Audible announces new cheaper subscription plan with exclusive podcasts and more
Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon, today announced a new, cheaper subscription plan that offers exclusive podcasts and other audio content for just $7.95 per month. Audible Plus has over 68,000 hours of content from over 11,000 original productions that can be accessed by its subscribers.
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Audible updates iOS app with support for offline audiobook playback on Apple Watch
With the release of iOS 12 and watchOS 5 earlier this week, developers are hard at work updating their apps to support the new features. Specifically for watchOS, developers of major third-party audio playing apps are now updating their apps to allow playback without the need of your iPhone. Joining that club today is Audible.
Apple Watch: How to sync audiobooks with Audible
The recently released Audible app for Apple Watch now lets users sync audiobooks to the Apple Watch for offline playback. This means you can sync audiobooks to the Apple Watch, and then play it back without the need of your iPhone.
Sonos finally adds support for Audible, after parting ways more than two years ago
Sonos announced today via its blog that it will be supporting the Amazon-based audiobook service Audible on its platform.
Audible offers unlimited access to romance novels, with ‘jump to the good parts’ feature, may bring to other genres
Audiobook company Audible is today launching a new ‘all you can eat’ subscription to romance novels. Along with this new offering is a ‘jump to the good parts’ feature that was built with machine learning, which may come to other genres in the future.
EU antitrust regulators stand down as Apple ends exclusive audiobook deal with Audible
When the long-running antitrust case against Apple over ebook price-fixing was finally settled last year, one chapter ended and a new one began – this time in Europe. German regulators objected to Apple agreeing an exclusive deal with Amazon-owned Audible for the supply of audiobooks, stating that this reduced competition and thus harmed consumers …
Apple and Amazon under investigation by German antitrust body over audiobook deal
Reuters reports that the Germany antitrust body the Federal Cartel Office has opened an investigation into the arrangement by which Apple purchases audiobooks from Amazon subsidiary Audible for sale in iTunes.
“The two companies have a strong position in the digital offering of audiobooks in Germany. Therefore, we feel compelled to examine the agreement between these two competitors in the audiobooks in more detail,” cartel office chief Andreas Mundt said in a statement.
The piece notes that Apple declined to comment, while Amazon could not be reached for comment.
Apple lost a separate U.S. case in which it was found guilty of anti-competitive behaviour in its ebook sales. The U.S. Justice Department recently agreed that Apple had now properly addressed the issues, though this may not be the end of the battle: Apple is appealing that case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
CarPlay support added to popular Audible audiobooks app
The popular Amazon-owned Audible audiobooks service is the latest app to gain support for Apple’s CarPlay feature. The new version of Audible’s iPhone app released today now will automatically appear on CarPlay head units once installed on your iPhone so you can find and control audiobook playback from your library using the interface optimized for driving. The update includes a long list of other changes as well including:
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Amazon’s Kindle for iOS app updated w/ Goodreads integration, Audible progressive play, more
Amazon pushed out an updated version of its Kindle for iOS app today bringing a list of new features to the reading app.
Kindle for iOS now includes integration with Goodreads, the social cataloging service it bought last year, allowing readers users to share book progress and completion status, quotes, and more Kindle to Goodreads. iPad Kindle app users now have access to Amazon’s Book Browser to view book descriptions and customer ratings; Kindle Unlimited customers (30-day free trial) can download books directly from the Book Browser. The new version also adds a feature called Audible Progressive Play, which allows audiobook listeners using the Amazon-owned Audible service to play content as it downloads.
The update also adds new ways for users to access information and details about Kindle books. Check the extensive change log of the latest version below for more information:
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9to5Toys Last Call: Logitech Ultrathin iPad keyboard (refurb) $20, WD 2TB portable HDD combo, Blu-ray/iTunes movies, more
Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Last Call updates:
- Logitech Ultrathin Wireless Keyboard Cover/Stand for iPad 2,3,4 refurb $20 shipped (Reg. $100)
- WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive + Lexar 64GB USB Drive $107 shipped (Reg. $199)
- Media: LEGO movie combo pack $18, iTunes comedies $10 each, Breaking Bad DVD seasons 1-4 for $10 each, more
Bose Soundlink Mini portable Bluetooth speaker (refurb): $135 shipped (Reg. $200 new)
Apps/games:
- Halfbrick iOS sale: Fruit Ninja for iPhone and iPad goes FREE, more
- Grand Theft Auto V $25 shipped, BioShock Infinite for Mac $8, more iOS freebies
Apple iPad Air 16GB WiFi $400 (Reg. $499), iPad mini w/ Retina display 32GB WiFi $430 (Reg. $499)
Best Buy slashes $100 off new MacBook Air, deals as low as $650 with .EDU email
Other new deals:
- New! Nest Protect relaunches with a 22% discount, now just $99
- New! OtterBox Commuter Series case for iPhone 5c: $14 shipped (Reg. $35)
- New! Audible offers 2 months of audiobooks w/ a WSJ or NYTimes subscription for FREE
- New! Acer 32GB HD Haswell Chromebook C720-2420: $190 shipped ($60 off)
More deals still alive:
- Dell Color Multifunction Laser Printer $300 shipped (Reg. $600)
- Beats by Dr. Dre DiddyBeats In-Ear Headphones w/ ControlTalk $33 (Reg. $150)
- Samsung EVO 1TB 2.5-inch SATA-3 SSD $410 shipped (half off)
- WD 3TB Desktop USB 3 HDD $94 shipped (Reg. $129)
- Drobo 5N 5-Bay NAS Storage Array with Gigabit Ethernet $400 shipped (Reg. $600)
- E3 Pre-order guide: Destiny PS4 bundle, PlayStation TV, next gen GTA V, more
- Home Deals: Dyson vacs (refurb) $199, up to 50% off Panasonic electric shavers, more
- Macphun’s Creative Kit+: SnapHeal Pro, Intensify, Focus Pro, more $99 ($260 value)
- Headphones: Audio Technica over-ears (refurb) $35 shipped (Reg. $120), more
New products/ongoing promotions:
- E3 Pre-order guide: Destiny PS4 bundle, PlayStation TV, next gen GTA V, more
- New Best Buy .edu deals crush Apple’s iPad student pricing
- Deus Ex: The Fall goes FREE on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (Reg. $7)
- Get eight top country music songs from iTunes for free
Microsoft/Google/Android:
Amazon integrates Audible audiobooks directly into Kindle mobile apps
Amazon announced today that it’s integrating the Audible audiobook service it purchased back in 2008 directly into the Kindle apps for both iOS and Android. After installing a free update landing today for the apps, users will be able to listen to Audible audio books without ever having to leave the app.
“We continue to hear from a growing number of Whispersync for Voice converts who tell us the innovation has profoundly changed the way they read—in fact, switching back and forth between reading and listening has become their preferred way of experiencing stories,” said Audible founder and CEO Donald Katz. “And the feature has gotten easier and easier to use, as this exciting integration into Kindle apps attests.”
The service is an extension of the Whispersync for Voice feature that Amazon recently launched. That feature allowed users to switch “seamlessly” between reading and listening but required users to have both the Kindle and Audible apps. With the updated Kindle apps, users will be able to get narrations for 45,000 Kindle books and growing as well as purchase Audible upgrades for previously purchased Amazon Kindle books ranging from $1 to $4. The audio and text versions of the book will stay in-sync, pages turn automatically, and narration includes a x2 speed mode and sleep timer option. The best part is that you won’t be pulled out of Kindle and into the Audible app now when switching between text and audio.
The update includes other new features too, including: improvements to the X-Ray reference tool for textbooks and the ability to download an entire collection with a single tap. A full list of new features is below.
The updated Kindle app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.
What’s New in Version 4.3
Listen to Audible audiobooks! Customers owning both the Kindle and Audible versions of a title can now listen to the audiobook right in the Kindle app.
Now you can use the Kindle app to switch back and forth between reading a Kindle book comfortably at home and listening to the story while driving to work.
Additional Features Include:
•Access to more than 45,000 Kindle/Audible title pairs, including best sellers
• Find audiobooks compatible with items in your Kindle library – audiobooks are delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
• Whispersync for Voice automatically synchronizes reading progress between the Audible and Kindle versions of a book
• Read and listen to a Kindle book at the same time; pages turn automatically
• Narration speeds up to 2x and a sleep timer
• Download an entire collection – gives customers the ability to download an entire collection with the tap of a button, making it easier for readers to download in bulk and load their favorite books on a new iOS device
• Students can now find terms that are in X-Ray for Textbooks by using search – occurrences in X-Ray are shown right above occurrences in the book
• Finding where an X-Ray term occurs on a textbook page is now easier – tap a page thumbnail in the X-Ray feature and you will see the term highlighted in the page of the book
• Performance and stability improvements
9to5Toys Last Call: DODOcase 40% off, iPad mini 64GB WiFi+LTE $430, Apple Design Award Mac app bundle $20, more
Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Last Call updates:
- Save 40% on handcrafted DODOcase accessories for iPad, iPhone, and other gadgets
- Apple iPad mini 64GB with Wi-Fi + 4G (black or white): $430 shipped
- MacHeist Design Award Bundle: $20 ($1776 value) w/ BoinxTV, AccountEdge Pro, iSale, more
- Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB unlocked smartphone $700 w/ free shipping
- Amazon Officially Releases Amazon FireTV Today for $99
ZAGGkeys Flex Bluetooth iOS/Android Keyboard with stand $30 shipped (Reg. $80)
Free Coupon for Two Months of Audiobooks from Audible ($30 value)
Daily Deals: Slingbox Pro HD TV Streamer refurb $80, Samsung 50″ LED HDTV $800, ZyXEL Wi-Fi Range Extender $25, more
Other great deals from today:
- New! Anker Ultra-Slim Qi-Enabled Wireless Charging Pad $23 (Reg. $46)
- New! Games/Apps: The Last of Us $28, Thief $33, DrawRace 2 & Weathercube go FREE, more iOS freebies
- New! Plex media server app for Android temporarily $0.99 at Amazon, down from $5
- New! Samsung Galaxy Tablet Refurb Sale: Note 10.1-inch (2014 edition) from $350, Note 8-inch $205, much more
- New! Acer C720P Touch Screen 32GB Chromebook for $220 shipped at Amazon Warehouse
More great deals still alive:
- WD My Passport Pro portable RAID storage w/ integrated Thunderbolt cable: 2TB $257 (Reg. $300), 4TB $369 (Reg. $430)
- Mpow 12000mAh External Battery Portable Charger Power Bank $30 shipped (Reg. $66)
- Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (Refurb) $75 (Reg. $199 new), Monster Inspiration Noise-Canceling $125 (Reg. $250)
- Up to $250 off Native Instruments DJ rigs: Traktor Kontrol S2/S4: $292/$455 shipped (Reg. $499/$799)
- Netgear N300 WiFi Gigabit Router $40 shipped (Reg. $90)
- Mpow 12000mAh External Battery Portable Charger Power Bank $30 shipped (Reg. $66)
- VIZIO 40″ 1080p Smart LED $430 (Reg. $530), Seiki 39″ 4K/2K UHDTV $380 AR (Reg. $600)
- Staples offers $20 off purchases of $100 or more (up to 20% in savings)
- Home Deals: Caravan Canopy Zero Gravity Chair $39 (Reg. $80), Hamilton Beach appliances, tools, more
- Kensington PowerBolt car charger w/ built-in MFi Lightning cable $13 (Reg. $25)
- Toshiba Canvio 1.5TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $65 shipped (Reg. $100)
- Belkin Thunderstorm iPad Theater Speaker Case: Lightning or 30-pin $100 shipped (Reg. $200)
New products/useful info:
- Samsung’s new billion-color, 28-inch 4K monitor is now available to preorder: $699
- The best storage, drives, and NAS deals & tips for World Backup Day 2014
- Get 33% off 1yr Office 365 Home Premium subscriptions: $67
- Spotify cuts 50% off Premium subscriptions for US students, now just $5 per month
- NVIDIA Shield portable gaming system gets a temporary $50 price cut while KitKat upgrade looms
9to5Toys Last Call: Gamer bundle $6, Powerbags $35&up, 40% off Logitech gear, free music/Dropbox storage/audiobooks, more
From 9to5Toys.com:
A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.
Today’s Featured deals:
The Back To School Gamer Bundle 6 includes Intense Mac Games That Will Test Your Mind & Your Nerves. Includes: Square_terranconflicticon normally $16, X3: Terran Conflict Square_albionpreludeicon normally $10, X3: Albion Prelude Square_prideofnationsicon $10, Pride Of Nations Square_capitalism2icon $10, Capitalism 2 Square_heartsofironicon $15, Hearts Of Iron 2 Complete Square_flatout-2-1-icon $10, Flatout 2
Powerbag deals up to 80% off: 6000mAh Instant Messenger bag: $40, and more starting from just $35 shipped
Amazon Logitech Week: Save up to 40% on speaker systems, keyboards, gaming mice / headsets, more
Freebies:
-
Google Play Summer Party Hits from Katy Perry, Daft Punk, Beastie Boys, and more for free or $0.91
-
Get a free audible.com $5 voucher for audiobooks
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Get an extra 1GB of Dropbox space for free
Other great deals we love:
- New! D-Link wireless network day camera with iPad/iPhone integration $35 shipped (Reg. $50)
- New! Pioneer Andrew Jones Designed Loudspeakers: Floor standing $87.50 (Reg. $130), Bookshelf $80 (Reg. $130)
- New! Duo Gamer controller for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch: $6 (Reg. $40)
- New! Gamer Deals: PS Vita 3G: $200 (Reg. $300), New 12GB flash-based PS3 $200, The Last of Us: $40, iOS freebies, more
- New! Storage Deals: PNY Attaché 3 128GB USB Flash Drive $55, Toshiba Canvio 500GB External USB Portable Hard Drive $45 shipped
- New! Klipsch Image S4i Rugged In-Ear Headphones w/ 3 Button Mic & Remote $40 shipped (Reg. $100)
- New! NFL Sunday Ticket for $55 after early Madden 25 video game trade-in at Best Buy
- Amazon Share & Claim Facebook Promotion: $5 off $25 promotional credit (20% savings)
- Acer 11.6″ Chromebook 2GB RAM, 320GB HD (Refurbished) $130 shipped (Reg. $199)
- Spigen new-coated backpack $60 (Reg. $100
- $50 iTunes Gift Card for $40: 20% savings on future app, music, movie purchases
- Apple does rare iTunes ‘buy 1 get 2 free’ movie bundle sale (starting $10)
- The Steve Jobs Video Bundle: Lectures On The Man, His Legacy & The Future Of Technology $15
- 9to5Toys Exclusive: Get an extra $10 on Gazelle when you trade-in your used (or broken!) electronics
- Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player software $30 (Reg. $40)
- Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones $269 (Reg $299)
- Nearly 200 Mac Games on sale up to 66% off
Google begins rolling out revamped conversational Voice Search features in Chrome
During its Google I/O keynote earlier this month, Google announced that it would be bringing conversational, Google-Now like voice search to the desktop. Using a UI similar to voice search and Google Now in its mobile apps, Google would soon allow Chrome users to search and drill down further into results using only their voice.
Today, Google appears to have finally started rolling out the feature for Chrome users on the stable and beta channels of Chrome.
After updating to the latest version 27.0.1453.93 of Chrome, users can navigate to Google.com, click the microphone icon, and choose to allow the new Google Voice search feature to begin listening. Google will only ask for permission to listen once and from then on users can simply speak in order to search. For certain search results such as questions Google will also provide audible results.
Not all of the functionality seems to be available as of yet. For example, when Google first showed off the feature users weren’t required to click at all. Google execs were activating the feature by simply saying “Ok, Google” and were able to continue searching with their voice, hands-free, from on the search results page. The feature as it’s currently implemented now requires users to click the mic icon in order to start a voice search.
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BMW app integration, Plants vs Zombies 2, IM+, Pac-Man, StreamBoard, deals, more
News:
BMW iOS app integration: Following some recent Siri Eyes Free news from Chevrolet, BMW announced today that it has partnered with handful of developers to bring similar eyes free experiences for a number of third-party iOS apps to its vehicles. BMW has partnered with Audible for audio books, Glympse for location sharing services, Rhapsody for subscription music and TuneIn for internet radio, all of which will be updating their apps in the weeks to come for compatibility with the BMW Apps system.
Plants vs Zombies 2: PopCap announced today that part two of its incredibly popular Plants vs Zombies title is finally going to land on iOS in additional to all the other usual platforms “early summer.” No clues on what might be included in the second installment, but in the meantime PopCap will launch a new version of the game on Facebook.
App Updates:
IM+ Instant Messenger version 7.7: A nice update to the very popular IM+ service today offers Beep mobile-to-mobile service as an in-app purchase, the ability to preview transferred images directly in chats, and the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements. iPad users will also now be able to capture photos and videos in the app.
StreamBoard version 5.0: The Twitter client that lets you track keywords and hashtags in real-time is updated to version 5.0 with many new features and enhancements:
For this incredible milestone, StreamBoard has been rewritten from the ground up bringing to you:
– A brand new streamlined interface powered by gestures
– A reimagined filter view featuring real-time graphs that you can interact with
– Much improved engine for faster speed!
– and many more!
Pac-Man version 3.5.0: iOS 6 support and new features for the Pac-Man iPad app.
Added support for iOS 6
Fixed Game Center issue for iOS 6
Updated More Games functionality