Shrapnel

Mobile Only Email Without Passwords?

I wrote recently about 10tracks, which is the music streaming service I signed up for while I waited for Google Play Music to become available in Canada.

Of course, while my music collection was still in the process of uploading to the service Google made Music available in Canada, although I’m still yet to upload my collection over there. I like that 10tracks also provides me Grooveshark-like functionality and allows me to build playlists from music that isn’t in my own collection.

Anyway, since I’m apparently all about Russian startups these days, I’m also trying out my.com.

The concept is interesting. It’s an email service, but it’s only available through a mobile app. There’s no password, because it uses text message authorizations instead. I’m not convinced by that business model, but I signed up mostly because I think it will have to change, and desktop access will one day be provided. I got on the bandwagon early though because @my.com email addresses are short, and it’s a new service so there are lots of good email prefixes still available – I snagged my own name without needing to put any weird punctuation or numerals in it.

We’ll see how the service develops.

Shrapnel

Late Night Links – Sunday May 11th, 2014

What? It’s Sunday night again already? Where does the weekend go? On the plus side, it’s late night links time!

And we’re done! Good thing too, I have an early start tomorrow. I’ll see you all in a week, though.

Shrapnel

Late Night Links – Sunday May 4th, 2014

May the fourth be with you, internetters.

That being said, I’ve had a busy day already so let’s just get these late night links shenanigans done so I can spend some time with my family.

And that’s it! We’re all done for another week. Until next time, then.

Shrapnel

10tracks — Cloud Music Storage

For some time now I’ve been on the lookout for a cloud music service.

Essentially what I want is to be able to upload all my music there, and then be able to play it from anywhere I happen to be. The most important thing is that the service offers an Android app that lets me stream any of my music I want and locally download select albums or playlists that I listen to frequently so I can play them without chewing through my data (or when an internet connection isn’t available).

In most of the world (or so it seems to me, anyway) Google Play Music offers this functionality for free – but not here in Canada. I’m hoping Play Music comes to Canada in the not too distant future at which point I will almost certainly use it, but in the meantime I’m prepared to pay no more than $25 a year for an alternative.

It’s been tough, but I think I’ve found what I need.

10tracks is a Russian start-up that offers everything I have in my requirements. They offer 3gb of music storage free and you get more space either by promoting their service or paying 750 rubles a year for unlimited storage. They also offer features similar to my current go-to streaming service Grooveshark, whereby you can search music that others have uploaded and add it to your collection on the site too, make playlists with it, etc.

750 rubles is $23 at the time of writing, so despite being nervous about sending them the money using a Russian payment provider I’d never heard of and weary of an unestablished service, I signed up today. My collection of around 8,200 tracks is in the process of uploading. I’ll let you know how I get on.

10tracks — Cloud Music Storage