Spotify expects its active listener base to hit 450 million by October, the music streaming service said in its second-quarter earnings report Wednesday, after finishing the period with 188 million subscribers and 433 million active listeners who visit the service at least once a month.  Even as Spotify girds for the possibility of economic slowdown, “it’s …

Spotify said Wednesday it has stopped manufacturing Car Thing, the music streaming service’s first and only hardware. Nearly a year elapsed between Spotify unveiling Car Thing and then fully launching it, only for the company to stop making it about five months after bringing it to market.  “We tested a number of price points, and we frankly haven’t seen the [sales] volume,” Spotify’s …

If you’re looking to try out a new fitness tracker this summer but don’t want to spend top dollar on the flagship Apple Watch Series 7, there’s a tempting deal at Woot today. It is offering the previous-gen Apple Watch Series 6 for just $280 today only, a discount of $120 versus its regular retail price. Better yet, unlike a lot …

As part of its immersive view experience, Google Maps unveiled aerial views of nearly 100 global landmarks, the company announced Wednesday. Through the new photorealistic images, you can explore famous monuments in cities across the world such as Barcelona, London, New York and Tokyo. This Maps update gives you a chance to check out Big Ben, Alcatraz Island, the Empire …

Google unveiled new features and updates to Chromebooks on Wednesday that will include a new video editor and movie maker for Google Photos. The update to Google Photos will first become available on Chromebooks this fall, Google said in a blog post. Users will be able to make movies using Google Photos thanks to new features that allow for “creating …

Helping my family member get a “free” 4G phone from T-Mobile was surprisingly complicated, especially with the wireless carrier making very clear that its 3G network was retiring in weeks. They did receive a text message stating they were eligible for a new 4G-compatible OnePlus phone — but unlike other carriers that are handing out free 4G phones — T-Mobile …

V-Moda’s new S-80 on-ear headphones have not being getting good reviews — and it’s pretty easy to see why.  First, they’re an on-ear headphone, which are a dying breed as consumers who eschew earbuds gravitate toward over-ear models if they’re going the full-size headphone route. Secondly, they’re expensive at $400. And at 355g — just 31 grams lighter than Apple’s …

After critics raised concerns about advertising censorship, Hulu will begin running ads for political issues and campaigns on its platform, the company confirmed Wednesday. The streaming service, which is majority owned by Disney, will implement the policy change immediately but with some conditions after facing backlash for rejecting ads tied to political issues including abortion, climate change and gun regulations.  “After a …

Samsung notched its best second-quarter profit since 2018, on strong sales of chips amid a cooling smartphone market. The Korea-based company said Wednesday that its operating profit for the three-month period ended June 30 came in at 14.1 trillion won ($10.8 billion), an increase of 12% compared with the same time period last year. The company also posted record second-quarter …

Last year, I bought a new Apple TV remote. You know, the thicker one with the extra buttons. I bought it because I kept losing the old super-thin Apple TV remote that was always disappearing into another dimension through the sofa cushions. I’d show you a picture of the new remote, but I lost it. I don’t know how it …