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Google Play Music has been update for Android devices and it brings a new feature for subscribers to the services unlimited plan.  Now you have a new Sound Search feature that allows you to have the app listen to music that is playing and it will identify it and take you to that song in the service so you can add it to your library. Because subscribers can add and download music to their library without actually owning the content (it is digitally locked to your account), the search feature is a quick way to add music to your library on-the-fly without having to make anything more than the $9.99 monthly subscription.

If this new Sound Search feature sounds familiar, the concept has been around quite some time.  Shazam is probably the best known of these types of services and they still are around.  With the inclusion of this type of feature in Google Play Music and other premium services, a stand alone app is starting to make less sense.

The update to the app is version 6.1.2116T for those who are keeping score at home and it is in the Google Play Store now.  If you have the app installed, it could be a day or two before you see the OTA update.

Google Play Music – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now

The Project Fi team has just sent an email out to subscribers that a new Android Marshmallow update is being released for the Nexus 6.  The notification comes on the same day that T-Mobile announced a Marshmallow update for the Nexus 6 on their network and as I speculated, a Project Fi specific build likely wasn’t far behind.

There had been a lot of rumors since the release of Marshmallow that users of Project Fi would have issues getting connectivity. Specifically that the switching mechanism with the new Fi SIM, Marshmallow and the Nexus 6  meant that users could not switch from T-Mobile or Sprint on-the-fly, a key selling point of Project Fi.  Thus, to this point, an update had not been sent to subscribers.  That has meant that Project Fi customers have remained on Android Lollipop.

I have been running Marshmallow as a Fi user but I receive the OTA update on my Nexus 6 while I was still on AT&T (my device is unlocked and was purchased from Google directly).  When I switched over to Fi, I had no issues at all and in fact have found the service to be very reliable and faster than AT&T here in Denver. Ironically I reached out to Fi support earlier today asking about this very issue to which I was told that they had not had any issues reported to them. Yet we now have a new Marshmallow build.  Curious much?

If you have been waiting to get your hands on a Nexus 6P but have run into the particular color/storage combination being out of stock, today would be a good day to head back to the Google Store. All color options and all storage size options are in stock with factory out-the-door times on new orders currently pegged at 1-2 days. This is a substantial improvement over there not being any stock for some flavors or 3-4 week delivery times at the beginning of November.

For those that don’t remember, you can get the flagship Nexus 6P in three color options (Aluminium, Graphite and Frost) and three different storage size options (32GB, 64GB and 128GB).  Do note that the Frost option is only available in 64GB and 128GB.  Prices start at $499 for the 32GB units while the 128GB version will set you back $649.

Nexus 6P at the Google Play Store

Today at Google Play Music you can download the greatest selling album of all time, Thriller by Michael Jackson, for free.  No strings attached, not goofy coupon codes.  Free.  You just need to visit this link to add the special Google Play Music version of the album to your library which you can then stream or download to listen to offline.

Thriller has some of Jackson’s best known songs including the title track, Billy Jean, Beat It and Pretty Young Thing.  Even if you are not a big Michael Jackson fan, this album is simply a must have for anyone who loves music (and I would argue you should also have U2’s Joshua Tree, AC/DCs Back in Black and Adel’s 21… but that’s for another post!).

Michael Jackson – Thriller – Free at Google Play Music