It’s Google apps update day! We already discussed the changes to be seen in Translate and Google Maps, so up next we have Sound Search and the Movies & TV application. Unfortunately, the Sound Search app has no changelog and after a quick use of it, I can’t seem to find any changes. It still acts the same and looks the same. So let’s move on.

As for the Google Play Movies & TV app, this one has a very solid update. If you are using the application on a tablet, you can now pause movies and get Google Now-like information cards pulled up on the actors, songs in the film, and a lot more. It’s a very cool way of getting even more information about your favorite films while you watch. 

In addition, users can now choose to receive notifications when new episodes are available for purchased seasons of shows. For example, I will be notified every time a new Vikings episode is released because that show is completely fantastic and I am addicted.

Go grab them updates and definitely give that movie card feature a try.

Play Link:  Sound Search | Google Movies & TV

Google Movies & TV and Sound Search Updated in Google Play is a post from: Droid Life

Google Play is celebrating its first birthday today (or maybe tomorrow), so that can only mean one thing – deals, deals and more deals. In a newly launched landing page created for the occasion, you’ll find discounts on hotels, gift cards, new playable characters in games, free music, movies and TV shows. We’re seeing some Kung Fu Panda and Breaking Bad action, along with music from The Velvet Underground.

It’s hard to imagine that Google Play has been around for a full year already. It seems like just yesterday that we were discussing whether or not this change from “Android Market” to “Google Play” was a good or bad thing. Most of you said, “Meh, I’ll deal with it.” Clearly, we all survived.

Go get some.

Play Link

Google Play Turns 1, Celebrates With a Bunch of Gifts for You is a post from: Droid Life

In today’s Google Search update that was just released, we are seeing a major update in terms of Google Now cards. The update introduced real estate cards in a variety of forms, Fandango movie pass support, and Rotten Tomatoes scores in movie listings. We have examples of all of the new cards for you below, something we try to do with each update. 

Fandango Movie Passes

Similar to the event booking card, in that it is pulled through your Gmail account. Tells you when you need to leave for the movie you have purchased tickets for and then shows a scannable QR code that can be used at the theater.

Movie Listing with Rotten Tomatoes Score

Shows when you are near a theater or when a movie you are interested in is playing. Now shows Rotten Tomatoes score.

Real Estate

Shows after you have been searching Google for real estate and are near properties that are for sale.

The entire list of Google Now cards can be found here.

Here are All of the New Google Now Cards: Real Estate, Fandango Movie Passes, and Rotten Tomatoes Scores is a post from: Droid Life

The movies and TV lineup for Google Play received a bump in the right direction this morning when Google announced that they would start selling/renting 600 titles from Twentieth Century Fox. TV shows like Family Guy, Glee, and Modern Family all make the cut along with movies like Black Swan, X-Men and Ice Age. Oh, and remember Prometheus? To help kickstart this new deal, you will be able to buy Prometheus 3 weeks ahead of its Blu-ray, DVD and video-on-demand release.

+1 to that news. Time to put the Nexus Q to work.

Via:  Google

Google Play Inks Deal With 20th Century Fox, Offers Prometheus 3 Weeks Ahead of DVD Release is a post from: Droid Life

Today, Google pushed out updated versions of the Nexus Q, YouTube, and Play Movies & TV applications. For the Q app, it now supports Android devices running 2.3.3+ which should make Gingerbread owners a bit happier once they receive their Nexus Q in the mail. As for the YouTube app, it has now spread Nexus Q support for Android 4.0 devices and earlier, as well as as allowing earlier versions of Android to use the app as a remote to play videos on other devices. Lastly, the Play Movies & TV app has been beefed up with faster downloads and a playback fix which plagued a few LG devices.

Go grab the updates in Google Play and enjoy your content to the fullest extent.

Nexus Q | YouTube | Movies & TV

Cheers Bob!

Google Pushes Out Updates for Nexus Q, YouTube, and Play Movies & TV App is a post from: Droid Life

After the update to the Movies application back when Google I/O was taking place this year, Google began allowing for rooted devices (previously blocked from playback) to stream content. We know in the beginning that Google had to make sure the publishers felt their content was safe and wouldn’t be copied, but it looks like Google may have convinced them that rooted users aren’t exactly the problem.

Whatever did officially happen, users are very happy and everyone can now enjoy their Google Play Movies and TV shows with no more interruptions. Thanks, Google.

Play Link

In Case You Missed It, Google Movies Does Allow for Rooted Device Playback Now is a post from: Droid Life

Many of Google’s applications are receiving major updates starting today. Maps now has the ability to store offline data, which means no more worrying about having to rely on a steady data connection to have in-depth and highly detailed maps wherever you are. Chrome, as we suspected earlier last week, has officially dropped its Beta tag. Google+ was a main point in their I/O presentation, with its new “Party Mode” and the ability to view feeds all from your notification bar in Jelly Bean. They also released the special tablet UI.

YouTube has received a complete UI overhaul, with navigation now happening on the left side of the screen and the ability to download videos over WiFi in the background for smooth playback while you’re on the go. Google’s Books app has received a few new features and you can now tap the top corner of a page to set a bookmark, along with video and audio playback when they’re embedded in the books.

Maps | Books | YouTube | Movies | Chrome | Google+

Google Releases Updates to Movies, Books, Chrome, Google+, YouTube and Maps is a post from: Droid Life

After confirming that the Nexus 7 is officially real and that another device called the Nexus Q is on the way, we noticed one other note from the Google Play addendum that we received. It mentions the following:

You understand that the Nexus Q currently supports only Google Play Music; Google Play Movies and TV; and YouTube, and that your use of those services is subject to the Google Play Terms of Service.

See anything new in that statement? “Google Play Movies and TV.” Currently, the Play store doesn’t sell or rent TV shows, but according to this addendum, they will shortly. The I/O day 1 keynote starts in just under an hour – we wouldn’t be surprised if TV shows are announced.

TV Shows Headed to Google Play Store Today? is a post from: Droid Life

Motorola XOOM owners can now try and grab themselves Google Videos, but be warned, it really doesn’t seem to be working too well. We rented a movie on the web browser, but the application is just displaying a server error. So is Google in the process of testing this, or have they released a broken app? Go ahead and try downloading, but definitely let us know in the comments section if it’s broken or working for you.

It’s also still looking as though it will not work for rooted XOOMs. But try it just to make sure.

Market Link

Cheers Neal!

Google Videos App Now Available For Motorola XOOM WiFi, Time To Rent Movies is a post from: Droid Life

This story on how rooted Android devices are being blocked from watching Google Movies seemed to pick up a lot of steam over the weekend, but it’s funny because @p3droid and I talked for a couple of hours about this on Twitter just after Google I/O got done almost 2 weeks ago (another reason to follow us!).  We both run rooted XOOMs and manually upgraded to 3.1, but were greeted with the nasty “Failed to fetch license” error that you are seeing above from the Android Market support pages.  We even thought we had found a fix which involved upgrading and then deleting su and Superuser.apk, but that ended up not working for everyone.  In fact, I installed 100% stock images from Motorola on my device, accepted the OTA update and still cannot access movies.

So my thoughts on this are, “this sucks, but is not unexpected.”  We all know how long it has taken Netflix to get past their security fears with Android, so I can only imagine how those negotiations went down when Google asked movie companies directly for permission to sell their titles.  And I would hope Android’s security reputation isn’t also the reason that they have been unable to secure contracts to sell music, but wouldn’t be surprised.

This new wave of anti-root on Android is a little unsettling, especially since many of us joined this army because we loved the idea of having total control.  But in the end, it’s all a business and rooted users seem to be looked at as evil hackers and thieves these days, so I’m afraid this is only the beginning.

Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Rooted Devices Will Not Have Access to New Google Movies Android Feature, That Includes Your XOOM is a post from: Droid Life

Today’s Google I/O keynote was filled all sorts of good news, but they really took some major steps towards turning our Android devices into media beasts.  They launched a new Movies section in the Market which allows you to rent them for as little as $1.99 and keep them for up to 30 days.  Well, you can keep it for 30 days, but once you start watching it you only have 24 hours to finish it.

Currently, movies can only be rented and watched through your PC browser, but once the Motorola XOOM is updated to version 3.1, it will also give you the option to rent.  Phone support will come at a later date.

Start renting movies here:  https://market.android.com/movies

More on the keynote, check out the live blog we ran.

Movies Added to Android Market Lineup, Rent for as Little as $1.99 is a post from: Droid Life

Early last week, HBO announced its new HBO GO and MAX GO services for subscribers that want to watch their catalog of award winning shows and movies online, but it caught our attention because it mentioned that Android support was on the way.  And while the press release may have said “later this year” as a release time frame, one of our readers noticed an HBO GO commercial that aired at the end of the premier for Game of Thrones last night with a date of 05.02.11.

Unfortunately for Comcast users, the service will continue to redirect you to an Xfinity page, so even if this app does go live in a couple of weeks, you’ll likely be locked out of it.  DirecTV users though, you are golden.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

To find out if you’ll have access, check out the HBO GO signup page.

Cheers Matt!

Is HBO GO Headed to Android on May 2? is a post from: Droid Life