Apple is rumored to be developing a streaming music service - so basically another version of Pandora. If Apple does this, it will inevitably be copied by Apple’s competitors. Actually, come to think of it, why hasn’t anyone done this yet (other than Pandora)? I am personally dissapointed by the trend in mobile device makers making proprietary versions of the same thing - Apple Maps, Nokia Maps, now this music stuff. Anyway, unlike Groupon or Zynga, I actually like Pandora’s service, so hopefully they will be ok. It does seem that a big company can come and wipe them out at any time though.
I guess. The thing about Mapquest is that Google Maps eventually just got better than them. So, everyone started using Google Maps - the best map program - on all platforms. Now is different because manufacturers are just excluding other programs so that people will be stuck in a closed system. Apple is the worst offender - no more Google Maps and YouTube. Even their USB connector is non-standard. Ultimately, consumers get higher costs and worse selection.
Pandora? What is this 2009? I remember using it once. The recommendations were “eh” at best and I ended up skipping a whole bunch of songs until the program told me I couldn’t skip more than 5 or some shit like that. I use Spotify on a regular basis and it definitely shows promise. A few things that bug me are the lack of Metallica and AC/DC songs and difficulty searching for certain tracks (I listen to a lot of trance/house/drum and bass).
Speaking of Zynga, I need to dig into this alignment with the UK-based online gambling company. I believe online poker will be back in the US in the next couple years. Wouldn’t mind getting ahead of that. I don’t care for Zynga as a video game company, but they definitely have the online infrastructure (if that’s even a thing) to get real-money gaming in front of a lot of people.
Wait, WHAT? You can’t view YouTube videos with Apple anymore? Are you being serious? What’s next, you can only call people who also have an iPhone? I swear, the head of the iProducts division must be the Anti-Christ.
And with Apple Maps, I thought because of that glitch they had they were encouraging people to use other map providers. So I assumed you could still use GMaps. Is this not correct?
I use TuneIn Radio for radio streaming (i.e it’s just radio from around the world but available anywhere via internet). Is the same as Pandora or does Pandora do more? Pandora is music streaming, but not music on demand like Spotify, correct?
I also have Spotify which I love? Why doesn’t Apple have it’s own version of Spotify? They have iTunes but involves buying rather than renting music as far I know. Why allow a company like Spotify to thrive when they presumably have all the infrastructure (hardware, software, music legal contracts, etc) in place already?
You can use Google Maps and YouTube through iPhone web browser, but Apple killed the apps for both. Pandora is like a custom radio service. You choose maybe the Jazz channel, then they will play jazz music.
Apple presumably does not have a service like Spotify because they want you to buy media through iTunes. I don’t know how the new internet radio will work. Probably they will charge subscription fees.
)