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Google strikes back at the big screen with Android TV
Google announced its plan to take on the billions of TV viewers in the world with a groundbreaking product that would blur the lines between internet and broadcast -- four years ago. Executives from Dish Network, Best Buy, Sony, Logitech, Sony and Intel joined the stage with Google's then-CEO Eric Schmidt to herald the coming of a new era -- which never came. Several generations of Google TV devices failed to catch on and it was eventually squeezed out by set-top boxes, game consoles and other "smart TV" platforms. The idea seemed to come right on time; according to market research firm Strategy Analytics as many as 76 million smart TVs shipped last year, and companies like Apple and Roku have sold millions of connected boxes. So why didn't Google TV get a major piece of that action? And what makes Google's latest initiative, Android TV, any different?
Google gives us a simulated ride with Android Auto
Meet Google's answer to Apple's CarPlay: Android Auto. It's a new platform announced today at the annual orgy of software and hardware development known as Google I/O, and it puts the (almost) full power of Android in your car. Why almost? Well, despite the fact that the system leverages your smartphone to power your car's infotainment system, you don't get access to all your apps. It has a limited selection of options that are suitable for use on the road and optimized for an in-dash interface, and I got to see several of them in action in an Audi S3.
Moto 360 smartwatch makes an appearance at Google I/O
Samsung's Gear Live and LG's G Watch have already been manhandled today at Google I/O 2014, and now it's time to do the same to the third inaugural Android Wear device, the Moto 360. We've already heard much about the watch's unique circular design and have gotten some sneak peeks at the various watch faces that are coming to take advantage of it. Today, however, I finally got my mitts on one, and I can assure you it's as well put together in person as the press shots have shown previously.
We just got to see (and touch) Samsung's new Gear Live smartwatch
Here at Google's yearly developer conference, we just learned a whole lot more about Android Wear, the company's OS tailored to wearables. With that info came word that Samsung's rolling out the newest member of the Gear family, the Live, and I just laid my hands and eyes on one firsthand. Problem is, the smartwatch was only running Android Wear in "retail mode." That means that I couldn't actually explore the ins and outs of Android Wear, but I did get to strap the newest member of Samsung's wrist-worn family on my arm.
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.
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.
