Age of Geeks: Google scores big with music and maps

Columns May 14, 2014

Spring has been wonderful time for the tech-y and geeky people, with lots of announcements and pleasant surprises. And it wasn’t just the anticipated released dates of devices that were pushed a bit earlier, but also the announcement of the much-awaited Google Music services. So, let’s have a look at the wonderful tech stories over these last few weeks, just in time for beautiful spring.

Google launches Play Music services in Canada

After a considerable wait, Google has finally launched its Play Music service in Canada. First released in the United States in 2011, Play Music allows users to upload up to 20,000 of their own songs to the cloud in a storage locker for listening through any device for free. Users will be able to sign up for all access at the introductory $7.99-per-month rate with a free 30-day trial. Similar to the US, the price will soon increase to $9.99 per month for new signups. If you don’t want to spend the bucks, go for the free music storage locker.

Release of the “flagship killer”

The name may sound like an exaggeration, but that’s what the founders of the One Plus One Android device had in mind. The new players in the Android market have hit the ground running and have released the much-anticipated, budget-friendly high-end smartphone a few weeks earlier than originally planned. The unique selling point of this phone is the hardware, which is found in phones like Galaxy S5 and HTC One, but available here at a reasonably low price. The phone has similar specs as the GS5, but is available at $300 for the 16 GB version and only $50 more for the 64 GB, hence the name “flagship killer.” The device is rumoured to be available in Canada before July and also as an unlocked device, just like the Nexus 5.

Google Maps updated

Google never stops; it keeps giving us things that make our life easier than it already is. So in this installment of Google goodies they’ve updated their maps application, now with better offline maps management, lane-by-lane guidance, and revamped UI controls, among other things. The update is now available to install from the Apple App Store.