Cortana's music recognition feature no longer works the way it used to

Avid Windows 10 users who interacted with the built-in Cortana voice assistant on their PCs had the option of quickly finding out what song was playing by invoking the smart assistnat's music reognition feature. This gave quick access to song name, artists and even a link to streaming or purchasing the song. It's a feature that Google copied on the Pixel 2 which tells you what song is playing when it is recognised.

Sadly, with the shuttering of the Groove Pass music service from Microsoft early this week, this feature no longer works the way it used to on Cortana but it still works when you ask Cortana what song is this and follow a link. It's all kind of a mess right now, Microsoft promises it will get better.

Click to read more ...

Apple orders docuseries on ‘extraordinary’ homes

Will the series feature more futuristic or high-tech homes? That's one of the many questions we have about this upcoming Apple docuseries.

Apple is taking the fight seriously to both Netflix and Amazon in the original content space. The tech company has tapped Altimeter Films, Time Inc. Productions, and producer Matthew Weaver to create a 10-episode documentary called Home. It’ll take viewers inside what are considered “extraordinary” homes and will feature the designers who created them. It isn’t known who will be narrating or hosting the documentary series or when it’ll air. We do know Apple isn’t skimping on bringing on the talent to work on its projects. Weaver is known for his work on musical Rock of Ages and documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the Netflix series Chef’s Table.

This is the first docuseries ordered under the new worldwide video programming division the company has, which is led by Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg. It shows the diversity the company is aiming for when it comes to content. The company already has three scripted series pickups; morning show drama that’s executive produced by and starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon; a Ronald D. Moore space drama; and Amazing Stories, a reimagining of the anthology from Steven Spielberg and Bryan Fuller. It’s uncertain where Apple will release this show, whether on Apple Music or on an entirely different service. But we’ll find that out soon enough.

Source: Deadline

Netflix teases new David Letterman series, shows Obama as the show’s first guest

For a show aptly titled My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, the former CBS Late Show host certainly choose a prominent figure to be his first guest. The “monthly Netflix event” will have as its first get former US President Barack Obama, making this his first TV talk show interview after his presidency. The first hour-long episode airs on January 12 with the service streaming a new episode each month in 2018.

This series has a lot of firsts going for it. This is also Letterman’s first time back hosting after his retirement from the CBS talk show and it follows a rather unusual format for Netflix in its “anti-binge roll-out” as Entertainment Weekly calls it. Some of the other big names you can expect include George Clooney, Tina Fey, Howard Stern, JAY-Z, and Malala Yousafzai.

Twitter: Blocking world leaders on its service will ‘hide important information’

While not directly addressing US President Donald Trump, Twitter released a blog post to clarify its stance on how world leaders use its platform. A lot of people have called out the service for not blocking Trump, especially for threatening tweets or those that perpetuate violence. The service claims deleting the tweets of political figures will hamper the flow of important discussions. "Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions,” the post says.

And in what seems to be a response to claims that they are keeping Trump around for the clicks, Twitter says they “review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly. No one person's account drives Twitter’s growth, or influences these decisions.” And that they try to “remain unbiased with the public interest in mind.”