Like Spotify and its ilk, All Access offers millions of tracks (although Google didn’t say how many millions, or which music labels for that matter) for streaming on Android phones and tablets, as well as from a Web browser. And in the process, Google has also taking a big swing at its Android app partners like Spotify, Rdio, and Rhapsody.
It seems suspicious to me that Google won’t tell us which music labels they have or how many songs they have. That immediately leads to the assumption that it’s not that good.
I’m not at all surprised that Google is taking a swing at its competitors. The third-party app developers and services are making money from Google’s operating system and users — it makes sense that Google would want to cash in on some of that.
Turning back to the browser, Pichai said that Chrome now has 750 million active monthly users—an increase of 300 million users from last year. Much of that growth is happening on phones and tablets: Chrome works on both Android and iOS, and Pinchai stressed that its goal is to “move the mobile Web forward.”
It will be interesting to see what Google is going to do with Chrome, but I don’t see it as an operating system alternative right now.
Last year’s party at WWDC went so well, I decided to have another one this year. This is an invite-only event and I do ask that you RSVP. Invitations will be emailed out today.
Like last year, we are going to have the event at the W Hotel 4th floor terrace on Tuesday, June 11, 2013. We will also have The Amazing Embarrassonic Human Karaoke Machine back this year, allowing you to get up on stage and sing your favorite songs with a live band.
This year we are using the Tito event system for RSVPs, which is incredibly cool. After you submit your RSVP, a receipt will be sent to your email with the ability to add the RSVP to your iOS Passbook.
We will also not have any sponsors this year, so I would ask you not to bring marketing materials to leave on the tables or hand out to people. This is a relaxing party where people can come to relax and have fun.
Malware targeting mobile devices is rapidly growing in both the number of variants found in the wild and in their complexity and sophistication, but the only platform being actively targeted is Google’s Android, which researchers now say is resembling Windows on the desktop PC.
Nvidia has announced plans to begin selling its Shield handheld gaming device in June. The company will accept pre-orders for $349 starting on May 20th.
Unveiled earlier this year as Project Shield, the device is an Android-powered gaming console that also streams games from PCs equipped with specific Nvidia graphics cards. The streaming capability is described as a beta feature; Nvidia is working with Valve software to enable Steam games to work on the system.
The Shield system comprises Nvidia’s own Tegra 4 processor with a console-style game controller, 5-inch 720p multi-touch display and integrated speakers. 16GB memory, microSD storage, Bluetooth and other features extend the Shield’s capabilities.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic album Screaming for Vengeance, Judas Priest is releasing a remastered special edition of the album with bonus tracks and a live DVD taken from the May 29th, 1983 US Festival show in San Bernardino, California.
Ive is making the point that whilst embellishments (like skeuomorphic design elements) can be perceived as clutter, that’s not the core problem. The actual issue is that such designs focus on analogy rather than essence: a paper book itself, rather than the novel inside.
The 40-year-old co-founder of the world’s No. 1 Internet search engine said that doctors have been unable to identify a cause for the “very rare” nerve problems affecting his vocal cords, but that he has been making progress in his recovery and is “fully able to do all I need to at home and at work,” he wrote on his Google+ page on Tuesday.
In a court filing on Monday, Apple extended its ongoing litigation struggle with Samsung, adding the company’s recently released Galaxy S4 to the list of devices Apple says infringe on its patented designs.
When The Loop Magazine shipped last week, I had high hopes for delivering readers the best content available on Apple’s Newsstand. Unfortunately, the app shipped with a subscription bug that caused errors when trying to read the magazine on multiple devices.
In our efforts to fix the bug, we released an update over the weekend that actually made the situation worse.
Tonight, we released The Loop Magazine 1.0.2, which does fix the subscription bug once and for all. If you download the magazine on a second device, you just tap the “Restore” button and it will recognize your subscription and activate the magazine for that device.
In addition to the subscription bug, we also fixed App.net sharing, added the ability to share selected text and fixed a crash on launch bug.
You deserved a better experience than what we delivered, and we expected more from ourselves. Please accept my apology and know that we are working hard to deliver a great app for you.
My thanks to World 1-2 for sponsoring The Loop. World 1-2 is a new videogames-inspired music album by Koopa Soundworks, directed and produced by Mohammed Taher. It hosts a number of famed superstars as well as rising indies, including Austin Wintory (of Journey), Akira Yamaoka (of Silent Hill), Manami Matsumae (of Mega Man), Chipzel (of Super Hexagon), and a lot others.
Ah T-Mobile, I knew your introductory pricing of $99 down payment wasn’t going to last. As of today, T-Mobile will ask well-qualified customers to drop $149 as their down payment instead of $99 as has been the case since the April 12th launch. I don’t recall anyone or anywhere telling me the $99 price was only good for one month, but in hindsight I should have seen the writing on the wall.
It means that you’re no longer getting a better deal on the iPhone 5 from T-Mobile than you would be getting it unlocked directly from Apple, but it’s still reasonable – you’re now paying the full retail value of the phone over the length of the deal.
I don’t see this as the smartphone manufacturers problem. They make a device that thieves want to steal — how can they combat that? Is Nike going to make their shoes explode if stolen?
FreeCiv has been in development since 1995, but that doesn’t mean it’s stuck in the past. Everyone’s favorite not-Civilization nation-builder is now playable in browsers and on mobile devices so you can fully lose every waking moment enjoy multiplayer games anywhere you go.
The opensource 4X title is compatible with HTML5 browsers, so you can play in Chrome or Firefox without installing it on—let’s be honest here—your workplace Mac or PC. I don’t think anyone’s under any illusions about what this particular version will be used for. You may be in a beige-walled cubicle tomorrow, but your brain (and your browser) will be sending out scouts and making trade treaties with foreign dignitaries.
Really cool stuff. If you’re a fan of the original Civilization, you’ll love FreeCiv.
StackSocial, the web’s leading digital commerce platform, has partnered with six gaming publishers to launch the Name Your Own Price Adventure Gamer Bundle. Get 6 top adventure games for Mac. Donate to charity. Name Your Own Price. Purchase and enter for a chance to win $1,000 in Steam credits! A great way to start the summer.
In a town hall session held on Thursday, Apple informed tech staff that major changes to the AppleCare and AppleCare+ service programs will be enacted starting this fall, with a broadening of current policies likely to cut costs and make the service more attractive to consumers.
The bit about how they’ll be handling iOS device repairs worries me. As it stands now, if your iPhone or iPad doesn’t work right, they’ll swap it for a new or refurbished unit on the spot, but this suggests they’ll repair it instead. I’m not sure many customers will be happy waiting to get their iPhone fixed instead of just swapped out, especially if it introduces a wait of several days, as having your Mac fixed customarily does.
Update: Mexico, Germany Netherlands, Russia, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Portugal, Italy & Poland too. Let us know in the comments if the feature is now available in your country.
Apple appears to have recently started rolling out its new two-step verification feature for Apple IDs to users in additional countries. When Apple first launched the service in late March, it was initially only available to users in U.S., UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Today we’ve confirmed that Canadian users now have access to the feature, while we’ve also received tips from users in Argentina & Pakistan signalling that the feature is beginning to roll out in other countries as well.
Good news for people that want to improve the security of their Apple ID.
