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TWB Podcast: Alexa Voice Recognition; Google Recordings; Disney Movie App

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Alexa Voice Recognition: Google Home announced Voice Match last week, as a service that can distinguish between individual user’s voices. Amazon has now followed suit with an Alexa update that can do the same thing.

Google Home Mini recordings: Google is now in hot water, after a user reported that a glitch in his Home Mini, allowed it to record everything he said and store the information. They have since sent out a software update to address the issue, but this really plays to the worst nightmare privacy concerns that many people have. Will this change your interest in picking up a home assistant?

Monster’s Legal Online Gambling: It’s a strange tale, but the new COO of Monster (yes, the headphones), Fred Khalilian has the company getting into the gambling business. Navigating through a complex set of regulations, he claims the company will launch PokerTribe by December 15th of this year. If it works, they will make billions, but what other industries could take inspiration to find a home online?

All Movies In One Place: Disney has reportedly reached deals with a number of major studios, to allow your purchased movies to be easily accessed across multiple platforms. This could be game changing, in making your online purchases available whenever and wherever you need them.

Oculus Project Santa Cruz : One of the biggest deterrents to widespread adoption of high end Virtual Reality sets in the home, is the necessity of an equally high end PC to run them. Oculus has announced that it’s next generation set, Project Santa Cruz, will finally cut the cords, allowing for a simpler, more inclusive jump into VR. Does this mean we are closer to living in Ready Player One, or are we still a long ways out?

Each week, we gather a round table of tech experts from the Digital Trends staff, along with the occasional celebrity guest, to discuss all things tech. Topics range from the big tech stories of the week to predicting the future, all while maintaining a somewhat civil decorum. Throughout the show we answer your questions.

This week’s episode features Brendan Hesse, Rick Stella, Caleb Denison and Greg Nibler.

Greg Nibler
Greg has worked as a Host, Producer, and Writer in radio and television since the early 2000s, working for such companies as…
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

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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.

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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.

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