Hi, my name is Andre.
Spotify Apps are here!
Today Spotify released an API and an app store. You can catch up on the news over at Techmeme.
Thanks to Spotify Apps, the best music reviewers can help you discover great music to listen to. Help yourself to recommendations through Last.fm and We Are Hunted, and expert tips from Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Pitchfork.
But that’s not all…
Let’s say you’re listening to a new track and you’d like to know the lyrics. Just click over to the TuneWiki app and see all the words of the song perfectly synced as you’re listening.
Maybe you want to see a gig this weekend? Check out the Songkick app to find out if any of the artists in your library are performing near you. Then get your hands on tickets with a few clicks.
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Spotify is quietly building a monster. By opening up its API, Spotify hopes to become the backbone to your future digital music library.
In the past, almost everyone used iTunes to manage their music. It was the best product available. But trends show that consumers no longer want to manage their own music. They want someone else to do it for them. And who could blame them?
- Building a large music library in iTunes is very expensive.
- Managing ID3 tags is a pain in the ass.
- Syncing across devices is also a pain. Why sync when you can stream?
That last one is the real killer. Why sync when you can stream? iTunes Match attempted to solve this problem, but it pails in comparison to the competition — Spotify, Rdio, Mog, SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Tunein, Turntable, Pandora, et al.
The competition is heating up. But Apple is stuck playing with wooden bats. iTunes’ core product is fundamentally flawed. Consumers want to stream, not own. They have always wanted to stream, but in the past the technology just wasn’t there. Streaming music players need a fast internet connection.
If iTunes falls, the top spot will be up for grabs. Today’s news is an example of how Spotify is positioning itself to take on the top spot in the event that consumers flock away from iTunes.
Should RIM port BlackBerry Messenger to iOS and Android too?
In yet another blow for BlackBerry loyalists, Research in Motion announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion today, a tool that will allow businesses to make employee iOS and Android devices just as secure as RIM’s own smartphones.
Related: RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger service is one of the best messaging platforms out there. How long before RIM gives up on BlackBerry and ports their BBM service over to iOS and Android?
(Source: techmeme.com)
Impossible is nothing.
This kid is only 12 years old, yet he is programming apps for iOS.
Camera+ founder Lisa Bettany shot the same picture on each of the 5 iPhones — original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and the new iPhone 4S. Which do you think looks best?
Before He Died, Steve Jobs Predicted That Obama Would Not Be Re-Elected
Bizarre news emerging from Steve Jobs’ not yet released biography. Steve Jobs allegedly told President Obama, “You’re headed for a one-term presidency.” Yikes!
The encounter took place at the Westin Airport Hotel right here in San Francisco. Yep, they met at an airport hotel. This angered Jobs, who was expecting a personal invitation to the White House.
Eventually Steve Jobs forgave the President and offered him Apple’s services for the 2012 reelection campaign. It is not uncommon for large companies to do this, but it is a sleazy practice. Corporate donations are often shielded from the public and result in favorable treatment for the donating party. Hi, Goldman Sachs. We are all looking at you.
It will be fun to watch this November. Was Steve Jobs right, or wrong?
I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product.
_ Steve Jobs, from his new biography.
iPhone 4S: Apple, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint Are All Sold Out
Earlier this week it was reported that preorders for the iPhone 4S had sold out on Apple’s website. Today we are hearing that Verizon, Sprint and AT&T have also sold out. This happened sometime late Thursday night, the day before the device lands in stores.
So far demand for the device has outpaced demand for the iPhone 4. All signs point to the iPhone 4S being a huge hit. Apple is on track to having an exception fourth quarter.
AT&T is estimating a 3-4 week delivery time. Neither Sprint nor Verizon list a delivery window on either of their websites. Apple.com is shipping in 1-2 weeks. Your best bet is to call around checking to see which retailers have the phone in stock.
No More Free iPhone Replacements, Apple Ditches Its Unofficial Genius Bar Policy
Apple is known for its customer service. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into an Apple Store with a broken gadget only to walk out a few minutes later with a free replacement. No questions asked. To call Apple’s Genius Bar awesome is an understatement. But today that all changes.
Apple is putting an end to the Genius Bar’s unofficial replacement policy. In other words, no more free replacements. The changes come as part of Apple’s new AppleCare+ warranty program. Apple realizes that it needs to stop dishing out free replacements if it ever wants to sell a protection plan for its devices.
In addition to purchasing the AppleCare+ Protection Plan, iPhone owners will also need to pay a $49 service fee each time they file a claim. Only time can tell whether lenient Genius Bar employees enforce this new policy.
The AppleCare+ protection program retails for $XX and must be purchased at the time of sale. More information on these changes can be found over at MacRumors.
