This week Google announced its move into the car industry with Android Auto. The company describes it as "designed with safety in mind". The interface aims to be simple, controls will be present right on the steering wheel, everything can be launched by voice and Google Maps will guide the way.

A number of automobile makers are on board, including Ford, Subaru, Chrysler and many more. Now it's up to app makers to round things out and TuneIn Radio is among the early adopters racing to the platform.

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In the crowded space that is today's streaming music market, Rdio is one of the names that pops out. Combine that with the current Austin, Texas festival known as SXSW and you have a match -- technology and music meet each year the party. This year is no different, as announcements are coming out from various services in  attendance.

Rdio is one of those companies revealing information at the big show. The latest update brings new features to the streaming service, all centered around community -- as in sharing with your circle of friends.

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Source tells BetaNews that MixRadio -- currently exclusively available on Microsoft’s Windows Phone -- will "soon" make its way to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS mobile platforms. An executive at the music platform -- who asked not to be identified -- didn’t wish to confirm the development at this stage, but noted that the company recently quietly released an Android beta to select testers.

MixRadio offers free music streaming curated in a radio-like way. Available in 31 countries including US, China, and India, the service is estimated to have millions of users -- though the exact numbers have never been disclosed. The on-demand music streaming has been rebranded and restructured a couple of times since its launch in 2007 by Nokia. It was formerly known as OVI Music Store, Nokia Music Store, and also Nokia Music.

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Song lyrics can sometimes be confusing -- think Jimi Hendrix "excuse me while I kiss the sky" that people mis-heard as "excuse while I kiss this guy". Numerous other examples exist, including prominent ones from Bruce Springsteen and The Police. Many times we're left completely confused and searching lyric websites to see if the ear deceived us.

Now music streaming service Spotify aims to save you a trip to A-Z Lyrics, or whatever site you use. The company is bringing the lyrics to you, right in the desktop app. The update will utilize Musixmatch, a service that has a good reputation for getting things right, regardless of how confusing it may sound.

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You might think that in-ear type earphones are pretty much the same when it comes to listening quality. But British company Pump Audio is on a mission to convince you otherwise.

It only makes one style of earphone, no plethora of fashion options here, and its selling point is sound quality. Pump claims to offer a 'premium' audio experience, so does the product live up?

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Music is my favorite hobby, and I am certainly not alone. Technology has enhanced my listening in ways that I never dreamed. As a child of the 80's, I started with cassettes and later upgraded to CD. Collecting CDs and vinyl consumed my life; I even embraced MiniDisc to create my own digital mixes from my newest records.

Nowadays, I have continued my evolution to mp3 and ultimately, streaming. Long gone are the days of collecting and storing; Spotify is the sole source of all my tunes. Whether listening on my PC, tablet or smartphone, I demand a quality speaker -- preferably Bluetooth and portable. My current favorite portable is the UE BOOM. Today, I am looking at the next-generation, called the MEGABOOM. Is it mega awesome?

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Rapper Jay Z is spreading his wings outside of the world of hip hop, and venturing into music streaming territory. The musician's company, Project Panther Bidco Ltd is buying the Swedish company Aspiro, the owner of HD streaming music service Tidal for $56m.

The purchase will also see Jay Z acquiring Aspiro's other streaming service WiMP, but it is the quality-focused Tidal that is of particular interest. It will pit Jay Z against the Apple-owned Beats as well as the likes of Spotify.

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Streaming music services are everywhere today and few people bother buying CDs because of them. While those with "golden ears" may not approve, for the vast majority the quality is just fine. Those who want more can look into Neil Young's Pono Player, but for the rest of us, Rdio will work out nicely and save you some money as well.

Now the music streaming service is announcing a slew of updates to its Favorites feature. Introduced last September, this section is now receiving a refresh that allows for much more functionality.

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For a while Windows Phone users complained about the lack of apps, one of which was Spotify. The music service is now there and things are improving in general for the platform. Now Spotify has a major new update for Microsoft's mobile devices, bringing it more in line with versions on competing handsets.

The big feature is the addition of Your Music. This option allows customers to better organize and browse their tunes, as well as create playlists and view cover art. If you find something to your liking, you can simply hit "save" and move on -- it will be there for you in the future.

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Looking back on this last day of the year, I wonder how my daily tech changed so much since the first. On Jan. 1, 2014, my core computing comprised Chromebook, Nexus tablet, and Nexus smartphone. Midyear, I switched out to all Microsoft—buying Surface Pro 3 and Nokia Lumia Icon. While commendable the effort, Windows poorly fit my lifestyle. Today, I'm all Apple—13-inch MacBook Pro Retina Display with 512GB SSD, iPhone 6 128GB, and iPad Air 128GB. I can't imagine using anything else.

Following the lead of my BetaNews colleagues Mihaita Bamburic, Ian Barker, Alan Buckingham, Brian Fagioli, and Wayne Williams, I review my year in tech, and unlike 2013 focus on products that released during the year. I present my 2014 personal tech alphabetically, from company name, rather than order of importance—because they all matter. Note: While the list looks like four, it's five because the first is two combined.

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From now on, if you buy an app, music track or book from iTunes and change your mind, you can get your money back in the first two weeks, no questions asked -- if you are in the EU, anyway. Distance selling laws mean that a 14-day cooling off period is in place, so it is possible to get a refund on anything bought through iTunes in this timeframe.

It doesn’t matter if you don't like an app or album, something doesn't work as it should, or you just need your money back after an impulse purchase, the cash will be returned to you without question. One the face of it, this is great news for consumers, but the outlook is potential less rosy for app developers, authors and musicians.

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Pandora is one of the grandfathers of streaming music services, and remains among the most affordable and well known sources around. It's available on phones and even set-top boxes, not to mention, right on your computer. There are also apps for smart TVs and Blu-ray players. In other words, it is almost ubiquitous.

Now the music service is launching on your Xbox One. The new app was built specifically with the gaming console in mind, with an interface designed to look good on your TV. It will not only be pretty, but provide music while you play your game, and even adds a couple of new features.

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Music is important to many people, both current and the variety that brings back memories of youth or life events. While sometimes happy and occasionally tragic, it still raises emotions. Spotify has become one of the top destinations for this, and now it's getting ready for the holiday season.

If you wish to give the gift of music, then cards are available to you for purchase. The cards come in several increments, including $10, $30 and $60, netting the lucky recipient one, three or six months of streaming Spotify Premium music service.

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As the year comes to a close, I'd like to ask you something: What was the best tech purchase you made (or received as a gift)? What about it is so good?

December is a time of reflection and preparation for a new year and when blogs and news sites fill space with stories looking back on the past 12 months and making predictions for the year ahead. I avoid writing the latter type but have opined about some companies' successes and failures, typically Apple, Google, or Microsoft. But if you'll oblige me, I would like my 2014 reflection(s) to be about you -- to make you the star.

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Pandora, one of the darlings of the music streaming industry, has been around for some time. But the old dog can still learn new tricks, and the service proves that by continuing to improve its offering. It's also one of the best priced services, if you care to get the premium subscription.

The latest update benefits iOS and Android users -- two of its biggest customer bases. "The design of this latest update is part of our ongoing dedication to innovate the UX and UI across platforms, and as a result, provide effortless music discovery and listening for more than 75 million listeners each month", Pandora announces.

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