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Harmonix’s next music-making game puts your DJ skills to the test
Harmonix, the developer behind Rock Band and Dance Central, is back with a new music-making game: Fuser. Players will become music festival DJs, mixing vocals, bass lines, beats and riffs from artists like Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, 50 Cent, The Chainsmokers and Imagine Dragons. They'll earn points for timing and crowd feedback, and they'll be able to share their mixes with friends.
YouTube’s personalized music playlists are available to all users
YouTube Music's new personalized playlists are now available to users worldwide. Today, YouTube introduced its Discover Mix, New Release Mix and Your Mix. The playlists will curate your favorite songs, new releases and unheard tracks by your favorite artists, plus others you might like.
YouTube Music listeners are getting three personalized playlists this month
YouTube Music's big plan to take on Spotify appears to be essentially copying Spotify's personalized playlists. YouTube is preparing to launch three new playlists: Discover Mix, New Release Mix and Your Mix. The platform's Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan discussed the playlists today at TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2019, and they sound remarkably similar to Spotify's offerings.
Spotify Stations is the Pandora alternative we need
Spotify is testing a lot of things right now. In the last month alone, the company has revealed its long-rumored in-car device, curated podcast playlists and a standalone Stations app. Heck, those last two were announced in the same week. "We're always testing new products and features to create better listening experiences for our users," a Spotify spokesperson told me multiple times this week, and the company's busy spring certainly supports that. Unfortunately, most users will never get to participate, except in the case of Spotify's experimental Stations app.
Remember StumbleUpon? Well, it's going away June 30th
According to co-founder Garrett Camp, StumbleUpon has delivered nearly 60 billion "stumbles" to more than 40 million people over the past 16 years. The web discovery service — surprisingly still active — was always a unique way to find web content that was off the beaten path. Now Camp says that all StumbleUpon accounts will be moving to Mix, a newer web discovery service that the co-founder created in 2015 with his company, Expa.
Xiaomi's Mi MIX 2 comes with a stunning ceramic unibody
For most of us living outside of China, we tend to be limited to two options when it comes to the choice of materials on our phones: either metal or plastic, or a bit of both (and maybe a touch of wood, if you're lucky). While Essential was grabbing headlines with its titanium device, Xiaomi continued tinkering with something that many others dare not touch: ceramics. Following the Mi MIX, the Chinese smartphone maker has once again collaborated with Philippe Starck's design studio to bring us yet another ceramic device with a near-bezel-less display: the Mi MIX 2.
Pacemaker+ makes your mixes better and easier to share
In news that'll please budding mix-meisters (you're not actually a DJ, sorry), popular iOS mixing app Pacemaker has just received a hefty paid update. Pacemaker+ doubles down on its existing social features, allowing users to seamlessly create and share their mixtapes using their Spotify Premium library. With over 30 million tracks at their fingertips, owners of the premium in-app upgrade will also have access to new mixing tools courtesy of Pacemaker+'s Studio features.
Xiaomi flaunts a white model of its bezel-free Mi MIX phone
At Xiaomi's CES event today, it revealed a new, white color for its Mi MIX concept, a phone that is about as close to bezel-free as you'll get. As a reminder, it has a 6.5-inch 1080p, rounded-corner screen, but it's packed into a ceramic body that Xiaomi says is around the same size as a regular 5.5-inch smartphone. That's thanks to the lack of bezels, including almost no "forehead" at the top of the Philippe Starck-designed phone.
SoundCloud won't take down DJ mixes
SoundCloud made its name partly on the back of DJ mixes (both official and otherwise), but you could never take their presence for granted. All it would take is an overeager copyright lawyer and your favorite set would disappear in a puff of digital smoke. That shouldn't be a problem going forward, though. Company co-founder Eric Wahlforss tells Germany's Groove that it's now possible to upload mixes "problem-free." The rights negotiations for SoundCloud Go made all the difference, Wahlforss says -- agreements with copyright holders mean that there won't be any rude legal surprises, whether or not you're a Go subscriber.
Xiaomi aims to be more than king of the budget smartphones
The day after the Mi Note 2 and Mi MIX launch last week, the flagship Mi Home store next to Xiaomi's headquarters was packed with visitors. Nope, they weren't there to spend their yuan, but simply to wait for their turn to play with the new phones. But the real star was clearly the Mi MIX "concept phone." People were drawn to its near-bezel-less display and fancy ceramic body. Despite this being Xiaomi's most expensive smartphone ever, I heard many visitors ask if they could buy one immediately, only to be let down when told they have to wait until Nov. 4th. Xiaomi must be doing something right
Outside China, Xiaomi seeks another home on US networks
October 9th marked Hugo Barra's third year at Xiaomi, and as its Global Vice President, he watched the company evolve from a China-centric smartphone e-tailer to an IoT ecosystem with a growing international footprint. Xiaomi's recently entered Russia, Mexico and the Middle East, with Poland, Vietnam, Thailand plus a couple other Latin American markets next on the docket. But the long list is still missing one key region: the US. While the ex-Googler continues to stay mum on a launch date, he did reveal to Engadget that his team has already started testing phones in America. Such commitment is an important milestone ahead of the notoriously tough US carrier lab tests.
Xiaomi's Mi MIX is all about its gorgeous edge-to-edge display
We're used to surprise announcements at Xiaomi events, but this time, it's a rather special one. After showing off the Mi Note 2, the company unveiled the Mi MIX "concept phone" -- one that's headlining with a cool 6.4-inch, edge-to-edge 1080p LCD (even at the top two round corners, and without using the old optical illusion trick). The high-end device also features glossy, full ceramic body and buttons, with no earpiece or proximity sensor, allowing for a cleaner look on the device's top edge. And, naturally, as the flagship phone it has flagship specs. For a moment there, we were wondering why Xiaomi would spend so much time talking about a concept phone, but then, as a final surprise, we learned it's something people will actually be able to buy.
Pacemaker's shareable, editable 'mixtapes' make everyone a DJ
Ever since the original Pacemaker DJ device in 2008, the Swedish team has been rethinking how we mix music. Today, Pacemaker's iOS app gets an overhaul that drags the mixtape well and truly into 2016. Pacemaker had long since moved on from being a facsimile of the DJ booth, instead allowing all music lovers to pick tunes from Spotify, and create seamless playlists stitched together by the app's in-house AI DJ "Mållgan." Today Pacemaker expands on that with a bunch of social features that blend elements of Soundcloud and Spotify with, of course, a little DJ twist.
Pacemaker's DJ app is putting the 'mix' back into mixtape
The team that gave the world the Pacemaker portable DJ device, the Pacemaker DJ app, and put the whole Spotify library in your virtual record box doesn't want you to DJ anymore. In fact, the latest version of Pacemaker for iPhone almost elbows you out of the DJ booth completely, assigning you the role of "selecta" instead, while it blends the music. Pacemaker isn't the first app to auto mix your tunes (it's not even the first one this week). It's not even the first Pacemaker app to do so. What this update does do, is have a stab at reinventing the humble playlist -- turning them into seamless beat-matched mixes that you control.
Djay for Apple Watch puts decks on your wrist
Desktop, laptop, tablet, phone and (now) watch. That's a list of things you can DJ (or rather, djay) on, thanks to a multi-platform update to the eponymous(ish) app from Algoriddim. As Apple Watch (kinda) hits stores this week, you'll be able to update Djay 2 for iOS (the Watch version isn't a standalone app) so that it works with your new timepiece. Of course, features are stripped back, but you can do most things you need to keep the music flowing, such as browse your iTunes library, add and sync tunes to a "deck" or use Force Touch and have the software do it all for you (aka "Automix" mode). It's a tough life for the wearable DJ. If you prefer to mix on the other devices we listed, Algoriddim has updates for you, too.
Yup, there's a Sodastream for cocktails
Our modern consumer age hasn't been kind to SodaStream, since bottles of soda are cheap enough that you don't need to make your own at home. Thankfully, the company has finally worked out that cola-addicted teens aren't its future customers, but drunk adults who want something fancy for cocktail parties. That's why the firm has teamed up with name-brand designer Yves Behar (he's previously designed the SodaStream Source) to develop the SodaStream Mix, which is one part CO2 injector and one part internet of things device. You see, Mix can't be a buzzy new gadget unless it's connected to the cloud (it is), and the company has also baked in Bluetooth and app compatibility as well.
Mix by FiftyThree makes Paper collaborative
Mix by FiftyThree expands on the popular, award-winning drawing app Paper by making it collaborative. Now you can sketch, paint, draw and work on a project with a co-worker or friend, with Mix pushing updates to participating devices. And the best part of all is you needn't be an accomplished artist to benefit. Here's a look at Mix. FiftyThree calls Mix "a visual conversation," and that's an apt description. It's build right into Paper so it's easy to use. Looks As you might expect, Mix is great-looking. Projects in your stream flow past a lovely gradient background as you swipe, much like moving past notebooks in Paper. A simple pinch lets you view items within a collection, like your full stream or images you've starred as a favorite. If you can swipe and pinch-to-zoom, you can navigate Mix. Use Start with a project on Paper or jump right into "the mix" (sorry, couldn't resist). After launching Paper, you'll see the familiar collection of notebooks. To access Mix, swipe down to push the notebooks away and reveal Mix's interface. Now there's a new row of projects to explore, starting with any you've shared, either from Paper or those you've found and edited while exploring. I'm following several creators, and each is represented by a thumbnail. When I tap that image, I can zoom in on a particular project. The resulting screen shows the original creator's name, the date the project was uploaded, how many "hearts" it has earned (hearts are favorites) and an option to mark it as a favorite myself. But the real fun is browsing the remixes. Swipe across the image to see the next version of it in the "pile." Each variation lists the creator's name as well as who inspired that particular iteration of the image. You can add to anyone of those images yourself by tapping the image to go full screen, and then tapping again to bring up the tools. If you like the changes you've made, confirm them and a new version is added to the pile for others to view and remix. And hey, you say you've got on iPad? No problem! You can access Mix with a browser at mix.fiftythree.com. Use the responsive web app to monitor your stream and mark favorites. Conclusion The whole thing is a lot of fun and is clearly the next logical step for Paper. It's just as satisfying to use casually or with professional colleagues. It's one thing to have a digital art studio in your pocket, and quite another to share its contents with collaborators so easily. Mix is that digital art studio.
FiftyThree's new Mix service invites Paper users to collaborate
Some artists find inspiration in their peers' artworks and even think it boring to draw alone. If you feel that way and you use FiftyThree's Paper app (and maybe its Pencil stylus, as well) religiously, you can take advantage of the startup's new service to collaborate with anyone you want. This new product is called Mix, and it's an open platform where all users can share their work by uploading it straight from the Paper app. The latest version of Paper comes loaded with the Mix sharing option, as you can see in the video below -- after you've uploaded your work, other members can finish it or put their own spin on it.
Native Instruments announces Traktor DJ for iPad, brings the mix to iOS (video)
DJ apps for iPad? There's a bunch. But -- if you're at all familiar with the craft -- there's a very notable name absent from the crowd. Until today that is. Native Instruments set the high watermark for DJ software with its desktop-based Traktor application, and now it's available in compact iOS form. Designed by the same team as the full-fat version, aspiring DJs can enjoy two waveform-based decks, with three-band EQ, eight effects (ported over from Trakor Pro) all redesigned from the ground up for the iPad's touch-based input. The interface eschews the conventional virtualization of a turntable set-up, instead creating a workflow more congruent with the hardware's form factor. Notably, a new "Freeze" mode stops the waveform from galloping on, letting you tend to cue points, loops etc or slice it into samples for "playable" parts. There's also interaction between the mobile and desktop versions via dropbox-based media sync, so any tracks loops and so on made on the move can be seamlessly transported to your club performance too. Think an iPad app is nice and all, but want a little more spice? Well, hook it up to one of the firm's popular Audio 6 or Audio 10 interfaces (via the USB connection kit) you just got proper pre-listen and cue functionality too. Traktor DJ is available today for $19.99, and if you're still undecided, there's a demo video after the break that might just swing it for you.
Pioneer XDJ-Aero review: a DJ controller that loves music, hates physical formats
Pioneer has enjoyed a fairly tight grip on the upper-end of the DJ market, but if you step out of the professional DJ booth, and into the bars and bedrooms, the competition starts to heat up. So when we heard about the XDJ-Aero and its curious new WiFi functionality, we were interested to see how this $1,399 controller would be received. That's not to say the DJ mainstay doesn't hold its ground in this busier market -- it does -- but as the far more frequent product release schedule will attest, the industry standard crown is still up for grabs. There's the other issue of software to consider, also. Pioneer has remained fairly neutral so far, releasing controllers for the big two platforms already, with the paint barely dry on its latest addition. The XDJ-Aero, however, hints at a new approach. One where you don't need to choose your software gang colors to be involved. This isn't the first bit of kit that lets you play direct from USB drives or skip the laptop, but it's the first from Pioneer that clearly heads out in its own direction. Ditch the Traktor, wean yourself of Serato, even forget CDs and just get on with the mixing. That seems to be what the XDJ-Aero is about, but does it hold its own? We popped a few of our favorite ditties on to find out.
