Google shares spirit of the season

Ho. Ho. Ho. Google gives early Christmas presents this holiday, by focusing on ways that families (or roomies) can better share that which is contextually precious: music, photos, online, payments, and videos. But Big G also trails Apple, which already offers its customers many of the same benefits.

Fresh today: Google Photos Shared Albums, which applies collaborative concepts that Apps users should find familiar. "People receiving the shared album can join to add their own photos and videos, and also get notifications when new pics are added", according to the official announcement. "You can even save photos and videos from a shared album to your Google Photos library, so that you can hold onto them even if you weren’t the one holding the camera".

Shared Albums are available from web browsers or Android and iOS apps. On the web, choose a pic, click the three vertical dots top-right and then "add to shared album". Process is simple and not exactly cutting-edge innovation. Photo sharing is widely available, particularly using static links.

Also new today: Chromecast Audio adds a multi-room synchronous music feature. The device turns wired speakers wireless, and the new function essentially links together multiple CAs attached to speakers in different rooms. Once synced, the same music plays in all the rooms. Given Chromecast Audio's bargain basement $35 pricing, Google makes upgrading your woofers wirelessly on the cheap.

Yesterday, Google Music Family Sharing debuted for the same price as Apple's similar plan: $14.99 monthly. But Big G is stinger, allowing five unique accounts to share a single subscription; Apple Music is six. But Google kicks in something more; YouTube Red, which is the video service's new ad-free sub. Already, individual Google Music subscribers get Red for free, now it's a shared affair—and helluva bargain.

Something else: Like Apple, Google lets families make payments from a single account—the dryly-named Family Payment Method. Users set up group pay to support services like Google Music Family Sharing. Depending on how the main account holder restricts or enables purchases, the group can make app, book, magazine. movie, music, or TV show purchases.

And finally: I can't resist mentioning Google's Deck-the-Halls gift wrapping of something the family might already share—and this one could cost you: Decor for the OnHub router, which I reviewed in September. There's a handy Maker's Gallery for dressing up your device, and Google sells $29 shells. Seriously? Have you got a 3D printer and nothing to use it for? Google gives instructions on making a shell for your OnHub.

Photo Credit:Shutterstock/gpointstudio