Spotify’s experimental voice control feature is an excellent end run around Siri

Spotify is testing a voice search feature that lets users more quickly access their favorite artists, tracks, albums, and playlists. The feature, which appears based on a 2017 experiment involving a “driving mode,” has begun appearing inside the iOS app for a small number of users. I got early access to the test and tested out the feature set. In short, it’s an excellent step forward for navigation in app that has historically required too much tapping and typing to get where you’re going.

Spotify confirmed the test but didn’t want to talk about it. “We’re always working on improving the Spotify experience for our users, but we don’t have any information to share at this time,” the company said.

To access the new voice search feature, you tap the magnifying glass icon at the center of the bottom row of tabs. If you have it, you’ll see a microphone icon inside a white bubble in the lower-right hand corner of the screen.

Apple appears to have totally cut off Iran from the App Store

iPhone users in Iran discovered today that they’re no longer able to access the App Store, in what appears to be a total block of the country, according to Bleeping Computer. While Apple doesn’t sell phones or operate the App Store in Iran, Iranians could still import Apple products from another county and set them up to access portions of the App Store meant for other regions. It appears that now, Apple has closed that loophole, blocking any traffic coming from inside Iran from accessing the App Store in any capacity.

It’s not clear what prompted the change, but it presumably goes back to US sanctions on Iran, which President Trump amped up last year. Apple hasn’t made a statement on the changes, and it didn’t immediately return a request for comment. Should the ban be permanent, owners of iOS devices in Iran will have to route their internet traffic through VPNs, making it appear that they’re in another country, in order to access the App Store going forward. That’ll make it much harder to use Apple’s devices.

Users who try to visit the App Store in Iran now receive a message reading, “The App Store is unavailable in the country or region you’re in.”