Google's Maps is seen as the authority in the field of navigation, and of course, mapping, and having established a large user base already, the company is preparing to revamp the mobile arm of the service in the coming weeks and months. Following on from the new-look desktop version, Google will now be bringing the look of iOS Maps to Android, and an iPad version is also going to be hitting the App Store in the summer along with a revamp of the desktop version of Maps. More details after the break.
Hot on the heels of BlackBerry's announcement that BBM would soon become a cross-platform experience, Google has showcased its new Hangouts messaging system, unifying iOS, Android and Chrome users all in one convenient place. This revelation makes for an exciting face-off between the major instant messaging services, and it's fair to say, this kind of feature from Google as been a long time coming.
Today at I/O, Google has launched its rumored Google Play Game Services, which will finally give the Android platform a Game Center-esque experience for those looking to enjoy multiplayer competition on some of their favorite titles. Then again, if the demonstration of the multiplayer feature in action today (note: it didn't connect) is anything to go by, Android users will be hoping the hit-and-miss demonstration of the service is not representative of the eventual experiences.
It has only been a couple of weeks since Microsoft brought Skype integration to the Outlook.com inbox and already, the Redmond company is back to bring Google's Talk instant messaging service to its webmail service. It's certainly an eyebrow raiser, no less since it looks as though the Big G looks all set to integrate GTalk and Hangouts into one unified - and rumored - "Babel" service, and it does also perhaps show a side to Microsoft we simply do not see often enough.
If you're of a certain age then you'll remember one of the best games of all time, and that's Atari's Breakout. Based somewhat on the ever popular Pong, the idea behind Breakout was a simple one - hit a ball with your paddle and try to break as many bricks as you can.
Of all the tech products to release last year, Google's Nexus 7 was one of the most eagerly anticipated and well received. Nobody could believe how much solid hardware Google had managed to pack into such a reasonably priced tablet, and one analyst is under the impression that the Big G is about to make consumers another offer they'd be hard pushed to refuse. According to resident Apple whistleblower Ming chi Kuo of KGI securities, the search giant will be adding a 5-megapixel rear camera to the Nexus 7, which will also include such features as an improved 1,920 × 1,200 display, a Qualcomm APQ 8064 processor and wireless charging. Kuo also notes that the price will stay at the very agreeable price of $199, and the design will also be notably thinner and lighter than the current generation Nexus 7.
After a bit of a rollercoaster ride last year with the constant developments in the Apple vs. Samsung cases, the fire looks to be reigniting just in time for the summer. Although the two tech titans are at loggerheads in several different cases being fought across the world, the main battle is being contested near Apple's home turf in San Jose, California, and in accusing Google of improperly withholding potentially incriminating information, the Cupertino-based company has requested that Judge Paul S. Grewal forces the Big G to hand over source code information pertaining its flagship mobile OS.
Google Glass is the hot property on the internet right now, especially amongst those of us that live and breathe technology. But it's not just those of us that happen to spend our time inside the tech bubble that are interested in Google's bold push for computer equipped spectacles - even the mainstream media are getting in on the action.
Google's I/O would seem as fitting a venue as any for the company to take the wraps off a significant new piece of software, and the consensus is that the search giant will do exactly that by announcing Android 4.3 at the developers conference later on this month. Hitherto, little has been established regarding Android 4.3's key implementations and enhancements, but thanks to meet-up info leaked by HTC, we now have a decent idea of what the upcoming software may feature.
Google certainly made waves in the tech world when it chose to spend a whopping $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola Mobility, but it's fair to say that the Big G has yet to really utilize this most sizable of purchases. Much speculation has pertained to a so-called "X Phone," perhaps accompanied by an "X Tablet" to match, but as yet, these reports have remained decidedly inconsequential. Shots of the X Phone enveloped in a squared-off case were leaked by evleaks a couple of days ago, and as it transpires, high-res images had already been leaked earlier this year depicting the device in all its glory.
