Google Announces Android ‘M’ Developer Preview, Android Pay and Unlimited Photo Storage
Google today previewed Android “M,” the next major version of its mobile operating system featuring Android Pay for mobile payments, app permissions, an improved web experience with Chrome Custom Tabs, app linking, Doze power management, USB-C support, direct sharing, simplified volume controls and a handful of other incremental improvements and bug fixes.
Android M prompts users with app permissions when access is required to certain elements of the operating system, including the microphone, location services, camera, contacts, phone, SMS, calendar and sensors. The new software version also features app linking, with verified links automatically redirecting to their related app without a cumbersome dialog popping up.
Android M delivers an improved web experience with Chrome Custom Tabs, which function as a Chrome web view overlaid in third-party apps with prefetched content. Google partnered with Pinterest, for example, to integrate Chrome Custom Tabs, providing all of Chrome’s benefits such as signing in, saved passwords, autofill and multi-process security. Chrome Custom Tabs are available on the Chrome developer channel today and in Q3 for the public.
Android Pay
Android Pay, essentially a rebranded and improved version of Google Wallet, is an NFC-based mobile payments service with virtually identical functionality as Apple Pay. Android Pay keeps payment information secure by generating a virtual account number and requiring fingerprint authentication for secure identification.
Android users can add their supported credit and debit cards to the Android Pay app and easily tap to pay at over 700,000 retailers and businesses that accept contactless payments, such as American Eagle, Bloomingdale’s, McDonald’s, Macy’s, Staples, Target and Walgreens. Android Pay can also be used for in-app purchases in supported apps.
Google announced that four major credit card companies in American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover will support Android Pay, alongside major financial institutions and AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in the United States. More partners should be added in the future.
Project Brillo
Brillo is a slimmed-down version of Android that’s designed to power the Internet of things. It’s an operating system that will be made available to manufacturers, who can build it into devices like thermostats and lightbulbs. It includes support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Weave goes along with Brillo and serves as a communications layer that allows Internet of things devices to talk to one another. With Weave, Brillo devices, smartphones, tablets, and the Internet can communicate. Weave is cross-platform, so it can work with non-Android devices, and Android devices can auto-detect Brillo and Weave devices. Brillo will be available to devs in Q3, while Weave will be available in Q4.
Google Now
Google announced a new feature for Google Now in Android M: Now on Tap. With Now on Tap, you can tap on the home button of an Android device to get more information about what’s on the screen.
For example, when listening to music in Spotify, if you tap and hold on the home button and ask a question about the artist, Google Now understands the context and will reply. When tapping on the home button, Google Now is able to read the content of any app that’s running and bring up relevant, contextually aware Google Now cards. Apps don’t need to implement support — it works automatically.
Another example: On stage, a chat window with a discussion about laundry and a restaurant was brought up. A tap on the home button brought up a to-do card and cards for Maps, Yelp, and OpenTable.
Google Photos
Google announced a new Photos app centered around three ideas: a “home” for all your photos, deep organization, and sharing. Google Photos includes unlimited high-quality photo (16MP) and video (1080p) storage at no cost. It’s launching today on Android, iOS, and web.
Google Photos backs up all photos from an Android device, much like iCloud Photo Library. The smartphone app looks quite similar to the Photos app on the iPhone, supporting a main view with all photos with pinch gesture controls for zooming in and out on albums and timelines.
Google Photos includes auto-organization that organizes photos by people and place. Its facial recognition capabilities are impressive, able to recognize a person even as that person ages. A Photos Assistant feature automatically creates GIFs and videos from your content, which you can share or delete. Sharing is simple — you can group multiple photos and instantly get a link that lets other people see the images.
Juli Clover contributed to this report.
Google Maps delivers destination info, voice directions while offline
Sometimes you still need navigation and destination info when you’re offline. Google is delivering just that with offline Maps. Even when you’re not connected (or in airplane mode), the app will still provide information on places in your searches. This means that you can browse hours, reviews and other important details for places like museums and restaurants. What’s more, voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation is included as well for maps that you’ve saved for offline use. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when the new tools will arrive other than a vague “later this year.”
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Google’s Cloud Messaging now sends notifications to iOS devices
Google’s Cloud Messaging is no longer just for sending alerts to Android devices or your web browser. The internet giant has announced that the service now pushes notifications to iOS devices as well — your favorite app can deliver updates to all your gadgets using a single system. The Cloud Messaging update also introduces topics, so an app can ask you about getting only the notifications you care about. A news app can send you notifications about tech and world news, for instance, while skipping entertainment. These features will take a while to filter down to the software you use, but they promise to both keep your hardware in harmony and cut back on some noise.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google
Google Play rolls out kid-friendly discovery experience
Finding kid-friendly content in the clutter of inappropriate digital entertainment is one of the hardest tasks for parents. Google Play will now include a discovery tool that makes it easier for families to find apps, movies, shows and books that are best suited for kids. One-third of the android users in the US are parents with kids aged 12 and under. If you’re one of those parents, looking for an app that keeps your toddler occupied or a tween-fiction book to encourage a reading habit, you will be able to tap the Family button on the homepage to browse content by age and interests. You can also personalize the search based on characters — so Elsa, SpongeBob and Peppa Pig all get their own character badges.
Google started keeping a tighter check on the apps coming through the Play Store with a rating system earlier this year. The new feature builds further on that system. The company says it wants to empower parents to make informed decisions and this family-focused discovery tool, which rolls out in the next few weeks, will make that happen.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Google
JXE Streams: Join us for some ‘Affordable Space Adventures’
KnapNok Games gets what Richard Branson doesn’t. Of course people want to hang out in space, but they definitely don’t want to pay top dollar to do it! So rather than drop $200,000 on a Virgin Galactic reservation, why not fire up your Wii U for some Affordable Space Adventures? The game simulates the existential nightmare of getting trapped on a foreign planet as well as makes novel use of the console’s unique tablet controller. It’s win-win! Join us at 3:30PM ET today for a live tour of the game on JXE Streams.
Tune in right here, at Engadget.com/gaming and on Twitch.tv/Joystiq to catch 90 straight minutes of poor ship piloting and space madness.
Enjoy the streams? Follow us on Twitch.tv/Joystiq to know whenever we go live!
[We’re streaming Affordable Space Adventures through an Elgato HD via OBS at 720p.]
Google intros new Jump VR platform and improved Cardboard
Google brought virtual reality to the masses cheaply with Cardboard, a DIY headset announced at last year’s I/O conference. Now, the search giant’s building upon its 1 million VR viewers with an improved cardboard headset that fits smartphone screens up to 6 inches. It also incorporates a new top-mounted button that replaces the finicky magnetic ring so that Cardboard works with any phone. And, in what’s probably the most consumer-friendly move Google’s made with the new and improved Cardboard, it takes just three steps to assemble. Clay Bavor, VP of Product, told I/O attendees that they’d be receiving these new DIY VR kits immediately after the keynote. And for interested VR developers, it’s important to note the Cardboard SDK now works with iOS in addition to Android.
Google also announced Jump, its new VR platform for creating and sharing content. It’s the company’s way of giving professional-grade VR content creation tools to the masses so that anyone can capture and share 3D video. To do this, Google’s partnered with GoPro to build Jump’s first 3D camera rig. As Bavor explained on stage, the software works by seamlessly stitching video frames together for a border-free, depth-corrected immersive VR experience. Jump also happen to be the perfect software companion for Expeditions, Google’s just announced initiative to bring these VR experiences to educators so that “teachers [can] take their classes on field trips to anywhere.” Google didn’t reveal much about how Expeditions will work or how it’ll roll out to schools, but it’s clear from today’s announcement that Google’s taking VR very seriously.
Filed under: Cameras, Home Entertainment, Wearables, Internet, HD, Google
GoPro unveils a 360-degree camera array for VR videos
Now that Google has announced Jump, a new VR technology platform that lets you create and share 3D content, you’re probably wondering how you can do exactly that. Well, Google has partnered with GoPro to come up with a solution: a 360-degree camera array built out of 16 GoPros. The circular rig boasts camera syncing, multi-camera control and a super-long battery life so it can stand out there to capture as much crazy 3D footage as you can conjure up. From there, you can just hand over the video to Google’s Jump software and it’ll process it for you. And, if you like, you can share it with the world so that anyone with a VR headset — Cardboard or not — will be able to see it. We’re hearing from Google that the 360-degree camera will be seeded out to a few select Youtubers at least initially, but it’ll eventually be up for purchase to any and all wannabe VR content creators. Meanwhile, you should check out the video below to see an interactive (use your keyboard or mouse to look all around you) 3D video shot with the GoPro 360-degree camera array.
Filed under: Google
Google Cardboard now works on iOS
At the I/O developers conference this morning, Google announced that its low-cost VR headset, dubbed Cardboard, is now available for (official) use with the Apple operating system. The system has only been available for the Android OS since its debut at last year’s I/O conference. Its associated app, however, has been downloaded more than a million times since then.
This year’s headset iteration also sports some additional design improvements. The unit, for example, now accommodates phones up to six inches in diameter. Its assembly has also been streamlined from 12 steps to just three. The unit’s magnetic “switch” has also been revamped to work with all phones (and is now actually made of cardboard as well). You can download Cardboard for iOS from iTunes right now.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Android app makers can experiment with Play Store listings
Those rumors of Google letting Android app developers experiment with what you see in the Play Store? Yes, they’re true. Creators can now conduct tests to see what pricing works best, or whether one icon color is more alluring than others — you’ll only view one of each while the test is ongoing. Also, app makers are getting Developer Pages (shown above) that showcase all of their apps, so you’ll have a one-stop shop for everything from your preferred brand. If all goes well, you’ll find more Android apps with prices you’re willing to pay, and you won’t have to scrounge quite so much to get every app you need.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
A taste of something great: five days with NVIDIA’s Shield Android TV
I wanted to watch The West Wing, so I asked for it. I wanted to play Asphalt 8 on my TV, so I downloaded it. I wanted people to see me playing a copy of Street Fighter X Tekken I didn’t (strictly speaking) own, so I broadcasted it. All of these little interactions — some mundane, some seemingly strange — are what make using NVIDIA’s Shield Android TV box such a tantalizing experience. At its very core, it’s not all that different from the Nexus Player we saw last year, with an added veneer of NVIDIA gamer-friendliness. It’s that extra dose of ambition, though, that makes the Shield the most interesting Android TV box you’ll find out there right now. I’ve had the thing hooked up to my TV for five days and haven’t completely put it through its paces yet, but read on for a taste of what it’s like having a Shield-powered living room.
We can zip through the broad strokes pretty quickly. With sharp, angular lines and a pulsating green light (I think of it as an eye) etched into its side, the Shield would be downright imposing if it weren’t the size of a paperback. Setting up the Shield for the first time? Dead simple. Its back is festooned with connections: three full-size USB ports, one micro-USB, an HDMI-out, a Gigabit Ethernet jack and a slot for a microSD card. That last bit will come in handier for some of you than others, since the Shield comes in two flavors: a $199 version with 16GB of internal storage and a $299 model with 500GB of space. Once everything’s connected, you’ll be prompted to log in with your Google account, et voilà: you’re all set.
If I’m being honest, Android TV hasn’t changed all that much since we first saw it last year — your apps, content and settings are laid out in rows you can navigate with the included Shield controller, but the magic really happens when you thumb the green NVIDIA logo. Once you do that, it’s time to search for something, anything using your voice, and that’s where Android TV seriously shines. Oscar winners from 1995? Recent movies starring Chiwetel Ejiofor? Game Sack? Shield picked up on every one of those requests with ease and brought up a slew of content cards related to those requests. If anything, it seemed a little more accurate than when we mucked around with the Nexus Player, which would occasionally throw in a few off-the-wall cards for reasons we couldn’t quite crack. We have, however, figured out how some errant bits fit into the TV experience.
Remember that “Live Channels” Android TV app that popped up in the Play Store late last year? The one that basically promised to route actual, live television through your tiny Android box? Well, if you hook a TV tuner like the ones made by SiliconDust up to a Shield, the app will become accessible and you’ll be treated to a sleek, blue interface showing off what’s playing. What’s more important, you’ll actually be able to watch those shows live — some people figured out the right tuner would kinda, sorta unlock that functionality on the Nexus Player, but it couldn’t properly decode high-definition broadcast video. If you’re like me, though, you’ve got a pricey cable contract and little need for a standalone TV tuner setup.
If we take a step back from there, we’re left with my major Shield sticking point: In order to squeeze the most out of the thing, you’ll need some extra hardware. The Shield, for instance, is the first Android TV box to support 4K video streaming thanks to working relationships with companies like Netflix. Hook up a Shield to a 4K television, fire up Netflix, and you’ll see certain titles highlighted with an UltraHD badge — one quick click from there and you’re watching House of Cards in glorious super-high resolution. (Other UHD content providers, like Amazon, haven’t made their stuff available here yet). Thing is, I don’t have a 4K television. Most people in the US don’t, though we’re finally getting to the point where you can buy one without melting your credit card. All the videos I tried in a hotel suite with NVIDIA reps floating around looked gorgeous, but it’s not something many of us will be able to immediately appreciate. I don’t have one of NVIDIA’s GTX-series graphics cards either — again, like most people — so the finer points of streaming games straight from my PC to an Android set-top box were lost on me. Even the excellent Shield remote control, which feels really sturdy and has a great microphone, will set you back an extra $50.
I’ll be putting those features through the wringer in our full review (coming soon!), but I was still pretty pleased with the out-of-box gaming experience Shield brings to your TV stand. Titles like SoulCalibur, Asphalt 8 and even Doom III ran great on my 47-inch LG thanks to the Tegra X1 chipset and the 256-core Maxwell GPU thrumming away in that angular body. The number of games optimized to run with this sort of horsepower on screens this large is still modest, though graphically intense games like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Half-Life 2: Episode 2 are currently slated for summer launches. At this point, it’s honestly hard to say if the Shield has the chops to depose full-blown game consoles, but it’s sure as hell trying.
The biggest gaming question mark for me was whether or not I’d be able to use NVIDIA’s Grid cloud gaming service, which promises to let you play games powered by remote hardware at full HD and at 60 frames per second. My home router — a mostly new Apple Airport Extreme — definitely wasn’t one of the models NVIDIA recommended for Grid use. A bit of on-screen griping later, and I still managed to play through several rounds of Street Fighter X Tekken without too many dropped frames, though I spent most of my time laying down Hurricane-Kick-to-Hadouken-to-Dragon-Punch combos on computer opponents. We’ll see what happens when we drag other humans into the mix, but I was a little shocked at just how well everything worked considering my subpar setup.
It’s been less than a week, but I’m utterly intrigued by this new Shield. The original was a clunky portable that turned out to be a seriously hardy gaming companion. Its successor of sorts wound up being one of our favorite Android tablets. I’m withholding final judgment for just a little while longer, but it feels like the third time for NVIDIA really might be the charm, and that’s saying something.
Filed under: HD
AIVAnet 