Oh, NOW You Want me, Google Music Beta?!

Apparently I wasn’t cool enough to warrant inclusion at the outset of Google Music Beta but now they’ve decided I’m worthy.  I got an email last night inviting me to check it out and I’ve only just gone through the process (on a Windows machine) to set it up.  While the process was relatively painless (and they even include some free songs to test with, hooray!) I see now why it’s still in beta.

I’ve clicked two or three different songs and while they appear to be ‘playing’ I’m not hearing anything through my speakers.  I haven’t spent enough time with it yet to say whether or not I’m going to dig it, but I have a feeling that iCloud is going to be my favorite not because of a natural Apple bias, but because i can’t stream any of my Google music to my iPhone or any other iDevices and that’s just disappointing.  Competition with Apple or not, there are millions of iOS users out there and if Google could do the music thing better (see: free-er) than Apple then I’d think iOS would be a great platform to illustrate that.

Oh well, let’s see if Billion Dollar Babies will play now!

Discless Netflix for PS3 Arrives

If you haven’t heard, you can now use Netflix on the PS3 without having to insert the Netflix disc.  The new Netflix is now available as a downloadable app.  I’m going to play with it some more, but so far the interface overhaul looks pretty nifty.  The old version for PS3 seemed more than a bit clunky compared to its 360 counterpart, but this new version might have me firing up the PS3 a bit more often for my streaming media needs.

What do you think of the new Netflix?

My Love/Hate Relationship With Digital Distribution

Digital Distribution Explained

I was sitting here the other day playing Peggle when I realized what a wonderful game it is.  However, amidst my blowing away tiny orange pellets and giggling like a schoolgirl whenever I see a unicorn in the game, I came to the realization that it’s the first game in a while I’ve played that didn’t come from a brick and mortar store.  As technology evolves, namely in the area of internet connection speeds and enhanced online marketplaces, this type of distribution for new media will become increasingly prevalent.  iTunes paved the way for a new way of buying music, Xbox Live spurred creativity in the masses by offering independent developers a way to get their content onto millions of 360s, and Netflix has all but buried Blockbuster offering unlimited, on-demand streaming for less than $10 a month.

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Keeping it Synced Part 3: Simplify Media

Simplify MediaPreviously I’d talked a little about how to keep your notes synchronized with Evernote and also how to keep files updated across multiple computers using Dropbox.  While I might do more parts in this series later on, today I’m just going to write a bit about Simpilify Media, and why if you float around to multiple computers throughout your day how it’s great at keeping your mountain of MP3s following you wherever you go.  Not to mention with a lightweight installation and full support for the iPod Touch and iPhone, Simplify Media makes a strong addition to our series on how to keep your digital life in sync.

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Free Music Streaming Sites do exist! Just try Grooveshark!

Dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun...Up until about a month ago, to listen to music I was interested in I’d either 1.) buy it legally from Best Buy, FYE, Target, etc. 2.) persuade Josh to bit torrent it for me on his Mac 3.) YouTube it and watch some goofy homemade video to go along with it or 4.) give it a 30 second listen in iTunes. However, thanks to Ryan Ross of Panic at the Disco and his frequent music tweets, I have been made aware of Grooveshark and its list of amazing music playing abilities.

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