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.
At yesterday's Google I/O keynote speech, Google unveiled Android L, its new and significantly advanced version of the mobile software. Complete with a more layered approach benefiting from the company's "Material Design" initiative, it looks more fluid and immersive than it ever has, and while we were impressed by the demos, we also couldn't wait to try it out for ourselves. The Big G promised that a preview SDK of Android L was imminent, and today, those in ownership of the Nexus 5 smartphone or Nexus 7 (2013) tablet can dive right in.
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.
Google's I/O developers conference has commenced over at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, and during the opening keynote, the company introduced quite a few exciting new products. Among them, Android Auto - Google's own answer to Apple's CarPlay - and Android TV, which even in these early stages, looks a marked improvement on the failure that was Google TV. Below, we go hands-on with both, so if you want a first-hand look at what Google has been slaving over of late, be sure to join us after the break.
When Chromecast first hit the scene last year, its insanely low price turned the set-top streaming market on its head. Sure, it wasn't a set-top in the truest sense, but it provided many of the same functions, and thanks to an update announced today amid the I/O keynote event, it will soon offer a few more. Notably, a new Android Mirroring feature is upon us, giving owners of the minute device a way of projecting their device's display directly over to their TV sets.
If you've ever used a Chromebook or indeed, a Chrome tower, you'll know that the software feels just a little bit too light. Sure, it's fast, and if you're heavily invested on Google products on the Web, then it's awesome for your day-to-day needs, but in some instances - i.e. where the use of an app is required - it's always good to have a Mac or PC handy. In a concerted effort try and resolve the issue of Chrome OS feeling like something of a ghost town, Google has announced its intention to get Android apps running natively on its desktop software, and although the process is still in the early stages, this could be a significant step in getting consumers onside with Chrome OS.
Samsung's release of the Gear Fit smartwatch back in February has really set the tone for this year. Apple's WWDC a couple of weeks back was heavily focused around the company's new HealthKit initiative, and Google has just countered by announcing Google Fit at I/O. Like HealthKit, its not so much an app as a platform, integrating with a myriad of Google services to track and log health-related data, and with Google having already named several partners including Adidas, Nike and RunKeeper, it will go toe-to-toe with HealthKit as the consumer electronics industry continues to spread its wings.
Google has been a struggling entity in the TV space with its previous initiatives, and not afraid to shy away from our living rooms, the Big G has announced its new Android TV initiative. All details can be found right here.
As expected, Google has taken the wraps off the Samsung Gear Live smartwatch running Android Wear smartwatch OS, and will be available to buy later today via the Google Play Store.
Google has just announced a new version of Android dubbed as ‘Android L’, which is available to developers today as a developer preview, and features a bold new look and design. More details can be found right here.
