Hasta La Gadget!

Google didn’t stint on Android news at the IO keynote this morning, and Jelly Bean is shaping up to be a significant improvement to the platform despite the .1 version change. The most important detail is probably the release date, with select devices getting Jelly Bean 4.1 in July and the SDK arriving today for developers, but that’s nowhere near the only interesting tidbit. Read on for the full wrap-up.

We’d been expecting Jelly Bean, so it came as no surprise when Google officially unveiled it. It brings an updated homescreen system, with dynamically adjusting apps and widgets, along with support for offline voice typing. Performance overall should be smoother, too, as the slickly-named Project Butter attempts to speed up the interface and reduce lag.

Jelly Bean also refreshes the notifications system, with more insight into exactly what apps are telling you from the pull-down notification drawer, and there’re also new NFC abilities onboard too. Google Voice Search takes on Apple’s Siri, with natural speech query support that looks significantly faster than what Apple’s system can deliver.

Google now introduces a huge dollop of context into the Android experience, allowing Jelly Bean to make inferences based on location, calendar appointment and other data to better deliver information to the user.

In “behind the scenes” news, meanwhile, Google has challenged Android fragmentation with the promise to get access to new software versions to manufacturers 2-3 months before release, while developers get app encryption to play with.

Google IO 2012: Android Jelly Bean wrap-up is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Did you keep up with everything Google announced at today’s I/O keynote? Believe us, we had a difficult time too. Covering everything from Jelly Bean to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, there was plenty to keep the audience oohing and ahhing. It makes sense to have this plethora of news in one handy place, right? After the break you’ll find every piece of action that Sergey and Friends covered in Moscone West this morning — as well as the video of the keynote — so make sure to save a little extra time for yourself to enjoy every last bit of it.

Continue reading Google I/O keynote roundup: Project Glass, Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly Bean

Google I/O keynote roundup: Project Glass, Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly Bean originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google showed off offline Google Maps at its event earlier this month, and now during I/O it’s ready to turn the feature on. We’ve got a couple of video trailers for offline Google Maps here (embedded after the break), users with Android 2.2 devices and above should keep an eye on Google Play for the new version of the app. Also new in this version is the Compass Mode for Street View shown off today, that lets you look around places as though you were there based on your device’s gyroscope and even go inside. We’re not all seeing it on our devices yet, but the updated version has already been spotted on a Galaxy Nexus or two.

Continue reading Google Maps offline for Android is available today in version 6.9, also Compass Mode for Street View

Google Maps offline for Android is available today in version 6.9, also Compass Mode for Street View originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google has finally revealed what it will take to get your hands on a functional version of Google Glass, but it’s not as easy as you think. First, you need to be an attendee at Google I/O: if you’re not there, you won’t be able to pre-order the glasses. Second, the price is going be a whopping $1,500 for the Explorer Edition.

Yes, you read that right. $1,500. Not only that, but you won’t be getting your hands on the glasses until early next year. The Explorer Edition that will be sent out is said to be a very rough version of the project designed for testing and developing, with Google appreciating any feedback sent its way.

Clearly this is still a work in progress, and while it’s great that Google is giving some the opportunity to try it out, we imagine there won’t exactly be a stampede at the registration line. Still, we can all look forward to more in-depth Glass details early next year.

Google Glass Explorer Edition ships 2013 for $1,500 is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google has just announced a new Google+ feature called Events that aims to offer a more comprehensive service when it comes to planning events. Rather than just sending out invitations and getting RSVPs, the feature addresses the needs that come before, during, and after an event.

Before:
Google has spent some time to design attractive invitations that are directly integrated with the Google Calendar. The invitations can be easily created using images from a selection of cinemagraphs, which are still images with subtle animations. Recipients of the invitation will see that it unfolds to reveal the details and upon RSVP, the event is automatically added to their calendars. Clicking on the event takes them to the events page, where they can see updates from the host and who else is going.

During:
Now the invitations are nice, but what gets interesting is the capability that comes with Google+ Events during an event. Google has created a Party Mode that can be enabled on the Android devices of your guests. When this mode is activated, the pictures that they take with their device are automatically added to a photo stream for the event, where they are displayed in chronological order. They can be viewed in real-time during via a live slideshow, which creates a “visual pulse” for the event.

After:
Once the event is over, all the photos taken are collected in one central location. Guests will be sent emails to upload their photos to the event’s page, where they will be displayed in chronological order and can be filtered and tagged. Hovering over a picture will show which guest took it. An Event Highlights section shows the pictures that got the most comments and engagement and you can also filter to see the photos taken by a specific guest.

Google+ Events brings Party Mode, real-time photo stream is written by Rue Liu & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.