Public radio broadcaster NPR, which is primarily known for its news and interview programs, has been making a name for itself in the music world. NPR is expanding its horizons with its fifth year of NPR Music, which includes online streaming and podcasts. With a variety of programs like “Tiny Desk Concert” and “All Songs Considered,” the station is providing unique opportunities for lesser known artists and established acts. Continue reading NPR Music Hits a High Note with Eclectic Music Programs

Marvel has launched a new iOS app for comic book fans who want more access to their favorite superheroes. Back issues were previously only available via the Adobe Flash-based reader until Marvel launched an HTML5-based, iPad-compatible reader a few months ago. Now the companion Marvel Unlimited app will provide access to more than 13,000 comic books for a $10 monthly or $60 yearly subscription. Continue reading Marvel Comics Launches New Subscription Service for iPad

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co-founder and chief exec, unveiled a significant redesign of the social network’s homepage yesterday. During the news conference, Zuckerberg explained that he wants Facebook to be “the best personalized newspaper in the world,” with a more engaging “front page,” especially on mobile devices. The makeover is intended to fend off growing competition and attract advertisers. Continue reading Facebook Launches Redesign with More Engaging Front Page

On Tuesday, we reported that News Corp. has plans to launch FOX Sports 1, a new national cable sports network, in the U.S. by August. ETCentric has since learned that FOX Sports Media Group also has plans to launch FOX Sports GO, a mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The “TV Everywhere” service, similar to WatchESPN, will also offer programming on the Web. Continue reading FOX Sports GO: New App to Launch with All-Sports Network

Electronic Arts has created a new system that allows players to follow a single entity across multiple platforms including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone, Facebook, and EA’s online gaming service, Origin. CEO John Riccitiello hopes the move will help the traditional retail game company transition to a multiplatform digital games entity. The move will also help EA track user habits and better shape future business models and strategies. Continue reading Electronic Arts: New Single Entity Gaming Across Platforms

At the Mobile World Congress this week, Spotify and Ford announced that the music streaming service will soon be available via the Sync AppLink platform and integrated with the Sync’s voice command system in Ford vehicles in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Additionally, iPhone and Android apps will soon pair up with the dashboard AppLink system to stream music through car speakers. Continue reading Spotify and Ford Team to Offer Streaming Music in Your Car

More than 10 years ago, Sony executive Ken Kutaragi predicted that one day videogame consoles would become one with a network that linked players together, thus eliminating the physical console and allowing gaming to require only a display and controller. Now, Sony is preparing to reveal its newest PlayStation, on which gamers will be able to stream games via the Internet — one step closer to Kutaragi’s vision. Continue reading New Sony PlayStation to Allow for Streaming Games Online

Technology predictions for 2013 are in and it’s all about mobile this year. According to comScore, the movement toward mobile is taking place everywhere from shopping to media to search — all of which combined could lead to a difficult economic transition for some companies as they struggle to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behavior. Continue reading Digital Future Report: Mobile Will Lead the Charge in 2013

The Double, a remote-controlled robot stand from Sunnyvale-based Double Robotics, was on display at the recent Macworld show in San Francisco. Available in the spring for $2,000, the device is essentially an iPad stand with two wheels at the bottom that offers users remote visual access and the opportunity to interact with others without being on-site. Continue reading Remote Controlled iPad Stand for Teleconferencing and More

The first day of the Macworld Expo featured iPhone photography as artists and photojournalists discussing a variety of related subjects. Some tried to dispel the notion that iPhone cameras do not have good resolution (they argued that everything is online anyway, and how high-resolution scanners can help create larger images), while others discussed how to use multiple editing applications to create artwork that is not the product of any one editing platform. Continue reading Macworld Expo Dedicates First Day to iPhonography Artists

In his review of the new BlackBerry Z10, personal-tech columnist David Pogue reverses his earlier suggestion that Research In Motion’s smartphone was doomed. While the once dominant BlackBerry has dropped to a single-digit percentage of the market and the company’s stock has plummeted, Pogue surprisingly notes that the new phone is “lovely, fast and efficient, bristling with fresh, useful ideas.” Continue reading RIM Changes its Name, Unveils Surprising BlackBerry Z10

Even though Apple experienced a successful fourth quarter with its popular iPhone, “underneath the big numbers at the largest U.S. carriers are signs Apple Inc. faces a rapidly changing marketplace that could erode its dominance,” suggests the Wall Street Journal. It seems that customers are purchasing iPhones at a rapid rate, but aren’t buying newer, more expensive models with the same frequency. Continue reading Apple iPhone Sales Strong, but Fewer Buying Newest Models

For the first time, smartphone users consistently consume more mobile data than those using tablets, according to mobile analysis provider Arieso. Of those users, iPhone 5 owners are the “hungriest,” calling for up to 50 percent more data than the iPhone 4S user and four times as much as the iPhone 3G user. In an interesting statistic, Arieso reveals that 40 percent of all data is consumed by just 1 percent of mobile users. Continue reading Smartphone Users Consume More Mobile Data than Tablet Users

Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the U.S. smartphone market, according to a new report from Tavis McCourt, technology analyst for financial services firm Raymond James. While iPhone retention remains roughly 86 percent, Samsung is consolidating the Android space domestically as it has already successfully achieved in much of the European market. Continue reading Apple and Samsung Tighten Control of U.S. Smartphone Market