Greg, Leo and Cory welcome a new crew member, Dan Mathis to the show to discuss what’s new and up-coming with the world of Google and the latest from Google IO.
First up was the newest version of Android, Internally Code Named: Macadamia Nut Cookie, which is focusing on polish and quality
It was announced that Android M should be available for Q3 2015, September of this year.
The newest version of Android will initially be Launched on most of the flagship Devices: Nexus 5, 6, 9 and player, though the Nexus 7 likely will not be supported.
Not to be out-done, Google is launching Android Pay which is coming to any devices with NFC running KitKat or above.
Android pay will allow a user to just unlock and place the device on a compatible terminal. Additionally, Android M will allow Android Pay to work with third party apps.
Along with Google Pay, Fingerprint reader support will be globally be available in Android M.
As part of the shiny new polish, Android M introduces Doze, which is a state of deep sleep where the device senses whether it has been motionless for an extended period of time and manages it’s power consumption accordingly.
Android M devices will be introducing USB-C support. USB-C connectors work regardless of which way the cable is connected and support USB 3. Additionally, USB-C connectors support higher levels of power transfer.
Continuing the new shine, Android M overhauls permissions. Apps will request permissions on an as-needed basis and are individually controllable. If needed, the possibility exists to revoke particular permissions.
Audio is not to be left out as well, with volume granularity being enhanced with extended customizability.
Chrome has been improved with site-customized tabs and tighter integration in to the OS for apps to display web content.
Last but certainly not least, On Tap, will now be hanging out in your Google Now on your home button. This feature will be an Opt-in option for privacy reasons. While we can only speculate at the possibilities as it is Not available yet in Android M betas. What is it? A feature which will automatically attempt to find information based on your current activity and the context of the content you are viewing.
Google certainly has some interesting new projects in the works:
- Project Jacquard: Conductive cloth for wearables.
- Project ARA: Building phones which have replaceable components
- Project Vault: SD card with its own OS and encrypted data store.
- Google Photos: Specific cloud service which is cross-platform for storing photos automatically. The new service supports facial recognition and has unlimited storage.
- New Version of Google Cardboard: Now compatible with iPhone and larger devices.
- Project Soli: A hand-motion tracking system that allows us to interact with our devices without even touching them. Gestures like volume control could be controlled with hand movement.
- Android Wear: Introducing low-power black and white viewing mode.
- Project Brillo: A stripped down version of Android intended for Internet of Things devices such as your smart lightbulb, allowing cross-platform control and communication with these devices.
And finally, the Google Session: Improving your Android app’s Accessibility: Discussed methods which developers can use to improve their apps for accessible use and provides techniques to doing this to developers. Additionally, the President of NFB appeared at the discussion.
Cool Picks:
- Leo: Periscope
- Greg: Google Hand writing
- Dan: Zedge
- Cory: Smart Selfie
