If you missed any or all of the sessions from behind the scenes at Google I/O 2012, you’re in luck, because Google has set up a YouTube playlist for you collecting each and every one of them. The video embed you’ll see in the post below is created by Android Developer Relations Tech Lead Reto Meier and makes up the Google I/O 2012 “The Android Sessions” for all to see. The conference “Google I/O”, for those of you that do not know, is made specifically for software developers to converge and learn from Google (as well as Google-affiliated partners and more) about what they do with software and how developers can act and interact.
The first video is an all-inclusive video list that keeps in tune with all things Android that went down at Google I/O. These are the videos that you did not see in the live streaming events during the week, instead concentrating on the events that went on behind the scenes and off-camera. That is to say off-camera until now, of course.
For those of you that want to hit up a slightly smaller category, you’ve got the following three to utilize, each of these having a playlist of their own: • Design • Develop • Distribute
You’ll also be able to follow the rest of our Google I/O 2012 coverage through out giant I/O 2012 portal, and be sure to check out the devices that were released at the events as well: We’ve got full reviews of the Nexus 7 tablet and the Nexus Q media streamer, and of course Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, ready for your perusal!
It’s that time of the year when folks in the US of A tend to get a tad bit patriotic. Pretty soon, those of us in the States will be all about grilling and putting back a few hot dogs and / or hamburgers before rushing off to catch some fireworks. We’re looking to keep the spirit alive in our weekly, too. This time around, we offer up a Made in the USA edition with editorials that tackle Nevada’s solar-geothermal hybrid power plant and just how much coin it takes to offer internet in American Samoa — along with a few more stops in between. The Nexus 7 and Nexus Q were revealed at Google I/O and we offer some initial thoughts on the pair of gadgets from the folks in Mountain View. Find yourself jonesin’ for a closer look at that fancy Tesla S? You’re in luck. You’ll find some detail shots of the new $50,000 EV in “Eyes-On” this week. So what are you waiting for? There’s a monster truck on the cover for crying out loud! Dive right in to the latest issue via your download method of choice.
This week Google has released the first public build of Google Earth‘s 3D flyover features, and at the Google I/O 2012 developer event, we got the chance to take a peek at a relatively massive set of four HDTV units combined to bring on one giant vision of the future. This 3D mapping feature is currently out for Google Earth on Android and will be coming soon to iOS as well, as our Google hosts note in the video below.
This hands-on – or eyes-on rather is just a glimpse of what you’ll be working with in the near future once you grab the update to the app you’ve already more than likely got running on your devices right this minute. This 3D mapping adventure comes at essentially the same time as Apple has announced their own 3D mapping project to be tied in with Apple Maps on the future versions of iOS for the iPhone and iPad. That said, this Google Earth action will also, once again, be available for iOS more than likely sooner than the Apple equivalent.
The folks you see above are both Googlers, speaking during the Lives Stream of the Google I/O events you may have caught from a different perspective earlier today!
Have a peek at the hands-on video above and peek at the couple photos above and below as well, and grab the update for your Google Earth app from the Google Play app store now! Also be sure to continue following us all week for all the most fabulous Google I/O 2012 action!
This week Google has introduced a new component to their search and location-aware ecosystem in the mobile realm called Google Now. This system sits at the heart of Android, with your ability to access it sitting right in your lock screen. Google Now is effectively an add-on to the Google Search experience, adding a selection of “cards” that show you where you are, how you’ll be getting to the next place you’re going, and where you might very well want to go.
To access Google Now, you’ve only to access it from your lockscreen or to tap on the Google Search widget or app icon. From here you’ll find that you’ve got a lovely and super simple search bar at the top that’s ready to accept all typed or spoken voice commands as well as search terms. The real magic of course is in the cards that sit below the search bar before you do your search.
Above you’ll see the Nexus 7 connecting to this service via the lockscreen – in the hands-on video below you’ll see the Galaxy Nexus working with Google Now.
These cards include Weather, Public Transit, Places, Traffic, Flights, Sports, Appointments, Translation, Currency, and Time Back Home. The last item on this list is something you’ll have to program, it simply needing to know when you’ll want to see a map back home – and it’ll need you to mark where your home is, but just once. Appointments are connected to your Google Calendar, Translation and Currency appear when you go to a foreign country, and Sports show the scores of your favorite teams.
Flights is a card that’s able to track your flight information, how late you’ll be, and how long it’ll take you to get where you’re going. The same is true of Traffic and Public Transit, these connecting to Google Maps and Navigation to bring you the information you need, while Weather and Places are the most common cards as they’ll almost always be active to bring you information on the place you’re physically at.
Once you’re done with the info these cards can bring you, you can head straight back up to the search bar where results will spill over the cards to bring you deeper into the web.
Stick around as we continue to bring on the heat via our I/O 2012 and Android portals all week!
The Google Chromebook experience has been boosted this week to physical retail stores all across the United States with Best Buy and in the UK as well. This is the next generation of Chromebooks because before now it was essentially only online that you’d be able to purchase such a notebook. This news comes amid Chrome OS updates that would in the very near future bring on more speed, smoother action, and much more cloud workability with Google Drive.
This update has the Chromebook world moving to the retail universe in a very big way, though it is a bit strange that they’ve chosen Best Buy to do the deed as they’ve had so much retail trouble as of late. Chrome will likely come up several more times before the end of the day here in the second day’s keynote at Google I/O, so stay tuned.
This keynote is part of an extended set of events that you can check out in our I/O 2012 portal – stick there all week for all the action!
It was once again time to speak about the cloud this week at Google I/O 2012, with Google Drive being revealed as being able to be connected to both iOS and Chrome OS. This update has the software connections for both the iPad and the iPhone and comes with a OCR search and lots of lovely image and text recognition built-in. You’re able to search through your photos and find the ones you want based on the content in the images – search for pyramids and you’ll get your images with pyramids in them.
This update also works with text recognition. You’re now able to search through the images you’ve got in your Google Drive folders by the text the system recognizes in each of those photos. This system also works with instant syncing with Google Docs via Chrome and Chrome OS, with instant updating on each device if they’re connected to the web.
Google Docs has been updated as well so that you’re able to edit your documents offline with instant syncing once you’ve re-connected with the web. Offline Docs as well as Google Drive for iPad and iPhone will be available later today – check em out! Be sure to also hit up our I/O 2012 portal for more news from Google’s developer conference all week!
This week the Google Chrome browser has been introduced for the iPhone. The Chrome browser started up Google I/O’s 2012 keynote on the second day of the event, with Chrome as a browser connecting with Chrome as a browser as an operating system being shown to connect across any number of devices. Of course we’d seen much of this in the past as Google Chrome has been connected in this Google accounts way for several months. This browser is able to rather able, as its been demonstrated today, to work from a laptop to a Chromebook to a smartphone to a Nexus 7 tablet and back.
The extreme speed at which the browser works back and forth between the operating system and the browser was shown off on stage in real time. The Chrome browser was shown off on two Apple systems as well – both the iPhone and the iPad.
The Chrome browser was demonstrated onstage with both the iPhone 4/4S as well as the iPad 3 with no less than the same syncing powers as the rest of the device universe. Now not only will you be able to work with Chrome on your Android and desktop systems, you’ll be good to go with iOS as well. Check it out on the iTunes store today!
Also check out the timeline below to see all sorts of recent Chrome news, and hit up our I/O 2012 portal for more news from Google’s developer conference all week!
Last year at Google IO, the company was bragging that it had racked up 160 million Chrome users. Since then, that number has nearly doubled, with the company claiming 310 million active users. Those consumers download roughly 1TB of data per day and type about 60 billion words according to Mountain View’s crack team of analysts. The company even claims that 13 years of time have been saved thanks to the magic of Chrome’s speedy rendering engine.
Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012’s developer conference at our event hub!
This week the folks at Google have revealed a device manufactured by ASUS and made for the media-consuming public: the Nexus 7. This tablet is the first of its kind in several ways. First in its value proposition: an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor inside a tablet with a price that up until now has been reserved only for devices with much, much less to offer. Second, the Nexus 7 represents Google’s first attempt at a tablet for their Nexus series. Third, it’s the first tablet to be working with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Hardware
This tablet certainly isn’t the thinnest 7-inch tablet in the world at 0.41″, but it’s extremely light, and the relatively soft plastic back is super comfortable to handle. This device is sized at 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″ so you can fit it in your back pocket if you wish, and the display, at a whopping 7-inches with 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi), is more than fabulous enough for your HD-loving eyeballs. For comparison’s sake: the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is 196ppi and the iPad 3 is 264ppi, so you’ve got a device that’s right up there in the big leagues.
It’s brighter than you could possibly need it to be in any average day’s activities indoors, comes in a couple different color combinations: black and black (though our Google I/O edition with a black/white combination may be a sign of things to come), and feels really nice to work with. The back-facing camera is certainly OK, but isn’t a vast improvement over anything we’ve seen before, with quality just high enough that we’ll not be taking many photos with it at all – a good thing, too, since this device does not come with a camera app installed because of its push for Google+ hangouts – and eventual Project Glass interaction.
You’ve got a bit of a hidden bonus in the fact that this is one of the only tablets on the market today that uses a standard microUSB for charging. You’ll want to use the included power converter from the package, of course, but running through that little standard port is good for everybody. The speakers are generous on their own, with a single slit running down the back for blasting, but as you’ll come to realize through this review, this device was made more for sharing to other devices – like the brand new Google Nexus Q, introduced at Google I/O 2012 right alongside the Nexus 7. Have a peek at the Q in action here:
Software
Inside of this device you’ll find Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, an updated version of the Google mobile operating system that takes what Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich did for both the smartphone and the tablet and pumps it up with a few applications and features that make it all just a bit more tasty. This device is focused heavily on the Google Play store, as it will be immediately apparent once you’ve had a peek at this hands-on video:
This device is also ready to rock with the TegraZone for games. NVIDIA’s gaming portal TegraZone is a place we’ve visited quite a few times in the past few months here on SlashGear – have a peek at games such as Max Payne Mobile and Renaissance Blood to see what beasts await your game-loving fingers.
Then other than the Jelly Bean upgrades you’ve seen above, there’s not one whole heck of a lot here that wont be available to the rest of the Android universe immediately if not soon. If you loved Ice Cream Sandwich on your tablet – or even if you loved Honeycomb on your tablet, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how this device’s software takes advantage of everything great from those previous versions of the OS and adds a bunch more in all the right places.
Have a peek at a few benchmarks from this device as well to see how the software and the hardware add up with one another:
Connectedness
Though we’ve seen this device connect with the Nexus Q, and quite impressively so, we’ll need a bit more convincing before it’s time we call this a device better at sharing than the HTC One series or the Galaxy S III. Sharing is indeed at the center of this device’s launch, on the other hand, moving forth with mostly its hands on music and videos at parties and in the home. We saw this device demonstrated once and then demonstrated again with its ability to connect via Wi-fi to the Nexus Q. With the Nexus Q in tow, this tablet appears quite apt to control your whole home media experience quite easily – and it’s fun, too!
Battery
We generally want to be clear with you on how well the battery performs in a device after we’ve had that device for an extended period of time. As we’ve not yet had this tablet as long as we normally would for such a test, we’ll be filling this section in later – check back soon!
Wrap-Up
What you’ve got here is a fun machine. Google worked with ASUS and NVIDIA here to bring on a media beast like no other, offered at a price that, sold exclusively through the Google Play store online (for now), is almost undeniable. Even those who want a tablet just to fiddle with should and probably will be considering this device first in the near future – unless they want an iPad.
With the iPad and the Amazon Kindle Fire being this device’s biggest competitors, you’ll want to know: which one is worth buying? There’s no perfect answer, but if I had a choice between the three and would get the chosen product for free, I’d of course pick the iPad – it costs more than 2 times this device’s base price for a reason. If I had to choose between the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire, I’d not think twice about picking the Google product. Every single feature on this tablet, unless you’re an Amazon junkie, is better than the Fire.
Consider this tablet the next time you’re getting prepped for a new tablet experience, and one that’s inexpensive enough to toss down a couple of bills without hesitation. Hackers – this is your key to the future, there’s no other choice.
Also remember that, as it is with all of our reviews: this isn’t the end. If you’ve got questions you still need answered, want us to do additional tests, please feel free to ask or request – we’ll do our best! Meanwhile don’t forget to hit up our Android portal for more Google mobile OS action through the future!
It’s time for the inevitable comparison between the newest tablet on the market, the Google Nexus 7, and the dominant device in this category: the iPad. While the comparison might seem like the obvious thing to do, it’s much more sensible to compare to the Amazon Kindle Fire – and before we get too deep into the specifications on either end, you need to know: Google is in a much better position right this second than Amazon. While the Kindle Fire has been a relatively giant force on the market over this past holiday season, it’s had nothing on the iPad’s market share in the entire time it’s been on the market. As for the Nexus 7, you’ve got a beast that’s ready and willing to be a competitor for both tablets.
The Google Nexus 7 is a tiny little beast of a tablet – where the iPad is an iconic piece of machinery, the Nexus 7 seems to be a bit more of a solid set of elements pounded together with a hammer into a device that’s meant to be perfect for the several specific purposes it was made for. The Nexus 7 was made to be a device with which you download and consume media from the Google Play store – movies, television shows, music, books, and magazines – and of course games. The iPad, on the other hand, was made to be a companion for you in all situations where the iPhone is too small.
As far as a simple specs comparison, you’ve go the following. And keep in mind we’re using the 3rd Generation iPad, aka the Retina Display iPad: Screen Size: iPad 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 pixel LED-backlit IPS (264 ppi) / Nexus 7 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi) Device Size: 7.31″ x 9.5″ x 0.37″ / 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″ Processor: Apple A5X / NVIDIA Tegra 3 Cameras: 5-megapixel iSight camera, VGA front-facing camera / 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera Connectivity: AT&T and Verizon 4G LTE, Wi-fi / Wi-fi only (at the moment) Internal Storage Size: 16, 32, 64GB / 8GB, 16GB Battery: 11666 mAh / 4325 mAh Media: iTunes Store / Google Play Store Color Options: White, Black / White/Black combo, Black
Additional elements: iPad: Bluetooth 4.0, 30-pin dock connector port, accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, GPS, AirPlay mirroring to Apple TV.
Both of these devices have been pushed as heroes for their respective pusher’s app and media stores, and both devices are certainly going to get their fair share of 3rd party accessory support (if they haven’t already.) The Nexus 7 has the bonus – if you can call it that – of having several hardware/software companies with vested interests in its success: Google, ASUS, and NVIDIA. The iPad, on the other hand, has quite a few 3rd party supporters, with developers aiming apps at the one device specifically as well as Apple’s attention squared solely upon it for its software.
The price is going to be a giant factor for you if you plan on heading out to purchase a tablet today. The starting price of the Nexus 7 is just $199 while the iPad, in the iteration we’re looking at here and above, starts at $499. The iPad is an iPad, and there’s no replacement for that. The Nexus 7, also, is the only Google tablet in the position that it’s in at the moment as well with the backing of three companies in the way you’re seeing this week, and having a real push from Google (as heard in the keynote today – see our I/O 2012 portal for more) for hacking.
Have a peek at the photos and video above and below for a bit more hands-on action and be sure to let us know what you think of this battle asap! Also hit up our Android portal and Apple portal for the most awesome portal battle of all!
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
