DoubleTwist’s new Android app records songs played on iTunes Radio (updated)
Those clever guys and gals at DoubleTwist have been freeing music from iTunes’ grasp for years, so we suppose it was only a matter of time before they figured out how to do the same with songs played on iTunes Radio. The app’s called, quite appropriately, iTunes Radio Recorder, and it circumvents Apple’s DRM by turns your Android phone into an AirPlay device — not literally, mind you, the app on your phone simply populates as an optional AirPlay streaming device in iTunes on your computer.
Once the app is selected for AirPlay streaming, music is played and recorded in real-time, so a five minute file will take five minutes to record. Not quite as quick as a download, but it is an elegant way to circumvent Apple’s digital audio shackles. As for piracy or legal concerns? DoubleTwist has none. According to company Co-founder and President Monique Farantzos: “Recording has been around for decades, from audio cassettes (remember mix tapes?) to TuneIn radio’s recording feature. Given that Apple built their iPod empire on letting millions of people rip CDs based on fair use, we don’t see how they could object to this app.” So, there you have it. Go forth, friends. Listen. Record. Enjoy the fruits of iTunes streaming and DoubleTwist’s coding labors… while it lasts.
Update: We mistakenly reported earlier that iTunes Radio streams are protected with DRM, when in fact, they are not.
Filed under: Software, HD, Mobile
Via: @jonlech (Twitter)
Source: Google Play
Japanese carrier says it’s ‘not the right time’ for Tizen OS smartphones, delays launch plans
Tizen is trying to make all the right moves when it comes to getting its Tizen mobile OS off the ground and into people’s hands. However, to the surprise of… not many people (probably even Samsung), it’s going to be a struggle. NTT Docomo has canceled its plans for launching a Tizen smartphone early this year, citing timing as the issue. A spokesperson, talking in a briefing yesterday, told Engadget Japanese that its smartphones sales hadn’t increased substantially since the year before (despite this being the first year the carrier has started selling iPhones) stating that there wasn’t space for three mobile OSes in Japan’s current smartphone climate. It’s not ruling out the eventual arrival of Tizen hardware, however. Maybe Docomo is waiting on those new handsets promised to appear in Barcelona. MWC is just a month away.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung
Source: Engadget Japanese
Google Now Cards making their way to Chrome on Desktop
Everyone loves the Google Now Cards on our Android devices, but like most things, we more and we want it on our Chromebooks and desktops. There have been indicators that Now Cards would be finding their way to our laptops and PC’s, but until now, they have been a bit elusive.
Google Now in Chrome closely mimics the Google Now experience on Android. Cards will show up to offer up the contextual information like flights, news or weather in Chromes notification center on Desktop. It will use your phones location to pull the relevant information and you will need to be sure that you have the proper locations settings turned on as well as be cross synced with the Chrome browser.
Google Now on Chrome shows a subset of the Now cards you see on your mobile device, which uses your device’s location. You can edit your location settings (Location Reporting and Location History) on your Android or iOS device at any time.
The option isn’t easy to find and does require that you install the alpha Chrome Canary build to try it out. Of course Google will push it to a stable build update for the standard Chrome Browser for everyone eventually. Usually with in a few weeks of it appearing the Canary builds. If you want to give it a shot you will need to download and install Chrome Canary first. Then follow the instructions below to get it running. (Thanks 9to5Google for that)
The feature is hidden by default: enabling now requires toggling a setting in the chrome://flags pages. Going to chrome://flags/#enable-google-now will take you directly to the appropriate setting in Chrome Canary.
It is a great chance and a great way to stay a head of the curve and check out all that Chrome can do now and will be doing by default in the future. Go give it a whirl and let us know what you think about it.
Via: 9to5Google Image Credits: Gigaom
Google Now Chrome Support Page
Chrome Canary Download page
Google Now comes to Chrome on the desktop in experimental form
You may not have to reach for your phone to check Google Now in the near future. The latest build of Google’s experimental Chrome Canary browser introduces the context-aware notifications to the desktop; toggle a flag and you’ll get alerts from the menu bar (Mac) or taskbar (Windows). Google Operating System notes that it’s not quite a seamless experience. You’ll have to use Google Now on your mobile device first, and location-sensitive cards like weather are tied to that device’s location, not your computer. Even with those caveats in mind, it may be worth downloading the unfinished software for the added convenience.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Via: The Next Web
Source: Google, Google Operating System
Adobe adds 3D printing tools to Photoshop CC, MakerBot support in tow
With the emergence of desktop 3D printing, a long-trusted name in creative software is looking to offer tools for the task. Adobe has announced an update to Photoshop CC that includes 3D printing capabilities as a means of “simplifying the 3D print process.” The new functionality allows you to refine, preview, prep and output those three-dimensional creations. Starting from scratch or using an existing model, Photoshop’s tools like automated mesh repair and support structure generation lend a hand with final production. When you’re ready for printing, Photoshop CC has built-in support for MakerBot hardware (more on that in a bit), Shapeways online community/marketplace for printing away from home and publishing models via Sketchfab. Using Sketchfab’s 3D viewer, projects can be posted to Behance for online portfolio purposes. Drivers for Makerbot’s printers are available for printing directly from Photoshop and support for “the most popular” 3D printer models — like the 3D Systems Cube — is slated for the near future. This means that, for now, you can only print directly from Adobe’s software to MakerBot’s hardware.
“Before today there was a gap between the content produced by 3D modeling tools and what 3D printers need in order to deliver high quality results. Now, by simply clicking ‘Print’ in Photoshop CC, creatives can bring 3D designs to the physical world,” said Winston Hendrickson, Adobe’s VP of products, Creative Media Solutions. What’s more, the outfit says that it expects current users to stay in Photoshop to 3D print items such as packaging mockups and more.
Don’t worry, tools for regular use are included in the update as well. Perspective Warp allows you to change an object’s viewpoint and Linked Smart Objects to improve collaborative efforts with automatic updating. All of the new tools and features are available now as a free update to Creative Cloud subscribers.
Filed under: Software
Spotify Drops Listening Limits for Everybody
Spotify made a tasty little announcement via their blog today. While they technically made part of the announcement back in early December, they wanted to remind everyone and toss out a little more. In December they announced that tablets and phones could stream unlimited tunes and shuffle play it on Android and iOS. That was pretty awesome news. In their little poke on their blog today, they made it known that users on the PC have no time limit caps anymore either. Now you have Spotify FREE across all platforms and devices in your life.
That doesn’t mean that your $10 a month subscription is useless. While it doesn’t give you the unlimited special access like before, you are still gaining ad-free tunage and 320kbits sound quality. At least that is our understanding of it.
Via Spotify
Get Spotify in the Play Store
CyanogenMod Installer comes to the Mac in beta form
Mac users no longer have to sit on the sidelines while their Windows-using friends install CyanogenMod with ease. Cyanogen has just released an OS X beta for its Installer app, making it trivial to flash your Android phone with a new ROM from the comfort of your MacBook. Just be sure to check out the compatibility list before you dive in — the beta won’t work with some Samsung devices. Provided that everything lines up, you can start downloading at the source link.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: Droid-Life
Source: CyanogenMod (Google+)
Starbucks app stores log-in credentials, location info in plain text
If you’re concerned about someone getting their hands on your personal data, you’ll want to read on — this latest method’s an unlikely culprit. The Starbucks mobile-payment app is reportedly saving user data, including email addresses, passwords and even your GPS location in plain text. Theoretically, anyone with access to your phone (and a computer) can download your private data with less than an hour or work. Company executives confirmed the flaw to Computerworld, admitting that they’re aware of the issue.
Daniel Wood, a security researcher, first came upon the unencrypted information last year. He downloaded and re-tested an updated version the app, which Starbucks claims now includes “adequate security measures,” only to find that the same information is still easily accessible. A log file also includes GPS coordinates that are captured every time you search for a nearby Starbucks store. Of course, the global caffeinator’s mobile application isn’t free of other weaknesses, too — payments are processed by scanning an on-screen barcode, which can be reproduced and used to drain your account by anyone close enough to photograph your phone.
Source: Computerworld
iOS users can now buy, rent or stream content from Google Play
Apple’s iTunes has long been the de facto virtual storefront for iOS users looking to buy or rent digital content, but now Google’s elbowing its way into that tidy ecosystem. The search giant just dropped an iOS version of its Google Play Movies & TV app onto the App Store, giving users an alternate media library to browse. The service will also allow users to purchase films and TV shows from the desktop and view them from any iDevice. Just don’t get too jazzed about the Chromecast streaming side of things. We’ve seen the service hiccup more than we’d like in our time using it. Your mileage may vary, but don’t say you weren’t warned.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile, Apple, Google
Source: iTunes
Google’s Niantic Labs gets in on ENDGAME Cross media Project
Creators of the hugely popular Ingress game, Niantic Labs at Google, are working to bring the next gigantic project online. Today HarperCollins, 20th Century Fox and Google’s Niantic Labs have announced that they are all on board and working together with Bestselling Author James Frey to launch a cross-media project called ENDGAME.
ENDGAME is a novel that will have a series of three books. But it is so much more. ENDGAME is fully integrated with fifteen e-book novellas, YouTube Videos, search and image results, mapping coordinates, social media and interactive gaming all rolled into one massive experience for end users.
Niantic Labs roll in the partnership will be to bring in a augmented reality game that transforms ENDGAME from the books and the videos to the real world. You will join users from around the globe to unlock the mysteries and secrets of ENDGAME. They will also be distributing six ENDGAME novellas exclusively through the Play Store as well. The ENDGAME game is expected to launch in October of 2014.
The entire experience is outlined through the press release and touches on ENDGAME prizes from each book. Real world prizes. For ENDGAME: The Calling, a quantity of gold will be on public display behind bullet-proof glass. Solve the puzzles and you can obtain the key to unlock the case and claim the gold. All of which will be broadcast live on YouTube.
Pretty sure we might just have to get sucked into this one.
Go read up on the press release and let us know what you think about the whole thing.
AIVAnet 