You can donate to Red Cross for Hurricane Matthew relief support via iTunes

Visible satellite image of Hurricane Matthew approaching Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba at 15:15 UTC on October 3, 2016. [GOES East Satellite (NOAA)]

In case you didn’t know, you can send support for Red Cross’ Hurricane Matthew relief through iTunes.  Donating through iTunes is an easy affair. Head over to this link and donate as little or as much as you like. Apple guarantees the money goes directly to Red Cross for the cause.

Our thoughts are with all those affected by #HurricaneMatthew. Support relief efforts by donating to @RedCross at https://t.co/2b9MLALy4L

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 10, 2016

  

iTunes may soon read the news to you

A new feature coming to iTunes got leaked earlier (and has since been pulled) that will allow the service to read the news to you. Called Spoken Editions, this podcasts-branded feature has short programs reading written news items from select publications such as Wired, TechCrunch, Forbes, and Time. According to the descriptions of the audio files, this feature is powered by SpokenLayer, which is a service that creates and distributes audio versions of the written word. This feature when it officially launches will come in handy when you want to listen to the latest news from these publications while you’re off doing something else.

According to TechCrunch’s interview with SpokenLayer’s CEO Will Mayo, the company specializes in making each publication sound distinct—so Wired will sound like Wired. Also, SpokenLayer and the publications split whatever is made from the audio ads attached to the podcasts. There isn’t that long a wait for this new feature to come early next month.

Rumours claim Beyoncé’s new album to drop digitally tonight

Following its world premiere on iTunes and availability on Jay Z’s Tidal music streaming service, rumours say Beyoncé’s new album, “Lemonade,” will be landing on the likes of iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play by Sunday night at midnight. At the moment, fans can purchase the visual album outright on Tidal for US$17.99 (about $22) without having to subscribe to the streaming service. It includes 12 songs and videos as well as the one-hour special shown on HBO. It should also cost roughly the same amount on other services.

However, if you’re waiting for the streaming version to show up on other services, you might be waiting in vain for that. According to an official representative from Tidal, “Lemonade” will be a streaming exclusive on Tidal “in perpetuity;” joining some of the albums that are tied exclusively to the service.

Source: MacRumors

TomTom's Spark wearable focuses on music, monitoring and motivation for fitness

TomTom just launched the TomTom Spark, its GPS Fitness Watch featuring on-board music and Bluetoothconnectivity to help fitness enthusiasts at any level get motivated, achieve their best and track their progress – all from one easy-to-use, wearable device. 

With TomTom Spark, users can listen to their favorite music mixes while tracking their steps, miles and calories burned and monitoring their heart rate for an optimal workout – leaving behind their cellphone and single-minded fitness trackers. 

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