The entertainment industries are very interested in a future of autonomous (self-driving) cars, because if we’re not driving our cars, that may free us up for other kinds of entertainment […]
Tag: cars
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Spotify gets a new in-car integration with Cadillac
I love you for your pink Cadillac, crushed velvet seats, riding in the back, streaming Discover Weekly down the street… Spotify’s latest partnership will put its service onto the dashboards of Cadillacs (not just pink ones) through their ‘infotainment’ systems.
Spotify and Cadillac have designed the app with a car-friendly interface, as well as prioritising playlist recommendations for driving to. For now, this is for select Cadillac cars in the US only, although it’ll soon be available for all new models there, and for Premium Spotify subscribers only.
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SiriusXM debuts ‘360L’ in-car satellite-plus-streaming service
US satellite-radio firm SiriusXM has launched the latest iteration of its in-car service, called 360L. That represents “360-degree listening” with a blend of satellite radio and streaming to pipe music into vehicles, starting with the 2019 Ram 1500 truck.
Drivers will get SiriusXM’s lineup of 200+ live radio channels, as well as recommendations for other shows and stations they might like based on their listening habits.
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Amazon steps up with new Echo devices and Alexa partnerships
Earlier this week we reported on Amazon adding its Alexa voice assistant to its flagship music app. That was just the teaser though: yesterday the company unveiled a swathe of new Echo speakers and devices, while also signifying its grand ambitions for Alexa more generally.
The key points: the basic Echo speaker has been reworked with better audio and voice-recognition tech; a choice of fabric, metal and wood covers; and a price of just $99 – a third of Apple’s upcoming HomePod.
There’s also a new Echo Plus which costs $149, and also acts as a smart-home hub; and a $130 Echo Spot that’s like a little alarm clock with a touchscreen.
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Jaguar Land Rover creates its own in-car Spotify app
Spotify’s latest partnership is with an automotive firm: Jaguar Land Rover.
The company has launched its own version of Spotify’s app, which will sit within its InControl Apps system for in-car entertainment.
Due for release on 27 September for iOS, the app will mirror Spotify’s existing interface, but will offer “Just for You” playlists in the hope of avoiding distracting drivers by making them scroll through their collections in the car.
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Deezer geezers can now listen directly in their Beemers
As in BMWs, of course. Deezer’s latest in-car partnership with BMW is more interesting than simply getting its app into vehicle dashboards.
The partnership includes a third company, Online Entertainment, which is helping BMW build SIM cards into its cars so they can access internet services directly without a smartphone required.
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Rdio sets its sights on TVs and cars
Rdio boss Anthony Bay has been talking about the company’s plans to continue expanding into cars and connected TVs. Particularly the latter. “For many people, it is the best sound […]
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Pandora attracted 76.2m listeners in December despite iTunes Radio
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: iTunes Radio isn’t a Pandora-killer yet. The latter company announced its December 2013 audience metrics yesterday, revealing that in the final month of the year it attracted 76.2m active listeners, up from 72.4m in November, and 70.9m the month before that.
Pandora recorded 1.58bn listening hours in December, up from 1.49bn in November, claiming an 8.6% share of total US radio listening in December. Cue a 14% rise in Pandora’s share price at the end of a year in which every pre-launch iTunes Radio rumour seemed to make the stock wobble.
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Google expected to make a big push into cars with Android
Next week, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas will showcase all manner of new devices, apps and digital services.
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Spotify inks in-car deal with Ford for US and Europe
Spotify is the latest digital music service getting into cars – in this case via a partnership with Ford to make Spotify’s smartphone apps work with the carmaker’s Sync AppLink platform.