Study shows music streaming services are shortening musical intros

Music streaming services aren’t just disrupting traditional record labels. It seems they’re changing the way songs are made, too. A new study from Hubert Léveillé Gauvin, a doctoral student in music theory at The Ohio State University, finds that songs are getting shorter instrumental introductions to try and accommodate the shortening attention span of listeners. And it seems the streaming services—such as Spotify and Pandora—are to blame.

Gauvin listened to and analyzed songs that made it into the top 10 from 1986 to 2015 and found “a dramatic shift away from long intros” and “a marked increase in tempo.” Songs back in the mid-80s had intros averaging over 20 seconds, now they’re down to five seconds on average so they immediately get to the lyrics. Tempo has also increased by around eight percent.

Click to read more ...

Microsoft previews Outlook for Mac with Google Calendar and Contacts

Microsoft is bringing to more users the ability to use Google Calendar and Contacts on Outlook for Mac 2016. Initially launched to Office Insider Fast community, the features are now available for anyone to download so they get more feedback about the new additions. This will then allow Outlook for Mac users to add, edit, and delete events from Google Calendar through the Apple app. Gmail users will also get Focused Inbox feature in Outlook as well as package delivery tracking and travel booking. If you’re a regular Office 365 user, though, you’ll have to wait until later in the year to try this out.

Source: The Verge

D-Link launches first HomeKit-enabled camera

D-Link has just released an IP camera that's designed to work with Apple's HomeKit smart and connected home platform. 

The new Omna 180 Cam HD works alongside other Homekit-enabled devices and provides a stylish and easy way for users to monitor their homes right from their iOS devices. 

Omna’s HomeKit integration allows users to be “always home.” Seeing everything through your iOS device offers extra peace of mind – keeping an eye on your baby in the nursery, checking on an elderly relative, watching your dog in the living room, or helping ensure homes are safe while on vacation. Users can access their Omna remotely to see what’s happening in their home in real time. 

Click to read more ...

Samsung Galaxy S8 to launch without Bixby voice assistant feature

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

While touted as one of the big features of the new Samsung Galaxy S8 line, the Bixby voice assistant was sorely missing on the demo units handed out during the New York launch event, which means there was no way for us to test the assistant during the brief time we were given with the device.

It seems that Bixby voice is not ready for prime time and will not be included when the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ ship on April 21 in Canada. Other Bixby features, including Vision, Home, and Reminder will be on tap at launch date with Bixby Voice chiming in 'Later this Spring.' Voice assistants are tricky. Siri and even Cortana took a while to ship with their full feature set in Canada and this is also possibly the reason why Google Home isn't shipping its devices outside the US and UK. We'll be on standby to see what Samsung releases in a month's time.