Engadget

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  1. Indonesia expects Apple to invest $1 billion to get the iPhone 16 back on sale

    Indonesia’s investment minister, Rosan Roeslani, said that the country is expecting $1 billion from Apple as an investment. It’s important to note that Indonesia has banned iPhone 16 sales locally because the smartphones must contain at least 40 percent locally-made parts. Apple doesn’t have any manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, so it cannot meet this requirement.

    Roeslani further said that Apple should invest even more in the future if it intends to make Indonesia a part of its supply chain. He also remarked on how an Indonesian Apple plant can create jobs.

    Previously, Apple had proposed to invest $100 million in building an accessory and component plant in Indonesia. The Indonesian government rejected it due to not meeting “principles of fairness.”

    While Apple still doesn’t have local plants to meet the 40 percent local content requirement, it does have application developer academies in Indonesia. That was why older iPhone models could be sold in the country. They remain on sale as of now, and there’s been no indication that Indonesia is looking to ban them currently.

    Reuters had contacted Apple for comment on the situation but has yet to receive a reply.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/indonesia-expects-apple-to-invest-1-billion-to-get-the-iphone-16-back-on-sale-162906748.html?src=rss

  2. Amazon Music now has its own version of Spotify Wrapped

    It’s that festive time of year again. All of the algorithm elves living inside our favorite music-streaming apps have begun cranking out personalized “best of” lists in the vein of Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay. This year, however, there’s a new kid on the block. Amazon Music just rolled out its own version of a yearly recap.

    It’s called Amazon Music Delivered, which I guess is a play on the fact that the company delivers lots of packages in real life? In any event, the yearly recap displays all of your favorite songs, artists and podcasts from throughout the year. The tool will even show off “the top request you’ve made with Alexa.” Uh oh. I asked Alexa to sing that horrible, yet catchy, song about cats like 25 times this year. Will that count?

    The feature is available to all Amazon Music customers. This includes Prime members who use the basic version and those who sprang for the monthly Unlimited subscription. Just head to the Library page and tap on the banner that says “2024 Delivered.” You can access a playlist by asking good ole Alexa about your top songs of 2024.

    Amazon also says that Alexa might play “an exclusive, special message” from one of your top artists, though the company didn’t note how many artists took part in this promotion. It just says that “eligible customers will see a flashing yellow light on their Alexa devices” if a message is waiting.

    The global ranks.
    Amazon

    Just like the other streamers, Amazon Music has also revealed its most popular artists and songs of the year. Taylor Swift took the top artist spot while “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone snagged the top song prize.

    The various Amazon Music tiers can be a bit confusing, as with most of the company’s digital offerings. Prime members automatically get something called Amazon Music Prime, which allows access to a catalog of 100 million songs and podcasts. There are no ads for this tier, but members are tied to playlists and shuffles, which is kind of like how the free Spotify tier works. 

    Amazon Music Unlimited removes all restrictions, but costs $10 per month for Prime members and $11 for non-members. Finally, there’s Amazon Music with Ads, which is an ad-filled version of the standard Prime-based tier. It doesn’t cost anything and is available to everyone, even people not interested in free and expedited shipping.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/amazon-music-now-has-its-own-version-of-spotify-wrapped-162216481.html?src=rss

  3. Apple Music Replay is here to highlight your impeccable (or terrible) taste

    Apple Music users have had access to the Replay feature throughout 2024, but now Apple has wrapped up all of your stats in a bow with its annual recap of your entire year in streaming. This time, you’ll be able to view the full Replay experience in the Apple Music app via the home, new and search tabs. You'll need to be on iOS 18.1 or later to see it there. In previous years, you had to go to a microsite to get the Replay lowdown, though that’s still an option on the web.

    As always, you can save a playlist of your most-played songs in 2024, though that and your stats will be finalized in January. Also, if you missed them or want a point of comparison, you can still access your Replays from previous years (something Spotify doesn't offer with Wrapped).

    Along with the usual details about your top artists, songs, albums, genres and playlists — as well as the total number of minutes you’ve listened to Apple Music — there are some new features this year. You’ll now see if you’re in an artist’s top 500 or 1,000 listeners, expanding beyond the top 100 limit from previous years. You can check out the longest streak of consecutive days you’ve streamed from Apple Music. There’s the option to view your top song, artist and album by month. You’ll also see the first date that you listened to your top artist, song and album of the year. 

    Artists, meanwhile, have access to their own version of Replay for the first time. Via the dashboard, they can see the total number of minutes that subscribers have listened to their music, total listeners, top cities and most-shazamed song.

    The most-listened to song on Apple Music overall this year was Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the hook-laden diss track that utterly ethered Drake. Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” meanwhile, was the most identified song on Shazam.

    For what it's worth, I've had 55,265 minutes of Apple Music listening time so far this year. To my complete lack of surprise, Chappell Roan is my top artist and "Pink Pony Club" is my most-listened-to song. My other top three artists are Charlotte Cardin (who you should check out since she's fantastic) and Queens of the Stone Age, which I'm completely happy with because I have impeccable music taste. I won't mention who's in fourth place or the fact her Eras Tour wraps up this weekend.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/apple-music-replay-is-here-to-highlight-your-impeccable-or-terrible-taste-161402068.html?src=rss

  4. PlayStation Cyber Monday deals still available include $75 off PS5 Slim consoles

    Remember when it was nearly impossible to get your hands on a PS5? Those days are over now, which is only a good thing for gamers and those looking to get the console for the first time. Cyber Monday may be over, but discounts on the PS5 are still around. You can still get the PS5 Slim for $75 off at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sony and other retailers. You can get the digital edition for $374, or the disc-based model for $424. While we wouldn’t call this a budget console, these deals make it just a bit more affordable and an ideal time to see what all the PS5 fuss is about if you don’t have one yet.

    Despite the moniker, there’s nothing slim about the specs. This is a regular PS5, with the same horsepower as the original unit. However, the PS5 Slim is 30 percent smaller and around 25 percent lighter. When it comes to tech, smaller is typically a good thing.

    Both versions ship with a DualSense controller and a 1TB SSD. These consoles also come with Astro’s Playroom pre-installed, which is the precursor to the incredible Astro Bot. They don’t, however, come with a vertical stand. That’ll cost extra. The digital-only model, obviously, doesn’t ship with a disc drive, though there’s a standalone drive available for those who would rather make that decision later.

    Otherwise, this is a PS5. There’s no other way (right now) to play games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. It also runs cross-platform hits like Star Wars Outlaws and Elden Ring,in addition to pseudo-exclusives that made their way to PC like God of War Ragnarök.

    This sale is not for the recently-released PS5 Pro, so you won’t get all of those graphical upscaling bells and whistles. However, that new console is a whopping $700, whereas these PS5 Slim consoles are just over half that. And we'd be remiss if we didn't also mention the sale happening on DualSense Wireless Controllers that work with PS5 consoles; you can pick them up starting at just $54 a piece at Amazon and Sony.

    Check out all of the latestBlack Friday andCyber Monday deals here.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/playstation-cyber-monday-deals-still-available-include-75-off-ps5-slim-consoles-080645807.html?src=rss

  5. The 7 best white elephant gifts for 2024

    There's a good chance you've heard of a white elephant gift exchange before, even if you have yet to participate or even know where the tradition originated. According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them rather than having them executed. But this was a far more devious punishment. The recipient had no choice but to accept the opulent gift with gratitude, even though they knew they could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. Inevitably, this would lead them to financial ruin.

    This story is almost certainly untrue, but it has led to a modern holiday staple: the white elephant gift exchange. Picking the right white elephant gift means toeing a fine line: the goal isn't simply to buy something terrible and make someone take it home. Rather, it should be just useful or amusing enough that it won’t immediately get tossed into the trash. So here are a few suggestions that will not only get you a few chuckles, but will also make the recipient feel (slightly) burdened.

    A white elephant gift exchange is a party game typically played around the holidays in which people exchange funny, impractical gifts.

    A group of people each bring one wrapped gift to the white elephant gift exchange, and each gift is typically of a similar value. All gifts are then placed together and the group decides the order in which they will each claim a gift. The first person picks a white elephant gift from the pile, unwraps it and their turn ends. The following players can either decide to unwrap another gift and claim it as their own, or steal a gift from someone who has already taken a turn. The rules can vary from there, including the guidelines around how often a single item can be stolen — some say twice, max. The game ends when every person has a white elephant gift.

    The term “white elephant” is said to come from the legend of the King of Siam gifting white elephants to courtiers who upset him. While it seems like a lavish gift on its face, the belief is that the courtiers would be ruined by the animal’s upkeep costs.

    Check out the rest of ourgift ideas here.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-7-best-white-elephant-gifts-for-2024-150516584.html?src=rss