Led Zeppelin have released a new video for a previously-unheard version of their classic 1969 single ‘Whole Lotta Love’ – watch it above.
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Spotify warns of hack
We’ve become aware of some unauthorized access to our systems and internal company data and we wanted to let you know the steps we’re taking in response. As soon as we were aware of this issue we immediately launched an investigation. Information security and data protection are of great importance to us at Spotify and that is why I’m posting today.
Our evidence shows that only one Spotify user’s data has been accessed and this did not include any password, financial or payment information. We have contacted this one individual. Based on our findings, we are not aware of any increased risk to users as a result of this incident.
Interestingly, it’s only Android users that will have to take any steps here. No action is required for iOS or Windows Phone users.
Apple will live stream the WWDC keynote
Now this is great news. I’ll be there, but having the video available for everyone is great.
PCalc for iOS
The new version of PCalc for iOS now shares the same core calculator code as PCalc 4 on OS X. There are a lot of updated features in this release.
Pixelmator 3.2 [Sponsor]
Pixelmator 3.2 Sandstone features an all-new Repair Tool. Redeveloped from the inside-out, the new Repair Tool is built on breakthrough technologies that enable the removal of unwanted objects or image imperfections with an unsurpassed level of quality and precision. The new version also brings 16-bits per channel support to the Mac. With 16-bits per channel support, you have more color data to work with and greatly reduce the risk of color banding. In addition, with Lock Layers you can simply lock certain layers to protect their content from any further changes so that you can freely edit the rest of your composition.
What are some alternatives to Beats headphones?
Wirecutter:
Readers often want to know: Why don’t they ever seem to get our recommendation? In general, it’s a price vs. performance issue, and often they don’t measure up to their competition. But there are a lot of specific reasons, too. So, to better address the frequently asked questions of Beats by Dre, we thought we’d talk you through each model, what you might be looking for when you first consider it, and then why we’d put our hard-earned cash somewhere else.
Some great advice here about the various alternatives if you don’t want to buy Beats.
AnandTech’s comprehensive guide to computer backups
Brett Howse from AnandTech takes you on an enlightening tour of the backup process/options. Reading this is like reading one of the camera reviews on DPReview.com. A lot of detail, can’t help but learn as you read.
Why you must watch the Monaco Grand Prix
Wired:
On Sunday, Formula One fans will plunk themselves in front of their TVs to watch the Monaco Grand Prix. If you’re not planning on doing the same, you should be.The Monaco Grand Prix is the greatest race in all of motorsport. It has everything: yachts, champagne, supermodels, royalty, parties, not to mention one of the world’s most historic racetracks that’s built to generate exciting moments.
Here’s why you should be watching when the green flag drops on Sunday at 7:30 AM EST.
I will respectfully disagree with my friend, Jordan Golson of Wired, when he says Monaco is the “greatest” race but it is fun to watch – especially as a companion race to Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
There’s a big meteor shower coming tonight. Here’s how to see it
Vox:
If you live in the United States or Canada and stay up late enough tonight, you might see something pretty cool: a brand-new, relatively big meteor shower.Starting at around 2 a.m. EDT, the Earth will pass through a stream of rocks and dust emitted by a recently-discovered comet. This debris won’t pose any danger — because it will burn up as it enters our atmosphere — but it’s projected to produce somewhere between 100 and 400 meteors per hour.
For those of you lucky enough to be in an area where you can see this, I’d encourage you to grab a blanket, get outside to some place dark and enjoy the show.
The state of the Apple developer ecosystem
The 10 hours in a metal tube between London and San Francisco provide for some great thinking space. The flights to and from WWDC last year as every year offered plenty of time to take stock of where things are, what could be, and on the way back what it all means. With all the focus on iOS 7’s new aesthetic, understandably the “iOS 7-only” mantra was top of everyone’s minds. But as I sat in sessions eagerly watching talks about all the new technologies on iOS, something bigger struck me. Something that’s taken almost a full year to fully analyse.
A long but interesting read from the point of view of a guy who really knows what he’s talking about.
Best gear for a road trip
A very extensive list from The Wirecutter.
The Ultimate Logo Mock Up and Design Kit
My thanks to Mighty Deals for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week. If you’re looking for a little logo inspiration, this Mighty Deal has your name on it! The ultimate Logo Mockup & Design Kit includes 70 retro logo templates, as well as 50+ photo-realistic logo mockups. These high-quality vector files, from Cruizine Design, are fully customizable and a snap to use. In no time at all, you can change up the color, size, shape or details and have yourself a professional logo, banner, sign or promotional piece for your latest project! And speaking of promotions, act now and you can save more than 75% off the regular price!
Markdown video tutorials
One of the best things I’ve ever done is move all of my writing to Markdown. If you don’t know it yet, learn. It’s quite easy to grasp.
Block Facebook game requests on iPhone and iPad
I hate people that keep inviting me to play games on Facebook. STOP IT! This may be the best article on the Internet.
Amazon behaving badly
Amazon, under fire in much of the literary community for energetically discouraging customers from buying books from the publisher Hachette, has abruptly escalated the battle.
The retailer began refusing orders late Thursday for coming Hachette books, including J.K. Rowling’s new novel. The paperback edition of Brad Stone’s “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon” — a book Amazon disliked so much it denounced it — is suddenly listed as “unavailable.”
History in color
You can see the photo captions by hovering.
Samsung Music closing down
Who fucking knew there was such a thing.
The hidden beauty of airport runways, and how to decipher them
Wired: Airports are known for rules and regulations, a reputation that applies to the runways as well. Almost all airport designs are governed by regulations established by the International Civil Aviation Organization to ensure pilots circling Toledo or Timbuktu remain … Continued
4 myths about Apple design, from an ex-Apple designer
Fast Company:
Before founding Storehouse, Kawano was a senior designer at Apple for seven years, where he worked on Aperture and iPhoto. Later, Kawano became Apple’s User Experience Evangelist, guiding third-party app iOS developers to create software that felt right on Apple’s platforms. Kawano was with the company during a critical moment, as Apple released the iPhone and created the wide world of apps.In an interview with Co.Design, Kawano spoke frankly about his time at Apple–and especially wanted to address all the myths the industry has about the company and about its people.
Interesting comments from a guy who was in the trenches.
JJ Abrams teams up with UNICEF
You Could Be in Star Wars: Episode VII
Fantastic.
Foursquare Mayorship is dead
Om Malik:
It is irrational and it is crazy, but I am indeed that “guy” who lately has been fighting for the mayorship with that “girl” for the mayorship of that “coffee shop.” It is one of the primary reasons why I keep Foursquare app on the first screen of my iPhone.
I never understood this.
Stephen Hackett’s OmniFocus 2 review
I enjoyed this. Easy-to-read and he gets to the point.
djay 2 for iOS adds Spotify integration
Algoriddim on Thursday released a new version of djay for iPhone and iPad. Like previous releases, djay has a number of cool features, but the one that stood out to me was Spotify integration. […]
Apple fixes iMessages issue
“We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update,” Apple told Re/code in a statement. “For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.”
An annoying bug for a few people, but it was fixed.
LG’s HeartRate Earphones
Yet in its simple, two-trick-pony earphone gadget, LG seems to have delivered on the promise of its product packaging. No, the HeartRate Earphones don’t run apps, or tell the time, or respond to voice commands. But they play music and monitor your heart rate—ostensibly with a high degree of accuracy. And that’s all they need to do.
Sometimes doing one thing, and doing it well, is all it takes.
Apple VP discusses the environment
Apple’s environmental initiatives VP, Lisa Jackson, discusses the challenges the tech giant faced when trying to be green.
Nest CEO says no ads in thermostats
“Nest is being run independently from the rest of Google, with a separate management team, brand and culture,” he said in an emailed statement. “For example, Nest has a paid-for business model, while Google has generally had an ads-supported business model. We have nothing against ads — after all Nest does lots of advertising. We just don’t think ads are right for the Nest user experience.”
I really like Nest CEO Tony Fadell. It’s not him I don’t trust, it’s the Google bosses.
Apple the top U.S. smartphone vendor
While Samsung sold the most handsets, Apple remained the top vendor of U.S. smartphones, claiming 37 percent of smartphones sold outside of the variety of Android and Windows Mobile licensees that Counterpoint analyzed.
Apple accounted for the largest share of smartphones for three of the top four U.S. mobile carriers: 52 percent at AT&T, 51 percent at Verizon Wireless, and 36 percent at Sprint, while taking the second place spot behind Samsung on the more value-oriented T-Mobile/Metro PCS with 24 percent.
AltBeard Bash at WWDC 2014 open to everyone
The Beard Bash is back for 2014, bigger and better than ever. This year we’re partnering with AltConf to bring the first AltBeard Bash to be held June 3, 2014 from 7-11 at the Children’s Creativity Museum at Moscone, 221 4th St, San Francisco.
Facebook launches Shazam-like feature
The latest version of Facebook for iOS and Android automatically recognizes the song you’re listening to or TV show you’re watching and adds it to your status. The Shazam-like feature is called “audio recognition,” and starts listening as soon as you start typing a new status.
I wonder what this will do to Shazam. Facebook has a lot of users that will use the new feature by default.