Author: kenmay

Pandora Paying Artists $0.0001 More Per Stream Than It Was Last Year

journovampire writes: Pandora has revealed that it’s paying a 10, 000th of a dollar more to music labels and artists than it was in 2014. From the article: “Pandora has revealed that its royalty payments to SoundExchange, the US licensing body which collects performance royalties on behalf of record labels and artists, have just increased by 8%. The news was confirmed in a call with investors following Pandora’s Q1 fiscal results announcement on Thursday (April 23), in which it posted a three-month net loss of $48.3m. In what Pandora CEO Brian McAndrews called a scheduled annual step-up, Pandora has from January 1 been paying out an average $0.0014 per ad-funded stream and $0.0024 per premium stream to SoundExchange.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Pandora Paying Artists $0.0001 More Per Stream Than It Was Last Year

First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain

Although sexual health has become less of a taboo subject, ensuring that people get tested for STDs remains a big issue. The NHS now offers DIY kits for those worried they might have caught something from a partner and don’t want to get tested by a doctor, but home HIV screening has not been possible — at least until today. Britain’s first legally-approved HIV test is now on sale, promising 99.7 percent accuracy from three months after a person suspects they may have been exposed to the infection. It requires a drop of blood and can provide a clear result in around 15 minutes. It’s hoped that by offering the DIY test, Britons will help lower the risk of passing on the disease to other people. According to the National Aids Trust, almost half of the people living with HIV find out late, meaning they’ve carried the virus for at least four years. If the disease is diagnosed earlier, sufferers can receive treatment that makes it more manageable. Right now, the test is only available online for £29.95. Should a test show a positive result, it must then be confirmed with a professional health worker. Filed under: Household , Science , Alt Comments Via: AFP Source: HIV Self Test

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First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain

AT&T/DirecTV merger likely to be approved

Despite Comcast abandoning  its Time Warner Cable (TWC) purchase in the face of government opposition, mergers of Internet and TV providers are still on the table. AT&T’s proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV is likely to win approval from the Federal Communications Commission,  The Wall Street Journal reported . And TWC could still be acquired, but by Charter Communications instead of Comcast. The FCC hasn’t publicly revealed its position on AT&T’s attempt to buy the satellite TV provider. But despite opposing Comcast/TWC, the commission “sees the AT&T deal as helping competition and aiding the spread of broadband into rural areas that lack service, people familiar with the matter said,” according to the Journal report. FCC officials haven’t yet finalized concessions that AT&T would make in exchange for approval, “but the commission’s staff is inclined to recommend the approval of the deal.” Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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AT&T/DirecTV merger likely to be approved

Every major US credit card will soon work with Apple Pay

The roster of credit cards that work with Apple’s mobile payments platform has always had one notable absentee. Thankfully, the folks at Discover have realized that there’s little to be gained from not being available to use on Apple Pay . That’s why the firm has signed a deal that’ll see its customers be able to buy goods and services with their iPads, iPhones and Apple watches, which will begin at some point in the fall. Naturally, users are afforded the same offers and protections that they would if they’d paid by card, including Cashback Bonus and Freeze It — now all we need is for Chipotle to join in and we’re all set. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Apple Comments Via: MacRumors Source: Businesswire

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Every major US credit card will soon work with Apple Pay

ESPN sues Verizon for custom FiOS TV plans

We knew ESPN wasn’t happy with Verizon’s recently announced flexible TV plans, and now it is ready to take legal action for it. According to CNBC , The Worldwide Leader in Sports is suing Verizon over the FiOS Custom TV offering, only days after letting it be known that it objected to it. Developing…. Comments Source: CNBC

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ESPN sues Verizon for custom FiOS TV plans

Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter

While air travel is quicker and safer than driving, it’s also louder. The continuous low-frequency drone of the engines is why some people invest in noise-canceling headphones. To help reduce that non-stop hum, researchers at North Carolina State University and MIT have developed a thin membrane to be inserted into the lightweight honeycomb structure of planes and helicopters. “At low frequencies – sounds below 500 Hertz – the honeycomb panel with the membrane blocks 100 to 1, 000 times more sound energy than the panel without a membrane.” said Yun Jing, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University. The 0.25mm-thick membrane would only add an additional six percent to the overall weight of the honeycomb structure of aircraft. While that doesn’t seem like much, every ounce counts to airlines trying to maximize flight costs . It’ll be on them to decide whether they’d rather save money on fuel or makes cabins a better place for passengers . Filed under: Misc , Transportation , Science Comments Source: NC State University

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Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter

A Portable Washing Machine That Doesn’t Need a Drop of Electricity

If camping seems like fun but you’d prefer if roughing it wasn’t so rough, the Drumi from Yirego is a compact portable washing machine that can clean around six or seven garments without the need for a power outlet, a generator, or even a sunny day to feed a solar panel. Read more…

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A Portable Washing Machine That Doesn’t Need a Drop of Electricity

This is the biggest burger that McDonald’s new menu lets you make

McDonald’s new Create Your Taste menu lets you make your own completely customizable and *gasp* delicious looking, gourmet McDonald’s burgers . The set up is simple: you hop on a kiosk and select whatever toppings you like on a burger and McD’s will whip it up for you with better ingredients. But that’s not fun! Fun is using that kiosk to make the biggest and most ridiculous burger monstrosity that’s possible. This is it. Read more…

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This is the biggest burger that McDonald’s new menu lets you make

iOS vs Android: The 2015 Edition

It’s been 7 years, and the great iOS vs Android debate rumbles on—in internet forums and real life. But these platforms have come a long way even in the last year or two. Do the old arguments still apply? What features separate iOS 8.3 from Android 5.1 Lollipop? We used a Nexus 6 and an iPhone 6 to investigate. Read more…

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iOS vs Android: The 2015 Edition