A farewell tour of Google I/O 2015
After two furious days of news — both expected and not — Google I/O has finally come to a close. We’re still summing up our thoughts about the show and what Google’s new future looks like, but we wanted to take you on one last stroll through Moscone West as I/O wound down to see what it’s like being in a playground for some of the smartest, craziest people in the world. Join us, won’t you?
Roberto Baldwin contributed to this story.
Filed under: Mobile
Recommended Reading: The new and improved ‘Halt and Catch Fire’
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
Hard Reboot: The Excellent Season 2 Makeover of ‘Halt and Catch Fire’
by Andy Greenwald
Grantland
Despite an interesting premise, AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire never really took off during its first season. The show that chronicles the effort to reverse engineer an IBM PC in a Texas garage got a full revamp for season two, though, and Grantland’s Andy Greenwald explains how the changes have drastically improved the series for version 2.0.
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Google’s Ingenious Plan to Make Apps Obsolete Perhaps the most interesting announcement at this week’s Google I/O was Now on Tap. It’s an extension of the card-based tool that keeps tabs on your screen to provide relevant info from around the web the instant you need it. The crazy part? It’s not even completely finished and the folks that have spent time with it say the new tech is a game changer for Android devices. |
Your iPhone Now Has Virtual Reality, Compliments of Google Samsung and Google had both offered VR to Android phones, but with the second-gen version of Cardboard from the folks in Mountain View, iPhones can get in on the virtual reality action, too. And the goal is ever clearer: Make it cheap and accessible and let people’s creativity run wild. |
[Image credit: Tina Rowden/AMC]
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Google Play store not shows age-based ratings
According to AndroidCentral, age-based ratings for apps now appear in the Play Store under the apps’ ratings. This follows Google’s efforts to bring ratings to games earlier in March. In that case, game developers had to respond to a survey, and based on those answers, they received valuations from the International Age Rating Coalition.
App ratings can vary based on which region you live in. In the US, they follow that of the ESRB:
- E for everyone
- E10 for everyone 10 and older
- T for those at least 13-years-old
- M for 17+-year-olds
- AO for adults only, which is 18 or older
It needs to be noted that ratings for TVs and movies have been around in the Play Store a lot longer. Still, classifications for apps and games are a welcome addition in order to keep children and teens safe, considering that many of them have their own tablets and smartphones nowadays.
The post Google Play store not shows age-based ratings appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google’s solar plane crashed earlier this month
According to Bloomberg Business, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident wherein Google’s solar-powered Solara 50 plane reportedly crashed shortly after takeoff. The event occurred on May 1st at a private airfield outside of Albuquerque and no injuries were reported.
“Although our prototype plane went down during a recent test, we remain optimistic about the potential of solar-powered planes to help deliver connectivity,” Courtney Hohne, a Google spokeswoman, told Bloomberg. “Part of building a new technology is overcoming hurdles along the way.” Recent Google acquisition, Titan Aerospace built the 50-meter-wide (164 ft) drone. It is part of an ambitious Google plan to deliver global internet connectivity via stratospheric drones. The Mountain View-based company is also working on an alternative, balloon-based system dubbed Project Loon.
Via: Popular Mechanics
Source: Bloomberg Business
Google’s Cardboard Design Lab teaches VR with (what else) VR
Google debuted its larger and more robust Cardboard VR headset at I/O yesterday, now it needs some apps that actually run on it. However, designing a program in a virtual 3D environment is quite different than designing one to run on a 2D touchscreen. That’s why Google has also released the Cardboard Design Lab, an app that teaches you the basics of VR design from within a VR environment. The program runs through 10 fundamental design aspects — from “Using a Reticle” and “Keeping the User Grounded” to “Guiding with Light” and “Gaze Cues” — all from within the confines of the Cardboard headset. It won’t transform you into an VR hacking wizard overnight (as it’s not designed to) but CDL will give neophyte coders a solid overview of what they’re getting themselves into. And while the lessons learned here can just as easily be applied to designing for the Rift as Cardboard, the app is currently only available on Android.
Via: Road to VR
Source: Google Cardboard Hub
With Android Pay, Google gets mobile payments right
Even though Google started the whole mobile payment thing years ago with Google Wallet, it never really took off with the masses. Google’s newly announced Android Pay, however, might. Instead of relying on you to load the app and unlock it with a PIN, Android Pay lets you simply tap your phone on an NFC terminal to approve the purchase. In addition, Google is also allowing Android Pay to be integrated in apps like Lyft, Grubhub and Wish, so users can easily use that to pay for things. I just used Android Pay here at Google I/O, and I can say this: If it’s as easy to use in real life, then I suspect mobile payments are about to be a lot more ubiquitous.
Google had set up a Coke vending machine in the press area at I/O for the Android Pay demo, along with a couple of Nexus devices that were already preloaded with the software. To buy a Coke, all I had to do was tap a Nexus 6 to the terminal, and I saw an American Express card along with a MyCoke Rewards loyalty card appear on the screen. This, a Google spokesperson tells me, is because the phone is smart enough to know that I’m using Android Pay at a Coke vending machine.
It showed me how many rewards points I had, and I could then choose to either pay with points or the card. I opted for the former, confirmed the purchase, selected my choice and out came a 20-ounce bottle of Coke Zero from the dispenser. The spokesperson tells me that the same thing could work if you’re shopping at Walgreens or any other merchant with a rewards program — the phone will recognize where you are and offer up the appropriate points info. Android Pay should be compatible with any phone with Android 4.4 or higher, though Android M will offer up fingerprint authentication as well.
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I also used a Nexus 5 with Android Pay to make an in-app purchase. Next to the Coke machine was a “store” of sorts with a variety of Android gift items like t-shirts and mini-collectibles. Using an app called Wish, I was able to select what I wanted — an Android toy in this case — and then selected the “Buy with Android Pay” button. I go through the usual cart check out process, and I was done — no need to enter my card information or anything. The same would go for other apps like Lyft, Uber, and GrubHub.
The whole process strikes me as practically identical to that to Apple Pay. Even the appearance of the credit card wallet on the Android Pay interface looks very similar. In fact, just like Apple Pay, the transactions are sorted through something called tokenization, where a virtual account number is created and shared with merchants to manage payments.
But what about Google Wallet? Well if you already have a Wallet account, you can choose to transfer over all of your Wallet-linked cards to be used in Android Pay. Wallet itself isn’t going away either — you can still use that for peer-to-peer payments.
As for which merchants will support Android Pay? Well, a lot — over 700,000 retailers will be on board, including Macy’s, Whole Foods and Walgreens. Basically, any place that offers Apple Pay, will also be Android Pay compatible. That means that pretty soon, almost anyone with a relatively modern smartphone will be able to pay for things with their phone. Now to see if that actually happens.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at ourevents page.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google
Better late than never, Project Ara makes hot appearance at ATAP session
Earlier today one of the most watched live streams from Google I/O 2015 was for the session on Google’s ATAP unit. Looking forward to some of the cutting edge technology Google is working on, anticipation was high for an appearance by Project Ara, Google’s modular smartphone. Google did not entirely disappoint as late in the session Google engineer Rafa Camargo brought out the device for a brief demonstration.
Camargo started out with a tray full of modules and an ARA exoskeleton, the frame that holds the modules. He proceeded to “build” a smartphone by adding in a processor, a battery and a couple speakers before firing the device up. None of this was especially groundbreaking as we have seen how the device will work in past videos, but this was the first time it was demonstrated in front of a live audience.
Those watching may have noticed that when Camargo fired up the device, which loaded the latest version of the Android operating system, he left one space open in the frame. Trying to take a picture with the smartphone, Camargo showed how the system displayed an icon to the user letting them know that no camera was available.
In a twist that pleased the audience, Camargo then added the camera module in the open space and mere seconds later the camera app was showing the live preview on the screen. No reboot was required – the device was able to handle the hot installation of the camera hardware.
Unfortunately, no other information was provided on how close Project Ara is to being ready for consumers. Camargo did close out the session by taking the first public photo with an ARA smartphone, which was tweeted out by the team’s Twitter account.
Keep watching TalkAndroid for more coverage from Google I/O 2015.
First public photo from our ARA phone at #io15. Next app install will be @googlephotos to fix lighting. #ProjectAra pic.twitter.com/EvFCQbbHo8
— Project Ara (@ProjectAra) May 29, 2015
Come comment on this article: Better late than never, Project Ara makes hot appearance at ATAP session
Google’s Project Loon improves launch and range to expand its reach
Google’s Project Loon internet balloons have been airborne for quite some time, and now the company is planning to take the next step with the initiative. The next phase has two parts: a 50-foot-tall launcher and sharing internet signals amongst balloons. The first piece is a so-called Autolauncher, a massive rolling apparatus referred internally as the Bird House, and its canvas sides allow a crew of four to block up to 15 MPH winds in order to launch successfully. Take-offs are now partially automated too, and the time needed to do so was cut from 45 minutes down to just 15.
Second, each Project Loon balloon used to have to maintain contact with the ground in order to disperse a connection, but that’s no longer the case. Now, the flying connectivity pods can connect to each other, further expanding the area they can blanket with service. Rather than having to stay within about 50 miles of a station, Loon gear can travel distances of around 250 to 500 miles. As Bloomberg puts it, using the balloons together as a network mean Google can now offer internet to a region with eight ground stations. Project Loon aims to provide days of continuous connectivity by the end of the year, which would be an improvement from recent trials. The goal is for a wider deployment to happen sometime in 2016 in places like Latin America, West Africa and Asia.
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google
Source: Bloomberg Business
See Google’s clothing-based Project Jacquard in action
Interested in seeing Google’s ambitious Project Jacquard in action? Fortunately, Google had a small demonstration set up at I/O to show off a very simple way that smart clothing can be used, and we’ve got a hands on video for you.
The video demonstrates how simple it is to tap a patch of clothing to play and pause your music, and how the swiping gestures will allow you to skip through songs and adjust the volume on a connected smartphone. Google of course uses a Nexus 6 to show off everything in action, but it works extremely well.
It might be awhile before we start seeing jackets with integrated volume controls, but it’s something to look forward to. For everything else that’s happening at I/O 2015, check out our full coverage of the event.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: See Google’s clothing-based Project Jacquard in action
Check out our hands-on video of Google’s Project Soli
Alongside Project Jacquard, Google introduced Project Soli which is focused around sensors that use radio waves to track your hand movements and gestures, which then relay signals into something that can be used by another piece of technology.
We have a hands on video for you demonstrating how one of Project Soli’s sensors will register your movements and turn them into data that another object can use. Unfortunately, the demo didn’t have an actual usable object to play with, but it does give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s going on. There are several monitors set up, all of which react differently and show different data based on how your hand is moving.
It’s definitely much easier to show than explain, so watch the video below and let us know what you think of ATAP’s two new initiatives.
For everything else that’s happened at I/O 2015, check out our complete coverage.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Check out our hands-on video of Google’s Project Soli
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