Spotify today introduced free radio streaming for iPhone and iPad users, making the site more directly competitive with online radio leader Pandora. Using internal data from Spotify's database of 16 million tracks in the U.S., Spotify will create custom radio playlists based on track, artists, albums, genres or playlists themselves. As an example of the latter, a playlist based on the current Billboard Hot 100 playlist might suggest a track like Foster the People's "Warrant," a song that hasn't charted but is similar to the songs on the playlist and also to users' own meta-data.
Spotify Play Button Launches, Aims For Ubiquity
In another Pandora-like move, Spotify's radio service comes equipped with the ability to "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" a song, which will in turn update the next track on the playlist in real time to more accurately reflect the user's listening preferences. Such additions could be useful in helping Spotify narrow the gap between its competitors -- Pandora reported 50 million active users in May (compared to Spotify's 10 million active users and 3 million paying subscribers), with 70% of usage coming from mobile devices. Prior to today's announcement, only premium users could access Spotify on a mobile device (premium users will also be able to use the new radio service on iPhone and iPad).
Spotify Lifts Limits on Free Listening in U.S.
"One of the things users kept asking us was for better discovery of new music," says Donovan Sung, product manager for Spotify. The free mobile features could also have a halo effect on other usages of the product. "There's a high correlation between time spent streaming and being a paying customer. We're just trying to improve the experience," Sung says.
Spotify Introduces First iPad App, Aims To Become 'Home Stereo'
"Liking" a song on the new Spotify playlists will automatically save the track to a special playlist so users can revisit any song they've given a "thumbs up," similar to the starred playlists users can currently create to remember their favorite tracks. A radio icon also features prominently in the middle of today's update for Apple devices -- making it "the central feature of the mobile app," Sung notes.
Spotify Developing Online Radio to Challenge Pandora (Report)
With an Android version of the new mobile app in the works (an updated, radio-free Android app debuted Monday), could a click-to-buy feature for songs be far behind? "We have to see what the users will say," Sung says. "We're constantly updating to include anything users really like."
Imagination Technologies hit by fears over reliance on Apple - Daily Telegraph
"The [share price] fall is illogical but I am not going to argue about it. 10m units [based on Imagination's designs] are being shipped every day and I see no reason for us not to hit the 1bn target."
Mr Yassaie said Imagination's "smart" technologies are "being adopted more widely across new and existing partners" and that the company it is seeing significant growth in demand for tablets, as well as from China in the current financial year.
Revenues from its Pure digital radios rose £1m to £29.3m, as an increase in demand overseas offset "softness" in the UK market.
Motorola Solutions to Acquire Psion - Yahoo Finance
Motorola Solutions Inc. (MSI), a leader in the lucrative U.S. Public Safety market, is planning to acquire Psion Plc for $200 million in cash. Per the deal, Motorola Solutions will make a premium offer of $1.36 per share to Psion. The deal is expected to close by the end of fiscal 2012, subject to regulatory approvals.
Psion Plc develops mobile handheld computers, which are mainly used for commercial and industrial purposes. It operates in 14 different countries and has served clients in more than 80 countries. Motorola Solutions believes that the acquisition of Psion will not only bolster its mobile computing and hardware portfolio but will also increase its presence in the international market, thereby accelerating top- and bottom-line growth.
Motorola’s business model remains compelling and we believe that the company will be able to maintain its current top-line growth going forward, primarily due to the critical nature of the public safety network in the U.S. and massive growth potential in the Middle East.
Despite these positives, we believe that a slowdown in government expenditures due to budgetary pressures -- particularly at the state and local levels -- may significantly jeopardize the company’s overall financials as the company is heavily dependent on it. Moreover, Sprint Nextel Corporation (S), one of the company's largest customers, has decided to gradually phase out the iDEN network, thus adding to the negative pressures. We, thus, maintain our long-term Neutral recommendation on Motorola Solutions Inc.
Currently, Motorola Solutions Inc. has a Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short-term Buy rating.
Motorola Solutions Inc., based in Schaumburg, Illinois, is a leading communications equipment manufacturer, with a strong market position in bar code scanning, wireless infrastructure gear and government communications.
Read the Full Research Report on MSIRead the Full Research Report on S
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Google Offers Now Available for iPhone - Mashable
Google Offers app is now available for the iPhone. The app is only available in the United States with deals located in a wide swath of major metropolitan areas. A complete list of cities can be found on the Google Offers website. Users can find nearby offers suing the app’s map view, or they can search for specific deals by category.
After purchasing a deal, you can easily track your offers in the My Offers section of the app. Deals can be redeemed instantly from your iPhone without having to spend time remembering to print and bring your voucher.
Google Offers can be downloaded in the App Store for free. It is designed for the iPhone and iPod touch but is also compatible with the iPad.
Google’s iOS availability may be huge for its Offers platform. When the Android version of the app launched last fall, users spent three times more time on the app compared to the site. That’s a pretty big difference.
As of publishing time, the featured deal is for new Netflix streaming subscribers. After watching three movies or TV shows on the service, you can receive two movie tickets for $1.
iPhone 5 transparent concept looks stunning in mock advert - Crave
I'm looking through you -- you're not the same, as birthday boy Paul McCartney memorably put it. This cool advert for a possible future iPhone 5 definitely isn't the same -- and you can look through it.
The first glimpses of the next iPhone have started to emerge, revealing that the phone is set to have a new widescreen design. Those glimpses, such as the video comparing the prospective iPhone 5 with the current iPhone 4S, may or may not be genuine -- but we know this one's from the realm of pure fantasy.
Click play on the video to see the advert for the gorgeous see-through iPhone concept.
Designed by Apple fan Dakota Adney, this speculative iPhone concept design sports an 'iClear retina display' -- in other words, it's transparent, layering text, apps and games on the clear display.
The see-through screen is handy for taking photos, as well as offering augmented reality, layering information on the screen over whatever's in front of you.
Set the phone down on a flat surface and twin projectors beam a virtual keyboard in front of you, with sensors spotting where you tap and turning that into typing.
If you like the idea of a transparent phone, the designer of this concept has also put together a promo video for a transparent iPad.
For more mind-blowing concept phones, check out our favourite made-up iPhone 5 designs, our favourite made-up iPad designs, a Nokia phone that's a touchscreen all over, and a bendy PaperPhone flexible phone.
We're expecting to see the next iPhone this autumn. Whether it's called the iPhone 5 or the new iPhone, Apple's next blower will be the first to show off iOS 6, the latest version of i-flavoured software, complete with improved Siri, a new Apple maps app and assorted other improvements.
Would you use a see-through phone? What would you like to see in the iPhone 5? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
Apple extends LiquidMetal deal by two years - Digital Spy
Motorola XOOM 2 joins Alitalia to enhance travel experience - Silicon Republic
The Motorola XOOM 2 tablets will include passengers’ profiles, travel histories, seating and on-board menu preferences, and any inconveniences they had on previous trips.
Alitalia will be among the first airlines in the world to provide their crew with a tablet, Motorola Mobility said, and the tablet will also enable the flight attendants to access the aircraft’s internal manuals.
Motorola XOOM 2 tablets will also be introduced as Alitalia’s in-flight entertainment services (IFE) for Business and Magnifica Class passengers on mid- as well as long-distance flights to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Beyruth, Riyadh and Teheran that are now without an IFE service.
Preloaded content on the tablets will provide passengers with free access to movies, music, video games, and online magazines.
In addition, passengers will also be able to use the Motorola XOOM 2 before they even step on an Alitalia flight, when the tablet will be placed in 10 Alitalia lounges, Freccia Alata.
“Today we have made another further step ahead in our customer relationship management strategy” says Marco Sansavini, director of sales, Distribution and Customer Care in Alitalia. “It is a priority project for the new Alitalia, which involves the training of 9,000 people.
“Alitalia wants to make the onboard flight an extraordinary experience and the tablets will enable the crew to always stay online and in touch with the needs and preferences of its passengers.”
Maurizio Angelone, vice president and general manager, Mobile Devices, EMEA, Motorola Mobility, said tablets have increasingly become a must-have device for staying connected, whether at home or on the go.
“We anticipate the transportation industry will make tablets an integral part of their consumer offering in the years to come,” Angelone added.
An example of Alitalia passenger information for a flight attendant on the Motorola XOOM 2 tablet computer
Tina Costanza
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Sir Paul McCartney donates guitar - Daily Telegraph
Crooner Michael Buble is to pick up the international prize at this year's awards.
Other winners include Jessie J, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Laura Wright.
Buble, whose hits include Haven't Met You Yet, will collect the Raymond Weil International Award at the ceremony at London's Hilton Park Lane on June 29.
O2′s cross-platform chat app Tu Me hits Android - Euro Droid
Telefonica, which we know here as the owner of mobile network O2, has launched an Android app called Tu Me, which offers users of phones across all UK networks a way to chat, send photos of cats, make excuses about not being on time and so on within a nice little app.
If you can convince someone else to install the Tu Me app you’re then able to make and send free calls and texts between the two you, using your phone’s data allowance or a wi-fi connection, plus Telefonica says it supports “HD sound” for voice calls.
Clare, I’m busy. And I’ve told you not to use this number. Tu Me is free and on the Play Store here. It looks nice and was pretty well received on iOS last month.
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