Google's new Android Wear, TV and Auto ventures were front and center during Google I/O, and as the dust settles on all the biggest announcements to come out of the developer event, we're now starting to find out the more interesting details about what Google will be working on this year.
As promised, Google rolled out the Android L SDK on Thursday, and for those looking to flash the developer preview software onto their Nexus 7 (2013, Wi-Fi) or Nexus 5, the process isn't actually all that arduous. Below, we've outlined all of the steps in one easy-to-follow, concise tutorial, so if you want to take a sneak peek at what Google's been working on, join us after the fold.
If you're all ready to flex your credit card and order a brand new Android Wear smartwatch, then you might want to just take a second to make sure it's compatible with your smartphone, because unless you're running Android 4.3 or above, you're out of luck, just like over 75% of Android owners.
With Google having rolled out the early developer preview images of Android L, it was inevitable that the various treasures therein would be plucked out by the modding community and distributed around to those in ownership of devices running older versions of the search giant's ubiquitous software. Although the Google Keyboard 3.1 found within Android L was initially proving problematic, those in the know have fixed it all up, and it's now primed and ready for installation on any device running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or above.
Siri, which first emerged alongside the iPhone 4s back in 2011, looks set to be taking on a more significant role in Apple's product line-up with the introduction of HomeKit, HealthKit and CarPlay, to name a few, and although the early buzz regarding the voice assistant has naturally died down, the technology continues to advance. Now, having helped Apple implement voice recognition software into the iOS device range, the team behind the original Siri technology is taking a stab at an entirely new demographic by introducing Kasisto, a similar product to Siri aimed squarely at the business side of things.
Companies will often let you test out their new, exciting releases for a limited period, with the obvious intention of selling you the product thereafter. In the tech world, this isn't necessarily common practice, but following on from T-Mobile's "Test Drive" offer with the iPhone 5s, Samsung has now rolled out a new system giving folks the opportunity to try out a number of devices on its Galaxy line-up for three whole weeks.
We're always on the hunt for a good deal with apps, but because great apps mainly go free at the discretion of the developer, we often only get five or six freebies at any one go - and that's on a good day. Today, though, you can have yourself a grand total of 30 - yes, thirty - paid apps for no cost at all, and given how highly-rated most of these are, you won't want to be missing out. Below, we've got a full list of the apps, along with their original prices, and if you want to save around $100 on some really handy apps and enjoyable games, then join us after the leap!
Yesterday, in case you missed the mountain of coverage, was the keynote event of Google's I/O developers conference. Held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the search company made many significant announcements relating to the home, car, smartphone, and wearables. For once, though, Google Glass was off the menu, allowing the Big G's smartwatch endeavor to command most of the limelight, and with the full Android Wear SDK having just been rolled out to developers, there's now a very easy way to check if your handset is compatible with Android Wear.
Even though security within technology is improving all the time, the advanced nature of the Digital Age means that intruders, malware makers and generally unscrupulous folks also have a robust tool set through which they can commit their unethical activities. As discovered by a group of researchers at the University of Massachusetts, the ubiquitous nature of mobile cameras makes it incredibly easy for a PIN or passcode to be logged and perhaps even utilized in an automatic fashion, and products like Google Glass, in particular, could prove problematic to the security-conscious consumer.
When Google first brought Android Wear to the tech world's attention back in March, both LG and Motorola presented us with their respective efforts in the form of the G Watch and Moto 360. Today, with the search giant having subsequently pushed the full Android Wear SDK out to developers, Samsung has also thrown its hat into the ring with the Gear Live, a smartwatch that doesn't look too dissimilar to the recently-released Gear 2. With these three new devices all set for release in the near future, many of you will no doubt be considering one of them as a prospective acquisition, and if so, you'll definitely want to check out our videos below, where we take a closer look at each.
