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Thursday, May 19, 2016

#TBT: Unboxing Our First Google I/O Gift, the Galaxy Tab Running Honeycomb

We are here at Google I/O 2016 in Mountain View, reminiscing about the fun times we have had celebrating all that is Android. We were thinking hard, remembering all of the goodies Google has given out over the years to attendees, only because it seems Google has no gifts to share with folks this year. There has been phones, tablets, Nexus Q door stops, and plenty of smartwatches. One Google I/O gift stands alone, though, and that’s the first gift we received for attending Google I/O in 2011. That is the limited edition Samsung Galaxy Tab, running Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb. 

At the time, it was pretty bleeding edge Android tech, but now in 2016, it’s seen as a cheap piece of plastic and nothing too fancy. Kellen decided to do a hands-on with the device after receiving it, showing off the differences between it and the Motorola XOOM tablet. As you will see in the video, things weren’t as professional as they are these days, but it was still a blast.

Take a moment to remember that the Google Talk app was a real thing, as well as that cringeworthy Honeycomb UI. Woof.

#TBT: Unboxing Our First Google I/O Gift, the Galaxy Tab Running Honeycomb is a post from: Droid Life



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Which Chromebooks Will Get Google Play and Android Apps?

These.

To be more specific, there are three Chromebooks that will gain access in mid-June before the rest of the field gets in on the action later this year. 

Here are those first three:

  • Acer Chromebook R11
  • Asus Chromebook Flip
  • Google Chromebook Pixel (2015)

And here are a number of the others gaining support from some of the bigger manufacturers in the business. If you aren’t seeing yours, feel free to look at the list I linked at the top of this post for all supported models.

ACER

  • Chromebook 11 C740
  • Chromebase 24
  • Chromebook 11 CB3-111 / C730 / CB3-131
  • Chromebook 15 CB5-571 / C910
  • Chromebook 15 CB3-531
  • Chromebox CXI2
  • Chromebook R11 C738T
  • Chromebook 14 CB3-431
  • Chromebook 14 for Work

ASUS

  • Chromebook C200
  • Chromebook C201
  • Chromebook C202SA
  • Chromebook C300SA
  • Chromebook C300
  • Chromebook Flip C100PA
  • Chromebox CN62
  • Chromebit CS10

DELL

  • Chromebook 11 3120
  • Chromebook 13 7310

HP

  • Chromebook 11 G3 / G4 / G4 EE
  • Chromebook 14 G4
  • Chromebook 13

LENOVO

  • 100S Chromebook
  • N20 / N20P Chromebook
  • N21 Chromebook
  • ThinkCentre Chromebox
  • ThinkPad 11e Chromebook
  • N22 Chromebook
  • Thinkpad 13 Chromebook
  • Thinkpad 11e Chromebook Gen 2

SAMSUNG

  • Chromebook 2 11″ – XE500C12
  • Chromebook 3

TOSHIBA

  • Chromebook 2
  • Chromebook 2 (2015)

Which Chromebooks Will Get Google Play and Android Apps? is a post from: Droid Life



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YouTube App Being Rebuilt for Daydream, Google’s VR Platform

As announced during yesterday morning’s keynote, Google is rebuilding its YouTube app, making it more enjoyable for those who plan on using the service with virtual reality. The announcement goes hand-in-hand with the unveiling of Daydream, the company’s VR platform for Android devices.

Once the changes are live and Daydream is available to consumers, a revamped UI will be seen, just like the own shown in the header image above. Explained by YouTube, the goal is provide an, “easier, more immersive way to find and experience virtual reality content on YouTube.”

The YouTube app will still feature the things you know and enjoy, such as voice search, easy discovery, as well as your playlists of videos. Once live, it will all just be tweaked to better work inside of a VR headset. Naturally, if you aren’t using VR, the YouTube UI won’t be changing.

YouTube claims they have been working with many creators to have a ton of VR and 360-degree video content available at the time of Daydream’s launch. Additionally, YouTube is collaborating with the NBA, BuzzFeed, and Tastemade to deliver all new experiences to VR users.

Like everything else from Google I/O this year, expect to try it for yourself later this year in Q3.

Via: YouTube

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YouTube App Being Rebuilt for Daydream, Google’s VR Platform is a post from: Droid Life



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Moto is Teasing June 9 Announcement With a Throwback to the RAZR

Moto and Lenovo are expected to show off new Moto phones on June 9 at Lenovo Tech World, one of which is rumored to be insanely thin at just 5.2mm thick. In the lead up to that event, Moto’s Twitter account has started throwing it back to previous phones of theirs that were not only very thin, but iconic.  

In the video included here, you’ll see Moto take us back to the days of the original RAZR flip phone, a phone that we probably all have fond memories of, though this isn’t the first time that Moto(rola) has leaned on the successes of the RAZR for the launch of a new phone.

Are they hinting at something here? The RAZR was indeed very thin for its time, just like the new Moto Z is supposed to be. Maybe the Z in RAZR is a hint at the Z in Moto Z too? Or maybe this is just Moto doing a #TBT on a Thursday to help us remember that this company, before it was owned by a Chinese computer company who can’t figure out what to do with it, was pretty awesome.

Thoughts?

Cheers Felipe and Marco!

Moto is Teasing June 9 Announcement With a Throwback to the RAZR is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Confirms That It is Making a VR Headset for Daydream

This morning, during the “VR at Google” session here at Google I/O, Google’s VP of virtual reality, Clay Bavor, confirmed that the company is making its own VR headset. He didn’t provide specifics (like name or release date), only that they are indeed working on a product that is outside of the reference design they built for other manufacturers to use. 

During the session, Google also showed off the Daydream controller and how it will work in a virtual environment. Unlike Samsung’s Gear VR that uses a pad on the side of the head unit for interacting, Google’s vision is of separate headset and handheld motion controller.

In the video below, you can see just how that action might play out.

For reference, here is an image of the reference design that Google was talking about. You can see the simple headset design next to a controller that looks a lot like something that might be built for Android TV. Or maybe you are seeing a lot of the Gear VR here, which would also make sense.

daydream android vr

I’m certainly excited about Google’s VR work, but can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed at the moment. You can only get so hyped for a product that doesn’t actually exist yet. And honestly, that’s sort of the take away at the moment from this year’s I/O – future products that we are dying to play with but can’t.

Via:  Google Developers

Google Confirms That It is Making a VR Headset for Daydream is a post from: Droid Life



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Android Apps Come to Chromebooks With Google Play Access

Google just spent a special session here at I/O, telling the press that Chrome OS and Chromebooks are gaining access to Google Play. And yep, that means Android apps running on your Chromebook. That’s….a huge announcement!

We’re getting a preview of the news right now, so stick with this page as we continue to update it.

UPDATE:  Google made the news official here.

UPDATE 2:  Google announced that Chromebooks topped Macs in sales to become the #2 PC OS for Q1 of this year. To help celebrate that news, they are bringing Google Play and Android apps to all of those devices (eventually).

It shouldn’t be difficult for developers to get their apps ready for Chromebooks. In fact, they may not have to do much, as Google says this all just runs right over the top of Chrome OS.

Google Play will start hitting the developer channel (in June) with M53 on the ASUS Chromebook Flip, Acer Chromebook R 11, and the newest Chromebook Pixel. They’ll add it to other Chromebooks too, but told us that they won’t have more details for another few months.

UPDATE 3:  You can view the full list of Chromebooks that will get Android apps here. It’s massive, in case you were wondering, and appears to include most of the modern models. The support site there only says that these will gain support “later” this year.

 

Android Apps Come to Chromebooks With Google Play Access is a post from: Droid Life



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Poll: Biggest News so Far Out of Google I/O 2016?

Google I/O 2016 is far from over and we have much more to cover, but after the blockbuster keynote from yesterday wrapped and we took the rest of the day to digest all that was announced, we want to know what impressed you the most.

Were you blown away by Google Home or Assistant? Does Daydream live up to all of your VR dreams? Are you ready to adopt Allo as your next messaging client and ditch Hangouts? Maybe you just care about the stable-enough Android N Developer Preview 3 that was released? Something else stuck out, perhaps?

Let us know!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Poll: Biggest News so Far Out of Google I/O 2016? is a post from: Droid Life



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Android Auto at I/O: Coming Soon to Your Phone, Plus Waze, Hotwording, and a Concept

Google didn’t mention much about Android Auto yesterday during either the keynote or through their barrage of blog posts once that wrapped, but they are sharing big changes with media and in the I/O Sandbox. The changes include a phone mode that allows you to use your phone as your Android Auto unit, incoming Waze support, and a really cool concept that is Google’s vision for a full-blown in-car infotainment suite. 

The first bit of Auto news that is likely to impact you has to be the introduction of a phone mode, where your phone can become the Android Auto device. Another way to put that would be to consider the idea of your car no longer needing an Android Auto-capable infotainment device, since your phone is that device. Think of it as the return of the Android car app that we had so long ago, only it’s Android Auto’s new pretty UI.

This also means that you get Android Auto’s features, like “voice-enabled calling, media, messaging and navigation with a new driver-friendly interface.” The Android Auto for phones will arrive as an update to the Android Auto app in the near future.

android auto android auto android auto

Outside of the phone news, Google announced that Waze is coming as an app/service for Android Auto within the next “few” months. According to Google, this has been the top requested feature. They are tossing in hotwording, where you can activate voice by saying “OK Google,” and also bringing more apps from car manufacturers, Honda and Hyundai included. Finally, they are showing how Android Auto can be projected to screens in cars that have WiFi, something that should happen more and more in the future.

android auto android auto

Last, but certainly not least, Google is showing off a concept infotainment system that has been setup to run inside of a Maserati. This isn’t just a a stock Maserati system with Google running over the top. Instead, they custom built a system, along with Qualcomm, that includes a 15-inch 4K display to showcase it all, that shows info in 720p clusters.

The concept allows Google to control everything, not just the Android Auto stuff. Thanks to the custom software and Android N, it can power a car’s HVAC, AM/FM radio, digital instruments, and almost anything else your standard infotainment system would.

android auto concept android auto concept

See, big news. I don’t know why Google didn’t make a bigger splash with this stuff, because the Android Auto experience is about to be tested by us all.

Android Auto at I/O: Coming Soon to Your Phone, Plus Waze, Hotwording, and a Concept is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Lists More Places to Find Android TV, Changes for Android N

Google did not spend too much time detailing changes for the Android TV platform during its opening I/O keynote yesterday, but following the event, plenty of information was posted to the company’s official blog. Not only did Google explain where potential Android TV users could find the platform in new 2016 TV and set-top hardware from various companies, but also explained a few changes we will see once Android N hits the platform. 

If buying a new TV with Android TV baked in sounds like the best way to get your fix, Google states that new sets from Sony (2016 BRAVIA line) and RCA will have Android TV built in. For set-top boxes, users can buy one from Sharp or Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Mi Box supports 4K at 60fps, complete with 802.11ac WiFi, Dolby Digital Plus + DTS surround sound, HDR10 and HDMI 2.0a support, and more. Additional details for the Xiaomi Mi Box can be found here.

As for the changes taking place once Android N hits the platform, Google talks about 3 main focuses. Picture-in-Picture, Recording APIs, and HDR (High Dynamic Range). Picture-in-Picture will allow users to continue watching video while browsing for new content to enjoy, Recording APIs allows the recording of live TV, and HDR enhances the 4K UHD viewing experience on many TV sets.

We won’t have Android N on Android TV until Google releases it, which will be sometime in Q3.

Via: Android

Google Lists More Places to Find Android TV, Changes for Android N is a post from: Droid Life



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Android Instant Apps Let You Run Apps Without Installing Them

One of the most fascinating announcements to come out of yesterday’s Google I/O keynote came during the end of the 2-hour long presentation that had already rattled off news of Google Home, Assistant, Allo, Android Wear 2.0, and a new Daydream VR platform. The idea was not expected and certainly wowed a few in the crowd. I’m talking about Android Instant Apps, of course, a new project that Google is working that allows you and I to use an app without having to first install it. 

The thought here is that getting access to an app should be as fast as finding and loading up a web page. Instead of doing a Google search, finding the information you want in an app, tapping on it to then install it, waiting for that to complete, and then moving on to your content, Google just wants you to be able to tap, load up the content you were looking for within the app, and be on to the next task.

How does that work, you ask? Google says that developers are going to have to “modularize” their apps, so that when you and I come hunting for info and it’s available in an app, Google Play can quickly load it up on our phones by only pulling in the “parts that are needed.” So as you tap on an app in Google Search, the app loads and looks like the app needed, but it’s not the full experience. You would still need to download and install the app to get that.

Instant Apps allow you to do plenty of things, like shopping for items with full checkout experiences and Android Pay, or paying for parking through a parking app that you never intend to install.

android instant apps android instant apps

Google is rolling this idea out slowly and only working with select developers at this time, developers like Buzzfeed, B&H Photo, Medium, Hotel Tonight, and Disney. They did say that many developers could have their apps ready for Instant Apps within about a day, though, so converting it into this modular concept may not be all that difficult.

We should expect to see Instant Apps access later this year.

Via:  Android Developers

 

Android Instant Apps Let You Run Apps Without Installing Them is a post from: Droid Life



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Even With Allo on the Way, Google Says Hangouts Won’t Go Anywhere

Google may have surprised many with yesterday’s introduction of Allo, a WhatsApp-like messaging client, but I think it’s safe to assume that a number of us quickly went from, “This looks like a great app!” to “But wait, what happens to Hangouts?” According to Google, Hangouts isn’t going anywhere for the time being. 

A spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that Google will “continuing to invest in Hangouts and it will remain a standalone product.”

While Allo has the potential to confuse those trying to figure out which messaging app of Google’s they should use (let’s not forget about Messenger either), it does make sense for Hangouts to live on. After all, Allo only requires that you have a phone number, not a Google account. On the flip side, with Hangouts, you still have a messaging platform that is deeply embedded in Google products because it does require a Google connection. Allo is very much a stand-alone client that has Google built inside of it. That make sense?

So have no fear, Hangouts isn’t dying…yet.

Via:  Business Insider

Even With Allo on the Way, Google Says Hangouts Won’t Go Anywhere is a post from: Droid Life



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