![]() ![]() But we know that we can make an exception for GPMDP for a few reasons. You may be leery about using your Google account password in the app: It's healthy to be skeptical when a non-official app asks for your password. The unofficial Desktop Player app is the only way for Play Music to replicate a function that Spotify users have enjoyed for years. You need a Chromecast, Nexus Player, or other officially supported device. How is this different from just using Google's mobile app to cast to a local device? Surprisingly, the official app doesn't let you cast to your computer, even if you have Play Music loaded in a Google Chrome browser tab. So your compatible smartwatch can use the app, too. You get music controls, playlists, search, and the ability to play specific songs, plus the app is compatible with Android Wear. Making it a permanent resident of the UI can help alleviate some anxiety about accidentally removing a song from your library, and it's also a better reminder that your trash is automatically emptied after 60 days.Ī free remote player mobile app for Android: As its name implies, Remote for GPMDP is a free Android app that interacts directly with the Desktop Player, over your local Wi-Fi connection. The Trash section exists in the web version of Google Play, but you can't see it unless there's something in it. You can set the Player app to open when you start your computer, enable voice control, use a mini player widget, link the app to a Last.FM account, create keyboard shortcuts for a variety of common actions, and even try out experimental support of 5.1 surround sound. The additional features are welcome and sensible: While the visual design of GPMDP is nearly identical to the web version, you'll notice a few additional items when you click on the hamburger menu in the upper left corner, chiefly "Desktop Settings" and "Trash." Clicking on Desktop Settings opens up a whole new layer of functions and interaction. Its advantages come in what it can add to the experience, rather than attempting to alter what's already working. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel: Play Music doesn't have a bad interface, so why fix what isn't broken? For the most part, Google Play Music Desktop Player (GPMDP) seeks to mirror the look and feel of the in-browser experience, for maximum familiarity. Have Play Music fans been missing out by not having a Spotify-like desktop experience? Let's investigate. Generally speaking, Google's mobile services come from a kaleidoscope of individual apps, but us lowly Windows and Mac users get corralled into a web browser tab when we want to load up Gmail, Drive, Photos, Maps, and so on. Go to the program home page to download the latest version (approx 3.3 megs).Although Google Play Music (GPM) competes directly against Spotify and other streaming services, it actually doesn't have its own desktop app. But I will confess that I am often briefly curious about screensavers but refrain from checking them out because of the hassle of installing and viewing them in Windows so that may change now that I have this program.Ĭompatibility: Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. I don’t see everyone clamoring to download this one. The verdict: a nice program overall, and I like to feature original and/or unusual software in my blog. The option to delete them was overlooked, though. Manage: you can configure screensavers, run them, or install them into the system folder via the Screensaver Player interface.Strangely, the developer did not include an option for fullscreen serial viewing. You can also define the number of seconds or minutes to view each screensaver before moving on to the next one. Shuffle & View: will also let you view screensavers serially within a sub-window (whose resolution you can define via a dropdown).Playlists: will let you create and save playlists of screensavers on your machine, regardless of their location on your hard drive.If you download a lot of screensavers and would like a way to manage them (or) if you are occasionally curious about screensavers and like to download and preview them without the hassle of installing them in the system folder (and using the Windows screensaver dialog), then this app is for you. It can even create playlists of favorite screensavers and shuffle through them at set time intervals. This little app allows you to manage screensavers and to them within small sub-windows on your screen. Ever wondered why you couldn’t preview and/or play screensaver files like any other media file? This, in fact, is exactly what the free Screensaver Player allows you to do. ![]()
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