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'OK Google, Shazam this song'
Siri started handling song queries when iOS 8 arrived, and now Google's voice commands recognize Shazam as a prompt to do the same on Android. That's right, Android devices now recognize the "Shazam" command, in addition to "recognize" or "name" for "track," "song" or "tune" identification. It's not the only one either, as a few other apps like NPR One, TuneIn, Zillow, Flixster and TripAdvisor (a complete list is here) are also enjoying early access to the Custom Voice Actions feature. Previously you could search apps that way, but with this access developers can get more specific. It seems like the perfect kind of feature to use along with something like Android Auto, just when your phone is slightly out of reach.
Want some apps for that Apple Watch? You'll need iOS 8.2
We already got the big Apple Watch reveal last fall. But today, Tim Cook took the stage at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco to let us all know what wonders that very Apple smartwatch can perform, like make and receive calls! Oh yes, and there's also a host of apps to take advantage of Apple Watch, but to get them, first you'll need to download the new iOS 8.2 software update for your iPhone. Good thing it's available today.
Get ready to use Shazam to identify objects
Shazam comes in handy for identifying tunes that you may not immediately recognize, and soon, the app will hunt for details on unfamiliar products, too. That's right, the next step for the popular music reference software includes tasks like Shazaming a cereal box for nutritional info or a DVD case to view (and purchase, natch) the film's soundtrack. "The famous blue button that our users love will remain on the home screen but will be able to do much more," CEO Rich Riley told Reuters. The app attracts 100 million users with its audio tool, which also allows you purchase tunes (via link) and plays nice with a number of streaming services for easy access to your personal library.
Shazam adds in-app Spotify tracks, more tools for music discovery
Despite other methods for handling those music discovery needs, Shazam remains the go-to for many to figure out what tune is playing nearby. The company has been keen on adding new features as of late to keep pace and today it tacks on a few more. Users can already play full-length tracks from Rdio without leaving the app, and folks who prefer Spotify can now do the same. You can also have all of the songs you Shazam added to a playlist to revisit later. The expanded Spotify integration is iOS only for now, but Android support is on the way. Those two streaming services also power an in-app music player (if you have a subscription, of course) for listening to what's trending, top charts, recommendations and more. There's also a wealth of new content streams that house everything from interviews to exclusive sessions and a "Hall of Fame" for artists/songs that are particularly popular with the app. Counts have also been added in, so you'll be able to see how many times a particular tune has been spun. In case you're wondering, Avicii and Aloe Blacc's "Wake Me Up" is the most Shazamed song to date, tallying over 19 million searches.
Warblr can identify that bird just by hearing its song
Technology can be pretty wonderful sometimes. Case in point: Warblr, an app that uses sound recognition tech and your phone's GPS signal to identify birdsongs. The application first pinpoints where you are (it'll debut in the United Kingdom), and narrows the results by what types of fowl are common to the area, according to its Kickstarter page. Then, after making the ID, it presents the most likely suspects. Pretty simple, yeah? The folks behind the app say that one of the intentions is to add geo-tracking to, well, track what species are being found where -- useful for the likes of zoologists and ecologists to monitor migration patterns, for one.
Shazam now lets you buy or stream tagged music via Google Play
Hey, we love Shazam; it's been propping up our spotty musical knowledge for years. But, until now, if you wanted to grab that rare In Flagrante groove for your personal collection direct from the app, you had to go with Amazon's music store. No bad thing per se, but we're all about options. Today Android users (iOS is incoming) can also buy direct from Google Play -- if that's your virtual record store of choice (or, where you have the most frictionless checkout experience, perhaps). What's more, Shazam and Google's hookup goes a little deeper, as Play is now one of the options you'll find for streaming the full track after you've tagged it. You'll need an All Access subscription, but those that don't can snag a month's free trial to test the waters first.
Barely Related: The Rock is Black Adam, telepathy exists
Today, let's take a moment to stop and revel in how amazing, terrifying and grand the world is. Our lives are composed of dark, light and every shade in between. That's why, when we get serious shade thrown our way, we can absorb it and move on. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Shazam restores Spotify sharing and tests Beats Music for good measure
After unexpectedly dropping the ability to listen to tagged tracks on Spotify in the UK and other countries, Shazam has re-added the service to its free app in most locales. The original issue came about thanks to a deal with Deezer, which replaced Spotify in in Germany, Mexico, the UK and Brazil (the premium paid app always worked). On top of adding Spotify back to the latest iOS and Android apps, Shazam is also reportedly testing Beats Music integration on iOS, giving users the ability to stream entire tagged tracks. The iOS Shazam app already works with iTunes for previews, and Shazam will soon power Siri tune recognition in iOS 8 -- so Beats could be a tit-for-tat. As for Spotify, we're still not sure why it's back, but we wouldn't be surprised if metrics dropped or money was involved at some point. Meanwhile, we've reached out for more information.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for July 31, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. Be sure that your podcast software is set up to subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Shazam lands on the Mac with new menu bar utility
Shazam is now available on the Mac, landing in the Mac App Store as menu bar app. Announced today, the new utility identifies music and TV playing in your surrounding environment, notifying you when it has made a match. When a title is identified, the app allows you view the details about the title as well as purchase it from iTunes if it is a song. There's also a history of identified content if you want to remember a title that was recognized from last week. If privacy is a concern, the app's listening feature can be toggled on or off as needed. It also can be configured to run at startup if you don't mind the "always listening" aspect of the app. The new Shazam for Mac is available for free from the Mac App Store. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.
Shazam takes its music discovery powers to the Mac
Shazam has already covered ground on mobile platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8, but now it is prepared to bring its media identification software to more devices. And it all starts with Apple's line of personal computers. The newly minted Shazam for Mac, naturally, features the same discovery tools which have made the app as popular as it is today, with the main differentiator being that it's new for desktops and laptops. Once installed, the application performs in a rather subtle way, running its trademark ID work constantly in the background, if you allow it to. On the home screen, additionally, it only takes a spot on the menu bar to let you glance at recently discovered media. We say "media" because Shazam isn't just capable of recognizing music playing around you, but also other stuff like TV shows -- this is something that's also possible on the smartphone/tablet apps.
Shazam streams full tracks from Rdio without leaving the app
Shazam has linked out to Rdio for a while now, but the tune-identification app would boot you out to access a full track. With a recent update though, the software now streams songs it identifies from Rdio's library from within, so long as you have a subscription. Those who have yet to pay up will still get a preview, but selecting the aforementioned repository from the listening options will only prompt you to download its app. Those who do shell out the monthly fee need only to link the two apps in order to take advantage. Shazamed tracks are automatically sorted inside their own playlist for later access, while an "Add to Playlist" button lets you chose more appropriate destinations. While the iOS version is available now, folks who carry Android devices can expect it to arrive "in the next few days."
Shazam, Duolingo and several other apps head to Google Glass
Just ahead of Google I/O, a slew of new Google Glass apps are hitting the MyGlass store. The new downloads include the popular music-recognizing service Shazam and Duolingo, which offers free foreign-language courses. Two fitness-focused apps, Runtastic and 94Fifty Basketball, are also new additions to the Glassware family. Rounding out the list are the GuidiGO personal tour guide, an app for The Guardian, Livestream, MusicXmatch, Goal.com and the game Zombies, Run! Finally, the Allthecooks app has been updated with voice commands, so you can use Glass hands-free while following recipes.
Siri in iOS 8 will let you identify songs and buy from iTunes
Siri is going to learn a few new tricks in iOS 8. As rumored, the voice assistant will now identify songs using Shazam; if you want to find out the name of a catchy track, you don't have to fire up a separate app. You'll also have the option of buying iTunes content. The speech-recognition system is smarter, to boot -- it now shows what you're saying in real time, and you can start commands by speaking, "Hey, Siri" (much like Android KitKat's "OK Google") instead of holding down the home button. There's no mention of integration with third-party apps so far, but this is still a big step forward for iOS users who prefer voice dictation for all their tasks.
Facebook fires at Shazam, adds song recognition tool to app
Facebook is no stranger to replicating popular apps within its own walls -- Poke, for example, is a stab at Snapchat. Now, according to a post on the official Facebook new blog, the social network will get a Shazam-like feature for song and television recognition, allowing you to identify and then post about a song, TV show, or movie from within a status update. The feature will be an opt-in addition, so you'll have to enable it for it to be available. Once you've agreed, the app will attempt to ID the audio from various media and allow you to tag it within your status update. When sharing songs, you'll be able to provide a 30-second preview of the tune for your friends when posting the update, though the feature will simply note that you're watching a TV show or movie if you happen to be. No word on a precise launch was given, but the new feature is noted as arriving "in the coming weeks" to both the iOS and Android Facebook apps.
Shazam baffles UK users by dropping Spotify integration
If you, like us, regularly use Shazam to tag and add tracks to Spotify for later listening, we have some bad news: you may now find that option has gone. It comes as one of the unexpected consequences of a deal between the music discovery company and streaming service Deezer, which has now replaced its bigger rival in free versions of Shazam in Germany, Mexico, UK and Brazil. TechCrunch spotted that Deezer and Rdio now hold the two main "free" positions within the Shazam app, but also notes that the ad-free premium version Encore retains Spotify integration. In our tests, Shazam had removed Spotify tagging from the Encore Android app, despite still displaying the feature in screenshots on both the UK App Store and Google Play.
Bloomberg: Apple wants to plug Shazam directly into iOS
It's easy to track down iPhone apps that name catchy tunes, but it now looks like Apple wants to spare you from having to search in the first place. Bloomberg sources claim that a future version of iOS will incorporate Shazam's song recognition in the same way that the existing mobile platform integrates Facebook and Twitter. While built-in music detection wouldn't be a new idea (just ask Windows Phone users), you could ask Siri to tell you what's playing rather than hit a button. There aren't any clues as to when the feature would reach iOS. However, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference begins in early June -- if the rumor is accurate, there's a good chance we'll get the full scoop in a matter of weeks.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for March 31, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Shazam's latest update increases speed and battery life while improving sharing options
For music lovers on the go, Shazam is an invaluable discovery tool. With the simple press of a button, the app tells you the name and artist of any song currently playing around you. Today Shazam released a new update that throws a fresh coat of paint on the app, along with adding a few nifty new features. The most important updates for the majority of users are the app's technical tuneups. Audio recognition rates have been improved for more accurate results and battery life has been improved. If you have the app running under Auto mode, battery consumption has been reduced to less than 5 percent an hour. In addition you'll have the following new tweaks: The app's sharing options have been enhanced to include Facebook, Twitter, Google+, WhatsApp and Pinterest Lyrics now start streaming on the track page so that you can immediately begin reading them along with the song. Official videos are now shown on the track page so fans can instantly watch their favorite acts. The album and track review pages have been redesigned Finally the newly updated biography and discography pages aim to make it easier for listeners to discover more about the acts they've found. Shazam started rolling out its current upgrade in February, and since then has seen remarkable increases in interaction with videos, views of lyrics, and shared discovery. This redesign is hitting iOS devices first, with Android users getting an update sometime in the next few weeks. You can find the updated Shazam in the iTunes Store.
Shazam is now more social and better-looking on iOS, Android is next
As part of an ongoing major redesign on mobile, Shazam has just rolled out a new version of its iOS app. Adding to the changes we saw last month, today's update focuses on offering improved social sharing features, an even better lyrics experience and a more polished UI throughout the application. Users will now see in-depth artist biographies, redesigned album and song pages, as well as the inclusion of videos for songs. Shazam also points out that the app was also tweaked to have enhanced audio recognition and suck a little less power out of your iDevice -- much like Skype did recently with one of its apps. The update is initially only available for iOS, but the Android crowd can expect these revisions to come "in a couple of weeks."