Google launches Google Music

Google have today announced the launch of a new service targeted at music lovers. Google music will operate on Android handsets users in the US, but is expected to launch in the UK soon once negotiations with record labels have been concluded.

The service hosts all major labels so far except Warner Music with whom Google claim negotiations continue. Song costs are between 69c, 99c & $1.29, the same as on Apple's iTunes.

This is seen as a major play by Google in ensuring that its Android based mobile offering can effectively compete with Apple.

Google claim that the service will host more than 13m tracks from Universal, Sony Music and EMI as well as a thousand independent labels. Users are able to buy individual songs or entire albums from computer or Android device and they will instantly added to your Google Music library, and accessible anywhere.

This comes in the same week that Apple has announced a new iTunes Match service, allowing consumers to download a copy of a song on one device and have it available on all their devices.

Both services have more to do with locking consumers into a particular operating system and device through a passion area – music – than it has with a desire to bring more music to the masses.

On a regular basis I have to explain to my father how to copy and paste, put a photo in an e-mail as an attachment, scan a document, etc etc… the list really does go on….and it normally ends with me doing it ALL for him. Now, it’s not that I mind helping out my Dad, after all I’d rather he was at least aware of the existence of ‘Spam mail’, rather than thinking someone in Nigeria really has left him a fortune, or that he really needs little blue pills for a happier life…*shudder*…but now, thanks to Google, all of this can now be avoided!

Google have recently launched ‘Teach Parents Tech’ http://www.teachparentstech.org/

In this simple but clever interface, the user can select who the recipient is intended to be (Mother or Father) and what information about computer-related tech would really help them, and ultimately, take the pressure off their sons or daughters who would have previously been bugged for!

It covers everything basic to the more advanced, in a mass video-information (via YouTube) e-mail to the recipient, after clicking through the personalised website.

An apparent selfless act from Google, it’s another example of how they are trying to be in the heads of those who would not normally be aware of them. Some of the videos of information that are selected have presenters wearing Google t-shirts, as well as instructions being displayed using Google-owned products.

All this doesn’t just create potential relief for sons and daughters everywhere, but is a clever brand awareness technique from Google (and YouTube), creating a positive and friendly image to an audience which needs help and advice online.

Google Preview

Google has begun experimenting with a new layout that could change how users search the web - full page previews.

Users place their cursor over a search result and will see a preview of the entire website. It will highlight segments of the page that correspond with the conducted search in orange, making it easier to quickly scan websites for relevant information.

Google is also enabling the same site to appear a number of times. Previously, multiple entries would be indented and displayed beneath a company's first mention. Under the new system a single website can have more than one listing.

With single websites taking up multiple search slots, companies have even more reason to improve their search engine optimisation to ensure their positions are prime.

A screen grab of how the page previews look is available here.