pandora

Does it still make sense to buy CDs?

Happy Valentine's Day, peeps! (Actually, shouldn't that be "cheeps"? Hey, I like that. From now on, you're all my cheeps.) I love you guys and gals--even when you accuse me of running scams, ha-ha.

I thought I'd switch things up today. Instead of my usual deal (see this early-morning Marketplace post if you still need your fix), let's talk about something a little more abstract.

Yesterday, I learned that music-on-demand service Spotify now streams at 320Kbps via its iOS app. That's CD-quality, which got me thinking: do we really need CDs anymore?… Read more

Netflix DVDs at death's door?

Hawaii might monitor all Web browsing, a Spotify app takes aim at Pandora, and Netflix's CEO expects DVD subscriber numbers to dwindle every quarter.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Watch out Pandora: New app brings Spotify to iOS

Ever since Spotify launched its API for mobile developers last August, engineers have been hard at work designing apps that integrate the music service into iOS.

Now there's one that could spell trouble for Pandora--SpotON Radio.

This app by Swedish Application Development was released January 8 and is free (for now); SpotON Radio allows iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users stream music directly on their devices--much like Pandora Radio. Features include access to more than 15 million tracks from Spotify and the ability to create personal radio stations, like and dislike songs, and share music with friends.

However, … Read more

2011: A banner year for startup investing

Here's an upbeat tidbit to end the year: 2011 is on track to the biggest year in venture capital deals in a decade.

Big years make for daring bets, and for this year I've chose a dozen influential investors to single out for their role in fueling startups of all sorts.

If the final quarter shapes up as it looks like it will, venture capital deals will total $30 billion for the year, a 25-percent jump from 2010, according to Anand Sanwal, whose firm, CB Insights, tracks investment activity among VCs and some big angel investors.

"I … Read more

Which Android apps are the most popular?

Facebook and Google both scored spots near the top of the list of the 15 most popular Android apps, according to new ratings by Nielsen.

Breaking down the results by age range, Nielsen found that Android Market was the top app--not surprising, since that's where most Android users go to find their favorite apps in the first place.

But in second place was Facebook, popular among 80 percent of those 18 to 24 years old, 81 percent of those in the 25-to-34 bracket, and 77 percent of those 35 to 44.

From there, the results varied based on age. … Read more

Spotify Radio conducts music with Pandora-like app

PARIS--Music-streaming service Spotify has followed in the footsteps of rival Pandora with radio stations, a way to let people listen to songs the service selects.

"We've built a radio app on top of our platform," said Spotify co-founder and Chief Executive Daniel Ek, announcing the app today at the LeWeb show here. And he lost no time baiting his rival: "It's kind of like Pandora, but with unlimited skipping and unlimited stations."

Spotify until now has been about playing specific songs or albums that a subscriber chooses. With stations, the subscriber chooses a category, … Read more

How to get your holiday music fix online

There's nothing like a little holiday music to get you in the holiday mood. To help you get your holiday music fix this season, here are some Web sites streaming holiday music:

Pandora Pandora's holiday genre has several stations including pop, classical, R&B, country, rock, children's, and more. They're all available through the mobile app as well.

Slacker Slacker has a nice selection of holiday stations to choose from. Just navigate to the "Seasonal" section and you'll see the list of stations. The stations are accessible via the mobile app, too.… Read more

How to stream online movies and music to your TV

Watching a Netflix or YouTube video on a computer screen can feel a little crowded, especially in a huddle of friends.

To fix that problem, many televisions are now adding these services to the TV interface, creating what are now considered "smart TVs." Services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and YouTube are readily available on those TVs for streaming media to the big screen.

But if you don't own a streaming-ready TV, you have dozens of options to emulate the experience. Popular devices like Roku, Boxee, and the Apple TV have cropped up, each offering a different way … Read more

The 404 949: Where we drop the SOPA (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 Podcast episode:

Google Music takes on streaming services like Spotify, iTunes Match, and Amazon Cloud Drive with music encoding at 320Kbps, cross-integration with Google+, and an Artist Hub site for bands to promote their original content. Fans of Hootie and the Blowfish already denouncing the service for its lack of content from Warner Music Group. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus lands in the U.K., powered by Google's Ice Cream Sandwich software for Android phones. Cool upgrades in the OS include facial recognition, voice typing, and Android beam for contact exchange by NFC.… Read more

Get a 3D-ready Samsung Blu-ray player for $69.99

I have mixed feelings about 3D. Much as I enjoyed "Avatar" and "Despicable Me" on the big screen, I'm not exactly dying to bring the 3D experience into my home.

On the other hand, why not give myself the option? All I need is a 3D-ready TV (or projector) and Blu-ray player. Today only, and while supplies last, DailySteals has a killer deal on the latter: a refurbished Samsung BD-D5500C 3D-capable Blu-ray player for $69.99, plus $4.99 for shipping.

That price rivals, and even exceeds, most of the non-3D Blu-ray players I'… Read more