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Android for Work lets your personal and business data coexist on one device
If you've bemoaned the inability to use your personal Android phone for company business, Google has some heartening news. It just unveiled Android for Work, a code platform that lets your business and personal info coexist on a single device. The technology (derived from Samsung's Knox) keeps the data types separate without requiring any changes to existing apps. Every major Android manufacturer should have Android for Work certification in the fall, with promises of both guaranteed updates and full security. The office-friendly feature is baked into the Android L release from the start, but don't despair if you're toting an older device -- Google is promising an app that works on Android gadgets running Ice Cream Sandwich or later.
Google Drive for Work now offers unlimited storage for $10 per month, per user
You didn't think we'd go through the whole keynote without a little Google Drive love did you? To celebrate an impressive 190 million Drive users (that's active within the last 30 days), Google has just added a more compelling "Drive for Work" proposition -- unlimited storage for just $10 per month, per user. It's not just the price that's better; there are a few key updates that got some stage time too. One is that users can now encrypt data within Drive. As for creating documents of your own, that's getting more seamless too. In the past, when you worked on a Word document, it would be converted to a Docs file; now it's all handled natively within Google Drive (of which Docs is now part, of course), and a native Word file is only created as and when you need to send it on to users over email, etc. Google even had a "one more thing" moment of its own after the address proper wrapped up -- it confirmed on its Google Drive G+ page that Docs, Sheets and Slides would soon get a makeover to look more like their mobile counterparts. Sundar Pichai made a big noise on stage at I/O about the number of corporations and universities that were going "all Google." Could this be enough for you to go all green in the office, too?
Chromecast can finally mirror your Android device's screen
Which is better, huddling around a 5-inch screen or a 50-inch TV? Google is making that answer a lot easier with a few upgrades to its HDMI dongle. Chromecast can mirror your device's screen to the flat-panel in your living room. The stage demo included using Google Earth and even Android's video camera app. Even more than that, the HDMI dongle is getting a little more personalized too. You know those pretty-looking images that populate your TV screen when you're using the device? You'll soon be able to customize the images of that ambient feed (seen when idle) with your own personal Google+ photo albums.
Google is bringing Android apps to Chromebooks
Google I/O wasn't all about Android and wearables. The Mountain View company unveiled more information about Chrome OS, that other Google operating system, as well. The big news? Google is finally bringing Android apps to the Chromebook. Sundar Pichai, Google's Senior VP of Android, Chrome and apps, showed off the Vine Android app on a Chromebook Pixel on stage. As seen in a picture (after the break) different apps work differently, with Flipboard showing up larger, and Vine appearing in a phone-sized window. The apps can access local hardware so you can record a Vine from your Chromebook's camera if you wish. Additionally, when your phone and laptop are connected, a notification will pop up on your Chromebook letting you know if your phone battery is low; there are alerts for incoming calls and text messages too. At last, it seems Google is working to bring Chrome and Android together in a unified experience. Update: A post on Google+ indicates that the only approved apps right now are Vine, Flipboard and Evernote. Others will need to be added to the list before you can access them on your Chromebook this fall when the feature launches. Want a say in which app is next to make the jump? Nominate your preference on Chromebook.com/newapps to let the team know.
Android TV will be in Sony, Sharp and Philips TVs next year
Google isn't giving up on TVs yet. While its new Android TV flavor of Android L will hit the streets in set-top boxes aimed at game consoles and media streamers, it announced that next year smart TVs from Sony (all of its 4K and smart TVs), Sharp and TP Vision/Philips will ship with the OS. It's also working with some familiar TV providers overseas like LG U+ in Korea (not LG Electronics TVs, which are moving to webOS) and SFR in France, as well as the chipmakers that build the components for smart TVs and boxes as seen in the slide above. The difference from the original Google TV approach is that the company isn't treating Android TV as an entirely separate platform from mobile, and everything needed to handle video from HDMI, TV tuners or IPTV receivers is now natively included in Android L. We'll probably have to wait until CES 2015 to find out if it's having any success convincing more TV manufacturers to join in (again), but these are a start.
Razer's making a gaming 'micro-console' with Android TV, available this fall
The company behind crazy devices like the Razer Edge and Project Christine is getting into game console creation as well. Razer's employing Google's Android TV initiative to create a game-focused "micro-console" and it's arriving this fall. So, what does it do? Razer's only offering a teensy bit of details, but what we know thus far sounds impressive. The micro-console can "stream movies, music and other apps for large-screen entertainment," says Razer, "with an emphasis on gaming." Sounds a lot like Amazon's Fire TV, no? The difference here is that Razer's also promising "hardcore" gaming, though we're not hearing exactly how it will pull that off just yet (we asked!).
Here's what Google's Android Wear can do
Google says that we glance at our smartphones 125 times per day, but it wants Android Wear devices to take on much of that burden. During an I/O 2014 demo, it showed how smartwatches like LG's G Watch -- paired with Android 4.3 or higher phones -- will display the most important info to you at any given time. That includes flights, the weather, your commute, appointments, reminders, Keep notes and messages. Since all Wear devices will have touchscreens, you can swipe up on the watch face, Google Now-style, to see more cards. Swiping sideways will then bring up additional info from a given card. Disposing of a card on the watch makes it disappear on your handset too. You've also got voice commands, activated by -- you guessed it -- "Okay, Google." You can use it to set a reminder or take voice notes that are automatically saved to Google Keep. You can also pose questions to the watch and get the answer in card form on both your wearable and phone screen. Swiping down from the top of the screen mutes or unmutes the sound on your watch and lets you peek at settings like the battery life.
Google targets Amazon's and Apple's set-top boxes with Android TV platform
Google's already well-acquainted with the living room, having launched its Google TV platform at the I/O conference four years ago. It's safe to say the set-top box software has fallen out of favor (with all but Sony, anyway), and Google's been experiencing more success of late with its simpler Chromecast dongle. Well, today the search giant's revealing its next play in home entertainment with Android TV, a brand-new platform that's part of Android L, and it's bringing Google's OS back to the big screen.
Google boosts in-car connectivity with Android Auto
The Open Automotive Alliance finally shows a product at Google I/O after its launch back in January of this year: Android Auto. Members including Google, Audi, Honda, GM, Hyundai and chipmaker NVIDIA have been collaborating to bring Android safely to the car in 2014. Rather than the more traditional model that sees smarts baked into the car's head unit, your phone will project its OS and the app in play onto the car's screen -- much like AppRadio does now. The big benefit here is as your phone updates, your car's center stack gets better without you needing to fiddle with it.
Samsung unveils Gear Live, its first smartwatch using Android Wear
So the rumors were true: Samsung has revealed its first Android Wear-powered smartwatch, the Gear Live. The device mates a familiar, squared-off design (much like the Tizen-powered Gear 2) with Google's wrist-worn interface. It includes the Gear 2's 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen, 300mAh battery and 4GB of storage; fitness gurus will be glad to hear that the heart rate monitor has also carried over. You'll get to pre-order both Gear Live and its LG-made counterpart, the G Watch, later today (update: you can pre-order here); Samsung's hardware will sell for $200 and ship on July 7th through Amazon, Best Buy and Google Play.
Android L can squeeze out 90 extra minutes of battery life with a new mode
Even as smartphones are getting bigger and better, battery life is often an issue. Google announced today at I/O that its upcoming version of Android includes "Project Volta" to tackle the problem head-on. A "Battery Historian" gives more info on exactly what's draining energy, while a battery saver mode lets users squeeze up to an extra 90 minutes out of each charge by doing things like lowering the screen refresh rate. Following Project Butter to make the OS more responsive and Project Svelte to optimize it for cheaper phones, Volta could quickly have a very tangible effect on how we use our smartphones (and other Android devices). Developers can make their apps much smarter about battery usage by avoiding updates or holding off on energy-intensive tasks when power is running out. If you want to try out the new modes immediately, keep an eye out for the L Developer Preview arriving tomorrow for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7.
Android personal unlocking will bypass security in 'trusted environments'
Google wants to make it faster to unlock your Android device in trusted environments with a new feature called "personal unlocking." For instance, if your compatible Bluetooth watch is connected and nearby, you'll be able to swipe open your home screen without an unlock code. If the watch is off, however, you'll need to punch it in. It also won't challenge you for a code if you're in pre-programmed locations or if it recognizes your voice. That's part of the new Material Design UI coming up for future versions of Android, which will arrive in the coming months.
Google's new 'Material Design' UI coming to Android, Chrome OS and the web
Google's annual I/O developer keynote has only just begun, but already we're being treated to some of its announcements. In a bid to create a new "visual language" for users, Google is taking the design of its Android, Chrome OS and web properties back to basics with its new "Material Design." According to Google, Material Design is intended to make better use of available space, and bring a consistent user experience whether viewed on a smartphone, tablet or desktop. Google's apps will be updated to reflect this change, as you may have seen in early Gmail and Calendar app leaks and in the latest version of the Google+ app on Android.
Google's Android One program will set minimum standards for bargain-basement smartphones
For every HTC and Samsung, there are tens of Android hardware makers who have to redesign their smartphones to hit a certain low price. This is especially true in the developing world, where keeping the cost down means a lot of effort is spent tweaking devices -- something that Google feels is a waste of time. That's why it's launching Android One, a program where Mountain View's engineers will design cost-conscious hardware, and other companies will simply manufacture it. There are plenty of fringe benefits, but the biggest one is that Google will be able to dictate a minimum set of standards for forthcoming Android handsets.
Google's next version of Android 'L' release has a new look, deeper ties to the web
KitKat may have only found its way onto roughly 15 percent of phones at this point, but that won't stop Google from looking to the future. The new version, teased by Sundar Pichai is simply being referred to as the "L" release right now. As previous leaks have indicated, this will be the most dramatic UI overhaul the OS has enjoyed since Ice Cream Sandwich debuted back in 2011. The heart of this overhaul is called Material Design -- a flatter look, with rounder elements and softer edges that will extend beyond tablets and phones to Chrome OS and Google's various web services. You can see some of the new design philosophy at work already in the latest version of the Google+ app on Android. But it goes beyond that. Shapes are simplified and there are smooth transition animations across the UI. And those animations aren't just inside apps; they can also be between apps. For instance, you could view an image in the photo gallery, and then choose to open it in a third-party editor. Rather than laboriously closing the gallery and then opening the editor, the image itself could appear to float above the apps and simply shift into the second app, which is already open to the editing pane. Developers can also add the illusion of depth by adding "elevation" which automatically stacks visual elements appropriately and adds drop shadows.
Android still the dominant mobile OS with 1 billion active users
Free-falling product demos and Rube Goldberg multimedia installations aside, there's always a level of predictability to an opening day keynote. And Google I/O 2014 is no exception. Like clockwork, SVP Sundar Pichai took to the stage in San Francisco this morning to tick off the company's latest accomplishments. He started off by touting one of the company's biggest strengths: Android. According to Pichai, Google now has over 1 billion active users (that's as of the last 30 days) on the OS.
Live from Google I/O's 2014 opening keynote!
Get ready for two crazy hours of Google awesomeness: I/O's opening keynote is about to begin. This is typically the time for the company to unveil some of its biggest projects and set the tone for the following year. Just two years ago, for instance, co-founder Sergey Brin skydived onto the roof of the venue and biked into the keynote while wearing Google Glass. Whether we'll see anything as adventurous this year remains to be seen, but that's why we liveblog these things -- so you, dear reader, can experience every second of the madness right along with us. So join us right back here at noon (EDT), okay? June 25, 2014 12:00:00 PM EDT
Watch Google's opening keynote at I/O 2014 here!
Although we'll be liveblogging the opening keynote of Google's annual developer conference in just about an hour, we don't want to dismiss the fact that many of you like to follow along when a livestream is available. Google's got you covered: keep a tab open at this page for live video footage of the keynote. We expect a lot of news this morning at San Francisco's Moscone Center, and we'll keep you posted on all of the latest announcements and developments as it happens. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Engadget Daily: Google I/O 2014, the deal with Android Wear and more!
Today, we discuss tomorrow's Google I/O conference, review the Galaxy Tab S, take a look at Misfit's new Pebble fitness tracking app and explore the potential of Google's Android Wear platform. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Google will show off the new 'L' version of Android tomorrow
You can move one more item into the confirmed list for tomorrow's Google I/O keynote: a new version of Android. Your guess is as good as ours as to which L-word treat (we assume, following KitKat and Jelly Bean) Google plans to name its next iteration of the mobile OS, but as part of a lengthy profile for Bloomberg, senior VP Sundar Pichai reveals he will offer a "preview" at the developer event. It's a new approach for Google, in publicly revealing the new version (which may have momentarily surfaced on its issue tracker yesterday) well ahead of its planned release later this year, but similar to the way Apple, for example, is rolling out iOS 8. Also confirmed is Android Wear, complete with manufacturing partners and new devices, while the plans for Android TV are still shrouded in rumor. [Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
