Podcasts for iOS also updated with enhancements like integration with Siri

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Said and done. Linking with the release of iTunes 11.2 and improvements in exploring podcasts, Apple has also updated Podcasts, independent app for iOS, adding these and other exciting new features such as integration with Siri Support or CarPlay to access our subscriptions from the screen of a brand new Ferrari FF, for example. 

Reproduction of podcasts joins the long list of things we can ask Siri. Just say something like "play podcasts" or directly specified which you want to begin to listen and listen to music.

The settings of the app have also received a necessary restructuring that makes it easier to understand how they work options that previously existed like to automatically delete episodes once played. In general, everything is a little easier now also combining this useful function to optimize our storage with the option to save our favorite episodes.

Ah! I almost forgot. Do you want to share a particular podcast with a friend? Go to their description or slides down their list of episodes to find the Share button. Now you can pass a link to your favorite podcasts via AirDrop.

iTunes exclusive music again: 'Ghost Stories' by Coldplay a week before

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Although iTunes is one of the largest stores in the world as far as music is concerned, does not usually make too many acts around her. Late last year Beyoncé was the surprise publishing its album on iTunes now Coldplay which points to the iTunes exclusive, by providing all his latest album 'Ghost Stories' a week before its release. 

The new album is available for listening via this link. In it we can hear the whole album streaming accompanied by a video directed by Alasdair and Jock with illustrations by Mila Fürstová.

This exclusive publication is different by Beyoncé. The American singer released the album on iTunes by surprise and with little publicity, the opposite of what it has done as Coldplay lead announcing this new work a few weeks. A Beyoncé experiment it worked very well.

Does it will be the same to Coldplay? Hard to say now, while I enjoy playing a new album of this great group.

Why Shazam, Siri and iTunes Beats could return to it throne

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Now that the alleged purchase transaction Beats by Apple comes in, an idea I had in mind is strengthened. I think Apple is preparing a very important to retrieve the status of champion of the music that has always had thrust. It is a theory. Has little evidence to support it and some of them are confirmed rumors that could almost as surely we could discard. But I find it interesting to share. 

Last month, Bloomberg uncorked a story that reads as follows:

"The company [Apple] are planning a song recognition functionality in an update to iOS, its mobile operating system, which would allow users to identify a song and artist using an iPhone or iPad".

For this new feature, Apple would partner with Shazam and we should expect to see these new features in iOS 8. Last year Shazam updated the application, and added a feature that to label the permanent listening songs. Even if you close the app on the iPad, Shazam will listen in the background. Shazam is also able to identify the series that we are seeing in these times just by the sound. Interesting. 

Siri and Beats come into play

"Hard to believe in coincidences, but is even harder to believe in anything else" - John Green, writer.

Do you know what would be cool? You always have to tell you when to listen. Siri would be much more useful if we could activate it with a simple "Siri, tell me what the weather today in San Francisco" without having to press a button. A voice activation as currently enjoyed by users of a Moto X. 

Shazam integration in iOS 8 can be start with "preventive" identifying songs in an integrated manner. This functionality is built into the independent music or rumored iTunes Music app. But I am convinced that this partnership with Shazam is not a coincidence and that will give rise to in the future further integrated into the system with Siri. Apple is testing the water with his toe to check the temperature before diving into the pool, there is more to look at Touch ID and its inevitable expansion to pay with the iPhone.

"There's an ocean of music out there. And there's absolutely no curation for it" - Jimmy Lovine, CEO of Beats.

On Friday we saw how Apple made ​​history by breaking his record of acquisitions with Beats Electronics and discussed what could be making the rapper and producer Dr. Dre's company in California. Little mentioned streaming service Beats Music has many ballots to fill the gap that Apple has left its musical offer unbelievable. 

There is something beyond headphones and Beats streaming

Sell ​​one company to another is often motivated not only by money but also by the promise to enhance, accelerate and enlarge the products the company already had in mind. I think the healing music that was mentioned Lovine was in the Beats's plans but lacked something to carry it out. To suggest appropriate songs requires a scale and a user base that only has iTunes today. More than 800 million accounts, most of them with a credit card entered.

Shazam could be a part of the puzzle to help Siri to offer music recommendations: 

-Siri, play some music that I like. -Based on the latest songs you've tagged, this is a very good selection. Playing music.

Apple needs to change a market that had won on merit. It is high time to reclaim what is theirs again, will see if the alliance with Shazam and buying Beats lead it in the right direction.

Apple and Dr. Dre

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The Financial Times was the first to break the news and say that Apple is negotiating the purchase of Beats Electronics , which was quickly confirmed by sources of Bloomberg , Wall Street Journal and Re/ode. According to these publications, the deal would be watching next week confirmed and close the Apple 's largest acquisition to date , worth 3,200 million.

Immediately, everyone started asking what Apple sees the company founded by the famous rapper Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine. Will the flashy music head? Will it streaming music service? What is missing from Apple and it is found in Beats Electronics? For some, it comes to acquiring a company whose profits and generous margins marry perfectly with the business of Apple, others interpret that Apple desperately needs something to patch the drop in music sales on iTunes.

The potential of Beats for Apple

When a company buys another, our part of the brain responsible for imagination takes flight. From buying Beats by Apple confirmed, would be bringing their hardware section:

• Headphones for music: Apple renewed the design of the headphones that come standard with the iPhone and iPod showing the EarPods at the launch of iPhone 5. Apple could exploit the technology and know-how to create Beats external headphone brand that Apple sold separately. 

• Speakers: Beats Pill is a portable speaker that works by bluetooth. Apple tried to enter this field with your iPod Hi-Fi but withdrew the product shortly. It was clear that this was not it thing.

• BeatAudio: few know that Beats has licensed this technology to car brands like Chrysler.  The Chrysler 300S features a premium sound kit technology company. Given that Apple is in full swing with it CarPlay not be strange if they had some kind of integration in mind and presence in our cars in the future. 

Then there is the software part, which has curiously been the least discussed in the beginning, but that seems to be gaining momentum. In Appleismo already talked Beats Music, yet another streaming service for iOS and OS X sucking a piece of cake. Although the business model of Spotify and company continue to generate many questions about its profitability, the fact is that it is removing presence iTunes and Apple does not have a streaming service itself. iTunes Radio and iTunes Match are two services that do not supply this lack in so Apple Beats Music can be very interesting to Cupertino.

Spotify, ready to beat iTunes in Europe

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The race to be the best digital music service seems to be changing position. Spotify, according to one of their representatives, would be gaining ground in Europe at the expense of the services offered by iTunes.

Spotify has added more than a million active users in the UK for the past four months. This move is part of its attempt to take control and gain ground on iTunes for the service of the European continent's largest digital music. The benefits of Spotify could have exceeded those of iTunes in Europe.

This was stated in a responsible Sportify in Business Insider recently also explains that the service is growing rapidly, much more than expected for your satisfaction. According to reports, downloads sales are declining in large numbers while Spotify is growing greatly throughout Europe and through iTunes, particularly in the UK. In addition, as indicated by the representative, a large part of the new users are also subscribers Spotify premium service.

Kevin Brown, the source of these claims Spotify has indicated that they do not see iTunes as a true competitor. "Actually," he explained, "the real danger is on Youtube." In addition, Brown has not hesitated to criticize the ability to keep out of Spotify to some artists who have had to date iTunes, although this has not been a real disadvantage, he says. These data come on the eve of an expected launch of iTunes Radio in other parts of the world, but do not know if it will be also for Europe and if this will affect this data.

Pioneer aportará radios compatibles con Apple CarPlay

CarPlay de Apple

De acuerdo con informes anteriores, Pioneer anunció hoy que está llevando la tecnología CarPlay de Apple para su línea de productos existente. CarPlay se añadirán a las cinco marcas que dotaran de iOS en sus vehículos. Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz y Volvo serán los primeros afortunados.

A estos habrá que añadir BMW Group, Ford, Jaguar, Opel, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Nissan, entre otras marcas importantes.

CarPlay nos proporcionará servicios como:

• Podcasts
• Beats Music
• iHeartRadio
• Spotify
• Stitcher

Además de los propios de la compañía de la manzana:

• iTunes Radio
• Phone
• Messajes
• Maps
• Siri

Esperamos una formalización y mejora de CarPlay en la próxima WWDC 2014 que se celebrará del 2 al 6 de Junio.

¿Crees que Apple tiene algo más pensado al entrar en el terreno de la automación?

iTunes Radio. Apple empieza a hacer pruebas en Latinoamérica

iTunes Radio, Apple Inc.

Como ya hablábamos en un post anterior -WWDC2014- iTunes Radio se está preparando para la ampliación a otros países.

De manera oficial, iTunes Radio sólo está disponible en EEUU y Australia. Para poder saltarse las restricciones de localización es posible, ubicar nuestra AppleID en EEUU, pero al parecer en Ecuador el servicio ha aparecido de improvisto. Eso significa que desde Cupertino están probando para seguir ampliando su mercado de música por streaming.

Desde Ecuador se ha comprobado el acceso a iTunes Radio a través de iTunes de escritorio para Mac, pero sin resultados con los dispositivos iOS o el AppleTV. Se trata de un acceso intermitente, originado por las pruebas, como ha pasado ya en Reino Unido, donde se espera para este año el lanzamiento, junto con Canadá.

Por el momento, el uso de iTunes Radio ha aumentado hasta alcanzar una cuota de mercado del 8% en EEUU. Se sitúa ya como tercer servicio de música por streaming relegando al cuarto puesto a Spotify con una cuota del 6% -hablando exclusivamente del mercado Estadounidense_. Por delante quedan Pandora 31% y iHeartRadio 9%.

Quizás veamos un movimiento en las filas alcanzando a iHeartRadio en la próxima Keynote. Reino Unido, es el punto de entrada a Europa, y Ecuador, puede ser un punto de inflexión para la Radio de habla hispana.

También se ha rumoreado la expansión de iTunes Radio a otras plataformas como ya lo hizo iTunes con Windows. ¿Android y Windows serán los próximos objetivos de expansión?

Esperemos poder disfrutar de este servicio en España, a finales de 2014 o principios de 2015. 

¿Vosotros de qué servicio streaming sois?