Spotify gets a new mini player in Facebook's mobile apps

Spotify

Now, you no longer have to leave the Facebook app to listen to songs or podcasts recommended on your feed. Spotify is rolling out this feature to its iOS and Android apps in 27 countries, including Canada. The first time you use the player, there will be a prompt asking you to connect the music and social apps. You'll be asked to sign in if you haven't yet.

As you play audio content, the mini player lives on the bottom of the interface just above the navigation icons. You'll see an album or show artwork and title and artist info. Premium subscribers get the full functionality of the player, while free users have access to shuffle mode. There will also be ads playing for free Spotify subscribers, as what happens on the Spotify app. Those without Spotify accounts will get a 30-second preview of the track.

Source: Spotify | Via: Engadget

Roku might no longer offer YouTube TV amid standoff with Google

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Roku devices might lose access to the YouTube TV app as the company is caught amid a standoff with Google. The company sent out an email to its subscribers on Monday calling on them to reach out to Google to "urge them" to reach an agreement. Roku accused Google in a statement of attempting to control the user experience on the platform that would favour Google's products as the two negotiate a contract renewal for YouTube TV. Google has its own line of Chromecast devices that compete directly with Roku.

According to Roku, Google is demanding that Roku give its separate YouTube app preferential treatment on the condition of providing the company access to YouTube TV. The demands include providing Google with special access to consumer data and for Roku to have a dedicated search result row for YouTube on its interface. Roku also claims Google wanted Roku to meet specific hardware specs. 

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'Battlefield' will get a standalone mobile game next year

It might have taken a bit of time, but now Electronic Arts confirms that a "fully-fledged, skill-based" version of Battlefield is coming to mobile. According to the developer, the new mobile game will launch in 2022, offering a "completely different" experience from the upcoming Battlefield for consoles. DICE is working closely with Industrial Toys to develop this mobile version.

As for the console and PC game, EA said the game would offer a "jaw-dropping" experience later this year. It's currently in daily playtesting with Criterion and DICE polishing the game ahead of its release. "It has everything we love about Battlefield—and takes all of it to the next level. Epic scale. All-out military warfare. Crazy, unexpected moments. Game-changing destruction. Massive bales, packed with more players and mayhem than ever before," the company wrote.

Source: Engadget

Apple is looking to hire someone to guide the development of its health products

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If one of the newest job listings from the company is any indication, Apple is looking to develop more health-related features for its existing lineup—and potentially develop new products. The company is in the process of hiring a clinical producer that will be in charge of the "overall development of health products" while in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

The role calls for partnerships with clinicians to identify the critical areas of focus for Apple's products, technologies, and potential for customer impact. The new position requires 5+ years of experience in the health care industry, preferably those in regulated medical products and/or digital health products, with a proven track record of driving product development from concept to launch. As My Healthy Apple reported, the company has been adding new positions related to healthcare, including cardiologists, health sensing engineers, and more.