Apple reportedly asking music labels to take smaller revenue cut from Apple Music

Apple is supposedly renegotiating its licensing deals for Apple Music and iTunes with major music labels. Apple is hoping the labels are up for reducing revenue shares from streaming to bring them closer to the rate that Spotify pays labels. The deals with the record labels are said to expire at the end of the month but there’s a likelihood it will be extended if the parties can’t agree on new terms—at least according to the sources of Bloomberg who asked not to be identified since they’re sharing private information.

Streaming has been seen to be a source of hope for the music industry after a decade of decline in this digital age. With the help of the likes of Apple Music and Spotify, the industry grew by 5.9 percent last year worldwide. Under Apple’s existing deal, labels get around 58 percent of revenue from Apple Music subscribers, which is considered a higher cut than other services. But labels are supposedly amenable to the cut, if Apple meets other requirements. Apple overpaid labels to placate those concerned that the streaming service will cannibalize iTunes, which as shown hasn’t quite happened. But labels are still asking for precautions. Apple won’t comment about the report.

Emporio Armani joins the smartwatch market

Emporio Armani is the latest fashion brand to release an Android Wear device. Coming by September 24^th, the Connected line of smartwatches will feature both Android Wear-powered devices and different hybrid models. These will run on Android Wear 2.0 with Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and will have circular AMOLED display. And since it runs on Google’s wearable platform, it gets things like Google Assistant support. There will also be Armani-specific watchfaces as well as eight different interchangeable straps made from materials like metal, fabric and leather. No word on the pricing yet but they will be sold both online and where Armani watches are sold.

Source: 9to5Google

Google pulls the plug on Android Market for Android 2.1 Eclair and below

Before there was Google Play Store, Google had Android Market. And it seems the beloved app store is reaching the end of its life. Google just announced that by the end of the month all devices running Android 2.1 Eclair and lower will no longer have access to or be able to install apps from Android Market. Those who still have these devices unfortunately won’t even get the notice on their phones because of “technical restrictions.” But later versions of Android that still have access to this app store will be supported “for as long as feasible.”

We don’t know how long or short that may be, though. As Android Authority points out, that Android 2.2 Froyo and below aren’t showing up on the monthly distribution charts of Google and Android 2.3 Gingerbread is nearing that same fate, too. For Android fans, do you still have these older Android devices? What’s the oldest one in your possession?

Netflix brings ‘Choose your own adventure’ format from books to the screen

If as a kid you’d love reading the “Choose your own adventure” books, this new format Netflix is introducing is bound to be popular with the young ones of this digital generation. After two years of testing it out, Netflix launches its first of two Interactive Storytelling titles: Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale. Coming on July 14^th is the second story, which is Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile. Netflix partnered with the likes of Dreamworks, American Greetings, Robot Chicken, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios to help bring these complex, non-linear stories to life. Puss in Book has already launched globally, making it the first of its kind to be available on such a large scale.

The story will have the viewer make a choice at certain points and you’ll be given around 15 to 20 seconds to choose. If your kid is watching on a TV, it’ll be by using the remote, while if you’re on a tablet, they can tap on their choice. At launch, the right-to-left languages (like Arabic) won’t be supported but they will be coming soon, according to Netflix. It’s available first on TVs and iOS with Android, Apple TV, and Chromecast not yet in the works. However, the two shows will be available on those platforms as a linear story. We can’t say how popular the format will be but it does show us how Netflix is stretching its tech side and how storytelling can evolve in the future. While launching first with children’s titles, Netflix isn’t ruling out trying it out with adult content, too.

Source: Wired