I read a lot of forums and blogs and many are saying that Apple is too late to the streaming market.  Spotify has a 60 million users, but only 15 million are paying for the commercial free stuff.  In comparison, Apple is reported to have 800 million credit cards on file….800 million.     There are over 1 billion iOS devices on that have been sold.  In other words, 15 million paying users is a small group…a really, really small group.

Warner Music announced that streaming revenue passed downloads for the first time last quarter and they were the first large music label to hit that milestone.   In short, I disagree with anyone that thinks this market is mature.  

While many complain that iTunes is a bloated mess, it is still one of the most popular music applications, if not the most popular.  Many still get their music from iTunes and listen to music using iTunes.  It comes with each Mac and many have it on their Windows machines.  An update will add Apple Music to iTunes and it will be in the face of the millions of people that listen to music using iTunes.  Unlike Spotify, Rdio, and other services, it is already right on your desktop. 

Once again, the Music app is already on your iOS device.  Yeah, you may have it hidden if you never listen to your own music, but I would venture to say that many still use it to listen to their own music or to iTunes Radio.  

The iOS integration doesn’t stop there.  They have implemented incredible search features into Siri.  I have used iTunes Match for a couple of years and pay for it just for Siri integration.  In fact, merging my music library with Apple Music is a huge bonus.  With this new service, I can tell Siri to play just about anything and it will start playing.  Now the fact that the service doesn’t have "Back in Black" available isn’t going to require me to go to a separate app to play it. 

While I don’t currently have an Apple Watch (nor will I buy a 1st gen version of it), Apple Music is a major selling point for the watch and vice versa.  Think about sitting in your living room listening to a playlist of music and going to get a snack.  While you are in the kitchen, a song comes on that you have heard one too many times.  You simply open Siri on the watch and tell it to skip the song.  Sweet!  

Instead of going to Youtube and hoping to find a video, this could be interesting, especially with the AppleTV and/or Airplay to the AppleTV.   I rarely watch music videos these days unless I see something browsing around on Youtube.  However, this will be built right into the same app I use for all of my music.  

At first blush, I can’t see that I would ever use Beats 1 Radio other than trying it out, but I wanted to mention it since a lot of people like DJs.  I remember when I first picked XM radio over Sirius, which were two separate companies at the time, the main argument for and against XM was the lack of DJs.  Personally, I usually prefer music without them, but sometimes I think they can bring some interesting facts to a song/artist/album and I do enjoy that in specific genres.  However, I doubt anyone like Jonathan Schwartz will be  on Beats 1, but I will at least try it out.

When I tried Beats Music Streaming Service, there were several features missing that I wanted to see and I didn't see any of those features addressed (continue play, artist radio slider, etc.), so I am not canceling Rdio until I have a month under my belt with it.  Luckily, it is free for 3 months, so I have plenty of time to try it out before I decide.  However, if Siri works properly with it, it will be hard not to switch.

As in past years(2013, 2012, 2011), I am putting together a new list of my top ten tech.   The list will contain my favorite things from last year, even if they were available in prior years.  By "tech" I am basically including any new toys, apps, etc... that I find cool and/or useful.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.
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1.  iPhone 6 plus - Product of the year - Any time I get a new phone, it will most likely end up on this list.  The iPhone 6 plus is the phone I have wanted since I bought my first smartphone several years ago (Kyocera 7135).   It is finally large enough to be used for more than just email and music.   The main upsides are the fact that it now has a 1920x1080, 5.5 inch screen, TouchID/ApplePay  (which is amazing and probably deserves its own entry on this list), faster processor, better camera with optical stabilization, slo-mo video,  specific landscape mode with certain apps, fantastic battery life, etc...  See some of my impressions here and here. 

2.  iPad Air 2 - Okay, I am starting to sound like a fanboy, but this is a huge upgrade over my iPad 3.  It has a better screen, runs apps quicker,  and is also lighter and thinner.  It has TouchID which is great for password apps and ordering from places like Target via their app.  I still have the iPad 3 around for using near water with a life proof case, but it definitely feels long in the tooth after using the iPad Air 2.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

3.  Global Cache IP2IR iTach /Roomie app - These work together in perfect harmony.   Roomie Remote is an app for the iPad/iPhone/Touch that has features that will control your internet devices over wifi.  It also has an app for the Mac that will allow you to launch and control certain programs.  The iTach is a separate device that you need if you have electronics that you want to control with the iPhone that are not connected to the internet.  I should mention that the Roomie is fantastic, especially for controlling devices through walls, but I still keep around my Harmony remote for the hard buttons (30 second skip during football games) which can also come in handy.   I have discussed the Roomie here and here.

5. Rdio / Tidal - I wrote about music streaming quite a bit over the last year.  My preference is for Rdio because it has the slickest, most useful interface for my needs.  They even upped their bitrate to a much more acceptable 320k.  Even though I prefer Rdio, I have to mention Tidal which brought lossless audio to music streaming this year.  I can hear a difference on some music and I would love to keep Tidal, but for my needs, the interface just needs a lot more work.  For those that want the best quality audio and mainly listen at home, I would recommend Tidal if you are willing to pay $20 a month.  I wrote about the comparison here and here... for everyone else I would recommend Rdio.  

6.  Lodge 10 inch Cast Iron Skillet / T-Fal 12 inch Non-stick Skillet - I am also lumping these two together because they are exceptional, inexpensive, and fill all of my skillet needs.  The Lodge is great for when you want to scramble eggs, cook on the grill, etc..  It seems to be indestructable.  The T-Fal is great for omelets, pancakes, and when you want to have more control over the temp.   The non-stick coating is the best that I have used and clean up is a breeze.  For my needs,  they are the perfect combo. 

7. ClipR - This is a small bluetooth device that will work wirelessly when it isn't plugged into a wall.  For running on a treadmill or an exercise bike, I put my iPad on a shelf in front of me and use the Clipr with a pair of my own headphones (Ety-ER4p) to listen to music or watch a video.  In other words, it will make any pair of headphones wireless.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

8.  Zoom modem -I decided to boost my cable internet speeds this year and found that the modem that Comcast was providing was too slow to handle 50+ mbps.  I decided that I needed a new modem, but decided to buy one, rather than renting a modem from Comcast this time around.  Comcast has a list of compatible modems and I got on Amazon and ordered the cheapest one I could find.  I was a bit worried that this might not be the best way to choose, but I have had the modem for several months now and it has been flawless.  Unlike my prior modem, which I had to reboot about twice a month, I haven't had to reboot it since it was set up. 

9.  ZyXEL 600 Mbps Mini Powerline AV2 Gigabit Adapter -  These are adapters that allow you to use your power line (in most homes) for ethernet.   I have a couple of them setup and they are very useful, even though in my home, they don't get the speeds that are advertised (I admit that I might not have them setup properly).  However, that being said, for my needs they are perfect.  I have a pair like the photo below and another pair that are slower and without the power plug pass through (the slower versions are probably slowing everything down).   I have one of them in our sunroom hooked to a router that feeds an Apple Airport Express a wired ethernet signal and a security camera that keeps an eye on the backyard.  The Airport Express is setup to expand the wifi network, so I can use an iPad/or iPhone anywhere in the backyard via wifi and the Airport Express also feeds an audio setup.  It works flawlessly even though there is not any air conditioning or heating in the room.   The other adapter is in the living room hooked up to a NetTalk Duo that we use to feed an old school wired telephone and a base station for  some cordless phones off of a splitter.  In short, these things put wired ethernet were you need it.

10.  Apple TV 3 -  This is an oldy, but a goody.   First let me say that this device is better if you own are in the Apple ecosystem (iOS, iTunes, iTunes Match, etc.).  However, I have owned the AppleTV and the Roku for several years and the Apple TV gets at least twice as much use.  It wouldn't be my top pick for Android owners unless you can figure out how to get it to work with Airplay (which I believe is possible for at least audio), but there are a lot of people that own at least one iOS device to make it a worthwhile purchase..   

In addition to the above, which are my top ten for the year, I thought I would make the list a bit longer this year to make up for all of the Apple stuff on the list this year:

11.  SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism Gaming Headset -  These are fantastic, comfortable game/movie headphones that can be customized for sound and for looks.    I have a long review on Amazon and I will probably add a review for them in my blog. 

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

12.   TP-LINK RE200 AC750 Universal Wireless Dual Band Range Extender -  I can't say how many times I have seen posts from people complaining about wifi in their homes.  This device goes a long way in solving many of those issues.  I found it easy to setup and the extra range in my house (and even outside) is substantial.  

13.  Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife with Fibrox Handle -  I bought this knife mainly for cutting through brisket, but it is so sharp and comfortable to use that I often use it for carving raw meat.  I love using it so much, I plan to buy more of their knives in different sizes.

14.   KitchenAide Mixer -  I have had this for a while now and I looked back at my and was surprised that it hasn't been on past lists.  This thing is a workhorse and with added attachments, you can grind meat, shred cheese, or even make ice cream with it.  I absolutely love it for making pizza dough or grinding meat for my own hamburgers. 

Well, that pretty much wraps it up.  The list was easier to put together this year since Apple came out with some great new items.   I wonder what next year will hold?

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

I can't say just how long I have wanted a streaming service that offered lossless audio (real CD quality).  I first started using streaming services years ago with Rhapsody.  When MOG announced 320K streaming, I switched from Rhapsody.  Then MOG was purchased by Beats and I had to find a new streaming service.  To be honest, none of the 320k streaming services completely filled the void left by MOG.  As a result, I tried Rdio, even though they were using lower bitrates.  It was, by far, the most fully realized service and if it streamed 320k, it would be the replacement.  Guess what, Rdio upped their bitrate to 320K AAC in recent weeks and I dropped Spotify (which I was carrying for sound quality).

I was really in love with all the features offered by Rdio when Tidal came out yesterday.   However, Tidal is lossless and Rdio isn't.  Is that enough to switch streaming vendors?   Well, a comparison is in order.

I have several different audio systems around my house.  As a result, I am always looking for better quality audio.  I am not so worried about sound quality that I am looking at different audio speaker wire or wondering if magic rocks and coloring my CDs will make them sound better, but I do care about sound.  On a scale of disinterested to obsessed, I would fall closer to obsessed than disinterested, but I do own receivers, so I am not a full blown audiophile (by audiophile standards).  

Even though I haven't done an ABX test, I am just going to give Tidal the edge in sound quality.  Some would say it would be a slight edge over 320K on good day.  

Coincidentally, I was comparing Norah Jones "Come Away with Me" album that I have in lossless format on my computer with Rdio over the last weekend (before Tidal was released).  To my ears, they were slightly different, but I didn't really prefer lossless over Rdio in this case.  I will say that I have always ripped my CDs in lossless because I might hear a difference on some albums and I don't have time to test every single file.

Winner: Tidal

For its part Rdio has numerous paths for curation.  When you listen to music, they automatically build a playlist/station that is made up of your favorites, they provide recommendations similar to artists you like, the list artist similar to artists you have been listening to, they have "dig deeper" recommendations of artists you have listened to, etc...  There are just a lot of ways for them to suggest music for you.    

Tidal is very weak in this area.  They have a section under an individual artist that has similar artists listed.  Rdio also has this feature, but they also have "inspired by"  and "influenced" to give more context into an artist.  Both services appear to use the incredible ALLMUSIC for their Biographies, so no one gets an edge in that area.

Winner:  Rdio (by a long shot)

Tidal has video available.  I found this feature less impressive than I thought it would be.  To find a video, you have to go to a specific artist and then navigate to the video link.   When I tried this, the pickings were slim.  As an example, U2 doesn't have any videos listed.   I thought I would take a look at Miles Davis.  He has videos listed, but they are a photo of Miles with audio playing in the background.  Not very useful.  Bruce Springsteen had some listed, but none of his iconic videos from the 80s.

Tidal has a landscape mode (see pic below) on the iPhone that I found useful.  It allows you to control the song/album that is playing, but it falls short in some ways, too.  You have to put the phone back in portrait mode to get off of that screen if you want to listen to something else.

Another cool feature of Tidal is that it has articles about certain albums and subjects.  For example, there is an article called "15 Ways to Nirvana: Records that shaped the band".    It is like having a subscription to an audio magazine in addition to listening to music.

Rdio has its own set of unique features.  By far the most unique is that ability to remotely control the Rdio desktop app from the iOS app.   Therefore, if you have Rdio running on a computer,  it works just like the iPad/iPhone app.   It will also let you control Rdio running on one iOS device with a separate iOS device.  This is great if you have an old iPhone docked for audio and want to use your iPad to look at the news while listening to music.

Rdio also has a Shazam plug in that helps you build playlists.  It has something called Boil The Frog that is another unique way to build playlists.

One other feature that Rdio has is the ability to set the streaming bitrate independently for cellular and wifi streaming.  I really wish Tidal had this feature.  I don't want to eat through my GBs on my wireless plan too quickly.

They both had the ability to play music based on an artist, but Rdio is more full featured in this area, as well.  With Tidal you can select an artist, or track, and it will play music similar to them.  I found the "track" selections to be less than desirable.  I was playing Joe Henderson's "Double Rainbow" album (which is Bossa Nova music) and a few songs later it picked "Precis" by Sam Rivers to play.  It is more of a "free jazz" (for lack of a better description) styled song.  Not really want I want to hear when I select tracks similar to "Felicidade".  For my tastes, Rdio did a much better job with "track radio".

Also, Rdio has a setting for artist radio that will allow you to play "Artist Only" to "Adventurous" with an option to play music in the middle of those two choices.  With Tidal, the selection is obviously steered toward adventurous.

Another incredible feature on Rdio is the choice to turn on "Autoplay".  This will allow similar music to continue to play after you finish an album.   

Rdio also has the ability to set up a station based on the record label.  A very unique, but often used feature.

Personally, I think Rdio is a better service overall.  I wouldn't mind video, but Tidal needs a better way to find it and they need a better selection.    Tidal's articles look interesting, but I need to read several of them before I decide how useful it is.   Tidal currently costs twice as much as Rdio.  If Rdio had an option to pay $10 extra for lossless, I would pay it.  However, they don't, which is going to make it hard to decide which service will eventually get my money.   Right now, I am currently leaning toward keeping Rdio, but I need to do some back to back listening of the two services over the next month to decide.  I will keep you posted.

A few months back, I had the perfect music streaming app for my needs.  The service was MOG, but in 2012 Beats music bought it.  In May, they killed off MOG and sent invitations for MOG users to enjoy two free months of Beats.  The service is a far cry from the simplicity of MOG and actually removed "artist radio" and "continual play" which were hallmarks of the MOG service.  

There are some great things about Beats, namely their "Just for You " page which has recommendations.  However, the missing stuff was annoying and I started looking for a better option for my needs.

I tried a few services...Spotify, Google Play Music, and Rdio.  I almost ruled out Rdio because I read that they use 192k files, while the other services are using 320k.  I read recently that Rdio is moving to 320k, so I decided to try the service thinking that I could just switch when they completed the move if I liked the service.   Here are the things  I wanted and why I chose Rdio for now, despite the fact that they are using 192k (NOTE:  Rdio now streams in 320k AAC for premium accounts, so this point is no longer a reason to avoid Rdio):

1.  iPad app - Google Play does not have a native iPad app.  This ruled them out from my consideration.  I tried the iPhone app on my iPad and it is ugly compared to iPad native apps.

2.  Desktop app - Another shortfall of Google.  They want you to sign into a browser and I don't want to do that just for listening to music.   Also, Google, as a rule is too creepy for my tastes.  I use some of their services, but avoid them if they don't have a far superior service that makes the creepiness/benefit ratio worth it.

3.  Bluetooth in my car - while they all work for audio, Rdio has the only implementation that works perfectly for seeing the current song that is playing and album art on my nav screen.  Beats has the worst integration and I contacted them, but it isn't fixed.  It was the main, but not only, reason I ruled them out.  I should point out that my car may need a firmware update, but it doesn't explain why Rdio is the only one that works properly.

4.  User Interface -  This is personal, but Rdio has the best looking user interface for my taste.  It looks clean and it is easy to get to anything you want, quickly.   Beats looks great, but it takes forever to get to basic features like new releases. Spotify has a photo of hands reaching up at a concert on a dark background, I prefer the light blue used by Rdio.   

5.  Autoplay - I don't use playlists.  I don't want to spend the time choosing music when I would rather just let the service I am paying for do that for me.   With Rdio (like MOG), I can choose an album and it will continue to play similar music (slowly moving to my regular favorites) when the album is over without direct intervention from me.  This was a major feature that I use at work every day and I did not see the feature on Spotify.  

6.  Artist radio - On the Rdio desktop app, you can choose to play one artist or mix in more artists using a scale from "Artist only" to "Adventurous".  It is similar to MOG's slider and I could not find another service with anything similar.   I don't believe their iOS app has the same level of choice (Edit: This feature is available on the iPhone, it isn't easy to find, so I may have missed it or they added the feature after I wrote this original article) , but you can log into a browser, pick "artist only" and if your iPhone is currently playing it will switch to artist only.  I can't  stream using my computer at work, but I can log in and make this change.  Not perfect, but the closest thing to MOG.

Google's best feature is the integration of your own library with theirs.  While I liked this feature, it offers minor convenience when compared to iTunes Match (which I currently have).  The upside to iTunes Match is that it is integrates into Siri, so I would rather use it for my own music on the road.  At home, I would rather use my iTunes library that houses my lossless audio collection.  Also, the downside to having your library in the app is that it takes a lot longer to load the app.  I have around a 20,000 file library to load, so that could be the reason, but when I want to listen in my car, I don't want to wait to listen.  In fact, I usually like to start the album before I drive the car.  

Rdio will scan your collection, but they don't copy up files that aren't in their library.  Therefore, I can't access the Beatles music I have in my library using their app, like I could with Google.  Not really a big deal for me, though.

I was intrigued with Spotify Connect when I first heard about it.  I thought it would be great to be able to have Spotify running on a computer while controlling what was playing via the Spotify app on my iPhone.  However, Spotify Connect is not available on computers at this time.  It only works on mobile platforms, which I find much less useful.

Rdio, on the other hand , already has a similar feature that does work on their desktop apps, mobile to mobile, or on their web interface.  While I did not even consider this an important feature, after using it, it helped push me over the hump to switch to Rdio.  Here is the way I use it at home and I am not suggesting that everyone has a similar setup, but you could probably find a use for it.

A list of stuff that can be used from my current setup:

1.  Mac Mini (any computer will work) wired directly to the internet
2.  Mini is hooked up directly to a DAC using optical out and to a Denon receiver using HDMI (see more about my setups on my other webpages)
3.  Airplay Express units  (used first generation versions can usually be found for around $50) around the house (some wired, some wifi)
4.   iOS devices and laptops around the houses
5.  Roomie Remote, Airfoil and Airfoil Remote app, Splashtop

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

How I use Rdio with this stuff:

1.  I usually keep Rdio up on the Mini, but I can use Roomie Remote app (or Splashtop) to launch it using my iPhone/iPad.  

2.  Once it is launched, I can use Splashtop or AF Remote app to hit play.  AF Remote will also allow you to see album art or change songs using an iOS device.  Splashtop simply takes over your desktop, so it has the same functionality.

3.  Once Rdio is playing on the desktop, I can send that signal directly to my Denon receiver via HDMI or to any or all Airport Express units using Airfoil or my Mac's audio settings (for PC you need Airfoil or a similar program to do this).  I prefer Airfoil since I can pick the Airplay device from the AF Remote app.  Below are some screenshots from the AF Remote app (you would have to scroll down on the app to get more Airplay devices since they don't all fit on the first page):

Once you have it playing on the Airplay unit(s) or direct connection of your choice, you can control what is playing using Rdio's app.  It has complete control of the desktop app, so you can search for artists, start new albums, playlists, etc. and play them directly from the computer.

The advantage this has over just using Airplay directly from iOS is that it most likely will use less of your iOS device battery since it is only working as a remote.  Actually, once you have it playing, you can just turn the phone off.  Secondly, if your Airplay device is on wireless, you don't need to use wifi to your iPhone and back to your Airplay device.   You are only sending it from the computer (which is hooked to ethernet) over wifi.  This should halve your wifi use.  Also, if your Airplay devices are wired, you aren't using wifi at all, except for remote control.  This is nice if you have poor wifi reception.    (I should mention that these are nice features to have if they are given to you free as part of an app.  I would not pay extra for this ability because it isn't a necessity in my setups.  Sonos has similar functionality (even without a computer) if you don't mind giving up the Rdio user interface for the one Sonos wants you to use and you don't mind paying a King's ransom for the functionality). 

Here are some pics of Rdio's iOS interface working as a remote.  As you can see, you can use it as a remote or change the Rdio audio stream to switch directly to the iOS device:

Notice the choice of "artist only" or "adventurous" and the ability to "tap to play here instead" .  Also I like the way the top of the screen will use the same colors that are in the album cover:

You have similar control when you are using a laptop or another computer in the house while using the main computer to play the music.  For example, I use the Mac Mini to run the app and listen to music while I am on the couch using a laptop.  The laptop can use the Rdio app to control what is playing on the other computer, but I like the way it will actually show the title of a new song from the top of the screen, even though the song isn't originating from the laptop.

My main issue with Rdio is the fact that they are using 192k files.  I haven't done a comparison of them vs the 320k services, but I don't think audio approaches transparency until you reach 256k (with most music).  However, it isn't so bad that I don't want to listen to it or notice it.    In the winter, I listen to more music inside via headphones, so I may switch to another service if Rdio still hasn't made the switch at that point. *(see note below)

The great thing about these services is that they don't require a long term contract, so I can switch back and forth if I feel like it.  My favorite app for now is Rdio.   Beats could catch up if they tweak a few things.  If Apple adds Beats Music to iTunes and to Siri, it would be a game changer for my usage.   However, I will live with Rdio and hope they change to 320k sooner than later.

(Note: While adding links for services above, I noticed that Spotify has 3 months for the price of 1 month.  I went ahead and signed up for the service, so I will be able to listen to 320k if I decide to use headphones this summer.  While Rdio is my preference, it doesn't hurt to have a fall back for better audio and this price makes it possible.  I will just decide which one to carry forward in September.  Hopefully, Rdio will be using 320k by then.)