Tag Archives: simplified

Technology

Spotify’s simplified Car View mode is being ‘retired’

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When Spotify announced its stripped down Car View mode in 2019, it seemed like a smart way to prevent drivers from being distracted on the road. Whenever you connected to your car over Bluetooth, it would remove extraneous elements like menu buttons and album art. Instead, it gave you large buttons to pause and play music; jump to the previous or next track; or like a specific song. Nifty! But hope you didn’t get too attached, as Spotify has confirmed it’s “retiring” the feature, according to a recent support thread (via Android Police).

A Spotify moderator, who was replying to a user who noticed the feature had disappeared from his Android app, noted that Spotify is “actively exploring a variety of new ways to deliver the best in-car listening experience.” They added that removing car view is necessary to “make way for new innovations.” That’s reasonable enough, though it doesn’t excuse dumping a genuinely useful safety feature without a clear replacement. 

The moderator suggested using Google Assistant (or Siri on iOS) to control Spotify hands-free, something that would also work while navigating with Google or Apple Maps. And, to be fair, that’s how many people (including myself) end up controlling tunes on the road. 

It could be that Spotify is de-prioritizing Car View simply because there are so many other ways to handle music playback in cars. If you’ve got a modern car with CarPlay or Android Auto support, you’ll only be interacting with your in-dash display and will never see Car View in action. Many vehicles made in the last decade also have some sort of media control on their steering wheels.  

Billy Steele/Engadget

Of course, there’s a more nefarious objective, as some Spotify users mentioned in the forum thread. It could be that the company is trying to push people towards Car Thing, its $80 display accessory. We found it to be a useful upgrade for older cars, but it also seemed superfluous when you could just mount your phone and control Spotify directly. Without Car View mode, though, that strange gadget all of a sudden seems more helpful. In cases like this, though, the simplest explanation usually comes down to companies realizing certain features aren’t being used much.

We’ve reached out to Spotify for a full explanation about Car View’s retirement, and will update when we hear back.

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World

England’s COVID-19 travel rules simplified in boost to industry

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  • Transport secretary simplifies travel rules, cut costs
  • Expensive testing scrapped for fully vaccinated
  • Destinations will be ranked high or low risk

LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Britain simplified rules on Friday for international travel to England in a boost to the tourism industry, including scrapping the need for fully vaccinated passengers to take expensive COVID-19 tests on arrival from low-risk countries.

Under the new proposals, destinations will simply be ranked low or high risk, instead of red, amber and green. Eight countries, including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives, will be removed from the high-risk red band from next Wednesday which requires passengers to quarantine in a hotel.

From Oct. 4, vaccinated passengers arriving from low-risk countries will be permitted to take a cheaper lateral flow test, rather than the privately administered PCR lab tests now required. PCR tests for a family now can cost hundreds of pounds.

“Today’s changes mean a simpler, more straightforward system. One with less testing and lower costs, allowing more people to travel, see loved ones or conduct business around the world while providing a boost for the travel industry,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.

The British government sets policy for England, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own rules.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced months of pressure to ease the restrictions. Airlines and travel companies blamed the testing and complicated rules for the slowness of a recovery in air travel over the summer and warned that far-reaching changes were needed or more job losses would follow the 100,000 already lost.

The industry, already on its knees after 18 months of restrictions, is facing a cliff edge as a government furlough scheme ends later this month with winter approaching, when fewer people travel and businesses tend to make a loss.

RECOVERY LAGS

Unvaccinated travellers returning from low-risk countries will be required to take a pre-departure test, plus PCR tests on day two and day eight, and to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival, the government said.

England will also expand the list of countries from which it recognises vaccinations, after the success of a pilot with the United States and Europe. Another 17 countries and territories will be added to the list, including Japan and Singapore.

Data shows that Britain’s travel recovery is lagging. UK flights were down 39% compared with pre-pandemic levels for the two weeks to early Sept. 6, while France, Spain and Italy were down between 24% and 28%, according to Eurocontrol.

The travel company Thomas Cook described the changes as “a shot in the arm for the travel industry” while airline bosses, such as EasyJet(EZJ.L)Chief Executive Johan Lundgren, urged the government to go further by eliminating any screening of vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries.

The British Airline Pilots Association said the changes were good news for the industry. But workers in the sector would be among those most hurt by the end of the government’s furlough programme, which has paid salaries of staff sent home during the pandemic and expires at the end of this month.

“But there is still a way to go before UK aviation can truly take off again and the industry remains precariously placed after a dire summer season,” BALPA Acting General Secretary Martin Chalk said. “With furlough ending it is going to be hard for cash strapped airlines to get back up and running as demand returns.”

($1 = 0.7247 pound)

Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Costas Pitas, Guy Faulconbridge and Sarah Young, Editing by Angus MacSwan, Philippa Fletcher, Peter Graff and Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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US

Big outdoor events OK under simplified Ohio pandemic orders, governor says

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Ohio’s newly simplified pandemic restrictions will continue requirements for wearing masks and social distancing in public but will ease rules for large outdoor gatherings such as graduations and festivals, state officials said Monday.Though the state will no longer limit the size of such events, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said participants would be asked to stay separated in groups of 10 or fewer – rather than merging into one huge crowd – to help reduce possible spread of the coronavirus. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ORDERAsked how that would be enforced at a typically crowded festival, DeWine said: “People just need to use common sense.” Indoor facilities are still limited to 25% of fixed seating capacity.The Ohio restrictions issued throughout the pandemic are being updated and consolidated this week to make them simpler for residents and event organizers to understand, state officials said.They emphasize the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, staying in smaller groups and sanitizing, health director Stephanie McCloud said.DeWine also said the state doesn’t intend to require a coronavirus vaccination for K-12 or college students next school year. But he urged those age 16 and up who are eligible for the vaccine to get it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Ohio’s newly simplified pandemic restrictions will continue requirements for wearing masks and social distancing in public but will ease rules for large outdoor gatherings such as graduations and festivals, state officials said Monday.

Though the state will no longer limit the size of such events, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said participants would be asked to stay separated in groups of 10 or fewer – rather than merging into one huge crowd – to help reduce possible spread of the coronavirus.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ORDER

Asked how that would be enforced at a typically crowded festival, DeWine said: “People just need to use common sense.”

Indoor facilities are still limited to 25% of fixed seating capacity.

The Ohio restrictions issued throughout the pandemic are being updated and consolidated this week to make them simpler for residents and event organizers to understand, state officials said.

They emphasize the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, staying in smaller groups and sanitizing, health director Stephanie McCloud said.

DeWine also said the state doesn’t intend to require a coronavirus vaccination for K-12 or college students next school year. But he urged those age 16 and up who are eligible for the vaccine to get it.

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