Remember all those rumors about Amazon launching a music streaming service? Well, they were absolutely true: Amazon pulled back the curtain on Prime Music earlier today, which gives paying Prime subscribers access to over a million songs for no additional cost and without a single obnoxious ad in earshot. Amazon Digital Music VP Steve Boom told us that customers have been clamoring for this little development for ages now — here are a few answers to the burning questions surrounding Amazon’s newest media play. How do I get it? Assuming you’ve already paid Amazon for the year, you can use one of its existing Cloud Player apps for iOS, Android, OS X, Windows and the web to start digging through that catalog of free tracks. Speaking of which, doesn’t the name “Cloud Player” seem a little clunky? Amazon seemed to think so, because all those apps will fly under the new “Amazon Music” banner starting today. If you’ve got a Kindle Fire HD or HDX kicking around, they’ll get an automatic update that grants them access to that gratis music — we’re keeping our eyes peeled and will update you once it goes live.​ What does it do for me? There are already plenty of streaming services out there, but Amazon’s lateness to the game only means it had time to figure out what its rivals were getting right. You can, for example, save high-quality Prime tracks to your device for offline listening (take that Pandora). Itching for the perfect party mix? You can check out curated playlists for specific moods and activities (sorry Songza). Meanwhile, one of Amazon’s mainstays will help you discover music to add to your collection — Prime Music will chew on your preferences to recommend other artists and albums worth checking out. For now you’ll just get recommendations based on your what you’ve listened to, but Boom said it wouldn’t be impossible for future suggestions could draw from a wider array of shopping signals. What’s the catch? Here’s the rub, friend: Amazon’s library pales in comparison to the over 20 million tracks available with services like Spotify or Rdio. Sure, some big names are part of the deal — Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen — but a closer look at the catalog reveals there’s nothing there that’s currently racing up the charts. The only one of Billboard’s current top songs that can be found in Prime Music is John Legend’s All Of Me , and that’s only because it first charted back in 2013. Boom promised that the catalog would grow at a steady clip, but make no mistake — unless Amazon’s licensing deals change drastically, Prime Music won’t be your source for the hottest new releases. So why does this exist? “We’d love it if people spent all their time listening to Prime Music, ” Boom noted. “But music isn’t a zero-sum game.” He’s got a point. The company has always said it goal is more about delighting customers than crushing competitors, and one need only look at its catalog to see why it isn’t a huge threat to others… yet. The service’s real value seems clear. Prime Music is another way to make that $99 annual subscription fee seem even more valuable. Think about it: in addition to getting ridiculously fast shipping and loads of premium video, you now have access to a small (but not insignificant) pool of music to flesh out your collection. It’s no secret that Prime customers buy more than regular ones do , and that’s what’s going to fuel Amazon’s continued dominance. The company has been around since 1995, and it survived a bursting tech bubble to become a global force — in short, it lives to play the long game. Comments

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What you need to know about Amazon Prime Music

The NSA may claim it’s not collecting photos of American citizens for a facial recognition database , but the FBI most certainly is. The feds has been building what it calls the “Next Generation Identification database, ” primarily by gathering mug shots from local law enforcement agencies. The software is being built of MorphoTrust, a company that helped the State Department create its own face recognition database. At the moment the two can’t share data, say by simply importing an existing State Department record, but FBI Director James Comey wouldn’t rule out the possibility. What’s more concerning however, are the accusations from the Electronic Frontier Foundation that many innocent people will be swept into the database, which is expected to reach 52 million images by next year. To make matters worse, Director Comey was unable to allay those fears when addressing law makers recently. The agency’s head said he wasn’t sure if the EFF’s claims were accurate, nor could he rule out that people’s drivers’ license photos might end up in the pool. When asked specifically about license photos he said, “I think there is some circumstances in which when states send us records… pictures of people who are getting special driving licenses to transport children or explosive materials.” Filed under: Misc Comments Source: Ars Technica , EFF

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FBI testing face recognition for finding suspects

Embedded tech can fit into some incredible spaces , but it can’t yet fit everywhere; there are places that are simply too harsh or small for modern technology. If GE gets its way, though, just about any surface will be fair game. Its Direct Write technology uses ink made from either metals or metal oxides to print tiny, flexible sensors that both fit into tight spots and survive conditions that typically fry electronics. You could see sensors inside the hot environment of a jet engine, or put both pressure and temperature sensors into areas that normally don’t have room for anything. GE is already testing Direct Write sensors with some of its partners, and it notes that the technique could apply sensors to devices well after they’ve left the factory. However, the technology isn’t flawless; while the ink may survive hostile environments, wireless signals typically don’t. It may be a long while before you can fit sensors in places where even wires are too risky. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: Wall Street Journal Source: GE Reports

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GE’s metallic ink can put tiny sensors inside jet engines

Formlabs’ Form1 was a top dog among 3D printers when it first shipped, but others have stepped up their game in the past year. It’s about time for an upgrade, don’t you think? Appropriately, the company has just unveiled the Form1+, a big improvement to its now-familiar design. The new edition of Formlabs’ pro-grade machine is all about raw performance — a more powerful laser lets it print up to 50 percent faster, and its control system produces finer, smoother sculptures. It should be more reliable, too, thanks to an improved resin tank that better preserves your material. The new printer costs the same $3, 299 as the original, which doesn’t exactly make it a casual purchase. However, you shouldn’t despair if you’re an existing Form1 owner. Formlabs is offering a factory upgrade program that brings your hardware up to spec for a more down-to-Earth (if not exactly trivial) $749. You can order the revamped device today in the US, and Europeans can pick one up in July for €2, 799. Filed under: Peripherals Comments Source: Formlabs

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Formlabs’ second-gen pro 3D printer is 50 percent faster

Looking forward to playing FarCry 4 with your friends? Sony says if you buy it for the PlayStation 4, you’ll only need one copy between you. Developing… Filed under: Gaming , Sony Comments

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PS4 owners will be able to play ‘FarCry 4’ with friends who don’t own the game

With revamped policies in the iOS 8 App Store, Candy Crush and other apps that reward you for social sharing could soon be booted. Apps that provide users incentives for sharing on social networks aren’t the only ones to violate Apple’s latest terms and conditions for developers; those that provide in-game credit for watching videos are also under fire, along with apps that promote other apps. Several developers have received rejections that reflect Apple’s new rules, with one individual reporting that a previously approved app was turned down even though he had only added a new skin. According to an Apple rep, his game violated guidelines around in-game credits for watching videos and promoting apps other than one’s own. Other developers have received rejection notices for using social sharing as an incentive. Considering how common these app monetization strategies are, Apple’s policies will have a huge effect on developers. Platforms like Tapjoy, which lets you download an app instead of making an in-game payment, will clearly be affected as well. And while the strengthening of Apple’s ban hammer will help clear the App Store of the apps made just to earn cash, plenty of legit titles could be squashed as well. It’s unclear whether Apple will reinforce its ban retroactively, and — if so — how many big-name titles would be pulled. At WWDC last week, Apple announced several improvements to the App Store in iOS 8, including video previews, developer bundles and a new “Explore” tab for browsing categories and sub-categories of apps. Search is also enhanced, with the ability to see what’s trending. Apple clearly wants these tools to power app discovery rather than developers’ cross-promotion and social sharing incentives. Still, the company isn’t forbidding devs from promoting their apps in other ways. As an app reviewer told one developer who received a rejection notice: “You can advertise your own games via the standard ad networks. However, when you have a ‘More Games’ or ‘Other Games’ you should only market your own games.” Filed under: Internet , Software , Apple Comments Via: MacRumors Source: TechCrunch

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Apple starts banning apps that reward video views and social sharing

What will Panasonic make of this, then? The Japanese manufacturer’s enormous 152-inch 4K set has been superseded by a rival giant — the “Titan Zeus” — which is more than four times the size and triple the price. At a cost of £1 million sterling ($1.6 million), the Zeus also promises a full 4K resolution, but this time stretched out across a 370-inch (8m by 5m) panel that is said to be suitable for both indoor and outdoor domestic use. We can’t really comment on the design or image quality, however, because there are no photos or video showing the mythologically-confused TV in action. The company tells us this is because its first and only private customer for the Zeus has asked for their installation to be kept confidential. Then again, similar sets from Titan have been widely used at public events (such as the Xbox gathering shown above). Thanks to Titan’s partnership with a company called Curb Media, you’ll also be able to see a second Zeus on show at the Cannes film festival this year, where it’ll be displaying World Cup action at the size of an actual football goal. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD Comments Via: Pocket-lint

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370-inch TV costs more than the mansion you’d need to house it

With plenty of third-party sellers populating its online store, Amazon is well accustomed to playing the middleman for processing transactions. Now the e-tailer’s taking that middleman role one step further; it will now manage monthly subscription payments for companies such as wireless service provider Ting. It’s just the latest move in Amazon’s ongoing effort to overtake PayPal . Amazon users will be able to use their stored credit-card information to make monthly payments at participating sites. For anyone who’s used PayPal, the process will be very familiar; you’ll see a payment button that will pull in your billing info from Amazon to process a transaction. Beyond Ting, it isn’t clear which companies will take advantage of the service, but we’d expect to see digital music services, additional wireless providers and gaming sites. Naturally, Amazon will get a fee for each transaction. For partners, the benefit comes in the form of Amazon’s name, which will theoretically make you feel safer when shopping at little-known web merchants. For many customers, though, privacy concerns remain. VP of seller services Tom Taylor told Reuters that Amazon will only collect the dollar amount of customers’ transactions, rather than information about which items were purchased. In any case, it all depends on customer trust – and a long list of partner merchants – for Amazon to make a dent in PayPal’s business. Filed under: Internet , Amazon Comments Source: Reuters

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Amazon takes on PayPal with subscription-based payments

You may not pay much notice to product trackers like barcodes and RFID tags, but they’re absolutely vital in some fields; they cut back on bootlegging and help police determine the origins of bombs. Worcester Polytechnic Institute may have just delivered a major breakthrough, then, by developing nanoparticle barcodes . The minuscule tracers identify an object by producing a unique thermal signature (those colored lines you see in the photo) when they reach their melting point. As they don’t participate in any chemical reaction, you can integrate them into any item and get a positive ID whenever you like, even if you’re dealing with exploded TNT. The substance would most likely be used to stop counterfeiters, thieves and other shady dealers by making it impossible to erase evidence without destroying any ill-gotten goods. However, the technology might be particularly handy for fighting terrorism. Investigators could easily pinpoint the suppliers of not just explosives, but the chemicals used to make explosives — they could identify the manufacturer (and even the individual store) for the fertilizer in a homemade bomb. The scientists’ stealthy barcodes are a long way from reaching store shelves, if they do at all, but there could be a day when it’s possible to trace virtually any high-value product. [Image credit: Ming Su/Worcester Polytechnic Institute] Filed under: Science Comments Via: BBC , Geek.com Source: Scientific Reports

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Nano barcodes can trace bombs even after they’ve exploded

Following the impressive Razer Blade we reviewed last month, Gigabyte also wants a piece of the portable gaming laptop action with its new Aorus X3 line, a sub-14-inch Windows 8.1 device that claims to be the world’s “most powerful and lightest” in its class. In terms of weight, it starts from 4.12 pounds (1.87kg) which is more attractive than the new Blade’s 4.47 pounds (2.03kg). The smaller X3 has an impressive 13.3-inch QHD (2, 560 x 1, 440) LCD, whereas the larger 13.9-inch X3 Plus lets you choose between a QHD panel and a sweeter QHD+ (3, 200 x 1, 800) version. Both variants of the gaming beast come with Intel’s Core i7-4710HQ (2.5-3.5GHz), 8GB of DDR3L-1600 RAM (with a spare slot for another 8GB) and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M with 6GB of GDDR5 memory. You can have a pair of 256GB or 512GB SSDs configured in RAID 0, meaning you get super fast access to a maximum of 1TB space. Together with the macro keys plus Gigabit LAN connection or 802.11ac WiFi, online gamers should have no problem entertaining themselves with these machines — at least until the 74Wh battery has been drained while gaming on the go. As you can imagine, these gaming laptops don’t come cheap: Both the X3 and the X3 Plus will go from $2, 099 when they launch in Q3 this year, with one-year global warranty plus one-year local warranty included. Filed under: Gaming , Laptops Comments

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Here’s the world’s ‘most powerful and lightest’ 13-inch gaming laptop