ASUS is reportedly making the cheapest Android Wear smartwatch yet
If the first crop of Android Wear smartwatches falls just outside of your price range, don’t fret — ASUS may soon come to your rescue. TechCrunch claims that the Taiwanese firm is developing Google-powered wristwear with a target price between $99 and $149, or at least $50 less than LG’s relatively frugal G Watch. There’s no mention of what if anything would make this wearable truly special, but it would have an AMOLED screen like that in Samsung’s Gear Live. ASUS had also hinted that it could use gesture controls in a smartwatch on top of the usual taps and swipes. The device would show up in September (possibly around Europe’s IFA tech expo) if the scoop is accurate, so it won’t be long before you find out whether or not an affordable Android timepiece is in your future.
Source: TechCrunch
Google strikes back at the big screen with Android TV
Google announced its plan to take on the billions of TV viewers in the world with a groundbreaking product that would blur the lines between internet and broadcast — four years ago. Executives from Dish Network, Best Buy, Sony, Logitech, Sony and Intel joined the stage with Google’s then-CEO Eric Schmidt to herald the coming of a new era — which never came. Several generations of Google TV devices failed to catch on and it was eventually squeezed out by set-top boxes, game consoles and other “smart TV” platforms.
The idea seemed to come right on time; according to market research firm Strategy Analytics as many as 76 million smart TVs shipped last year, and companies like Apple and Roku have sold millions of connected boxes. So why didn’t Google TV get a major piece of that action? And what makes Google’s latest initiative, Android TV, any different?
Out with the old
To start with, the concept has been reimagined, with Android TV coming in as a one size fits all platform through devices people actually want — not what Google thinks they want. The large QWERTY-keyboard remote combos are nowhere to be seen, gone in favor of traditional remotes and actual gamepads for gaming. Where Google TV sought to dominate your home TV ecosystem with passthroughs and overlays, its successor is ready to fit in. It could solve problems for those who want a cheap streaming box, a game console or even (maybe) a DVR, with apps that work everywhere and add features as easily and frequently as our phones do.
The original Google TV demo focused on showing how good it was at bringing the web to TV, highlighting a picture-in-picture letting you browse or tweet with TV in a small window. The plan was to make a platform that could play any web video easily without requiring custom apps, at least until Hulu and the rest blocked it. Now? Google’s own developer site includes this passage:
We discourage including web browsing in games for Android TV. The television set is not well-suited for browsing, either in terms of display or control scheme.
What Google TV product manager Rishi Chandra said on stage then about the existing pay-TV experience and its terrible guides is still mostly true, and years of cord cutting / cord never behavior has even more viewers looking for an alternative. The internet TV market is still fragmented between services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu) and hardware manufacturers are all desperately pushing their own platform, with varying levels of success. While the reality of Apple TV has seen slight upgrades, the rumors are as loud and unfounded as ever, so there’s plenty of time for Google to turn back the clock and just try again.
In with the new
What is truly different about this push starts with Google and Android. Google TV was a team separated from Android, with its own developer tools, software that wasn’t the same version and even an odd set of mismatched features (like shipping with the Chrome browser before Android even had it). Android L is one platform that pulls both sides forward together all at once. That’s good for developers and ultimately good for anyone using Android TV, with apps and a UI that can (theoretically) stretch across platforms, and work together as easily as Chromecasting. Its ability to work as a Cast receiver makes using one easier than the old version. The same goes for a revamped remote app, which isn’t any prettier than the one it’s replacing, but is much simpler.
Voice search and personalized recommendations that came later to the Google TV platform, combined with Google Now, can change TV viewing in a way that wasn’t possible in 2010. Google’s Dave Burke was able to ask a natural question “Who played Katniss in The Hunger Games” to his phone, and get an immediate response on the TV that I can see actually cutting down the amount of time spent figuring out what to watch, and just jumping into watch. As far as availability, Android TV will have better hardware support from just Sony (probably more than willing to offload R&D costs from its freshly independent TV division) next year than Google TV ever did, not to mention others like Razer, Asus and Sharp. I’ll need some hands-on time — and actual retail devices — to tell for sure, but on paper the hardware requirements (2GB of RAM, 8GB of flash storage, WiFi and/or Ethernet, Bluetooth) seem ready to avoid the combination of overpriced and underpowered that doomed the first attempt.
Google TV seemed so concerned about trying to partner with traditional TV providers — which never took off in the US — that it wasn’t ready for cord cutters or people without a standard cable box. This time around that’s changed. The suite of potential video apps for viewers to go streaming-only has grown drastically, however the list announced onstage was disappointingly short with YouTube, Netflix and Showtime Anytime at the top, but no HBO Go, Vudu, Amazon or Hulu.
It has support for PlayReady DRM, which could eventually make it a viable Windows Media Center or HTPC alternative for the enthusiasts that want that. It can tune directly into live TV broadcasts with the support of third-party hardware. SiliconDust makes TV tuners for viewers to watch TV over antenna or cable on a computer (or PS3), and that’s what provided the live feed you saw at the keynote. It has a plugin for Android TV that will let it work with the company’s current hardware, and unspecified future products. Lessons learned from Google TV and improved Android “L” support means companies like Plex are already in position with impressive media apps, and hopefully that list will grow before Android TV debuts this fall.
The competition
The four year time gap has introduced some downsides, as former friends and enemies alike have found new partners or built formidable setups of their own. Logitech is apparently no longer interested in building a TV box, LG released multiple Google TV devices but has turned its attention (fully) to webOS and HTML5 apps, and Vizio ditched Android for its recent products as well. Samsung never came through with the Google TV hardware it reluctantly demonstrated, now it seems poised for a Tizen-based approach and has even acquired the team and tech behind Boxee.
Comcast’s march to world domination is coming with a juiced up cable box platform called X1 that has internet access, cloud-powered apps and voice search (also, maybe games), while TiVo has a much improved follow-up to the Premiere DVR and cloud-based plans of its own. Microsoft left Media Center behind, but its Xbox One is a living room trojan horse in the way Google always wanted to be, and Amazon has seemingly beaten Google to the punch with its own TV box based on Android.
The bottom line
Despite all of those attempts, and even Google’s patchy track record (Chromecast good, Nexus Q so, so bad), no one company or platform is ready to dominate the internet-connected TV future yet. The new Android TV effort seems ready to just make popular internet features better on the big screen, instead of dominating all living room media as the price of entry. That’s probably not enough to justify any more lofty predictions from Eric Schmidt (he said Google TV would be in most TVs by mid-2012), but I expect it will be enough to keep Google in the game this time.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Source: Android (G+), Android TV
Android L developer preview live now!
Android L was announced yesterday at Google I/O without a code name and without a version number. What was announced was a developer preview to be released the following day, which is today! The downloads are now available here. The downside is, you must have a developer device meaning you must have a Nexus 5 (hammerhead) or the Nexus 7 WiFi (razor). There is not a developer preview for the Nexus 4 or any other Nexus device.
This is a developer preview, so bugs are expected. Remember, ART is now full time and the only runtime on Android L. Dalvik is no longer an option, and some apps still do not work on ART. If you are okay with a few bugs and are determined to have bleeding edge technology, head on over to http://developer.android.com/preview/setup-sdk.html and download the system image now! Instructions to install the preview are available here.
An in-depth look at Android L will be coming in a few days after I have had some time to test it out on my Nexus 7 for those of you who do not have either Nexus device.
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Black HTC One M8, yellow Nexus 5 on the horizon
OK, call me boring but I like my smartphones to look understated and elegant. So when it comes to choosing what colour I want my hardware to be I will always go for the black option, but lately we are seeing many manufactures turning towards bold or fancy colour schemes for their devices.
@eveleaks has uncovered some pic’s of a what could be a black HTC One M8 lurking out there, although no details of a black M8 have been leaked as yet. The photo shows the back of the One M8 with what looks like a metallic black finish which really works well with the silver HTC logo.
Following on from the release of a very Red Nexus 5 handset, Google may have let slip that their flagship Nexus phone could be making an appearance in yellow soon. Google already have a yellow bumper case so this could be the same colour yellow that we see the Nexus 5 sporting, as we saw with the red Nexus.
Could a yellow Nexus 5 be related to the possible name of “Lemon Pie” for the next version of Android, or am I just thinking too much into this !
Anyway, what’s your thoughts on the colours of these two phones ? let know us know in the comments below.
Source: @eveleaks Android Police
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Amazon Appstore promo offers 30 free apps including Plex and AccuWeather
Whoever said “nothing in life is free” obviously doesn’t have Amazon’s Appstore installed on their Android device. The software marketplace already offers a different paid app for free each day, but for today and tomorrow only, it’s upped the number of discounted apps to 30. The “Epic Summer App Bundle” features over a $100/£100′s worth of popular apps for free, including the Plex mobile client, AccuWeather Platinum, games such as Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the 3D RPG Ravensword: Shadowlands and Kairosoft’s Dungeon Village, as well as some utility and productivity apps like Splashtop Remote Desktop HD and OfficeSuite Professional 7. The full selection can be found here, and if you have Amazon hardware you know where to head to get downloading. Anyone else with an Android smartphone or tablet can install the Appstore by following these instructions, and it’s going to be worth the small effort if you fancy even a couple of the apps gratis.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Amazon
Source: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK)
HTC commits to Android L for One series
This year Google I/O was probably the best so far, and also a lot happened this year. Google introduced their latest version of Android, known as the Android L. The new OS is coming this fall, and HTC is making sure that their customers are not having second thoughts about it. They said on their official blog that:
We are committed to updating our flagship HTC One family as fast as possible and will begin rolling out updates to the HTC One (M8) and HTC One (M7) in regions worldwide within 90 days of receiving final software from Google, followed shortly by other select HTC devices.
HTC is trying their best to be the first one to release Android L update for the One series. That’s definitely a good news for all HTC One (M7) users because they might have thought that HTC is only focusing on the flagship smartphone right now.
Android L is still the codename, and it might be known as Lemoncake when it is officially released. Though we personally like Lemonheads as well, you should share your thoughts with us too.
Are you happy to hear this One-users?
Source: HTC
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Android Wear brings Google to life
How many times have you checked your phone today? If Google’s data is correct, your answer is somewhere between zero and 125. This proclivity to check our phone is the foundation upon which Android Wear, the company’s wearables platform, is built. Wear isn’t about replacing your smartphone though; it’s about extending Android beyond your pocket and into the world around you. Yesterday’s I/O keynote revealed a lot about Google’s vision for the future — and Wear is the thread that could tie it all together.
On stage, Director of Engineering for Android, David Singleton, explained that everything in Android L is contextually aware, and has voice recognition enabled. Wear isn’t a separate entity; it’s an extension of Android L. An interface that bridges your experience of the world to the phone in your pocket (and vice versa). No more unlocking your phone and digging for restaurant recommendations. Wear knows your location and preferences; it’s already giving you step-by-step directions to a ramen joint around the corner. Or so the theory goes.
Wear isn’t a separate entity; it’s an extension of Android L.
Singleton’s demonstration of how Wear dances with, rather than marches beside, your phone was to order a pizza through his watch in under 20 seconds. A party trick to please the mostly developer audience, sure, but that demo showed Wear’s potential in a way that people understand: a useful interaction that solves a (hunger) problem. That’s something you can easily do from your phone, of course; the smartwatch skeptics are going to be harder to impress.
Singleton’s second onstage demo showed Wear working with a tablet, displaying a recipe from Allthecooks. The tablet is the main screen in this scenario, but Wear is listening; it’s a servant to more than one device. The tablet feeds Wear each stage of a recipe one by one. Swipe for the next instruction on the watch, and this is reflected back on the tablet. The same is true for all interactions on all apps across all your Android L devices. No more dismissing notifications twice. This same symbiosis will be present across Android, Wear and Chrome OS — Google’s making the most determined push for unity yet, and Wear is a big part of it.
Great, we can order pizza and make recipes a little less likely to fail. But Google has a much broader ecosystem now. Android will be in cars, TVs and your home. It knows what you like to eat, where you go on weekends and how badly you suck at Tappy Chicken. All of this information is united by your phone, and (the idea being) effortlessly enhanced by Wear. The feel-good promo videos might ham it up a little, but Google Now’s cards are getting smarter, and could find a natural home on your wrist. Having a wearable that controls (and is controlled by) all the technology in your life is, perhaps, the only logical case for a smartwatch — and that’s what Google is going for.
Google wants Wear to be the key that unlocks the Android experiences around you right now.
Earlier on in the I/O keynote, Director of Engineering at Google, Dave Burke, showed off a new feature within Android L — trusted environments. If you have a “Bluetooth watch” (this was before Wear was discussed), your phone knows you’re near, and removes the need for a password to access it. This might work for all Bluetooth devices, but it’s further evidence of the neat shape Google has cut out for Wear in Android’s future. Google wants Wear to be the key that unlocks the Android experiences around you right now.
If you’re thinking Wear is just a fancy example of the internet of things, that’s because it is. This isn’t even the first wrist-worn gadget to be used for controlling other smart devices. Jawbone and SmartThings may spring to mind. The difference here is potential scale. Having a fitness tracker feed into your home automation is great. A platform that can set your thermostat, get driving directions (or score a lift), tell you about your surroundings and quickly reply to a friend’s message is better.
Your phone is still the brain, the identifier, the hardware that knows you. Wear listens, interfaces, serves. Much like Android itself, or Google Now, Wear is a platform that, if grown with care and attention, could usher in the era of the smart-world. A world where technology is used to lower, not create barriers between discovery and social interaction. That’s the marketing dream at least, and surely one we’re all invested in. On a more practical level, if Google is working on a unified ecosystem (as it appears to be), it’s about time for something like Android Wear.
Revamped Google Drive for Android makes it easier to tinker with your files
Google unveiled a lot of things at the start of its I/O conference, but there was also a pair of stealthy updates that could make a big difference for cloud storage lovers. To begin with, there’s a brand new version of Google Drive for Android that makes it much easier to manipulate your files. Instead of sifting through a top menu bar, you just have to tap a button to rename, share or star a document; it’s also a little quicker to print a file or scrap it entirely.
On top of the Drive refresh, presentation gurus will be glad to hear that Google’s promised Slides app has reached Android. There aren’t any big surprises if you’ve worked with such files in Drive before, but this now means that you can edit most common office documents in dedicated Google apps. Whether or not you need to tweak business pitches on the road, you can grab both new Drive-related apps today. Android Police has its own download link for the Drive update if you can’t wait for it to reach you automatically.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Police (1), (2)
Source: Google Play (Drive), (Slides)
‘OK Google’ voice commands are coming to your Android lockscreen
“OK Google.” The phrase is slowly working its way across Google’s mobile and web services, but the touchless control is about to get even better for many Android users. Previously limited to just the homescreen on Android 4.4 KitKat devices and anywhere on the Moto X (thanks to its always-on listening chip), the voice-activated command will soon be enabled on any screen, including the lockscreen, on your smartphone or tablet. That’s not all, either: Google’s also including a new Audio History feature that learns the sound of your voice to increase the accuracy of your searches.
The features come as part of an update to the Google Search app, which is currently rolling out slowly to devices following Google’s I/O keynote. Google is making the feature available on a phone-by-phone basis, meaning that even if you are able to grab the relevant app file, you still might not be able to use it. If you are eligible, however, all you have to do is navigate to your Google Now settings and enable the options inside the “OK Google Detection” menu.
[Image credit: Droid Life]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: Droid Life
Source: Google Search (Play Store)
Android TV announced by Google
As you no doubt know by now, Google’s developer conference I/O kicked off yesterday with the keynote address. While I was unable to attend the conference in person I did watch the live stream on my computer. And, as many of you understand, one of the numerous announcements that Google made was Android TV – an evolution of the less than popular Google TV. Here is a quick run down of things that you may find important in the next-gen attempt at Google play for TV.
Android TV is in an attempt to unify Smart TVs under one OS and use the same API so that it is easier to get apps onto your TV. Another important point is that there is one SDK to write apps for all Android forms factors. With Android TV, you can search through your TV shows and movies easily using your phone or smart watch. You can also control your TV using a physical controller.
Controlling a smart TV with a smart phone might not be such new news to you; you might be wondering “Is that all they got?” Well no. Google has really worked hard putting together this Android TV experience for you. In addition to standard things that are becoming the standard with smart TVs, Android TV is backed with Google’s own Play Store. With the Play Store, you get the Play Games. In the keynote, they demonstrated how you can also use your Android TV to play games with your friends. They show one guy playing with a controller hooked up to the TV against another guy playing on his tablet.
Another feature of the Android TV is that it comes with Chromecasting built in. This means that you can use your Android TV the same you would use a TV with a Chromecast plugged into it. It also has Screen Mirroring which means that whatever you see on your device screen will display on your TV! You can cast anything and everything with the push of a button.
You can learn more about the Android TV from the keynote video itself here. They start discussion about the Android TV at 1:45:10
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AIVAnet 