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  • Spotify Is About to Severely Limit Free Streaming, Says Report

    Spotify Is About to Severely Limit Free Streaming, Says Report

    According to a new report, Spotify is planning on making its free tier a lot less appetizing in the hopes of assuaging major labels and getting more users to pony up and pay for its premium service.

    Digital Music News quotes “several sources” who claims that Spotify “will soon be shifting towards a premium-only, ‘gated access’ model.”

    What does this mean, exactly? Well, the sources aren’t even sure – as it’s still being hammered out. But it could mean that Spotify cuts off access to some of its content – unless you pay for premium.

    As of now, Spotify’s free-tier users still have access to everything. Sure, there are ads and users have to listen to albums in shuffle mode – but nothing is off limits, really.

    The report suggests that Spotify could block access to certain high-profile releases – maybe offer free users only a few songs from a new album.

    Or, in another scenario, free users’ access to certain tracks could be limited to a strict window.

    The same publication quoted sources in May who said that Spotify was bowing to pressure from the big labels and planning on limiting its free tier to a three-month trial. That report said that new Spotify users would be limited to three months of free, ad-supported listening. Existing free tier users would have a six-month grace period before being forced to upgrade to a paid tier.

    Of course, that’s not happened. This new report seems like a less drastic version of that – as Spotify is clearly looking to boost its paid customers.

    Last month Spotify hit 20 million paid users and 75 million total active users, meaning 55 million free tier users stand to be affected by any decrease in streaming access.

    Image via Spotfy

  • Antivirus Software: Do You Have To Pay For Better Protection?

    In today’s Wi-Fi capable world, it’s no longer a question of whether or not you need antivirus software.

    Many laptops and tablets come with a trial version of virus protection software already installed.

    When it expires, you have the option of either paying for the full version of the antivirus program or trying your luck with free software found online.

    Many often wonder whether a paid antivirus software is a better investment or if its a waste of money. There are a number of free services available.

    Interestingly enough, a number of antivirus software creators offer an “improved” version of their product if you’re willing to pay for it.

    Should this be a sign that you’re better off spending money to keep your computer safe?

    When it comes to the topic of purchasing antivirus software, there is some division.

    Some argue that it’s a waste of money to buy a full version of virus protection software when there are free trial offers readily available.

    When one expires, you simply switch to another free license. These deals apparently last anywhere from six months to a year.

    There are also antivirus programs that happen to be free and can do a great job of protecting your computer.

    PC Magazine recently posted their list of best free antivirus programs.

    The top three free antivirus software programs they recommended were:

    (1) Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0
    (2) Panda Free Antivirus 2015
    (3) AVG AntiVirus FREE 2014

    When it comes to the matter of antivirus software and if you should spend money, it all seems to be a matter of personal preference. Some people simply feel that it’s too costly to rely on regular payments for antivirus protection.

    For those that can afford to pay for quality software, it doesn’t seem to be an issue.

    Where do YOU stand: Is it better to purchase antivirus software or opt for free protection?

  • Daniel Villegas: Out On Bail After 19 Years In Prison

    An El Paso, Texas man who had been convicted of double murder and imprisoned for life was freed Tuesday, 19 years after being sent to prison. Witnesses, supporters and family members all maintain that he was wrongly sent to prison.

    Daniel Villegas, 37, has been serving a life sentence for the 1993 driver-by shooting of Armando Lazo, 17, and Robert Englund, 18, since 1995.  At the time, Villegas was a 16-year-old high school dropout.

    His conviction was mainly based on a confession he made at the time. Villegas later recanted, saying he was coerced to confess. According to Villegas, he was told that if he didn’t confess, he would be raped in prison and get the death penalty. There were several discrepancies in the confession that landed Villegas the life sentence. One discrepancy was when he claimed that he was driving a white car at the time of the shooting but the vehicle involved at the shooting was red. There was also no DNA evidence linking him to the crime.

    Witnesses also refuted the claim that Villegas was the one who committed the double homicide. In 2012, Jesse Hernandez, a witness to the killing, said he believes with all his heart that Villegas is innocent. “I always thought I knew who else might have done it from the beginning. I had never heard of Daniel before,” Hernandez told Fox News

    Villegas was released on a $50,000 bond, about an hour after the hearing ended. El Paso District Judge Sam Medrano made the release ruling at about 10:30 a.m. and Villegas was freed at about 11:30 a.m. he was greeted by a jubilant crowd of friends and family. He later went to St. Pius X Catholic Church to pray and celebrate his release.

    Prosecuting attorneys have a week to decide whether or not to dismiss Villegas’ case. Judge Medrano set a hearing for Jan. 21, if prosecutors remain undecided the case will go back to trial.

    Villegas drew support from hundreds of supporters who strongly believe he is innocent. Some supporters include ‘The Innocence Project,’ an organization by Northwest University Law School that advocates justice for youth who have been wrongfully convicted. According to Proclaim Justice Villegas even got support John Mimbela, an activist from El Paso, who donated over $200,000 to help him win back his freedom.

    Image via NDN video

  • United Airlines Glitch: Free Tickets To Passengers

    United Airlines experienced a computer glitch and as a result, each of the people that bought these tickets, is being given them for free. While in some cases, they would have been cancelled, everyone who purchased them at the right time is rewarded in this situation. In a very embarrassing mistake, the airline had plane tickets available for free and people jumped at the opportunity immediately, paying only $5 or $10, due to fees. It doesn’t get much better than that! People looking to get a plane ticket bought these up as fast as they could, as the glitch lasted for just a few hours on Thursday.

    The airline eventually shut down bookings for the website until it could fix the problem. Mistakes like this one have happened before, often when an airline dropped a digit when entering fare into the computer system, mentions CBS News. Airports and airlines can be such a pain sometimes, maybe it is good for things like this to happen once in a while to reward people for the hardship that the airlines cause on so many other occasions.

    United Airlines, based out of Chicago, did not say how many free tickets were issued, but it was revealed that the mistake happened when a group of fares were being filed and not because of a computer glitch, according to the Chicago Tribune. The free flights were only available for a couple hours before the site shut down, so you can be sure that the news traveled fast.

    The airline is not willing to reveal how many tickets were issued, but it must have hurt their business to some degree. Their business is likely to continue to struggle if things like this happen as well, with a dwindling reputation already. What if a computer glitch had happened, causing a negative effect on its passengers? They need to prevent things like this from happening again, or people will be outraged after a mistake that could damage their flight plans.

    People flocked to twitter immediately to tell everyone they knew and others who watch for flight deals were very pleased with finding news like this. People continued to respond after the fact on twitter, wishing they would have been able to get in on the action as well.

    United Airlines also replied to the many tweets with their own news that they would be honoring the free tickets. It was obviously their fault and it is right of them to do this, although airlines are not required by the government to honor their fares when mistakes like this happen and in many cases, they are actually cancelled.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Google Brings Free Wi-Fi To Chelsea Neighborhood In New York City

    It was speculated this morning that Google would be bringing fiber Internet to residents of New York City due in large part to a job posting. That rumor turned out to be a bust as Google has instead announced that it will be bringing free Wi-Fi to a neighborhood in New York City.

    At a press conference this morning, Google announced that its New York headquarters in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan will provide free Wi-Fi to residents in the area. The company partnered with the city government and a nonprofit, the Chelsea Improvement Company, to make it possible.

    It’s no Google Fiber, but both Google and the city are hoping the free Wi-Fi attracts a number of small businesses and entrepreneurs to the area to set up shop. Google’s friendliness towards entrepreneurs may also help stimulate even more growth in the area as New York, like other cities across the nation, works to grow its tech sector.

    Speaking at the event, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that “New York is destined to become the world’s leading digital city, and universal access to high-speed Internet is one of the core building blocks of that vision.”

    Google is doing its part for one of the many neighborhoods in New York City, but other parts of the city will obviously be left out. The speculation of a Google Fiber launch may have been premature, but New York City could take a cue from Chattanooga or Seattle and offer cheap fiber Internet to its citizens. It’s already proving to attract plenty of talent in Kansas City. If Bloomberg really wants to make New York a “leading digital city,” he’ll have to either push the city or stingy ISPs to start providing decent Internet.

    [h/t: The Hill]

  • Street Fighter X Mega Man Out Now For Free

    Street Fighter X Mega Man, the crossover 8-bit 2-D platformer, has officially been released. A free copy of the game for PC can be downloaded via Capcom’s Mega Man group page.

    The game is DRM-free and intended to promote the 25th anniversary of both Street Fighter and Mega Man. Street Fighter‘s anniversary was this year, and Mega Man‘s anniversary year has just begun.

    The game features Mega Man battling his way across levels and fighting Street Fighters such as Ryu, Blanka, Dhalsim, and Chun Li in lieu of Robot Master bosses.

    Meanwhile, Capcom has released a video showcasing just how Street Fighter X Mega Man came to be. It began as a fan-made project by a man named Seow Zong Hui, who showed off his work to Capcom execs at an event booth. When those same execs realized the game could be used to promote the cross-over anniversaries of the two classic Capcom franchises, they helped Hui polish it up in time for a release on December 17.

    Today is 25 years to the day of the release of the original Mega Man for the NES.

  • Street Fighter X Mega Man is Real, Free to Download

    This year was the 25th anniversary of Street Fighter, and next year will be the 25th anniversary of Mega Man. Leave it up to Capcom to actually find a way to make a crossover title using both of these properties.

    The publisher announced this week that Street Fighter X Mega Man will be released on December 17. What’s more, the game will be free to download for the PC.

    The 8-bit title will see players take on the role of Mega Man as he battles Street Fighter characters in lieu of the Robot Masters. Ryu, Blanka, Dhalsim, Chun Li, and other fighters will stand in the blue guy’s way. Mega Man will be able to take the powers of the fighters as he beats them.

    A trailer for the game has also been released. Despite the fact that the concept of the game is silly, it actually looks very fun. Its classic Mega Man side-scrolling gameplay should induce nostalgia that reminds gamers why these franchises are still producing sequels after all these years.

  • Google TV Gets Free Movies With Crackle

    Google TV Gets Free Movies With Crackle

    When people think of movie streaming services, they usually think of Netflix. There is, however, an unsung hero in the free online movie movement. It’s called Crackle and like Hulu, it features ad supported television shows and movies. The best part is that it’s free and coming to a Google TV near you.

    Crackle’s Director of Partner Marketing, Samuel Notowitz, would like to remind you that the Crackle Web app is available on Google TV. The service features a selection of movies and television shows that are switched out on a monthly basis. It may lack the variety of Netflix or Hulu, but it makes up for it by being completely free.

    Notowitz says that viewers this month can watch comedy classics like Pineapple Express or Snatch. The latter is especially fantastic if you’re into British comedy. Crackle gets 10 episodes of Seinfeld a month for your viewing pleasure. The service also features over 60 anime titles from Animax which they say contains over 1,000 episodes. With only 60 series making up that many episodes, it’s a good bet that long running series like Bleach and Naruto make up the majority of it.

    Crackle is now available in the Spotlight section on Google TV. I recommend that you check out Snatch this weekend if you missed it the first time around. It’s one of the best comedies to come out of the last decade. I’m also willing to bet that it’s one of Brad Pitt’s best performances.

    If you don’t have a Google TV, Crackle is available in your Web browser just like every other movie streaming service. You can check it out at their official Web site.

  • NetZero to Offer Free Wireless Broadband Service

    United Online Inc. will offer wireless broadband service under its brand NetZero. They’re the ones who first offered free dial-up in the late nineties, only this plan won’t come with a lot of advertisements to balance the price tag.

    But there are plenty of catches. Customers will be required to purchase a $50 antenna or a $100 mobile hotspot to plug into their laptop. The free accounts are limited to 200 MB per month, not much in this day and age. It’s fine if you only plan to read e-mails and surf the web, just don’t plan on watching too many videos. And the service only lasts a year.

    When the monthly data allotment or the one year time limit is exhausted, customers have the option of continuing for a modest price hike of $9.95… Now it’s starting to make sense.

    NetZero is planning to use the free service to draw people into their paid program, and the kicker is once you opt into the paid version there is no going back.

    The $9.95 plan gives you 300 more megabytes, or you can go for broke with the $50 plan, giving you 4 gigabytes. Similar programs are offer by Verizon and AT&T. Verizon charges about $50 for 1 gigabyte.

    Though there is a catch with this as well. United Online doesn’t have its own wireless broadband service. They have to piggyback on Clearwire Corp.’s network. You may know them as the providers of “Sprint 4G” service.

    And there’s more. Clearwire’s broadband technology has been bypassed by the industry at large, making device compatibility an issue. The reason is that the frequency it uses has difficulty traveling through buildings. Sprint bypasses this by using a fallback option when signal strength is low. NetZero doesn’t have that option. What’s more, Clearwire is no longer expanding this service, choosing to invest its money in 4G LTE.

    So if you don’t mind using an already outdated service, never using your computer inside, purchasing $50 worth of equipment for a “free” service, and only having enough data to read e-mails, this service is for you. I will be paying a little extra for full service.

  • MIT’s Free Online Course Enrollment Begins Today

    MIT’s Free Online Course Enrollment Begins Today

    The power and knowledge that education brings to somebody is priceless. MIT is cutting the price for that priceless education down to its namesake – free.

    Bloomberg is reporting that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will begin offering a free online course today that anybody can take. Students around the world can take the class and upon completion will receive a certificate signifying their accomplishment.

    The class titled “6.002x: Circuits and Electronics” is the first free course offered by the school and will begin March 5. The course will focus on the inner-workings of smartphones and other “cool gadgets” according to Anart Agarwal, the lead instructor for the course. Subsequent classes will be offered with a small fee.

    This isn’t the first time that MIT has dabbled in free education and materials for aspiring students. For the past 10 years, the school has provided documents and lecture notes online through its OpenCourseWare program. It’s new MITx initiative will have non-MIT students’ performance assessed and be rewarded certificates if they show mastery in the subject.

    “Anybody anywhere that has the time, motivation, drive to learn this kind of material should be given the opportunity to do so,” MIT Provost L. Rafael Reif said. The new program will feature more interactive features than the current OpenCourseWare does.

    Students will receive video lectures, midterms and final exams, weekly deadlines to complete homework and labs, and access to a discussion forum. The school said that students can expect to spend about 10 hours a week on the course.

    Enrollment in the first course in unlimited, but the college isn’t sure how many students will apply for the program. They do require that students interested in the “introductory course” have a background in advanced physics and mathematics.

    For those interested in free education, you can sign up here.

  • [Exclusive] Get Free Business Cards Based On Your Facebook Timeline

    [Exclusive] Get Free Business Cards Based On Your Facebook Timeline

    By now most of you have either adopted the new Facebook Timeline to your account or have at least seen the layout on your friends’ pages. That’s all fine and well for illustrating the details of your personal to the people who are already within your online social network, but now you can let your Timeline off the leash so it can frolic among in the pastures of the physical world thanks to Moo.

    As part of a new service, Moo, an award-winning online print business that customizes business cards and postcards, is letting Facebookers take their Timeline offline with Facebook Cards. The concept incorporates images from your Facebook Timeline that you can couple with choice quotes and statements in order to create fun business cards you can hand out to people. From their press release that they shared with WebProNews:

    Each of the cards, designed and personalized by each individual, can feature a different photo image on the front of the cards together with a favorite quote or saying on the reverse. Instead of every business card having the same look and feel, with MOO.COM’s Printfinity feature people can pair just the right images for the right business or social occasions.

    The integration will give Facebook users the ability to leverage the content they’re adding to their Timelines for their own Facebook Card. People will now be able to take snapshots of their lives from their Timelines and bring them into their offline social and business networking experience with the Facebook Card.

    I spoke with a representative from Moo’s PR firm who assured me that you don’t have to actually use these for any specific business purposes, either – anyone can sign up for the cards, so you don’t have to be a professional to have rad business cards. Give’em to friends. Put’em on the windshield wipers of cars in your apartment’s parking lot to introduce yourself to your neighbors. Slip one to your bartender (it sure beats the hell out of the dopey practice of leaving your scribbled phone number on your receipt). Need an intro for that story you love to tell about how you fell off a boat in Patagonia last spring? Introduce the tale with a card created from your Timeline about the event. Show off your science however you please.

    Pretty fun stuff, really. But here’s the best part: starting today at 12PM EST, Moo is giving away bundles of 50 Facebook Cards for free to the first 200,000 people to sign up for the service. One small detail to note, though: you will have to have the Timeline enabled on your Facebook account to create your cards; otherwise, you’ll be prompted to head back to the Facebook page to make the switch.

    But even if you miss the promotion, the Facebook Cards will remain available to everyone on Moo’s website only then you’ll have to pay for them like normal people.

    Think of these cards as the old school method of friend requests when you actually had to approach somebody in person and talk to them while sharing information about yourself. Facebook Cards consolidate a little of bit of that awkward exchange by giving you a fun way to offer up some of your info. As a sample, here’s what mine looks like.

    The front:

    And the back:

    Once you’re ready to start designing your Facebook Cards, you can customize your name (if you should want to) and add a brief statement along with your website. On the flip side of the Facebook Cards, you can customize quotes as well as include your phone number and email address (a link to your Facebook profile is already included in the info). So head on over to Moo’s page to start fixing up your Facebook Cards before the freebies are gone.

  • Free Calls From Gmail To Continue Through 2012

    Free Calls From Gmail To Continue Through 2012

    Google announced that it is extending free phone calls from Gmail within the U.S. and Canada through next year.

    Last December, Google offered military families free $10 international call credits with the goal of helping soldiers stay in touch with their families as they were deployed around the world. Shortly thereafter, Google decided to just offer free calls from Gmail for the U.S. and Canada.

    free calls in gmail

    Now, a year later, Google announced that this will continue. In a post on the Gmail Blog, the company says:

    As the holiday season approaches, we’re happy to announce that we’ve extended free domestic calls within the US and Canada for 2012.

    This is our way of helping you connect with friends and family across the country. And you can still call the rest of the world from Gmail at our insanely low rates.

    No word on other countries.

    Do you ever use Gmail to make calls? Let us know in the comments.

  • Amanda Knox Verdict in Pictures

    Earlier the murder conviction of Amanda Knox was overturned. Knox, 24, collapsed in tears after the jury declared that the evidence against her was not reliable. She was taken back to prison where she will be formally freed.

    Leading up to the reading, you could see that Knox was anxiously awaiting the official word from the jury. You saw her breathing quite heavily and bring her hands up to her face several times. At one point her lawyer leaned in and was talking with Knox, it looked as though she could be sick at any moment.

    Below are some powerful images from the verdict reading:















  • Telecom Companies Offering Free Communication To Japan

    For those who have friends or family in Japan, this past week has been stressful, and worrisome. Lines of communication have been hard to come by, specifically with calls and text. To help in this regard, AT&T is allowing for wireless, and wireline forms of communication to be free until the end of March.

    AT&T has issued a press release, announcing the news. Starting from March 11th, and ending on March 31st, calls and texts from the US to Japan are on the house. Here are a few details from the announcement:

    – Text messages to Japan, which originate from a US wireless number are free.

    – Wireless customers will receive free international long distance on calls made from US and Puerto Rico to Japan.

    – Wireline customers will be comped for 60 minutes of call time. Though it states in the release that users will have to call AT&T to receive credit for the minutes.

    The free call time will either show up as no charges, or as credit applied towards the call.

    Mark Collins, senior vice president, Voice and Data Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, said this of the initiative, “We want to help our customers connect with loved ones in Japan in anyway we can” he continues, “Connecting with family and friends is most important at times like this- we want to make it as easy and worry free as possible for our customers.”

    Updated: Verizon has just tweeted their plans to allow free calling to Japan as well.

    @VerizonWireless
    Verizon Wireless    We’re about to announce free calls to Japan from wireless and residential landline phones. Free messaging to Japan too. 12 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Time Warner Cable has joined the list of telecommunication companies to allow free calls and texts to Japan. They’re also a part of a group of carriers which are providing free access to Japan TV as well.

  • JetBlue Runs an Interesting and Successful Twitter Promotion

    In the social media world, it is so important to try to do things that haven’t been done before. Why? Well, since social media is so new and the applications of it have not even begun to be thought of yet, you must be a risk taker by default to see if it will work for you and your business. We hear more about social media flame-outs, which I attribute to our human nature to feel that news is mostly negative. Fortunately, there have been some risk takers that have had success worth discussing.

    This week, JetBlue ran a very successful campaign in New York City. How do we know it was successful? No one was hurt, no one is really complaining, and it got some press. While many in the social media world would use other metrics, I think these are pretty darn good.

    So what did they do? They gave away 1000 round trip tickets in three locations that required people to follow their "guidance" on Twitter to know where to go and what to show up with. This is where the "no one got hurt" part makes sense, huh?

    CNET reported:

    It was apparently one step short of a cattle stampede when low-cost airline JetBlue used its Twitter account to announce that, as part of its 10th anniversary celebration, it would be giving out about a thousand free round-trip tickets at three undisclosed locations in Manhattan on Wednesday.

    "One of the things we knew was that people were just going to follow us," JetBlue public relations representative Morgan Johnston told CNET, relating anecdotes about one woman who claimed she sprinted in heels from midtown to the Financial District (one of the giveaway spots), people chasing the JetBlue team in taxis as they left one location to head to the next, entire offices clearing out when they heard that one of the ticket giveaways was nearby, and a cab driver who left his passenger behind in order to get out and claim a ticket. "It was like the Pied Piper of Hamlin."

    Once again I reiterate: no one got hurt. I have to admit that if I was responsible for this kind of promotion that caused mini-panics in offices and a run on taxi cab fares in NYC, I would have some concerns. Fortunately for JetBlue, this one worked well, and I tip my cap to them.

    So, would you have the confidence to give something like this a shot? Of course, it would be best if your business lends itself to this kind of reaction. If you are selling pipe fittings in Peoria, you will need to tweak the concept considerably.

    This is the fun of social media, though. There is a chance to do things that have never been done before. As people begin to experiment more and more, it is likely that those with jangly nerves need not apply.

    What do you think about JetBlue’s "event?" What could you do that would cause a stir and make the cash register ring?

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