MusicBetaByGoogle
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Google's Music Beta gives users two invites, keys to the cloud for their best mates
We probably all know at least one person who is bummed they missed out on the initial round of invites for Music Beta by Google. Well friends, you can be the bearer of good news for those troubled souls (who haven't moved on to other online music pursuits, of course), as we discovered through a fellow music enthusiast. Members of the cloud-based service are now the proud owners of two invites handed down from the Goog, to be passed out only through a thorough application and interview process. Ok, not really... but perhaps you do have the power to make two of your friends, or soon-to-be friends, pretty happy. That is, until they realize how long it will take them to upload that music library they've been curating since 8th grade. [Thanks, Ralph]
Google Music Beta invites start rock 'n rolling out
Been on pins and needles since Google unveiled its long awaited Music Beta service at I/O? Good news: it seems that the non-Xoom owners among us are finally getting a crack at the thing. We've received reports from numerous tipsters that El Goog has finally started delivering invites to those who signed up through the site, letting even more users upload 20,000 of their favorite jams to its cloud-based storage locker. If you're one of the lucky ones, please sound off in the comments below -- and if not, be sure to read our hands-on review of the service while you wait. [Thanks everyone who sent this in]
Music Beta invites now flying to Xoom owners, Google's server farms seen weeping in the distance
After 5000 music-lovin' I/O attendees warmed up Google's servers, it appears that the company has now finished its presumed installation of four zillion exabytes of new hard drive capacity. We're exaggerating, obviously, but probably not by much -- we've received a flood of tips today (as well as an invite amongst ourselves) noting that Music Beta is finally being opened up to Earthlings in the "real world." Specifically, Motorola Xoom owners. In case you've forgotten, that entitles you to free (for now) access to a cloud storage locker where 20,000 of your hits can be saved and streamed. Curious to know if it's worth the time to upload? Have a peek at our in-depth preview right here, and be sure to let us know if your invitation has come through in comments below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
BoxyTunes app streams music from your Dropbox music folder
There's a short but interesting analysis on Wired's Gadgetlab about Google's Music Beta service and how a simple US$2 app, BoxyTunes, does everything you hoped Google's service would do but doesn't. Music Beta was launched last week at Google's I/O Developer conference. It currently only works in web browsers and on Android devices. The web-based service does not work on iOS devices because it uses Flash. BoxyTunes, on the other hand, simply streams any music, podcasts or audiobooks it finds in your Dropbox folder to your iOS device. It allows you to set up playlists of tunes in your Dropbox, use your earbud controls as if you were listening to iTunes and listen to music in the background while performing other tasks. And if Music Beta does ever come to iOS devices, Wired author Charlie Sorrel points to a another potential advantage of BoxyTunes. Uploads may be faster as Dropbox creates an MD5 hash of every file you upload and won't upload a second copy if that file already exists on their servers.
Google I/O 2011 recap: Chromebooks, Music Beta, Movies and more
And that, as they say, is a wrap. We've departed a shockingly sunny San Francisco, but not without a huge helping of Google news to mull over on the long ride home. In typical Goog fashion, the outfit served up a double-dose of keynotes this year, both of which seemed to delight both developers and media alike. Sure, no new superphones used the show as a launching pad, but plenty of other nuggets were unearthed. From the reveal of Music Beta to the official introduction of the world's first commercial Chromebooks, the 2011 edition of Google I/O packed plenty of punch. If you missed even a second of our continuous coverage, we've got you covered -- the best of the best is recapped below. We'll see you next year, I/O... you bring the tiramisu, we'll bring the Ice Cream Sandwich. Keynotes / liveblogs: Day 1: Music Beta, Android 3.1, Ice Cream Sandwich, Open Accessory, ADK Day 2: Chrome, Angry Birds, Chrome OS, Chromebooks Editorials / previews: Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video) Editorial: Engadget on Google Music and Movies for Android Google Music Beta versus the titans of the streaming music space: a chart Editorial: Google clarifies Chromebook subscriptions, might have just changed the industry Hands-ons: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition (white) hands-on from Google I/O! Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS laptop hands-on at Google I/O Fossil Meta Watch wrists-on at Google I/O (video) Hasbro's experimental Nexus-powered robot toy hands-on at Google I/O (video) Lighting Science demos Android @ Home bulbs, promises dead-simple home automation (hands-on) Google's Arduino-based ADK powers robots, home gardens and giant Labyrinth (video) LifeFitness exercise bike interfaces with Nexus S, makes fitness marginally enjoyable (video) iRobot Ava mobile robotics platform hands-on at Google I/O (video) Groupme's group messaging app demoed at Google I/O, complete with data / location (video) Head on past the break for more!
Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video)
We made a few predictions about Google's (then-presumed) music service in our streaming roundup last week, and thanks to the inability of an undisclosed amount of labels to take a whiff of whatever El Goog was cooking, it looks as if we've been left with something less robust, but nevertheless intriguing. It's worth taking a glance at our team editorial on Music Beta by Android to get a feel of what could've been, but the reality is this: what was launched today is what we've been dealt, and now it's time to break things down and see how it actually functions in practice. Care to have a look at a full installation walkthrough, problem reports and two more pennies on how the service stacks up? That, along with tips on fulfilling your hopes and dreams, are tucked away just after the break. %Gallery-123283%
Editorial: Engadget on Google Music and Movies for Android
Google dropped an amazing amount of stuff on us this morning, up to and including using your phone to turn off a lamp and a tablet to control a giant wooden labyrinth. Move past the flash, though, and the news with the most immediate impact to Android users is the release of the Music Beta by Google, plus the availability of movie rentals on the go. Now you can take your tunes all up into the cloud and pay too much to bring some movies along with you. That all sounds great, but we have somewhat mixed feelings about the whole thing. Check 'em out below.
