Spotify brings on-demand listening to its free mobile app

Spotify’s free tier is now decidedly more useful when you’re on the move. The streaming music service has unveiled a new free version of its mobile app that no longer forces you to shuffle tunes — you can listen to songs on-demand so long as they appear on one of your 15 personalized discovery playlists, such as the Daily Mix or Release Radar. That’s roughly 750 songs (about 40 hours of music), but it beats having Spotify take charge of the track order every time you push play. Accordingly, you’ll now get song recommendations based on user-made playlists.

That music should consume less of your precious bandwidth, too. Spotify now has a low data mode that cuts usage by as much as 75 percent, which could make all the difference if you’re on a slower connection or a capped plan.

The updated free service is rolling out worldwide.

It may seem odd for Spotify to push the free tier mere days after it became a public company, and after a long period of limiting free access to assuage labels. Wouldn’t it want to focus all its attention on paid users? However, Spotify has previously stated that as many as 60 percent of its Premium subscribers were initially free customers — that no-cost option is still its best chance at pitching you on the service. In theory, you’re more likely to start paying if the free tier is more representative of what you’ll actually get when you subscribe.

And Spotify has a strong motivation to bring more customers into the fold. Growth rate estimates suggest that Apple Music could catch up to Spotify’s paid tier by the summer despite launching years later without any free access beyond a standard trial period. Free service is Spotify’s ace in the hole, and it’s bound to exploit that in a bid to maintain its lead.

What we’re playing: ‘Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze’

This month, Reviews Editor Jamie Rigg discovers one of Nintendo’s many slept-on classics. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze came out back in 2014, but because the Wii U wasn’t the most popular console around, it didn’t exactly sell like hotcakes. Four years on, Nintendo has a hit console on its hands and is rereleasing Tropical Freeze for the Switch.

Jamie Rigg
Reviews Editor

The Switch sold more in nine months than the Wii U did in its entire lifetime, which is very good news for Nintendo. It means the company’s formula of quirky hardware plus treasured IP is working once more, but better yet, there’s a whole wave of Switch owners out there who will have skipped the Wii U altogether. And if they didn’t, they more than likely picked up a game or two and let the console gather dust in between major launches. This presents Nintendo with a unique opportunity to recycle some of its better Wii U titles for a new, Switch-wielding audience. The fact that Nintendo did this very thing with Mario Kart 8, positioning it as a Switch launch-window title, did not sit well with me. But putting a less cynical hat on, it does mean people get a chance to play games they would’ve missed out on had Nintendo tried to forget the Wii U ever existed (like everyone else).

Case in point: I’d never even heard of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze until a colleague flagged it, and I had a Wii U. (It’s in a cupboard at a friend’s house right now, where it will probably live forever.) What particularly interested me about this DK game was that it’s a 2D platformer in a very real sense. Franchises like Zelda, Grand Theft Auto and Mario have conditioned us to expect sprawling 3D worlds as the norm, and yet Tropical Freeze plays almost exactly like the original Donkey Kong Country released on the SNES almost 25 years ago. Outside of some great indie games, I couldn’t tell you the last 2D platformer I’ve played from a big developer. Little Big Planet 3 is the closest thing I can think of, and that’s a completely different type of game, really.

I would say Tropical Freeze is the ultimate archetype of a 2D platformer, but then Nintendo basically defined what makes a game like this good decades ago, so no surprise there. This starts with a completely random and unimportant storyline. The opening cutscene shows a fleet of ice-covered ships crewed primarily by penguins encroaching on Donkey Kong Island, presumably seeking warmer shores. They spoil DK’s birthday party with the family, so they have to be sent packing. I think that’s what’s happening, anyway, but who cares? You’re not here to get wrapped up in believable storyline; you’re here to bounce off penguins’ heads and beat the game.

Name a platformer trope, Tropical Freeze has it. A little map of the world you navigate to move between levels? Check. A set of collectibles on each stage for the completionists among us, à la Crash Bandicoot? Absolutely. There’s also the mid-level power-ups — in this case, Diddy, Dixie and Cranky Kong, which hop on Donkey’s back, give him more health points and augment his jump to make everything a bit easier. The DK version of Yoshi, in other words. What’s relatively unique about Tropical Freeze is that on each world, there exists a shop. You collect coins within levels, which can be exchanged for things like extra lives, fall saves or a Kong on your back when you start the level. I find the parrot particularly useful, which squawks when you’re near a secret, helping massively with hard-to-find collectibles.

It’s very easy to bank up a shedload of coins, though, and since none of these items are anywhere near essential to completing levels, they feel like an element you could completely ignore if you wanted to. Perhaps in time I’ll come to value the help more, because I haven’t actually played that much of the game yet — not through lack of trying, but because it’s really hard. Don’t let the cartoony graphics and cuddly characters fool you: This is a precision platformer. It feels almost like Super Meat Boy meets Super Mario, only the deaths sting that much more. It’s worth noting here that I’m playing on the classic setting, not the new Funky Kong mode that’s exclusive to the Switch edition launching May 4th. In fact, it’s the only major difference between the two versions.

Playing as Funky Kong is the game’s equivalent of an easy mode. He has a double jump, air glide, permanent roll attack and way more health points. He also looks pretty rad, with a California surfer–style outfit, shades and a board. I couldn’t resist playing the game the way it’s meant to be played, though, which by comparison is brutal. Accurate jumps and timing are essential to making it through even the early levels. Tropical Freeze isn’t particularly unique in its level design, though it does an excellent job of rewarding exploration of your limited 2D plane. After a while, you’ll start to see hallmarks of where a secret area might lie, concealed in plain sight. Otherwise, the game is about jumping between platforms, vines, etc., and avoiding enemies or bopping them on the head for extra height.

That sounds easy enough, but Donkey Kong has a weight to him. The character physics are subtle but extremely important. DK has a turn rate, a short acceleration period and a braking distance. In many levels, you’ll get into a rhythm and find a line: this platform to that vine to that enemy’s head, and so on. If you get off-beat with a poor jump (assuming you didn’t fall right away) and you’ve got too much or too little momentum, it can be hard to recover. It can get frustrating when you can’t settle in, but it makes it all the more satisfying when you cruise through part of a level at optimum speed. Throw some light problem-solving into the mix and you’ve got yourself a charming platformer.

Every time it starts to get a bit samey, the game throws another enemy type or mechanic at you to keep you interested. After completing anything particularly hard, you typically get something easier to cruise through, like a runaway mining cart level. This gives you a sense that progress is always being made. While I’m now invested to the point that I’m going to have to beat the game and find every secret, which is praise in and of itself, there is room for improvement. In my experience, you’ve no choice but to die occasionally to see what comes next, which is a lazy way to make something challenging. Similarly, you can find yourself in an awesome rhythm and then an enemy spawns out of nowhere that seems intentionally placed to ruin your flow. Mid-level checkpoints are rarely well positioned, either. You often have to repeat a really easy, mundane section collecting bananas and coins before hitting the harder element you’re likely to die on a few times.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the type of game I rarely play anymore. It’s not competitive, requiring countless hours of practice, nor is it some grand story you’re immersed in for weeks or months. You grab a controller, blast out a level and then go make dinner. Not having to invest too much time and energy into a game and feeling like you’re getting somewhere is refreshing. That said, I imagine you’re going to need to be pretty excited about the title to feel comfortable spending $60/£40 on a Wii U rerelease.

“IRL” is a recurring column in which the Engadget staff run down what they’re buying, using, playing and streaming.

Best Buy One-Day Sale: Save Up to $265 on MacBook Pro and Up to $100 on 2017 iPad

Best Buy today has debuted a limited one-day sale on a few of the latest models of Apple’s MacBook Pro without Touch Bar and the fifth-generation iPad. The savings bring the cost of the entry-level MacBook Pro configuration down to $1,049.99, from $1,299.99. Students and parents of students can save even more and get the notebook for $999.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

For the iPads, savings are $80 off the 32GB models and $100 off the 128GB models, with prices either matching or beating the costs for the same iPads at retailers like Walmart, Target, and Adorama. Check out the list below for every device on sale today only:

13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar

• 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Space Gray – $1,049.99, down from $1,299.99 / $999.99 with Student Deals
• 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Silver – $1,049.99, down from $1,299.99 / $999.99 with Student Deals
• 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Space Gray – $1,234.99, down from $1,499.99 / $1,184.99 with Student Deals
• 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Silver – $1,234.99, down from $1,499.99 / $1,184.99 with Student Deals
• 2.5GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Gray – $1,999.99, down from $2,199.99 / $1,949.99 with Student Deals

Fifth-Generation iPad

• 32GB, Wi-Fi – $249.99, down from $329.99
• 128GB, Wi-Fi – $329.99, down from $429.99

For more information on the latest sales from Best Buy and many other retailers, be sure to head over to our full Deals Roundup.

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Apple Will Start Paying Back Taxes to Irish Government Next Month Amid Legal Battle With European Regulators

Apple will start paying 13 billion euros in back taxes to the Irish government from May, according to the Financial Times, nearly two years after the European Commission ruled that the company received illegal aid from the country that saw its tax bill significantly reduced over the past few decades.

As expected, the report states that Apple and the Irish government have reached an agreement to set up an escrow account to hold the money while both sides appeal the August 2016 ruling in Europe’s highest court. Once the amount has been received in full, additional interest payments will be calculated.

Ireland’s finance minister Paschal Donohoe today said the appeal process is likely to begin in the fall, according to Reuters.

Ireland is required to hold the funds in escrow until the legal process is completed, according to the report. Apple previously said the amount will be reported as restricted cash on its balance sheet once it begins making payments.

For background, the European Commission said the Irish government gave Apple unfair advantage between 1991 and 2007 by allowing the company to move income from the European market through two “non-resident” head office subsidiaries based in Ireland, but Apple says there are “fundamental errors” in the findings.

Apple CEO Tim Cook previously called the decision “total political crap” and said Apple pays all of the taxes it owes based on the laws of each country in which it operates. Likewise, the Irish government said it did not give favorable tax treatment to Apple and added that it “does not do deals with taxpayers.”

Apple expects its appeal with the European Union’s highest courts to take several years, but it is confident the European Commission’s decision will be overturned, in which case the 13 billion euros would be returned to the company.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Apple-Ireland tax case
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Spotify Expands Free Tier With On-Demand Playlists and Data Saver Mode

Spotify held an event in New York City today, unveiling a new version of its free music streaming tier that introduces a few new features for those users not paying for Spotify’s $9.99/month main subscription plan.

The new free tier allows users to pick and choose which music they want to listen to on-demand, but only if the tracks appear within one of the 15 curated discovery playlists. These include Daily Mix, Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and more. Previously, free tier users were limited to shuffling songs at random.

New version of the free-tier’s mobile app. Includes new playlists to bring it closer in line to what premium offers. Also adds a low data mode to allow better streaming on capped data plans. pic.twitter.com/l05qO5r3SR

— Eli Blumenthal (@eliblumenthal) April 24, 2018

According to TechCrunch, “that’s around 750 tracks (>40 hours of music) that Spotify is serving up to users for on-demand listening.” Additionally, users on the free service will get recommendations based on their own playlists, with machine learning taking into account songs in the playlists and even the name of the playlists. Spotify calls this “assisted playlisting.”

CNET reporter Joan E. Solsman also mentioned that free users will have access to podcasts and vertical videos. Curated playlists, like RapCaviar, will also “stay the same across both tiers” of free and premium users.

There is also a new low-data mode that aims to cut data consumption “by up to 75 percent.” In total, Spotify head of product development, Babar Zafar, said Spotify’s free tier is “becoming much more like Spotify premium” with this update. As a note, the free tier will still have advertisements between songs.

In the past, Spotify didn’t allow offline listening for free, meaning that users were somewhat tethered to wifi if they needed to conserve data.

With the new data consumption system, which caches music ahead of time to stream via 3G, users can actually listen to much more music with wireless data. Alongside utilizing 3G, Spotify is also optimizing the streaming itself as well as the app (including imagery and other UI elements) to save data and power.

As Spotify expands its free service, Apple Music still only offers new subscribers a chance to try things out for three months at no cost. Afterwards, users must pay for a subscription or cancel their plan.

When asked whether the company is worried about losing paying subscribers to the newly expanded free tier, chief product officer Gustav Söderström said that it wasn’t in Spotify’s plans to make a free experience feel worse in order to get them to become paid subscribers. Still, over time the streaming service hopes a more robust free tier turns users into paid subscribers. “The more you play, the more you pay,” Söderström said.

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Roku adds private listening for multiple viewers

Many living room media players support headphones to let one person watch videos without disrupting anyone. But that’s not how it always works. What if you want to watch Netflix with your spouse when the kids are sleeping, or catch up on YouTube with a friend while your roommate is studying? Roku will have you covered. On top of its new support for live news, it’s promising a Roku OS 8.1 update that enables private listening for up to four additional people using the company’s Android and iOS apps. That’s not enough to support a big house party, but it’ll probably handle most instances when you want to keep quiet.

The 8.1 release will come in May as a staggered release that will take weeks to complete. While that could be an agonizing wait, it’ll give Roku a decided advantage over competitors that limit you to solo listening for those late night sessions. It won’t be surprising if competitors follow suit.

Source: Roku

Pandora Premium arrives on Xbox One

Pandora has dragged its heels expanding its Premium service beyond mobile — a web player only arrived in February, nearly a year after the mobile launch. But now it’s opening up its offerings further still. From today, you’ll be able to use the streaming service on Xbox One while you’re gaming.

It’ll work in much the same way as it does on web and mobile — search and play your favorite albums, create the perfect gaming playlist and so on — but with a couple of new features. The Xbox One version has a refreshed look, making it easier to navigate your music collection, and includes background audio support and an autoplay function that means you’ll never be left sitting in silence when your gaming gets too intense to pause and find something else to listen to.

Xbox One fans don’t have a huge amount of choice when it comes to on-demand background-streaming music services. Since Groove — which was first on the scene — is no more, Pandora’s main rival Spotify has taken the top spot. Whether Pandora will overtake Spotify as the gamer’s streaming service of choice is yet to be seen, but its arrival on Xbox One certainly increases competition between the two.

Roku is getting free live news, starting with ABC

If there’s one thing streaming video watchers love, it’s free stuff. So it wasn’t a huge surprise to see Roku launch a free ad-supported movie channel of its own last year. Now, it’s adding news coverage to that selection, starting with ABC News Live, the network’s first stab at a 24/7 online offering. And on top of that, there will also be live streams from Cheddar, People TV and Newsy. Sure, it may seem like what’s old is new again, but it’s a smart move for Roku, since it makes its streaming platform much more useful for consumers. And more importantly, it gives them one more reason to stick around.

With ABC News Live, the network hopes to provide continuous coverage of breaking news from all over the world. There will be on-air talent, of course, but it’ll also incorporate footage from its shows, like a relevant Good Morning America segment. You’ll be able to watch the channel on ABC’s website and mobile apps, but Roku’s platform will be its exclusive home on streaming devices. Roku is planning to deliver the live news channels through a phased roll out in May.

“Our ambition is not to recast cable, but to reinvent what a 24/7 news channel can look like today,” said Colby Smith, ABC News’ VP of digital, in an interview with Engadget. Naturally, the network hopes to entice younger viewers who are probably more used to streaming video than cable. While the content didn’t look much different than standard cable news coverage, based on our demo, that’s exactly the point. Now, Roku customers won’t need a subscription to the likes of Sling TV to enjoy a steady flow of news.

Amazon can deliver packages to the inside of your car

Amazon Key’s in-home delivery is all well and good (assuming you trust it in the first place), but there’s an obvious caveat: you have to go home to get your package. Now, you might not even have to go to that trouble. Amazon has launched a Key In-Car service that, as you can guess, lets couriers deliver packages to the trunk of your vehicle as long as it’s in a publicly accessible parking space. You’ll need a 2015 or newer GM-made or Volvo car with an internet-savvy account (OnStar or Volvo On Call), but after that it’s relatively seamless: the delivery driver requests access to your car, and you’ll get a notification when the package has been dropped off and your car is relocked.

Crucially, the driver never gets a special code or key, so they won’t have access to your vehicle beyond a given delivery. Amazon also checks that the driver is in the right location and carrying the right package. You shouldn’t have to worry about a malicious driver using this as an excuse to swipe your ride.

The service is live for Prime subscribers in 37 cities around the US, and doesn’t carry an extra charge. As with existing options like Key and Prime Now, Amazon isn’t shy about its strategy here: it wants to be the fastest and most convenient option for your orders, particularly when you can’t be home. And there’s plenty of competitive pressure to do this — Walmart has been speeding up its own delivery process, and it won’t be surprising if in-car deliveries quickly become more than a novelty.

Source: Amazon (1), (2)

Amazon Key Expands to In-Car Deliveries in Select U.S. Cities

After first launching the “Amazon Key” service for users to allow delivery people to enter their home and drop off packages, Amazon today has revealed the expansion of the platform into “Amazon Key In-Car.” Now, when Prime members in select cities checkout on Amazon, they will be able to choose an in-car delivery option.

The company says that the service is available at no extra cost for Prime members, and it is limited to certain vehicle brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Volvo. Users can check their vehicle’s eligibility on Amazon.com, and then download the Amazon Key iOS app [Direct Link] to complete setup.

“Since launching Amazon Key last November, we’ve safely delivered everything from cameras to collectable coins inside the home. Customers have also told us they love features like keyless guest access and being able to monitor their front door from anywhere with the Amazon Key App,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon.

“In-car delivery gives customers that same peace of mind and allows them to take the Amazon experience with them. And, with no additional hardware or devices required, customers can start ordering in-car delivery today.”

Afterwards, customers shop as normal on Amazon.com or in the Amazon mobile apps, select an eligible address, and then choose in-car delivery at checkout. The app gives customers a 4-hour time window for delivery, and requires the car to be parked within two blocks of the selected address.

Then, as the delivery arrives, Amazon says that it authorizes the delivery driver prior to unlocking the vehicle, and that “no special access or keys are given to the driver.” The app then alerts customers that the package is in their car and their vehicle is relocked.

In a frequently asked questions section of the Amazon Key In-Car page, Amazon explains how the platform uses an active connected car service plan (OnStar or Volvo On Call) to communicate and lock/unlock a vehicle:

Amazon Key enables in-car deliveries by linking your Amazon Prime account with your Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac Owner Center account and active connected car service plan. If you do not currently have an active connected service plan, just push the blue OnStar button inside your vehicle to activate service. Services vary by model, and most 2015 model year and newer retail Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles qualify for a standard connectivity plan at no additional charge.

Amazon says this process is secure thanks to multiple layers of verification in the in-car delivery process. Each time a driver requests access to a vehicle, the company verifies that an authorized driver is at the designated location with the correct package, “through an encrypted authentication process.” After that’s complete, Amazon unlocks the car, sends customers a notification, and relocks the car after the package is secure.

There are some limits to the location of the parked car, with Amazon stating that in-car deliveries can only be made to a vehicle in an “open, street-level, and publicly accessible area,” so no parking garages. Still, customers can order “tens of millions” of items on Amazon and deliver them to a vehicle, according to the company. Amazon Key In-Car launches today in 37 cities and surrounding areas across the United States.

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