Google sure had a lot to talk about this morning. At the company's annual Google I/O conference, they dropped two massive bombs, and both could affect how you carry music and movies on the go.
First up, the company announced Music Beta by Google. The cloud-based service allows Android users to put digital music into the "cloud," so it can be accessed from any web-enabled computer and/or Android tablets and smartphones.
One nice feature is that the service allows you to tap into recently played music, even when you're (briefly) kicked off the cloud. Users can also choose specific albums, artists and playlists to be available offline. Speaking of playlists, those are an option -- and are automatically synched and shared across the devices. If you're not all that good at making a playlist, you can have Google create one based on a single song selection.
For now, Music Beta is free, but it's also only available by email invitation. To get in on the service and upload up to 20,000 of your favorite songs, check out the Music Beta website to request an invite via email.
While you wait for that to show up in your inbox, Google has also launched Google Movies for Android. This allows Android users to purchase thousands of movies, and stream them through the Android Market. All selections are searchable by title.
This news comes one day after Google's own YouTube announced the addition of thousands of movies for its on-demand service. Available titles include new releases, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, The King's Speech, and Blue Valentine. YouTube does offer plenty of freebies, but newer selections cost up to $3.99.
It seems as though YouTube prices are on par with what Android users can expect. Movies available through the Android Market start at $1.99. Also like YouTube, Android users will have 24 hours to watch a film once it starts. Android rentals can be purchased up to 30 days in advance, and temporarily downloaded to watch offline.
Both services put Google in a better position to compete with the likes of Apple, as well as Amazon. However, Music Beta by Google is not currently tied to an online music store.
Where to Buy Android Devices:
For More Information:
