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Bloomberg: Spotify buries artists with Apple and Tidal exclusives (updated)
Another week has passed with another high-profile exclusive debuting on Apple Music. As it does each time an artist keeps a new album off its service, Spotify reiterated this week that those exclusives are "bad for the whole industry." According to a report from Bloomberg though, the company isn't stopping there with its anti-exclusive stance. Bloomberg sources indicate that Spotify is retaliating against artists to release their new music on Apple's service first by making those tracks harder to find when they do become available. Those sources say the strategy includes keeping songs off of featured playlists and burying them in search rankings. Spotify declined to comment on the report to Engadget. A Spotify representative told Engadget that the report "is unequivocally false."
Universal Music Group is reportedly done with streaming exclusives
Apple Music and Tidal have tapped into exclusive releases to gain the upper hand on Spotify over the last year, but it appears one major record label may have had enough. Frank Ocean released his long-awaited follow-up to 2012's Channel Orange on Apple Music over the weekend, an album that should top the charts this week. However, Blond has apparently caused quite a stir with Ocean's label Def Jam and its parent company Universal Music Group. In fact, Billboard reports that UMG CEO Lucian Grainge has informed the heads of Universal's labels that streaming service exclusives are a thing of the past for their artists.
Acclaimed platformer 'Inside' is coming to PlayStation 4
Limbo developer Playdead has revealed it will be releasing its latest acclaimed platformer, Inside, for PlayStation 4 on August 23rd. The date was announced via a new trailer which shows the game's main character falling into an abyss.
Frank Ocean's long-awaited album is an Apple Music exclusive
Fans of Frank Ocean have been waiting for the singer's followup album for years, and according to the New York Times, it is finally coming this week -- if you have Apple Music. Following the likes of Drake and Future, the release will be a timed exclusive that releases on Friday, before coming to other outlets after a couple of weeks. Anticipation for the Boys Don't Cry album has grown over the months and years with rumors and cryptic posts causing fans to think it would arrive on one date or another, including a website with an Apple logo. Now it's confirmed, and a weapon in Apple's battle with the likes of Tidal and Spotify over exclusives to attract subscribers.
Oculus claims exclusive games are good for the VR industry
Many have argued -- including our own Sean Buckley -- that the steady stream of platform-exclusive virtual reality games is a bad thing. Oculus has been by the far the most aggressive in pursuing such deals, but its head of content Jason Rubin claims that this is a good thing for the industry. In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, Rubin made an argument focused on the growth of the industry. He compared the VR industry to PC gaming in the '80s, noting that the market is similar in size. The problem, he asserted, is one of expectation. "The average gamer is now aware of $100 million games. And while we certainly cannot build a $100 million game that takes four years, in the year we've had dev kits, we can try to get closer to that by funding significant leaps beyond the financial certainty that a developer would need to have to do it on their own."
Chance the Rapper's streaming-only album hits Billboard chart
In late 2014, the Billboard 200 chart began to take into account both album sales and streaming plays for its rankings. When the list is updated this week, the first streaming-only album will be included on the chart. Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book debuted at number 8 on the list with 38,000 in equivalent sales since its debut on May 13th. The album is an Apple Music exclusive until May 27th where it has tallied 57.3 million streams so far. According to Billboard, there are no plans to make the album available for sale. When Billboard started including streams over a year ago, it announced that 1,500 streams from an album would translate to "an equivalent album unit."
These Japanese smartglasses are trying to teach me zen
I'm on the subway, my head tilted downward to face my phone. I blink five times, I put my hand on my tummy to "feel" my breathing. To casual onlookers, I look suspicious as hell (or about to cry), but I'm meditating -- so please leave me alone. Yes, there's no lack of meditation apps on both iTunes and Google Play, but a wearable that monitors your body's reactions and offers feedback is rarer. JINS Meme is a pair of Japanese-made smartglasses that look pretty much like normal glasses. I've trained with them and run with them, and now the latest app for the specs is trying helping me to chill the eff out.
Blood flows in PS4's 'Shadow of the Beast' on May 17th
You'd be forgiven if you didn't play Shadow of the Beast when it first came out on the Amiga in 1989, but don't make the same mistake with the upcoming PlayStation 4 version. The absolutely brutal side-scroller looks like a throwback to beat 'em ups of yore like Streets of Rage, however the combat appears to have a fair bit of depth to it. Protagonist Aaraborn may start out in chains but he's far from helpless: there are a pair of positively massive claws attached to his hands he uses to rip enemy creatures apart. Combat is heavily timing-based and, well, vicious.
iPad Air 3 drawing hints at a smaller iPad Pro
It's February, which means we're likely just one and a half months away from the next Apple launch event -- one where we can expect a 4-inch "iPhone 6c" "iPhone 5se" and an "iPad Air 3." So what's new? Well, today we received an image that's allegedly a simple dimensional drawing of the aforementioned tablet. While we'd usually dismiss such leaks, we're siding with our reliable source on this one. Unsurprisingly, the next iPad will apparently pack a couple of features introduced by the iPad Pro: quad speakers for some nice audio boost, and a Smart Connector on the side for its very own "smart" accessories. This goes well with the earlier Pencil support rumor. What does surprise us is the extra hole below the camera, which suggests the iPad will finally be getting an LED flash. Hooray for tablet photographers!
This is the first object 3D-printed from alien metal
So-called "asteroid mining" company Planetary Resources is built on the belief that asteroids and other objects in space are loaded with resources that we can take advantage of, both here on Earth and as we begin to explore space in earnest. The essentially infinite supply of rocks floating through space, filled with valuable minerals that we'll eventually run out of on our home planet, sounds like a great resource to take advantage of. But the idea of mining, processing and building with alien metals also sounds like a massive and daunting undertaking.
Hideo Kojima's first independent game is a PS4 exclusive
Konami's loss is PlayStation's gain: Tonight Sony announced an exclusive collaboration with legendary game developer Hideo Kojima, the auteur responsible for the Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders franchises. In the announcement video from PlayStation below, Kojima says that he's making a new franchise that'll be console-exclusive to the PlayStation 4. Sitting alongside him, PlayStation president Andrew House said that Sony will offer its "full support" on Kojima's new project. And really, aside from the shiny new Kojima Productions logo, that's about it in terms of details.
We turned on the Nintendo PlayStation: It's real and it works
The "Nintendo PlayStation" is now the stuff of gaming legend, with reportedly only about 200 prototypes ever produced.
Time Warner Cable tests the 'evolution' of streaming TV in NYC
Confirming plans Engadget exclusively revealed to you, Time Warner Cable is very close to publicly testing a way for its internet-only customers to get TV services. Fundamentally the big change is that until now, to get TV service and access to its streaming TWC TV app, you needed to be a "TV" customer and have a cable box. Soon, if you're a Time Warner Cable customer in New York City with just internet service, the company will also offer access to its TWC TV Roku Trial. CEO Rob Marcus told investors that the plan is an "evolution" of TWC TV, as customers eventually can get access to video without needing to rent any hardware at all. GVP & GM of Video Product Alix Cottrell told me that the focus for the test is making sure everything is "really easy and straightforward" before it's potentially rolled out to customers outside New York City.
Time Warner Cable will test internet-only TV in NYC next week
If you want cable TV without the cable box, Time Warner Cable may have something for you soon. Reliable sources tell Engadget that starting Monday, Time Warner Cable will beta test a version of its TWC TV service made available for the company's internet-only customers living in New York City. Similar to Sky's Now TV in the UK it will support a number of hardware platform but the plan is to focus on streaming TV through Roku's set-top boxes, and any participants will get a Roku 3 for free. On top of their internet service, customers can pick up a "Starter" TV package for an extra $10 per month. Another option that adds Showtime and Starz will be available for $20 per month, and for those who want all the usual channels but without a cable box, a Standard option with Showtime and Starz costs $50 per month. Judging by the usual cable packages, Starter customers should have about 20 channels, while the Standard package has more than 70.
The making of Electric Zoo
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-343738{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-343738, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-343738{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-343738").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Electronic dance music is a multi-billion dollar industry that's taken over festival grounds across the world. At multi-stage events throughout the year, pounding beats are methodically synchronized with blistering lasers and fireworks that split the sky in neon hues. From fairytale-themed stages to sci-fi spectacles with 3D visuals, festival productions have been replicating the cinematic experience of Hollywood blockbusters for tens of thousands of fans. This year, we went behind-the-scenes at Electric Zoo, one of the biggest festivals on the east coast, for an exclusive peek at the people and the technology that bring dance music to life.
'Citizen Mars,' Episode 3: the lives they leave behind
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-189518{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-189518, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-189518{width:629px;display:block;} If everything goes to plan, the first Mars One probe will touch down on the red planet sometime around 2018 to 2020. Two years later, it'll then start scouting for potential colony sites. In 2022, life support systems and other essential equipment will be sent to Mars ahead of the first manned mission. Sue Ann, Mido, Adriana, Shradha and Pietro are doing what they can to be ready for blastoff knowing they won't return. try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-189518").style.display="none";}catch(e){}The most difficult thing about going away forever is leaving behind the world they know: a dinner party with friends, a game of soccer, a hike through Griffith Park.
'Citizen Mars,' Episode 2: What makes a Mars One astronaut?
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-423531{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-423531, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-423531{width:629px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-423531").style.display="none";}catch(e){}So you've met Sue Ann, Mido, Adriana, Shradha and Pietro -- five people from very different backgrounds with a singular goal: to help establish the first human settlement on Mars. Many believe that what Mars One wants to do is unachievable, but the candidates are already weighing the costs of leaving everything they know behind.
Dr. Dre's 'Compton' makes its way to Google Music, Rdio and others
Apple Music's exclusive grip on Dr. Dre's new album lasted two weeks. Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre is now streaming from the likes of Google Play, Deezer, Tidal, Rdio and Rhapsody based on our quick look through music services. It's still absent from Spotify, though, perhaps due to its free tier that many artists aren't too thrilled about. If you didn't sign up for Cupertino's free trial, you can now give it a spin from the aforementioned repositories -- just in time for the weekend. We're curious to see if the Apple Music exclusive period in the future remains at 14 days or if it changes with each release.
Four weeks with Jet (aka 'My month without Amazon')
I placed my very first order on Amazon.com for two very popular albums back on June 20th, 2000. I'd later go on to place about 230 orders, including everything from a mattress (no wait, make that two mattresses; don't ask) and soap -- lots and lots of soap. I loved Amazon so much that at one point I remember saying it was the kind of brand that could do no wrong. But, soon after that second mattress order, my romance with the company began to fall apart, thanks to shoddy logistics and problems with Amazon's renowned two-day Prime shipping.
Prince's 'HITNRUN' arrives September 7th as a Tidal exclusive
In case you missed it, Prince pulled his catalog from nearly every streaming service recently except for a select few. And as you might expect, he's releasing his next album in one place: Tidal. HITNRUN is the title that arrives on September 7th, and the exclusive release is the latest development between the artist and the streaming service since the two first got friendly back in May. Back in the spring, Tidal livestreamed Prince's Rally 4 Peace concert in Baltimore. Of course, pulling his music from those other services isn't stopping the artist from using them to promote singles. Last week, "Stare" popped up exclusively on Spotify -- a service which boasts a few more subscribers than Tidal.
