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.
At Wednesday's I/O keynote event, Google unleashed Android L, its newest and most advanced flavor of the famed mobile software, and with the subsequent roll-out of the SDK to developers, interested parties have since been able to check out the all-new "Material Design" language, alongside a number of other key enhancements. If you're not a developer, or simply don't wish to get involved with preview software, there is a way you can get a taster of things to come on your current device thanks to the release of the new Android L wallpapers. Below, we've got a preview of these eye-catching new backdrops, as well as the relevant info on how to go about obtaining them, so join us after the break!
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.
Back in March, Google lit the proverbial blue touchpaper to the inhabitants of the smartwatch industry with the announcement of Android Wear, a variant of its famed mobile software designed specifically for the emerging wearables market. At the time, the Mountain View company also launched a Developer Preview of Android Wear's SDK for devs to sink their teeth into, and today, at I/O, the Android Wear SDK has been launched in full.
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.
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.
