Wyner told Digital Trends. “Not grammar, not listening comprehension, but memory. When I say ‘camera,’ your brain lights up with thousands of associated images, sounds and words. ‘Camera’ connects with iPhone and DSLR and shutter and lens. It connects with photographs you’ve seen throughout your life and the ‘shutter’ sound on your cellphone. It has grammatical associations: You might use a camera to shoot a photograph. You might see a cameraman on the news. You are never going to forget the English word ‘camera,’ because you have so many associations with that word.”

According to Wyner, however, when we learn other languages we don’t do this — which is why it’s easy to forget the words we pick up. It’s here that the new app aims to change things, with the assistance of some nifty flashcards and “ear-training” techniques. Through these, you’ll learn pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all in a way its creator says is far more intuitive than other apps. Using the service, Wyner claims that users will be able to pick up a reasonable fluency of Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Dutch in six months, German in nine months, Russian or Hebrew in 12 months, and Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, or Arabic in 24 months.

Those are some big claims, but clearly folks are convinced by the approach — since the app has already become the most-funded app in Kickstarter history. If you’d like to get in on the ground floor, you can get beta access to the app with a pledge starting at $40. Estimated delivery is set for August 2018.

New Fluent Forever language-learning app breaks Kickstarter records

Why it matters to you

New Fluent Forever app promises to teach you to speak other languages by changing the way you think about learning them.

Whether for fun or business, many of us would like to speak another language. There are various apps like Duolingo and Memrise in existence that help make this easier, but a new Kickstarter campaign wants to add another to the mix. It’s the work of Gabriel Wyner, an opera singer, multilinguist, and author of the Fluent Forever language-learning book — and he’s convinced that he’s come up with a way to crack the challenge of teaching people new languages.

The “hook” for the subscription-based app is not to get users to think in terms of translating individual words, but instead building up new associations between concepts and a large number of foreign words, which they can then access when trying to think of a particular word.

“Fluent Forever has always focused on memory as the primary barrier to language learning,” Wyner told Digital Trends. “Not grammar, not listening comprehension, but memory. When I say ‘camera,’ your brain lights up with thousands of associated images, sounds and words. ‘Camera’ connects with iPhone and DSLR and shutter and lens. It connects with photographs you’ve seen throughout your life and the ‘shutter’ sound on your cellphone. It has grammatical associations: You might use a camera to shoot a photograph. You might see a cameraman on the news. You are never going to forget the English word ‘camera,’ because you have so many associations with that word.”

According to Wyner, however, when we learn other languages we don’t do this — which is why it’s easy to forget the words we pick up. It’s here that the new app aims to change things, with the assistance of some nifty flashcards and “ear-training” techniques. Through these, you’ll learn pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all in a way its creator says is far more intuitive than other apps. Using the service, Wyner claims that users will be able to pick up a reasonable fluency of Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Dutch in six months, German in nine months, Russian or Hebrew in 12 months, and Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, or Arabic in 24 months.

Those are some big claims, but clearly folks are convinced by the approach — since the app has already become the most-funded app in Kickstarter history. If you’d like to get in on the ground floor, you can get beta access to the app with a pledge starting at $40. Estimated delivery is set for August 2018.

How to master your equalizer settings to produce the perfect sound

Most folks are at least vaguely familiar with what an equalizer (EQ) looks like. For some of us, those rows of sliders arranged into a kind of smiley face are an icon of the ’80s – remember the one Tom Cruise was forbidden to touch by his stoic dad in Risky Business? Or how about that ridiculous system Ferris Bueller had in his bedroom? But movie references aside, do you really know what to do when it comes to fiddling with equalizer settings?

Those old-school component-style graphic EQs have pretty much gone the way of the cassette deck (hipsters notwithstanding). But the EQ lives on in digital form, found in everything from smartphones and tablets to wireless speakers, and even streaming services like Spotify. Unfortunately, understanding how an EQ works and using it properly is a much more elusive concept. You don’t want to pull a Tom Cruise and just shove every slider to the max – that’s going to sound terrible.

Equalizers put the power of sound sculpting at your fingertips. And you know what they say: With great power comes great responsibility. OK, so an EQ isn’t an actual superpower, but it can get you closer to the sound you’re looking to get out of your gear … if you know what you’re doing. With that in mind, here’s our top-to-bottom EQ guide.

Why do I want to use an EQ?

Electronics manufacturers have their own ideas about what a piece of gear should sound like, but EQ lets you have your say. Also, we don’t always get to listen to music in ideal environments. Many of us listen while commuting or exercising, where the shape of the room or ambient noise can each have a nasty effect on how our music sounds. An EQ can help.

Maybe you have a pretty bass-heavy pair of headphones that you need to tone down a bit. Or perhaps you listen to a lot of EDM, but the treble is too sharp and needs to be pulled back. Whether you’re looking for more punch, a warmer sound, or bass that will rattle your innards, an EQ can help you dial in the sound that suits you best.

Twitter is testing doubling the character limit to 280

Twitter is planning to double its 140 character limit.

Twitter announced it’s testing out a new feature with a “small group” of people: a doubled character limit.

Can’t fit your Tweet into 140 characters? 🤔We’re trying something new with a small group, and increasing the character limit to 280! Excited about the possibilities? Read our blog to find out how it all adds up. 👇https://t.co/C6hjsB9nbL

— Twitter (@Twitter) September 26, 2017

The company says 140 characters may not be enough space for folks to express themselves. In a blog post, Twitter shared some of its product research regarding the 140 character limit. It seems nearly every language supported on Twitter — save for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean — runs up against that 140 mark time and time again.

In languages like Japanese, Korean, and Chinese you can convey about double the amount of information in one character as you can in many other languages, like English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. … We see that a small percent of Tweets sent in Japanese have 140 characters (only 0.4%). But in English, a much higher percentage of Tweets have 140 characters (9%). … Our research shows us that the character limit is a major cause of frustration for people Tweeting in English, but it is not for those Tweeting in Japanese.

Before you get too excited (or incredibly frustrated) by the change, know this: Twitter has yet to roll out the feature to everyone. The company says it will be collecting data and feedback from its test group before it makes any changes.

Although we feel confident about our data and the positive impact this change will have, we want to try it out with a small group of people before we make a decision to launch to everyone.

In any case, Twitter says it plans to keep everyone posted regarding this possible change in character limit, so keep your eye on that @Twitter account!

Are you looking forward to having more characters to express your thoughts (and hot takes) on Twitter or do you want the service to keep things right where they are? Give us a shout in the comments or — even better — over on Twitter!

These are the 5 PlayStation PlayLink games you’ll be able to control with your phone

Here’s everything to expect from the 5 PlayStation PlayLink games announced so far

During E3 this past June, Sony announced its new PlayLink system for the PlayStation 4 that allows users to play games with other people in the room by using their phones. It’s a rather ingenious take on the whole party-game niche, and Sony recently outlined all of the PlayLink games that have been announced for the PS4 so far.

That’s You!

That’s You! is currently the only PlayLink game that’s actually available to play, but it’s a great example of what PlayLink is truly capable of. Developed by Wish Studios, That’s You! lets you get together with a group of friends to answer questions about one another to see how well you truly know each other.

Questions like “Who’d use a two-for-one coupon on a romantic date?” and “Who’d enjoy the feeling of being handcuffed?” help to get everyone involved and thinking, and by answering questions correctly, you get points. Combine this with a Joker power-up that lets you double points for answers you’re really confident about, and That’s You! is a great game to throw on when hanging out with your besties.

Hidden Agenda

There are currently three games scheduled to be released on October 24, and the first of those is Hidden Agenda. Unlike the fun and light atmosphere created by That’s You!, Hidden Agenda is a murder mystery/thriller game that’s seen a lot of inspiration from games like Until Dawn.

You and your group will have to make decisions that affect the story of Hidden Agenda by voting for what should happen on your phones, and throughout the game, certain players will receive Hidden Agenda cards that give them additional points for making certain decisions over others.

Knowledge is Power

The second game slated for an October 24 release is Knowledge is Power, and this ditches the thriller vibe of Hidden Agenda for a trivia game night. Wish Studios is also behind the creation of this game, and players will go through more than 5000 questions in an attempt to beat out your opponents.

Along with the questions themselves, Knowledge is Power also introduces the ability to use Power Plays. With Power Plays, you can freeze other players’ phone/tablet screens so they have to break through virtual ice before answering, or cover their screens with slime so they have to wipe it away before doing anything else. It’s a fresh take on the traditional trivia game setup, and it’s one that sounds like it’ll create for a lot of fun game nights.

SingStar Celebration

SingStar Celebration is the third PlayLink game coming out on October 24, and when it’s released, you and your friends will be able to use your phones to sign through 30 songs that range from current hits to classic oldies.

You’ll be able to upload photos and videos of your performances to social media and the SingStar Community, and once you’ve sung through the included tracks, you’ll be able to purchase more through the SingStore that holds hundreds of other tunes for you to belt out.

Frantics

The fifth and final PlayLink game that’s been announced is Frantics. Currently planned for a March 13, 2018, release, Frantics is a collection of minigames that you and up to 3 of your friends will be able to play through with one another.

Your phone is the controller for all of the games that you play through, and Frantics will require you to swipe, shake, tilt, and even use your camera to complete various challenges. That sounds a lot more involved than pressing buttons on a regular controller, and it’s bound to make similar party-games a lot more boring in comparison.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

AMC will install room-scale VR at six of its theaters by 2019

Movie theater chain AMC is committing to virtual reality in a big way. The company has announced a $20 million investment in Dreamscape Immersive, a VR storytelling studio with a focus on room-scale installations and real-time motion tracking.

AMC plans to put six VR stations in its multiplexes in North America and the UK over the next year and a half, according to a press release. That number is key: Unlike things like the John Wick VR experience, or the ones made for Interstellar or Alien: Covenant, Dreamscape’s are social in nature, supporting up to six “players” at a time.

The Verge reports that the installation spaces will be 16′ x 16′ walkable spaces with a railing around the perimeter. Haptic floors, fans and scents can be implemented if the experience calls for them. Users will wear a VR headset, a backpack computer and a few sensors for motion tracking. The result is life-size avatars that act and react in real-time with your body’s movements.

Info about what those experiences could be isn’t available, but half of AMC’s investment is earmarked specifically for making them. And, with the likes of directors Gore Verbinski and Steven Spielberg, composer Hans Zimmer and former Disney Imagineering chief Bruce Vaughn calling the shots, maybe they’ll be a bit more memorable than crappy tie-ins we’ve seen before.

Source: PR Newswire

Kalashnikov’s next military gear might be hoverbikes

Popular Mechanics reports that a Russian defense company has developed a flying vehicle that took to the air earlier this week as manufacturers demonstrated what it can do. The hovercraft, built by Kalashnikov Concern, gets its lift from 16 sets of rotors and appears to run on battery power, not fuel. It’s likely that a future version of this vehicle might be used by military as Kalashnikov is already involved in the production of guns and ammunition as well as combat vehicles and automated gun systems.

Aside from the rotors, the vehicle has a seat, joysticks for maneuvering and a metal skeleton but not much else. There’s no cover as of now, but the video below shows a shell added on, suggesting that it’s an addition planned for future prototypes.

Having small, flying vehicles like this one is appealing to military. They could, in theory, be used for similar sorts of missions as helicopters but with much lower costs and less intrusion. The US military has been working on its own hoverbike with Malloy Aeronautics, which they showed off in a successful flight demo earlier this year. And outside of military applications, Hoversurf has been working on a hoverbike intended for civilian use, though that one looks at little scary.

Kalashnikov’s doesn’t look particularly scary, but it does look a little windy — that shell would definitely be useful. Check it out in the video below.

Source: Popular Mechanics

Tesla switches from NVIDIA to Intel for its infotainment systems

Ever since Tesla took the wraps off the Model S, its electric cars have had NVIDIA hardware powering the infotainment system and the giant touchscreen that controls it. However, it’s apparently breaking with tradition: Bloomberg sources hear that the automaker has switched to Intel. Reportedly, the Model 3 and new versions of other cars will be the first to make the leap. It’s not certain what prompted the move (Intel, NVIDIA and Tesla have all declined to comment), but it’s a huge coup if true.

For the most part, NVIDIA’s deal with Tesla has been more about prestige than raw numbers. As a luxury EV maker, Tesla wasn’t about to sell in huge volumes. That’s changing with the Model 3 — when Tesla has hundreds of thousands of pre-orders, the bottom line suddenly matters a great deal. Intel is hopping aboard right as Tesla’s unit sales will make a significant difference for component partners. Combine that with Intel’s other victories, such as its Waymo deal, and it’s quickly becoming a fierce competitor in the automotive world.

It’s doubtful that NVIDIA will be crying in its Corn Flakes, even if the loss is significant. It already has established brands like Audi, Toyota and Volvo in its pocket, and it’s bound to play a crucial role as EVs and self-driving cars take hold. If it had any dreams of overwhelming dominance, though, it’ll have to put them on hold for the time being.

As for how this affects your in-car experience? It’s hard to say, but this would be a prime opportunity for Tesla to upgrade the performance of its infotainment tech. That’s rather important when the Model 3 depends almost entirely on its touchscreen — you don’t want any delays while you’re navigating an unfamiliar system or turning up the AC.

Via: Reuters

Source: Bloomberg