Mashable - Apple may have revolutionized the music business with iTunes,
but in the face of users' changing music-consumption habits — namely
the rise of streaming services — the Cupertino, Calif. company will
reportedly shake things up once again.
Apple is preparing to launch a new on-demand music-streaming service that would rival Spotify, according to music magazine Billboard.
The company took its first major step into streaming last year with the launch of iTunes Radio, a service similar to Pandora
that allows users to listen to, and curate radio stations based on
genres and types of artists. They also have the option to buy any song
being played.
By moving toward a model similar to Spotify, as the report suggested, Apple could effectively offer music fans more tunes at a lower price. Read More
The app's creator has decided to turn the app into a Web-only program after Apple decided daily Steve Jobs quotes weren't enough.
CNET - A new app has surfaced that features Steve Jobs quotes. But it turns out Apple wasn't impressed, according to a new report.
Quoth Steve has cropped up on the Web as a mobile app that users can run in the browser. The app provides daily Steve Jobs quotes that can be saved, shared via social networks, or synched to different devices. The app was initially planned for Apple's App Store, but according to co-creator John Gill, who coincidentally works as a developer at Amazon, Apple denied its entry into its marketplace. Read More
"Technology has become perhaps the
greatest agent of change in the modern world," writes WEF's Noubar
Afeyan. "While never without risk, positive technological
breakthroughs promise innovative solutions to the most pressing global
challenges of our time, from resource scarcity to global environmental
change."
"By highlighting the most important technological
breakthroughs, the Council aims to raise awareness of their potential
and contribute to closing gaps in investment, regulation and public
understanding," he writes.
From wearable electronics to brain-computer interfaces, here are the big technologies to look out for this year.
PCWorld - Microsoft's next Xbox console will have all sorts of bells and whistles,
including Blu-ray, broadcast DVR, and—eventually—augmented-reality
glasses, according to one report.
Xbox World,
a magazine published in the United Kingdom, has published a long
feature article on what it believes Microsoft's next console will be
like, citing “industry experts and Microsoft's own leaky boat.” The
report is based in large part on leaked planning documents
that surfaced in June—eventually taken down at the request of a law
firm that represents Microsoft—but with additional comments from
industry sources.
The magazine claims that the next Xbox—often referred to as “Xbox 720,”
but possibly just dubbed “Xbox”—will launch in November 2013, and top
developers are already making games for it.
Here's a rundown of the features that Xbox World expects to see in
Microsoft's next gaming console.
Keep in mind that all of this is rumor
or speculation, and Microsoft hasn't confirmed any of it:
Hardware may include four hardware cores, 8GB of RAM, four USB spots (two in front, two in back), and a removable hard drive.
A “Kinect 2.0” may detect subtle finger movements and track up to four players in a single room.
Augmented reality glasses could work with Kinect to create virtual reality in your living room. Hello, Holodeck.
To further enhance the virtual reality vibe, the next Xbox could have 3D sound to project audio to specific parts of a room.
Microsoft may finally embrace Blu-ray in its next Xbox, but may
eventually ship a slimmer console that skips optical discs altogether,
possibly around 2015.
Rumors hint at a traditional Xbox controller, but with a touch
screen or programmable buttons. Xbox World's report adds some
speculation from experts, but the controller still seems like major
question mark.
Is a cheaper, sleeker and smaller PS3 right around the corner?
IGN - Way back in July, we brought you word of a new PlayStation 3 model
that was purportedly leaked in documents Sony provided to the Brazilian
government in order to get it officially certified. That report – based
on documents found by Tecnoblog
-- indicated that the new PS3 model, seen in the picture below, would
come in three models: 250 GB, 500 GB and an exceptionally small 16 GB
model.
Now, a posting at Polish website Polygamia, discovered by The Sixth Axis, indicates that the Tecnoblog may have indeed been accurate.
TechCrunch - The Association of American Publishers released a report today
that shows that ebooks have beaten hardcover revenues for the first
time. Ebook revenues topped out at $282.3 million YTD while hardcovers
hit $229.6. Almost exactly a year ago the tables were turned with ebooks
hitting $220 million and hardcovers brushing past $335 million.
The only growth in hardcovers is in the young adult/children’s
category where hardcover revenue rose to $187.7 million and children’s
ebooks rose to $64.3 million, up from $3.9 million in 2011.
In short, ebooks are winning. More
