News you need to know
Neither Spotify nor musicians are making much money from streaming
Even though Spotify made a little over a billion dollars in 2013, the company lost $80 million last year. According to its financials, Spotify pays out 70% of the money it makes in licensing fees. I think streaming is the way forward, but it's going to take artists a long time to adjust to this way of working; there are plenty of others that claim Spotify is great for their band.
Uber's Android App is Not 'Literally Malware'
News headlines emerged this week that Uber is sending back private data from Android phones to the company; the claims are simply untrue. Here's a piece by me that looks at what Uber does send back.
Twitter starts tracking which apps you have installed
A new feature in Twitter's mobile apps will track the apps you've got installed on your iPhone or Android device to show you "better" ads. The idea of this is a little creepy to me; particularly because it's opt-out, not opt-in. Many users won't even know what's going on.
If you want to disable it, the process is pretty straightforward.
Say goodbye to those ugly logos on the back of your phone
A new US law signed into being by Barack Obama this week means that those little logos on the back of your phone might be gone in the future.
Must reads
It's Time To Treat Push Notifications As Sacred
A short post by me about why I think we should think twice before allowing push notifications for apps. It’s a simple question when installing apps that can impact your daily life. Why are we treating it like it’s no big deal?
Where’s Windows?
Windows 10 may be Microsoft's last chance at staying truly relevant. This is a great post that looks at the state of Windows at the end of 2014 and what that means for Microsoft next year.
"One can’t underestimate the importance of Windows 10 to Microsoft’s prospects in the client OS realm. It is realistically their last chance at avoiding a slow slide towards irrelevance in this particular space. I’m not just talking about phones and tablets, where Microsoft has yet to establish relevance, I’m talking about desktops as well. "
Lost in Flow
A great post by my friend Andy that looks at what can happen when you switch off notifications (and resist their allure) in order to seek out creative flow.
The Cheapest Generation
Millennials are buying less cars and houses, instead opting to use the 'sharing economy.' Services like Airbnb and Zipcar mean that people don't have to get cash upfront to make these investments, instead opting to rent them only when they're needed.
An economist explains what the heck is happening to the global economy
Probably the best overview I've read of where the world's economy is at and the changes that it's undergoing because of the revolution of the information age. Highly recommended reading if you're interested in where the world is headed.
An astronaut reveals what life in space is really like
"There’s no way to anticipate the emotional impact of leaving your home planet. You look down at Earth and realize: You’re not on it. It’s breathtaking. It’s surreal."
The Pirate Bay is still online, even though all of its founders are in custody
Basically everyone knows what The Pirate Bay is, but did you know that despite all of its founders being in custody, the site is still running with some 40 million users using it daily?
It's amazing that the site has continued to function almost flawlessly for so long, despite so many legal battles.
Trending Products
Crimson Keyboard for iOS is a better way of typing
I reviewed this lovely iOS keyboard this week and can highly recommend it. The autocorrect is better than that of the default keyboard and it's much nicer to type on.
Geometry Wars 3 brings back retro-cool addictive gameplay
One of the best games in the last ten years was Geometry Wars and it's now back with a sequel for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC and Mac. If you've not heard of Geometry Wars, check out this piece by me (sorry) for a quick hands on.
#Homescreen
This neat little app helps you share your homescreen in an interactive way, so that people can find and download interesting apps they spot.
The Final Word
It was a fairly quiet news week this week, with the Thanksgiving holiday in the US on Thursday. Hope you enjoy this week's plethora of interesting blogs to read to make up for it.
I'd hugely appreciate it if you'd share this week's Charged with your friends; I know they'll love it!
Have anything to say about Charged? Let me know by simply reply to this email, otherwise, see you next week!
-Owen