Android music player leaks, hints at cloud music plans
updated 02:55 pm EDT, Tue April 5, 2011
Android music slips out with cloud access clues
Google may have accidentally tipped off how it will approach its Google Music service by unintentionally seeding a pre-release version of the upcoming default Android music player app. The leak (download) resembles a shrunken version of the Android 3.0 tablet app on the surface but has settings directly tied to the cloud service. Listeners will have the option of either downloading or streaming tracks, including only on Wi-Fi to save data, and will have the option of caching streams in the event of an unwanted drop.
None of the features are working so far, which was expected given Google's licensing problems. The search firm has reportedly been talking about plans with labels since at least the Google I/O meet last year but has had difficulty convincing them that it was simply an online storage service with media access. Apple and possibly Amazon have been told they might have to pay royalties a second time under the guise of the cloud being a second use.
Google Music was supposed to go live not long after Android 3.0 arrived, according to Motorola chief Sanjay Jha, but hasn't shown any signs of getting close. The leak, even if accurate, may reflect internal testing and not a publicly accessible feature. [via SAI]
