Google Play Books has been provided an update that introduces several new features to the app, the company revealed via a blog post. That includes integration with YouTube where users will be able to listen to audiobook previews for free. This would be in addition to the audiobook previews that are already available via the Play Books app for Android, iOS, and the web. As it is, YouTube enjoys a huge userbase and it is only natural Google will like to leverage it to seek better exposure for its audiobooks as well. In any case, Google has been restructuring its media business of late, and several of its services such as Play Music and Podcasts have been brought under the purview of YouTube.
Among the other changes introduced to Play Books include the addition of the new Upcoming tab at the top of the Library section. So, you will now have Your books, Shelves, and Series along with the newly added Upcoming tabs at the top under Library. This, as Google explained, will show “all your pre-orders in one location on a calendar that can be filtered based on specific series or authors.” You will also be provided updates on authors and series that you might have shown interest in, which can be like titles that you may have searched or viewed.
Apart from this, Google also has to offer an expanded collection of 300 free non-fiction e-books. The e-books support the Read & Listen feature that will let you hear the books being read aloud while the pages too turn automatically. Google has been trying to make Play Books a lot more Kids and family-friendly and has introduced features accordingly. Take for instance the Reading Rewards digital stickers that kids can earn for reading children’s books from Play Books for Android and the Google Kids Space experience on tablets.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
