Google held its three-day I/O Conference this week at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Since the end of last year’s conference, there have been a lot of rumors and inclinations about some of the platforms that Google has been working on. Moxie brings you the scoop on a few of the changes that Google has made, as well as the latest updates on what to expect by 2014.
1. Google presents its new streaming service: Play Music All Access
Google unveiled one of its latest and greatest at the conference – Google Play Music All Access. Similar to Spotify and Rdio, Google’s All Access music service allows users to stream songs onto their computers, as well as their Android smartphones. The service enables users to create their own radio stations based on their individual song preferences, as well as personalize the user’s playlist with recommended songs that are similar to the listener’s desired music, helping to create a better experience. What makes this platform so unique, compared to other services, is its feature that lets listeners preview the next song on the playlist with the limitless option to skip the tune by simply swiping it away on the screen. Currently, this service is available to the public for a monthly fee of $7.99, but Google plans to bring it back up to a fixed price at $9.99 a month. Get it while you can!
2. Google Wallet makes it easier to send/receive money with Gmail
Among all the great announcements that Google has revealed this week, the goliath company is also bringing Google Wallet to Gmail. Gmail users can now send money to their friends and family as an attachment on an e-mail, as well as receive incoming payments. In order for this to work, Gmail users must first create a Google Wallet account before executing any form of transaction. Once this convenient payment platform is made available for people to use to manage their money, it will potentially impose as a threat to other online payment options. Users can anticipate using this service within the next few months.
3. Google unveils “Hangouts” to introduce its all-in-one messaging app
Google has finally announced its latest multi-platform messaging app that is similar to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger – Hangouts. This service lets user’s text, send pictures and engage in group video messaging – which is always fun to do. Yes, Google has had the ability to provide a seamless communication experience for users, but it was always divided amongst different platforms. Even though this service does not include SMS messaging, it does, however, include a watermark feature that alerts users when someone is typing and how much of the content he or she has read. A photo saving feature has also been included, which automatically saves all the pictures that have be shared while chatting on via Hangouts. Since it took Google a while to join in on the unified messaging platform, it will be interesting to see how well it does in a market where some services seem to be thriving.
4. Google adds a voice to their search feature
Google plans to launch an updated version of its service with a voice search feature that replies to the user when using Google Chrome. People can ask the search tool a question by first saying “Ok Google.” Similar to Siri, Google’s Knowledge Graph will analyze the users question before offering a variety of answers and links. A notable feature for Google’s voice search is its ability to comprehend follow-up questions by identifying the pronouns within the questions when providing results. Although the upgrade is not available yet, it will be interesting to see how this platform will change the way people engage with online content.
via Cheat Sheet Special Edition: Google I/O Conference | Moxie Blog.
