Apple should buy Tidal
As a Tidal subscriber, I welcome Apple acquisition—assuming lossless tracks are made available through the fruit-logo company's music services. Not that anyone should seriously believe the rumors. But one can hope.
Merger talks are typically silent affairs. When they're serious, you don't hear about them until there is a deal. Reasons are many, with regulatory being among them when public companies are involved. Acquisition rumors often mean something else: Principal party leaks information about preliminary or ongoing discussions to gauge customer and shareholder reaction; one side or the other is dissatisfied with progress/terms and seeks to apply pressure.
Report: Amazon is on the verge of launching its own music streaming service
A report from Reuters, citing two sources close to Amazon, says that the online retail giant is about to launch a music streaming service to rival the likes of Spotify. The as-yet-unnamed service is expected to launch towards the end of summer or beginning of fall, pending negotiations with record labels.
With a rumored monthly fee of $9.95, the streaming service does nothing to compete with its rivals financially, but Amazon will still be hoping that it will help boost its Echo product. The paid-for streaming service will sit alongside the free one currently available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon believes its ecosystem will help it stand out from Google Play Music, Apple Music et al.
Apple Music finally arrives on Sonos
Picking a streaming music service can be difficult as they are all largely the same -- listen to all you want for a small monthly fee. While Spotify is my current favorite service, Apple Music has been piquing my interest more and more. The problem? Lack of a web player makes Apple's offering unusable on Linux-based desktop operating systems, while iTunes on Windows and OS X is painfully slow and bloated. On iOS it is a dream, but Tim Cook and company have a lot of work to do elsewhere.
Today, however, Apple scores a major win with official Sonos support -- it is finally out of Beta. If you have invested in a Sonos wireless speaker system, starting tomorrow, you can begin using the Apple Music service with it in many ways.
Apple, give us more like THIS!
My Apple love-affair started with the allure of hardware—the original Bondi Blue iMac in December 1998—but stayed true because of software. I found Mac OS 8.5.1 to be substantially more satisfying than Windows Me and to support broader range of applications than NT 4. The experience carried forward, particularly during the iLife era and priority placed on content creation that matters to most people. The company caught the transition from documents to digital media as main content created by most people
Over the past couple years, Apple apps and operating systems feel stuck in the last decade. They're directionless. But as 2016 slowly advances, i see hopeful hints that software innovation will rise to the standard set by the company in the early 2000s. Fresh example, which is but a curiosity to some, foreshadows much: Music Memos; released yesterday.
Holiday 2015 Gift Guide: Stocking stuffers
Here we are, days before Christmas, and you're thinking about last-minute stocking stuffers. I've got an eclectic selection of things I would want to get or give for December 25th. Some of them will demand rushing online to take advantage of last-minute shipping offers. Others require no shipping at all, like music subscription services. Confession: Some items will require a larger stocking but no wrapping.
I present the list alphabetically, and in no order of preference.
Apple Music declares war on streaming music rivals with new Taylor Swift exclusivity deal
Back in June, if you recall, Taylor Swift had penned a letter to Apple regrading what she perceived as unfair practices with its music service. She was successful in convincing the company to reverse course on paying royalties during the service's free period. Unfortunately, the end result was her wildly popular 1989 album becoming an Apple Music exclusive for streaming. Shortly after, I shared some of my thoughts regarding the state of the streaming music landscape, where I stated that exclusivity could be the demise of all-you-can-eat streaming, and might increase piracy too.
Today, Swift announces that she is once again making new content -- The 1989 World Tour LIVE -- an Apple Music exclusive. In other words, if you are a subscriber to an alternative service like Spotify or Groove Music, you will not be able to hear or see it. While this is arguably a wise business decision for Apple, it is a poor situation for both streaming music consumers and Taylor Swift fans alike. Will this help Apple, or simply hurt the streaming music business as a whole?
Apple Music arrives on Android as a beta
In a few short months, Apple Music has picked up millions of followers, and it has managed to do this whilst remaining exclusive to iOS. Now that changes. Today Apple's music app makes the jump to Android.
Currently in beta, Apple Music for Android is a free download, and includes a three-month free trial of the service. After this, should you want to continue using it, you'll have to cough up $9.99 per month. For the most part, this is a direct port of the iOS version of the app, but as it is in beta there are some notable differences.
There are just 6.5 million paying Apple Music users
Apple Music has managed to retain just 6.5 million subscribers willing to pay for the service four months after launch. Tim Cook has revealed that there are 15 million users in total at the moment, meaning that 8.5 million are making use of the free trial period.
Apple has previously claimed that it was managing to hang onto 79 percent of free trial users, converting them to paid subscribers, but these latest figures -- direct from Cook -- are at odds with this. But the real question is, how many of these paying subscribers simply forgot to cancel their subscription at the end of the trial period?
Logitech announces affordable z533 Multimedia Speakers
Bluetooth speakers are very convenient; they are typically lightweight and portable. Even though some wireless speakers sound great, you are usually better off with a wired connection when possible. For instance, if you want to connect speakers to your desktop or laptop, and they will never leave your desk, Bluetooth is a bad choice -- go wired, bro!
Today, Logitech announces a wired-only 2.1 speaker system that looks great, and is remarkably affordable. The z533 Multimedia Speakers will look beautiful on your desk. Will you buy them?
How to avoid Apple Music automatically charging you when your free trial ends
Apple Music comes with a free three-month trial. If you signed up to the streaming service as soon as it became available this trial period is about to end. If you wish to continue to use it after today you will have to pay for the pleasure.
Decided to use a different service instead (maybe Amazon Prime Music now that it has the Universal Music Group onboard)? Don't think you can simply let your free trial expire and that will be end of the matter, because it won't. Apple automatically signs you up for an auto-renewal payment option. So when the trial comes to an end, you’ll start paying for the service, regardless of whether you're still using it or not.
Such desperation, Apple
Look what email greeted when I rolled out of bed and in front of the computer this AM (Pacific Time). Apple Music wants my business. That's not happening. After signing up for the three-month trial, which ends September 30, I returned to using Chromebook Pixel LS and Nexus 6. The streaming service supports neither device, so, yes, I turned off autorenewal.
This brief post is a reminder to you to do likewise, if having signed up you're not planning to keep the service. Apple Music turns on autorenew by default, so if you want out, don't wait. Opt out now. On the other hand, if you enjoy the service, do nothing and listen. You're covered.
Add Apple CarPlay to your existing vehicle with Kenwood DDX6902S and DDX6702S
Back in the 90's and early 00's, I was one of those punk kids who drove around with his aftermarket stereo blasting rap music. Yes, I had a subwoofer in my trunk that would shake both my car and my neighbors' houses. While I still love rap music, I have outgrown the obnoxious behavior of forcing my music on others.
Car tech and music are still loves of mine, however, albeit it at lower decibels. I have been considering upgrading the stock stereo in my Ford Focus lately (I don't even have Bluetooth), and today Kenwood announces two receivers that pique my interest -- the DDX6902S and DDX6702S. As someone who just ordered an iPhone 6s Plus, these both feature something I desire -- Apple CarPlay.
Ultimate Ears announces UE BOOM 2
Listening to music on a smartphone speaker is passable, but to truly enjoy your tunes you should invest in good headphones and/or a Bluetooth speaker. While I enjoy bobbing my head while wearing my Beats Solo 2 headphones, sometimes I want to relax on my couch, lawn chair, or bed with nothing on my head. For this, I connect to one of my favorite portable Bluetooth speakers, the UE BOOM.
Today, Ultimate Ears announces a successor to that portable Bluetooth speaker -- the unimaginatively named UE BOOM 2. Yes, this popular speaker is getting an upgrade. The best part, however, is that the price stays exactly the same. Sweet!
Apple Music misses a beat
Yesterday, I joined the 61 percent. The figure represents the people who, in a MusicWatch survey of 5,000, had turned off auto-renew on their free Apple Music trial, which for all ends September 30. Unless something really big comes out of this week's media event, where new iPhones could debut and iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan receive release dates, I will listen elsewhere. For now, I will stream higher-fidelity tracks from Tidal, and expand my musical horizons at services like SoundCloud.
Strange thing: I don't dislike Apple Music. Curated playlists are "frak me" good. Family pricing, $14.99 per month, is very reasonable. The library is voluminous; if I want to listen to it, Apple Music likely has it. Then there is the benefit of easy access to my own library of about 14,000 tracks alongside juicy fruit picked from the orchard.
Who should we believe about Apple Music usage numbers?
It makes sense that any company would like you to believe that it has a large number of customers; if you launch a service, you want everyone to know just how popular it is. As well as boasting, it is a form of advertising in itself -- one that is free... the best kind.
But what happens when the figures you tout are at odds with what other people think? This is what is happening with Apple Music. Research company MusicWatch says that Apple's streaming music service retains just over half of users who sign up for the free trial. Apple disagrees, saying that it actually manages to hang on to 79 percent of users. Why is there such a big difference, and who is right?
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