Google Said to Be Eyeing Spotify-Style Streaming

The Wall Street Journal:

Google Inc.’s Android unit has been negotiating with music companies to start a paid subscription music-streaming service akin to Spotify AB, say people familiar with the matter.

This is pretty expected! Whatever Apple is rumored to be experiminting with, other companies react.

The next move: Apple watch-like device?

Sony PlayStation 4 To Stream Games

The Wall Street Journal:

Sony Corp. is planning to offer technology to stream games to its next videogame console, people familiar with the company’s plans say, alongside other enhancements to bolster its position in the market.

The new technology, to be unveiled Wednesday along with the new console, will allow users to play games delivered over the Internet, these people said. The streaming service, they added, is designed to use current PlayStation 3 titles on the new console; the new device is also expected to play new games stored on optical discs.

This technology comes as a result from the acquisition of Gaikai a year ago. I’m not sold into the whole streaming thing but I think the new console won’t offer backward compatibility. though, great PS3 titles will be remastered with a discounted prices.

Power Users Vs. Empowered Users

Rene Ritchie for iMore:

This isn’t something unique to computing. Time was if you wanted to drive a car, you pretty much had to be a mechanic. Even after those days passed, if you couldn’t pop the hood and fix a problem by the side of the road, many drivers would tell you you had no business being behind the wheel. Now we have automatic transmissions, cruise control, launch systems, ABS brakes, traction control, and cars that park themselves and even drive themselves. Now, if you pop the hood of a car, it looks like something from a sci-fi movie, not something most people could understand, much less even think about fixing by the side of a road.

.. And that was Apple’s plan. It’s always been their plan. From Apple II to Mac to iPad to Siri or whatever’s next, Apple has relentlessly pushed form factor and interface towards the mainstream.

Easy to use. Home button. App. Home button. App. And everything full screen and touchable. This is the charm of Apple, a sophistication wrapped by a minimal pretty gadgets for everyone.

What You Do IF Been Caught Tweeting From an iPhone

It looks like a lot of celebrities have been caught promoting certain devices only to be seen tweeting from competing products. But how to defend that? Its pretty simple. You can:

  1. Claim that your account was hacked: Alicia Keys, the recently announced Creative Director for BlackBerry during the BlackBerry 10 debut, was caught tweeting “Started from the bottom now were here!” from the Twitter for iPhone app. The original tweet has since been deleted, followed by a claim that she was hacked.
  2. Pretend that you are testing competitors devices: Two months ago, Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft former Windows Head, was also caught tweeting from an iPhone, only to be revealed later that he was trying to get familiar with the work of all companies.
  3. Nothing. Live with it: Last year, Oprah tweeted a series of messages endorsing Microsoft’s new Surface tablet — all from her mere iPad.

Nothing to say but its embarrassing that Apple devices are truly irresistable.