Why Spotify is the best way to listen to music.

I have been using Spotify for around 5 years now. I remember being in high school and having this great new way of listening to music, other than illegally downloading on Limewire or having to search through Youtube videos. At the time Spotify was fairly new, no-one had really heard of it yet and you had a limit of 30 hours worth of listening time a month, which now I think about it would not be sufficient for me now because I am on Spotify for what feels like 24 hours a day.

There is a reason I’m telling you this, it’s because I think Spotify is one of the best things to come out of this side of the millennium despite these early beta flaws. There are so many reasons why I love it so much, so here they are:

It’s free!

One of the best things about Spotify is that it is free. The computer download is free, the app and the chrome extension are all free. Nowadays we have to pay for everything, and if it seems too good to be true it probably is. Except for Spotify, as this app is and  always has been free. You can of course pay for a monthly subscription in order to get more perks, but that’s like getting a free burger and paying for extra toppings – you don’t really need to.

It’s easy to navigate

I’m not the biggest technology buff, so when it comes to navigational apps they’re a must for me. Spotify has a simple layout with all of the essential buttons on the side. On the mobile app it’s as simple as swiping the screen for all of the necessary stuff you need.

The features are endless

I’m always looking for new music to get hooked on, so Spotify’s artist radio is one of the special features for me. I used to love using Bloom.fm for my music discovery, but since it’s shutdown earlier this year, I turned to my trusty Spotify account for inspiration. Another feature that’s just that little more special is that if you love a song so much, you can buy the song from the Spotify app for download cutting out the need for an iTunes account.

Problems….what problems?

In my 5 years of using Spotify I have had no problems with it. Everything works perfectly and there are never any bugs that need fixing like the other apps that constantly need an update. However, Spotify isn’t a huge fan of GiffGaff’s internet connection, but that has nothing to do with Spotify and is merely a limitation from my network provider.

With that said, I do now, and forever will think that Spotify is one of the best creations to known to man, and should carry on being amazing for many years to come.

What do you think of Spotify? Have you ever had any problems with it, or like me do you think it’s a wonderful things? Leave your comments below or Tweet us at @PeekTechBlog

Photo credit: press.spotify.com

Is the Facebook Dislike Button Going To Happen?!

How long have you been waiting to click dislike on that really annoying post or comment on Facebook? Well soon enough you might be able to do just that! Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook has said they are now actually considering adding the dislike button that Facebook users have been wanting for so long.

However before you get too excited, he has said, that although he does want another option for Facebook users to express their emotion because like isn’t always appropriate, it may not be by the introduction of an actual ‘dislike’ button. Zuckerberg wants the new option to be a force for good rather than a force for bad and has worries that a ‘dislike’ button is too negative and can easily be used for the wrong reasons.

We will have to wait and see what Zuckerberg decides on and whether or not it will live up to everyone’s expectations! What do you think about a ‘dislike button’? Is it a good idea, or will some people abuse it and ultimately lead to its removal?

About time or bad timing? Snapchat launches it’s first ad.

Snapchat, the app with more than 100 million users has released it’s first paid ad. The new movie Ouija starring Shelley Hennig showcased it’s trailer on the app and broke a record for the first advertisement to appear on Snapchat that wasn’t about the app itself.

But is this a good choice for the vastly popular app? Many Snapchat users may be wondering what  this means for their feeds, will it spam them or will it be subtle and un-noticeable? Well according to Snapchat, the advertisements will be shown on the ‘recent updates’ tab which could prove to be annoying for regular users.

Bringing ads to our devices could be debated as the worst time possible. Snapchat admits that they need to make money, maybe due to the recent Snappening. Could it possibly be the decline of the app’s success? It seems to me that this may be terrible timing due to user’s trust being faltered from the recent events, only to be spammed with adverts when they don’t want to see them in their feeds.

Snapchat representatives claim that “it’s going to feel a little bit weird at first, but we’re taking the plunge”. But if this really how simple it will be? User’s will just ‘accept’ it and let it be? There’s a reason people channel change when the adverts come on, it’s because no-one wants to see them.

What do you think? Was this a great business move or could it jeopardise the app’s success? Let us know on Twitter at: @PeekTechBlog or leave a comment below

 

Photo Credit: blog.kineticsocial.com

The snapping never stops: Why is Snapchat so popular?

Technology around us is constantly improving and new modes of communication are consistently populating our app stores within our so very precious phones!

I am more than sure you have already heard of Snapchat! The superb app that allows the user to take (or snap) a picture of something, give it a concise caption and instantly send it to any number of friends. ALL FOR FREE. It is no mistake this app has grown to become so popular and dominant in today’s means of communication.

So who’s using Snapchat? From the looks of it, it’s anybody ranging from the age of 14 to mid-30s (and any trendy 40 year olds) either male or female. Yes this app seems to appeal to so many as it really can be used for any purpose, showing off food you’ve cooked, new outfits or even to simply share your face with the world, and there are some pretty funny snaps out there. Snapchats most recent update featuring the “chat feature” has also led to the increase in the apps beneficial use. You can now send chunks of text to your friends and even see when they have read it. There is also a nifty live video feature in which you can live stream what you are doing to any chosen friend. This is similar to FaceTime however one hand must always remain on the phone or the feed will cut!

How much of a threat does Snapchat really pose to our other modes of communication such as Whatsapp, Facebook messenger and of course standard texting? Snapchats unique feature is that you can very easily share live pictures with multiple people instantly and easily. This alone makes this app superior to other methods of communication. However drawbacks such as disappearing conversations and limited viewing times on snaps make texting better for getting across any important messages.

Overall Snapchat is a great app to use and you’d have to be a caveman to not download it now! Get snapping!

What do you think of the hugely popular app? Let us know on Twitter: @peektechblog

Photo credit: businessetc.thejournal.ie

Wearable Content… The Go Pro!!

The latest fad in gadgets has to be the wearable camera! Great for being able to document your life when you don’t even notice you’re doing it. So, we thought we’d come up 5 reasons why you might need a Go Pro in your life!

1. Attach it to your musical instrument – Never get bored of watching a live performance with Go Pro! Turn your instrument in to the camera to give the listener a totally new experience! We loved this man and his trombone!

 

2. Attach it to Sports Equipment – Try and be a bit different, instead of attaching it to your bike helmet why not try your hockey stick or your tennis racket.

 

3. Attach it to an animal – Now we’re sure you’ve wondered what it’s like to live in the life of your pet cat or dog? Now you finally have the opportunity! The outcomes of attaching your go pro to your pet can be both catastrophic and hilarious.

 

4. Put it in your washing machine – One of Go Pro’s best features is that it’s pretty much waterproof. This means you can use it almost anywhere! We think that the results of putting it inside your washing machine are pretty cool. You could even attach it to your lawn mower and watch the grassy explosion unfold.

 

5. Action shots with your family – We all know that children can be mischievous, messy and funny all rolled in to one and attaching Go Pro to one of your youngsters can have hysterical results.

 

We’d love to see your videos of your experiments with the Go Pro send us your links below!