Hasta La Gadget!

The accessory developer kit handed out to developers at Google's I/O conference. Photo: Mike Isaac/Wired.com

SAN FRANCISCO — The first Android smartphone came in 2008. Then in 2010, the platform appeared on tablets. Now, Android wants to move into your home.

At its I/O developer conference on Tuesday, Google showed a sneak preview of its Android@Home project, which will extend the Android platform into household objects. That means some day in the future, you could control home appliances — your dishwasher, the heating system, the lights in your house — using your Android device as a remote control.

“Think of your phone as the nucleus that this all started with,” said Google engineering director Joe Britt in an interview. “We’re opening the platform up to everyone to do whatever they can imagine.”

Little detail was given, but Google explains it has essentially created a framework to control wireless communication between objects in your house. During a keynote presentation, Britt demonstrated this wireless communication using a Motorola Xoom tablet to control stage lights created by Google’s first officially announced partner, Lighting Science.

For Google, the Android@Home project is a first step into “the internet of things,” a term used to describe the growing trend of manufacturers producing intelligent, connected objects. Major tech companies like ARM Holdings and Hewlett-Packard have long since been involved in this space, from providing cheap microcontrollers and toolkits to hobbyists and engineers, to creating wireless sensor systems that measure seismic activity. In essence, projects like these ultimately aim to turn “dumb” or unconnected objects into “smart” (connected) ones.

“We want to think of every appliance in your home as a potential I/O device,” Britt said during the keynote presentation.

This type of wireless communication between devices already exists — commonly networked “smart buildings” often involve temperature monitors and lighting fixtures.

But Google says Android@Home cuts some of the expenses often associated with existing wireless monitoring systems. And according to Google engineering director of hardware Matt Hershenson, the project will open up possibilities of creating smart appliances to developers that otherwise wouldn’t have the chance.

In addition to the Android@Home preview, Google also debuted Android Open Accessory support. This allows external hardware, like a mouse or an XBox controller, to interact with your Android-powered device. If you want to attach an accessory that requires an app in order to function, you’ll be directed to the Android Market to download the app. USB support is currently available, and Bluetooth support is expected to come in the future.

Android Open Accessory is built in to Android 3.1 “Honeycomb” — which was released to Xoom tablet owners this morning — as well as Android 2.3.4 “Gingerbread.”

To spur the development of further peripherals able to interact with Android devices, Google handed out hundreds of Accessory Developer Kits (ADKs), which included hardware based on the highly popular Arduino platform.

Google's Arduino hardware can be found inside of the Accessory Developer Kit, handed out to attendees of its I/O conference. Photo courtesy of Google

The Arduino hardware platform is an ideal choice for Google’s extension of Android into physical computing. It’s very popular in the open-source hardware modification community due to its relative inexpensiveness, ease of use for beginners, and most importantly, its freely available software tools.

Tuesday’s announcements hint at Google’s larger vision for the platform: to spread Android’s reach across myriad devices and multiple industries.

“As an open platform,” said Google director of product management Hugo Barra, “Android was always meant to go well beyond the mobile phone.”

Or perhaps Android chief Andy Rubin said it best In a press conference on Tuesday: “Everything should be Android-ified.”

Google’s currently in the process of detailing Chrome OS’ latest improvements and there are a couple of big ‘uns: Netflix and Hulu support will be available right out of the box for the pair of new Chromebooks — one from Samsung and one from Acer. An improved file manager has also been added to the upcoming version of Chrome OS, plus offline versions of Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs — all will be made available for Chromebook users this summer. You can learn more about these improvements in the video after the break.

Far more monumental, Google’s also just announced the cost of these Chromebooks and there’s no upfront payment to speak of. Instead, Chrome OS laptops will be distributed on the basis of a recurring monthly subscription, which will cost $28 per user for businesses and $20 per user for schools. That includes regular software and hardware upgrades. Hardware as a service, folks!

Continue reading Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month

Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors told us what, when and even how much to expect, but Google just made it official on stage — Chrome OS netbooks are finally here, and Samsung is leading the way with a ultra-slim 0.79-inch thin machine. This is the Samsung Series 5 ChromeBook, which plays to Google’s new standard “Chromebook” spec –in short means they’ll each come with a dual-core Intel Atom processor and an “all-day” battery, which Google says will provide 8.5 hours of continuous usage here. Samsung’s particular clamshell will have a 12.1-inch, 1280 x 800, 300 nit screen, weigh 3.26 pounds and come with dual-band 802.11 WiFi, optional global 3G, two USB 2.0 ports, an HD webcam and a clickable trackpad that Google tells us has thankfully been revamped since the CR-48. You’ll be able to order one from Amazon or Best Buy beginning June 15th. It’ll cost $429 for the WiFi version and $499 for worldwide 3G — which includes 100MB of free Verizon data per month, just like the CR-48. PR after the break.

Update: Amazon’s Series 5 listing details some additional specs — we’re looking at a dual-core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 chip, a 1 megapixel webcam, and a 16GB mSATA solid state drive here, as well as an SDXC card reader, and VGA-out via an “optional” dongle. The press release also mentions a Li-ion battery good for 1,000 recharge cycles, though it doesn’t mention what efficiency will be like after that.

Continue reading Official: Samsung reveals Chrome OS laptop — the Series 5

Official: Samsung reveals Chrome OS laptop — the Series 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ready for a big home robot? Full-size household humanoid out of California to ship for $3,000.

Ford presented a use case scenario for its upcoming plug-in hybrids and Google’s Prediction API that would analyze driving patterns to make cars even more fuel efficient.

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog