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Analysts Say Spotify’s Podcasting Isn’t Working Out

Andrew Orr ·

Citi analysts wrote to clients their belief that Spotify’s foray into podcasting hasn’t been working.

The cadence of Premium gross additions (through 3Q20) and app download data (through 4Q20) do not show any material benefit from recent podcast investments (that began in 2019). The firm downgraded the stock to sell from neutral. Spotify’s stock was down more than 6.5% in the afternoon.

Podcast

Remote Reflections from CES — Mac Geek Gab 853

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

Your two favorite geeks “went” to CES last week, and have some stories to share. Cool Stuff Found abounds, as well as some thoughts on this year’s trends. Of course, they didn’t leave home, so they still had time to answer your questions, find some Quick Tips, and make a show out of it all. Press play and listen as John and Dave help us all to learn at least five new things!

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Apple Feels Schadenfreude as Amazon is Accused of eBook Price Fixing

Andrew Orr ·

Nine years after an investigation found that Apple and the “Big Five” book publishers colluded to fix eBook prices to compete with Amazon, Amazon has now been accused of doing the same.

The lawsuit claims that almost 90% of all ebooks sold in the US are sold on Amazon, in addition to over 50% of all print books. The suit alleges that ebook prices dropped in 2013 and 2014 after Apple and major publishers were successfully sued for conspiring to set ebook prices, but rose again after Amazon renegotiated their contracts in 2015.

Cool Stuff Found

Behind the Scenes With Student Filmmakers Working With iPhone

Charlotte Henry ·

A new ‘Shot on iPhone’ video goes behind the scenes with four student filmmakers. They all reimagine cinema tradition in a different way, covering genres like classic noir, magical realism, and stop-motion animation. Two of the films will become available in full via Apple. The theme of the clip, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the flexibility an iPhone provides filmmakers with.

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Using Open Source Software to Extend Apple’s HomeKit

Andrew Orr ·

Simon Bisson wrote a cool story for ZDNet. It involves using an open source tool called Homebridge that can be used to integrate smart home devices that don’t natively support HomeKit.

The plugin ecosystem is where Homebridge really excels. By having its own defined APIs, it’s possible for anyone with access to developer documentation to build a simple translation layer that links devices to HomeKit and to Home (and to Siri). Most of the plugins are on GitHub, so if you want additional features or support for alternative hardware, you can fork existing code and start to add your own features.

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Epic Games Submits Complaint Against Apple in UK

Andrew Orr ·

The latest move in the Epic v Apple legal battle involves the former expanding its complaint to other countries. This was made public [PDF] by the Competition Appeal Tribunal of the UK.

This is an important argument to make on behalf of consumers and developers in the U. K. and around the world who are impacted by Apple and Google’s misuse of market power. Epic is not seeking damages from Apple or Google in the U. K., Australia or the U. S., it is simply seeking fair access and competition that will benefit all consumers.

TMO Deals

Portable Air Heater with Detachable Hand Warmer: $84.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the Nordic Hygge Värme, an innovative portable heater that comes with a detachable hand warmer that you can bring anywhere with you. Inside the portable hand warmer is something called Phase Changing Wax that can capture the heat and hold the temperature around up to 122°F/55°C for up to an hour. The company says the space heater part of the device can heat small spaces in as little as 3 seconds. It’s $84.99 through our deal.