07
May
2013-05-03_19-32-04

What We Can Learn From The Google I/O Session Schedule: Tons Of Gaming, Lower Latency Audio, Next-Gen Google TV, And More!

Posted by in News

We are gearing up for I/O here at AP, and with the release of the I/O Sessions schedule, we've got an even clearer idea of what Google has in store for us.

Google I/O is a traditionally developer-oriented conference, but it's also always been a huge source of news about upcoming products. I/O is the one time of year when Googlers are allowed to show off their projects, so there's lots of news out there; you've just got to pay attention.

Didn't get a ticket to I/O? No problem! You can still join the geek party and watch all the action live (or not live, whatever) on YouTube.

29
Apr
2013-04-10-16.09.19

Google I/O 2013: Google's To-Do List This Year

Posted by in Android OS, News
Last Updated: May 3rd, 2013

Google I/O is coming! We'll know about all of Google's new projects in just 2 short agonizingly long weeks. While we desperately count the days until May 15th, we thought it would be a great idea to take stock all of the things we've caught wind of lately.

Calling this an "I/O Preview," sounds a little too certain. I'm not predicting everything here will come out at I/O, this is just a list of everything we know Google is working on - their "To-Do" list. Just like any to-do list, Google could cross something off and release it, or endlessly procrastinate, or completely cancel something.

01
Jan
android-a-look-back-to-2011-and-a-look-forward-to-2012

Android: A Look Back To 2012, And A Look Forward To 2013

Posted by in Editorials, News, Rumors
Last Updated: January 7th, 2013

Happy New Year! It's that time again; with the new year comes our new annual prediction post. I tackled this last year, and rather than do a bunch of crazy, pulled-from-thin-air predictions, I ended up with a link-filled research-fest for the year. It worked out pretty well, so that's what's on the docket for today. First though, I'll take a look and see just how many of last year's predictions and rumors came true, and provide some updates for the more important topics.

A Look Back To 2012

What a crazy year. 2012 brought us two versions of Jelly Bean: 4.1 and 4.2.  We saw a complete transformation of Google Search with the Knowledge Graph, Google Now, voice output, and Google Goggles integration.

06
Dec
nexusae0_unnamed-1_thumb1

[APK Teardown] Google Search - Reply To SMS With Voice, Post To Facebook & Twitter, An Android@Home Card, And More

Posted by in APK Teardown, Applications, Features, Jelly Bean 4.1, Jelly Bean 4.2

Ok - here's the deal. A Google Search update happened, which means it's teardown time. Normally I post about unreleased, work-in-progress stuff, but Google Now is so context dependent, that it's pretty much impossible for me to tell if something is implemented or not. The one thing I've learned from my months of using Now is that Google Now is in charge, and you're just along for the ride. So, for today's post, we're just going to shoot for "new things that didn't make it onto the 'What's New' list." If you can get them to show up, awesome. Send me a screenshot and I'll update.

29
May
io

The Ultimate Google I/O 2012 Preview

Posted by in Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Rumors
Last Updated: June 27th, 2012

Google I/O is coming and it's time to get excited! It's like Christmas in June! It will be here in just a few short agonizing weeks - and we need to prepare. There is background information you need to know, rumors you should have in mind, and past announcements and acquisitions that need to be remembered. Google always leaves little news breadcrumbs for those that pay attention, and I pay attention. Fanatically.

This post will be part news recap, part rumor roundup, and part speculation. The last time I did this went pretty well, and now it's time for another look at what the little elves at Google HQ are working on.

03
Feb
image

Google Employees Testing New 'Entertainment Device' - The First Steps Of Android@Home?

Posted by in News, Rumors

If you go all the way back to Google I/O 2011, you may remember the announcement of the Android@Home project, a system that would allow you to use an Android device to control lights, appliances, and other devices in your home. Since that announcement we haven't seen anything materialize, but a recent FCC filing by Google may give us a reason to renew hope for the project.

The filing calls for testing of an "entertainment device" between January 17 and July 17 of this year, to be distributed to 252 Google employees. But it's what the device apparently does that is so interesting - it will allow users to "connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment." Sounds an awful lot like Android@Home, but it's hard to be sure.

26
Sep

Here's What Google Is Cooking Up For Ice Cream Sandwich (And Beyond!)

Posted by in Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0
Last Updated: August 2nd, 2012

With Ice Cream Sandwich on the horizon, we at AP thought it would be a good idea to give you a roundup of what Google's been cooking up in Building 44. We actually know a good deal about the future of Android; I'm talking real, solid facts. These are features Android engineers have demoed or talked about, and acquisitions Google has made related to Android technology. We even have pretty clear timelines for most of them. A quick note before we get started: most of these videos are like, an hour long -- you're only expected to watch about 30 seconds of them, so pause whenever it gets boring.

15
May

[Weekend Poll] I/O 2011 Aftermath & Recap: What Has You Most Excited?

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, Polls
Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see How Important Will Customization Be In Determining Your Next Android Purchase?

Google I/O 2011 is all wrapped up, and boy was it eventful. In case you missed them the first go-round, we provided a handy-dandy list (with videos embedded) of the keynotes and Android sessions from both the first and second day. The first keynote, especially, was really quite fascinating and provided a good review of where Android is headed. But at 55 minutes, it's probably a bit much to ask people to watch something quite that long (alternatively, you can read my on-the-fly notes).

10
May
ice_cream_sandwich_logo

Happening Now & Continuously Updated: Highlights From Google I/O 2011 Keynote [Update: It's Over]

Posted by in Android OS, Apps/Games, Devices By Manufacturer, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Artem's on the floor at Google I/O at the moment, but he's busy taking pictures and popping out highlights over Twitter. While he's busy with that, here are some highlights (via the Livestream).

  • "Momentum"
    • Activated over 100m Android devices worldwide
    • 36 OEMs
    • 215 carriers
    • 450k developers
    • 310 Android devices
    • 112 countries
    • 100k activations/day in 05/2010
    • 200k/day in 08/2010
    • 300k/day in 12/2010
    • today: 400k/day
    • over 200k apps available in Android Market - "quality of these apps is phenomenal"
  • Honeycomb being updated to 3.1 starting today
    • Android has true multitasking - now allowing more apps to run at a time with a new system that automatically halts/shuts down apps
    • Widgets improved - can now be resized
    • Whoa - they're playing (unsuccessfully) attempting to play a game on the XOOM using a 360 controller.