Skip to main content

Sticky Google services I actually pay for

By
 

I've been meaning to write about this for some time now and I'm just getting around to it. Google has slowly built an ecosystem of not just devices but services that have become a part of me and my family's everyday life. I find these services to be very reliable, comparable to the competition, and worth the asking price.


Youtube Music/Premium - I have a family plan and been a subscriber since Google Play Music. The service was a little rough around the edges, to say the least at first but as Google does they iterated the hell out of the service. I now find it to be better than Google Play Music and see why the change was made. Looking forward to new features and updates in the future. Near future, I hope.


Youtube TV -  I've been a subscriber since early on and I love the service. Unlimited DVR is a killer feature along with profiles for each user. Google has added channels over time and lost some, unfortunately. But YTTV is a solid service and the best out of the bunch. Picture quality is unmatched. Features and UI are best in class. You can even subscribe to other services within YTTV such as HBO Max. 


Google One - A relatively good service that just seems to go under the radar. Google One is where you can add cloud storage for files (Google Drive) and pictures (Google Photos) in original quality. There are also value with the service if you are a Google user such as getting up to 10% in cash back on purchases, discount on hotels, a VPN, and extra photo editing features in Google Photos. The price you pay for Google One just about pays for itself with all of the benefits that are included. 


Google Play Pass - I will admit that I slept on this service until recently. I decided to give it a try when I found a couple of paid apps I’m interested in are included in the service. Cool, right. What I did not consider is how much my kids would use it and how they actually love the apps that are available. The other cool thing is that there are no in-app purchases or ads.


Nest Aware - Nest Aware is a service where you can pay to store video footage from your Nest cameras on the cloud. This service does not get talked about either. Well only when it's down. The service is very good and video playback is fast. Video playback is available on your mobile devices and on the web.


Man, Google has come a long way from where they were. I can see a future where all of these services will integrate further and work better with their existing and new products. I must say that I am here for it and happy to be in the sticky Google ecosystem.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reviewing the Pixelbook Go after 5 yrs | Software that is outpacing the hardware

By
  No doubt, the Pixelbook Go has served me well in my 5 yrs with the laptop. This is not necessarily a review of the features on the laptop but a review of the PBG hardware and its usability in 2025. I acknowledge that I am a part of a very small club of users that still have and use this device but I must say that I still enjoy using the PBG every single day. Now, to the review. Hardware Right off the bat. The hardware is probably the least compelling aspect of the PBG. When the laptop was first released in 2019 it was already a year or two behind the competition with the onboard soc. Surprisingly, this has not negatively impacted using the laptop with most tasks. Web surfing is a breeze and most Android apps run pretty effortlessly. The 8th Gen i5 Intel soc paired with 8GB of RAM is well optimized and I feel that Google is getting as much as it can out of the chip.  Where the PBG falls short is with video editing apps. I've tried several Android apps and a couple of Linux ap...
Post a Comment
Read more

Soundcore K20i review | A look at Ankers budget friendly earbuds (video)

By
Soundcore K20i by Anker, Semi-in-Ear Earbuds, Bluetooth Wireless, 36H Playtime, Fast Charge, Clear Sound, Comfortable Fit, ENC 2-Mic Clear Calls, Custom EQ, IPX5, Bluetooth 5.3, App Control. https://a.co/d/a27Mi9t
Post a Comment
Read more

I attended a Pixel Superfans event at the new Google Store in Santa Monica, CA

By
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a Pixel Superfans event at the new Google Store in Santa Monica. It was a soft launch of the store and a good way to meet like minded people. The staff were very nice and helpful. While I was at the store I was able to finally check out the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and wow that device is extremely impressive. Outside of that, I was able to look around the store and check out other Google products which there are quite a bit to see. I'm looking forward to my next visit to the new Google Store. Take a look at the pictures below including one of some swag I got from Google at the event.
Post a Comment
Read more