London-based STEM device maker Kano has confirmed it’s cutting a number of jobs which it claims is part of a restructuring effort to shift focus to “educational computing”.
The job cuts — from 65 to 50 staff — were reported earlier by The Telegraph. Kano founder Alex Stein confirmed in a call with TechCrunch that Kano will have 50 staff going into next year. Although he said the kid-focused learn to code device business is also adding jobs in engineering and design, as well as eliminating other roles as it shifts focus.
He also suggested some of the cuts are seasonal and cyclical — related to getting through the holiday season.
Per Stein, jobs are being taking out as the company moves from building atop the Raspberry Pi platform — where it started, back in 2013, with its crowdfunded DIY computer — to a Windows-based learning platform.
Other factors he pointed to in relation to the layoffs include a new manufacturing setup in China, with a “simpler, larger contract manufacturer”; fewer physical retail outlets to support, with Kano leaning more on Amazon (which he said is “cheaper to support”); fewer dependencies on large partners and agencies, with Stein claiming 18% of US parents with kids aged 6-12 are now familiar with the brand, reducing its marketing overhead; and a desire to shrink the number of corporate managers vs makers on its books as “we’ve seen a stronger response to our first-party Kano products — Computer Kit, Pixel Kit, Motion Sensor Kit — than expected this year”.
“We have brought on some roles that are more focused on this new platform [Kano PC], and some roles that were focused on the Raspberry Pi are no longer with us,” he also told TechCrunch.
Kano unveiled its first Windows-based PC this fall. The 11.6-inch touch-enabled, Intel Atom-powered computer costs $300 — which puts it in the ballpark price-range of Google’s Chromebook.
The tech giant has maintained a steady focus on the educational computing market — putting a competitive squeeze on smaller players like Kano who are trying to carve out a business selling their own brand of STEM-focused hardware. Against the Google Goliath, Stein touts factors such as relative repairability and attention to computing performance for the Kano PC (which he claims is “on a par with the Surface Go”), in addition to having now thrown its lot in with rival giant, Microsoft.
“The more and more we got into school environments the more and more we were in conversations with major North American distributors to schools, the more we saw that people wanted that ‘DIY’… product design, they wanted the hackability and extensibility of the kit, they wanted the tools to be open source and manipulable but they also wanted to be able to run Photoshop and to run Class Dashboard and to run Microsoft Office. And so that was when we struck the partnership with Microsoft,” said Stein.
“The Windows computing is packed with content and curriculum for teachers and an integration with Microsoft Teams which requires a different sort of development capability,” he added.
“The roles we’re adding are around subscription, they’re around the computer, building new applications and tools for the computer and continuing to enrich the number of projects that are available for our members now — so we’re doing things like allowing people to connect the sensors in their wands to household IoT device. We’re introducing, over the Christmas period, a new collaborative drawing app.”
According to Stein, Kano is “already seeing demand for 60,000 units in this next calendar year” for its Windows-based PC — which he said is “well beyond what we expect… given the price-point.
Although he did not put a figure on exact sales to date of the Kano PC.
He also confirmed Kano will be dialling back the range of products it offers next year.
It recently emerged that an own-brand camera device, which Kano first trailed back in 2016, will not now be shipping. Stein also told us that another co-branded Disney product they’d been planning for 2020 is being “put back” — with no new date for release as yet.
Stein denied sales have been lacklustre — claiming the current Star Wars and Frozen e-products have “done enough for us”. (While a co-branded Harry Potter e-wand is selling faster than expected, per Stein, who said they had expected to have stock until March but are “selling out”.)
“The reorganization we’ve done has nothing to do with growth and users,” he told us. “We are on track to sell through more units as well as products at a higher average selling price this fiscal year. We’re selling out of Wands when we expected to have stock all the way to March. We have more pre-launch demand for the Kano PC than anything we’ve ever done.”
Of the additional co-branded Disney e-product which is being delayed — and may not now launch at all next year, Stein told us: “The fact is we’re in negotiations with Disney around this — and around the timing of it. Given that we’re not certain we’re going to be doing it in 2020 some of the contractor roles in particular that we brought on to do the licensing sign off pieces, to develop some of the content around those brands, some of the apparatus set up to manage those partnerships — we don’t need any more.”
“We introduced three new hardware SKUs this year. I don’t think we’ll do three new hardware SKUs next year,” he added, confirming the intention is to trim the number of device launches in 2020 to focus on the Kano PC.
One source we spoke to suggested Kano is considering sunsetting its partner strategy entirely. However Stein did not go that far in his comments to us.
“We’ve been riding a certain bear for a few years. We’re jumping to a new bear. That’s always going to create a bit of exhilaration. But I think this is a place of real promise,” was how he couched the pivot.
“I think what Kano does better than anyone else in the world is crafting an experience around technology that opens up its attributes to a wider audience,” Stein also said when asked whether hardware or software will be its main focus going forward. “The hardware element is crucial and beautiful and we make some of the world’s most interesting dynamic physical products. It’s an often told story that hardware’s very hard and is brutal — and yeah, because you get it right you change the fabric of society.
“It’s hard for me to draw a line between hardware and software for the business because we’ve always been asked that and seven years into the business we’ve found the greatest things that people do with the products… it’s always when there’s a combination of the two. So we’re proud that we’re good at combining the two and we’re going to continue to do it.”
The STEM device space has been going through bumpy times in recent years as early hype and investment has failed to translate into sustained revenues at every twist and turn.
The category is certainly filled with challenges — from low barrier to entry leading to plentiful (if varied quality) competition, to the demands of building safe, robust and appealing products for (fickle) kids that tightly and reliably integrate hardware and software, to checking all the relevant boxes and processes to win over teachers and support schools’ curriculum requirements that’s essential for selling direct to the education market.
Given so many demands on STEM device makers it’s not surprising this year has seen a number of these startups exiting to other players and/or larger electronics makers — such as Sphero picking up littleBits.
A couple of years ago Sphero went through its own pivot out of selling co-branded Disney ‘learn to code’ gizmos to zoom in on the education space.
While another UK-based STEM device maker — pi-top — has also been through several rounds of layoffs recently, apparently as part of its own pivot to the US edtech market.
More consolidation in the category seems highly likely. And given the new relationship between Kano and Microsoft joining Redmond via acquisition may be the obvious end point for the startup.
Per the Telegraph’s report, Kano is in the process of looking to raise more funding. However Stein did not comment when asked to confirm the company’s funding situation.
The startup last reported a raise just over two years ago — when it closed a $28M Series B round led by Thames Trust and Breyer Capital. Index Ventures, the Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, LocalGlobe, Marc Benioff, John Makinson, Collaborative Fund, Triple Point Capital, and Barclays also participated.
TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden contributed to this report
London-based STEM device maker Kano has confirmed it’s cutting a number of jobs which it claims is part of a restructuring effort to shift focus to “educational computing”.
The job cuts — from 65 to 50 staff — were reported earlier by The Telegraph. Kano founder Alex Stein confirmed in a call with TechCrunch that Kano will have 50 staff going into next year. Although he said the kid-focused learn to code device business is also adding jobs in engineering and design, as well as eliminating other roles as it shifts focus.
He also suggested some of the cuts are seasonal and cyclical — related to getting through the holiday season.
Per Stein, jobs are being taking out as the company moves from building atop the Raspberry Pi platform — where it started, back in 2013, with its crowdfunded DIY computer — to a Windows-based learning platform.
Other factors he pointed to in relation to the layoffs include a new manufacturing setup in China, with a “simpler, larger contract manufacturer”; fewer physical retail outlets to support, with Kano leaning more on Amazon (which he said is “cheaper to support”); fewer dependencies on large partners and agencies, with Stein claiming 18% of US parents with kids aged 6-12 are now familiar with the brand, reducing its marketing overhead; and a desire to shrink the number of corporate managers vs makers on its books as “we’ve seen a stronger response to our first-party Kano products — Computer Kit, Pixel Kit, Motion Sensor Kit — than expected this year”.
“We have brought on some roles that are more focused on this new platform [Kano PC], and some roles that were focused on the Raspberry Pi are no longer with us,” he also told TechCrunch.
Kano unveiled its first Windows-based PC this fall. The 11.6-inch touch-enabled, Intel Atom-powered computer costs $300 — which puts it in the ballpark price-range of Google’s Chromebook.
The tech giant has maintained a steady focus on the educational computing market — putting a competitive squeeze on smaller players like Kano who are trying to carve out a business selling their own brand of STEM-focused hardware. Against the Google Goliath, Stein touts factors such as relative repairability and attention to computing performance for the Kano PC (which he claims is “on a par with the Surface Go”), in addition to having now thrown its lot in with rival giant, Microsoft.
“The more and more we got into school environments the more and more we were in conversations with major North American distributors to schools, the more we saw that people wanted that ‘DIY’… product design, they wanted the hackability and extensibility of the kit, they wanted the tools to be open source and manipulable but they also wanted to be able to run Photoshop and to run Class Dashboard and to run Microsoft Office. And so that was when we struck the partnership with Microsoft,” said Stein.
“The Windows computing is packed with content and curriculum for teachers and an integration with Microsoft Teams which requires a different sort of development capability,” he added.
“The roles we’re adding are around subscription, they’re around the computer, building new applications and tools for the computer and continuing to enrich the number of projects that are available for our members now — so we’re doing things like allowing people to connect the sensors in their wands to household IoT device. We’re introducing, over the Christmas period, a new collaborative drawing app.”
According to Stein, Kano is “already seeing demand for 60,000 units in this next calendar year” for its Windows-based PC — which he said is “well beyond what we expect… given the price-point.
Although he did not put a figure on exact sales to date of the Kano PC.
He also confirmed Kano will be dialling back the range of products it offers next year.
It recently emerged that an own-brand camera device, which Kano first trailed back in 2016, will not now be shipping. Stein also told us that another co-branded Disney product they’d been planning for 2020 is being “put back” — with no new date for release as yet.
Stein denied sales have been lacklustre — claiming the current Star Wars and Frozen e-products have “done enough for us”. (While a co-branded Harry Potter e-wand is selling faster than expected, per Stein, who said they had expected to have stock until March but are “selling out”.)
“The reorganization we’ve done has nothing to do with growth and users,” he told us. “We are on track to sell through more units as well as products at a higher average selling price this fiscal year. We’re selling out of Wands when we expected to have stock all the way to March. We have more pre-launch demand for the Kano PC than anything we’ve ever done.”
Of the additional co-branded Disney e-product which is being delayed — and may not now launch at all next year, Stein told us: “The fact is we’re in negotiations with Disney around this — and around the timing of it. Given that we’re not certain we’re going to be doing it in 2020 some of the contractor roles in particular that we brought on to do the licensing sign off pieces, to develop some of the content around those brands, some of the apparatus set up to manage those partnerships — we don’t need any more.”
“We introduced three new hardware SKUs this year. I don’t think we’ll do three new hardware SKUs next year,” he added, confirming the intention is to trim the number of device launches in 2020 to focus on the Kano PC.
One source we spoke to suggested Kano is considering sunsetting its partner strategy entirely. However Stein did not go that far in his comments to us.
“We’ve been riding a certain bear for a few years. We’re jumping to a new bear. That’s always going to create a bit of exhilaration. But I think this is a place of real promise,” was how he couched the pivot.
“I think what Kano does better than anyone else in the world is crafting an experience around technology that opens up its attributes to a wider audience,” Stein also said when asked whether hardware or software will be its main focus going forward. “The hardware element is crucial and beautiful and we make some of the world’s most interesting dynamic physical products. It’s an often told story that hardware’s very hard and is brutal — and yeah, because you get it right you change the fabric of society.
“It’s hard for me to draw a line between hardware and software for the business because we’ve always been asked that and seven years into the business we’ve found the greatest things that people do with the products… it’s always when there’s a combination of the two. So we’re proud that we’re good at combining the two and we’re going to continue to do it.”
The STEM device space has been going through bumpy times in recent years as early hype and investment has failed to translate into sustained revenues at every twist and turn.
The category is certainly filled with challenges — from low barrier to entry leading to plentiful (if varied quality) competition, to the demands of building safe, robust and appealing products for (fickle) kids that tightly and reliably integrate hardware and software, to checking all the relevant boxes and processes to win over teachers and support schools’ curriculum requirements that’s essential for selling direct to the education market.
Given so many demands on STEM device makers it’s not surprising this year has seen a number of these startups exiting to other players and/or larger electronics makers — such as Sphero picking up littleBits.
A couple of years ago Sphero went through its own pivot out of selling co-branded Disney ‘learn to code’ gizmos to zoom in on the education space.
While another UK-based STEM device maker — pi-top — has also been through several rounds of layoffs recently, apparently as part of its own pivot to the US edtech market.
More consolidation in the category seems highly likely. And given the new relationship between Kano and Microsoft joining Redmond via acquisition may be the obvious end point for the startup.
Per the Telegraph’s report, Kano is in the process of looking to raise more funding. However Stein did not comment when asked to confirm the company’s funding situation.
The startup last reported a raise just over two years ago — when it closed a $28M Series B round led by Thames Trust and Breyer Capital. Index Ventures, the Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, LocalGlobe, Marc Benioff, John Makinson, Collaborative Fund, Triple Point Capital, and Barclays also participated.
TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden contributed to this report
Most people are aware that privacy is a big concern when it comes to digital information. How can you be sure that the data on your computer is kept safe from prying eyes?
Using strong passwords can help keep your information safe, but that’s only a small part of what you can do to protect your privacy. Encryption play a big part in safeguarding your information, especially if your laptop gets stolen. That’s why FileVault disk encryption on your Mac is a lifesaver.
Apple’s FileVault is a type of disk encryption. What this means is that it hides your information from prying eyes by essentially scrambling it. If somebody were to look at an encrypted text file, for example, it would look like complete gibberish. The only way to unscramble it is by using a key that only you (or in this case, macOS) know.
If someone steals your laptop, they might have the hardware, but they can’t get to the information. This applies even if they take out the disk and try to read it with another computer. Without encryption, doing so would allow anyone to easily see what’s on your storage drive.
The original version of FileVault wasn’t as useful as it could be. It encrypted your home folder, which is likely where all your personal data is, but left the rest of your system untouched. If a program stored private information somewhere else on your system, it wasn’t protected.
Starting in Mac OS X Lion, Apple introduced FileVault 2. This encrypts your entire SSD or hard drive instead of just your home folder. As another benefit, FileVault 2 also uses overall stronger encryption than the original version, helping to keep your data even safer.
Going forward, you may encounter some terms you’re not familiar with. While we’ll try to keep it simple, encryption is a complex topic, so there may be cases where you came across more technical terms. We have a list of basic encryption terms that should help you out in that case.
If you’re wondering whether you should use FileVault, the default answer is yes, you should. There aren’t many occasions where it’s a bad idea to use FileVault. That said, FileVault encryption is more useful in some cases than others.
If you have an old Mac mini sitting in your house that you use to store your iTunes music catalog for playing over Airplay, FileVault isn’t strictly necessary. On the other hand, on the MacBook that you carry with you for business, FileVault disk encryption is essential. If you travel with your Mac laptop frequently, take a look at our list of tips for keeping your Mac safe on the road.
You should know that FileVault encryption doesn’t come without a cost. On any device, encryption will have some sort of performance penalty.
In most cases, encryption only adds marginal performance overhead, but if your computer is already struggling, this may slow it down even more. If you’re using a RAID setup or run Boot Camp, you may not be able to use FileVault at all.
Once FileVault has encrypted your disk, you must log into your computer with your account password to unlock your files. As a consequence, you cannot use automatic login on your Mac when FileVault is enabled.
You may already have FileVault encryption enabled on your computer, especially if you bought your Mac recently. In the next section, we’ll look at how you can check.
Checking whether you have FileVault enabled on your Mac is simple. Open System Preferences, then navigate to the Security & Privacy settings. Here, select the FileVault tab at the top of the screen.
You’ll see a brief overview of what FileVault does, as well as a grayed-out button to turn it on or off. At the bottom of this screen, you may see a message saying FileVault is turned on for the disk “Macintosh HD” or something similar. If you do see this message, FileVault is already enabled on your computer.
If the message instead begins with FileVault is turned off, you’ll need to enable it manually.
Enabling FileVault is simple. If you’re not already there, launch System Preferences, then click on Security & Privacy. Here, click on the FileVault tab.
On this page, you’ll notice the button labeled Turn On FileVault is disabled. All you need to do is click the lock icon at the bottom of the screen, then enter your administrator password. Now click the button to enable FileVault encryption.
If you have multiple users on your computer, you’ll need to enter the password for each user. Now you need to choose how to unlock your disk and reset your password if you ever forget it. You have two options: use iCloud to unlock your disk, or create a FileVault recovery key.
Using iCloud is easier, but slightly less secure. If someone can compromise your iCloud account, they can decrypt your computer’s drive. Using a FileVault recovery key is typically more secure, but if you ever lose this key and forget your password, there is no way to recover it.
If you opt to use a FileVault recovery key, keep it safe. This means you should store it somewhere other than your now-encrypted Mac system drive, such as a password manager or a safe. No matter which method you choose, encryption will take a while, but it happens in the background so you can keep using your computer.
Disabling FileVault disk encryption, should you ever want to, is easy. The process starts the same way that enabling FileVault does. Open System Preferences, then go to Security & Privacy and click the FileVault tab. Click the lock at the bottom of the screen and enter your password.
Now, click the button labeled Turn Off FileVault. The decryption process will start. As with encryption, this takes place in the background, so feel free to continue using your computer.
Using strong passwords and encrypting your Mac with FileVault encryption will go a long way toward keeping your information safe. However, you can do much more. Each additional method you add is another lock on the door between your data and someone looking to get their hands on it.
This could mean switching to a more secure email provider or using two-factor authentication, but it often means even more encryption. If enabling FileVault on your Mac has you wondering where else you might be able to use encryption, you’ve got options. For a place to start, take a look at our guide to using encryption in your daily life.
Read the full article: What Is FileVault on macOS and How Do I Use It?
When you hear about torrents, your first thought might be about pirating files illegally. But in fact, there are all sorts of legal torrents available. In this article we list the best online sources to find legal torrents. Allowing you to download lots of content for free.
You might have heard reports of people getting in legal trouble for using torrents. This has lead to a widespread belief that torrents are themselves illegal. But that simply isn’t the case.
Torrenting is a method of file sharing, in which people (called seeds in torrent-speak) host a file for others to download (called leechers). A torrent file that you download from the internet is just a very small file which shows your torrent client where to look for other users hosting the real file you want.
One common use of torrents online is pirating material such as movies or music albums. This IS illegal, because it is sharing copyrighted content.
When you use a torrent, you are not only downloading the file but also hosting it for others to download from you. This means using a torrent to download a file like a movie could get you in a lot of trouble as you are technically distributing copyrighted content.
However, torrents can also used for all sorts of legitimate purposes, such as sharing open source software like Linux distributions. This method allows the software to be available to everyone, without the original developer having to pay a lot of money to host the file. This is important for free and open source software.
Torrents can also be used for other legal purposes such as sharing non-copyrighted movies or commercial commons music. Many older movies are now in the public domain, which means they are free to watch, distribute, and share. You can use torrents to download these classic movies legally.
To learn more about legal torrents, visit the torrent guide for everyone.
If you want to find a torrent online, there are a number of sites which specialize in only legal torrents. Some sites like Cat Torrent or ClearBits have now shut down. However, you can download torrents from the following websites without worrying about legal issues.
Legit Torrents has torrents for downloading a host of different types of content, including movies, music, and software.
You’ll find categories for downloading Linux distributions as well as software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Plus there are categories for entertainment content including anime, books, and games.
This site is one of the most popular legal torrent sites so the torrents you get from here will often have the highest number of seeds for you to download from.
Although this site looks basic in terms of design, it’s one of the best sites on the internet for finding legal torrents. Everything shared on this site is in the public domain, with classic movies spanning genres like horror, drama, animation, and comedy.
It’s a great site for film buffs and B-movie fans, with movies available in to download in multiple formats for mobile devices. There’s also a category for streams if you want to watch online without having to download anything.
Vuze is best known as one of the best torrent clients. However, it also hosts a directory of legal torrent content. The site hosts torrents for regularly updated video content like news programs, TED Talks, and comedy shows. And it’s a popular place to host audio or video podcasts, which can be downloaded daily or weekly as new episodes come out.
There’s a great selection of informative podcasts about science and nature, as well as other topics. It also has torrents for downloading book bundles, software, new music artists, and classic movies. If you’re looking for a site with torrents for popular content, all of which is available legally and for free, then Vuze should be your first stop.
If music is your passion and you love to hunt down new bands and artists, then you should try out Jamendo Music. This site features free and independent music which can either be downloaded using torrents or streamed online. It has a large quantity of free music which can be used for videos, such as in YouTube content creator projects, which you can find in the royalty-free music section.
You can also search for artists by genre, or look for the latest or trending tracks. And if you still can’t decide what to download, you can use the Radios function to hear a selection of free music from the genre of your choice.
If you’re a Linux user, the chances are you already know about Linuxtracker. This site specializes in sharing torrents for downloading Linux distributions.
While the big Linux distros like Ubuntu or openSUSE can be downloaded directly from their websites, this option isn’t feasible for smaller distros which are more niche. For these obscure distros, you’re much more likely to find what you need on a legal torrent site like Linuxtracker.
You can find just about every Linux distro you can think of on this site, as well as multiple versions of older distros which can be useful for testing purposes.
If you don’t know The Internet Archive, you’re missing out on one the greatest troves of information and content to be found anywhere online. The site is an online library with a huge array of material which can be downloaded legally and for free.
As well as books, software, and music, the site has a massive range of public domain movies. You can watch these movies online or download them via torrent in the site’s Feature Films section. They have a large collection of film noir movies, cult horror classics, and silent movies from the earliest days of cinema. It’s a great resource for true movie buffs.
People tend to associate torrents with piracy. However, as we have shown here there is a lot of content which can be downloaded legally using torrents. The sites we’ve mentioned will let you download classic movies, open source software, and free music, all legally via torrents.
And if you’re hankering for more free content, check out our list of sites where you can download free music legally.
Read the full article: How to Find Legal Torrents Online: The Best Sources
Bluetooth speakers vary wildly in price. Some cost a few dollars, and others cost hundreds of dollars. But you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy high-quality sound. You can spend under $50 and still get a fantastic speaker.
Here are some of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers.
The Anker Soundcore 2 is arguably the best Bluetooth speaker available for less than $50. The sound is better than several larger, more powerful speakers. The Soundcore 2, which measures 6.5 x 2.1 x 1.9 inches, comes with two 12W speakers and two 1.5-inch drivers. Low ends diminish at 150Hz.
It offers 24 hours of battery life and a Bluetooth range of up to 66 feet. There’s also an AUX port that allows you to play music from devices that aren’t Bluetooth-enabled. The Anker Soundcore 2 also has an IPX7 waterproof rating. This means the speaker can withstand being submerged in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Although almost all of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers are portable, many aren’t suitable for using when you’re physically on the go. The JBL Clip 3 is different. It offers a solution for people who don’t want to use Bluetooth headphones while they’re moving. Everyone from gardeners to sportspeople will find it useful. The device includes a carabiner clip so you can attach it to your clothes.
Given its small size (it weighs just 7.8 ounces), it’s unsurprising that the speaker itself doesn’t pack the same punch as the other models on this list. It includes a solitary 3W speaker and a 40mm transducer. The batteries last for around 10 hours. The speaker does not include an AUX port.
The Dell 520-AAGP isn’t designed for rugged outdoor use. The silver casing looks excellent on desks and in kitchens, while the rubberized plate on one end gives you the option of placing it vertically or horizontally. It also includes some features that are more suited to indoor use.
Dell includes NFC compatibility for rapid pairing and a microphone for using on hands-free phone calls. The speaker’s Bluetooth signal has a 33-foot range, and the battery will last for 10 hours. Under the hood, you will find two 2.5W speakers, a full-range driver, and a passive radiator.
The AOMAIS Sport II oozes durability. The speaker’s entire outer shell is reinforced with a combination of thick rubber and plastic. A watertight flap hides all of the speaker’s ports. All the reinforcement earns the speaker an IPX7 rating. Sound-wise, the AOMAIS Sport II doesn’t disappoint.
The speaker has two 10W speakers; it’s more than enough to fill a large room with music. On the downside, the two speakers’ output their sound in mono. If you want to enjoy stereo sound, you’ll need to pair two of the devices together. The speaker also comes with a microphone and an NFC reader.
If sound quality is more important to you, the DOSS SoundBox is one of the best Bluetooth speakers available for under $50. The audio is delivered via two 6W speakers. The speaker also has enhanced bass and 360-degree sound technology. In addition to Bluetooth and AUX-in connectivity, the DOSS SoundBox is also one of the few speakers that offers a microSD card port.
The presence of the port means the speaker isn’t waterproof and thus isn’t suitable for rugged outdoor use. The controls might not be to everyone’s taste. They’re touch-only and are illuminated by a bright backlight that you cannot disable. The speaker measures 6.6 x 2.9 x 2.7 inches and comes in white, black, and blue. It has a Bluetooth range of 33 feet.
The Creative Muvo Mini is a curious speaker. Its quirky design means it doesn’t look out of place indoors or outdoors, while the features will also appeal to both markets. For example, the built-in microphone and NFC support make it a perfect desktop companion, but the 10-hour battery life and IP66 waterproof rating make it ideal for use on a deck or patio during the summer.
The speaker also has an AUX port and microphone. The low-end bass sounds acceptable, but not perfect. It is the speaker’s biggest weakness. The Creative Muvo Mini weighs 285 grams and measures 7.4 x 1.4 x 1.7 inches. It is available in black, blue, red, and white.
The OontZ Angle 3 Ultra is perfect for people who want to use their speaker for a long time in large spaces—for example, on camping trips. The battery lasts for an impressive 20 hours, while the 100-foot Bluetooth range is the largest out of the seven speakers we’ve discussed in this list. With an IPX6 rating, the speaker is spray-resistant and splash-resistant, but it will not survive complete submersion.
Think of it as shower-proof rather than bath-proof. The two physical speakers each provide 7W of sound and are capable of handling stereo output. You can even pair two Oontz Angle 3 Ultras together for even more impressive stereo performance. The speaker has an AUX port and built-in microphone.
When you’re hunting for the best cheap Bluetooth speakers, the key to long-term satisfaction is to purchase a device that meets your specific needs. There’s no point in buying a high-quality rugged speaker if it’s just going to sit on your desktop all day, every day.
If these are too weak for you, check out the loudest Bluetooth speakers money can buy. Or if you don’t want Bluetooth anymore, check out these awesome desktop speakers that are worth every penny. Between all our recommendations, we are sure you’ll be able to find something that meets your needs.
Read the full article: The Best Cheap Bluetooth Speakers Under $50
There are lots of times you might need to get hold of royalty-free, Creative Commons music. You could be putting together a short film, designing a video game, or recording a podcast; with the right license, you can use CC music for all of that.
You can find plenty of free music across the sites in this list, whether you plan to share it, remix it, or use it commercially. When it comes to Creative Commons music, there’s no shortage of options.
With Creative Commons music, you still need to check the specific license for each track. Different licenses let you do different things with the music, whether that means listening to it in private or remixing it for an ad campaign.
The Creative Commons organization uses easily recognizable symbols for each of its licenses. This makes it easy to find out what you can and can’t use each track for. All you need to do is learn about the different Creative Commons licenses available.
SoundCloud is a great resource for anyone who wants to share music, podcasts, and more. So it’s no surprise you can discover a lot of decent royalty-free Creative Commons music on SoundCloud as well.
There are a few ways to find CC-licensed music on SoundCloud. The easiest way is to follow the official Creative Commons profile, which has hundreds of tracks you can download.
Other users also upload royalty-free music, which you can find by filtering your SoundCloud search results. To find what you’re looking for, click the CC button and choose how you want to use the music.
All the music on Audionautix is under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. That means it’s free to share, remix, and use commercially. The only rule is that you credit the artist, Jason Shaw.
That’s right, all the music on Audionautix is created by one person. But there’s no shortage of tracks on here since Shaw has spent years building up the library.
Filter the available tracks by genre, tempo, and mood. Or search a keyword to find exactly what you’re looking for. Audionautix has an impressively broad range considering it all comes from the same guy.
In September 2019, the Free Music Archive combined with Tribe of Noise, a community for musicians and other creatives to network with each other. Use Tribe of Noise to chat with musicians directly or buy a license to access royalty-free music.
That said, you can still access the old Free Music Archive website, which is full of Creative Commons music for you to use right away. Click the FMA Static Pages button in the top-right to browse the various curators, genres, or charts.
Freesound lets visitors search for music and sound effects using tags, comments, and locations. Take a look at the tag cloud for a place to start if you’re not sure what you want. Then sign up for a free account when you want to download stuff.
As always, be sure to check the exact license for each track so you know how you can use the audio. Some of the music uses non-commercial Creative Commons licenses, which means you can’t use it to make money in any way.
Incompetech is a good place to find full-length royalty-free music for films and videos. You can search the library by genre, tempo, or topics. If you register for a free account, you can even search for CC music by the mood or length.
Music on Incompetech is “absolutely royalty-free” and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license. This means it’s free to share, remix, and use commercially, as long as you credit the artist.
Alternatively, pay for a license from Incompetech if you don’t want to credit anyone.
Another major Creative Commons library you don’t want to miss is dig.ccMixter. This site is overflowing with free music to download, sample, and share. You can find instrumental music to use for films, commercial projects, and video games.
As is the case with all sites, take a close look at the license on each clip to make sure you don’t break the rules. Three different icons show what you can or can’t do and dig.ccMixter gives a crystal clear overview of what each icon means.
Bump Foot is a Japanese non-profit netlabel with two sides to their music catalog. On the Bump side, you can find techno and house music; while the Foot side has ambient and IDM tracks instead.
All the music from Bump Foot is under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike license. That means you can share and remix the tracks, as long as you credit the artist and don’t use it to make any money.
Get recordings, sheet music, and textbooks without any copyright restrictions from Musopen. It’s a non-profit organization aimed at boosting exposure to music with free resources and educational material.
Discover royalty-free music from classical composers, such as Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven. If you aren’t up to speed on your composers, search the catalog of recordings by choosing a mood instead.
As always, check the Creative Commons icons next to each track to find out what you are and aren’t allowed to do with the free music.
CC Trax lets you search an entire Creative Commons library of music by genre, choosing from electronica, dub, techno, house, downtempo, and ambient. Full albums are available to download and use, often licensed by a range of netlabels.
Click on each album or track you want to use and check the Creative Commons icons to find out what it’s licensed for. Most of the music on CC Trax is non-commercial, which means you can’t make money off of it, but it’s still great for personal use.
The Internet Archive is a place you can go to find a lot of free stuff. It’s a non-profit library of free books, movies, software, and websites. Click the Audio button to start browsing the collection of music and audiobooks from the Internet Archive as well.
There are over 7 million recordings available, ranging from old radio shows, to news broadcasts, to live music concerts. Filter the media type you’re looking for and click a recording to see more details about it.
iBeat offers free beats, loops, and breaks to download under different Creative Commons licenses. Browse rap beats, piano chords, and drum loops to use in your own productions or for commercial purposes, like jingles.
There’s no need to create an account to download and use tracks, which makes it quick and easy to get started. Just make sure to check the specific license for the music you download, as not all of it is for commercial use.
blocSonic is another netlabel with over 3,000 pieces of free CC music for you to download. Most of it is under the non-commercial license, which means you can’t use it to make money, but if you want free music for yourself, this is another great resource.
Check out new artist releases from the home page or visit the catalog to see everything blocSonic has to offer. With music from over 400 artists, you’re sure to find something to your liking.
All the music on FreePD is completely free, with no need to attribute artists when you use it, even if you use it commercially. A subscription lets you download more tracks in high quality, but for most people the free service is plenty.
Navigate the simple website by clicking one of ten musical categories, covering genres and moods. Each track is tagged with bright emojis, making it easy to find the music you want with a glance.
Looperman features thousands of royalty-free music loops and vocal recordings for you to use. Join the community of musicians to get support developing your craft or make valuable contacts to find the free music you’re looking for.
You don’t need to be a musician to make use of Looperman; anyone can download the loops and beats to use however they need to. As always, make sure to check the specific Creative Commons license for the music you want before putting it to use.
That should help you find all the royalty-free, Creative Commons music you need. But why stop there? You probably want pictures to go with your music as well. Find out where to get copyright-free images to cover all your bases.
Read the full article: The 14 Best Sites to Find Free Creative Commons Music
Here’s a nice little surprise for Android users this weekend. It seems that Google’s pans to roll out Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging is slightly ahead of schedule. The company announced in November that it would be making the feature available for all Android users in the country by year-end.
A tweet from Android Messages product manager Sanaz Ahari confirms that the SMS-successor has been made available to users in the States as of this week. The new protocol brings with it some key advances over messaging stalwart, SMS.
The update brings a lot of features that many have been compared to iMessage, Apple’s standard protocol that’s done a good keeping many users onboard with iOS, for fear of becoming a green bubble. Key features include read receipts, the ability to see another user typing in real-time, larger file transfers and improved group messaging (though, as noted, some features like end to end encryption are still lacking).
Notably back in October, the U.S.’s four primary carriers formed a rare joint effort to accelerate the adoption of RCS. Both the Messages app and carrier services have to be updated to get access. Users in the U.K. and France also have access to the feature as of this summer, with more countries coming soon.
