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Explore the World with Drive & Listen

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Would you like to explore new cities and listen to their local radio stations while driving around? Then, live that experience with Drive & Listen! Using this innovative web application, you can virtually drive through different cities while listening to their local radio stations.

Drive & Listen was created by a master's student in Munich during the pandemic.

Drive & Listen is a web app combining street view videos from various cities with local radio stations. How it works: Drive & Listen is a simple yet engaging web app that combines street-view videos from multiple cities with their local radio stations.

You can explore a wide range of cities from the comfort of your home with the app. To enhance your virtual driving experience, you can adjust the video speed and turn on or off street noise.

For more information, please visit the Drive & Listen website at driveandlisten.herokuapp.com. Select a city from the drop-down menu and begin your virtual drive. You can switch between different radio stations within the chosen city using the radio controls, but the app will automatically play a local radio station.

Why Drive & Listen is Worth a Try:

  1. Explore new cities virtually: Due to travel restrictions and safety concerns, exploring new cities in person may only be feasible for some. Using Drive & Listen, you can experience the sights and sounds of different cities without ever leaving your home.

  2. Discover new music: Listening to local radio stations worldwide can introduce you to new musical genres, artists, and cultures. It's a great way to expand your musical horizons and learn about different communities.

  3. Relax and unwind: Watching street view videos and listening to the radio can provide a calming and immersive experience. A virtual road trip is an excellent way to break your daily routine.

  4. Stay connected: Drive & Listen can help you stay connected to the world and remind you of the diverse and beautiful destinations you may visit.

Driving & Listen is a unique and engaging web app that allows users to explore the world through street-view videos and local radio stations. With Drive & Listen, you can discover new music, relax and unwind, or satisfy your wanderlust. So try it today and embark on your next adventure!

Keywords: #DriveAndListen #VirtualDrive #ExploreCities #LocalRadioStations #TravelFromHome #StreetView #DiscoverNewMusic #StayConnected #PandemicSolution #Wanderlust #RelaxAndUnwind #WebApp #InnovativeTech #GlobalAdventure #MusicDiscovery #CityExploration #VirtualRoadTrip #RoadTripFromHome #ExperienceTheWorld #StayHomeExploreWorld #SafeTravels #TravelRestrictions #VirtualAdventures #WorldwideRadio #CulturalExploration #ExpandYourHorizons #DriveAndChill #CitySoundscapes #ListenGlobally #MusicAndTravel

Who was Stan Rogers

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Stan Rogers was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 29, 1949. His parents were both musical and he was the middle child of nine children. His father played the violin and his mother played the piano. Stan Rogers grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia called Canso. His musical career began when he was just a child, and he became popular during the 1970s. His music was popular with Canadians because it dealt with topics related to Canadian life and history.

In 1973, Stan Rogers made his first television appearance on CBC's Singalong Jubilee.

Stan Rogers was heavily influenced by Canadian and Maritime music. Growing up in Nova Scotia, he was often inspired by stories and folklore. Several of his songs are based on real-life events, such as the Great Chicago Fire and the Halifax Explosion.

He is best known for his songs "Northwest Passage", "Barrett's Privateers", and "Mary Ellen Carter".

Stan Rogers composed all of his own songs. In addition, he is credited with co-writing the song "The Mary Ellen Carter" with his brother Garnet.

Throughout his career, Stan Rogers performed hundreds of live performances. Over the course of his career, he toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Stan Rogers was killed in a plane crash on July 4, 1983, en route to a folk festival in Canso, Nova Scotia. The young man was just 33 years old.

In 1986, Stan Rogers was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The Canadian Country Music Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2003.

Even 35 years after his death, Stan Rogers' music remains popular. Several well-known artists, including Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, and the Canadian band Great Big Sea, have covered his songs.

Stan Rogers was the subject of a documentary produced by the CBC in 2017 entitled "Northwest Passage: The Stan Rogers Story" Through never-before-seen archival footage and new interviews with family and friends, the film traces Stan Rogers' life and career.

Every year, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival is held in Canso, Nova Scotia, in memory of the late singer and songwriter.

As a highly influential singer-songwriter, Rogers left an indelible mark on the Canadian music scene.

Google Home forced me to switch to Spotify

GeneralEdward Kiledjian


Tech titans Google and Amazon chose Christmas 2017 to battle it out for your love and money. These smart speakers are designed to quickly provide access to each company's ecosystem and make your life easier. At least that is the promise. 

I am heavily invested in the Google ecosystem and have been for over ten years. In addition to using their free services, I pay for Google Music, storage, have an android phone (so I buy apps), etc. 

I signed up for the free Google Apps service in 2007 (predecessor to GSuite) when each domain was given 100 free user accounts. This was a great way to provide essential internet services to my family for my kiledjian.com domain (emails, calendar, etc.)

The Google home

These devices can answer questions about science, history and everything in between. Most buyers use these smart speakers as intelligent modern voice-controlled boomboxes. 

I have owned a Google home almost from its original release date and picked up a Google home mini for my bedroom. 

In addition to making money from the sale of these devices, companies like Amazon and Google hope to lock users into the ecosystem. Except...

The Google Home and Google's account issues forced me to move from Google Music to Spotify.

The music problem GSuite accounts

With an individual music subscription, I can only stream to a single device at a time. I can't listen to music on my smartphone in the gym while my kids listen to music at home. 

I tried to upgrade to a family account, only to be told by a support agent that GSuite accounts are not eligible. So if I wanted to enable on-demand commercial-free music on my multiple devices, I needed to move to Spotify, which I begrudgingly did.

Rant

There have always been irritants when using Gsuite (Google Apps) accounts with some Google services. Until now, all of my issues have been irritants for me, but have not affected Google, which may be why they have never solved this issue. 

This is a situation where their complacency has cost them subscription dollars (steady recurring income). I know that only a small minority of Google's millions of users are affected by this issue, but I receive a constant flow of complaints from my readers about it. 

This is the issue when dealing with giant faceless internet companies like Google. No matter how annoying some of their actions may be, there is nothing you can do as a customer. Your only option is to pick up and spend your money elsewhere. 

Amazon Music Unlimited expands to 28 more countries. So what?

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Amazon Music Unlimited is (in my opinion) just another streaming music service, but since it's Amazon, it's worth mentioning. 

It is expanding to 28 additional countries, so the world a little more inclusive today. Similar to another (nameless) streaming service, Amazon Music Unlimited stresses the fact that its playlists are "human curated". 

The requisite PR created launch statement can be found here

Customers can choose from content hand-curated by Amazon Music experts, build their own playlists, or find new favorites through Amazon’s personalized recommendations either on the Amazon Music app or Web Player.

The new countries being shown some love by Amazon are:

  • Belgium
  • Iceland
  • Bolivia
  • Latvia
  • Bulgaria
  • Liechtenstein
  • Chile
  • Lithuania
  • Colombia
  • Luxembourg
  • Costa Rica
  • Malta
  • Cyprus
  • Netherlands
  • Czech Republic
  • Panama
  • Ecuador
  • Peru
  • El Salvador
  • Poland
  • Estonia
  • Portugal
  • Finland
  • Slovakia
  • Greece
  • Sweden
  • Hungary
  • Uruguay

I live in Canada, and the Echo product line just launched here. Chances are the country you are in (if not the US) either doesn't have or just received the Amazon Echo line of products. For those of us not yet invested in the Amazon voice assistant product line, there is little to get excited here. 

Not very exciting for most of you but news worthy since its Amazon. 

Get 7 months of Microsoft's Grove music service for $10

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

There's a good chance you never heard about Microsoft's very unpopular Grove music streaming service (Apple Music, Google Music, Pandora, Spotify, Deezer, etc.). 

Microsoft is determined to change the fate of this little-known offering by enticing you to subscribe with a fantastic deal: when you buy a single month of service for $US9.99, they give you two 3-month vouchers to share or use yourself. 

If you are a Microsoft fanboy already paying for this service, then you are out of luck, this applies to new subscribers only.

Here is the fine print:

Offer valid 6:00 PM PT July 10, 2017 until 12:00 AM PT July 12, 2017 or while supplies last for new Groove members only. Current paying subscribers are ineligible to redeem this offer. Valid in the US only. Sign up for a 30-day Groove Music Pass at $9.99 and we will send you two tokens codes within 30 days, each good for an additional 3 months of music at no charge (for a total of 6 months). Credit card required. Upon completion of the promotional period, membership will be automatically billed as specified at signup unless cancelled. Limit 2 token codes per person. Token codes expire September 4, 2017 and must be redeemed before that date. Token codes may be used by original recipient or transferred to another eligible user. Token codes may only be redeemed once. Cannot redeemed for cash or promo code(s). May not be combinable with other offers. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time.

This is unfortunatly a US only deal. 

You can subscribe here