Technology

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Echelon EX5 Exercise Bike Review: 2022 - Healthline

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Riding a stationary bike is a great way to get some movement in during your day and build strength. Plus, you can do it from the comfort of your own home regardless of the weather.
If you’re in the market for an indoor exercise bike, the Echelon EX5 might be a good option.
Since there are so many smart bikes available, it’s important to know which special features the EX5 has and how it compares with other popular bikes, like the Peloton and the NordicTrack s22i.
This article provides a thorough review of the Echelon EX5 to help you decide if it’s the right bike for your fitness goals.
Founded in 2017, Echelon Fitness is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company is known for producing high quality fitness equipment and often partners with celebrities to promote its products.
Echelon makes treadmills, rowers, fitness mirrors, and stationary exercise bikes. The Echelon EX5 is a step up from the brand’s EX3 bike.
While neither bike includes a built-in screen, the EX5 is more adjustable, has higher quality handlebars, and includes a few more features like water bottle holders.
The Echelon EX5 measures 58 x 20 x 55 inches (147.3 x 50.8 x 139.7 cm) and has a maximum recommended user weight of 300 pounds (136.1 kg). It also offers 32 levels of magnetic resistance that you can change with a resistance knob.
While the bike is recommended for users 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm) to 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall, people with heights ranging from 4 feet 5 inches (134 cm) to 6 feet 8 inches (203 cm) have reported using Echelon bikes.
The EX5 can be adjusted in many different ways, depending on your preferences. The elevated, Bullhorn-style handlebars on the EX5 can move up, down, forward, and backward. The vented competition style seat can be lowered or raised depending on your height. The bike’s pedals have both SPD compatible clips and toe cages.
Additionally, the bike has two water bottle holders and two dumbbell holders that can hold two-pound dumbbells, although the dumbbells are sold separately.
While it doesn’t have a built-in touchscreen, the Echelon EX5’s device holder can hold products from 2.5 to 12.9 inches (6.35–32.8 cm) and flips 180 degrees for off-bike workouts. The bike is also Bluetooth enabled.
The Echelon EX5 retails for $1,499.99, and Echelon also offers payment plans starting at $22 per month. Shipping costs $99, or $198 if you want the bike assembled for you as well.
It’s important to note that an Echelon Premier membership is required to purchase the bike through Echelon’s website. The subscription costs $39.99 per month. It includes up to 5 profiles, more than 40 daily live classes, and thousands of on-demand options for cycling classes and off-bike workouts.
Classes include cycling, HIIT, and yoga workouts, and you can keep track of your progress on the app’s live leaderboards. Echelon’s app offers an extensive library of workout music, and the brand also plans to add Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Samsung streaming options soon.
If you opt for a 1-year or 2-year subscription, you’ll make a payment of $399.99 every year or $699 every 2 years instead of paying each month. (The annual and biannual memberships end up being a little cheaper than paying month-to-month.)
While the bike comes with a 12-month limited warranty on parts and labor, you’ll need to pay extra if you want a 1-year or 2-year extended warranty (costing $109 for 1 year or $169 for 2 years) that covers repairs needed due to normal wear and tear or electronic issues.
In general, users give the Echelon EX5 positive reviews when it comes to ease of use and assembly. Reviewers suggest giving yourself between 30 minutes to an hour to put together your bike.
It weighs 106 pounds (48.1 kg), which makes it reasonably easy to move out of the way between workouts. Plus, it’s lighter and smaller than both the Peloton and the NordicTrack s22i.
The EX5 runs quietly and smoothly. It doesn’t have automatic resistance control, which allows your trainer to adjust the resistance for you, but the easy-to-reach resistance knob allows you to quickly adjust the difficulty of your workout.
The toe cages on the pedals allow you to ride without having to wear special clip-in shoes, and they make it easy for you to mix up your workout with some off-bike exercises. That said, you can also easily use cycling shoes if you prefer.
Being able to adjust both the seat and handlebars in four different directions can help you stay more comfortable during longer rides. Plus, the high level of adjustability makes the EX5 a good choice if you’ll be sharing the bike with other people.
The Echelon EX5 is good for those who like studio-style, rear flywheel design bikes and virtual training classes but don’t need a built-in screen. If you’re looking to save space but don’t want a folding bike, the EX5 might be worth considering.
If you intend to do a lot of riding and are concerned about maintenance issues due to wear and tear, the EX5 may not be the best option for you, unless you want to pay for the extended warranty.
Additionally, if you prefer a bike with a built-in touchscreen, you’ll want to pay a bit more for the Echelon EX5s or you’ll want to choose another brand.
Echelon Fitness is generally considered a popular, more budget-friendly alternative to other brands, like Peloton, although it’s worth noting that the EX5 and Peloton Bike are very similarly priced.
Echelon has a C+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, which reports over 370 complaints closed with the company in the last 3 years (over 130 in the last year).
Most customer complaints about Echelon express frustrations with the company’s customer service department. Some customers have had difficulties getting help when they’ve experienced connectivity issues with their equipment or wanted to change their warranty and subscription status.
Wondering how the Echelon EX5 stacks up against other popular exercise bike options? Here’s a quick run-down.
The Echelon EX5 does not come with a screen. It’s designed to hold a tablet or other device from 2.5 to 12.9 inches (6.35–32.8 cm) on the handlebar mount, which flips 180 degrees for off-bike workouts.
The biggest differences between the Echelon EX3 and EX5 are small upgrades in the EX5’s features.
For example, the EX3 has ergonomic handlebars with an adjustable console, while the EX5 has a Competition Aero handlebar system that can be adjusted in four directions: forward, backward, up, and down. The EX5 also has a nicer tablet holder and two water bottle holders.
Both Echelon and Peloton bikes allow you to get a studio-style cycling workout from your own home. To decide which brand is a better fit for you, you’ll want to consider a variety of factors, like:
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, Echelon offers some more affordable bikes. Most Echelon bikes don’t come with a built-in screen for streaming classes though, so if that feature is important to you, you’ll want to consider an Echelon EX5s or a Peloton.
If you’re looking for a bike with Bluetooth connectivity, a membership option with plenty of classes, and a highly adjustable design, the Echelon EX5 is worth looking into.
While you’ll make some trade-offs (like no built-in screen), the price reduction may be worth it if you’re willing to provide your own tablet or smartphone.
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Friday, July 29, 2022

Court Decision Leaves Biden With Few Tools to Combat Climate Change - The New York Times

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Coral Davenport
WASHINGTON — One by one, the tools available to President Biden to fight climate change are being stripped away.
After a Supreme Court decision on Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency will have less authority to limit carbon dioxide from power plants, a major source in this country of the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.
It’s one in a series of setbacks for Mr. Biden, who came into office with the most ambitious climate agenda of any president, pledging to the rest of the world that the United States, the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, would cut that pollution in half by the end of the decade.
In a statement, Mr. Biden called the ruling “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards” and said the conservative majority on the court was siding “with special interests that have waged a long-term campaign to strip away our right to breathe clean air.”
“The science confirms what we all see with our own eyes — the wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, and intense storms are endangering our lives and livelihoods,” Mr. Biden said. “I will take action. My administration will continue using lawful executive authority, including the EPA’s legally-upheld authorities, to keep our air clean, protect public health, and tackle the climate crisis.”
Some experts say that after the Supreme Court’s decision in the case, West Virginia v. E.P.A., it will soon be mathematically impossible for Mr. Biden to meet his goals.
“At this point I don’t see any way to hit the kind of targets they laid out,” said David G. Victor, an expert in climate policy at the University of California, San Diego.
The consequences could be severe. Scientists say the United States must hit Mr. Biden’s target if it is to do its part to limit average global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with temperatures before the Industrial Revolution. That is the threshold beyond which the likelihood significantly increases of catastrophic impacts such as deadly heat waves, drought, wildfire and storms. The planet has already warmed an average of about 1.1 degrees Celsius.
But Mr. Biden has faced obstacle after obstacle in his push for climate action, ranging from conflicts within his own party to a worldwide energy crunch triggered by the war in Ukraine to well-funded legal challenges from Republicans and the fossil fuel industry.
Patrick Morrisey, the Republican attorney general of West Virginia and the lead plaintiff in the case, called the decision a “great win for West Virginia and her residents,” adding, “We are pleased this case returned the power to decide one of the major environmental issues of the day to the right place to decide it: the U.S. Congress, comprised of those elected by the people to serve the people.”
The problem for Mr. Biden is that Congress has so far failed to act on climate change. The centerpiece of the president’s climate plan, legislation to replace coal and gas-fired power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy, was deleted from a major domestic policy bill last fall after objections from Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia. Mr. Manchin, who has personal financial ties to the coal industry, has been able to single-handedly set the limits of Mr. Biden’s legislative ambitions as the key swing vote in an evenly divided Senate.
The domestic policy bill in limbo on Capitol Hill still includes what would be a historic increase in tax credits to spur the wind and solar industries. But it is unclear if Mr. Manchin will support the plan and the legislation could die if Republicans, who have shown little interest in climate action, retake one or both chambers in the midterm elections.
Mr. Biden has focused on the nation’s top source of greenhouse gas pollution — transportation — by directing the E.P.A. to craft tough new limits on tailpipe emissions to speed up adoption of electric vehicles. But those rules are already under legal assault in lower courts by many of the same plaintiffs who were victorious in this week’s Supreme Court case.
A key decision. The Supreme Court issued a ruling limiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, dealing a blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to address climate change. Here’s what to know:
The case. The justices had been called to rule on whether the 1970 Clean Air Act allows the E.P.A. to issue sweeping regulations across the power sector or limits the agency to dictating changes at individual power plants.
A suspended rule. At issue in the case is the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era federal regulation adopted under the Clean Air Act that sought to govern emissions from power plants. After its announcement led to a barrage of lawsuits from Republican states and the coal industry, the Supreme Court put the program on hold in 2016 and it never took effect.
The stakes. The plaintiffs, which include several Republican attorneys general and coal companies, want to rein in the E.P.A. and other federal agencies that issue regulations that affect the American economy, arguing that it should be up to Congress to set the rules.
The ruling. The ruling curtails the E.P.A.’s ability to regulate the energy sector, limiting it to measures like emission controls at individual power plants and ruling out more ambitious approaches like a cap-and-trade system without the intervention of Congress.
Further implications. The decision could also pave the way for restrictions on federal agencies’ abilities to regulate health care, workplace safety, telecommunications and the financial sector.
As a candidate, Mr. Biden promised to end drilling on public lands — oil, gas and coal extraction from federal land and waters generates 25 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. But when he tried to pause new drilling, it was overturned by a legal challenge from Republican attorneys general from states that produce fossil fuels. The administration held its first onshore drilling lease sale this week in seven Western states.
“The judicial branch and the legislative branch are seriously hindering Joe Biden’s ability to get the job done on climate,” said Richard Lazarus, a professor of environmental law at Harvard, who served on Mr. Biden’s E.P.A. transition team. “A lot of the optimism that everyone had a year ago is being replaced by pessimism. They’re running out of options right now.”
The Biden administration contends that it remains possible for the United States to meet its climate targets, by cobbling together a mix of executive actions.
“Ambitious climate action presents a singular opportunity to ensure U.S. global competitiveness, create jobs, lower costs for families, and protect people’s health and well being, especially those who’ve long suffered the burden of inaction,” Michael S. Regan, the E.P.A. administrator, said in a statement. “E.P.A. will move forward with lawfully setting and implementing environmental standards that meet our obligation to protect all people and all communities from environmental harm.”
The Supreme Court ruling left intact the E.P.A.’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions but blocked any attempt by the agency to write regulations so broad that they force the closure of coal-fired plants, which generate the most carbon dioxide, or compel utilities to switch from fossil fuels to wind, solar and other clean sources.
The E.P.A. still plans to issue tougher regulations to control methane, a potent greenhouse gas that leaks from oil and gas wells. And it plans stricter limits on other types of pollution generated by power plants, such as mercury, smog and soot. The idea is that cracking down on those pollutants could force electric utilities to clean up or shut down the dirtiest facilities, such as coal-burning power plants, which produce more carbon dioxide than gas-fired plants.
“Those air pollution rules will have co-benefits — as they are being enforced, they will squeeze out some CO2 pollution,” said Leah Stokes, a professor of environmental policy at the University of Santa Barbara, California, who has advised congressional Democrats on climate legislation. “It wouldn’t be the same amount. Every time we take a tool off the table we’re in a worse position.”
Meanwhile, the private sector has already been shifting away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources.
Electric vehicle sales have doubled over the past year, making up about 5 percent of new vehicle sales in the United States in the first quarter of 2022, compared with about 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2021. General Motors has pledged to stop producing gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, with other carmakers setting similar goals. Ford Motor is producing an electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, the country’s best-selling vehicle, and has taken customer reservations for more than 200,000 of them.
With the cost of solar and wind energy dropping below the price of coal and natural gas in many parts of the United States, renewable sources of electricity now make up 20 percent of the nation’s energy mix, up from 15 percent a decade ago.
But the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, combined with the war in Ukraine and the related ban on Russian oil, has scrambled global energy supplies, and prompted President Biden to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and urge producers to pump more oil, at least in the short term. Clean energy producers in the United States also face significant obstacles from an outdated electricity transmission system.
And the private sector is not moving quickly enough to cut emissions to the level that scientists say is needed to avert climate catastrophe. Mr. Biden wants half of new cars sold in the United States to be electric by 2030, and all electricity to come from wind, solar and other zero-carbon sources by 2035.
“We do see a powerful trend emerging in the private sector both driven by consumers who are demanding cleaner options, that is driving a shift in our energy mix, and toward electric vehicles, but that pace of change is really not sufficient to meet the long-term targets,” said Sasha Mackler, an energy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington research organization. “For that, you still need policy. The administration doesn’t have the right tools to get us all there. Success in the time that we need it, according to the scientific community — that requires Congress.”
Congress in the coming weeks could still pass a scaled-back version of the spending bill that has been stalled on Capitol Hill for months. A version of the bill that passed the House last year includes $300 billion in clean energy tax incentives for producers and purchasers of clean electricity and electric vehicles.
But its current status is uncertain: Mr. Manchin blocked the larger spending bill that includes the tax credits last December, although he has recently restarted talks with the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, about the prospects for a less ambitious version. Under Senate rules, that bill must be passed by Sept. 30. The Senate is in recess through the second week of July, and will break again for the month of August, leaving Democrats limited time to reach agreement on a package that has eluded consensus for the past year.
Democrats say the Supreme Court decision lends urgency to the push to pass that bill. Mr. Schumer said the decision will “put American lives at risk, making it all the more imperative that Democrats soon pass meaningful legislation to address the climate crisis.”
Stalled action on the federal level puts a spotlight on dozens of states that are moving ahead with their own climate plans. “If the state actions are put on steroids as the federal government realizes its impotence, the effects of that will be significant,” said Mr. Victor.
Just under half the states have already enacted significant climate policies. Their leader is California, which in the coming weeks is expected to finalize a first-in-the-nation regulation requiring that all new cars sold in the state must be electric or zero-emission by 2035. Seventeen other states are in line to adopt the same rule when it passes in Sacramento.
California also requires that 100 percent of its electricity be generated from zero-carbon sources by 2045. Twenty-one other states have some version of that clean electricity standard, and several are advancing legislation for even more stringent versions.
“Today’s ruling makes it even more imperative that California and other states succeed in our efforts to combat the climate crisis,” said Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California. “While the court has once again turned back the clock, California refuses to go backward — we’re just getting started.”
But those state-level tools are also in the sights of many of the same Republican attorneys general who brought the power plant case to the Supreme Court. They have already filed a suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — considered the second-most powerful court in the country — seeking to block state authority to mandate a transition to all-electric vehicle sales. Oral arguments have yet to be scheduled.
“It’s a knife fight,” said Ms. Stokes. “We have to fight with every single tool we have on every level and it’s going to get harder.”
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The most popular air travel day this year was a mess. That won't change anytime soon - CNN

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Thursday, July 28, 2022

Watering the garden, landscape and lawn | Features | messenger-inquirer.com - messenger-inquirer

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Does the time of day and amount of water really make a difference when watering plants?
Of course, the timing and amount of rain are out of our control, but when planning to water, it is important to consider the amount needed and the best time of day.
Water makes up about 80 to 90% of the composition of all actively growing plants. Water moves into the roots up through the plant and exits through the leaves in a process termed transpiration.
This process is responsible for moving nutrients from the roots up into the leaves, cooling the plant through evaporation, and getting rid of water used in nutrient uptake.
If leaves are oriented at right angles to the sun, transpiration is maximized. Plants that have rolled their leaves when they are drought-stressed lose less water. Plants with larger leaf areas lose more water through transpiration.
Plants will not grow if there is too much water in the soil, because the roots need to be able to remove oxygen from the soil to take up nutrients. Thus, excessive irrigation can be harmful.
When watering plants in the garden and landscape, morning is the best time. Morning watering gives wet foliage a chance to dry fairly rapidly while evening watering tends to result in foliage that remains wet throughout the night.
Foliage that stays wet for several hours has a much greater chance for disease to develop on the leaves.
However, watering in the evening is better than no water at all; just make sure that the water is directed at the plant base and away from the foliage.
Watering during midday is not recommended because rapid evaporation of water from a plant’s leaves may concentrate salts and burn the foliage.
Watering in the morning is best for the lawn also. The evaporative loss of water is lower at that time. In addition, the lawn benefits from the irrigation water removing dew from the leaf surface, which reduces disease problems.
The question arises, how much water should I apply to my plants? Think of this in terms of how much water it takes to satisfy you on a hot day.
A splash to the face is refreshing but usually only satisfies us for a short time, and is never meant to be our sole source of water. A similar dousing of plants on a hot day with a hose is rarely sufficient to supply the needed water. Such watering rarely penetrates more than an inch or so into the soil.
A thorough, deep watering is much more effective. This will encourage plants to develop deep and well-dispersed root systems that provide good anchorage and help them obtain water more effectively during drought.
At each watering, an application of at least 1 inch of water should be made to the area under the drip line of trees. If the water is being applied by a sprinkler, set an open-faced can in the area being watered.
When 1 inch of water accumulates in the bottom of the can, then you will know that 1 inch of water has been applied in areas covered by the sprinkler.
If a soaker hose or other type of drip irrigation is being used, make sure the top 6 inches of soil is wet. One inch of irrigation will usually wet the soil to a depth of approximately 6 inches. Drip irrigation is best to use under shrubs to prevent wetting the leaves.
When irrigation is possible for the lawn, it needs 1 inch of water per week. For the lawn, it is recommended to apply about one-half to two-thirds inch of water every 3 to 4 days. Concentrate on watering lawn areas most susceptible to drought injury, such as south and west facing slopes, poor and shallow soil areas of the lawn, and steep sloping areas where rainfall tends to not penetrate.
If a rainfall of one-quarter inch or more occurs, skip the next scheduled irrigation. Then return to the every 3 to 4 day schedule.
If the water runs off before all of it is applied at one time, stop and water again in one or two hours. The runoff water will be wasted.
Don’t forget to water trees and shrubs, even established trees that are evergreen, such as blue spruce, and those that lose their leaves in the fall.
For more information about watering plants, contact the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service or annette.heisdorffer@uky.edu.
Squash plants wilting and dying may be a result of a squash bug feeding on the plants and transmitting a bacteria that plugs the phloem, which is the food conducting tissue in the plant. This disease is managed by controlling the insect and planting more squash. Plant summer squash up to about August 15 depending on the number of days to maturity as stated on the seed packet.
Consider participating in the Daviess County Lions Club Fair. Entries for youth and adult open classes and 4-H categories can be found in the fair book available at the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service Office or online at https://daviess.ca.uky.edu/fair. Fair categories include vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs, farm crops, hay, canning, photography, cake decorating, and 4-H exhibits. Entries need to be delivered to the Exhibit Building at the fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the fairgrounds in Philpot. Ribbons and award money can be picked up on Sunday, July 24 from 2 to 4 p.m.

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Why Roger McGuinn Loves Rickenbacker Guitars: Exclusive Interview - Ultimate Classic Rock

As the Byrds declared in 1967, if you want to be a rock 'n' roll star, "Just get an electric guitar, then take some time and learn how to play."
For many aspiring artists in the '60s, the electric guitar of choice was a Rickenbacker, which the Beatles popularized with their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. John Lennon had a Rickenbacker slung across his body in 1964; George Harrison frequently used one on tour, too, effectively cementing the Rickenbacker as the guitar for aspiring rockers. Since then, few instruments have held such an iconic foothold in the history of rock music as the Rickenbacker guitar. It's instantly recognizable to seasoned musicians and casual fans, thanks to its distinct shape and burning Fireglo finish.
The Rickenbacker had a fascinating history before the Beatles, as chronicled in the recently released book Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo by Martin and Paul Kelly. (The pair also authored 2010's Fender: The Golden Age 1946-1970.) The evolution of the instrument, from initial design blueprints to its place on the international rock 'n' roll stage, is chronicled inside the book.
"Electronic music and popular culture evolved simultaneously and that’s something that has always fascinated me — how technology enabled musicians and how the musicians helped to drive that technology forward," Martin Kelly tells UCR. "It changed our world. Cramming 90 years of history into a 330-page book was certainly a challenge, but I’m pleased with how it turned out."
Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo also includes sections devoted to artists who brought the sight and sound of Rickenbackers to the wider public, like Lennon and Harrison, but also Tom Petty, Paul Weller, Susanna Hoffs, Johnny Marr, Geddy Lee, Peter Buck and probably the instrument's biggest fan, Roger McGuinn. The Byrds co-founder first saw Rickenbackers used by the Beatles in A Hard Day's Night. He'd seen the movie with his bandmates, all of whom became enamored with the idea of becoming bona fide rock 'n' roll musicians.
“When we came out of the theater, David Crosby was swinging around a light pole like Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain saying, ‘This is what I wanna do, this is great!’" McGuinn recalls in the book. At the time, Gibson and Fender were the most popular brands available; Rickenbacker was still fairly obscure, but Harrison's 12-string, in particular, caught McGuinn's attention. "George used it in a really cool way - he played melody lines up and down the G string. I thought that was really effective, a great sound."
Watch the Beatles Perform 'A Hard Day's Night'
McGuinn traded a couple of other guitars for his first Rickenbacker and he was smitten from the get-go. "Tim Dixon, our first manager asked me to describe the sound of it," McGuinn tells UCR. "And I said it's like a uranium isotope in a ball of butterscotch."
With McGuinn's help, the guitar went from a fairly obscure American brand to a coveted instrument worldwide. McGuinn frequently used his 12-string Rickenbacker on Byrds songs, lending an air of light, airy charm to classics like "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Eight Miles High" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" Within a few years, it would be difficult to detach the sound of Laurel Canyon folk rock from the jangle of a 12-string Rickenbacker.
The Beatles' influence would come full circle in 1965. Harrison's Rubber Soul track "If I Needed Someone" was, as McGuinn was made aware by Beatles publicist Derek Taylor, directly inspired by the Byrds' "The Bells of Rhymney."
"We all lived in Laurel Canyon and [Taylor] came over to my house with this reel-to-reel tape ... a little three-inch reel of tape," McGuinn remembers. "And he said 'George wants you to know that he wrote this song based on your lick in 'Bells of Rhymney.'' ... I couldn't believe it. It was such an honor."
Listen to the Byrds' 'The Bells of Rhymney'
Years later, the pair would spend time together at Harrison's Friar Park estate, where Harrison brought out the same Rickenbacker he used on A Hard Day's Night.
In a lot of ways, Kelly says, the visibility of the Rickenbacker – on TV or famous album covers, like Petty's Damn the Torpedoes — is a huge reason the instrument has stuck around. "Player association has been a huge part of Rickenbacker's success and longevity. When it comes to rock ’n’ roll and pop culture, image is everything," he says, noting that after the Beatles' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Rickenbacker CEO F.C. Hall was savvy enough to travel to New York to meet the band and supply them with more instruments.
"[McGuinn] was the first American player to really put Rickenbacker on the map, and his endorsement lead to Mike Campbell and Tom Petty choosing Ricks," Kelly says. "The baton still gets passed on from the likes of Radiohead to younger players like Laura Jane Grace from Against Me!"

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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Spotify is testing in-app podcast creation tools - TechCrunch

Spotify is testing new tools that will allow you to record, edit and publish podcasts directly from the company’s main app. The company introduced this feature in New Zealand last month. This will remove the need of having a separate app — like Spotify-owned Anchor — to record and publish a quick take for podcasts.
Outgoing Spotify executive and Anchor co-founder Michael Mignano noted the launch of this feature and said this will allow users to make an episode with “no extra tools or hardware needed”. He joined the audio streaming company after it acquired Anchor in 2019.
We started @anchor with a mission to democratize audio.
So perhaps it’s only fitting that as I wrap up my time @spotify, we launch this:
Starting in NZ, now any Spotify user can make a podcast episode within the Spotify app, no extra tools or hardware needed. https://t.co/1ZV3yzefEh
— Michael Mignano (@mignano) June 17, 2022

The video posted by Spotify New Zealand gives us a lot of ideas about what kind of features we can expect with in-app podcast recording on Spotify. It shows that if you have the feature, you’ll see a + button next to “Your Library” in the bottom bar on the home screen. If you tap on it, you have options to “Record podcast” or “Create playlist”.

Image Credits: Spotify New Zealand (opens in a new window)

Image Credits: Spotify New Zealand
Once you tap on the Record podcast option, you’ll see a landing screen, and a record button to start recording a clip. You can record audio in one take or hit the pause button to take breaks. Once you finish the recording, you can edit the clip and add background music through a preset of available tracks. After editing, you can assign a title, put a description of the episode, tag another podcast or a song and publish it.

Image Credits: Spotify New Zealand (opens in a new window)

Image Credits: Spotify New Zealand
Spotify said that once you record the podcast, you’ll be able to access the number of streams through a section of published episodes under your profile.
“At Spotify, we are always looking for ways to enhance our users’ experience on our platform, and we regularly test features that we believe will bring value to listeners and creators. We are currently running a limited test of in-app audio creation, but have no further details to share at this time,” the company said in a statement.
The company had previously launched some Anchor-led features in the main app, like paid podcast subscriptions and video podcasts. However, these new podcast creation tools are probably the tightest integration of Anchor’s features to date.
Spotify tested another “Create podcast” button in 2019, but rather than providing in-app tools, it prompted users to download Anchor at that time.
Last month, during its investor day event, CEO Daniel Ek said that while the company is in investment mode for podcasts, it believes the vertical has potential for a 40-50% gross margin. The company said it registered $215 million in revenue in podcasting last year, after investing more than $1 billion in the sector over the last few years.
Update July 5, 4.50 PM IST: Updated the story with additional inputs from Spotify.

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