Take that, Spotify! At its I/O developer's conference today, Google took the wraps off a new music subscription service, called Google Play Music All Access, that blends your own personal music collection—songs stored in your Google Music locker—with all the music available in Google's entire library.

Do you care whether your headphones look as good as they sound? If so, you might be considering a model in the Beats by Dr. Dre line. Developed in conjunction with Monster Cable, Beats helped usher in the era of higher-priced, logo-embossed headphones bearing a celebrity endorsement. Certainly, based on the number of people you now see wearing Beats models (with the distinctive lower-case "b" on the earcups) around their necks, they have an obvious appeal.

There are just a few things to know about Mother's Day. First, remember the holiday. This year Mother's Day takes place on Sunday, May 12, so you don't have many shopping days left. Second, book a table. Restaurants are packed on Mother's Day, so if you're going out to celebrate, get on Yelp, OpenTable, or some other dining site now. And third, don't limit yourself to the classics and the clichéd. When choosing a Mother's Day present, the sky's the limit, as you'll see below in our selection of gifts for the mom who . . .

Forget the roses, skip the candy, and really impress your sweetheart this year with one of these gadgets. Nothing says "I love you" like a really cool piece of technology!

Car shoppers these days may not look much beyond the stereo. They come into the showroom and see if their phone will connect, then sign on the dotted line. And while we've been seeing some good cars from Subaru lately, their lack of modern connectivity systems is an overt shortcoming. Until now.

Audio may not be getting as much attention as other electronics categories, but there are a couple of intriguing trends on view at CES this year, in headphones and in wireless audio systems.

Wireless charging and Bluetooth streaming: Two great technologies that come together in the TDK Life on Record Q35 Wireless Charging Speaker. We had a chance to go hands-on with this innovative device, and here's what we found.

Have you ever looked at your TV's soundbar speaker and thought, "Wow, what this thing really needs is tubes?" Then Samsung's 2012 audio lineup should put a smile on your face: It's expanding its lineup of gear that uses vacuum tubes to include a new soundbar speaker, as well as a home-theater-in-the-box (HTIB) system. Even better: The soundbar—model HW-F750—can connect wirelessly to the TV via Bluetooth.

For a long time, wireless speakers meant having to trade satisfying sound for the convenience of untethered speakers. Not any more. In our first-ever comprehensive testing of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker systems, we found several models that delivered very good sound that can rival some home stereo speaker systems—and a few with designs that will appeal to your eyes as well as your ears.

Ever wondered what was really going on when Microsoft pulled the plug on its Zune music players? Based on news coming out of the company's press conference at the big E3 video-game trade show this week, the Zune brand is now completely dead and is being replaced by a new service called Xbox Music.

Looking for a fantastic techie gift for your favorite father? Or perhaps a recent grad you're especially fond of deserves a great gadget this year. Consumer Reports' electronics experts picked out some of our recent favorites for your consideration.

You've got a flat panel TV that delivers a stunning picture. And if you wish the audio from your HDTV wasn't so flat, maybe it's time to step up to a full-blown home theater system. But, which to choose?

Whether you're listening to tunes on your portable music player or just want to shut out the noise around you, headphones are your best bet. But how do you find the best-performing set for your needs—especially with tons of models to choose from, ranging from inexpensive headphones that come with your device to wireless models that cost hundreds of dollars and come with celebrity endorsements?

At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, Olympus unveiled several new point-and-shoot digital cameras, some with robust features such as long zooms or rugged camera bodies. Most are cheaper than comparable models from previous years.

At a press conference that was more pep rally than information session, the folks at Monster Cable — strike that, they are just "Monster" now — didn't show a single inch of the high-priced connectors they are (in)famous for. Instead, the company rolled out a whole host of top-dollar headphones and other products.