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Friday, May 29, 2015

Google Play Services 7.5 is Packed Full of Goodies

Not only did we get Android M (our tour!) yesterday, but Google also introduced Google Play Services 7.5, which includes all sorts of new goodness like “Smart Lock for Passwords, Instance ID, new APIs for Google Cloud Messaging and Google Cast, as well as access to the Google Maps API on Android Wear devices.” See, this is a big time update. Let’s talk about some of it. 

The most important new addition (at least in my opinion) is Smart Lock for Passwords. Google is considering it the evolution of Chrome Password Manager, meaning developers can use a new CredentialsAPI to allow user passwords to be attached to user Google accounts. So as app users jump from device to device or setup new ones and install apps, they should be able to easily login to them. In the end, Smart Lock for Passwords could become your password manager for all things, assuming you trust Google and use Chrome.

Details for implementing Smart Lock for Passwords can be found here. Companies like Eventbrite, Instacart, Orbitz, and Netflix are already setup for Smart Lock for Passwords. You can find all of your stored passwords at passwords.google.com.

Outside of the password fun, Google is letting developers build-in an app invite system, where their users can invite contacts via SMS or email to use their apps. The image below will give you an overview of how this will all look and play out.

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Google Play Services now includes a Maps API for Android Wear as well, which really just means that developers can build in fully-interactive Maps, show current location of the user, etc. onto a watch.

And of course, we told you about all of the new Google Cast APIs and changes earlier this morning, all of which are a part of this new Play Services update.

The rest of the list of new features is for the developers among us, so if you haven’t caught up on it all, be sure to head over to the source link below.

 

Via:  Android Developers Blog

Google Play Services 7.5 is Packed Full of Goodies is a post from: Droid Life



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Deal: Refurbished Verizon Moto X (2nd Gen) in Bamboo or Football Leather for $250

For anyone looking to grab a Moto X (2nd Gen) on Verizon, an eBay seller has a pretty sweet deal happening right now on manufacturer refurbished devices, with the price set at just $250. 

There are currently four colors to choose from, including Football Leather, Bamboo, Chalk White, and Black. These units are 16GB in size, and given the refurbished state of them, it is stated directly in the description that previous engravings may even be present on the backside of units.

If you need a Moto X on Verizon, $250 is a great deal.

eBay Link

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Google Unveils Project Jacquard, a Movement to Bring Touch and Gesture Technology to Clothing

Back in early May, the Google ATAP team teased that they would show off new wearables that would quite literally “knock our socks off” at Google I/O. Today, we have that announcement, and it’s conductive yarn in the form of Project Jacquard. 

By weaving in conductive strands of yarn into basically any textile, the ATAP team is able to turn a specific part of your pants or jacket into a touch interface, which leads to end-users controlling functions of a device by tapping or sliding a finger on their clothing.

ATAP’s idea is that Jacquard will be a blank canvas for clothing designers and developers to work with, allowing them to fit the technology to whatever use they would like. As purely an example, just an idea that I thought of myself, if your phone is in your pocket that is connected to a pair of Bluetooth headphones, and you want to adjust the volume, you could do a quick slide of a finger on your jacket either up or down to control the volume. That could be cool, right?

Jacquard is in a very early state, so right now, what we can do with it is still unknown. It will be up to developers and designers to decide how they want to incorporate clothing with sensors inside.

Watch the below intro video to see just how Project Jacquard could soon come to clothes or furniture near you.

Via: Project Jacquard

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Android M Feature: Notification Shade on Tablets Moves to Wherever You Swipe From

If you have used a tablet running stock Lollipop, then you probably know that the notification shade situation isn’t exactly ideal. Before Lollipop, Google was using two separate pulldowns for the notification shade on tablets, one that would show notifications and another that gave you access to quick toggles. Since those were combined into a multi-layered single notification shade in Android 5.0+, they decided to center it on tablets, no matter where you swiped from.  

That can be semi-annoying in instances where you may swipe down from say, the right corner of your tablet. It would make sense for the notification shade to pull down where your finger is to give you quick access, but it doesn’t on Lollipop – you would have to move your hand over to the center of the screen to access notifications or quick toggles.

That is changing in Android M. As you can see from the GIF below, the notification shade now follows your finger swipes, so as you move from one side to the other and swipe down, the notification shade is there for quick actions.

It might be a small change, but these are some times the most important when you are talking about fine-tuning a user experience.

moving pulldown

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Google is Launching “Hands Free” Payment Service This Year

Watch the video above and try to tell me that all of those frustrating experiences that often are a part of the payment process in a store haven’t happened to you numerous times. From finicky card readers and pens that can’t write to broken touch screens and de-magnetized credit card strips, the payment process is actual quite painful. Google is going to try and fix that soon by allowing you pay without using your hands. 

This morning, the search giant announced “Hands Free,” a payment service that lets you pay…hands free. It’ll launch as an app later this year as a part of a test in the San Francisco area through select retailers.

They aren’t sharing a ton of details, but the idea here is that you could walk into a store (McDonald’s and Papa John’s are the first partners) and pay for goods at the register by telling the clerk that you want to pay with Google. That’s it. No phone. No card. No dirty pen that won’t write. Just your phone, in your pocket, working magically with the registers in the store to let you pay and walk out.

I like it.

Via:  Google

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Google Launches ‘Cast Remote Display’ APIs, ‘Game Manager’ APIs

Chromecast has been a fantastic seller for Google, with the company pushing 17 million units since release, and the Cast button being pressed 1.5 billion times. As it has grown older, we have always stated that it only gets better, and with the release of new APIs for developers at this year’s Google I/O, that little dongle is becoming even sweeter. 

Released as beta, Google introduced the Cast Remote Display APIs, allowing developers to create a second-screen experience for select applications, such as games, without the need for mirroring displays. As an example, which is shown in the header image above, you can be playing a racing game on your HDTV, with the smartphone turned into a full-blown racing controller.

In addition, the Game Manager APIs for Google Cast have been launched, allowing developers to build better multiplayer apps for the platform. This will lead to possibly more intense boardgames or action games built for more than one player.

Seriously, if you have yet to pick up a Chromecast or Cast compatible device, do it.

Via: Google Developers

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A Photo Tour of Google I/O 2015

Yesterday, you all sat through Google’s 2.5 hour long keynote to get Google I/O 2015 started. If you aren’t attending in person, though, that may be all you were able to see from Google’s yearly developer conference. Well, unless you tune into a live-streamed session here or there. To hopefully give you a little bit of a glimpse into the whole experience outside of the keynote and a session, we walked the floor and snapped a bunch of pictures of all the creative things floating about. 

Google always does pretty creative things with the designs for its floor sets, and this year is no exception. In the pictures below, you will see bugdroids of all shapes and sizes, what it looks like when a few dozen developers are taking in the latest from a Googler, the cars that Google rolls in for Android Auto, all of the projects from Google’s ATAP, and even a massive playground, filled with swings, teeter totters, and video games.

Enjoy!

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Deal: Buy a LG G Watch R for Just $99 Through AT&T

It appears AT&T is hosting a little sale on the G Watch R from LG this week, pricing the Android Wear smartwatch at just $99. Regularly priced at $249, getting one for $99 and free shipping is a complete steal. 

It might be a mistake, and if so, you better hurry.

AT&T Link

Cheers Charles!

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Google Announces Updated Cardboard VR Unit, Enter Here to Win One for Free

Last year, Google unveiled Cardboard, their insanely simplistic solution to bring VR to the mainstream. Now, as phones are getting larger, they have an updated model of Cardboard they released yesterday during the Google I/O keynote that fits a wider range of devices. 

As highlighted in the keynote, Google is doing great things with Cardboard, especially in the classroom. A school can receive a class-sized shipment of Cardboard, and with it, teachers can take students around the globe and into the oceans thanks to VR. It adds a new dimension to learning, one which kids truly seem to enjoy.

With that said, ready to win your very own Cardboard unit? Head on into the comments section, tell us your favorite thing about VR, then we will randomly select a winner and will ship them the unit we received here at Google I/O. It’s almost like you were here with us.

Winner will be chosen today at 3pm PST.

Have at it.

Via: Google Cardboard

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Google Rolling Out Family-Focused Section to Google Play

Rumored about two weeks beforehand, then officially unveiled yesterday morning during the Google I/O keynote, Google’s family-focused section of Google Play is now rolling out to handsets. 

The all-new Family sections highlight specific apps and games intended for kids and families, but does not stop at just apps. The three sections of Google Play with dedicated Family categories are Apps, Games, and Movies & TV.

In addition, the next time your child wants to buy a season of SpongeBob Squarepants, it should be a bit easier for them to find. Instead of searching by show, your child can search by character, allowing them to find content focused on who they love. For example, if they click on Elmo, they will find games and TV shows with Elmo. Other characters include Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Thomas, and even Star Wars characters.

Google states these changes will roll out to Google Play over the next couple of weeks.

If you don’t see the Family section live in you Google Play app just yet, click here to view a curated list of apps you can expect to find highlighted.

Via: Android

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Google’s Project Brillo Will Indeed Try to Take Over the “Internet of Things”

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of yesterday’s Android-filled Google I/O keynote was confirmation from Google that their rumored “Project Brillo” is actually a real thing. Google does indeed intend to become the king of the “Internet of Things” later this year. 

So what is Brillo? It’s a low-level version of Android that manufacturers of smart products can use to get their products easily working with other smart products, helping to connect everything we use. It could be a smart oven or vacuum cleaner or washer or smoke alarm or garage door, all connected on the same platform, so that our world works seamlessly together.

As of today, the state of smart products is kind of a mess. Manufacturers and devleopers are forced to make it all, from the physical products to the firmware, and then also try and get everything to work across multiple platforms. With Brillo, this should all be much easier to do for everyone involved.

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Google also announced Weave alongside Brillo, which provides “seamless and secure communication between devices both locally and through the cloud.” It’s built into Android and was developed in partnership with the folks at Nest, so as previous rumors stated, Nest could easily be a hub for IoT.

Brillo and Weave will launch later this year, but Google wanted the world to know that they are ready to try this Android@Home-type-thing again.

To learn more about Brillo and Weave, head over to this Google site.

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google io 2015-10Although it will launch later this year, we previewed Brillo today because we’re committed to fostering a vibrant ecosystem in which we all work together to move the industry forward..

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Verizon’s Moto X (1st Gen) has a Soak Test Incoming, Lollipop?

A soak test for Verizon’s Moto X (1st gen) is about to begin, likely in preparation for the phone’s update to Android 5.1 Lollipop. Invites for the test arrived in the inboxes of a handful of our readers, but I should point out that the emails don’t seem to specifically mention Lollipop. With that said, what else could it be at this point? The phone is due for some sweetness. 

Assuming the test starts within the next few days, it could be another few before the update is cleared and ready for rollout on all Moto Xs.

If you get the update, let us know!

Cheers J, K, and Master!

Verizon’s Moto X (1st Gen) has a Soak Test Incoming, Lollipop? is a post from: Droid Life



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