What to Expect at Google I/O

 

Mashable - 

 

Google has a lot to do. Since its last developer conference, wearables have taken off, web-driven home automation became a real thing, in-car apps are taking shape, tablets have changed, and a full-on price war for cloud services has begun. 

The company has certainly made some moves in these areas, but it's saved plenty of big announcements for Google I/O, which kicks off at 9 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday with the conference keynote in San Francisco. Mashable will be there, reporting from the conference live.

If it follows a similar script of previous years, we'll hear from most of the consumer-facing services of Google, from Android phones to Maps, but in the past year Google has expanded its products considerably. It acquired Nest Labs, the maker of the popular connected thermostat, and it announced initiatives to bring Android apps to cars and wearables.

And that's just for starters. Google is dabbling into advanced mobile technology with its Ara and Tango projects. It also made its famous (or infamous, depending on who you're asking) smart glasses, Google Glass, available to all, even though the product is still technically in "beta."   Read More

The New Google Maps: Smarter, Better-Looking & More Social

 

SIM Partners - Two weeks ago, Google introduced its new Maps at its I/O conference. The new interface includes a sharper design and improved user experience with the results and rankings of listings being determined by a variety of new factors.

As seen above, the redesign of the interface includes a fullscreen map display and removes the list view of results that was previously displayed on the left. The teardrop pins have been replaced by red dots – complemented by business names to show top-ranked listings. Whereas the previous interface limited the number of pins marking top-ranked listings to 10 or less, the new interface appears to have between 15 to 20 top listings, depending on the vertical and geo. If you wish to view your results in a list display similar to the old Google Maps, you can simply click on “Go to list of Top Results,” which will take you to a new page similar to the old Google Places ranking page.   More

Seven awesome Google I/O innovations

CNET - For consumers, at least, it may appear that yesterday's Google I/O keynote was a little boring. We didn't get a new Nexus phone or tablet, no skydivers landed on the roof, someone ate the rumored Key Lime pie update, and Google Glass didn't even get a mention. But look closer and you'll see that even a developer-heavy show did roll out several new features that will deliver a lot of benefit to those who've never coded in their life.  

View the Slideshow

Coverage of Google I/O - Google Integration Into Mercedes, Streaming Music, G+ Additions, Google Play Game Services & More

 

Google Play game services aims to integrate gaming across Android, iOS and the web

Google Play game developers and players alike are getting a quartet of game-changing additions today: real-time multiplayer, leaderboards, cloud saves and achievements. And that's not all -- the latter three services will function cross-platform between Android, iOS and the web. The whole initiative is called -- unsurprisingly -- "Google Play Game Services," and it's available today in a smattering of games. Unlike Apple's Game Center application, what Google's offering is backend support for developers rather than a standalone application. Think of it more like OpenFeint than Game Center -- you can sign in using your Google+ login in-game, and that login will track your identity (including leaderboard scores, achievements and saves) across various games and devices.

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Google beats Apple to it with streaming music service

With its $9.99/month service, the tech powerhouse makes its first move into a space already occupied by the likes of Pandora, Spotify, and possibly, Apple.

Google launched a music streaming service Wednesday, taking its first stab at the growing industry with a new service linked to Google Play for Android.    

Read More

Google announces Google Play for Education launching this fall

Google today announced a new service called Google Play for Education that allows schools to easier find and distribute Google Play content to Android devices in schools.

The Google Play Education store will allow schools to search for content by subject matter and grade level and provide content that has been recommended by other educators.

Read More

Google I/O event previews Mercedes' integration of Google services


The annual Google I/O developers conference is going on this week in San Francisco, California, featuring in-depth sessions that showcase the latest and greatest from Google in the way of products and technology. One of the things being highlighted this year is Mercedes-Benz's integration of Google's services.

Using a current SL model, Mercedes-Benz will show a Drive Kit Plus system which uses a smartphone and custom app which enables seamless integration of the smartphone with the car's infotainment system. Essentially, this makes it easier to use your smartphone with your vehicle's on-board features such as navigation and streaming music.

 

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Google adds photo and other enhancements to Google Plus in effort to rival Facebook

SAN FRANCISCO - Google is digging deeper into its technology toolkit to turn its social networking service into a more formidable threat to Facebook, sprucing up its photo features at a time when sharing snapshots online and on mobile gadgets is growing more popular.

Many of the 41 new features being added to Google Plus beginning Wednesday will draw upon the computing power, machine learning, algorithms, semantics analysis and other innovations that established Google's search engine as the most influential force on the Internet.

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Google I/O 2013 - Live Blog, Live Video, Info & More

 

General Information

Meet Googlers and developers building great products with Google technologies

Live Blog (Including Keynote Video)

Where to watch Google I/O 2013 live online

GigaOM - Live streaming starts on Wednesday at 9:00 am PT with the keynote, and will continue throughout the day with up to five simultaneous live streams of key technical sessions as well as “exclusive interviews, product unboxings, and demos from the I/O floor,” as the I/O site puts it. Live streams will also be available on Thursday starting at 10:00 am. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Google will stream any of Friday’s sessions online.

All live streams can be accessed directly on the I/O site, where you can also find a detailed schedule of the conference.

What to expect at Google I/O 2013

Google rumors and leaks pick up speed as Google I/O 2013 arrives this week. Here are some of our predictions for the annual Google developers confab. Read More

 

• Google's Nexus Q revival said to be a no-show at I/O

  

  Google reportedly won't show off a revamped version of its defunct Nexus Q media streamer at its annual developers conference. more

  News - By Josh Lowensohn |
   

• CNET to talk Google I/O in a Hangout on Tuesday

  

  Is there more to the annual Google shindig than swag? Have some predictions of your own? Ask CNET your Google I/O questions in a Google+ Hangout. Hint: Extreme sports demos are extremely unlikely. more

  News - By Seth Rosenblatt | 
   

• Microsoft touts Office 365 buyers that dumped Google Apps

  

  On the eve of the Google I/O conference, Microsoft picks a loud fight with Google over online office suites. more

  News - By Stephen Shankland | 
   

• One more Google I/O rumor: A new smartwatch?

  

  Does it make any sense for Google to unveil a new piece of wearable tech this week? Does it have to make sense? more

  News - By Eric Mack | 
   

• Expect games, social, and Now at Google I/O 2013

  

  Google rumors and leaks pick up speed as Google I/O 2013 arrives this week. Here are some of our predictions for the annual Google developers confab. more

  News - By Seth Rosenblatt | 
   

• Google I/O keeps browser focus despite fancy phones, eyewear

  

  Android and Glass get a lot of attention at Google I/O, but Chrome and Web programming sessions are core to Google's conference for developers. more

  News - By Stephen Shankland | 
   

• What Google I/O should bring for Android hardware lovers

  

  CNET's Marguerite Reardon takes a look at the possible new Android products Google might show off at its annual developer conference this week in San Francisco. more

  News - By Marguerite Reardon | 
   

• Friday Poll: Can Google I/O possibly top last year's?

  

  Google set a high bar with its skydiving introduction of Glass last year. Could this year's conference contain more "wow-ness?" more

  News - By Eric Mack | 
   

• What to expect from Android Key Lime Pie

  

  Google should unveil a new version of its mobile OS next week. Here's some of what we may see this time around, and also down the line. more

  News - By Scott Webster | 

As Google I/O nears, 15 killer apps show best of Chrome

 

Chrome's killer apps

Anyone who says you can’t get real work done on a Web browser—or in a browser-based operating system, for that matter—hasn't seen some of the latest Chrome apps.

Rising above glorified bookmarks, the cream of Google’s Chrome Web Store can stand toe-to-toe with desktop software. More are offering offline functionality, too. Coming soon: 'packaged apps' that look and act more like traditional software.

Finding Chrome gems can be tricky. The store's layout is chaotic and provides no easy way to distinguish good from bad. These 15 Chrome apps rock, whether you’re working on a Windows PC, a Mac, or a Chromebook.

Gmail Offline

The app version of Gmail, Gmail Offline is available from the Chrome Web Store. It has improved dramatically since its 2011 debut. The app now supports Rich Text Format and attachments, and it can download your email messages from the past week or from the past month. You might even prefer Gmail Offline’s clean, tablet-like interface over the desktop version.

Pixlr Editor

Photoshop diehards might scoff at Pixlr Editor, but it gets the job done for basic to intermediate drawing and image editing. Pixlr comes with various brushes and effects, and it supports layers and layer masks. You can even save and load .PSD files, if you’re coming from Photoshop. Though Pixlr doesn’t work completely offline, once you’ve opened it in your browser, the app becomes fully functional without a connection. In Chrome, consider installing the Edit in Pixlr extension, which lets you right-click and send images directly to the app.

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Google Nexus 7: First impressions

 

CNET - The Nexus 7 is available now from the Google Play store starting at $199 for the 8GB storage configuration and $249 for 16GB. Units will ship in mid-July. Purchasing from Google Play also gifts you a $25 credit to spend on Google Play media.


The Nexus 7 sports a 7-inch, IPS (in-plane switching) screen, with a resolution of 1,280x800 pixels. The tablet is also the first 7-incher to house a 1.3GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core CPU, which includes a 12-core GPU.

Rounding out the specs are a Micro-USB port, 1GB of RAM, a 1.2-megapixel front camera (no back camera included), a gyroscope, GPS, accelerometer, microphone, and 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi.    More

Nexus Q social streaming device hands-on

Engadget - What is the Q? Well, it's a ball... a ball that plays music. And videos. And it also lights up. It's what Google is calling it a "social streaming device" but what's most important is that this is finally the realization of the Android@Home standard that was unveiled last year. While the styling is what'll immediately grab you, it's the functionality that Google thinks will rock your living room. Join us after the break for our first impressions of this category-defying device.

The idea is that your friends and family can use their Android devices (because everyone has one, right?) to build up a playlist of music or videos. While it's hard to imagine that being totally commonplace usage, this does at least make for an easy way to get your tunes throughout the house. You can connect to multiple Nexus Q devices simultaneously and send separate media to each of them individually, so this could be easy whole-home streaming.    More

Live Skydiving With Goolge's Glasses

Google tablet set to limbo in at low $199 entry point

The Google Nexus tablet will be co-branded with Asus. More importantly, it will be inexpensive at $199.

Google Galaxy Nexus screen.

(Credit: Google)

 

 

h/t - Jeff Adams

 

CNET - Google will launch a $199 tablet this week at its developers conference co-branded with Asus, Bloomberg is reporting.

This follows a series of reports that have been trickling out for months about a 7-inch Nexus tablet being developed with Asus. The tablet is slated to debut at the Google I/O conference that starts Wednesday.

The one feature garnering the most attention is price. At $199, the Google tablet is $200 less than Apple's $399 iPad 2.

Previous reports have claimed the Nexus device will sport the Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" operating system, a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of memory, and IPS (in-plane-switching) screen -- which boasts wide viewing angles.     More

Google Event - Live from Google I/O

Engadget's Live Blogging begins today at 12:30 ET >>>>>>>