Google said to be making giant displays that work like Legos
Many interesting projects have been born inside Google’s famous X labs, including smart glasses, balloons capable of distributing internet connectivity and, most recently, a self-driving car. Now, according to The Wall Street Journal, the next big thing that could come out of Google X are giant, modular displays which can connect to create one very large image. Per the report, the project is being developed by Mary Lou Jepsen, co-founder of the One Laptop Per Child initiative and previously a professor at MIT.
In general, details about Google X’s unnamed project are still rather scarce, but sources told the WSJ that the large screens “could be made into different sized and shapes,” similar to how Legos work. An NPD DisplaySearch research director believes these might be used to do many things familiar to every one of us, like reading email, surfing the web as well as watching TV and movies — perhaps, all at the same time. Think of it as Project Ara, but on a much, much greater scale and with different type of components.
Filed under: Displays, Misc, Google
Source: The Wall Street Journal
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Chromecast category in the Play Store switched to Google Cast
Changes to branding with various software items isn’t anything new. Remember when Google swapped out Play Magazines for Play Newsstand? Google has gone and made another little change today in the category section of the Play Store. They have quietly renamed the Chromecast category to Google Cast.
You will still find all the same apps that you did before, so it isn’t anything new or different. The name change is likely due to the upcoming release of Android TV that we saw back at Google I/O. We know that Android TV boxes and TVs will have the same capabilities as the Chromecast but offer a heck of a lot more. We know this because Google offered up Android TV dev kits and released the Google Cast Reciever app that can be installed to cast too. Phandroid points out that the actual protocol for forwarding the content to your TV is already called Google Cast. Makes sense to brand the service the same. I suspect app developers will soon be re-tagging their apps as “Google Cast Ready” or Google Cast Compatible” in due time.
Source: Phandroid
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Chromecast category in the Play Store switched to Google Cast appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Google Play Services 6.1.11 rolls out with minimal impact for the average user [APK Download]
Every since launching Google Play Services 6.1, Google has been faithfully updating the back end up with plenty of goodies for developers, but not much that would be noticed by the average user. That’s fine, because we know in the end, we all win. This week, another update has rolled out, this time Google Play Services 6.1.11, which again is only marginally bigger than its predecessor, but we’re sure there are lots of goodies for developers to make good use of.
The update should be rolling out today, but for those of you who just like to be up to date, we have the APK download available below:
Google Play Services 6.1.11 APK Download
Let us know in the comments if you spot something different.
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Google Play Services 6.1.11 rolls out with minimal impact for the average user [APK Download] appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Google Play Newsstands gets an update with some material design changes [APK Download]
Google Play Newsstands is starting to update across devices today in a typical staged roll out. It has already been one year since Google has re-branded Play Magazines to Newsstand, and I am for one liking it much better. The updates for the app since it has change over have been slow. The last update I have recorded was back in May. Today’s update moves the app to version 3.3 and brings along a number of visual changes to bring the app inline with Google latest material design guidelines.
The new design incorporates larger images more contextual headers and smoother transitions. You are also gaining the ability to swipe horizontally between topics and vertically to dive deeper into the specific topic you have landed on.
The icon for the app also got changed up a little bit. The whole app feels a lot nicer and certainly has a great visual appeal to it.
As usual, the APK is available for your side-loading pleasure so you don’t have to stare at the images and wonder what it looks like on your device. Head over to Gappsearly and pick it up.
Download – Google Play Newsstand v3.3 APK
More details via the Android Blog
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Google Play Newsstands gets an update with some material design changes [APK Download] appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Cyanogen refuses Google’s money in an effort to keep Android ‘open’
For a lot of start ups, winning Google’s interest is the goal. Not Cyanogen. According to The Information, the Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster told shareholders that it recently shrugged off Google SVP of Android Sundar Pichai’s interest in purchasing the company — choosing instead to focus on obtaining a $1 billion valuation to aid in its third round of funding. The company’s grounds for that number, and perhaps Google’s interest for the company, lie with its long-term goal: to become the third most popular mobile ecosystem. Considering the fact that Cyanogen’s third-tier mobile OS is essentially a more “open” version of Android, it’s no surprise the company has Mountain View’s attention.
Even so, dismissing Google’s interest is a pretty bold move — especially considering that the company is now looking for more funding on top of the $30 million it collected last year. There’s confidence there, however: Cyanogen investors are being told that the company has struck a deal with Micromax to build Cyanogen-based phones, echoing its partnership with OnePlus to bake its flavor of Android into the One. It’s still too early to say if Cyanogen’s efforts will pay off in the long term, but the company is definitely on Google’s radar, and that’s something.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google
Source: The Information
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Google’s Physical Web aims to make the internet of things easier to use
When it comes to smartphones, fragmentation (or as some would say, “diversity”) isn’t the problem it once was — but smart objects? Well, that’s a whole new issue. Most products breaking ground in the “internet of things” exist in their own walled-off ecosystem, often requiring users to download a separate app for every smart device they encounter. If physical objects are the next evolution of the web, Google says, this isn’t realistic: we need an open solution. Introducing the Physical Web, Mountain View’s attempt at creating a common web standard for objects. It hopes the standard will give everything from posters to rental cars a easily accessible smart experience without flooding the market with one-time-use apps.
Google’s standard imagines a world where we can simply walk up to smart objects and instantly use them without the hassle of downloading apps or scanning QR codes. “We need a system that lets someone walk up and use a device with just a tap,” the project’s Github page explains. “This involves creating an open ecosystem where smart devices can broadcast URLs into the area around them.” In theory, a smartphone will be able to detect these URLs in a similar fashion to how it picks up WiFi SSID signals, allowing users to simply select an object from a local list to interact with it directly, no app needed. Well, maybe one app — the project is currently in the stage of an app, but Google hopes that it will eventually be a native part of all smartphone operating systems. The idea is in its infancy, but it could be a good thing if it pans out: most of our home screens are already crowded enough.
Via: TheNextWeb
Source: Github
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Seriously: Dubai police get Google Glass to go with their Lamborghinis
If every police force was like Dubai’s, they’d have to beat back the crowds of recruits. On top of having million-dollar Bugati Veyrons and $350,000 Lamborghini Aventadors as pursuit cars, Reuters said detectives on the Gulf force will soon be using Google Glass. The wearable will help cops identify crooks using facial recognition tied to an online database (while still keeping their gun-hands free). Traffic cops there are already getting Glass, and the tiny emirate has thrown piles of cash at its police force despite a recent recession and relatively low crime rates. Still, looking like a cyborg and driving a Lambo? Eight-year-old boys everywhere definitely approve.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Source: Reuters
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Google Play Newsstand gets a redesign and new magazine view
Google is working is working its way through all its apps and updating them in anticipation of the release Android L. Next on the list is Play Newsstand, which most obviously is getting a Material Design facelift. That means a card based UI with bigger images and lots of transitional animations. But a visual revamp on its own isn’t particularly exciting. The best news is that the reading experience for print magazines has been revamped. Until now reading a magazine meant scrolling around a PDF version of the print editions, with a few notable exceptions that had “interactive” editions. Now, you’ll actually be able to browse a list of articles in the issue and open them up in a format that’s much more phone friendly. You get clean easy to read text, without having to sacrifice the big images. Newsstand is also getting much more fine grained control over the topics in the explore section. So instead of just Food & Drink, you can get articles dedicated to vegetarian cuisine or the paleo diet delivered straight to your phone. The new version of Google Play Newsstand will be rolling out on Android over the next week. iOS users will probably have to wait a long while…
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Enjoy these Nexus 6 renders while we wait for the real thing to be announced
With each passing day, it feels like we get to know the Nexus 6 a little better. Codenamed the Motorola Shamu, Google‘s rumoured next smartphone device is set to shake things up in the Nexus category by shipping a 5.9-inch monster of a phablet sometime in mid-October, which has so far gotten varied reactions. Regardless, the fact that the device is likely going to resemble its spiritual brother in the Moto X 2014 means that it is a very familiar device and means Nexus 6 renders that have been springing up, like the one above, are looking really quite accurate. These renders are courtesy of Sir Dave Kover who’s added the Nexus inscription on the back of the device that we have all been waiting to see.
While it’s not certain that the device will end up looking exactly like these renders, it’s a pretty good bet that overall the device will look like this – I’m a fan of the white myself. Behind that Quad HD, 5.9-inch display is a Snapdragon 805, 3GB RAM and a 13MP OIS camera, which all sounds very snazzy, but has us questioning whether the Nexus 6 is going to be as cheap as we’ve come to expect from a Nexus device. All conjecture of course, and we’ll be patiently waiting to find out some solid details whenever Google decides to divulge them
What do you think about these Nexus 6 renders? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Droid-life
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Enjoy these Nexus 6 renders while we wait for the real thing to be announced appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Google strips down its news service to pacify German publishers
Google has a tumultuous history with the German publishing industry, which has long taken issue with the search giant’s indexing of news stories. Starting next week, Google Germany will no longer display summaries and image thumbnails for news sourced from many local sites, leaving only headline links in their place.
The move is yet another concession in the wake of legal action from a group of publications including Bild, Germany’s top-selling newspaper. Just last year, Google stopped automatically indexing news in the country, asking sites to opt in instead. The industry has for years claimed that Google’s indexing was tantamount to republishing articles, and demanded compensation for lost ad revenues. It’s hoped that this latest compromise will be enough to end the dispute once and for all.
Via: iOL Scitech (AFP)
Source: Google Germany Product Blog
.CPlase_panel display:none;
AIVAnet 