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Spotify is testing Premium Duo, a discounted subscription for two https://ift.tt/2Wv9i8G Spotify is testing a new subscription called Premium Duo that offers you two Premium subscriptions for the discounted price of €12.49 a month. The new plan, which was first spotted by Redditor u/Hasztagg and confirmed to The Verge by Spotify, also comes with a new playlist called Duo Mix, which auto-generates based on both your listening habits. Premium Spotify subscriptions usually cost €9.99 per subscriber. Premium Duo subscriptions therefore represent a decent savings for suitable couples and roommates. Like the Family subscription, Premium Duo subscribers must live at the same address, but what’s different now is that Spotify will ask you to provide this address as part of the Duo sign-up process. Spotify’s existing Family subscription allows up to six people to share the same plan for €14.99 ($14.99) a month. However, Spotify Family has become a source of frustration for the streaming service. In the past, Spotify has sent out emails asking for Family subscribers to confirm their home addresses in an apparent attempt to crack down on friends sharing plans despite not living together as a family. Once you’re both signed up, you’ll get access to Duo Mix, a new auto-generated playlist similar to Spotify’s existing Discover Weekly or Daily Mix playlists. You get one playlist between you, and this is automatically created and shared when you set up the account. As you both listen to music, the plan updates with music it thinks you’ll both enjoy. There are also “Chill” and “Upbeat” options for the playlist on the mobile app to switch between songs of different tempos. If you’d rather listen to playlists you’ve created yourself, then the plan also includes a Shared Playlists feature. This allows you to share all of your playlists with your Duo partner with one click. Spotify is currently testing Premium Duo across five markets — Colombia, Chile, Denmark, Ireland and Poland — and did not confirm when or if it expects the plan to be rolled out more widely in the future. Gadget News via The Verge https://ift.tt/1jLudMg March 28, 2019 at 04:12AM
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Sony chairman and former CEO Kaz Hirai is retiring https://ift.tt/2U3aOlW Chairman Kazuo Hirai, who guided Sony through some difficult times over the last five years, has announced his retirement from the company. "Kaz" was appointed CEO and president of Sony back in 2012, shortly after it lost $6.4 billion in 2011. After slashing costs and refocusing the business on gaming and imaging, he brought Sony back to profitability, with the company earning $6.7 billion in fiscal 2017. Hirai stepped down from his CEO role shortly afterwards, handing the reins to CFO Kenichiro Yoshida. "Since passing the baton of CEO to Yoshida-san last April, as Chairman of Sony, I have had the opportunity to both ensure a smooth transition and provide support to Sony's management," said Hirai in a statement. "I am confident that everyone at Sony is fully aligned under Yoshida-san's strong leadership, and are ready to build an even brighter future for Sony. As such, I have decided to depart from Sony, which has been a part of my life for the past 35 years. I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to all our employees and stakeholders who have supported me throughout this journey." Hirai will leave as chairman on June 18th, while continuing to act in an emeritus role as a senior advisor when needed. " Hirai-san and I have been working on management reforms together since December 2013," said Yoshida. "While he will be retiring from both chairman and our board of directors, we look forward to his continuing high-level support to Sony's management that encompasses a breadth of diverse businesses." Kirai has been with Sony for 35 years now, starting in the music division and eventually heading the gaming business. He replaced Howard Stringer as CEO in 2012, during a period when Sony financial news was largely dire. Shortly afterwards, Sony launched the Playstation 4, and the console has since gone on to sell nearly 100 million units, becoming the company's biggest money-spinner by far. Sony also launched its first full-frame mirrorless camera, the Alpha A7, in 2013. That line, along with Sony's image sensor business, has also been a big success for the company. Despite the success in gaming and cameras, Kaz was never able to turn around Sony's mobile division, which continues to lose money. Still, he came in when Sony's fortunes were in a steep decline, and will leave the company in a lot better shape than he found it. Source: Sony Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com March 28, 2019 at 03:51AM Quiet please! Loathe noisy gadgets? The new breed of hush-hush tech could be the answer - Daily Mail3/28/2019 Quiet please! Loathe noisy gadgets? The new breed of hush-hush tech could be the answer - Daily Mail https://ift.tt/2Udczwe Quiet please! Loathe noisy gadgets? The new breed of hush-hush tech could be the answer Daily Mail Alice Smellie gave her verdict on a selection of the latest quiet products with the help of a decibel measuring app on her phone. Gadget News via "gadgets" - Google News https://ift.tt/2SapIRK March 28, 2019 at 03:32AM
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2020 Ford Explorer activates 'mindful mode' for relaxed driving https://ift.tt/2TZoe2i Ford is giving future 2020 Explorer owners the option to KonMari their vehicle's digital instrument cluster if they want to. Taking into account the number of screens people stare at and the huge amounts of information they have to process each day, the automaker has designed a "mindful mode" for the 12.3-inch optional screen. It will give them a way to get rid of all the information that doesn't spark joy on the display, leaving only the fuel gauge, the speedometer, the road ahead and the time it will take to reach their destination on a calming blue background. Ford says the option was created to help reduce drivers' stress levels while behind the wheel, which in turn could help prevent road accidents. Even if it doesn't help calm them down, it could help prevent information overload and confusion at the end of an especially hard day. The company's Global Consumer Trends and Futuring Manager Sheryl Connelly said in a statement:
The 2020 Ford Explorer will be available this summer. Those who choose to buy one can activate mindful mode by selecting "Calm Screen" under the "Select Screens" options in the main menu. Source: Ford Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com March 28, 2019 at 03:21AM
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Kaz Hirai is retiring from Sony https://ift.tt/2Owm584 Sony chairman Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai has announced his retirement, drawing a 35-year career with the company to a close. Hirai stepped down as CEO a little over a year ago, passing the role to Kenichiro Yoshida, the CFO with whom he orchestrated Sony’s turnaround from a money-losing gadget maker to a profitable company focused on components and the PlayStation business. Hirai will leave his chairman role on June 18th, but will continue to act as occasional “senior advisor” for the company upon the request of Sony’s management team. “Hirai-san and I have been working on management reforms together since December 2013,” says Yoshida in a statement. “While he will be retiring from both Chairman and our Board of Directors, we look forward to his continuing high-level support to Sony’s management that encompasses a breadth of diverse businesses.” “Since passing the baton of CEO to Yoshida-san last April, as Chairman of Sony, I have had the opportunity to both ensure a smooth transition and provide support to Sony’s management,” Hirai’s statement says. “I am confident that everyone at Sony is fully aligned under Yoshida-san’s strong leadership, and are ready to build an even brighter future for Sony. As such, I have decided to depart from Sony, which has been a part of my life for the past 35 years. I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to all our employees and stakeholders who have supported me throughout this journey.” Hirai joined Sony’s music division in 1984, later moving to the US to lead the label’s overseas marketing. He moved to Sony Computer Entertainment in 1995 just before the launch of the first PlayStation, and ultimately succeeded Ken Kutaragi in 2006 as the head of the gaming business. In 2012 he replaced Howard Stringer as Sony CEO, spearheading a “One Sony” initiative that streamlined the company’s operations. Gadget News via The Verge https://ift.tt/1jLudMg March 28, 2019 at 03:02AM Artificial womb may help save extremely premature infants in future - Gadgets Now https://ift.tt/2WrvKQj Artificial womb may help save extremely premature infants in future Gadgets Now In a world-first, scientists have demonstrated the ability of an 'artificial womb' to support extremely premature lamb foetuses, an advance that may one day save ... Gadget News via "gadgets" - Google News https://ift.tt/2SapIRK March 28, 2019 at 02:06AM
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Elon Musk email to Tesla employees tries to explain store closures https://ift.tt/2JHnUjU After Tesla's sudden about-face on plans to close stores and go all-in with online car sales, Elon Musk emailed employees to explain the situation. Electrek obtained copies of the message and Business Insider reported on its contents, which still didn't provide much in the way of exact information about potential closings and layoffs. In the message, Musk told employees:
It's apparently meant to reassure high-performing sales people and those at well-performing locations, but without concrete metrics they may still feel unsettled. For now, Tesla has higher prices and a number of retail locations remain open, but any spots that aren't doing consistent business are potentially on the chopping block as it emphasizes more efficient online sales processes. Source: Electrek, Business Insider Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com March 28, 2019 at 01:39AM NPA leader's gadgets rich in rebel intel - SunStar Philippines https://ift.tt/2V1usv4 NPA leader's gadgets rich in rebel intel SunStar Philippines BRIGADIER General Benedict Arevalo, commanding officer of the 303rd Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, is crediting Moises ... Gadget News via "gadgets" - Google News https://ift.tt/2SapIRK March 28, 2019 at 12:42AM
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New Apple Watch OS arrives with ECG app for Europe and HK https://ift.tt/2V4qdis Apple has started rolling out watchOS 5.2 to all users, but it's a bigger update for those in Hong Kong and 19 European countries than everyone else. The device's ECG app and irregular heartbeat detection features will come bundled with the update in HK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the UK and Switzerland. Apple's ECG app, which first became available in the US in December, needs the electrodes built into the Watch Series 4 model to work. It gives users the power to take an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram just by firing up the application and touching the device's Digital Crown. This sends an electrical signal to the user's heart and could tell if their rhythm is normal or if they're experiencing irregular heartbeats called atrial fibrillation (AFib). While the ECG app is exclusive to Apple's newer watches, Cupertino's irregular rhythm notification feature is coming to all Series 1 devices and later. It has the power to monitor users' heart rhythm in the background and notify them if it detects AFib irregularities that could lead to heart failure or stroke, which is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. To prevent false alarms, it will only issue a warning if it detects abnormal rhythms on five checks over a duration of 65 minutes. Apple released the feature after extensive testing by Stanford researchers that involved 400,000 volunteers. During that period, it sent irregular heartbeat warnings to around 2,000 of the volunteers, and doctors confirmed that 84 percent of the alerts were true AFib episodes. Apple's chief operating officer Jeff Williams said the company has seen that "the ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications on Apple Watch have meaningful impact" on its customers across the US. "We are excited to bring these features to customers in Europe and Hong Kong, giving them access to empowering information about their heart health," he added. Via: 9to5Mac Source: Apple Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com March 28, 2019 at 12:03AM India Shoots Down Own Satellite, PM Modi Hails India's Arrival as 'Space Power' - NDTV https://ift.tt/2YwYuJ0 India Shoots Down Own Satellite, PM Modi Hails India's Arrival as 'Space Power' NDTV India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing the country's first test of ... Gadget News via "gadgets" - Google News https://ift.tt/2SapIRK March 27, 2019 at 11:20PM |
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