Log in to your Google account on the PC using your phone, no password needed

If you’re anything like me, at any given time you probably have close to a dozen or more accounts online (email, memberships to services, bank accounts, etc), all of which require a password. That means you have at least a few different passwords to memorize, as using the same password for everything isn’t exactly the most secure route to take. While a completely password-free life isn’t quite attainable just yet, Google is testing out a method that can free us from one of these passwords at least.

According to a post from Reddit user rp1226, Google is apparently testing a new feature that allows users to log into a Google account on their PC without having to input a password. As an alternative, you simply enter your email and your phone will get a notification telling you someone is trying to sign in from another device. If you let your phone know that this person is you, it’ll automatically authorize the entry – no need to enter a password.

Obviously this feature doesn’t just magically work, it first needs to be set up. For rp1225, he first got an email letting him opt into the program, and then he had to set up the option by authorizing a compatible device. After the one-time setup, he was good to go.

There’s still several unknowns to this new login option. First, it’s unclear if this feature will be rolled out to everyone in short order, or if rp1226 was just lucky enough to be given early access. Second, it’s hard to say what devices are on the compatibility list. This particular user happens to have the Nexus 6p, and it’s certainly possible that this could have been the reason he was chosen as a tester.
Regardless, this is a pretty cool feature. Personally, I don’t mind entering a password and see this as more time-consuming, but for those constantly changing passwords or those that have trouble remembering them, this could certainly come in handy.

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Google’s VP of Material Design talks about working on an iPad, reveals favorite mobile devices

Matias Duarte, the former Director of Android User Experience and current Vice President of Material Design at Google, has been shaping and molding the aesthetics of our favorite operating system ever since Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Duarte’s guiding hand is evident in Google’s Material Design, which he describes as “a sufficiently advanced form of paper as to be indistinguishable from magic.”

This Sunday, Beautiful Pixels hosted an interview with Google’s design champion to ask him some questions about his work life and the tools he uses most frequently. In the interview, Duarte speaks highly of Apple’s design and doesn’t hesitate to reveal that he regularly works with an iPad.

Duarte comes across as someone who is genuinely thrilled that our technologies are converging on devices across brands saying “iOS users are very important to Google!” However, when asked what software he prefers to use, Duarte reveals that he’s got something of an old school streak in him:

Still the tools I use the most on a day to day basis to explore and articulate design ideas are whiteboards, notebooks, and Google Docs. Like I said, I’m excited about OneNote because I think it could become my personal digital portable whiteboard, but for nuanced sketching, I still haven’t found something I’m as comfortable and proficient with as paper and ink.

The Material Design VP’s preference for the tactile and physical shows not only in Material Design, but also in his preference of mobile devices. When asked, Duarte revealed that aesthetics and durability rank right up there with hardware specs for him.

For work I have a Nexus 6P, but I also have a Moto X with the teak wooden back that I love. It’s long in the tooth though, so I need to find something to replace it…I also absolutely love my Sony tablet, the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. It’s an amazing small tablet, super thin and light, and best of all, waterproof! On vacation, I’d see everyone else sitting in their deck chairs reading their tablets anxiously, and I’d just slip into the pool with mine and order a MaiTai. I know that seems super indulgent and niche, but actually I feel like that’s an important unsung part of the future — making technology robust enough that it’s not precious but just part of everyday life the way we want to live it.

For more info, be sure to check out the full interview at Beautiful Pixels. 

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How to set up a family plan on Google Play Music

Following the lead of several other music streaming services, Google too has introduced a family plan for Play Music. The family subscription can be purchased by anyone, as long as your Google account has Play Music All Access enabled.

The offer is pretty lucrative to the end consumer; become a Google Play Music All Access subscriber and pay $14.99/month to get access to unlimited music for yourself and up to 5 additional family members. Access to YouTube Red has been thrown in, which helps make the deal ever more attractive.

Play Music gives subscribers access to 30 million songs, at a 320 kbps bitrate that is on par with other services, and has a 50,000 song locker. There’s no free tier, but all human-curated playlists are accessible for free while being supported by ads.

The other music services that offer family plans include Apple Music, with its $15/month 6-person plan; Spotify; which adds $5/month for every extra person; and Rhapsody, which has a $15/month tier for a 5-person family. Out of all these streaming music services, Spotify and Rhapsody are available only in the US.

How the Google Play Music family plan works

The manager of the family plan is the only person with access to admin settings, with which the person can subscribe/cancel subscriptions, change the payment method, add/remove family members from the plan, etc. With the family music plan, up to 6 people in a subscriber’s family group can get access to unlimited streaming music.

At present, the family music plan is accessible only to a handful of countries – Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States – and all your family members must also belong to the same country as the manager’s account. Note that family members continue to use their own, separate Google accounts and have their own music libraries, playlists, and offline content.

How to set up Google Play Music family plan

Alright, let’s get to setting up your Google Play Music account and upgrading to the family plan. The only pre-requisite is that your account should have Play Music All Access enabled. Open the application on your Android or iOS device, or visit Play Music on the web. Listed below are simple steps that you need to follow to subscribe to Play Music and activate the family plan.

How to subscribe using the Play Music Android or iOS app:

• Open the Play Music Android or iOS app.
• Tap on the hamburger menu icon on the top left.
• Tap on Settings.
• Select “Start Trial” or “Subscribe to Google Play Unlimited”.
• The “Family” button will show if you’re eligible for the Google Play Music family plan.

If you’ve previously used the free trial option, the app will only show you a “Subscribe” option.

How to subscribe using Play Music on the Web:

• Visit the Google Play Music account settings page.
• Under the “Account” section, you’ll see an option to “Start Trial” or “Subscribe”, depending on whether you’ve used the free trial option before or not.

Note that only subscribers in eligible countries get access to YouTube Red, which has a vast repository of music videos, without paying an additional cost. If you are already a subscriber of Google Play Music, here are the simple steps you need to follow to upgrade to the family plan, after which you can invite up to 5 additional family members.

How to upgrade to Play Music family plan and invite family members:

• Open the Play Music app.
• Tap on the hamburger menu icon on the top left.
• Tap on Settings.
• Select “Upgrade to family plan” and set up your family.
• Select the payment method for your family’s purchases, which can be either an existing card or a new one.
• Invite members of your family by tapping on the “Invite” button and following a few steps to confirm your action.

After you complete these steps, the family members that you added will get an email saying they are invited. Note that you’ll be adding a payment method with all the family members added by you to the account, so make sure that you only add people you trust, and who are over 13 years of age. These members can use the payment method to apps, games, movies, books, TV shows and magazine issues. Also, by default all in-app purchases made by family members will have to be approved by the family account manager.

This feature can be turned off, although it isn’t advisable for obvious reasons.

That’s all there is to setting up a Play Music family account. The process is pretty straightforward and most users should be able to complete it without any major hiccups. Just follow the steps shown on your screen, or follow the simple steps listed in this guide and you should have your Google Play Music Family plan set up in no time.

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Santa Claus is coming to town: Google Tracker live

You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why — okay, you know the rest by now. Today’s the big day, it’s Christmas Eve and Santa is already in route. For those looking to track Santa with their kids – or if you just really, really love Christmas – Google’s tracker is now live and ready to go!

This year the tracker has received a few tweaks and upgrades to the interface, showing you a customized map that tells you where Santa is, where he has been, and how far away he is from you. There’s also info on how many gifts he’s delivered, and more. Once again, there’s also support for Chromecast, so you can watch Santa deliver presents on the big screen.

Aside from tracking Santa, Google’s Tracker also includes the new game “Code Boogie” which teaches the basics of programming through activities such as making an elf dance. There are also a few other activities including a Present Drop game, a tool that lets you translate holiday greetings and phrases into different languages, and plenty of other activities to keep the kiddos happy.

As a Google fan, the Santa Tracker is certainly a no-brainer, added by the fact there’s so many extras shoved in. For those that prefer the official “NORAD endorsed” option, however, Microsoft and Norad have once again teamed up to offer their own Santa Tracker as well. This “official” option isn’t quite as loaded with extras, but you can check it out here if you’d prefer.

HEAD OVER TO GOOGLE'S TRACKER

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