Hasta La Gadget!

Xbox Music is coming to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, that much we know. We also know that the Zune brand is dead. But whether the new service will be a simple rebadge or an entirely new beast remains a mystery. Bloomberg has it on good authority, however, that that Xbox Music will more than just a new face. Microsoft is allegedly combining all the most successful elements of its competitors — streaming, online storage, and offline syncing — into a product that will put iTunes, Spotify and Google Play squarely in its crosshairs. The company is allegedly in talks with the record labels to secure the necessary rights for a monthly subscription service and a market for purchasing tracks. It will also take a page from Google Music and allow customers to upload their own collections. If Microsoft can pull off a such a comprehensive service others in the field better watch out — few companies have the reach or budget of Redmond.

Xbox Music said to rival Spotify and iTunes, Microsoft to make a mark in music originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple showed off a whole host of new features at WWDC 2012, but things have been quiet on the iTunes front. Bloomberg reports that Apple is busy preparing a major update to iTunes that will have deeper integration with iCloud and place an emphasis on sharing. Sources speaking to Bloomberg say that Apple recognizes that organizing the various content available from its services has become difficult, with iCloud integration hoping to fix that.

The biggest takeaway from the article is that Apple is planning to add a new sharing feature. Sources talking to Bloomberg indicate that Apple is negotiating with the record labels to allow users to send songs to each other and listen for free. The company has also been requesting additional photos and pictures of bands to expand on multimedia features in iTunes.

Interestingly, the record labels have been asking Apple to provide an unlimited music streaming subscription service similar to what Spotify offers, but one source believes Cupertino “isn’t likely to announce that type of service.” Bloomberg notes that Apple’s recent move to separate Podcasts from the main iTunes app on iDevices is part of the company’s shift to more organized content. Any changes that are made to iTunes will reportedly come towards the end of the year.

Apple tipped to overhaul iTunes, improve sharing is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve spent some time with Google’s new media Orb, and put our eye-orbs all over it. It’s a funky little device, but is it funky in the right ways? More »

Researchers at Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology have created a one-foot tall robot that does nearly everything that a real DJ can do. The robot–called Shimi–is an interactive “musical buddy” that acts as an Android smartphone docking station. Once Shimi gets access to the music library stored on your Android device, the bot can offer song recommendations, pick up the beat of the music, dance along to it and play songs based on feedback.

Shimi can also take advantage of the smartphone’s camera and use its face-detection software to follow anyone as they move around a particular room while the bot continuously positions its speakers in the listener’s direction for the best sound experience. If a listener taps or claps out a beat for Shimi to analyze, it can look through the music library and play up songs with a similar rhythm and tempo. When the music starts playing, get ready to see Shimi dance.

Now a dancing robot that follows you around is pretty cool, but it looks like Shimi still has a bit of growing up to do. Future plans are in the works for apps that will allow any music listener to shake their head or wave a hand at the bot, which Shimi will use to change or skip songs and learn more about the listener’s taste in music.

Professor Gil Weinberg, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology is expected to reveal the Shimi bot today at the Google I/O conference. SlashGear will be covering the events today, so check back  to see if the Shimi robot is spotted in action!

Shimi is an Android smartphone-enabled robot that can dance is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

One way for Spotify to leverage its ecosystem is to build apps around individual bands or artists, and the company has taken the wraps off several such apps today. Quicky Jones, Tiesto, Rancid, and Disturbed now all feature their own apps that will give users access to information and pull in all the music from the artists. Spotify say that even more Artist Apps will be launching in the near future that will follow the same pattern.

“Quincy Jones – The Stories Behind the Music” features tailored playlists, artwork, and exclusive audio that helps to paint a picture of the artist’s career. Quincy will detail via audio voiceovers who inspired him, how to create a hit record, and how music is effectively used in movies. “Tiesto’s Club Life” will pull together the best dance music from Spotify, with features including a single of the week, album of the month, and the festival of the month.

The Rancid app will see the band adding to a playlist of their favorite music selections as well as information regarding the picks. One of the band members, Tim Armstrong, will also showcase the music that inspired his own career. Disturbed will use their app in a similar way, looking at past and present rock and metal music with individual playlists as well as special guest playlists. The apps are available on the desktop Spotify clients right now.

Spotify introduces Artist Apps is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.