Trends with Benefits: Google Home, Food Tech & would you stay at a Star Wars “WestWorld”?

By Greg Nibler Published April 21, 2017

The Future of Food Technology: With billions of people on the planet, the advancement of food technology will be more important than ever. That means humans will need to adapt as well. Would you be willing to eat 3D printed meat?

Is Disney building a Star Wars-themed ‘WestWorld’?: Disney’s new interactive experience will be a Star Wars spaceport, with your choices determining the outcome of your adventure. At a project $900-1000 per night, would you be willing to stay at a Star Wars West World?

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Topics

Entertainment

The best scary podcasts to keep you up all night

amazon lumberyard game engine spooky

It doesn't feel like long since the start of summer, but believe it or not, Halloween is right around the corner. As the dark nights roll in, fall is the perfect time for Gothic novels, spooky horror movies, and, of course, hauntingly good podcasts -- mug of pumpkin-spiced chai optional. There are plenty of scary podcasts to choose from, whether you're looking for fictional dramas or strange-but-true tales of things going bump in the night. Whatever you're h(a)unting for, you'll find something in our list of the best scary podcasts. And if you're looking for something that won't leave you cowering under the covers, check out our roundup of the best podcasts.
Audio drama/fiction
The No Sleep Podcast

This award-winning anthology of short original horror stories is now in its 18th season, with over 500 episodes to listen to. Each episode has a haunting, atmospheric soundtrack that ensures you're truly immersed in the tale. Be warned, though -- as the name suggests, this is definitely not a podcast to listen to in bed unless you plan on staying awake all night.
Apple Podcasts Stitcher

Audio / Video

Spotify looks to lure podcasters, listeners away from Apple with polls, Q&As

Spotify app icon on iPhone.

It's no secret that Spotify has its sights set on total podcast domination, given its high-profile acquisition of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, along with several exclusive launches like The Michelle Obama Podcast and one that features the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, better known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But the streaming music giant is still looking for additional ways to attract both listeners and podcast creators to its platform, and its latest move is the introduction of podcast polls and Q&As.

If you're a podcast creator, polls and Q&As give you a free way to increase your engagement with your audience. Normally, a listener has few ways to directly interact with their favorite podcasts, given that most platforms like Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts are essentially no more than a way to find, subscribe to, and play podcast episodes. With Spotify's new tools, podcasts become interactive, with polls and the ability to ask listeners questions, right on the episode page.

Podcasts

Apple’s Podcasts+ subscription service makes debut at Spring Loaded event

apple podcast subscriptions

Apple will make podcasts a more integral part of its ecosystem with the launch of Apple Podcasts+, a subscription-based service that will offer exclusive podcasts only available to subscribers, along with the wider library of shows available on its existing podcasts app. The entire Apple Podcasts app will also get a redesign, as announced during the Spring Loaded event on April 20.

The premium Podcasts+ service will launch in May with several new shows only available to Podcasts+ subscribers. Along with receiving additional curation options and recommendations for subscribers in the redesigned app via Channels, Podcasts+ subscribers will also enjoy ad-free listening settings, early access to certain shows, and more, yet-to-be-announced features.