We may not have to wait too long before we're being driven around by our robotic cars, according to Google's Anthony Levandowski, product manager for the company's autonomous vehicle division.
Google has hooked up with several reputable vendors in order to push its Chromebook brand of notebook, and although things have gotten off to a fairly good start, it has to be noted that the search company's laptops have yet to faze those on the hunt for a truly high-end notebook. A leaked video, which may or may not have originated from the Mountain View-based company, appears to indicate a new direction for the Chromebook. Dubbed the 'Chromebook Pixel', it'll supposedly take a swipe at the heart of the high-end market - currently dominated by Apple - in boasting a 2560 x 1700 resolution display.
Google’s has always had a rather funny and intriguing way of announcing new Android versions, coupling the news with the installation of a new Android statue at their campus. We’d seen these sculptures being erected for Froyo, then Gingerbread, Honeycomb, for Ice Cream Sandwich, and then Jelly Bean. Thus, it was no surprise when people went crazy over a certain Google+ post from Google’s Android community manager, Paul Wilcox, that indicated a new statue having been installed at the company’s official campus!
Several months ago, rumors starter swirling that Google and LG might be getting ready to unleash a new Nexus 4 in white color. To everyone’s surprise (or perhaps not), an entire photo gallery of pictures depicting a new white version of the device has surfaced, suggesting that a release might be closer than most of us might have expected.
It is no secret that iOS and Android devices are the leaders on the smartphone market, with outputs that greatly outweigh the other players. The latest data published on Monday shows that their lead has edged, having taken over 92.1% of smartphone shipments in the last three months of last year.
Over the past few years, more and more users have been ditching their old-style cell phones for smartphones, as demand for full-featured web browsers and email continues to grow. For the fifth year in a row, the iPhone continues to be the main beneficiary of this shift, with 51.2% of the market share in the last quarter of 2012.
The beauty of Android is that it’s not just limited to one specific manufacturer or operating system variant, which gives it the real edge over Apple’s iOS. The iPhone in comparison has only one company behind it, and while their work so far has been nothing sort of stellar (I am talking the sales volumes here – no judgment), the open source nature of Android and the large manufacturer support behind it makes the platform far more diverse and unique, not to mention variable. The availability of multiple OEMs not only impacts the buyers’ choices and hardware diversification, but also impacts the software side of things. How? HTC has its Sense theme, Sony came up with Timescape. Samsung favors TouchWiz and Motorola cooked up MotoBlur, just to name a few Android skins.
If you have been a technology enthusiast for the last few months, you are probably aware of Project Glass, the Internet giant’s take on augmented reality that relies on a simple pair of high-tech glasses. Google is now inviting developers to two two-day-long events in San Francisco and New York in order to develop software for these glasses.
The Google Nexus 4 - designed and manufactured by the good guys over at LG - is arguably one of the hottest Android devices on the market, but it looks like some owners of the sought-after hardware are receiving more than what they bargained for. A number of Malaysian and Brazilian Nexus 4 owners are reporting that their devices have arrived pre-installed with Android 4.2.2, a version of the operating system that hasn't been made public yet.
The technology industry seems to be overflowing at the moment with discussions related to whether or not smart watches are a particularly good idea and feasible piece of consumer tech that will stand the test of time. The Pebble E-Paper watch managed to raise a staggering $10 million through its Kickstarter funding, a total that all but confirms consumers are ready for an intelligent watch that can adapt and change depending on the owner and the devices that they own. Although we have subsequently seen a number of smart watches appearing in recent months, we now have a Google inspired concept design coming from design Adrian Maciburko.
