spotify connect
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Android's media player could make it easier to move audio between speakers and headphones
Google is working with Spotify to help people quickly move music or podcast playback between speakers and headphones via the Android media player. That should make the speaker handoff process more seamless.
Bowers & Wilkins' $999 Panorama 3 is its first Dolby Atmos soundbar
Bowers & Wilkins says its first Dolby Atmos soundbar is an all-in-one setup that doesn't need a subwoofer.
Sony SRS-RA5000 review: 360 Reality Audio is only part of the story
One of Sony's first 360 Reality Audio speakers shows the hardware — much like the platform itself — is still a work in progress.
Bang & Olufsen's Beolab 28 is a $14,750 pair of connected speakers
Bang & Olufsen's latest high-end wireless speakers are equipped mechanical curtains that move to adjust how the speakers project sound.
Bang & Olufsen's $1,500 'portable' speaker is designed to last decades
Bang & Olufsen's latest speaker is both portable and sports a modular design the company says will improve longevity. And, of course, it's expensive.
Spotify tests simplified speaker handoff feature
A Spotify feature currently in testing will make it easier for users to switch playback between their phone and home speakers. Once the user sets a favorite device, the app will keep an eye on your location and send a notification to your phone when you're within range of the device. If you're listening to music on your phone while walking home, for example, you'll get a notification prompting you to switch to your smart speaker once you walk through the door.
Ecobee unveils its latest Alexa-powered smart thermostat
This morning, Ecobee released details on its latest voice-controlled smart thermostat. Rumors circulated last week when the device appeared briefly on the Lowe's website. Today, Ecobee made it official. Breaking away from its numbered naming scheme -- Ecobee 3, Ecobee 3 Lite and Ecobee 4 -- the company is calling this one, simply, the SmartThermostat. Ecobee says it's "packed with the power you would expect from a smartphone."
Ecobee smart thermostat with glass display pops up on Lowe's website
Ecobee is reportedly working on a new SmartThermostat and SmartSensors. The items haven't been announced yet, but they're listed on the Lowe's website. The specific product pages have been removed, but Zatz Not Funny managed to spot the details before they were scrubbed.
Spotify streaming comes to Polk Omni wireless speakers
Ever since Spotify announced Connect, a feature that lets you easily play music on various compatible devices, manufacturers quickly started taking advantage of it. Now, following in the footsteps of Libratone, Bang & Olufsen, Samsung and many other audio makers, Polk is finally bringing Spotify Connect support to its line of Omni wireless speakers. If you own of these, you'll have to use the companion iOS or Android app to start the jams from your mobile device. Unfortunately, Polk's only letting users stream to a single Play-Fi speaker at the moment, but the company says that multi-room streaming is coming soon to the Omni sets.
Spotify headed to Harman's ritzy JBL wireless music docks
Want to listen to that back-to-school playlist with a bit of panache? Harman International's chi-chi JBL Authentics L16 and L8 wireless streaming docks now support Spotify Connect streaming, letting you control songs from your phone while not actually streaming from it. On top of improving Bluetooth range, that means you can play games or surf without interrupting music playback. The Authentic devices also support Airplay and DLNA connectivity, and come with an optional Qi charging pad. If you were thinking the L16 dock shown above looks pretty posh, bear in mind that it also runs a cool $1,000 (the L8 is $500). If those figures don't make you flinch, Spotify-equipped units are now shipping, and existing Authentics devices will receive an update soon.
B&O's dishy BeoPlay A9 speaker nabs Spotify Connect
Granted, $2,700 is still a pretty steep price to pay, but if you've already bit the hi-fi bullet and picked up Bang & Olufsen's satellite dish-inspired BeoPlay A9, you'll probably be happy to learn that the speaker just got Spotify Connect. If you're a premium subscriber to the streaming service (more money, we know), you can hit play on the speaker to stream your music from the cloud, the minute you get home. You can control the music from your mobile device, but you don't have to worry about pairing it with the speaker. Hey, no one ever said convenience was cheap.
Spotify announces AirPlay-like Spotify Connect
Spotify has come a long way since it first sprouted up as an invite-only music-streaming service. Now that the company's quest for world domination is well on its way, Spotify has announced its latest expansion, Spotify Connect. Connect is a service that allows users to directly stream their music from their smartphones or tablets to their stereo, which is similar to Apple's AirPlay. Spotify Connect is launching on iOS devices first, with Android and desktop computer updates coming later on. The system's app allows you to pick which room of the house your music will play in or allow you to switch to a different device on the go. In addition, it allows you to make and receive calls or play a game on your phone without interruptions to your music. Of course you'll have to buy a new stereo for all this to work, but buying in is part of most new technology. Philips, Denon, Marantz, Hama, Pioneer, Bang & Olufsen, Revo, Yamaha and Argon are all building compatible systems, which will be marked on shelves with the Spotify Connect logo. You can find Spotify's launch video for Connect below.
Spotify's new Connect feature seems as good an excuse as any to throw a party
This is a sort of hardware / software announcement for Spotify, a hardware partnership with a number of big names in audio like Philips, Pioneer, Bang & Olufsen, Denon, Marantz and Yamaha that allows you to keep the party going on those Spotify playlists. Start playing one on your handset, click play on a compatible speaker system, and it will keep streaming on the speaker without interruption -- even when you take a call or leave the vicinity of your WiFi network. The audio system will actually start streaming music directly from the cloud. That means you can, say, turn on an iPad in another room and let your party guests skip songs -- though, granted, that might not be the greatest idea, depending on who you invite. Specific devices have yet to be named, though compatible systems will be branded with a Spotify Connect logo, so you'll know what you're getting yourself into. Those should be arriving in a late-October / early-November timeframe. Spotify will be holding up its end of the bargain by rolling out a software update for iOS ahead of those launches. Android and other operating systems will be receiving it at a later date.
