(composite image via Flickr and Pandora.com)
I know that Spotify is all the rage, but it doesn’t have a public release in the US yet, and invites are still a bit rare States side. So, I’ve been finally playing around with Pandora at work, and came to the realize that there is real intelligence and even, fortune telling in Pandora’s recommendation engine.
When Paula asked me a question about what project she should work on next, Pandora voluntarily kicked out Anyway You Want It by Journey, which made us stop in our tracks (so to speak.) It only took me a moment to realize the potential wisdom that Pandora imparts. Ask it a question, wait for the next song, and get an answer.
It’s like magic or visiting a psychic, only better because it’s free and you can hum or sing along. The answers are also much more interesting than the static answers from the standard Magic 8 ball. Plus it gives you something to do while Gmail is down.
Here is an actual record of our questions and Pandora’s answers.
Paula: What will my roommate be like?
Enjoy the Silence, Depeche Mode
(We’re not sure if this good or bad?)
Me: How am I going to like my apartment?
This Must Be The Place I Waited Years to Leave, Pet Shop Boys
(Honest!)
Susan: What am I going to have for dinner?
Toxic, Britney Spears
Paula: What am I going to be when I grow up?
Man Eater, Nelly Furato
Susan: What am I going to do for Labor Day?
Drive, The Cars
Ray: How is my project going?
Calabria 2008, Enur… you know that song, which was played in every retail store for the past two years, and finally made it to that “dance battle” Target commercial. Not sure how that applies to my current work project. Oh Pandora, just when we think we understand you, you uphold your mysterious ways.
Try it out, and let me know how it goes!
