Apps
New Apple campaign celebrates Southeast Asian artists, developers
Here’s to the Dreamers
Apple is launching a “Here’s to the Dreamers” campaign to spotlight artists and creative talents in Southeast Asia. The celebration of passion, creativity, and determination will manifest on the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV starting August 9.
On the App Store, people may try out ThoughtFull Chat, Potion Permit, WithU, and DreamChaser. These apps for Apple devices are all built by local indie developers in Southeast Asia who have defied odds.
ThoughtFull Chat is an app that connects people with mental health support in an easy, approachable, and accessible way. It’s the advocacy of Singapore’s Joan Low, who left her day job and devoted herself fulltime to the app.
The app allows those in need to find professionals and engage in text-based therapy. This therapy has proved to be clinically effective for improvements in stress, anxiety, and depression.
Meanwhile, Potion Permit is a charming simulation game from Indonesia-based MassHive Media, which is led by brother-sister duo Andika Pradana and Anggia Lestari. It follows the journey of a chemist in Moonbury. Curiously, the title is inspired by Pradana’s then-girlfriend, who happens to be a doctor.
Moreover, WithU offers heartwarming quotes and beautiful artwork created by talented Thai artists. It’s the project of Tyme Suteesopon and Sirin Thamakaison, which they developed as early as when they were still in high school.
Lastly, DreamChaser is a pixel-art endless runner game which made history as the first Vietnamese title of its kind. Phuc Pham and Hiep Tran are behind it, with the former dropping out of university to pursue game development professionally.
For an in-depth journey behind the game’s creation, Phuc has detailed everything on his YouTube channel that has over 30,000 subscribers.
SEE ALSO: Be ready for school with these free Apple Singapore workshops
Exclusive content on Apple Music
On the other hand, listeners may also tune in to some of Southeast Asia’s most resonant and impactful young talents on Apple Music.
The list includes Thai rapper SPRITE, Filipino hip-hop artist Hev Abi, and Indonesian sensation NIKI. Also included are trilingual singer-songwriter Firdhaus from Malaysia, Singaporean rapper Yung Raja, and fellow national Rangga Jones.
As part of the campaign, each artist will also release a live performance video of one of their songs, exclusively on Apple Music. Exclusive interviews and their respective Essential Playlists will also be unveiled only on the streaming platform.
Here are their artist links to make it easier for you to browse:
Apps
Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts
TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.
Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.
Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.
According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.
Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.
Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.
SEE ALSO: Live NBA action on Disney Plus now available in the Philippines
Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.
In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.
In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.
Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.
Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.
Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.
SEE ALSO: Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode
Apps
Apple Music, TikTok launch Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience
Rolling out worldwide exclusively through Apple Music
Ever came across a viral 15 or 30-second music snippet on TikTok that instantly became your jam on repeat?
For years, TikTok has been a regular source of songs that have become part of our playlists. And together with Apple Music, listening to the music you discover has just gotten even easier.
That’s through Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience, which launches exclusively though Apple Music.
With the new feature, Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy full-length tracks that they discover on TikTok. That’s without ever leaving that popular streaming app.
Fans who discover a song that they love on their For You or Sound Detail page can simply tap the Play Full Song button to open up an Apple Music player and enjoy the song in its entirety.
From there, subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs. That means no more need to switch apps and search separately.
The new Play Full Song experience helps music fans move seamlessly from the moment of discovery to deeper listening. It’s also designed to be instant and all within the same environment.
Moreover, users can also save their favorite songs to Your Music and add them directly to their Apple Music playlists.
Built using Apple’s MusicKit, full-length song playback takes place on Apple Music. This way, streams are paid within the Apple Music service, supporting artists and rights holders while giving fans a smooth, uninterrupted experience.
Listening Party also launched
The feature builds on the success of TikTok’s Add to Music App. This was previously launched to help artists and fans convert discovery on TikTok to a playlist save in Apple Music and other streaming services.
To cap the announcement, TikTok and Apple Music are also introducing Listening Party. This new feature is designed to bring artists and fans together around music.
It creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each her, and engage directly with the artist during the session.
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