Google Glass has been at the forefront of tech coverage over the past year or so, with fans completely fascinated by its progress from concept to current beta state. But the Explorer Edition that the search giant began rolling out last year wasn't the first version modeled, rather the result of a painstaking process of running through numerous prototypes before coming up with a form factor fit for the public eye. Via Google+, the Big G has shown a timeline of Glass' evolution over the course of two years, including images, and the change, when contextualized in this way, is quite stark.
Currently, the latest version of Google's Android is 4.4.2 KitKat, but it looks now like an Android 4.4.3 update is on the horizon. There have been plenty of leaks to corroborate this, and having trawled through endless Chromium code, Android 4.4.3 running on both the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 have been discovered.
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.
Apple and Game Center has long since facilitated multiplayer gaming for those running iOS devices, and thanks to a recent update, Google Play Game Services will offer something similar to those rocking iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. What's more, as well as allowing gamers to compete against each other on iOS, developers integrating Google Play Game Services into their titles will enable players to compete cross-platform with users on Android, outlining the search giant's intention to expand and improve the online capabilities of the Play Store.
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.
Google Now, the search giant's refined, context-based personal assistant is, a great way to keep up with the sports news, scores and fixtures wherever you are. Add your favorite NFL team, your favorite NBA team, or almost any soccer team from around the world, and Google Now will keep you up-to-date with scores as and when the matches are being played. While the service covers a wide range of sports, cricket fans have hitherto been left out in the cold, but now, the national sport of England as well as many West Indian countries, has finally been shown some love by Google Now.
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.
If you're a fan of cheap notebooks running Google's bare-bones ChromeOS and enveloped in Samsung's famed faux-leather, then you might be in luck, for a duo of Twitter photos via Evleaks suggests that a new Samsung Chromebook is on the way, sporting that polarizing finish. The teaser photos, which doesn’t show anything more than the rear of the device, and a Chrome logo atop that Galaxy Note 3-like material, doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to piece the clues together, and with the Korean company having delivered some moderately attractive Chromebooks already, the Galaxy maker looks to be stepping things up a gear.
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.
Google has a history of taking parts of its own build of Android available for everyone, and when the Google Now Launcher made an appearance on the latest Nexus 5 smartphone everyone began hoping that it would make the leap to the Play Store sooner rather than later. Today, that's exactly what has happened. Unfortunately though, it's not quite available for everyone.
