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Google Play Music All Access makes its way to seven more European countries
If you felt left out by the European debut of Google Play Music All Access in August, hopefully Mountain View's latest announcement brings you into the musical fold. According to Google's support page -- as spotted by Android Police -- the search giant's music locker and streaming service is now available in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland. And given how fast European internet is, it shouldn't take you nearly as long to upload a massive music collection as it did for us stateside, either.
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 9th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Virgin Mobile brought two new smartphones to the table and Play Music All Access subscribers received one more way to discover new tunes. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of September 9th, 2013.
Google Play Music All Access makes its European debut in nine countries
Three months after Google Play Music All Access debuted in the US and a month after it launched Down Under, the music subscription service has finally made its way across the globe to Europe. Well, to nine European countries at least. According to Google's support page, it's now available in Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and the UK. As with the other countries, there's a promotional offer to help you get started. If you sign up for the 30-day trial before September 15th, you'll only need to pay £7.99 or €7.99 a month after that. If you decide to wait however, the monthly subscription cost goes up to £9.99 or €9.99. No word yet on when the service will roll out to the rest of the world, but we're sure the folks in Mountain View are hard at work making sure it does. After all, it has quite a bit of catching up to do.
Google Play Music All Access debuts Down Under, koalas and kiwis rejoice
Google has a history of rolling out its new services to unexpected markets, and the first non-US territories for Google Play Music All Access are no different. Mountain View recently tweeted that users in Australia and New Zealand can now can now take advantage of its subscription-based service, complete with the playlist sharing and track ratings tune hounds saw in the States. Naturally, there's a trial with the same 30-day restriction in place as on the internet giant's native soil -- after that, Kylie Minogue's home team will need to cough up $9.99 in local currency each month for unlimited streaming. That $10 deal only applies if you sign up before August, after that it takes a cue from kangaroos and, ahem, jumps to $11.99.
Mixed messages on Nexus Q support suggest Google doesn't know what to do with it, either
Yesterday there was some pretty damning news for owners of Google's Nexus Q musical orb: the device isn't supported in the current version of the its Play Music app. This much is undoubtedly true, and verified by many owners. What's less clear, however, is whether this really is the end of the road. All the signs may be there, but some readers have forwarded us emails received from Google Play Support advising that a fix for Nexus Q streaming is definitely on the way. We contacted Google directly, but it was unable to give an official statement on the issue. We were simply told that the developer product never made it to commercial release, and as such the company can't promise either way. Mountain View isn't shy about shuttering much-loved services, so Nexus Q owners might take a small amount of solace from this current ambiguity, at least enough to delay taking matters into their own hands.
The Daily Roundup for 05.16.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google confirms Nexus Q not supported in latest version of Play Music
Google Play Music is about to reveal its saddest song... for owners of the Nexus Q that is. In fact, some might guess it's the funeral march. Phandroid and Android Police both report having received confirmation that the latest update of Google's Play Music service -- that we saw outed yesterday -- doesn't support the firm's own music streamer. A statement given to the websites confirms the fact, with little to suggest it'll get any better for the little black ball going forward. Does this signify the final nail in the coffin? Potentially. But, given that it was erased from view on the Play store some time ago, and orders never charged, you might have already guessed that outlook not so good had been the prediction for some time.
Google Play Music All Access hands-on
More Info Google reportedly signs deal with Sony and Universal Google launches All Access music-streaming service Google reportedly in negotiations with music labels to launch streaming service Among the worst kept secrets to be revealed during today's Google I/O keynote was Play Music All Access. Mountain View's desire to create a subscription-based music streaming service was pretty well-documented. Now it's finally here, for $9.99 a month (or $7.99 if you're an early adopter and get in on the free trial before June 30th), with at least a couple major labels on board. Of course, All Access is entering a rather crowded field -- one already dominated by heavy hitters like Spotify. We spent the afternoon getting acquainted with Google's subscription music service to see if it has what it takes to hang with more established properties. Head on past the break to see what we learned. %Gallery-188521%
Google Music gains scan and match feature in the US
It wasn't very long ago that Google Music landed in Europe -- to the delight of local music lovers, we're sure. On its trip across the pond, the service gained a unique new feature called scan and match, wherein Google scans your local music library and makes the songs it matches instantly available in the cloud -- no upload required. Until now the feature, which is similar to iTunes Match, was only available in Europe, but it's coming to the US starting today. From now on, any US Google Play users who upload their music collection will benefit from this new feature. Over time, the company will also upgrade users with existing cloud libraries. It's a free service and it's automatic -- you're unlikely to notice that it's even happening. The upside is that entire collections will be uploaded faster. We're not aware of any downsides yet -- matched songs will be available for streaming at 320Kbps like regular Google Play purchases, while re-downloaded music will be available at or close to the bitrate of the original file. Update: Google confirmed that any VBR files matched by the service will be re-downloaded as CBR files with a bitrate that's slightly higher than the average bitrate of the original song. This is obviously a drawback if you're currently relying on the service to backup your music collection.
Google Play replaces Android Market, new source for apps, books, movies and music (video)
The Android Market has morphed significantly since its inception, which now allows users to purchase books, music and rent movies, all from within a hub that was originally designed for just apps. To recognize this fundamental shift -- and emphasize the availability of content for sale -- Google is launching a new platform known as Google Play. The move hints at a strategy shift from just Android to the cloud as a whole, and establishes an umbrella brand for the diverse content sold by Google. For example, its Books, Music and Videos apps will now become Play Books, Play Music and Play Movies, while the Android Market itself will take on the moniker of Play Store. Users of Android 2.2 (and above) should notice the software update within the next few days, although other than the new name, initial changes should be minimal. We're also to be on the lookout for a new "Play" tab within the top toolbar of Google's website. To mark the occasion, the company has announced a promotional "Seven Days to Play" sale, which will tease would-be shoppers with discounted apps, books, movies and music throughout the week. For an additional peek at what's in store, you'll find the gallery below and a video after the break.%Gallery-149774%
