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.
The Google Glass Explorer program has been running for the best part of a year now, and although the designs are still in the process of being tweaked, the progress that has been made since the start of Project Glass is really quite something. Despite this week's I/O conference has largely avoided the topic of the head-mounted device, the Big G did take the opportunity to showcase several prototype models in something of an evolutionary exhibition. Given that we're in attendance at I/O this week, we couldn't resist taking a few snaps, and below, you can see first-hand just how much progress has been made on Glass' design over the past few years.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Now that the epic 3 hour opening Google I/O keynote has come to a close, the big question on the lips of many was all about the free gifts that those in attendance would receive. It's becoming something of a tradition for anyone attending Google I/O to receive at least one expensive toy to come away with, and Google's Sundar Pichair didn't disappoint this time around.
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.
