Google Announces Android Pay, its replacement for Google Wallet
One of the big things we’ve expected to hear about at Google I/O 2015 has been Android Pay, Google’s replacement for Google Wallet, that will provide a more robust competitor to Apple Pay. As you would hope, Android Pay will enable you to pay for goods and services in shops with your Android smartphone.
Android Pay is supported by Visa, Mastercard and American Express as you can see in the image above. When you are in the process of buying something on your Android device, instead of typing in every single payment detail, you will be able to just select ‘Buy with Android Pay‘ to complete the checkout. Google says that this will make the checkout process as quick as a tap.
You will also be able to use Android Pay at 700,000 of your favourite store locations, some of which can be seen in the image below. Android Pay will also soon be able to be used in over 1000 apps.
Google has partnered with the following payment processors: Braintree, CyberSource, First Data, Stripe, Vantiv among others to further enhance integration of Android Pay. For security purposes, Google is committed to delivering industry standard security tokenization in conjunction with MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. Your credit or debit card number stays safe on the phone, instead, a virtual account number is used to represent your Android pay account.
Google is also negotiating with banks to get Android Pay integrated with their own banking apps, making it easier to add your credit and debit cards for use with Android Pay.
Finally, if your device is stolen, and you are worried about the thief making use of your Android Pay account, all you have to do is access the Android Device Manager to lock your device from anywhere in the world, and if necessary, you can also wipe the device to make sure your money is safe.
Remember you can follow the rest of our Google I/O 2015 coverage right here. There’s lots more to come!
Source: Google
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Google Photos is coming, complete with unlimited storage
Updated: Updated with a link to the official blog announcement and preview video.
During Google’s I/O 2015 keynote, the company announced a bevy of new and exciting items. One such item is the previously rumored separation of Photos from Google+, moving it out from under the social app thumb and out into its own app. With it, there’s a promise on a number of features that will make any photo enthusiast happy.
From what we see, the app will indeed include unlimited storage. Typically there are some strings attached to having unlimited storage but we’re not sure what they are just yet. It appears that images and movies will be limited to 16 MP for photos and 1080p for videos.
Also with the separation from Google+ is the new app that will be coming to Android. It promises better photo sorting and a “Assistant” feature that will allow you to create specific auto-awesomes. Sorting will happen day-to-day as well as a number of other aspects.
We’re not sure how long we have to wait, but if you head to photos.google.com you’re greeted with the following splash page:
We also have a video for you of Google Photos in action from the official blog post. Enjoy!
Click here to view the embedded video.
That’s about it for what we know, and we’ll update you when we know more. Of course, keep it locked here for all your Google I/O 2015 needs.
Come comment on this article: Google Photos is coming, complete with unlimited storage
Developer Preview build of Android M will be available for Nexus devices later today
Google is announcing many new things at I/O 2015 such as Android Pay, HBO NOW‘s imminent arrival on Android and Chromecast and statistics such as how many Chromecast customers it has. But, if you are the owner of a Nexus 5/6/9 or Nexus Player device, there’s probably only thing you are truly interested in hearing – whether there will be a developer preview build available for Android M.
Well, you are in luck. Google has posted a page with all the details pertaining to the Android M Developer Preview build. To get started, you need to follow these steps:
- Update to Android Studio v1.3+ Preview
- Visit the M Developer Preview site for downloads and documentation
- Explore the new APIs and App Permissions changes
- Explore the Android Design Support Library and Google Play Services APIs
- Get the emulator system images through the SDK Manager or download the Nexus device system images
- Test your app with your supported Nexus device or emulator
- Give us feedback
The Android M Developer Preview build download links aren’t live yet, although they should be available for download after the keynote finishes, just click the source link for them. You can follow the rest of our Google I/O 2015 coverage right here.
Source: Android Developers Blog
Come comment on this article: Developer Preview build of Android M will be available for Nexus devices later today
Brillo, Google’s operating system for the Internet of Things
Android has been a phenomenal success for smartphones and tablets. Last year, we saw the introduction of Android Wear, Google’s first foray into a type of device that doesn’t pack as much computing power as our larger smart devices. Google, obviously, had to strip down Android in order to not bog down our electronic timepieces; however, even the most budget friendly smartwatch is still much more “smart” than let’s say a blender or a lamp. So back to the drawing board Google went in order to get Android to its barest essentials.
With that in mind, Google just announced Brillo at I/O 2015, a bare-bones Android designed to tidy up the Internet of Things (IoT).
Brillo will support WiFi, Bluetooth, among a few other things one might find in the Android operating system. Most importantly, Google introduced a new language for all of these devices, from microwaves to Android tablets and to the internet in general, to talk to one another: Weave. A great, self-explanatory name!
Photo: The Verge
Expect all of this to begin rolling out in Q3 and Q4 of this year!
Source: Google I/O and The Verge
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Android M Developer Preview officially coming to Nexus 5, 6, 9, and Player
Google I/O is well underway and one of the big headlines to come out of the conference is the inevitable announcement of Android M.
Google have announced that the Android M Developer Preview is officially available and will be coming to the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and the Nexus Player.
Android M will have a strong focus on “quality end-to-end,” with a strong emphasis on improving the user experience, according to Dave Burke.
Amongst the features in Android M are granular permissions, doze mode for enhanced battery life, enhanced fingerprint support, and a whole load more.
As soon as the Android M preview site goes live, you’ll be able to pick up the images to flash on your device.
The post Android M Developer Preview officially coming to Nexus 5, 6, 9, and Player appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HBO Now is coming to Android and Chromecast this summer
That Apple-exclusive streaming window is ending — Google exec Sundar Pichai just announced that HBO Now is coming to Android too. Whether you use Android, iOS or a web browser, Google Cast support is coming too — for the 17 million or so Chromecasts out there — although there weren’t exact details on when. HBO says it’s coming “this summer”, and Pichai mentioned it will be in time for the upcoming True Detective season which premieres June 21st. There weren’t any details on how, but it sounds like Google Play will offer subscriptions in the same way Apple (and Cablevision) have so far. Finally, whether you have cable or are a cord-cutter, HBO confirmed that HBO Now and HBO Go are both coming to Android TV soon. HBO VP Bernadette Aulestia says “We have seen through social media that there is great demand for the service among Android and Chromecast users and we’re excited to deliver HBO Now to them”, so it looks like someone has been reading your posts.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Google
Google debuts Android M, which is all about ‘polish and quality’
Like clockwork, Google lifted the veil on Android M at its I/O developer conference today, an event that’s traditionally served as the company’s launchpad for its mobile OS updates. No, we don’t yet know what the “M” stands for (we’d love to see Android Marzipan), but as usual that’s not stopping Google from divulging details. After the bold redesign that was Android Lollipop, M is more focused on refining the entire Android experience. “For [Android] M we’ve gone back to the basics,” said Google SVP Sundar Pichai. “We’ve really focused on polish and quality, we’ve literally solved thousands of bugs.” While there’s still no firm release date for Android M, developers can give it a spin today with a special preview release for the Nexus 5, 6, 9 and Player set-top box.
Better permissions
Those improvements start with more granular app permissions, breaking them down into categories like location, camera and contacts. And rather than dealing with permissions before you install an app, you’ll be prompted as the apps require specific features (yes, a lot like iOS). David Burke, VP of engineering at Google, showed off the new permissions on stage by having WhatsApp request microphone access. The new permissions should make it a lot clearer what exactly apps are doing on your phone — they’re certainly a lot more informative than the dump of security information we’ve seen on Android up until now.
Android M will also let developers improve the web experience inside of their apps by using Chrome Custom Tabs. Pinterest, for example, now pops up speedy little web windows whenever you tap on a link. Basically, developers will be able to make their in-app web experiences feel just like the apps themselves. Google’s also making deep linking between apps a core feature of Android M, which allows apps to point to specific screens in other apps. (Think of it like being linked to a specific web page, rather than just a home page.)
Android Pay
Naturally, Android Pay, Google’s revamped mobile payments offering announced earlier this year, will also play a big role in Android M. It’ll let you buy things at NFC equipped retailers with your phone, and it should be even more secure than traditional credit cards since it creates virtual card numbers for every purchase. Google says more than 700,000 locations will support Android Pay, and it’ll also work with Visa, MasterCard, AmEx and Discover cards. As for carriers, it’ll be supported on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
Google’s also standardizing fingerprint authentication with Android M. It’ll support Android Pay transactions, both in stores and in apps, and of course it supports unlocking your phone with your fingerprint.
Battery
Android M sports a new feature called “Doze” which uses your phone’s sensors to tell when it’s not being used and conserve power. Google says Doze doubled the battery life of Nexus 9s that they tested — it’ll be interesting to see how it’ll impact phones, which get moved around much more than tablets. Not surprisingly, Android M will also support USB-C cables, which should allow for faster charging. Since they’re bi-directional, you’ll also be able to charge other devices from your phone over USB-C.
The takeaway
Overall, there aren’t many surprises with Android M. Google’s focus on polish makes plenty of sense now, though it’s hard not to notice that it’s playing catchup with Apple with Android Pay, app permissions and fingerprint authentication. That’s not necessarily a knock against Google — Apple’s also lifted plenty of concepts from Android — but it shows how much further ahead Apple is in new technologies like mobile payments and biometric security. Google’s likely not done yet though — I wouldn’t be surprised if we see plenty more new Android M features announced over the next few months.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google
Google’s Inbox email app is now open to (almost) everyone
You no longer have to cajole your friends into giving you an invite to Google’s smarter, task-oriented Inbox app. As of today, it’s available to everyone with a standard Gmail account — you just have to grab the Android or iOS app, and you’re off to the races. There are a few new features coming along for the ride, too. Inbox now bundles all your trip-related email in one place, and will both show your Google Keep reminders and suggest adding them if someone sends you a to-do list. You also get options to take back outgoing emails, add custom signatures and open reservations directly in apps like Eat24 or HotelTonight. Workers who need Google Apps support won’t get to use the normal Inbox app just yet, but Google is opening the early adopter program to anyone who wants to get in.
Source: Official Gmail Blog, Google Inbox
Android Pay will arrive with Android M, handle payments via NFC
Google SVP Sundar Pichai may have tipped the company’s hand on mobile payments back in Barcelona, but he offered little detail on how the system would work. At I/O 2015, though, the folks in Mountain View served up a wealth of details on the matter, including the announcement that Android Pay would be part of the Android M release. Just like Apple Pay, transactions are sorted via NFC and your actual card number isn’t shared with merchants. Instead, it’ll use “a virtual account number” to handle payments. When it arrives, the system will be employed by over 700,000 retailers (sounds familiar) like Macy’s, Whole Foods, Walgreen’s and many more. It’ll also be used for in-app purchases, so if you’re ordering food from Chipotle or paying for an Uber ride, you’ll be able to use Android Pay there as well. And yes, web sellers can leverage the system, too.
In terms of security, the payment tech will employ your phone’s fingerprint scanner — if it has one — to pay for items from a linked MasterCard, Visa, AmEx or Discover card. What’s more, Google says it’s still working on expanding the list of banks that support Android Pay and with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to make sure that when you but a new device, it’ll be ready to work with the system out of the box. There’s no mention what’ll happen to Google Wallet just yet, but reports surfaced yesterday that it would handle sending money between individuals as the folks in Mountain View completely overhaul Android phone-driven payments. That same report mentioned loyalty programs being lumped into Android Pay, but there hasn’t been any talk of that yet either.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Official Android Blog
BBC iPlayer comes to the Wii U with GamePad viewing
These days, it’s pretty hard to find anything electronic that doesn’t have access to BBC iPlayer already. Nintendo’s Wii U is one of the most notable exceptions, but if you’ve been quietly jonesing for an iPlayer client to hit the quirky console, then jones no more. With zero fanfare marking its launch, BBC iPlayer is now available to download in the Nintendo eShop. The Wii U’s GamePad is fully supported, too, so you’re not tied to the TV screen if, you know, your tablet’s run out of battery.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: MCV, Nintendo Life
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