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News

• Google goes after Apple with its own free music service

  Google is launching a free music service in a move that pits it against Apple, Pandora and Spotify.

• Toyota eyes Ford's latest smartphone interface

  Toyota announced today that it may adopt the SmartDeviceLink (SDL) protocol, which is the open-source version of Ford's smartphone-linking technology called Ford AppLink.

• BWS to target its customers’ musical tastes with Pandora in-store streaming

  Liquor retailer, BWS, is rolling out Internet radio services across its Australian stores, which play songs based on the musical tastes of customers living in particular postcodes.

• Google, Facebook, Apple spent record amounts on lobbying in 2014

  The tech industry's most influential companies spent record amounts of money on federal lobbying in 2014 despite a general drop in lobbying by most tech companies. The spending was often directed at areas away from the central business of technology, and it indicates how diverse and powerful major tech companies are becoming.

• With biggest update in two years, Pandora wants more of your feedback

  Do you hate the song Pandora just played for you? The music streaming service wants you to give it more feedback so it can play the songs you want to hear.

• 5 Ways to Keep Your Devices Charged During Holiday Travel

  I'm at my local Starbucks, drinking a seasonal concoction. (A no-whip caramel brûlée.) I'm listening to tinkly piano music on Pandora while I work. And I'm charging my iPhone using one of Starbucks' new Duracell Powermat wireless charging "spots."

• Pandora says its 'like' data keeps it relevant against Spotify, Apple

  Pandora, the algorithmic music radio app, is not afraid of its competitors in on-demand streaming like Spotify and Apple-owned Beats Music, because it has better feedback data than them, the company claims.

• Watch out Spotify; Google's building YouTube 'Music Key'

  Google is reportedly eying the creation of a YouTube music subscription service to take on the likes of Spotify and Pandora.

• Net neutrality ruling scaring VCs away from investing in certain startups

  Venture capitalists are already wary of investing in startups that would require high-performance broadband speeds out of concern that the FCC's expected net neutrality ruling will increase their operational costs, MIT's Technology Review reported today.

• Music industry sucks life from subscription services

  Music subscription services, such as Pandora and Spotify, are the fastest-growing segment of the music industry, but since they hand over 60% to 70% of their revenue to record labels, they will inevitably fail unless something changes, a new report shows.

• Tip of the Hat: The 'forking' of Android is inevitable

  The open source code that made Android a success is started blunting Google's control over mobile platform. Device makers like Amazon and Nokia are modifying -- or forking -- Android's source code to support its apps rather than Google's.

• iPhone, Samsung smartphone use by U.S. consumers jumps

  Apple's iPhone was used by 42% of all U.S. smartphone owners in the fourth quarter of 2013, up from 35% a year earlier, according to an NPD Group survey.

• Apple turns on iTunes Radio

  Apple today launched iTunes Radio, the company's first foray into streaming music, as it upgraded iTunes to version 11.1 and its mobile operating system to iOS 7.

• Google Chromecast controls TV from smartphones, tablets, laptops

  Google Wednesday launched a small $35 device, called Chromecast, that lets users send videos and music from smartphones, tablets and laptops to high definition TV sets.

• Pink Floyd members reunite to slam Pandora

  Call it another brick in the wall. The surviving members of Pink Floyd have gotten together to slam Pandora for its support of an Internet radio bill that the rockers say would lead to an 85 per cent pay cut for musicians.