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Line jumps from messaging to music with its own streaming service
When messaging giant Line signaled its intent to jump into music by acquiring Microsoft's MixRadio, it wasn't kidding around. Meet Line Music, a streaming music service for Japan that (to no one's surprise) is tied closely to the company's chat app. You can not only share tunes in your discussions and on your timeline, but play them without switching apps -- helpful if you want to talk about a new playlist while you're listening to it. The low pricing might also reel you in. It costs just ¥1,000 ($8) per month for unlimited access, and you can get away with ¥500 ($4) if you listen less than 20 hours per month. Students pay as little as ¥300 ($2). Line Music is available right now for Android and iOS users, and there's a web version launching in July.
MixRadio's music-streaming app heads to iOS and Android
After a long exclusive spell on Windows Phone, MixRadio is finally expanding outside of Redmond's mobile platform. The music-streaming service, which Microsoft sold to messaging company Line last year, announced today that its app will be available on iOS and Android starting today. MixRadio's main feature is serving up personalized playlists to listeners for free, across hundreds of genre- and artist-based channels, slightly similar to what Pandora does. Interestingly enough, the service has also revealed a partnership with HTC; what this means is you'll start seeing MixRadio curate stories for BlinkFeed, the smartphone maker's customizable news stream.
There's no point lining up for an Apple Watch
It's a fact of life that, shortly before Apple launches a product, gadget fans begin lining up outside stores equipped with a tent and some rations. That's why it was surprising to see new(ish) retail chief Angela Ahrendts discouraging the practice in a memo leaked to Business Insider. She wasn't joking, either, since the only way you can buy an Apple Watch, at least to begin with, will be to order one online. Let's just hope that you can return those vouchers for that Bear Grylls-style survival course.
Beyond Facebook: What you need to know about texting apps
If you live in the United States, you might've been surprised when Facebook purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion -- or, in other words, thing-you'd-think-you'd-have-heard-of money. Facebook identified what those of us in the US with texting plans and Apple Messages haven't noticed: There are whole ecosystems of social networking and instant messaging separate from those we customarily use. There are a number of advantages services like Line and WhatsApp have over basic texting: They're cross-platform and international, allowing people to talk to other users in other countries, on other devices and other networks, with no extra cost. Of course, for individual users, there's only one thing that distinguishes one service from others: the presence of their friends.
Microsoft's Android lock screen now shows your music and online chats
Microsoft's intelligent take on an Android front end, Next Lock Screen, just got much more useful if you're a music maven or love to chat online. An updated version not only brings music controls to the lock screen (as you'll sometimes see elsewhere), but surfaces your Hangouts, Line and Skype messages -- you'll know at a glance whether or not that friend got back to you. The new software shows MMS chats, too. While it may still feel a bit odd to use an Android interface add-on from the folks in Redmond, the revamp is big enough that you'll want to give it a shot if your phone's existing lock layout just isn't cutting it.
Microsoft sells MixRadio to messaging service Line
When Microsoft completed its multi-billion dollar purchase of Nokia, it also acquired a number of apps and services that were surplus to requirements. One of those was music-streaming app MixRadio, which spun off as a standalone service earlier this year. That independence didn't last long, however, because it's just found itself a new home. Microsoft announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell MixRadio to Japanese messaging firm LINE, a company that has helped connect smart appliances and pioneer the concept of stickers, to extend the music app's reach to new markets. If you're concerned that today's announcement will affect future streaming on your Windows Phone, worry not: MixRadio head Jyrki Rosenberg says the company will continue to "bring a personalised music experience to Lumia smartphones." It might just mean owners of other devices will get the chance to enjoy it too.
Lyft snaps up company that makes carpooling with strangers more efficient
Lyft, it seems, is going to be getting a bit bigger and, perhaps, a touch better. The not-a-cab outfit has recently acquired a stranger-based carpooling company by the name of Hitch. The service itself will shut down, but TechCrunch says that the startup's founders will be putting "some of what" they had built for their own company into Lyft Line's brand of ride-sharing. So long as the tech (a proprietary rider-matching engine, from the sounds of it) means that Line can be a viable alternative to Uber's surge pricing, it should work out pretty well for everyone involved. Just remember: the Golden Rule applies to strangers regardless of venue -- no matter how, ahem, unique they might be. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Messaging's mission impossible: One inbox to rule them all
My phone buzzes. I glance at it and see a text message from my husband, who wants to know if I can pick him up from work. Later that day, my phone buzzes again. This time, it's a Facebook Messenger notification from my mother, who wants to chat about an upcoming trip. At the same time, a friend pings me using Twitter's Direct Messages. Next, a colleague strikes up a conversation on Google Hangouts. Realizing it would be easier to handle all of these with a computer, I flip open my laptop so I can chat with everyone simultaneously. Within the span of a few hours, I've chatted with four different people on four completely different messaging platforms. And the juggling doesn't stop there.
How to build a homemade version of the Adobe Ink stylus and Slide ruler for iPad
Earlier this year, Adobe introduced Ink & Slide, an iPad stylus and ruler combination that works with its new drawing and drafting app, Adobe Line. The accessory pair will set you back US$200, but you can build your own for a fraction of the cost. The easiest way to duplicate most of the functionality of the Adobe Ink is with a basic Q-tip and aluminum foil stylus (CNET video instructions), which will cost less than $10 to make. It'll allow you to draw on your iPad, but lacks the pressure-sensitivity that is available in the Adobe version. You'll have to decide if the pressure feature is worth the extra cost. The other half of the toolset is the Slide, a digital ruler that interacts with the Line app, allowing you to quickly draw lines and other shapes. The Slide has two capacitive points that interact with the iPad and relay information to the Line app. As shown in this DIY video from Great iGear (via PadGadget), you can duplicate the functionality of the Slide with two pieces of capacitive foam and a 4-inch screw from your local hardware store. If you don't mind the homemade look of the DIY tools, you can easily build them for less than $30 and in less than an hour.
LG's SMS-activated smart appliances are ready to wsh ur shrts
If you're rich and lonely, LG is now rolling out the SMS-controlled smart appliances it previewed earlier this year. You can send commands "much like chatting with a friend" to the Smart Refrigerator, Washing Machine and Lightwave Oven using the LINE messaging app and LG's WiFi-based HomeChat system. For example, text "what are you doing?" to the washing machine, and you'll get a real-time response on its progress (hopefully not "I'm flooding the basement"). The Smart Oven will provide recipe recommendations and set the temperature and cooking time for your chosen dish. Finally, the Smart Refrigerator's built-in wide-angle camera will track your food habits and generate shopping lists automatically, to name a few examples. They're now available in Korea, but will also arrive to the US and elsewhere soon. LG hasn't listed prices yet, but if you've never shopped for smart appliances before, brace yourself.
LINE's internet calling service goes live on Android, starting at 2 cents per minute
If you've been waiting to give LINE's Call service a try, now's your chance -- so long as you live in the right country, anyway. Those using LINE's Android app in Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Spain, Thailand and the US can dial most any phone number at rates that might well beat what their carriers would offer. Americans get one of the best deals: their calls start at 2 cents per minute using prepaid credit, and they can pay 70 cents per month for an hour's worth of talk time. The Chinese will get a similar bargain when Call reaches them in the near future, and LINE-to-LINE conversations are always free. There's no iOS support yet, but we wouldn't be shocked if the corresponding app update arrives relatively soon.
LINE takes on Skype and Hangouts with new, cheap, Call service
It's all about stickers, really. LINE means stickers, but as the company keeps telling us, its apps do so much more than that -- and even more starting next month. The Japanese messaging service is launching a new data-based call service that attempts to undercut the voice-call pricing on typical land-lines and mobile carriers. With a pay-as-you-go and 30-day plan both outlined at the company's showcase event, it's scheduled to launch this March in Japan, US, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and the Philippines. For its native country, the 30-day plan (priced at one minute for 6.5 yen, roughly 6.4 cents), will offer up to a maximum of 60 minutes maximum, encompassing both mobile and landline calls. A separate call credit plan will cost 14 yen per minute to mobile phones (including overseas) and three yen to landlines. The company is aiming to expand who LINE users can contact within its app service. An interesting feature is that on smartphones, it will appear as if it's simply a normal phone call -- we saw a demonstration of how incoming calls would appear on an iPhone and (as you'll see after the break), it looks identical. To drum up support, Naver plans to offer the service to 1,300,000 businesses and stores across Japan, as well as 100,000 free 100-yen LINE Call samples to existing users too.
LINE messenger isn't selling to anyone, instead it's going to let you sell your own stickers
Rumors of yet another messaging app being sold pinned Naver's LINE app to Japanese phone carrier, SoftBank. The app maker denied the claim yesterday, and today (instead) announced that it's adding several new features, including LINE Creator Market, set to launch (at least in Japan) this April. Creator will allow artistic types to sell their own sticker creations on a dedicated market -- and split the earnings fifty-fifty. Images can be as large as 370 x 320, and you'll be able to register sets of up to 40 'stamps', selling each set for 100 yen -- likely to convert to around a dollar. LINE's messaging app has avoided ads, instead offering corporate accounts and paid-for sticker sets. The host site has now gone live with all the details and guidelines.
LG's HomeChat will let you command its latest smart appliances via SMS
LG really, really wants you to have a good chat with your washer/dryer and robotic vacuum cleaner. It just announced you'll soon be able to use the Line messaging app and a new service called HomeChat to give natural language commands to its 2014 Smart Appliance lineup. If you tell the system "I'm going on vacation," for instance, it'll put your refrigerator into power-savings mode and program the robotic vacuum cleaner. The app will also update you as to what's in the fridge, show a history of your robotic vacuum's cleaning trips and recommend recipes via the smart oven, to name a few other features. LG also announced NFC tagging and smart diagnoses for its upcoming smart appliance lineup, a scheme that'll help you avoid unnecessary repair visits, download new washing machine cycles and more. All of this will arrive in the flesh at CES 2014, but if you're interested, maybe avoid seeing Maximum Overdrive in the meantime.
Line messaging app doubles size in seven months, has 300 million users
The public's adoration of stickers and kawaii mascots continues unabated. There are now 300 million Line users out there, possibly making it the biggest messaging app you've never used. While it still has a challenge on its hands to claw away users from Western favorites like Whatsapp and Facebook, the conventional wisdom is that messaging is very much big business. Line continues to grow its following in Asia and while Japan forms the base of operations for the app, overseas messaging accounts for roughly 80 percent of its business. We're off to score some new Dragon Quest stickers. Or maybe some Finding Nemo ones. So many 'stamps', so little time.
Line messaging app update adds distinctly Vine-ish Snap Movie feature
Line is all about stickers. Or adorable mascots. Or stickers of said adorable mascots. But this time around, it's looking to tap into that rich Vine vein of short video-clip sharing. Initially on iOS (but Android will get the feature soon), you can now craft a 4-10 second short, with the ability to add your own choice of music in the background. The Snap Movie (that's what Line's calling it) will then play, on loop, forever, on your own timeline within the app. The update also expands users' photo and video-sharing capacity too and you can now make up to 100 albums (each housing 100 photos). If you're not exactly sure how those mini-videos are going to work, Line's been kind enough to offer up a free tutorial -- and check out a Line-sanctioned video example after the break.
Line for iOS gains browser, themes and three more languages
Line is updating its iOS app with a trio of features designed to keep you nestled to the free messaging service for as long as it can. The biggest addition is an in-app browser, which negates the need to switch over to Safari (etc) when someone shares a link. Users will also discover German, Italian and Portuguese language support, not to mention a choice of themes -- including a tasteful pink version that'll sit well with your smartphone, game console and sports car.
LINE messenger has more than 150 million users, because we all love stickers
Four months since the Korean-Japanese messaging app broke through the 100 million user mark, LINE has added another 50 million -- not bad for an app that only launched in June 2011. In another testament to people's unabated love for stickers (or giant emoticons), LINE has launched in 11 languages and about 230 countries. New growth has apparently centered around the Middle East and Asia, with Taiwan, Japan and Thailand currently its most popular locales. The company is still looking to compete with incumbents like WhatsApp and Facebook in the US and Europe, however, with a little help from all those LINE-hosted games and apps.
Line VoIP and instant messaging app reaches 100 million global users in 19 months
The likes of WhatsApp and Skype might still dominate the west, but Line continues to soak up new users in Asia and across the world. Since October 2012, the ever-expanding messaging app has managed to add just shy of 30 million new users -- the biggest jump in new users yet. The total includes iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone and feature phone iterations, with Line now claiming the app top spot in 41 app stores worldwide. And to celebrate the milestone? It's made a charming video (embedded after the break) with a handful of its adorable characters.
Some see iPhone queue as marketing opportunity
Most of us sit in line to get an iPhone for our personal use, but some see the iPhone launch frenzy as a way to grab some free exposure or make some extra cash. A report by Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Apple 2.0, profiles some of the early line-waiters who are using the opportunity to promote their website or raise some money for cancer research in the UK. Sitting outside New York City's iconic Fifth Avenue store are seven early birds who are braving the elements for more than five days. The first two are there to promote Vibe, their new mobile, social sharing service, while the other five are staying in the line thanks to Gazelle. The electronics recycler is buying these folks a new iPhone 5 and equipping them with Gazelle-branded gear while they wait. Not too shabby of a deal, if you have the time and fortitude to park yourself on a sidewalk for five straight days.
