Xbox Music goes head on with Spotify: web streaming now free, iOS and Android apps out today
Xbox Music is going free over the web today, and its long-awaited iOS and Android versions are also set to launch at some point today. The move puts Xbox Music and Microsoft on a new course, positioning the service to rival major streaming music providers like Spotify and Rdio. "The Spotify model is the most disruptive thing that's happened in the music industry in the last five years," Xbox Music GM Jerry Johnson told Engadget in an interview this week.
With the move to free streaming on the web -- something that's been available to Windows 8 users for some time now -- Johnson and Microsoft are hoping to get in on that disruption. The first six months of streaming are entirely free, and becomes more limited after that. Like Spotify, Johnson reasons that users will be drawn in for free on the web and upgrade to the Xbox Music Pass ($10/month or $100/year). Also like Spotify, the mobile apps are essentially useless without a paid subscription. It's unclear if streaming will be free for the Xbox One version that launches this November, though we'd bet that the first 30 days are free (like with the Xbox 360 iteration). There are some new images of what it'll look like on Xbox One in the gallery below -- it's essentially a shinier version of the one you're used to on your current Xbox 360.
Sadly, the iOS and Android apps don't launch with the ability to save and play tracks offline; offline playback functionality is coming "in the coming months," we're told. Oh, and when Windows 8.1 launches in October, the Web Playlist tool (which creates playlists based on whatever website you're viewing) will arrive alongside the OS update for Windows 8 users. We'd leave you with a link to Tears for Fears' timely song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," but Xbox Music doesn't allow users to link out. Instead, there's a YouTube embed below. Dance with us like it's 1985!%Gallery-slideshow83433%
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
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How would you change LG's Optimus 4X HD?
A year is a long time in technology, and reading back through the reviews of LG's Optimus 4X HD, it's clear to see a company in transition. Spool forward a few months, and the Optimus G and Nexus 4 has pushed the Korean giant back into the ascendancy. Still, we need to grapple with the 4XHD, which we said had a frustrating camera, underwhelming display and poor battery life. You've had several months to toil away at this device now, so it's time to ask -- did we get it right? That's what How Would You Change is all about.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
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Refresh Roundup: week of September 2nd, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile
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Nissan surprises us all with smartwatch concept for Nismo cars (video)
Nissan's no stranger to conjuring up ideas outside its wheelhouse, but we still didn't expect the company to join the smartwatch fray. The device, if and when ready for commercial release, won't be a staunch Galaxy Gear competitor, though -- it's being developed specifically for the Nismo motorsports line. Since it's meant for use by racers, it'll monitor and analyze a vehicle's performance, and, as a nice bonus, even a driver's heart rate and social media presence. To be able to do so, it connects via Bluetooth to a proprietary smartphone app. The Nissan Nismo Watch is far from gracing shelves, but the concept will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. Those who can't make the long trek to Germany will have to make do watching the video after the jump.
Filed under: Wearables
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Weekly Roundup: Galaxy Gear hands-on, iPhone 5S and 5C rumors, Microsoft / Nokia acquisition, and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
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Instagram adds 50 million users in six months, now over 150 million total
Instagram revealed its user base for the first time back in January, and after topping 100 million users February 26th a blog post today says its community has grown to "more than 150 million people capturing and sharing moments every month". That means it's added 50 million users in the last six months, growth that's survived and thrived through the company's acquisition by Facebook, ToS outrage and the introduction of video. There's value in that many eyeballs however, and COO Emily White tells the Wall Street Journal it will begin selling ads in the next year -- time to find out if it can balance popularity and profitability.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Facebook
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Source: Instagram (Tumblr)
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Switched On: More wedge, less edge, no hedge
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
Casting aside such permutations as the DSi and the DSi XL, it makes ordinal sense for the Nintendo 3DS to have followed the Nintendo DS. This is true even if the "3" was for the number of dimensions and not necessarily generations (in which case it might have been named the DS 3). But it seems a bit puzzling on the face of it to come out with a product called the 2DS after the 3DS. Changing the sub-brand immediately calls the notion of compatibility into question even if one can see why Nintendo wouldn't want to include "3D" in a product that doesn't display it. (At least it's not being called "the new 3DS.")
And that's but one of the confusing things about the 2DS, in which the strongest champion of hand-held gaming hardware has eliminated the signature feature of its latest portable console generation as well as the clamshell design with which the DS series has been identified since its debut a decade ago. The result is a makeover of the portable 3D handheld that is a bit less portable and a lot less 3D.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Nintendo
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Xbox One's still-in-beta dashboard, multitasking previewed in video leak
In a move that reminds us of the kid that leaked the first in the wild shots of the Xbox 360, YouTuber Jackson Carter has posted a two minute video claiming to show a working Xbox One. After flashing the console itself and a controller as proof, he focuses mostly on the UI, displaying its Windows 8-style tile layout. You can check out our detailed impressions of the console's UI right here, but this will be the first opportunity most have had to see the system's default menu -- multitasking, Ryse beta, Kinect 2.0 and all -- in motion. There's no info on exactly where this console came from, but our friendly narrator mentions he can't access other beta games just yet. While conspiracy theorists debate if this legitimate and/or intentional, everyone else can just take a peek at it embedded after the break.
Update: The original video has been pulled from YouTube, we've embedded a working version after the break.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
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Via: NeoGAF, Wario64 (Twitter)
Source: Jackson Carter (YouTube)
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Tablet-optimized Twitter app leaks after IFA, works best on 10-inch screens
If you blinked during Samsung's Unpacked Episode 2 event at IFA last week, you may have missed it: the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 running a Twitter app redesigned for tablets. The brief peek teased a dual column, full screen miroblogging interface, but didn't clue us in as to when the update would be live. Truth be told, that's still a mystery, but that doesn't mean you can't upgrade anyway -- AndroidNext has found the update's APK. According to Android Police, the new interface is a little cramped on 7-inch displays, but seems to be fully functional. It seems to replace the existing Twitter app too, so an official update probably isn't too far off. The impatient can find the file at the attached source link, assuming they're willing to install manually.
Filed under: Software, Mobile
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Via: Android Police
Source: AndroidNext
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NSA can reportedly tap smartphones, access BlackBerry email
Roaming confusion has already caused the NSA to "accidentally" listen in on domestic calls, but according to a report from Spiegel, the organization is capable of a lot more. The German news magazine says it has seen evidence that the NSA can tap smartphones for SMS traffic, location data, contact list information and more. The claims, reportedly outlined in internal NSA documents, specifically call out iOS and BlackBerry devices as targets, describing the ability to access iPhone data by hacking a recently synced PC. BlackBerry access seems a bit more direct, Spiegel reports, suggesting that the NSA can tap into the BlackBerry email system. BlackBerry officials told Spiegel it wouldn't comment on the allegations, but assured the news source that it hasn't provided the NSA with a "'back door' pipeline to our platform." Regardless, it's a haunting claim -- particularly for folks that use BlackBerry devices for their heavily touted security, but considering everything the NSA has been up to recently, we can't say we're entirely surprised.
Filed under: Cellphones, Blackberry
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Via: Verge
Source: Spiegel
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: geodesic houseboat, orbital photovoltaic plant and color-changing syringes
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
Tesla has been on a tear this year, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker is using up the world's supply of lithium-ion batteries, spurring manufacturers to ramp up global production. In other green transportation news, Smart has unveiled the Fourjoy electric concept car in advance of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Barcelona launched the world's first public electric scooter-sharing scheme, which promises to help users save money and decrease fuel consumption. In Buffalo, a man built himself a 16-foot geodesic houseboat in just a few weeks for less than $2,000. And if you want to have your mind blown, check out the photos from this year's Bloemencorso Zundert flower parade in the Netherlands, which features floats made from thousands of flowers.
Filed under: Misc, Science
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Telus to bring Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear to Canada on October 4th
Canadians won't have to wait much longer than their American counterparts to get their hands on the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear. Telus sends word that it will carry both Samsung devices on October 4th, just a few days after AT&T gets its turn at the Note 3. The carrier doesn't yet have pricing. As for additional Canadian networks? We've reached out to Bell and Rogers for their launch details, and we'll let you know when they have something to share. If history is any indication, though, other providers will quickly follow in Telus' footsteps.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile, Samsung
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Source: Telus
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New firmware gives Canon's Cinema EOS camera line a prodigious 80,000 ISO
Those who shelled out big bucks for one of Canon's Cinema EOS cameras will be glad to know they've just been blessed with a significant firmware upgrade. Owners of the EOS C500, C300, C100 and 1D C 4K models will all see a huge increase in light gathering, with the maximum ISO jumping from 20,000 to 80,000. That's one of the highest ISO settings on a pro camcorder, and you'll now be able to roll through the entire ISO range in 1/3 stop increments instead of a full stop at a time, too. Meanwhile, the top of the line C500 model will get new DCI-P3+ and Cinema Gamut color options, along with a new high-speed, 120fps shooting mode at 4,096 x 1,080. The C300 will also get a new Wide DR color gamut and all the models will get various tweaks and bug fixes. For the finer details, check the source.
Filed under: Cameras, HD, Canon
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Via: NoFilmSchool
Source: Canon Europe
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Ask Engadget: best soundbar?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Shoheb, who wants a soundbar and doesn't want to miss his surround sound set up. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I'm looking for a reasonably-priced soundbar that's got the power and quality that I won't miss 5-point surround sound set up. Is such a thing possible? Thanks!"
A few months back we saw a demonstration of the Orbitsound M12 and we were blown away by its ability to dominate the sound even in a crowded trade-show hall. We've also heard plenty of good things about Sony's HT-CT260, given its reasonable price, and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Philips' Fidelio HTL9100 with detachable speakers (should you need more immersive sound). Of course, that's three from the top of our heads, we dare the Engadget community to suggest some more.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, HD
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Mobile Miscellany: week of September 2nd, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a peek of GDR 3 for Windows Phone 8, confirmation that US Cellular's Belief Project is no more and the arrival of the Moto X on two more US carriers. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of September 2nd, 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
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New NBA stats deal will put motion tracking cameras in every arena
The NBA faces a big challenge now that it offers all its player statistics to the public -- how does it generate stats that hold the interest of basketball fans? The league's solution is a multi-year agreement to use Stats LLC's SportVU motion tracking system in every arena (15 teams had already implemented the technology on their own). As of the 2013-14 season, every NBA arena will have a six-camera setup that creates a steady stream of player data based on ball possession, distance, proximity and speed. The NBA's website, NBA Game Time and NBA TV will all use the information to expand game stats beyond what we see today with heat maps and specific details on each possession. There's no telling how useful that extra knowledge will be, but we won't be shocked if it helps settle a few sports bar arguments.
[Image credit: Rondo Estrello, Rondostar.com / Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Internet
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Via: AP (Yahoo)
Source: NBA, Stats LLC
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Alt-week 09.07.13: 3D printed cars, invisibility cloaks, and LADEE launches
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
We're all about the launches this week, at both ends of the spectrum. At the small-scale, we see what happens when a pinewood derby gets the 3D printing treatment. At the other end, NASA's LADEE begins its voyage to the moon. This is alt-week.
Filed under: Science, Alt
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Google Authenticator for iOS returns, lost entries are back but may cause dupes
Just a few days ago Google released a 2.0 version of its Authenticator app for iOS, but a bug made user's entries not show up and the company yanked it. Now v2.0.1 is back in the App Store, and it contains a fix for any two factor authentication users that downloaded the busted version. Based on the release notes, your old keys weren't cleared by the update, but they just weren't displaying. We tried it out on our iOS device that was blank after 2.0 and it worked as advertised, all accounts show up again. Although it's safe to upgrade there is one more issue: anyone who created replacement accounts already will have duplicates. To avoid that, your best bet is to rename any new entries before updating -- staying secure is fun and easy, isn't it?
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Apple, Google
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Source: iTunes
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IFA 2013 wrap-up: Galaxy Note 3, Xperia Z1, smartwatches, lens cameras, 4K displays and more
We reckoned IFA would be an exceptionally busy show, and now that we've combed through all of our coverage and condensed it here, it's clear the event lived up to our expectations. Sure, the venerable CES may have topped IFA in show floor square feet, but the announcements in Berlin generated perhaps even more excitement than those that came out of Las Vegas in January. A pair of high-profile smartwatches, two titanic smartphones, a duo of lens cameras, 4K displays and a bevy of hands-ons await you in a neat, yet massive, roundup after the break.%Gallery-slideshow83286%
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Cameras, Displays, GPS, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Household, Laptops, Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video, Robots, Tablets, Transportation, Wearables, Samsung, Sony, HTC, ASUS, LG, HP, Acer, Lenovo
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Instant Wild satellite cameras protect animals through crowdsourcing (video)
Remote cameras are useful to wildlife conservationists, but their closed (or non-existent) networking limits the opportunities for tracking animals around the clock. The Instant Wild project's cameras, however, are designed to rely on the internet for help. Whenever they detect movement, they deliver imagery to the public through Iridium's satellite network. Anyone watching the cameras through the Instant Wild iOS app or website becomes an impromptu zoologist; viewers can identify both animals and poachers that dedicated staff might miss. Maintenance also isn't much of an issue, as each unit is based on a Raspberry Pi computer that can run for long periods on a single battery. The Zoological Society of London currently operates these satellite cameras in Kenya, but there are plans underway to expand their use to the Antarctica, the Himalayas, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Filed under: Cameras, Internet
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Source: Cambridge Consultants, Edge of Existence
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Toshiba's quantum access networking promises spy-proof encryption for groups
Quantum cryptography is crack-proof by its nature -- you can't inspect data without changing it -- but the available technology is currently limited to one-on-one connections. Toshiba has developed a quantum access networking system that could bring this airtight security to groups as large as 64 people. The approach gives each client a (relatively) basic quantum transmitter, and routes encrypted data through a central, high-speed photon detector that returns decryption keys. Such a network would not only secure entire workgroups, but lower the cost of encrypting each user. Quantum access networks won't be useful across internet-scale distances until researchers improve the signal integrity, but there may be a time when surveillance agencies will run out of potential targets.
Filed under: Networking, Alt
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Via: Quartz
Source: Nature
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Nokia Lumia 1020 price drops to $199 in the US
One of the barriers to Lumia 1020 adoption in the US has been the high price; you've had to really love phone photography to justify spending $299 on-contract. That shouldn't be an issue from now on, as both AT&T and Microsoft have permanently dropped the Nokia flagship's price to $199 with a two-year agreement. If you buy from the Microsoft Store, you'll even get a free black camera grip through a limited-time offer. The new pricing might not sway every Windows Phone fan when a next-gen Lumia may lurk just around the corner, but those who've been waiting for a good bargain on the 1020 will find one at the source links.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia, AT&T
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Via: Windows Phone Blog
Source: AT&T, Microsoft Store
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The Engadget Interview: Daniel Sennheiser (video)
"I've worked for Sennheiser since I was born," the company's co-CEO says with a laugh. Five years ago, Daniel Sennheiser and his brother took over the reigns of the eponymous audio company, the third generation of a legacy that began in 1945, weeks after the close of World War II, when their grandfather Fritz opened Laboratorium Wennebostel. Two decades later, the company would go on to to revolutionize personal audio with the introduction of the open headphone.
"One of our engineers discovered that you can take a microphone transducer and put it close to your head and suddenly there's a near-field effect that creates very good sound quality," explains Sennheiser. "And suddenly the open-ear headphone was born. That was the first hi-fi headphone in the world. That didn't exist at the time. We had 100-percent of the market." A quick glance around the floor of IFA will confirm that's certainly no longer the case anymore.
Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Filed under: Home Entertainment
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Sony's Camera Remote API allows WiFi-equipped devices to control its cameras, act as a second screen
This year's IFA has been rather eventful for Sony: the company unveiled a new handset, some interesting cameras and even a recorder that can turn you into the next Justin Bieber. But lost in the shuffle was an announcement that the Japanese outfit's also releasing its Camera Remote API, albeit in beta. Sony says the idea here is to provide developers with the ability to turn WiFi-ready devices, such as smartphones and tablets, into a companion for many of its shooters -- i.e. act as a second display or be able to shoot images / video remotely.
The Camera Remote API will be friendly with novel products including the Action Cam HDR-AS30, HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder and both DSC-QX lens cameras, as well as older models like the NEX-6, NEX-5R and NEX-5T. This is definitely good news for current and future owners of any of the aforementioned, since the new API can certainly add much more value to Sony's cameras via the third-party app creations that are born from it.
Filed under: Cameras, Software, Sony
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Via: Pocket-lint
Source: Sony
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VLC 2.1 for iOS adds audio-only playback, streaming over FTP and UPnP
VLC returned to iOS with big upgrades like AirPlay and Dropbox integration, but it left out a few of the very valuable features we've seen in other media players. The app's new 2.1 update addresses several of those omissions in one fell swoop. VLC can now play audio-only files, and it will stream content from both UPnP devices and FTP servers. Even a few of the smaller additions could be quite useful for some viewers -- there's a video deinterlacing option, for example, as well as support for subtitles in non-Western languages. We're sure that VLC 2.1 won't please everyone, but iOS media lovers who held off on downloading 2.0 will want to give the update a closer look.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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Source: App Store
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