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Spotify ‘Car Thing’ Given Six Months to Live

Spotify said it short-lived Car Thing device, which was discontinued two years ago, will be deactivated completed and stop working on Dec. 9.

Car Thing, likened by at least one admirer as the Zune of the 2020s, will cease to exist later this year following an announcement by Spotify late last week that the little device that couldn’t will stop working on Dec. 9. Adding to the confusion surrounding its very existence, the Thing still needs to be connected to your car stereo using bluetooth or wires, and requires a dedicated power source and your smartphone (via WiFi) in order to access Spotify’s millions of tracks and podcasts. The audio streaming giant began tinkering with a voice-controlled hardware device in 2019 as a way to test in-car listening habits and also to fill a need for Spotify devotees with older cars — or slightly less-smart or attractive interfaces — to enjoy their favorite music and podcasts while driving.

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