Apple Unveils New Music Streaming Service
Announced at this years WWDC, Apple has unveiled the evolution of its music streaming ecosystem, Apple Music.
The service will launch on June 30 in over 100 countries for $10 a month, along with a 6-member family subscription for $15 a month. As an introductory promotion, Apple will make the first three months free for everyone, with support for Android set to roll out in the coming months.
Firstly, Apple Music adds new features to enhance your listening music experience. By curating music, recommending playlists and albums based on your interests, and introducing new music. The service also extends to music videos and the ability to initiate song play using Siri.
Additionally, Beats 1, a 24-hour, 7-days a week radio station broadcast from three different cities – New York, Los Angeles, and London – and curated by hand will be included in the cost of the service.
Daily Deals: Massive Gift Card Sale, The Witcher 3 $42, $297 Xbox One
Get $100 on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Platforms for $85
Stock up on cheap gift cards now, then get additional 15% off everything you buy the summer digital sales begin. Mix and match! Your cart total just needs to be at least $100.
Code C15FATHERSDAY gets you 15% off purchases of $100 or more. So buy two $50 Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Network, or Xbox Marketplace gift cards. The Steam Summer Sale starts up in three days, according to a leak.
Sideshow Bob to (Temporarily) Kill Bart Simpson
During this year's Treehouse of Horror episode, The Simpsons' version of Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner will finally come to a head. After numerous attempts stretching over twenty years, Sideshow Bob will finally succeed in killing Bart Simpson.
Executive producer Al Jean told Entertainment Weekly we'll be seeing "Sideshow Bob do something he's wanted to do for a long time" during The Simpsons' annual Halloween episode. Jean references how he's always wanted the coyote to catch the roadrunner and the rabbit to catch the Trix. "I hated frustration comedy so we’ll scratch that itch."
LEGO Angry Birds Sets Announced
The LEGO Group and developer Rovio are partnering together to create a line of construction sets based on the popular Angry Birds video game franchise.
The LEGO sets for Angry Birds will come out in spring 2016, alongside the feature-length movie based on the franchise. “We are excited to bring Angry Birds to life in LEGO form, given the popularity of the game and its characters with fans of all ages, which will only be amplified by the forthcoming film,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president of licensing and entertainment at LEGO.
While no details on the LEGO sets have been revealed, the announcement comes after Rovio saw a steep drop in merchandising sales last year. That ultimately hurt the company's bottom line.
Star Wars Rebels: Season 1 Blu-ray Release Date
The first season of Star Wars Rebels will be released on September 1, according to Amazon.
The retailer's online listing (via Star Wars Collector), indicates that Star Wars Rebels: Season 1 will come to both DVD and Blu-ray on the first of the month, and will be priced at $46 USD. It's worth noting, however, that neither Disney nor Lucasfilm have confirmed its release so keep that in mind.
This Is How You Play Quidditch
The governing body of Quidditch has released their 9th edition rule book.
US Quidditch updated the rule book for the 2015-2016 season, outlining a few new safety procedures and giving players a guide for playing the Muggle version of the sport from Harry Potter.
Additionally, this book provides players with a guide for organizing positions and playing a sport which normally requires the use of magic. It will eventually be available in paperback, but can now be downloaded via the US Quidditch website.
Originally mentioned in the 1998 novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Quidditch is a sport combining elements of flying, lacrosse, and baseball. i09 reports the sport was first played at Middlebury College, followed by an International Quidditch World Cup in 2007.
The Skyrim Library Vol. 1 Book Contains Lore, Exclusive Artwork
Bethesda has announced plans to release a compendium collecting some of the writing found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Called The Skyrim Library Vol 1: The Histories, the book compiles Skyrim's history, lore, and mythology along with original artwork bound in hardcover. Much of the text is pulled from in-game books.
It can be pre-ordered for $35 through The Bethesda Store, along with Tales of Tamriel, a compendium of lore and stories from the world of The Elder Scrolls Online. The Skyrim Library: Vol. 1 is estimated to ship later this month.
Brad Pitt to Star in Netflix Original Movie
Netflix and Plan B Entertainment have announced their plans to release War Machine -- an upcoming satirical comedy starring Brad Pitt -- exclusively to subscribers sometime in 2016, followed by a limited release in select theatres.
Principal photography for War Machine is scheduled to begin in August, with Australian writer/director David Michôd at the helm. Netflix is producing the original movie with Ian Bryce (World War Z) and Pitt, through his Plan B banner.
App Store Update: June 8
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Threes! – ($1.99, Down from $2.99)
The 2014 App Store Game of the Year is celebrating its accolade by going 33.3333333% off!
Apple’s New Smartwatch is Getting Some Upgrades
Even though it's just over a month old, the Apple Watch is already getting ready for some updates and support for native app with WatchOS 2.
With the new upgrade to Timepiece, you can choose any photo as a watch background, or you can select an album and have a rotating set of watch faces throughout the day. There are also time-lapse faces, which show cities like Shanghai, New York City, and London at your time of day.
With Time Travel, you can use the "crown" dial to quickly browse through future events in your calendar, weather, and more. By fast-forwarding through your day, you can also check how much battery life you'll have at different times.
When you put the Apple Watch on its side while charging, the watch can now function as a regular alarm clock. The buttons on the top work as the off and snooze buttons. Communication has been improved on the watch too, as you can now reply to emails and take Facetime audio calls directly from your wrist.