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There have been rumors recently that LG's G Watch might be the focus of Google I/O's Android Wear discussion, with the nascent device possibly being handed out to attendees. Whether Moto's watch, the Moto 360, would make an appearance has remained unclear. Until today though, those were the only two Android Wear devices even rumored for I/O cameos.
Right now, in the slide-out "hamburger" menu of most Google apps, there's a Help button, with a tiny circled question mark icon. If a user needs help with the app (or anything else), this button will pull up a web page. Once on the web page, users can browse through categories for help articles and potential solutions or, if all else fails, request a support call from Google.
Update Wednesday held at least one more treat this week - a bump to Google Play Movies & TV, bringing the app up to version 3.2.25. Google hasn't published an official change log yet, but so far the only user-facing change we've found is the presence of applicable wishlist content (from your Play Store wishlist) inside the app, both on the "Watch Now" screen, and in the slide-out navigation bar.
Google, in a continued effort to break stock Android apps out of Android, has just added Email to the Play Store. It's the Email app you know and love from Android, but with a few added features. For the initial Play Store debut, Google has beefed up security (in unspecified ways) for Gmail accounts, improved the account setup flow, added printing to the app, and fixed "other bugs."
T-Mobile has just announced their plans for Uncarrier part 5. The first big move of the T-mo's latest effort to shake up the wireless industry is the announcement of Test-Drive, a service through which users can get an iPhone 5S for seven days to take T-Mobile's "data strong" network for, well, a test drive. There's no down-payment, no charge, no nothing. Just get the device, try out the network, and return it at a store when you're done.
Google Preparing Expansion Of App Discoverability With Listings On Official Chromecast Site [Update]
Since the Chromecast debuted, Google has had partnered apps featured at chromecast.com/apps. According to a tip we received this evening, and a post by Leon Nicholls to the Google Cast Developers community, it looks like Google might be ready to show off third-party apps at the same URL.
Sunrise, a thoughtfully-designed calendar app that only recently made the jump from iOS to Android, got a bump up to version 1.1.0 today, bringing with it new integration for a variety of services including Songkick, Tripit, Evernote, Github, and Asana. Basically, this integration provides syncing between the services and Sunrise, where the calendar app can grab reminders from Evernote automatically, your Tripit plans and trips will automatically populate, Songkick concerts will show up like magic, and Github or Asana changes will be synced (in both directions).
Sony announced at the Symposium on VLSI Technology that it is trying to improve the functionality and light capture of CMOS sensors by bending them, using - get ready - a proprietary "bending machine." So far, their efforts sound successful. The manufacturer has created a pair of curved CMOS sensors, one sized for cameras (43mm) and one for mobile devices (11mm), that they say have improved sensitivity 1.4x at the center of the sensor, and 2x at the edges.
We have heard tell (from Forbes) that Google is preparing a new service called Google Fit, supposedly for debut at I/O, where the company is expected to also announce partnerships with certain wearables manufacturers. The report says that Google Fit will provide developers with APIs to plug into the service, and that the overall goal is a second take at the quantified health data space.
Google's burgeoning live how-to service, Helpouts, got a brand new version of its Android app yesterday, bringing it up to version 1.3. The service, for those unaware, pairs those who know how to do things with those who do not know how to do things, connecting the two over video. Those doing the helping can charge or offer their insight for free.
According to a new exclusive from Forbes, Google is working on preparing a service called Google Fit. Forbes says the service will aggregate and manage health and fitness data collected from sources like wearables and fitness trackers, and it will offer new APIs to developers for integration with the service.
In one of our early Google Now rumors, we described the possibility of "inferred events," or events that Google would grab from your Gmail (or other Google services) and present as a card in Google Now, with the option to add an entry to your calendar.
Facebook's official Android app got an update today, bringing it to the nice, round version 10.0 mark. The update doesn't include any clarity for the app's interface (which, in many ways, is not dissimilar to a plate of spaghetti), but it does pack a few handy new tricks.
There have been a lot of leaks and rumors leading up to Google I/O this year. From Gmail to your Android device's home screen, nothing has been spared. Through all of this, we've seen some really interesting and non-traditional Android app designs, with matching web counterparts, that have made readers rightfully question their validity, and Google's design direction.
The Escort SmartRadar, as its name might imply, is a radar and laser detector. If you've been looking to get a radar detector for a bargain, the Escort might be the device for you, and Groupon has it at a nice discount. The site is offering the Escort SmartRadar for $199.99, a significant discount compared to Amazon's $411 price tag or Best Buy's $360 clearance option.
Google has just announced its second new app in one day, releasing Google My Business to the Play Store. With the goal of "helping your business shine," My Business offers smart insights for your Google-connected business. From Google+ page insights to the ability to update your company's information, My Business helps you find and connect with "your people."
Pushbullet is an app that consistently has strong updates that work toward crafting, step by step, a better harmony between your devices (including your computer). EvolveSMS is an app with good design that takes a sharp focus on functionality and making text-based communication easier. It only makes sense, then, that the two would make a great pair.
Google Glass, having recently received an update to version XE17.31, is making the leap straight up to version 18.1. The update will coincide with an update to the MyGlass app (coming "later this week," with the iOS app getting an update at an undisclosed time), and brings a few nifty new features.
In an effort to make your vacation to Universal Orlando Resort more pleasant and at least a little less chaotic, NBC Universal has released an official app to the Play Store that promises to "put everything you need to know about your vacation in the palm of your hand."
There have been rumblings recently that, adding to its other (perhaps more far-flung) efforts to improve Internet access around the world, Google would eventually deploy its own fleet of satellites. Today, those rumblings got a little bit closer to reality as Google announced its agreement to acquire satellite imaging company Skybox for $500 million in cash.