Matias Duarte is disappointed that Windows 10 works just like XP
Matias Duarte: designer extraordinaire, flamboyant shirt aficionado, r/androidcirclejerk’s object of adoration.
If there’s any one person that is responsible for the way Android looks and feels, it’s Matias Duarte, Google’s VP of Design. Under his watch, Android transitioned from a hotchpotch of mediocre design elements to the fresh, modern, and unitary design language known as Material Design.
In a recent podcast with Josh Topolsky, Duarte revealed that he moved beyond Android to oversee the adoption of Material Design across Google’s many products.
We know, for instance, that Chrome OS will adopt more Material elements in the future. And, according to several reports, Google plans to merge Chrome OS and Android in the future, creating one “super OS” that works on PCs, in addition to smartphones, TVs, and wearables.
Android is on a collision course with Windows 10. But what does Matias Duarte think about Microsoft’s latest? Apparently, he’s not impressed.
In what Duarte himself called “overly clever tweetbait,” the Google executive expressed disappointment with the functionality of Windows 10, which isn’t very different from the venerable Windows XP.
I just setup a Surface 4 & Windows 10 – not sure why I was excited to try a new thing, it's basically XP with a flat design skin. #FutureNot
— Matias Duarte (@MatiasDuarte) November 2, 2015
#Windows10 ? More like Windows 10 years ago!
— Matias Duarte (@MatiasDuarte) November 2, 2015
Duarte was partially joking, and he was quick to clarify that he’s fine with the appearance of Windows 10, but not with the lack of progress in terms of features and functionality.
Man, I struck a nerve! Overly clever tweetbait aside, I've always liked Microsoft was attempting to do with Windows 8 – change the paradigm.
— Matias Duarte (@MatiasDuarte) November 2, 2015
In fact, it seems like Windows 8 was more to Duarte’s tastes. For Windows 10, Microsoft famously reversed some of the radical changes it implemented in Windows 8, in order to make it work like previous versions of the OS.
Hmmm… how should I maximize my Twitter 'engagement'?
— Matias Duarte (@MatiasDuarte) November 2, 2015
Why is Matias Duarte taking a swipe at Windows now? It’s possible that, fresh off his podcast debut, Duarte is really just looking to increase his Twitter engagement. Or to troll his followers.
Or maybe he is talking about Windows because he spends his days thinking about what a modern PC operating system should be and how Android could leapfrog Windows. If that’s the case, Duarte has his work cut out. Android is absolutely great on smartphones. But it’s lacking when it comes to tablets, and nowhere nearly ready to take on Windows on PCs.
Do you agree with Matias Duarte’s take on Windows 10? Or is this jab undeserved?
Apple, Google and Others Form Coalition to Push Technology in Financial Sector
A handful of technology giants — including Apple, Amazon, Google, PayPal, and Intuit — have announced a partnership in the formation of the Financial Innovation Now coalition (via Re/code). The group aims to promote tech-friendly policies and changes within the financial services sector in Washington, D.C. Those behind the group will work to alter the political debate on relevant issues like tech security, mobile payments, and fraud prevention in the favor of its partners.
“A technological transformation is going to make financial services more accessible, more affordable and more secure,” said Brian Peters, executive director of Financial Innovation Now. “The challenge in Washington is making sure policy-makers understand that, and they’re comfortable with it, and they don’t apply old rules to new technology.”
Thanks to the growing popularity of mobile payments solutions like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and PayPal, the companies behind such services are positioning themselves as part of the future in financial services discussions in Washington, since they’re more part of the conversation than ever before. The partnership also intends to work together to achieve blanket improvements for each individual service in topics like user security and authentication, faster payment processing, and “access to basic financial services for the two billion people in the world who are underserved.”
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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Google’s VP of design rips into Windows 10 on Twitter
Shortly after recording his first podcast, Google’s vice president of design Matias Duarte has publicly slammed Microsoft and Windows 10 on Twitter. After the latest episode of Joshua Topolsky’s Tomorrow went live, Duarte tweeted that he had tried the Surface Pro 4 with Windows 10 — and that in his opinion, it felt like “XP with a flat design skin.” Needless to say, this triggered quite a response from the Twittersphere, and Duarte quickly followed up with: “Windows 10? More like Windows 10 years ago!” The tweets were partly sent in jest, as he later described them as “overly clever tweetbait.” However, Google’s design lead clearly has some issues with the way Microsoft’s desktop OS has evolved. Specifically, Duarte claims he has “no beef” with how Windows 10 looks, and is instead disappointed with how it works. As far as he’s concerned, the functionality is similar to the now ancient Windows XP: “I understand that’s a feature for many,” he later tweeted. “Not for me!”
Report: Google isn’t opening a NY retail store after all
What could have been: the space designated for the first Google shop
Google has long been rumoured to be planning its own shop front in New York City and possibly beyond, but now reports suggest that these plans have been scrapped. According to Crain’s New York Business, Google is looking to sublease a property that it had been planning to use for its first store.
Google products:
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The NY Google Store was to be located at 131 Green Street in SoHo. The company has reportedly already sunk around $6 million into renovating the building. Expenses include redesigning the layout, building a sunken area to make the ceilings look taller and exposing the building’s brickwork.
Google is said to be looking to sublease the property for just $2.25 million, suggesting that the company is keen to end the project rather quickly. However, it is not clear exactly why Google decided to abandon the project.
The closest that Google comes to a retail store is in London, where the company has a branded section located inside a Currys PC World store on Tottenham Court Road. It was thought that Google could use physical store locations to help generate additional consumer awareness about its products, especially its Chromebook range and possibly even side-projects like Google Glass. This strategy could have been used to build a stronger brand image and help define the company as a hardware as well as software business, along the lines of Apple or Samsung, both of which operate retail stores in the US.
For now at least, it looks like Google is going to have to continue to rely on third party high-street stores to push some of its wares.
Google reportedly abandons plan to open retail store in NYC
Remember those rumors about Google opening a chain of retail stores? Apparently, it isn’t happening — at least not in New York City. According to Crain’s the retail space the company leased (and spent $6 million renovating) in NYC’s SoHo district last year is back on the market. If the search giant is opening a retail location, it won’t be at 131 Greene Street.
Source: Crain’s
Google’s ‘Project Wing’ commercial drone service to launch in 2017
We’ve seen Project Wing, the air-delivery service from Google, tap NASA to help sidestep reams of bureaucratic red tape and get off the ground before, and it looks like the service could soon launch in earnest. The outfit’s laying the groundwork right now and says that its goal is having the commercial flights up and running in 2017, according to Reuters. The company is one of several working with the Federal Aviation Administration to develop a registry for drones and eventually dedicated air traffic control system. The former would ideally be in place by this December 20th, making sure operators are aware of rules on where, when and how to fly their aircraft.
Source: Reuters
Nexus 5X now available in Europe, Chromecast included in some markets
There’s no denying Google tends to be a bit more generous with its home market (USA). There’s a lot of factors that may get in the way of a smooth launch, but it seems Google is learning and today European Nexus fans have something to celebrate.
The Nexus 5X has finally made it over the Atlantic, and into European markets. Buying one is only a matter of heading into the Google Play Store (from your country) and going through the purchase process. There is one downside our fellow European Nexus fans will have to deal with, though – the phone is actually more expensive there.
The Nexus 5X is priced at €479 (16 GB) and €529 (32 GB). In the USA you can score the same phone for only $379. That’s a huge difference considering €479 currently translates to about $528 USD. But this doesn’t mean the phone isn’t worth it. The Nexus 5X is still a great smartphone!
You can read our Nexus 5X review to learn all the pros and cons stapled to this handset. In a nutshell, this is a mid-end device with high-end aspirations. But the coolest part is that the price stays low! Specs include a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 808 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16/32 GB of internal storage, a 12.3 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front shooter and a 2700 mAh battery.
Those who need a little more convincing will be glad to hear Google is throwing in a little freebie in certain European markets. Depending on your country, you might be getting a free Chromecast with the purchase of a Nexus 5X. The guys over at Android Police have been asking around and found out this deal is valid in Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
No verification on other countries has emerged, but if you see the deal live in your market, please hit the comments and let us know! By the way – don’t expect to get your order shipped right away. Nexus 5X units won’t be heading out the door until November 9th. Are any of you signing up?
Google’s drone delivery service could see light in 2017
BBC just stated a release date for Google’s Project Wing. The tech giant is reportedly aiming for 2017 as a possible release.
For those of you not familiar with Project Wing, it’s one of many projects Google is working on. The project consists of a drone delivery service. The service would make it seamless to have groceries and/or packages delivered right to your doorstep. However, Google might be targeting a specific audience rather than the whole world with this new program.
Retailers such as Amazon and Alibaba are considering the new service. It’s an interesting concept that may have the potential to go the distance, but if Google is seriously thinking about going big in the future, they will have their work cut out for themselves. We’ll keep you posted with any movement.
Source: BBC
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Google confirms Chrome OS will stick around, but will bring tighter Android integration
There were rumours that Google would merge Chrome OS and Android into one. Google has now said they do not plan on going that far, but will bring them closer together.
If you just bought a Chromebook, do not worry, Google has “no plans to phase out Chrome OS”. You will still receive updates and support for them in the future.
Google is very much committed to Chrome OS. Chrome OS is a big part of classrooms, offices and homes with 30,000 new Chromebooks activated in U.S. classrooms everyday.
In fact, every school day, 30,000 new Chromebooks are activated in U.S. classrooms—that’s more than all other education devices combined.
Google also just introduced the very affordable $149 Chromebook and the $85 Asus Chromebit that turns any display into a computer. Something they probably wouldn’t of done if they planned on getting rid of Chrome OS.
However, Google will be adding more Android integration to Chrome OS. Also, they will be bringing new features like a new media player and refreshing the look with Material Design.
We have plans to release even more features for Chrome OS, such as a new media player, a visual refresh based on Material Design, improved performance, and of course, a continued focus on security.
Source: Google
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Google announces the best four apps currently made for Project Tango
Project Tango still isn’t a readily available consumer product, but that hasn’t stopped Google and other developers from continuing to push the platform forward. Google recently ran a contest to pick out the best available apps on Project Tango from each of four categories: best game, best augmented or virtual reality app, best utility, and an overall winner. Today Google has announced which apps have won those awards.
The overall winner was given to WeR Cubed, which utilizes Project Tango’s spatial recognition abilities in a puzzle game. The game is relatively simple where you only have to flip blocks around to make the top colors of each of the blocks match, but a user can walk around the room they’re in with Tango to view different sides of the blocks. Pretty interesting stuff.
Ghostly Mansion scored the best game award, putting the player in a haunted mansion as a ghost searching for clues to their own death. The player has to use Tango to walk around and search the house for those clues in a creepy environment.
InnAR Wars won best augmented reality app, and it also happens to be a game. It turns an room into a simulated outer space environment where two players walk around trying to claim more territory than the other players.
The only non-game winner was for the utility app, which was won by Phi.3D. The app lets you walk around a room so Tango can map out the environment, after which it will create a full 3D model of the room you’re in.
While none of these are market-altering uses of Project Tango’s abilities, it definitely puts the project on the right path towards being an extremely innovative piece of equipment in the future.
source: The Verge
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