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Fitbit's killing its PC sync app this fall in favor of going all-in on mobile
Unfortunately, how you access music on your old Fitbit tracker is about to get a lot more complicated
Fitbit introduced its first fitness tracker way back in 2009, but it wasn't until years later that the company offered a dedicated mobile app for smartphones. Instead, Fitbit devices initially were synced by connecting them to a computer via a dock — how archaic, right? Called Fitbit Connect, the data transfer tool for both Windows and Mac computers can still be used for syncing trackers, but that's finally about to change, as Fitbit shares plans to deactivate this desktop option in October.
The Stitcher app finally gets the makeover it needs with custom show groups and finer speed control
We're awaiting wide distribution of the upgrade
Stitcher, the podcast app fresh off an acquisition by Pandora, is about to roll out an overdue makeover for its Android users with better fine-tuning when it comes to browsing, playing, and tracking the shows you want to listen to.
Pandora picks up WTF with Marc Maron and other Stitcher podcasts as SiriusXM finalizes acquisition
Another place to get more podcasts
The podcasting arms race has ratcheted up another notch as satellite radio company SiriusXM has completed its acquisition of podcast production and advertising behemoth Stitcher from E.W. Scripps for $325 million. It's a big deal business-wise, but for listeners, it also means that Sirius's Pandora app is getting a cadre of top podcasts in its catalogue.
Following last year's redesign, Pandora is picking up another feature that should prove to be popular. An update is currently rolling out that brings offline podcast support for Plus and Premium subscribers, but far more importantly, it also adds Dark Theme/Mode support for Android 10 as well as Samsung's Night Mode.
Everyone loves to have intrusive audio ads break up their playlists, which is why you're going to be thrilled with what Pandora's got up its record sleeve. The music streaming service is testing out a new interactive ad format. Instead of playing randomly without knowing if the user is paying attention or not, ads would prompt listeners to respond with simple "yes" or "no" voice commands.
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Pandora, once one of the most prominent names in music streaming, has been overshadowed by competitors like Spotify in recent years. This week, the company is releasing a revamped version of its mobile app with an emphasis on content discovery and personalization.
Maybe you've taken smartening up your home seriously to the point where you have a smart speaker, display, TV, or a combination of any of them in every room of your house. With all that space and all the people you share it with, you may have wanted to start listening to music or watching a show on one device, then move it over to another. It's previously been a small ordeal to have to do that, but with late changes to the Google Home app and Google Assistant, you'll be able to make it happen at the voice of your whim.
Last year, Google added the ability to select songs, playlists, or albums from Spotify as alarm sounds in its Clock application. Google Clock 6.1 is now rolling out in the Play Store, and it expands on this feature — users can now pick music from Pandora and YouTube Music.
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Listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks while driving can make or break your commutes and long road trips. Engaging audio content keeps you entertained and alert, but you don't want to get your eyes off the road to switch between your navigation app and music app simply to skip ahead or rewind. This is why Waze added Spotify integration last year, and is now expanding its in-app player to seven more partners.
The Pandora app is about to get easier to control, provided you don't mind yelling at your phone. Like everything else under the sun, the app is getting voice controls. Thanks to a partnership with SoundHound, you'll be able to ask Pandora to play different tracks, modify playlists, and more.
The latest update to the music discovery app Pandora finally adds a much-requested feature — podcasts. More than 100,000 episodes across a wide range of genres are available through Pandora as of the latest version, so if you're a heavy user of the app who's been going elsewhere for your pods, you no longer need to.
Pandora has largely been overshadowed by Spotify in the world of music streaming, but it's still alive and kicking. Back in August, Pandora Premium support was finally added to Google Assistant, and T-Mobile began giving customers a year of Pandora Plus. Now the company has been acquired in an all-stock transaction by SiriusXM, valued at approximately $3.5 billion.
At its Uncarrier event held today, T-Mobile unveiled several new promotions and services aimed at bolstering its reputation as a customer-friendly, "subversive" wireless brand. Among them: a free year of Pandora Plus for customers, discounted live music tickets from Live Nation, free 30-day service trials, and the official launch of a customer service overhaul.
New tunes are arriving on Google Home devices today with the addition of Pandora Premium to the supported Assistant music services. After connecting your account, Assistant across all your devices can stream music directly from Pandora with new premium features. You can even give Pandora Premium a try for free.
Pandora isn't nearly as popular as it once was, but it still has a fairly sizable userbase. The company has just quietly introduced a new family plan, aptly dubbed 'Premium Family,' that allows for up to six different Pandora accounts to gain access to Premium features for $14.99 per month.
It may be true that mobile devices account for more than 50% of all internet usage around the world, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to neglect the desktop segment entirely. Up until now, if your preferred music service was Pandora, you were out of luck if you wanted to listen to Pandora Premium on your desktop. Thankfully, Pandora has just announced they are finally launching their premium tier for the web, catching up with other services such as Spotify.
The Copyright Royalty Board of the U.S. Library of Congress—which determines the licensing fees paid by streaming services to artists (and their publishers)—has reportedly increased the royalty rate from 10.5% to 15.1% of total revenues for the five-year period from 2018 to 2022. Streaming services rely on the compulsory license established under U.S. law rather than negotiate directly with publishers. For comparison, Netflix and Amazon must negotiate with studios for the use of programs, which is why their catalogs are not "all-inclusive" in the way that music streaming services are.
Pandora went many years without a traditional music streaming option like Spotify or Play Music, but it eventually added the $10 Premium tier that allows you to play whatever tuns you want. However, the Android TV client has been lagging behind. Today, a new version is rolling out that adds support for Premium subscriptions along with a few other features.
Pandora has been streaming music for longer than many of the top streaming services, but it's always gone about things differently. Pandora is based on radio stations rather than specific tracks. Today, Pandora is deploying a new version of its service that's more in-line with competing options. For $10 per month, you can pick songs instead of trusting that the radio station won't stink.
Pandora, the internet radio app, has gone through a few changes this past year. First, there was a full redesign of the Android app that brought it into the modern age, then there was the Pandora Plus monthly subscription with unlimited skips and repeats and offline listening.