Hands on with Project Tango at Google I/O 2015
One of the projects Google has been working on long term is Project Tango, a technology designed to replicate the way we sense the three dimensional world on a computer device. Google has been using a tablet to pack in sensors and cameras that feed the Project Tango software. The end result is an ability to create a digital map of the world on three dimensions.
Google notes that this technology could be used for mapping buildings for use by others who cannot be present in the building or for something a little less serious, like gaming. Given the virtually “live streaming” speed that the software can map a space, Google could also use it for applications that need the ability to sense the world in real-time – think driverless cars or maintenance bots in space.
TalkAndroid got to spend some hands on time with the latest version of Project Tango at Google I/O 2015. Check out the video below and then look back at Google I/O 2014 to compare where the technology was a year ago.
Be sure to continue to watch TalkAndroid for more coverage from Google I/O 2015.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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Burned out retinas rejoice as Android M has dark theme
If you are one of the Android fans who is irked by the extensive white screen real estate used by the operating system, Google has a little treat in store for you when Android M is finally released. Developers already poking into the new operating system have discovered Google has added a new dark theme.
Currently the setting for a theme is buried in the Developer Settings and appears to only work on the settings screens. However, we have seen how Google’s Material Design is able to change colors for several screen elements in Android L already, so it is not a stretch to see themes extend to the whole operating system.
For now, in addition to the new dark theme, Google also included an Automatic setting that will switch the theme based on the device’s clock.
Stay with us for more Google I/O 2015 coverage.
source: ArsTechnica
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Google Photos app now available in Play Store
Earlier today Google took the wraps off the new, standalone Google Photos app. Since then, lots of users have been hitting the new web site for all of the uploaded photos, photos.google.com, to see if the service was available yet. As the site has started to light up for users, Google has also pushed the updated app out to the Google Play Store.
The new app mirrors features from the web interface, like the “Assistant” feature for creating and customizing photos and video. Most users will likely want to ensure the photos from their device are set to auto backup as a way to protect the images against loss. Except for possible privacy concerns, Google has made it easy to backup by providing unlimited storage through the new service, although images are limited to 16MP and videos are limited to 1080p.
Check out the promo video below for Photos along with some images from the Play Store. You can hit the links below to check for the update or install the app if you have not already done so. Keep an eye on TalkAndroid for more news from Google I/O 2015.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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iPhones can be Google VR viewers, too
As we walked out of today’s Google I/O keynote, we — and all other keynote attendees — were handed the second-generation version of Cardboard, Google’s low-tech effort at a VR headset. As was announced at the keynote itself, the new Cardboard is designed to fit phones that are 6-inches or larger, which makes sense given the size of Google’s own Nexus 6. It’s also now much easier to set up; in just three easy steps. Another improvement is that it no longer has the magnetic ring trigger of the original, which apparently didn’t work with all phones. Now it has a simple top button that when pressed, activates a lever coated in capacitive tape — think of it as a cardboard finger touching the phone’s screen. This, of course, makes the Cardboard viewer compatible with a lot more phones — including, yes, the iPhone.
I had the chance to try out the new viewer with both a Nexus 6 and an iPhone 6, and well, it certainly is easy to put together. Just snap out the velcro, fold the pre-scored pieces of cardboard, put in your phone, and voila — you’ve got a VR headset. The top button is also far easier to push down, giving it a very ViewMaster feel. As for content, Google also announced the new Cardboard app for iOS today, along with an updated Cardboard SDK for developers to build VR apps for Apple’s mobile OS as well. The demo apps for iOS are a little different — there’s an Exhibit app of different museums plus a colorful kaleidoscope — but the experience is very similar to the one on Android. Images are surprisingly colorful and sharp, though I did experience a bit of lag when transitioning between different screens.
As ever, Cardboard won’t have the same fidelity and immersiveness as something like the Oculus Rift or Gear VR — there’s no danger of light leaking through, for example — but it’s pretty great for what is essentially just a piece of cardboard and some lenses. If you want one for yourself, you’ll have to either make it yourself from Google’s own specs, or get one from Dodocase for around $25. Oh, and that Cardboard app for iOS? It’s out already, so go on and try it out if you have an iPhone and that new Cardboard viewer lying around.
Filed under: Google
Source: Cardboard (iTunes)
Google wants you to buy Big Macs with your face
Google may have been the first big tech company to push NFC payments, but it was Apple Pay that got the public excited about buying things with your smartphone. At a Google I/O session for Android Pay, the search giant announced that it was partnering with McDonalds and Papa John’s Pizza to launch Hands Free, a payment system that looks suspiciously like the Pay with Square app (later called Square Wallet and discontinued). Customers walk in to a store and say, “I’d like to pay with Google,” and the cashier will see a photo of the customer and their name on their point-of-sale system. The service is initially launching in San Francisco in the coming months and those interested can sign up for the beta here. Details about the geofencing payment service are sparse, but it should use cards stored in the upcoming Android Pay.
Source: Google
Google refreshes Cardboard with support for iOS, larger devices
Expeditions and Jump should kickstart adoption and content curation
One year after its initial launch Google on Thursday released a new version of its Cardboard virtual reality device.
Key among the changes in the unit is that it can be assembled in a much quicker manner. The whole process is pared down to three steps.
Additionally, Cardboard now offers support for devices up to six inches in display size. Perhaps more importantly, it’s also compatible with iOS devices; it’s included in the latest Cardboard SDK.
In an attempt to get Cardboard into the hands of more users, Google has introduced a program called Expeditions. In short, it’s a way for teachers to take students on virtual field trips to just about anywhere in the world.
Working with a number of partners, including the American Natural History Museum and Planetary Society, it’s Google’s way of enhancing education.
On a related note, Google teased a new product called Jump which is essentially a rig for sixteen cameras. Designed to capture 3D, stereoscopic imagery, it’s a way to jumpstart the videos and content which will be available to Cardboard. Google says that GoPro is already on board and plans to release something later this year.
The post Google refreshes Cardboard with support for iOS, larger devices appeared first on AndroidGuys.
A quick look at the new Google Photos app
Google I/O 2015 is well on its way, and we’ve already gotten a quick overview of everything Google announced during its keynote. Among the many announcements including Android M, Project Brillo, Google Now on Tap, Android Nanodegree and many others, we’ve also taken a first look at Google’s new photo backup service. Now available for free in the Google Play Store, the new Google Photos app aims to be an all-in-one media backup application, so you can access all of your pictures and videos from wherever you are in the world. Since this new app is kind of a big deal, we thought we’d walk you through the setup process to ensure your experience is hassle-free!
Since the new Google Photos app is just an update to the old Photos application (the one that was attached to Google+), you can grab the new version by simply updating your old Photos app. Once the app has been updated, it’s pretty easy to set up.
Upon opening Photos for the first time, you’ll be asked if you’d like to backup your photos and videos. For all of you folks worried about other people seeing your photos, don’t worry – Google Photos is now completely decoupled from Google+, so there’s no need to worry about other people seeing your private pictures.
Once you choose to backup your photos and videos (or not), you can choose a couple different upload options. The new Google Photos offers completely unlimited content backup, so you can upload as many images and videos as you’d like without it counting against your Google Drive storage space, like it did with the old app. However, there are a few caveats when it comes to the term ‘unlimited’. Photos have a cap of 16MP, and videos have a maximum resolution of 1080p, so keep that in mind before you take advantage of Google’s unlimited backup option.
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By far the most important feature in Google Photos is that the app will automatically organize your photos for you. The app can recognize faces, pets, landscapes, locations and more, and will group together like photos for your convenience. After all of your photos are uploaded to the service, the app will pretty much have all of your content organized automatically.
Clicking the ‘search’ floating action button at the bottom will give you quick access to all of your categories. Take a look at the screenshots below. As you can see, Photos automatically separated my media into categories. But don’t get me wrong, Photos isn’t perfect. If you see an image that is filed incorrectly, you can easily move it to another category.
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Moving on, there’s a new feature in the app called ‘Assistant’, which is basically just like a rebranded Autoawesome. It can still create stories for you, but now you can take matters into your own hands and create albums, collages (mixes), movies, custom stories and animations. Now you don’t have to wait for the app to automatically generate them for you, which will likely be a welcome change for most users.
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With the new photos app, you can also easily share photos and videos privately. Once you select a picture, click the Get link button in the sharing menu, and the link will automatically copy to your clipboard. I’ve been waiting for this feature for quite some time, and I’m sure many other users will be happy to use it as well.
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So, there you have it – a first look at the new Google Photos app! It’s now live in the Play Store, and you can also access all of your photos on the desktop by heading to photos.google.com. Let us know how you like the new service!
Sign into Netflix straight from your Google account
You’ve been able to sign into third-party websites with your Google credentials for years, but now the company is broadening out the places that info can take you. On its Developer Blog, the outfit is talking up its new Identity Platform, a suite of developer tools that let others build “frictionless” entry to name-brand sites. The biggest name on the list of early partners is Netflix, which will now let viewers keep watching on their Android devices without having to re-enter their subscription details.
Essentially, this makes Google one part universal log-in, one part password manager, that can do the same for both websites and newly-downloaded Android apps. The aim of the exercise is to provide a seamless experience, and in another example, if you’ve browsed Orbitz on your phone, those same searches will instantly be available to you should you switch to the desktop (on Chrome, at least). Oh, and if neither of those names are exciting to you, just wait until Linkedin joins the party, which is expected to happen in the very near future.
Source: Google
What sweet treat will the ‘M’ in ‘Android M’ stand for?
In no surprise to anyone, Google announced that its next version of Android will be called “M,” the natural followup to Lollipop and its other edible mobile operating systems. We won’t know for some time what the “M” will stand for and are really hoping it’s not something lame like “Mobile.” Our team came up with a few suggestions of what the sweet treat might be and invite you to guess which one you think will get the honors. If we got it wrong and you have another idea, tweet it to us (we’re @engadget, natch).
What sweet treat will Android’s next operating system be named after?
Filed under: Google
Google I/O keynote roundup: all the announcements in one place
We haven’t got any new hardware, but Google made it up to us with a ton of software and platform news. We already covered most of the big stuff, but if you just want everything in one place, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are the top news from the Google I/O keynote today.
Android M preview
As expected, Google launched the M preview version of Android, with a consumer release scheduled for Q3. Read more or check out the main features:
- Chrome custom tabs – WebView got an update, with Chrome state preservation and support for custom buttons on top of the frame. Read more.
- Granular permissions – Apps developed for Android M will feature granular permission control, in-app and in-settings. Read more.
- Doze mode – when in Doze mode, Android M devices will consume less power, without interfering with notifications or alarms. Read more.
- USB Type C support – Android M will support USB Type C connectors out of the box. Useful for reverse charging and more. Read more.
- Fingerprint sensor support – stock Android now supports fingerprint sensors out of the box; any app can use the feature for authentication. Read more.
- Android Pay – built into Android M, Android Pay will allow fast, secure, contactless payments across US retailers and online. Read more.
- App state backup – apps running on Android M now have their state backed up to the cloud, making it easy to transfer your settings from device to device. Read more.
Android M developer preview images
Google has made developer preview versions of Android M available for the following devices:
Project Brillo
Project Brillo is Google’s Internet of Things operating systems. Based on a barebones version of Android, Brillo will give developers and manufacturers an easy way to create and run connected devices. Read more.
Inbox by Gmail
Inbox by Gmail is finally available without an invite. New features coming are availability for Google apps accounts, trip bundles, undo send button, custom signatures, swipe to delete option and more. Read more.
Google Photos
Google has decoupled the Photos functionality from Google Plus into a standalone app that offers unlimited storage, improved auto-tagging, revamped autoawesome features and more. Read more.
Google Now on Tap
Coming with Android M, Google Now on Tap makes the virtual assistant accessible from any app through a home button long press. Now with more contextual awareness. Read more.
For developers
Google announced Android Studio 1.3, Polymer 1.0, a new Material design library and more tools to help devs create awesome apps. Read more.
Offline Google Maps
Full offline functionality is coming to Google Maps by the end of the year. Read more.
Android One updates
For developing markets, Google is serving optimized versions of websites to ensure the best possible user experience. Read more.
Android Nanodegree
Want to learn everything about Android development? In six months, that is? Google’s new Nanodegree is for you. Read more.
Google Family Star
Family Star is a sort of G-rated section of the Play Store that kids can peruse without fear of bumping into something inappropriate. Read more.
Developer pages
Google now gives developers a nicer home in the Play Store and lets them A/B test app variants. Read more.
Virtual reality
Google is releasing an improved version of Cardboard VR that is compatible with more devices, as well as Jump and Expedition, two programs designed to spur the development of VR. Read more.
HBO Now
Finally, HBO Now is no longer exclusive to iOS devices. The service is hitting Play Store this summer. Read more.
Woah, that’s a lot of news. And it’s not even all of it – keep it tuned to Android Authority as we look at what’s new in Android M!
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