On Monday we reported a possible sale of Swell Radio to Apple for $30-million dollars, citing unnamed sources talking to Re/code. That rumor has been substantiated now by thoday’s shutdown of the Swell site. The iOS app fails to connect to Swell servers, except for a brief audio message thanking listeners for using Swell. Continue Reading
The European Commission has cleared Apple’s purchase of Beats. The trade regulator determined that while both companies do have overlap in goods and services sold, they don’t have a strong enough joint presence in Europe to cause competition concerns. However, the news isn’t all good for Beats and its likely new owner. Continue Reading
Apple is purchasing Swell in a deal worth $30 million, according to unnamed sources. The app offers personalized streams of podcasts and talk radio programs. It has raised $7.2 million as a startup project but this valuation implies that the tool has a lot more to offer Apple as it overhauls its music services. Continue Reading
Roger Lanctot is Associate Director of Strategy Analytics, and a thought leader in the connected-car space. He is an influential voice in the field of automotive infotainment systems, and safety, in cars of the present and future. In this article, Roger Lanctot questions whether Google’s Android Auto initiative is ready for primetime. Do Google and Apple suffer from attention deficit disorder? Continue Reading
In the claim and counter-claim of the connected car frontier, the land grab has escalated from digital services planting flags on digital dashboards to broad technology platforms largely defining the operating systems of driving. In other words, Apple and Google are belting it out for dominance, just as they are with smartphones and tablets. The car is becoming a consumer electronics device.
In its the latest parry, Apple has announced nine new automakers to sign on with Apple’s dashboard OS, called CarPlay. Google is making its own news with Android Auto. Continue Reading
Audi, which recently replaced BMW as the top-selling premium car company, has included HD Radio as standard equipment in the 2015 Audio A3, which is appearing in dealer lots now. At the same time, an announcement comes from Audi that it is adopting CarPlay, Apple’s digital-dashboard operating system. Specific car models are not identified, but at least some 2015 models will have CarPlay. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthwhile reads from around the web: Is Amazon Prime Music the future of digital music? And an obituary for East Village Radio. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthwhile reads from around the web: Cassette Store Day, Dr. Dre, an unusual Spotify protest Continue Reading
As previously speculated, Apple has added ESPN Radio and a selection of local NPR radio stations to its online radio streams. In doing so, Apple borrows a page from leading radio-station aggregators TuneIn and iHeartRadio. We found minor glitches. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthwhile reads from around the web: Pandora and Samsung, history of car music, spamming Spotify, Apple dirt. Continue Reading
Beats Electronics (recently acquired by Apple) file a trademark revision dated April 25, expanding the protected use of its iBeats trademark.
Formerly assigned only to the in-ear Beats headphones product, the application for expanded protection covers uses that seem clearly aimed at potentially rebranding Beats Music, in whole or part. Continue Reading
Apple has non-publicly introduced high-def audio into the new iOS 8 mobile operating system which will be launched later this year. Coupled with Apple’s acquisition of Beats Electronics, the addition of high-quality audio eats into the market Pono Music hopes to establish. Continue Reading