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Hitting the Books: How to build a music recommendation 'information-space-beast'
As of October, music makers are uploading 100,000 new songs every day to streaming services like Spotify. That is too much music. It's a monumental problem that data scientist Glenn McDonald is working to solve.
Spotify's quiz will help you find a new podcast based on your listening habits
So many podcasts, so little time.
Spotify's Enhance feature puts suggested songs in your playlists
It's only for Premium users, however.
Steam uses AI to find interesting games you already own
Steam's 'Play Next' feature uses AI to recommend games from the ones you already own.
FCC proposes '988' for quick access to national suicide prevention line
The FCC wants accessing a national suicide prevention line to be as simple as dialing 988. In a report sent to Congress today, staff members recommend that the FCC designate 988 as the 3-digit dialing code for a nationwide suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.
Researchers blame YouTube for the rise in Flat Earthers
Despite steps taken to counteract problematic material YouTube is still a hotbed of hoaxes and fake news -- a problem that's become so prevalent the site recently announced it is changing its AI in a bid to improve matters. But now the scope of the problem has really come to light, as new research suggests that the increasing number of Flat Earthers can be attributed to conspiracy videos hosted on the site.
Oculus pauses Mac and Linux development, offers PC specs
The retail version of the Oculus Rift finally has a confirmed release window of early 2016, meaning virtual reality fans have just less than a year to create their ideal gaming environments. A crucial part of any VR setup is the rig powering the headset, and Oculus today released its recommended, minimum PC specs, including an NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD 290 video card, an Intel i5-4590 processor, 8GB RAM and Windows 7. Check out the full PC recommendations below. Meanwhile, Oculus has "paused" development for OS X and Linux systems "in order to focus on delivering a high-quality consumer-level VR experience at launch across hardware, software and content on Windows," Chief Architect Atman Binstock writes. Oculus doesn't have a timeline for jumping back into Mac and Linux development.
Google+ now offers suggested content as you browse mobile news sites
The next time you browse the mobile version of a news website, Google+ may step in to guide you to related content. The tool's new recommendation feature, available on Android and iOS, can suggest similar articles, or posts by the same author, with direct access to an abbreviated version of that individual's Google+ page. To implement the feature, web developers simply need to add a single line of JavaScript to their mobile website. Forbes appears to be Mountain View's launch partner with this latest endeavor -- you should be able to take it for a spin by visiting any article page on the news organization's mobile site. Desk jockeys can preview the new recommendations engine as well -- snag a closer look in the demo video just past the break.
Daily iPhone App: 5K Runmeter impresses with options and functionality
We did make a mention of the 5K training version of Runmeter when it first arrived on the App Store a little while ago, but it's worth yet another mention, I think, if only because this is the best running app I've ever used. 5K Runmeter, as it's called on my iPhone's home screen, offers all of the functionality of the standard Runmeter app (and that's quite a bit), with the addition of full training plans for 5K, 10K, half-marathon and even marathon runs. I've been using it for the last 11 weeks to train for my very first half-marathon next month, and I've been nothing but impressed at how well this app works to provide feedback, motivation and running insight for those who like to beat feet. You'd have to pick up the app and look through it to see just how much functionality there is here, but as an example, here's how I use it. I am on the half-marathon plan, so every week on any given day, the app has a set distance or speed run for me to do, and I simply press start and then follow the app's directions in my headset as I run. I've set up the app so that I get split times and pace information through voice every mile, and I just recently also set up the app to let me know when I hit every 30 minutes (as my runs have gotten longer, it's nice to have that perspective injected into the music I listen to as I go). The app of course tracks my GPS movement as I run (and that map can be exported out into email or shared to Facebook or Twitter if I want), and because I've put my pertinent fitness info into the app, I also get full calories spent, pace, timing and distance information when I'm done. In short, this is an excellent all-in-one way to monitor and track your running, and while the app is compatible with any number of fitness sensors, I haven't even needed those. If you're an expert runner, you can take advantage of interval training or even track your shoe usage (and like the standard Runmeter, the app even works for other exercise like biking). And if you're a beginner runner, you can't go wrong with the Couch to 5k plan -- it's exactly how I started running as a couch potato a few years ago, and ended up losing almost half my body weight and finding a new and exceptionally healthy passion. I did that just by following the plan on a treadmill, but the Runmeter app will guide you through that very same plan. In short, no matter what your level of running experience, 5K Runmeter is the best running solution I've seen. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Google Play starts recommending content on Android devices, keeps the downloads flowing
Google would really like you to grab more content from Google Play. Really. Just to drive its point home, the company has subtly introduced a Recommended for You section across the app and media portals of the Google Play Store on Android devices. The recommendations build on what we've seen through the web and go by similarities to other users, regional tastes and (naturally) +1 clicks. Don't worry that you'll be stuck with endless lists of Sudoku games after you download one on a lark: you can hide individual suggestions to thin the ranks. Recommendation systems aren't anything new for mobile stores, but Google's implementation is no doubt a useful tool for both Android fans moving beyond the basics as well as developers that would like to accelerate an already brisk app download rate.
Facebook's new Recommendations Bar pops up, just wants to be liked
Facebook's Recommendations Box sits passively on many websites, allowing us to engage or ignore as we see fit. But too much of the latter option has led to something slightly different: the new Recommendations Bar -- a pop-up variant which, when integrated by your favorite page, plugs site-specific links based on your friends' thumbs and shares. The Bar is similar to the in-house recommendation pop-ups we're all familiar with, but adds a like button for posting the current page to your timeline. It shouts much louder than the Box, so it's no surprise that in early tests the new plug-in produced a three-fold increase in click-throughs. In this case, privacy wasn't an afterthought -- Bar integration, like the Box, is at the site's discretion and sharing pages is very much on your terms. Just try not to accidently hit that like button during your daily scan of Bieber's homepage.
Google buys Alfred-maker Clever Sense, brings us closer to personal Batphones
Google has nabbed yet another software company. This time out, Mountain View has gotten its mitts on Clever Sense, the makers of Alfred, a location-based restaurant / bar / club recommendation app for the iPhone and Android handsets. No word yet on exactly how Google will integrate the app maker, but the software giant said in an official statement that it plans to "provide even more people with intelligent, personalized recommendations for places to eat, visit and discover." If it can help us find a good burrito in New York City, we think we can get behind this deal.
Daily iPhone App: MusicPound
We've been covering a lot (a lot!) of iPhone games in this space, but of course there are many other types of apps on the App Store. MusicPound isn't a game -- rather, it's a music discovery app that's designed to compare your music library (on your iPhone, so you'll have to load music on there if you don't sync it usually) with someone else's. The app will give you a "Music Compatibility Rating," as well as chart your most played and favorite songs, and give you some insight on what kinds of music you both listen to. Obviously, the feedback here is mostly just for fun -- you're hopefully not going to keep or ditch a friend based on what this app tells you. But the app can give you some good recommendations based on what kind of music your friends like, and where your libraries intersect and diverge. And of course MusicPound lets you jump into iTunes to fill in any gaps in your library. And the app itself is free, so the price is right. You get three comparisons with your free download, and if you want more, you can do an in-app purchase for just $1.99. MusicPound probably isn't the only music recommendation app you'll use (I really like Pandora and Shazam as well, both apps that I've mentioned before), but with a willing friend in tow, it can add a fun social twist to finding new music.
VideoSurf brings its recognition virtues to Android, expects iOS to follow shortly (video)
If you haven't heard of VideoSurf before now, you'll be forgiven. The company has existed for a few years as a web service, but it wasn't until CES 2011 when it made waves in the mobile arena by demoing its video recognition software for Android. Now it's ready for prime time in the Android Market, where the free application promises to deliver a Shazam-like experience for movie and television viewers. If you're not wholly familiar with the process, VideoSurf attempts to identify what you're watching and who's on screen after capturing only a few seconds of video. From there, you can follow the rabbit hole and learn more about the actors, find other roles they've played, and receive recommendations based on your interests -- seems to be what everyone is doing these days. Although there's nothing for iOS yet, if you watch the video (after the break), you'll see the company is rather confident about what's on deck.
The Daily Grind: Has Massively ever inspired you to try out an MMO?
One of the joys of being part of the online gaming community is hearing recommendations and testimonies of players who are trying out titles that you don't have time (or the inclination) to sample. Sometimes those testimonials can lead you into trying out a game you wouldn't have on your own. About six months or so before I joined Massively, Shawn's repeated love notes posts about Fallen Earth finally penetrated my brain to the point that I was curious enough to give it a go myself. After sampling it, I was hooked and spent many wonderful months crafting ATVs and exploring the wilderness of the apocalypse. I know that if it weren't for this site, I probably wouldn't have done so. So today we want to know: Has Massively ever inspired you to try out an MMO that you wouldn't have otherwise? How did it go? Did you stick with it or find yourself at odds with the testimony of the writers here? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
TUAW's Daily App: Blue Defense: Second Wave!
One of the best reasons to come to a conference like GDC Online (which I'm at this week in Austin, Texas) is touching base with others in the iPhone and iPad community and sharing your favorite apps with each other. I've been hooking as many people as I can on Pocket Frogs (I just passed 50% of awards completed, and the app just added Game Center integration in a new update), and my colleague Jeff Scott of 148Apps recommended Blue Defense: Second Wave! to me. Blue Defense is a top-down shooter with an iPhone twist -- instead of moving your ship around as it shoots down enemy ships in 2D, you tilt your iPhone (or just touch the screen) to aim a planetary cannon, taking out ships as they come to you. The tilt interface is very intuitive, and there are even some fun multitouch functions. You can split your fire by double-tapping anywhere to create fixed aiming sights, or even grab and drag away from the planet to shoot a gigantic screen-clearing gun. This is actually the second version of the game, so there are multiple modes to get through, including two infinite modes that you can use to try and raise your score up on the game's leaderboards. There are also lots of levels to play and medals to earn while doing so. The graphics are 2D, with a simple but smooth and well-designed look, and the Retina Display makes the game look great. Blue Defense: Second Wave! is an excellent title for just US$1.99. It's also a universal build, so I bet it'll look even better on the iPad. I've heard some other good app recommendations from the panels and attendees here at the show, so stay tuned all week for more.
Ping reaches a million, attacked by spam
Apple's new social network, Ping, has been around for about a week now, and all of the pundits have had their chance at weighing in on what Apple got wrong and right. And what's the result? Not bad, but not great -- more than a million people joined the network in just 48 hours. That's not terrible at all, but it's a far cry from the millions of people who actually use iTunes, presumably every day. Apple's success in this area, in other words, isn't going to come easy. The company has already had to put in a little more work. In addition to all of those members, the network was also hit by spam early on, with fake accounts for people like Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive, plus links that led off to contact-stealing scripts and other trouble like that. Apple has already cracked down on most of the offenders, but clearly it was an issue early on that they didn't foresee. The interface has already been updated a bit -- Apple has added "back" and "forward" buttons to the service, to match the rest of the in-app browsers in iTunes. I still maintain that Ping won't reach its full potential until you can actually "like" songs and albums in your personal library, so hopefully a few more updates and tweaks are on the way.
Anti-Aliased: I can finally stop playing Mortal Online now
A long time ago, well before Mortal Online launched, I was really looking forward to playing the game. The first-person only perspective made me drool, the Unreal Engine 3 powered graphics engine looked top-notch, the endless amount of customization of weaponry made me giddy, and the sprawling open world made me bow in awe. This was a game that sat at the top of my "WANT NAO" list, and I'm not even a person who's really huge into PvP. I just wanted an Elder Scrolls/Ultima Online inspired sandbox. Upon finally playing the game, however, all I found was a nightmare of errors, glitches, and missing systems. Mats Persson, one of the developers of Star Vault, was right: this game does lack polish, user friendliness, and many systems that could turn this sandbox into a true sandbox. Instead, all I found was a buggy, glitchy, never-ending, pointless deathmatch in an MMO world. Keep reading, and I'll be more than happy to explain every aspect of my time with Mortal Online. If you're interested in commenting on this article, then you have to trek all the way to page 3 this week. Just a heads up! %Gallery-100774%
Netflix hands out big bucks to improve recommendations system
There's no doubt that Netflix is always toiling away in an attempt to improve its online rental service, but rather than tasking its own whiz-kids to do the impossible, it has established a potential $1 million prize for any individual or team who can "improve upon the complex Netflix movie recommendation system by 10-percent." The second annual competition just concluded, and for the second straight year there was no million dollar winner. Instead, BellKor in BigChaos took home $50,000 with a 9.44% improvement. According to team member Dr. Hunt, "hitting that last [small bit] is less of a dash to the finish line and more of a tough slog to the peak of Mt. Everest." Kind of makes you wonder, though -- what else is going on behind Netflix's doors?[Thanks, Seth]
FCC chairman wants to fill white spaces with broadband
Good news, folks -- Kevin Martin believes that more mobile broadband is good for this nation. And we're all about getting the WiFi to the people. Just as expected, the FCC chairman has voiced his support for using vacant airwaves from the looming 2009 digital TV transition to bring mobile broadband to more areas. According to Martin: "No one should ever underestimate the potential that new technologies and innovations may bring to society." His proposal was issued ahead of an official report asserting that potential interference with existing infrastructure could be avoided if "technical safeguards" were put in place to prevent it. Sounds good from here, now go 'head with your bad self, Mr. Martin.[Image courtesy of TechLuver]Read - ProposalRead - Official interference report
