ShapeMix Music Marketplace Unveiled for iPhone and iPad Apps

Enhance Mixes with Music from Tokyo Police Club and Pigeon John (Bank Robber Music); Kid Sister (Downtown Music Publishing), Radio Freq (SONGS Music Publishing) and more

NEW YORK and BOSTON, July 13, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ShapeMix Mobile for iPhone, an intuitive, patent-pending music mixing application that turns your device into a fully featured music studio, is now available for free download via the App Store. ShapeMix Mobile for iPhone enables music fans to simply drag and drop audio tracks with their fingertips to create an original mix and share it via www.shapemix.com, email, Facebook, Twitter and other online sites. ShapeMix for iPad is also available for paid download in the App store for $4.99.

In addition to having access to nearly 100 free tracks, ShapeMix Mobile for iPhone and ShapeMix for iPad users can now take their mixes to a new level by downloading songs from the new ShapeMix Music Marketplace. Accessible via the menu within the app, the Marketplace currently features music from Tokyo Police Club, Kid Sister, Pigeon John and other artists. Full songs are available for $1.99 and each song is separated into audio tracks for easy mixing. A variety of influential publishers and licensing companies such as Bank Robber Music, SONGS Music Publishing and Downtown Music Publishing have signed on to contribute music that will be released on a regular basis.

To customize each mix, users can add effects like reverb, delay, flanger and low pass to each track and adjust BPM. Upon completion, mixes can quickly be shared via email, Facebook, Twitter and other online sites. Users can visit shapemix.com, like ShapeMix Music on Facebook, and follow ShapeMix Music on Twitter to receive music updates, access sample mixes and share mixes of their own.

Since being released for iPad earlier this year, the app is being used in more than 70 countries and the average mixing session is nearly an hour.

About ShapeMix Music, LLC

ShapeMix Music LLC, a Legion Enterprises company, is a Boston based developer of mobile music applications. The first product to be released is ShapeMix, a patent pending music mixing application and marketplace technology. ShapeMix for iPad and ShapeMix Mobile for iPhone turn each device into a music studio that can be used anytime, anywhere. Developed by musician and RISD graphic design professor Colin Owens, the app enables aspiring DJs, musicians, and music fans alike to remix, create and share original mixes with friends via Facebook and other sites. For more information visit: www.shapemix.com.

About Legion Enterprises, LLC

Legion Enterprises LLC incubates and creates digital media companies that focus on a core audience of 16-24 year-old males. The portfolio of companies focus on areas such as music, sports, video games and over-the-top television and currently include: ShapeMix Music LLC, a Boston based developer of mobile music applications including the ShapeMix music mixing app for iPhone and iPad; Fast Shadow, a soon to be launched digital video brand that delivers high quality entertainment content; and Major League Gaming (MLG), the world's largest professional videogame league and largest provider of cross platform online videogame competition. For additional information visit: http://www.legionenterprises.com.

Wood or metal chips, other rough dirt particles, even flying sparks, may considerably affect cable carriers' functionality in machines and installations. In a worst case scenario, this may even result in a total breakdown. For applications with the corresponding environmental conditions, KABELSCHLEPP GmbH supplies closed cable carrier chains and systems, in the best design possible. This considerably improves operational safety.
No rare occurrence in day-to-day industrial production: sharp or hot chips, flying sparks, aggressive liquids, rough dirt and separated material particles. Certain operating conditions are critical for the cable carriers in automated work and manufacturing processes. When cables are damaged, the power fails, signals are not received, data are not communicated. There is a danger of costly production losses. Special protection is needed here. For such cases, KABELSCHLEPP provides the products of the TUBE-series. If operation conditions require it, TUBE-series provides reliable protection against damage or wear of the cables installed.

In order to meet the customers needs or the application specifications, and to always be able to deliver the best solution for any kind of industrial applications, the cable carrier specialist from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, can rely on a great variety of materials in its portfolio. Whether designs made of plastic, steel, or hybrid variants (plastic chain bands with aluminium stays), or economic versatile standard types, robust, weight-optimised, extremely stable fast or quiet cable carriers for large unsupported lengths, with fixed chain widths, or chain widths accurate to the millimetre, with a large internal height or special design requirements - the portfolio offers the suitable solution for any need. Accordingly, the covered solutions are also available in various designs. There are, for example, plastic covers which depending on the application, are mounted on one or on both sides. Aluminium covers are particularly light and strong and therefore have a better long-term heat resistance. Sometimes, hot swarf or sparks remain on the covers for a short while until they die down, so aluminium is definitely the best choice compared to special plastics materials.

Steel chains are recommended for areas with extremely high mechanical loads. With steel chains solutions for long-term loads or application-dependent maximum values of up to 600 °C may be realised. In a stainless steel design chains may even be exposed to short-term peak temperatures of up to 1,000 °C. In this instance, aluminium covers offer reliable protection without increasing the weight of the chain excessively. Steel band covers offer a lighter and above all, more economical option. They are available up to a width of 1,000 mm for all chain types. The steel band cover is fastened to the chain bands with corresponding holders.

The enclosed cable carrier CoverTrax is one of the most recent additions to the TUBE series. It offers effective protection against chips, dust and dirt and prevents alien objects from entering in the cable area. This has been achieved by optimised chain geometries and a reinforced cover contour, allowing for very small gap widths, even for large chain widths. Alien objects cannot be deposited in the narrow gaps, nor can they penetrate into the interior cable compartment while the chain is in motion. Dirt is also deflected to the sides, since the covers provide a sealed enclosure flush with the sides. Moreover, the design is convincing, thanks to its enclosed stop system and internal damping resulting in quiet operation. With a new linking mechanism, the chain can be opened quickly and easily, both inside (model 60) and outside (model 080), and the cover may be completely removed - essential for a quick cable installation. The separating stays also contribute to this: they can be moved in the chain's cross section; however, they can also be quickly fixed by simply turning and locking them into place.

Aside from performance and functionality, the optical aspect plays a major role; for this purpose KABELSCHLEPP has developed designer TUBES. Among them the CONDUFLEX chain with a visually attractive appearance due to stainless steel brackets and frames made of fibre glass reinforced polyamide or the flexible metal spiral tube MOBIFLEX with a very dense construction, ideal for areas exposed to hot swarf.

Cover variants are designed for easy installation and can be easily and quickly opened, unfastened, unscrewed or unclipped. Different stay systems tailored to the application are available in order to reliably keep the installed cables in position - which is also particularly important for installations where the cable carrier is installed on its side.

With last week’s launch of the Spotify music subscription service in the US, American listeners now have the option of joining their European pals in an all-you-can-eat musical smorgasbord. After spending some time with a Premium subscription, we have to say that this is a buffet that many music lovers won’t want to miss.

If you’ve heard about Spotify invites and kept away because you didn’t feel like tracking one down, have no fear – you can join immediately. Free memberships are not yet open in the US, and for those you will need an invite. However, those wanting to jump right in can become a member instantly by simply signing up for one of Spotify’s paid options.

Those paid options are:

Unlimited – which, for $5/month gives you unlimited streaming and no ads
Premium – which gives you all of that plus access to mobile apps and music storage for offline listening. Those with iOS and Android devices will then want the $10 Premium plan.

The Spotify Experience
Having played with Spotify on iOS for a while now, we are very pleased. The music selection is outstanding. Of course there areno Beatles tracks, but we all know Apple has the digital incarnation of the Fab Four locked up exclusively for now. Otherwise, most songs and albums we searched for – ranging from recent to decades-old, popular to somewhat obscure – were there. There were enough exceptions to remind us that they don’t quite have everything, but it’s close enough that few are likely to be even remotely disappointed.

Some songs will be unlocked to all but Premium users. These will be shaded out for Unlimited or Free members, but will be ready and waiting for those forking over $10 per month.

Searching for songs is quick and easy. Results pop up instantly, and – provided your connection is good – songs will generally start playing almost immediately after clicking on them.

Playlists are at the heart of your Spotify experience. If you want an album to be saved in your Spotify library, creating a playlist is the way to do it. If you want a single song to be saved on its own – again, it will be via playlist. Want to create a virtual “mix tape” of booty rap songs from the early 90′s? Yep – playlist. Playlists are a cinch to create. Individual songs or entire albums can be easily and quickly added to one.

Social is another core element of Spotify. When you find a song you like, you can share it via email, Facebook, or Twitter. You can even share entire playlists. When friends get your recommendation, they simply click a link and can then play it in their own Spotify player. They also have the option to add it to their own libraries. As with every other part of the iOS app, sharing is implemented in a remarkably simply and efficient manner, and can happen in a matter of a few seconds.
Local Files

One big advantage Spotify has over other subscription services is the ability to sync local music files. This lets you fill in the few gaps that Spotify has with your own music. Two albums we came across, Play and 18 by Moby, weren’t available on Spotify.

But since we had the two albums on our PC, we only had to create a playlist on our PC that includes the local files, open the Spotify iPhone app while on the same network, marking that playlist as “available offline,” and it synced.

Now the two best albums from the techno-making vegan are in our Spotify library. Sure, it requires using some storage on your iPhone, but with all of the space you’re saving from the rest of the music that Spotify does have, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Spotify vs. the Competition
Of course unlimited music streaming memberships are really nothing new in the US. While it never really got a hip and fun aura attached to it (as Spotify currently has), Rhapsody has been offering essentially the same thing for years (though Spotify’s local file syncing is absent in Rhapsody). The more recent Rdio is also basically the same thing, with more of an emphasis on social networking (and also a less extensive catalog). Grooveshark is another competitor, who has the biggest “catalog” – but is operating on shaky legal ground (and is therefore only available on jailbroken iPhones).

Which of these services is for you? That will likely depend on your taste. We prefer Spotify due to its large (and legal) catalog, local syncing, and for its simple and attractive interface on mobile. But another huge perk is that Spotify offers sharing of tracks and playlists without jamming the social element down our throats.

For those who love finding a new social network and making friends – perhaps Rdio is better for you. Those of us who like a more subtle social element will prefer Spotify.

No matter which you choose, though – we think all-you-can-eat music subscriptions are the easiest and most enjoyable form of cloud music. Take this model vs. some of the other current and upcoming cloud music options:

Internet radio services like Pandora and Last.fm are great for building “stations” around songs or artists, but if there is something specific you’re looking for, you’ll have to create a station and wait – hoping for it to come up. These are great when a genre is what you want – but not so great when specific songs or albums are what you want.

Google Music and Amazon Cloud Player both require your uploading your entire music collection – and require individual purchases (or uploading from elsewhere) in order to get new music.

The upcoming iTunes Match will scan your library and instantly add all tracks to the cloud, but it requires you to download it all to your iDevice (it doesn’t stream). It also, of course, requires purchases for new music.

Subscription services like Spotify, on the other hand, give you the chance to have nearly all the music you’d ever want at your fingertips. You don’t have to download anything, but the option is there (especially nice for those on capped data plans).

Summing Up

When it comes down to it, $10 a month to listen to (almost) any music you want – including on your mobile device (online and off) – is going to be a solid trade-off for most people. It’s 24/7 instant gratification for the music lover in you. Sure, there will be the occasional frustration of looking up an album that isn’t there, or a track that is blacked out – but those are the exceptions rather than the rules. Local syncing can fill in those gaps, provided you have the songs’ files. Spotify can bring a world of music to any device you own without a single upload, download, or transfer.
So, loyal readers – have you tried Spotify? Do you dig it as much as we do? How does it compare to its competitors that you have tried? Why don’t you leave us a comment and let us know!

Anglo-Swedish streaming music provider Spotify launched its music service in the US on Thursday, nearly two years after the company first discussed the plan.

In an updated statement about its US launch, Spotify -- which was first launched in Sweden in 2008 -- said it has more than 1.6 million paying users in Europe and more than 10 million registered users in total.

Spotify recently set limits on the amount of free music users could listen to before paying a fee. It now said the ratio of paying subscribers to active free users was "well over 15 percent."

The company was set to initially launch an invite-only beta phase and offer its free service and two paid subscription types in the US.

A premium subscription, which allows users to play an unlimited amount of music without hearing any advertising, on a computer or cell phone would cost US users $9.99 a month. Spotify Unlimited, which allows advertising-free access to Spotify only on computers, would cost $4.99 a month.

Spotify said it has teamed up with "exclusive launch partners" Coca-Cola, Motorola, Chevrolet, Reebok, Sonos and The Daily.

It said these brands would be launching campaigns in partnership with Spotify in the coming weeks and months.

22nd July 2011 - Apple has announced during its quarterly financial meeting that a ‘future product transition’ will happen in the September quarter.

Going no further than that, the clever money is on this transition being for Apple’s iPhone range. It is approaching a year and half since the iPhone 4 was released to the public, and there’s been plenty of rumours and half-truths about how the next generation iPhone will turn out.

Apple's Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer, said that Apple had "a lot going on in the fall with iOS 5 and iCloud", alongside a "future product transition that we will not talk about today" that would have a material impact on the September quarter.

Many suspect the iPhone 5 will arrive as part of Apple’s annual music event, where the latest generation of iPod is typically announced; with the current focus on cloud music, it wouldn’t be a massive stretch to see a new iPhone make an appearance then. There’s also been rumblings of staff recruitment ahead of a September reveal, with iPhone experts getting snapped up for August.

22nd July 2011 - The Apple Vs HTC patent war continues as the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled HTC infringed two Apple patents.

HTC released a statement on its website stating the judge had ruled it had infringed two of the 10 patents Apple submitted. However the decision by Judge Carl Charneski is not final; it’s subject to review by a six-member commission in Washington, where HTC has also confirmed it will fight the decision:

Grace Lei from HTC said: “We are highly confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to defend ourselves using all means possible. We strongly believe we have alternate solutions in place for the issues raised by Apple. We look forward to resolving this case, so we can continue creating the most innovative mobile experiences for consumers.”

According to All things Digital the two patents are:

5,946, 647: A system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data and 6,343,263: A data transmission system for serially transmitted data.

Writing on his blog intellectual property activist Florian Mueller stated this could have a far-reaching effect not just for HTC, but for Android: 'Those patents are apparently infringed by code that is at the core of Android. It's telling that those two patents are also at issue between Apple and Motorola (and the '263 patent was also used by Apple against Nokia). … This could (in a worst-case scenario) result in an import ban against all Android-based HTC products in the U.S. market’

This is the latest in the long-running series of disputed between HTC and Apple. The ITC previous ruled that Apple is infringing the patents of S3 Graphics, which was acquired by HTC earlier this year for 300 million. We'll have to wait until later this year to find out if the decision is upheld.

Its great smartphone hope, the Nokia N9, is set to arrive with a near-field communication chip, but won’t be able to act as a mobile wallet and handle payments, lacking a critical security protocol.

Getting slightly more technical, an embedded secure element or the Single Wire Protocol (SWP) is necessary for NFC to be used for contactless payments or as a ticket.

Nokia are reportedly focusing on tyhe connectivity features that NFC can bring; like streaming music to Nokia’s own Play 360 speakers, or sharing content between NFC-enabled devices.

Nokia UK and Ireland’s head of services, sales and marketing, Rupert Englander told NFC World that mobile wallets are still over a year away from becoming a major feature.

"Nokia's view is NFC is about more than just mobile payments," says Englander. "We're probably a little while away from being able to go into a shop and easily use our mobile phone to pay for things with NFC.

"We think the phone as the mobile wallet, where it's simple to buy and it just works, is 12 to 18 months away. There are various trials out there and some services, like Orange's Quick Tap, but there are restrictions, like you have to be an Orange subscriber, a Barclaycard customer, and can only shop in certain places.

"NFC mobile payments won't take off until these barriers go, and while the recently announced UK joint venture for NFC between Telefonica UK (O2), Everything Everywhere and Vodafone will help take those barriers away, it will take time to come to fruition," he added.

Nokia continues to experiment with different applications of NFC, with recent results including a special edition of Angry Birds where extra levels can be unlocked when another NFC-enabled Nokia phone is nearby.