Plex streaming app now free on Xbox and PlayStation
Plex, the app that helps a large number of folks organize and stream their media collections, is now available for free on Xbox and Playstation consoles. Up until now, it was in the preview stages and required a $5 per month or $40 per year Plex Pass. Users without the pass will now get the basic version of the app on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 4 and PS3. With a pass, you’ll get extra features like premium music libraries, mobile sync and preview releases like the aforementioned console apps.
Most users install Plex on their PC or a “NAS” storage server, then stream media from it over other PCs or Macs, smartphones, streaming boxes like Android TV, smart TVs, Chromecast and consoles. It can play music and videos in any of the myriad formats that are out there, and transcode on the fly. You can also stream music whether you’re at home or on an internet or 3G/4G connection. If you’re already hooked up, you can install the app on your console and access your music library tout de suite. The app arrived to Apple TV last month.
Via: Microsoft News
Source: Plex
Roli’s quirky musical keyboard is now an iPhone app
When ROLI introduced the Seaboard — a quirky interpretation of the musical keyboard — it was hard not be curious. But, at $2,000, that’s likely where you remained. Even the smaller, more affordable Seaboard Rise was a little out of reach for many casual musicians wanting to try its tactile trickery (watch this to see what we mean). Today, however, there’s a ROLI for everyone, as the British firm has just announced Noise: a virtual Seaboard in iPhone app form. If you want to know why Apple’s 3D Touch matters, it’s apps like this that will show you — and Noise is much easier on your pocket (in fact, it’s free).
The Seaboard series of instruments look a bit like someone left a regular keyboard out in the sun; the smooth, contiguous keys give them an iconic look. This aesthetic spills over to the app. So does the nifty mechanism for manipulating sound with gestures. Just as you can wiggle a finger on a key to create vibrato on the Seaboard, you can do the same on the Noise app. That’s neat, but nothing new. What’s exciting here is the implementation of 3D Touch.
Apple’s pressure sensitive input might be good for adding in context menus and “peek and pop”-ing messages, but it really comes into its own with music apps, and Noise is a stellar example of that. Press hard and the notes sound louder. Or, keep a finger on the screen and push/release continuously to hear the sound change in organic, expressive ways (like changing the speed of a dubstep “wobble”). We’ve already seen similar tricks in music apps, but ROLI’s Noise is a particularly good fit.
As for Noise itself. You can choose the number of keys on screen (13, 17 or 25), and change the layout to include on screen modulation controls (like the Rise’s touchpad). There’s also support for MIDI over Bluetooth. The app is free, and includes 25 pre-installed sounds. If you want to expand that library, then add on packs can be purchased for a few dollars a pop.
Roland taps iconic 808 sounds for rhythm-based gaming
Roland revived the iconic sounds of the TR-808 with last year’s AIRA TR-8, and now its leveraging those tones for mobile gaming. With TR-REC, the audio company uses sounds from both the TR-808 and TR-8, as players recreate rhythms played by the app. As the game moves on, tones are layered on top of the original rhythm to create a piece of dance music. In order to progress to the next stage, you must correctly tap out the sequence before time runs out. If that sounds too intimidating, don’t worry: the game starts with the basics. You can think of it like Guitar Hero, but for a drum machine.
The app packs in 16 musical selections across 48 stages, and players can earn bonus points for correctly recreating the tunes. As you might expect, those compositions get more complex as the game progresses. If you’re unable to tap out the rhythm before time runs out, you lose a life. Recreate it properly, though, and earn a higher score based on how quickly you’re able to do so. Looking to give it a shot? The free TR-REC app is available now for both Android and iOS.
Adobe’s new app adds text and graphics to your social posts
To help the less design savvy create graphics for their social posts, Adobe has a new app that’s driven by so-called Design Filters. The app is Adobe Post, and similar to Instagram, it relies on a collection of pre-selected designs instead of photo presets to create the final result. Once you’ve decided on a look, Post allows you to change the font, colors and other elements before beaming the image out to Facebook, Twitter and other social streams.
Adobe’s main goal is a quick and easy way for folks to create graphics with photos they’ve taken or with a stock image available inside the app. If you have a favorite font that you use on the regular, don’t expect to be able to employ it here, as Post only allows for the options it offers and you can’t upload your own. However, rather spending several minutes trying to decide on a color combo, the app will automatically suggests a palette based on the background image, which can come in pretty handy. If you can’t come up with a good idea, there’s an Inspiration Wall of templates to get you started.
Post is the third entry in what Adobe refers to as its storytelling apps. The new software joins Voice and Slate which help users create videos and web-based layouts for presentations and more. If you’re looking to give it a shot, Adobe Post is now available for free from the iTunes App Store.
Source: Adobe
Brazil temporarily shuts down WhatsApp messenger
If you’ve seen “WhatsApp” trend on Twitter lately, it’s because a judge in Sau Paulo, Brazil has ordered for the messaging app to be shut down for 48 hours, starting at 9PM Eastern yesterday. WhatsApp is huge in Brazil: it has a whopping 93 million users in the country, so this development affects a large number of people. That’s most likely the reason a rival app called Telegram Messenger has been seeing rapid adoption in Brazil, amassing 1.5 million new users in the past few hours.
It’s not quite clear why WhatsApp was shuttered, but there was a request to close it down earlier this year, because it reportedly refused to take down illicit photos of minors. What’s clear, however, is that the country’s telecommunication companies have been trying to convince the government to classify WhatsApp as an unregulated, illegal service. As TechCrunch noted, that’s pretty similar to the taxi industry’s stance against Uber. Telcos are mad that millions of Brazilians have been abandoning their phone lines due to WhatsApp, and if all 93 million users (or 93 percent of the country’s internet population) jumps ship, it will be a huge problem for them.
WhatsApp’s temporary deactivation is pretty mild compared to what the country’s Congress wants to happen, though. Back in 2014, Brazil passed a bill of rights protecting net neutrality and privacy, and we said everyone else could learn from the country’s example. Unfortunately, things have changed tremendously since then. TC notes that the Brazilian congress wants to restrict the use of social media networks and criminalize posting on Facebook and similar websites. Some politicians wrote a law that would require citizens to key in their address, phone number and tax ID in order to access apps and websites. They also want to be able to censor social media posts by giving politicians the right to ask for posts they deem defamatory to be taken down.
At the moment, Mark Zuckerberg says he and his team are working hard to get the Facebook-owned messenger unblocked in the country. He also says he’s stunned by the decision, as Brazil “has been an ally in creating an open internet.”
Here’s his full statement:
Tonight, a Brazilian judge blocked WhatsApp for more than 100 million people who rely on it in her country.
We are working hard to get this block reversed. Until then, Facebook Messenger is still active and you can use it to communicate instead.
This is a sad day for Brazil. Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open internet. Brazilians have always been among the most passionate in sharing their voice online.
I am stunned that our efforts to protect people’s data would result in such an extreme decision by a single judge to punish every person in Brazil who uses WhatsApp.
We hope the Brazilian courts quickly reverse course. If you’re Brazilian, please make your voice heard and help your government reflect the will of its people.
Source: TechCrunch, Folha de S. Paulo
Adobe Lightroom for iOS brings another desktop tool to mobile
Adobe continues to make its mobile photography apps more powerful, and a new update for Lightroom mobile on iOS delivers more of that. Leveraging another useful feature from the desktop, you can now employ a Point Curve mode to make adjustments in the Tone Curve and Split Toning tool. In other words, you now have more control when you add a tint or tone to the shadows and highlights of an image using Split Toning, for example. Lightroom mobile also allows you to “shoot through presets” now, too.
You can see what an image would look like with one of the app’s filters applied before you even take the photo. Snapshots captured this way are non-destructive, so you’ll always have an unedited original to work from.
Adobe already updated a few of its Photoshop iOS apps to play nice with Apple’s new super-sized slate, and it’s doing the same for Lightroom mobile. With the latest version of the photo-editing software, you can take advantage of the iPad Pro’s expanded screen real estate to do some multitasking and enjoy the perks of iOS 9 on other devices. If you happen to have one of Apple’s other new gadgets that feature 3D Touch, you can launch Lightroom’s built-in camera by pressing on the app’s icon. The in-app camera is accessible from the Notifications Center thanks to a handy widget.
Source: Adobe
Lyft changes bonus system to prevent drivers from cheating
Lyft’s old bonus scheme that offered more money based on the number of hours a driver clocks was a bit too easy to manipulate, forcing the ride-sharing company to rethink its strategy. Now, Lyft is doling out bonuses based on the number of rides a driver makes instead, which is definitely much harder to falsify. According to Recode, under the new scheme, drivers get 100 percent of their earnings if they do 100 rides per week, with 30 of those rides accomplished during peak hours.
Previously, Lyft would forego taking its commission for those who clock 50 hours per week — unfortunately, some unscrupulous drivers would apparently log into the app to accumulate hours even if they had no intention of picking anybody up. A company spokesperson told Recode that the new bonus scheme was designed to give its drivers more flexibility, but we think the best thing about it is that it translates to more real rides you can hail.
[Image credit: Raido/Flickr]
Source: Recode
Hulu’s reworked iPhone app helps you find favorite shows
Hulu knows that you sometimes want to plow through a TV series on your smartphone instead of a bigger screen, and it’s making that easier through a freshly redesigned iOS app. The new version gives you an “all-new” iPhone interface that helps you find your favorite shows considerably faster. If you can’t help but watch South Park, it’ll be near the top. This is also a big upgrade for parents, as Kid’s Lock is finally available on the iPhone — you won’t have to worry about Junior leaving the children’s hub to watch Wolf of Wall Street. These updates are arguably overdue, but they’ll certainly be welcome in those moments when you can’t catch up at home.
Via: iMore
Source: App Store
Gmail’s Inbox app makes it easier to share travel info
If you fancy Google’s Inbox app to wrangle your Gmail, sharing travel details is about to get even easier. Mountain View is rolling out an update to the service that lets you attach those handy card-like Trip Bundles to emails with a tap. This should make giving colleagues, friends and family all of your travel info even quicker.
What’s more, you can attach related emails to a trip with the “Move to” menu option and set a trip to be available offline. You know, just in case you run into an unreliable WiFi connection or need it while you’re in the air. Inbox is also making it easier for you to share snapshots from the journey with easy access to recent photos and the ability to attach more than just one at a time. The new features are said to be rolling out this week, so you should be seeing the update soon.
Source: Google
BBC iPlayer comes to the Apple TV
The new Apple TV has been available for a little over six weeks and there are more than 2,600 apps available. However, dedicated UK apps have been few and far between. Sky’s Now TV is on the platform, but we’ve had to bide our time while the BBC readies its own app. Luckily, that wait is now over. Coming just ahead of the holidays, the new BBC iPlayer app lets you dig into the Beeb’s on-demand content and favourite your must-see programmes, pick up on shows that you’ve started but not finished and watch back your purchases from the BBC Store.
Inside the app, programmes are listed by channel but also via genre. The BBC is making good use of colour too, as the Cbeebies section (pictured below) demonstrates. It’ll also play a big part in helping take BBC Three online-only, as the Beeb prepares to sunset the TV channel in February next year.
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