Yesterday, Google announced Android Wear, a modified version of its famed operating system tailored specifically for wearable devices. Having pushed out a Developer Preview of the Android Wear SDK, folks have already been checking out the beta Android Wear software therein, and one in particular - Android enthusiast Dom Esposito - has given us a video walkthrough of the smartwatch-ready OS. Check it out right after the leap!
With Samsung having already announced the Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches at Mobile World Congress, it was only going to be a matter of time before the other big names in tech joined the fray, and amid ongoing rumors that Apple will drop its elusive 'iWatch' product later this year, Google has gone ahead and released the Developer Preview of its 'Android Wear' SDK. As the name implies, this particular flavor of the search giant's open-source platform is designed specifically for wearables, and the Big G also took the opportunity to reel off a bunch of manufacturers, including Motorola and HTC, that will begin releasing wearable products using the software later on this year.
2014 is shaping up quite nicely as The Year of the Smartwatch, and with Samsung already having announced the Gear 2 and Gear Fit at last month's Mobile World Congress, we're expecting at least two of the mobile industry's other big names to follow suit in the coming months. As well as the Apple 'iWatch,' which has been referenced in numerous leaks and concepts running back a few years now, Google also rumored to be developing a smartwatch of its own. Today, for the first time, we've an insight into its purported specifications.
A new Remote Administration Tool for Google’s Android platform has become available in the darkest corners of the Internet. This particular type of tool is bundled into a malware package that has the ability to claim control of the devices of those who use an app that has been infected, effectively turning the unwitting smartphone or tablet into a spyware zombie.
The movie 'Big,' starring Tom Hanks, has just gone free over at the Google Play Store, and although it doesn't appear to be related to the Google Play Store's 2nd birthday celebrations earlier on in the week, it's great to see such a classic movie running as a free download.
Google's Nexus smartphone and tablet range has proven time and again to be a huge hit with Android users, and following the successful launch of the Nexus 5 late last year, details are beginning to emerge of its would-be successor. The Nexus 6, which looks set once again to be manufactured by Korean outfit LG, will be revealed later on this year alongside Google's very first smartwatch, according to a report over at Gizmodo.
It seems that Google may have just fallen foul of one of the pitfalls of having engineers running the company rather than people that are more adept at giving a politician's answer to some tough questions. Google's head honcho of Android, Sundar Pichai, has been in attendance at this week's Mobile World Congress, and it seems he's given a very interesting answer to a mildly interesting question.
Google is always looking to innovate, and with the likes of Project Glass well established and Project Tango looking promising indeed, it now looks like the company's Project Ara range of smartphones could arrive to the market early next year. With prices touted as low as $50, Project Ara, which is looking to forge something of a build-your-own-smartphone market with devices comprised of interchangeable bits of hardware, is weeks away from its first functional prototype, and sales may begin as soon as Q1 2015.
The Advanced Technologies and Projects (ATAP) team over at Google has today unveiled Project Tango, an innovative new piece of smartphone technology that offers genuine 3D motion tracking to mobile devices. The ambitious development, which project lead Johnny Chung Lee describes as being part of a goal "to give mobile devices a human scale understanding of space and motion," looks very exciting indeed, and with seemingly no boundaries as to where this technology could go and how it may eventually be used, a prototype kit has already been prepped for intrigued developers. Further details, including a demonstration video, can be seen after the fold.
Facebook's purchase of WhatsApp for $19 billion has taught us a lot of things, and while the focus has been mainly upon the breathtaking sums of money involved in this particular transaction, WhatsApp's swift 5-year rise, and the dogged, determined nature of one Brian Acton, the acquisition has made apparent the fact that Facebook is up there with the big boys when it comes to spending. Indeed, hitherto, it has been Google stumping up the cash to acquire large firms such as Motorola, and intriguingly, Fortune is reporting that the search giant once placed $10 billion on the table in an offer to buy WhatsApp out.
