01
May
nexusae0_1_thumb5_thumb

Google Updates Platform Distribution Numbers – Gingerbread Down To 38.5%, Jelly Bean Up To 28.4%

Posted by in Android OS, Development, Google, News

As usual Google has updated monthly platform distribution numbers for Android in its developer dashboard. The numbers, based on devices accessing the Play Store over the last 14 days (ending May 1st), tell developers which versions of Android are most prevalent, and which are on the decline.

This month, as last month, we're seeing a decline in Gingerbread and a rise in Jelly Bean. Gingerbread has dropped from 39.8% to 38.5%, a 1.3% drop for those keeping tally at home. Jelly Bean, meanwhile, has seen a slightly more substantial shift, rising 3.4% from 25% to 28.4%.

image

Elsewhere, the ebb and flow of version numbers is more or less expected.

30
Apr
image

Cracking Glass – Saurik Posts Account Of Google Glass Root, Controversy, Exploits, And How To Crack Your Own Glass

Posted by in Development, Glass, Google, News

Several days ago, something happened that sent a not insignificant ripple through coverage of Google Glass: someone "jailbroke" the device.

image

Saurik, who posted the above photo to Twitter, had modified Glass' software "while in the Bay Area after picking it up from Google's headquarters in Mountain View."

Understandably, this idea was a bit bedeviling to the press – ostensibly, Glass is a relatively limited platform for developers, who can only write apps using a web-based API, allowing software to be integrated with the device over the internet. Eric Schmidt's words regarding the relative closed-ness (or at least, less-than-total openness) of Glass' platform to start were still wet on the page.

30
Apr
image

Full Google I/O 2013 Agenda Goes Live - 120+ Sessions And Labs, But Only A Single Keynote This Time Around

Posted by in Development, Google, News

Google just updated the sold out I/O 2013 conference website with the full schedule developers have been dying to see for months, ever since the initial announcement back in February. During the three days in mid-May (May 15-17), the company's engineers will host over 120 talks on such topics as:

  • Android
  • Chrome & Apps
  • Google+
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Maps
  • YouTube
  • Glass
  • Ads
  • Wallet
  • Knowledge & Structured Data
  • and other tech subjects

image

On day 3, developers will also be able to participate in Code Labs on the topics of Android, Google+, Chrome & Apps, Google Cloud Platform, and YouTube.

image

The full agenda of everything (not just code labs and tech talks) that's going to be happening is live as well.

30
Apr
image

Google Shows Us 'The Basics' Of Using Glass In New Video

Posted by in Glass, Google, News, Videos

Google's official Glass YouTube channel released its first video today – a minute long introduction to Glass' most basic controls. The video is titled Glass How-to: Getting Started, which leads this writer to believe there may be more How-to's in the works.

Impressively well-produced and perfectly simple, the video discusses Glass' gestures – tapping, swiping forward, backward, and down, and gives a very digestible explanation of the device's time-based card interface. The video shows off a few possible Glass cards, but nothing we've not seen before – Google Now notifications for a flight and nearby places, a message, the clock home screen, and calendar items are all represented.

23
Apr
wavii

Google Supposedly Snaps Up Aggregator Wavii In $30 Million+ Acquisition

Posted by in Google, News, Rumors

Wavii, a service that promises to help you "keep up with everything you care about" has been snapped up by Google, according to Tech Crunch, for a sum totaling over $30 Million.

The deal, which signals an end to an apparent acquisition battle between Google and Apple, likely means that Wavii's language processing prowess will be integrated with Google services from the Knowledge Graph all the way down to (perhaps) Google Now. It also means that Wavii will not be joining forces with Apple's Siri.

For those unfamiliar with Wavii, the service  is basically an aggregator of news it thinks is both interesting and relevant to you, the user.

22
Apr
2013-04-22_17h24_53

Eric Schmidt: Google Glass Will Go On Sale In Approximately A Year, Your Responsibility To Not Be A Weirdo

Posted by in Google, News

While the Explorer Editions of Google Glass are making their way out to the lucky early adopters (with extra cash), the rest of the world is wondering when it can get its eyeballs on the product. According Eric Schmidt speaking to Radio 4, the answer is roughly a year from now.

He also believes that the technology behind Google Glass goes beyond just this one product:

"At the moment what you do is you wear it. There are tremendous numbers of applications that can be imagined - augmented reality - where you see what's going on in real-time and then we annotate that.

22
Apr
image

Design: How Should Google Advertise Glass? Here's One Idea

Posted by in Design, Editorials, Features, Glass, Google

A lot of people are excited for Google Glass right now. The first Explorer units began rolling into the happy embrace of those selected for the exclusive pilot program just last week, and we've already seen a ton of feedback. Combined with decent pre-release coverage, it's clear that Glass has the potential to shake things up once more people have it in their hands. Of course press coverage and user excitement only form part of the story. Another critical piece is advertisement and marketing.

Public image and privacy concerns aside, Glass will need to win the hearts of consumers, in a way Google has striven in the past to capture hearts through advertisements for the Nexus family.

18
Apr
unnamed (2)

Google Invites Users To 'Do A Little, Change A Lot' With Charity-Minded One Today App

Posted by in Applications, Google, News

Google has just launched a new app that brings a charitable side to the Play Store, making it easier than ever to – in Google's words – "do a little. Change a lot."

The basic idea behind the app (which, for now, is limited to the US) is that users can donate $1 at a time to a daily project such as saving cheetahs, bringing clean water to those in need, or providing a roof for school children. That's not all it does, though – users can track their "impact," and almost gamify the process by challenging friends to match contributions or sharing their good deed via social media.

17
Apr
2013-04-17_16h28_43

AppAnnie: Play Store Downloads Reach Nearly 90% Of App Store Levels, iOS Still Bringing In 2.6x Revenue

Posted by in Android OS, Google, News
Last Updated: April 19th, 2013

Back in January, we learned that if you want to be a developer and avoid leaving money on the table, you need to be on both Android and iOS. One or the other isn't going to cut it. However, according to AppAnnie, if you have to choose just one platform, Android is still struggling to prove it's the one you should go with.

According to the report, Play Store downloads are nearing App Store levels, reaching close to 90% as much as the iOS store. Unfortunately, equal exposure isn't quite translating to equal revenue. As it turns out, Apple's platform is still bringing in about 2.6 times as much revenue as Google's counterpart.

17
Apr
image

Quick Look: Official Book Cover For The Nexus 10 – It's Something

Posted by in Accessories, Google, Nexus 10, Other Reviews, Reviews

In the interest of time, I'll spare you, dear readers, my usual spiel and say simply this: I like official accessories. In theory, anyway. I like the idea of accessories specifically made for specific devices by the device's original manufacturer. I've been delighted by the Nexus 7 pogo dock, and love the Nexus 10 pogo charger (though it isn't actually official yet).

Then there's the official book cover for the Nexus 10. We first saw this cover when the Nexus 10 was announced, and then it vanished into thin air for nearly six months before making a sudden appearance in the Play Store.

Page 5 of 42«First...34567...102030...Last»