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How to wake up to your own soundtrack

For all your good morning vibes

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Are mornings tough for you?

Girl, you are not alone.

Friends and family members can attest to the fact that I am a big grump in the morning. Without my initial cup of coffee, I’m a literal walking zombie with no desire to get up, do things, or even interact with the world. Mornings, for me, hold a very delicate temperamental balance, and one wrong move can affect my whole day. Bottom line: It’s very important to set the mood when you wake up. It dictates how the rest of your day will go and it’ll allow you to psych yourself up for whatever you’re about to face in the next 12 hours or so.

Great music in the morning is a way to get you going. If you’re the type girl who works on an Android phone, I have great news for you: It’s very easy to set your phone up so that you wake up to the soundtrack of your life.

Open your Google clock app

For most Android users, this is pre-installed. However, if you can’t find it on your phone, you can easily install it.

Navigate to the Alarm tab

You’ll first need to connect your Spotify account. Once this is done, tap the Alarm tab and set your desired time. (And yes, that’s an actual screenshot of my daily alarms. 😅)

Pick your sounds!

It’s as easy as that! You can search via song, artist, album, or even playlist. This function isn’t only available to Spotify Premium users; free Spotify users can make use of it on shuffle mode.

A little add-on

Spotify will also give out morning tune recommendations based on your preferences and listening history. They even have curated morning playlists ready for your listening pleasure! When you wake up to your music first thing and get your mood going, you can just tap “Continue Playing” to keep the good vibes coming.

Yas girl, good morning to you!

This new Spotify feature is rolling out to users in the coming days in all markets where the app is available. You’re welcome.

Apps

New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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Disney+ might get always-on channels similar to cable TV

Featuring content from Marvel, Star Wars, and classic Disney

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Disney+ | Disney Plus

The burden of choice on streaming platforms is real. If you’re like us, you’ve spent hours just mindlessly scrolling through titles on Netflix or Disney+ without watching anything. Netflix, at least, has a Play Something button to fight off that irresistible urge. Now, Disney+ is reportedly trying something different: always-on channels.

If you already cut cable from your lives, you’re likely missing traditional channels or networks that have pre-determined programming. It was a flawed system that eventually ended up with mediocre content and a downpour of ads. However, cable did allow us to keep watching without deciding what comes next.

Now, according to The Information, Disney+ is working on adding those channels to its streaming service. Naturally, these channels will include content from the platform’s library such as Marvel, Star Wars, and its list of classic animated films.

Strangely, the reported feature might still have ads in between programs. Though the addition of ads does mean a better similarity with real television, users still have to be paying subscribers to access the channels. Even if you’re already paying for Disney+, you might still get hit with ads.

Disney has not confirmed the reports yet. The platform might launch a version of the feature outside of the scope included in this report. It’s also unknown when these always-on channels will launch.

SEE ALSO: Macross to be available on Disney+

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Google might offer satellite connectivity soon

Starting with the Pixel 9 series

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A few years ago, Apple unleashed one of the most interesting features for the iPhone today: Emergency SOS. Designed for those who like their fair bit of the outdoors, Emergency SOS allows users to contact emergency services without network coverage. Other manufacturers, however, are struggling to adopt the same feature. Now, Google might soon join Apple in providing satellite connectivity for its users.

Despite the convenience, satellite connectivity hasn’t taken off as much as the industry expected it to. For one, a network of satellites isn’t the easiest thing to maintain. Apple is still currently offering its services for free, a gamble that may or may not pay off. Now, the iPhone maker won’t be alone.

According to Android Authority, Google might start offering the same service to Pixel 9 users. Starting with this year’s upcoming flagship, the company is reportedly teaming up with T-Mobile to create satellite connectivity for its users. The telecommunications network is teaming up with SpaceX for the feature.

The same report describes how the feature might work. Once activated, the feature will ask users of their situation: is everyone breathing, are people trapped, are weapons involved, among others. The phone will then relay this information to emergency authorities for a rapid response.

Unfortunately, pricing remains a mystery. While Apple is still offering its satellite connectivity for free, other brands might put the burden of cost on the end user. Hopefully, they won’t, but a paid version is unfortunately expected at this point.

SEE ALSO: Should you be excited for Apple’s satellite connectivity?

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