Chromecast Audio connects your existing speakers
One of the biggest draws of Chromecast is its ability to easily push audio to your home audio system. Google is taking that one step further with the introduction of Chromecast Audio. From the sounds of it (no pun intended, or was it?), ease of use is going to be the main draw here. Mountain View says that Audio will support a standard 3.5mm auxiliary input, RCA jacks and an optical input. What’s more, it’ll mirror the audio of most Android devices — not just music, if that’s the sort of thing you’re into. Same goes for “any” music streaming site’s output from your computer. Just like the rumors said, Chromecast Audio will support longtime holdout Spotify as well as Google Play Music, Deezer and the BBC iPlayer. Much like the original Chromecast made dumb TVs smart, the Audio version wants to do the same for the speakers you already own — a direct shot at companies like Sonos.
Setup doesn’t stray far from its forbearer, either. Download the app, plug the device into your speaker and a power source, connect your device and Chromecast to the same WiFi network and you should be good to go.
Nexus Protect is Google’s answer to AppleCare
Alongside the Nexus 5X and 6P smartphones Google unveiled today, the company announced a new program intended to give butter-fingered customers a little peace of mind. In addition to the one-year warranty every Nexus smartphone is covered by, the Nexus Protect program covers repair and replacement costs for mechanical breakdowns and accidental damage for two years. Basically, it’s Google’s version of AppleCare, and should the extra-clumsy destroy their phone somehow, they can expect a replacement as early as the next business day. Obviously, these guarantees come at a price, but if you’re a serial screen smasher, then it could be worth your while to Nexus Protect your 5X for $69, or your new 6P for $89.
Get all the news from today’s Google event right here.
Google Photos gets updated with improved sharing features
Google is adding three big new features to Photos to make sharing pictures significantly easier than it is right now. For instance, if you want to show your friends a cool image, you’ll probably be forced to pass the device from person to person across the lounge. Now, however, the search engine has tweaked the app so that you can push the shots straight to a nearby TV as long as it’s got a Chromecast plugged in. But rather than just mirroring the smartphone’s display, this feature actually enables you to choose what you want your friends and relatives to see. That way, if you’ve got a not-safe-for-work background picture, or don’t want anyone seeing the notifications pop up, you can simply run the show like an old-school slide projector.
Secondly, Google is letting multiple Photos users subscribe and contribute their images to a single album. That way, if two people are all snapping away at a local concert, they can pool their resources into one directory. Even better, is that third parties can then subscribe to this feed and get notifications when new pictures have been added. The example that was given at the show was that far-away relatives can see their grandkids grow up, their devices buzzing every time more snaps are added.
Thirdly, the firm is enabling users to tag the important people in your life and search for them with tags, which is hoped will make finding that one great image a piece of cake. The first and third features will be hitting Android this week, with web and iOS variations expected to land at some point in the near future. Shared Albums, meanwhile, is tipped to launch “later in the year,” which we’d take to mean shortly before the holidays.
Developing…
Watch Google’s San Francisco event live stream right here!
It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for all day, the live-stream coverage of Google’s Nexus announcement. This is where we will see the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P handsets revealed, the second-generation Chromecast devices and app, and, if that isn’t enough, the new Pixel tablet. And who knows, maybe Google has a surprise up its sleeve that didn’t leak yesterday. You can check out the live stream coverage of the Google announcement right here.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Let us know which Device you are more excited about in the comments below.
Come comment on this article: Watch Google’s San Francisco event live stream right here!
Here’s how to watch Google’s Nexus event
We’ve barely recovered from Apple’s “Hey Siri” event a couple of weeks ago, but already we’ve got another huge press conference on our hands. Today, Google’s taking the floor, with two new Nexus smartphones expected to be the biggest announcements. A second-generation Chromecast is also in the cards, and we’ll undoubtedly be hearing more about Android Marshmallow, the latest iteration of Google’s mobile OS. We’ll be liveblogging the whole event when it starts in just over half an hour (at 12PM ET), of course, but you can also follow the live broadcast if you want a front-row seat yourself. The livestream will be found on Google’s YouTube channel when the press conference kicks off, but we’ll also embed it here if possible.
Get all the news from today’s Google event right here.
[Image credit: Getty]
Source: Google (YouTube)
Microsoft is working on its own version of Google Cardboard called the Microsoft VR Kit
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Virtual Reality is the next big frontier that tech companies are aiming at conquering, and it looks like Microsoft is really putting in the hard yards to make it happen. While Microsoft already has the HoloLens project going in the background, it looks like the tech giant is also working on something more for the average Joe – the Microsoft VR Kit. Still unannounced, the website for the Microsoft VR Kit has since been taken down, but appeared to depict a VR headset not unlike the Google Cardboard in terms of its low cost construction.
While it appears that the Microsoft VR Kit will initially be for Windows 10 devices, with Microsoft’s push into Android software, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Microsoft appropriate the VR Kit to eventually work with Android devices too. This would actually be amazing for the Android VR space as Microsoft would really give Google a run for its money and we’d all benefit from them trying to out do one another. Naturally, all we can do is wait and see whether this is how it all turns out, but we have our fingers crossed.
What do you think about the Microsoft VR Kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Paul Thurott via Phone Arena
The post Microsoft is working on its own version of Google Cardboard called the Microsoft VR Kit appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google Photos to get Chromecast support, shared albums and people labelling
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In case you missed the memo, Google Photos is now no longer a part of the Google+ app which means it gets to be updated independently whenever the fancy takes its development team. As it turns out, it’s about to get a nice little update which is going to introduce Chromecast support, shared albums and people labelling – the report says that these features will all be announced at Google‘s event tomorrow – failing that, the update will just be pushed out via the Play Store.
Chromecast support is probably the one thing that many Google Photos power users will have been pining for and even lets you customize your Chromecast experience with your personal photos rather than the stock (but still awesome) images. The shared albums feature aims to group photos together that were taken on the same day or same event and puts them in one place – though it’s not clear how the sharing of this will work. Finally, the people labelling update will let you tag people with custom labels, be it something endearing or nasty, but will no doubt help you sift through your photos quicker.
What do you think about this Google Photos update? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Police
The post Google Photos to get Chromecast support, shared albums and people labelling appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Check out this LG Nexus 5X prototype hands on
Google’s new Nexus smartphones have leaked considerably over the past few months and now, just a few hours ahead of Google making its new devices official, a leaked video has given us our clearest look at the design of the LG-made Nexus 5X.
The smaller of the two new devices, the Nexus 5X has a matte design and as detailed in the video, it’ll also be available in a unique mint colour that hadn’t previously leaked. The video gives us a quick look at the hardware and design and the handset does look rather interesting, right?
As detailed in the video, the prototype was missing a motherboard which meant a lot of the specs are still unconfirmed but based on a leak a few hours ago, we expect the LG Nexus 5X to sport a 5.2-inch Full HD (not QuadHD) display, a Snapdragon 808 processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.
Amazon India lists Nexus 5X, confirms storage, processor, color options and more
A key feature in the new Android M operating system is native support for fingerprint sensors and both of the new Nexus devices are set to sport them. Like Huawei’s smartphones, the Nexus 5X looks set to feature the sensor on the back, beneath the 12.3MP rear camera, which will come with f/2.0 aperture, IR laser-assisted autofocus and a broad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash.
Google Nexus 2015 rumor roundup
There’s quite a few other specs that have leaked – which you can read about in our report from earlier today – but what do you think of the LG Nexus 5X? Are you going to buy one? Let us know your views in the comments below and do stay tuned for all our coverage, live from Google’s Nexus event later today.
Google to fly one lucky Android Pay user to the Spectre premiere
Android Pay finally launched in the US earlier in the month. To celebrate, and to help keep the spotlight on its own mobile payment system, Google has announced a competition to send one lucky winner plus three of their friends on a VIP trip to Mexico City to attend the premiere of the new James Bond film, Spectre.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is make a purchase using Android Pay in the US between September 28th and October 15th 2015. In fact, each day that you make a payment counts as one entry, so you stand a greater chance of winning by using Android Pay a few times. It is possible to earn up to a maximum of 18 entries, what more incentive do you need to go out any make your first purchase?
See also: Google officially rolling out Android Pay starting today (Update: Grab the APK now)
You will obviously need the Android Pay app from the Google Play Store to make a start. The winner will selected at random on October 19th. For more information, check out the official contest page too.
Good luck.
Tune in for the Nexus launch event live stream and live blog from 12PM ET/9AM PT
Can you feel it in the air? It’s the smell of fresh Nexus(es) and delicious Androidy desserts, our favorite aromas to wake up to in the morning.
Today, Google is unveiling its new Nexus smartphones, officially launching Android 6.0 Marshmallow, introducing a new generation of the Chromecast, and possibly a brand new Android tablet called Pixel C. As events in the Android calendar go, this one is huge. Even better, Google is hosting an actual launch event this year, instead of the “press releases and blog posts” approach from the past years. And yes, there will be a live stream! Here are the key details.
What time?
The Nexus event will begin at 9AM Pacific time in San Francisco. Here are the times you can tune in from around the world:
- 9AM San Francisco
- 10AM Denver
- 11AM Chicago
- 12PM New York
- 5PM London
- 6PM Berlin
- 9:30PM New Delhi
- 1AM (September 30) Tokyo
- 2AM (September 30) Sydney
Where to watch?
Google will host a live stream of the Nexus event on its YouTube channel. We will embed the live stream video in this post and update it as soon as it becomes available!
Where to follow?
Android Authority’s Joe Hindy will be live blogging the event, keeping you posted with all the key details even if you can’t watch the live stream video. Check back to this post at the time of the event for the embedded live blog!
Our Josh Vergara is on the ground in San Francisco, and he will bring you great hands-on coverage of the new devices soon after the event.
Of course, expect a steady stream of posts on Android Authority detailing all the official announcements. Follow us right here, or on Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter.
What to expect?
- The biggest stars of the show will be the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P. We already know almost everything about these two devices, but Google has a knack for surprising us, so who knows? For a close look at what we know ahead of launch, check out our Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P tag pages.
- Google will likely introduce the second generation of the Chromecast, featuring better hardware, additional software features, and an all-new design.
- There’s been some talk about a new Android tablet called Pixel C, and we’re very curious to learn more about it.
- Google will probably announce a rollout date for Android 6.0 Marshmallow, as well as the list of devices making the cut for the update.
- Project Fi is due for an update, and with the availability of more compatible devices, Google may announce a wider rollout.
- What else? Today’s event is the first since Google’s re-organization with Sundar Pichai at its helm. Will he bring us an update on his vision for the company?
Stay with us and chime in
With six hours to go, what are you excited about for today’s Google event? Let us know and stick around for all the news.
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