Start-ups in the city- SFBeta mixer

Start-ups in the city: SFBeta mixer
Chesspark: Chess meets Web 2.0.Play against the site's own bots or mix it up with other members. Rich functionality on the Web site. There's a download, too. The service does not appear to support wagering, so Chess hustlers will have to head elsewhere.SoftSearch: Helps you find business software apps for your particular industry or function.FreePledge: Site that collects affiliate marketing fees from big online retailers on your behalf and gives them to charity. An easy way to do good (reminder: you can also just donate money to your favorite charity directly).Rightround: Site by and for indie musicians and the people who listen to them.Previously coveredSpotDJ: Cool service that lets you listen to--and record--commentary blurbs between your iTunes music tracks. Webware review.Kongregate: Flash games site. Recently got a big pile of venture money, so should have some new features coming soon. Review; News.Xcellery: Makes Excel spreadsheets collaborative over the Web. A Webware Top Five Under the Radar pick. See also our review.Fliptrack: Makes slideshows with music. Review.Wrike: Project management through e-mail. Review. This company also presented at last week's Stirr event.Prosper: Lets you lend to, or borrow from, other Prosper users. See our previous review.Facebook: Right. Them. Don't know if they have anything new to show us tonight. We'll check.

Starbucks- We'll be Passbook-ready before October

Starbucks: We'll be Passbook-ready before October
Starbucks says it will be integrated with Apple's Passbook by the end of the month.The company announced the news on Twitter this morning, providing no further information about features or carryover for current Starbucks card holders. A Starbucks spokesperson told CNET that an update to the company's iPhone app will let current Starbucks Card owners add their account to Passbook.Passbook, which went out as part of iOS 6 earlier this week, is a new application from Apple designed to store membership cards, tickets, coupons, and boarding passes -- a bit like a digital wallet. As an added feature, Passbook does a few things paper and plastic can't, like alert you to changes, and pop up to be readily accessed based on your location.Starbucks already announced that it would be integrating with Passbook, though did not provide a timetable. Nonetheless Apple has promoted the company as one of the initial partners, along with Fandango, Target, and Major League Baseball, the last of which CNET gave a spinthis week at a MLB game.The relationship between Apple and Starbucks dates back to 2007 with a deal that had Apple offering a special Starbucks section of its iTunes Music Store, with Starbucks-curated music picks that would appear when iPhone or iPod Touch users were on the store's Wi-Fi network. Starbucks has since gone on to offer the Pick of the Week program, as well as developed a first-party application that lets users pay for drinks with their iOS device.

Springsteen's Super Bowl sellout-

Springsteen's Super Bowl sellout?
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of his vocals weren't live, either. In big rock 'n' roll productions, it's not uncommon to have a prerecorded vocal track running at the same time, and a sort of reverse-limiter running on the live vocals--if the input on the vocal mike drops below a certain volume, the track automatically switches over to the canned vocals. In some cases, this is done to hide the flaws of singers who genuinely can't sing, or for aging singers who can't hit certain notes anymore. In other cases, it's simply to allow the singer more freedom to run, jump, slide into the TV cameras, and then magically resume the vocals without missing a note or even taking a breath. For the most part, audiences never notice. Still, a lot of fans imagine that Springsteen operates at a higher level. I suppose that if there were some sort of thermometer that measures rock 'n' roll authenticity, the Boss would score near the top: he writes and sings his own songs, tours frequently, and plays long shows with a different set list every night. But this wasn't about his live shows, which he has no problem selling out. This was about informing the tens (hundreds?) of millions of Super Bowl watchers that this singer they used to like back in the '70s and '80s has a new album coming out. This was a 15-minute commercial. And it seems to have worked--Working on a Dream enjoyed high positions on both Amazon.com and iTunes on the Monday, after the game.At least the game wasn't fixed.

Springsteen- great site, until you try to buy

Springsteen: great site, until you try to buy
Hearing it live sparked my interest again, so the next day I logged on to his Web site. A pleasant surprise: last night'ssetlist was already posted. Each song has a link to the lyrics. The lyrics page also shows which album the song first appeared on--in this case I discovered he finally released "Trapped" on a compilation called The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003. The album page contains streaming versions of almost every song, in both RealAudio and WMA formats.But there's no streaming version of "Trapped," there's no link to download the song, and on Amazon and iTunes, I can only download the whole album, which I won't do, as I have about 2/3ds of the songs on there. Too bad--they just lost a $0.99 sale. (I suspect that it's a publishing rights complication, given that this is one of the few songs on the site that Bruce himself didn't write.)Despite this letdown at the transaction point, I came away impressed with the Springsteen Web site and wonder why every major touring act won't offer the same depth of information. I've seen a few other big arena shows in the last few years--Rush, The Police, Roger Waters, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young--and usually I've had to turn to fan sites to get complete set lists the next day, then go somewhere else for the lyrics and album information.

Spotify expands to new markets as iTunes Radio applies pressure

Spotify expands to new markets as iTunes Radio applies pressure
Spotify has expanded to four more countries as competition starts to heat up.The company on Tuesday announced that its streaming-music service is now available in Turkey, Greece, Taiwan, and Argentina. The move comes as Spotify continues to expand globally and increase its leverage in the music-streaming business. Spotify's service is now available in 32 markets around the world.Related storiesSpotify has much to do before U.S. launchWas Spotify too optimistic about U.S. launch?Pandora spurs music sales; Spotify not so muchSpotify adds two new levels of serviceStats don't support hype: Digital music is ailingSpotify's expansion comes amid growing competition in the streaming-music space. Last week, Apple launched its streaming alternative iTunes Radio. Although the free service is quite different from Spotify's subscriber model, both companies -- along with Pandora and countless other streaming providers -- are competing for a finite number of listeners.For now, Spotify has the edge on iTunes Radio, since the latter is only available in the US. However, Apple will be launching iTunes Radio globally in due time, potentially placing pressure on Spotify and other services that have a foothold in international markets.Spotify has more than 24 million active users worldwide and more than 6 million paying subscribers.

Spotify creates 'Follow' Web button for more social tracking

Spotify creates 'Follow' Web button for more social tracking
Pin it. Like it. Now, alongside those buttons, you could click one to Spotify "Follow" it. On Tuesday, Spotify said it has created a button that anyone can embed alongside other social media links on any Web site that will let users of the streaming media service follow artists, magazines, blogs, admired individuals, whomever. It moves the social-networking element of Spotify out of its walled garden; before, users who wanted to follow somebody had to do so inside Spotify's applications themselves. Related storiesSpotify has much to do before U.S. launchWas Spotify too optimistic about U.S. launch?Pandora spurs music sales; Spotify not so muchThe expansion efforts of online music outfits of all stripes -- radio and on demand -- have been under heightened scrutiny since the launch of iTunes Radio last month brought a new major competitor into an already crowded field of services jockeying for Internet users' listening attention. Apple said its iTunes Radio notched more than 11 million unique listeners in the first five days after its September 18 launch on iOS 7 and the desktop iTunes software. Such rapid adoption underscores the uphill battle facing smaller participants like Spotify. The new Follow option gives users updates within Spotify of developments like an artist's latest album or a new playlist compiled by a magazine or blog. Those who use Spotify to gain a greater following can put a Follow button alongside other social media links. Spotify created its Follow tab earlier this year to expand its social networking elements, similar to "liking" an artist or celebrity on Facebook. Spotify

Rumor Has It, Ep. 9- iPad 3 is the loneliest number (podcast)

Rumor Has It, Ep. 9: iPad 3 is the loneliest number (podcast)
She has one more week to get two points, or else it's her turn (once again) to embarrass herself. So put on your thinking caps, and send in your suggestions for the show of shame. On this week's show, we learn how to pronounce Asus (kinda), the Facebook phone is one step closer to truth, the Amazon phone might be, too, and the Xbox 720 has Emily rescinding her vote. What do you guys think? Is the Facebook phone going to happen? Are Dell and Asus going to abandon ship? Let us know in the comments!Heard a tech rumor you think we should cover?E-mail us at Rumorhasit [at] cnet.com, or directly at karyne.levy [at] cnet.com or emily.dreyfuss [at] cnet.com. And call and leave us a voice mail at 1-800-750-CNET!And don't forget to follow us on Twitter! @EmilyDreyfuss, @karynelevy, @RumorShow, @stephenbeacham.EPISODE 9This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlaySubscribe: RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360) | iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360)PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Show notes:Is Facebook building its own phone?Amazon Kindle phone in 2012?Next iPad to be thicker and next iPhone all metalPC makers plan to concede tablet market to Apple, Amazon in 2012Asus: We're not exiting the Android tablet businessWill next Xbox launch in 2012?How to pronounce "Asus"

Photoshop app- Now with video

Photoshop app: Now with video
The good news: Adobe's Photoshop.com Mobile app (iTunes link) can now do video. The bad news: it's a one-way proposition.Specifically, the app can stream videos stored in your Photoshop.com account. It just can't upload videos the way it can snapshots.Maybe someday. In the meantime, Adobe has taken an already impressive app and has made it better. In my informal tests, streaming worked quickly and effectively. So if you're already using Photoshop.com to house video, here's you chance to watch them on the fly.As with photos, the app also lets you share videos via e-mail. (Recipients get a link, of course, not the video file itself.)Other improvements include new straighten, sharpen, and contrast tools. As with existing tools like brightness and tint, everything's gesture-driven: you just drag your finger across the photo, much like you would drag a slider tool with your mouse.Finally, Adobe has added eight slick artistic borders, including Soft Edge, Vignette, and Film Emulsion. That's a neat way to add some flair to your photos before saving or sharing them.Needless to say, there are plenty of other apps that let you do all this and more with your photos. But if you're a Photoshop.com user or you just want to take it for a spin (you can get a free account with 2GB of storage), you'll probably find Photoshop.com Mobile a handy companion.What photo-editing and -management apps do you like best? Hit the comments and share your favorites.

iTunes 11 surprise- Apple sneaks in a gift card scanner

iTunes 11 surprise: Apple sneaks in a gift card scanner
One unadvertised feature in Apple's just-released iTunes 11 lets users tap into their built-in video camera to redeem gift cards and other promotional codes.The feature, which Apple did not demonstrate at the software's unveiling in September or in subsequent marketing materials, can pull out the alphanumeric codes and submit them. This means you can redeem a code without having to type it in, though that option remains if the software is unable to pick it up.In order to use the feature, the promotional code must be from gift cards that place the code within a square box, something that freebie app and content cards from places like Starbucks do not currently include. The feature also only works on Macs, and not Windows at the moment.Despite the addition, Apple's iTunes and App Store for iOS continue to require users to manually type in the codes. (via Macrumors)This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayUpdated at 12:45 p.m. PT to note that the feature is only present in the Mac version of iTunes 11.

How to add variety to a Pandora station

How to add variety to a Pandora station
The first is the Add variety button. This button resides under the name of the station you are listening to. As the name suggests, it's a way to add variety to your station, beyond the artist or song used to create the station. Adding another artist or song to the station--a "seed," in Pandora's parlance--pulls in songs, according to Pandora's algorithm, that have similar qualities to the artist or song selected.Adding a second seed expands the types of songs you'll hear. That is, Pandora does not try to triangulate songs based on the two criteria. As Pandora explains on its FAQ page:The various seeds on a multi-seed station do not influence each other in any way. In other words, a station based on a rock artist and a jazz artist will play roughly half rock and half jazz, but the songs you hear won't tend toward a fusion of rock and jazz unless you pick artists known for that style of music.Telling Pandora you're tired of a song removes it from the playlist, but only for a while.Matt Elliott/CNETThe other tool you can use is the "I'm tired of this track" button, which you can access from the menu button located between the thumbs up and thumbs down button. As Pandora vaguely describes, it puts a "good song on the shelf for a while." And if you have any skips left, it will skip to the next track. Lastly, telling Pandora you have tired of a song removes it from all of your stations, which might be useful if you have a number of similarly styled station.One final note: these two features are available on the Web client but not on the mobile version of Pandora. On an iPhone and an iPad, you have only thumbs up and down and skip ability.