Morning Brief: Amazon Acquires Music Service, Google to Unveil Search Products, Samsung Fascinate Now Available
Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. We’re keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.
Amazon Acquires Streaming Music Service Amie Street
Amie Street, the online music community and purchasing service Amazon began backing in 2007, has now been acquired by Amazon for an undisclosed amount.
The team at Amie Street says they now plan to redirect their efforts on developing social music streaming service Songza, which allows users to create their own online radio stations, as well as stations around shared interests, such as a Mad Men tribute station. Songza plans to expand its service through other distribution channels, including mobile devices and set-top boxes, and add social and gaming features like leveling, props, badges and checkins.
The acquisition will, no doubt, heat up competition in the social and streaming music space with Apple, Rhapsody, et al.
Google to Unveil New Search Features Today
Google is holding a press event at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art today in order to announce a series of new search products, including, we believe, AJAX-powered searches and results that update as users type in their search queries.
Stay tuned; we’ll be live at the big search event beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT.
Samsung Fascinate Now Available
If you were planning on ordering a Samsung Fascinate, the Verizon version of the Galaxy S line of smartphones, which becomes available online today and tomorrow in Verizon stores, you may want to bring a friend.
Samsung and Verizon have announced a special deal for early buyers: buy one, get one free. If you buy one phone for $199 (after a $100 rebate) with a two-year customer agreement and at least a $29.99 per month data plan, you get a second phone with the same agreement for free.
Further News
- Nokia’s forthcoming smartphone, the Nokia N8, will be available for European customers online at the end of September and appear in physical stores in the UK on October 1, the company announced today. The Symbian^3-powered device will cost £429 ($662) SIM-free, or from £35 ($54) per month with a contract.
- Mozilla has rolled out a few new features in the latest release of the Firefox 4 Beta, including a new audio API that will help your browser “visualize sound.”
Disclosure: Samsung is a Mashable sponsor.
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More About: amazon, amie street, first to know series, Google, google search, Nokia N8, samsung, samsung fascinate
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