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Zane Lowe's new Beats 1 show is all about new music
This summer, Apple created New Music Daily, a curated playlist with the latest and most popular tracks from around the world. Today, it's launching a companion radio broadcast on Beats 1. The weekly show, "New Music Daily with Zane Lowe," will feature interviews with artists, commentary and songs from the playlist. The first episode premieres today at 12PM ET (9AM PT) with guests Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Coldplay's Chris Martin.
HomePod radio streaming arrives on September 30th
Apple didn't really discuss the HomePod at its iPhone 11 event, but there was still some news that (almost) slipped under the radar. The tech firm quietly updated the HomePod's product page to reveal that the vaunted radio streaming feature will reach the smart speaker on September 30th. TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Radio.com will offer 100,000 global radio stations just by asking Siri. Given that this is considered a staple of other smart speakers, it'll be both welcome and overdue. For other features, though, you'll have to sit tight.
Apple reportedly shelves 'walkie talkie' iPhone feature
Apple has put its plans for a 'walkie talkie' iPhone feature on hold, The Information reports. The technology would have allowed people with iPhones (in a certain vicinity) to send messages over long-distance radio waves when cellular networks weren't available. It would have functioned a bit like a walkie talkie for text messages and allowed iPhone users to communicate in remote areas.
SiriusXM's student plan only costs $4 per month
SiriusXM thinks it has a simple way to get the back-to-school crowd listening to radio: offer it at an extremely steep discount. The satellite radio pioneer has introduced a Student Premier subscription that offers all the 200-plus music channels (plus talk) of the usual Premiere Streaming package for $4 per month, or less than a third of the $13 you'd normally pay. You could wind down with Kevin Hart's comedy channel or psych yourself up with BPM for about the price of nice coffee.
iHeartMedia is returning podcasts to their radio roots
If you own a radio network, how do you promote your podcasts? By calling back to the roots of podcass and airing them on the radio, of course. iHeartMedia has unveiled a Sunday Night Podcasts initiative that will air podcasts on 270 of its radio stations at the end of each week, starting with The Ron Burgundy Podcast on August 11th. You can also expect series like Stuff You Should Know, TechStuff and The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcast, although just what you'll get and when will vary. It's up to the stations to choose the podcasts and time slots that fit.
FEMA's next Emergency Alert System test leaves internet devices out
Federal agencies are once again poised to test emergency alerts, but this time it's all about where you won't see them. The FCC and FEMA are conducting their fifth nationwide Emergency Alert System test on August 7th at 2:20PM ET, but only on TV and radios. They want to gauge the preparedness of the alerting system when there's no internet access -- important if a crisis knocks out data but not power.
SiriusXM lets you customize music stations with Pandora
SiriusXM will finally let some subscribers create personalized music stations with Pandora, nearly six months after it acquired the streaming music company. The company today announced a slew of upgrades, including access to customized music stations powered by Pandora technology for All Access and Premier subscribers. Integrating Pandora tech into the SiriusXM app has been in the works for a while -- and now it's actually happening.
'Stranger Things 3' pays respect to the power and perils of tech
Warning: While we've tried to avoid any spoilers in this story, the following article does refer to scenes and themes throughout the season. When members of the Stranger Things cast visited The Tonight Show earlier this month, Jimmy Fallon asked them to use one word to describe the new season. "Bigger," said Gaten Matarazzo, who plays the role of Dustin Henderson in Netflix's '80s-nostalgia-mining hit show. And Matarazzo wasn't kidding. During its first two seasons, Stranger Things mostly centered around the kids' homes and their high school in Hawkins, Indiana. Although it did also include forms of them in the alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. But in Stranger Things 3, which premieres on July 4th, that world is getting even bigger thanks to new characters, new local attractions, new cities and new countries becoming an essential part of the story.
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.
Siri will play third-party audio apps in iOS 13
In the future, you might be able to ask Siri to play your Spotify music and podcasts. According to MacRumors, iOS 13 and iPadOS will open the SiriKit framework to third-party music, podcast, audiobook and radio apps. So, when it comes to playing DJ, Siri will be able to control more than your Apple Music, Podcast and TV apps -- formerly known as iTunes, RIP.
HomePod will support multiple users and music handoffs
Apple just addressed some of the complaints about the HomePod in one fell swoop. A future update to the smart speaker will bring multiple major upgrades, most notably support for multiple users. Like its rivals, it can recognize who's speaking and customize the responses. This has rather large implications for messages, reminders and other info you might not want to share with everyone else in your household.
What we're listening to in March: Star Wars and 'Keeping the Rave Alive'
We've been listening to a lot over the past month, but two items stand out. Managing Editor James Trew discusses DJ Kutski's podcast, and Social Media Producer Michael Morris discovers an expanded audio version of the classic Star Wars films.
iHeartMedia will make it easy to create ‘pop-up’ radio stations
Radio giant iHeartMedia, which runs more than 850 stations throughout the US, is expanding into the world of "pop-up" broadcasting following its acquisition of audio tech company Radiojar. The online radio management and streaming solutions platform helps its users create, distribute and monetize podcasts and other broadcasts in real-time, from anywhere. According to iHeartMedia, the deal means that in the "near future" it will be possible to launch a brand new radio service across broadcast and digital "within minutes of the original idea."
iHeartRadio's app now supports direct control of Sonos speakers
Streaming radio stations just became a bit more intuitive on Sonos speakers. In the wake of similar moves by Pandora, Spotify and Tidal, iHeartRadio's app now offers direct control over your Sonos audio system. You no longer have to fire up the Sonos app to listen to live radio, on-demand tunes and everything in between. And since this is a radio app, you don't need to sign in for freebies like radio, podcasts and playlist-based radio -- you only need it if you're a paying customer who wants access to everything.
Netflix is bringing its stand-up comedy to SiriusXM radio
SiriusXM is adding another comedy channel to its satellite radio lineup: Netflix. Starting next January, the streaming service's radio station will play stand-up 24 hours a day, according to Variety. "Netflix is a Joke," the channel's working name, will also feature original programming from the service's ever-growing stable of signed comics, and things like David Letterman's talk show as well, apparently.
The BBC has a new app to counter Spotify and Apple Music
The BBC has a problem. For almost a century, the British broadcaster has run a variety of national and regional radio stations to great effect in the UK. Their influence, though, has waned in recent years as podcasts and music-streaming services have exploded in popularity. In response, the Beeb has embraced the podcast medium, packaging up new and long-time shows including The Archers, Desert Island Discs and The Infinite Monkey Cage. But the threat of Spotify, Apple Music and now YouTube Music still looms. What, if anything, should the BBC be doing to counter these apps? With BBC Sounds, the organization may have finally found its answer.
iHeartRadio owner files for bankruptcy, but you won't feel it
Radio giant iHeartMedia has filed for bankruptcy after years of dealing with a massive debt worth $20 billion. Don't worry, though: you might not even feel that the company is going through Chapter 11 proceedings. In its announcement, the media corporation said it has reached an agreement with the holders of over $10 billion of its outstanding debts. The agreement does require a "comprehensive balance sheet restructuring," but the company isn't shutting down. Debtwire analyst Seth Crystall told Variety that "[i]f you were listening to iHeartRadio, or going to iHeart concerts" you won't be affected by what's going on behind the scenes.
Apple Watch Series 3 can stream up to seven hours of music over LTE
Yesterday, Apple released watchOS 4.1, allowing Apple Watch Series 3 users to stream music from their entire iCloud Music Library or through Apple Music rather than limiting them to tunes from playlists synced from their iPhones. And for Watch owners opting into the models with built-in LTE connectivity, the update now allows them to take advantage of these capabilities without having to tote around their iPhones. Now, as MacRumors reports, Apple has released a breakdown of how the Watch Series 3 battery fares during music streaming.
FCC: Local TV and radio stations don't need local studios
The FCC is scrapping the decades-old rule requiring local TV and radio stations to maintain a studio in or near the communities they serve. Critics claim the move will benefit media conglomerates seeking consolidation, and diminish the quality of local reporting. "Technology allows broadcast stations to produce local news even without a nearby studio," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
WiFi mesh networks can detect your breathing
In the world of indoor security systems, motion detection usually relies on cameras or at least dedicated sensors. Both types of solution add to hardware plus installation costs, not to mention that not everyone is comfortable with having cameras pointing at them all the time. Origin Wireless, on the other hand, found a way to make use of WiFi signals bouncing around a room to detect even the slightest movement -- down to something as subtle as a person's breathing rate. What's more, this "Time Reversal Machine" technology is essentially just some clever algorithmic work with little burden on the processor, so it can potentially be added to any existing WiFi mesh routers via a firmware update. In other words, security system vendors should take note.
