Android O focuses on reducing boot time and battery drain

In an effort to make apps run better and with greater security on Android O, Google has unveiled Vitals during its Google I/O keynote. One key aspect called Google Play Protect provides “comprehensive security services for Android,” as we’ve detailed in a separate post. The other part is around OS optimizations, a new effort to keep your apps running more smoothly and prevent them from excessively draining your battery.

Google said it has already done a lot of work to make Android and apps run more smoothly, with boot times now half of what they were and apps like Google Sheets also loading twice as fast. However, Google said it can still do a lot with app optimization to make things better.

To fix that, it has unveiled “wise limits,” a feature similar to something iOS has used for awhile. As you’d guess, the idea is to limit what apps can do in the background in three areas: services, location updates and “implicit broadcasts.”

The latter is one of the worst offenders, as it can cause the OS to trigger multiple apps at once and cause “memory thrashing,” wasting battery power and crippling the performance the app you’re actually trying to use. “If your battery dies, nothing else matters,” explains Google’s Stephanie Saad Cuthbertson.

Another thing that should help make apps run better is the new Play Console Dashboard for developers. It helps developers figure out where battery drain, crashes and slow UI issues occur, and it takes them to the exact line of problematic code, providing guidance on the best way to fix it. For end users, that means you’re less likely to have an app that causes problems, resulting in a smoother overall experience.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will work with Daydream VR this summer

Perhaps you were excited about playing with Google’s Daydream VR headsets, but never bought one of Google’s very own Pixel phones (or a handful of other niche Android options). Fortunately, you’ll have some more familiar phone choices later this year, with a software update bringing Daydream compatibility to both Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, as well as a yet-untitled LG flagship device coming later this year. As Google notes, this will bring the number compatible devices to 11 by the end of the year. Wait, no new Daydream Views headset? Well, not yet.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here

HTC Vive and Lenovo are developing standalone Daydream VR headsets

Google has another way to differentiate its mobile VR platform from Samsung’s: standalone headsets that have all the hardware you’d need built right in, without the need for a phone. At Google I/O today, the company revealed that we’ll be seeing standalone Daydream headsets from HTC Vive and Lenovo later this year. They’ll be based on Qualcomm’s 835 VR platform and use WorldSense, a variation of Google’s Tango 3D mapping technology, for positional tracking without the need for any external sensors.

We only have a few sketches from HTC Vive and Lenovo for now, but they both look like typical VR headsets. HTC’s will use an overhead strap while Lenovo’s will rest against your forehead, similar to Sony’s PlayStation VR. It also appears as if they’ll be using Google’s existing Daydream touch controller, though that could easily be changed by the time they’re released.

Lenovo’s standalone headset

We heard that Google was working on standalone headsets last year, and we also reported exclusively that they’d be integrating eye tracking and sensors for mapping the real world. By bundling all the necessary hardware into a single device, Google has a way to market its platform to people who aren’t using Daydream-capable Android phones. That opens the door to iPhone users as well as consumers who aren’t upgrading their Android devices anytime soon. Oculus is also developing a standalone VR headset of its own, and based on our experience last year, it clearly looks like the future of virtual reality.

Qualcomm also revealed today that it worked together with Google to build a reference standalone Daydream VR headset. It’s not something that will be sold on its own, but it could help guide other companies as they design their own standalone units.

There’s still no word on pricing for these headsets. But considering they’ll have the hardware typically found in powerful phones, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up costing $300 or more.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.

Android’s built-in AI knows what you need to copy and paste

Late last month Google previewed a way of using AI to copy and paste without actually having to copy and paste on a mobile device. The feature was teased as a way Android will use context to take what you’ve been researching in Chrome and apply it to other apps. Well, there’s a bit more to it than that.

First up is Smart Text Selection, which eliminates the need to long-press a bit of text; Android O uses on-device machine learning to grab the stuff you want with a double-tap. Specifically, addresses and phone numbers. From there, Android will suggest calling with the phone app or getting directions to the business via Maps based on the bit of selected text. It happens in real time without leaving the device — just like the code release from last month suggested.

Tensor Flow Lite, a version of Google’s open-source machine learning tools, enables LSTMs and other AI bits on your phone. It’s a neural network API that uses hardware acceleration to tap into “silicon-specific accelerators.” Autofill from Chrome is coming to Android too. It uses your autofill data from your browser, and in the example shown onstage, it was used to log into the Twitter app.

This and the other neural/”fluid” experiences in Android O will be available later this year.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.

Android powers 2 billion devices around the world

Onstage at Google I/O today, CEO Sundar Pichai announced that seven of the company’s core product platforms now reach more than a billion monthly active users each. According to Pichar, however, the most impressive statistic was Android, which as of this week now has more than two billion active devices.

“It’s a privilege to serve users at this scale,” Pichai said, attributing Android’s success to the rapid growth of mobile and smartphones in general. For Google, that huge install base means more than just a lot of users buying into its media store and app ecosystem — it also helps the company shift from its current mobile approach to the next-generation “AI-first approach” that the company has been pushing forward today. As we’ve seen from the rest of today’s announcements, Google plans to put Assistant in everything, and billions of users’ data will only help make the platform get smarter even faster.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.

Google search is a powerful job hunting tool thanks to AI

After announcing a slew of new updates to its smart home, VR and mobile products, Google unveiled the latest feature coming to its core function — the search engine. In the next few weeks, users in the US will be able to look for job listings on Google.com via a new tool called Google for Jobs. This function will make it easier to discover jobs close to you, as well as positions that have been traditionally more difficult for existing portals to find and classify (like in retail and service).

According to Google, “almost half of U.S. employers say they still have issues filling open positions,” while job seekers aren’t necessarily aware of listings available near them. The search giant says this is because high turnover, low traffic and inconsistency related to job posts make them difficult for engines to classify.

Google for Jobs will be embedded in the search engine to help people look for jobs across experience and wage levels, and the company will be partnering with Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn and Glassdoor to provide more context for its results. You’ll be able to filter the results by when they’ve been posted, job title and more.

Google says it uses machine learning to match what you’re looking for with the what employers use to describe jobs, since those terms often don’t quite match up.

The company already released a Cloud for Jobs API in November, and has been powering the career sites of Johnson and Johnson and FedEx, where it has seen improved rates of application per job search. If Google for Jobs becomes a better way to find open positions after it launches, let’s hope the company turns its attention to other hard-to-nail categories like apartment rental listings soon.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.

Google is building AR and VR that knows where you are

Google made plenty of VR- and AR-related announcements at I/O, its annual developer conference, today. Not only will Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and LG’s upcoming flagship be Daydream-compatible, the company also announced that it’s working on standalone Daydream VR headsets. Enabling the latter is a unique technology called WorldSense, a new set of positional tracking tools that doesn’t require any cameras or complicated setup. This sets the Daydream headsets apart from the competition — the current HTC Vive, for example, needs external room sensors; Google’s upcoming headsets wouldn’t.

This technology is important because it enables the standalone Daydream headsets to track your precise movements in space without the need for cables or an external PC. In this way, it sounds very similar to Project Santa Cruz, which is Oculus’ own standalone VR headset solution. But while Project Santa Cruz is still a prototype project, Google’s standalone Daydream already has partners like HTC and Lenovo working on real-life headsets.

Google is not all about VR of course; it also announced important new developments on the AR side of things. At I/O, Google’s VP of VR Clay Bavor introduced a technology called Virtual Positioning System for Tango, Google’s AR platform. He showed a demo where someone is walking around with a Tango phone in Lowe’s, and is able to navigate his way around thanks to visual points inside the store. He was also able to pinpoint the location of a type of screwdriver with the help of Google Lens, truly making full use of AR’s strengths. Think of VPS as GPS, but for indoor spaces.

What’s more, Bavor says that VPS can be used to help visually-impared people navigate the world, especially when combined with an audio interface. VPS works right now in a few partner museums and select Lowe’s stores, and could be in more places in the future.

Source: Google

Record labels are pushing Apple Music to have fewer exclusives

Exclusives have been a way streaming services can gain a (temporary) advantage over their competition, but Apple is ready to take it easy on those releases. In an interview with Music Business Worldwide, Apple Music head Jimmy Iovine explains that while the service tried the exclusive route, it will focus less on those efforts in the future.

“We’ll still do some stuff with the occasional artist,” Iovine said. “The labels don’t seem to like it and ultimately it’s their content.”

The fact that labels aren’t too happy with exclusive isn’t a new revelation. The Wall Street Journal reported in September that labels weren’t thrilled with the new release model. Of course, the fiasco surrounding the release of Frank Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry as an Apple Music exclusive in August only added to that frustration. Reports following the ordeal indicated that Universal Music Group, Ocean’s label at the time, was calling it quits on streaming exclusives altogether.

Much of the news around Apple Music lately has been focused on exclusive video and Iovine offered some explanation to that. “We’re doing exclusive video content now, and putting a lot of money into that,” he noted. A lot of money is a bit of an understatement. In the last month, we’ve heard details about a number of upcoming music-focused series that are coming to the service. And that’s on top of the likes of Carpool Karaoke, a Cash Money Records documentary and several others we already knew about. Exclusive albums releases aren’t cheap either. Chance the Rapper revealed in March that Apple paid him $500,000 for a two-week exclusive on his Grammy-winning Coloring Book.

In late April, Iovine discussed upcoming tweaks to Apple Music to put more focus on the growing library of video content in interview with Bloomberg. In that same interview, Iovine said the company plans to debut 10 different series on the service before the end of 2017. With WWDC scheduled for next month, we could very well hear about a redesigned version of the streaming apps alongside the latest features for iOS.

Via: The Verge

Source: Music Business Worldwide

Comcast’s first crack at cellphone service is now available

If you’ve been wondering how Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile wireless service would work in practice, you now have a chance to find out. The American cable giant has started sign-ups for people who at least have its internet service. As before, the focus is mostly on a low price in exchange for loyalty. While you normally get unlimited talk, text and data for $65 per month (plus a $10 surcharge if you drop all other Comcast services), you can knock that down to $45 per line if you subscribe to a higher-end Xfinity TV package. A promo offers that $45 price to everyone, not just existing Comcast TV customers, if they sign up by July 31st.

It’s also potentially alluring if you like the concept of Google’s pay-for-what-you-use Project Fi service but want different networks or phones. A “by the gig” option costs $12 for every gigabyte of shared data. You’ll definitely be paying more than you would with Fi, but this could save some money if your household isn’t big on mobile internet use.

As for device selection? It’s small, but you’re not getting Verizon’s leftovers. Both the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 lineups are on tap, and the more affordable devices include older Galaxies, iPhones and LG’s battery-focused Xpower. There is one catch, though: you can’t currently bring your own device, so you can forget about taking your Google Pixel with you if you switch.

This is something of a gamble for Comcast. It’s intentionally limiting its potential customer base, and its less-than-sterling reputation may actually deter people rather than reel them in. Still, it’s hard to deny the pressure to do something on the wireless front. When rivals like AT&T are pushing their own all-inclusive offerings, Comcast likely feels that it might be leaving money on the table by making subscribers go elsewhere for phone service. And besides, this is a hedge against the future. Even if cable TV viewership tanks, Comcast could still count on customers for at least two services going forward.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Xfinity Mobile

‘Overwatch’ turns one with another event and free weekend

Developer Blizzard keeps making frequent, regular updates to its popular team-shooter video game Overwatch. Players have gotten new battle arena maps, interesting new characters and various time-limited events to keep them coming back for more of what is, essentially, the same game over and over. To keep interest high, Blizzard is launching a one-year anniversary event from May 23rd to June 12th. You’ll also be able to buy a new Game of the Year Edition when the event launches, which will include 10 bonus Loot Boxes, extra Hero skins, and various virtual trinkets for other Blizzard games.

We’ve reached out to Blizzard for more details on what the anniversary event will include, but for now you can check out its “Year in Review” video, a roundup of sorts that covers the past year of Overwatch, including new heroes Ana, Bastion, Sombra and Orisa as well as events like Summer Games, Junkenstein’s Revenge, Year of the Rooster and Uprising. The video also mentions real-life Overwatch happenings, including Blizzcon 2016, the Overwatch League competition, and the World Cup eSports championship.

Blizzard is also launching a free weekend from May 26th to May 29th so that folks interested in trying Overwatch out can download and play the game without having to pay for it. Free players will be able to play with the full roster of heroes and maps in select modes like Quick Play, Custom Games, and the current Weekly Brawl. If you decide to purchase the game after the free weekend, you’ll get to keep any levels and loot you earned during your weekend.

Finally, Overwatch’s Game of the Year Edition comes to PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on May 23rd, as well. If you pick this version up, you’ll get extra loot boxes and hero skins to play with. Players of Blizzard’s other games get some extras too with the purchase, like the hero Tracer for Heroes of the Storm, a baby Winston gorilla pet for World of Warcraft, a set of Mercy wings for Diablo III and character portraits and themed card backs for Starcraft II and Hearthstone, respectively.