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Project Butter improves Android 4.1's speed to a silky-smooth 60FPS
As part of its unveiling of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Google has unveiled Project Butter, a major effort to squash Android's frequent problems with device lag, as well as Systrace to help diagnose performance. Project Butter lets the CPU and graphics run in parallel, rather than crash into each other, and has a big impact on both real and perceived speed: the entire interface runs at 60 frames per second on sufficiently fast hardware. Graphics are now triple-buffered to keep scrolling and transitions humming along, and the processor will swing into full gear the moment you touch the screen to keep input lag to a minimum. Systrace, in the meantime, will help developers stamp out what performance hiccups remain. The tracing tool will be a part of the Jelly Bean SDK, so every coder can get an app running in tip-top shape. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Google: 400 million Android devices, one million activations a day
Google has just kicked off its I/O keynote with some big new numbers to share. It now says there are 400 million activated Android devices out there, and one million activations per day. That's up from the 100 million activated devices it announced at Google I/O last year, and 200 million it announced last fall, while the activations per day are up from the 900k it confirmed just earlier this month. As Google was quick to point out, that translates to about 12 devices activated every second, and it's happy to note that things are "definitely not slowing down." Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Google cuts the price of the Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ to $349, adds Jelly Bean
Jeez Louise, Google's 2012 I/O opening keynote has barely begun and much of the news has already leaked out on the company's own Play Store. Add this to the list: Google is dropping the price of the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus to $349 from $399, and is updating its flagship phone with the next, soon-to-be-unveiled version of Android, Jelly Bean. That screenshot up there should answer some of your most likely questions, but here's the short version: it'll be compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, and roughly 200 other GSM carriers everywhere else in the world (no surprise here). As for the software, well, we have enough early intel about Jelly Bean to know that's Android 4.1 running on a seven-month-old handset. As for what that jump from 4.0 to 4.1 entails, you can expect quite a few stories from us, but this official announcement should be as good a place as any to start. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Live from Google I/O 2012's opening keynote!
June is drawing to a close and we're back in San Francisco for what will be the last major event of the month. It's Google's I/O developer conference and it starts today with the first keynote. Set your browsers here and refresh at the time below to join us in this great American liveblog! June 27, 2012 12:30 PM EDT
Google's Nexus 7 cover turns up on the Play store, will set you back $20
Not surprisingly, Google will have some accessories for its new Nexus 7 tablet, including a cover that also leaked out a bit early through Google Play (and spotted by MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien). As you can see, it will cover both the front and back of the device, and set you back a fairly reasonable $20. Available at least in dark grey, it has a matte (seemingly textured) finish, and provides access to both the tablet's headphone jacket and charging port.
$399 Triad speakers for Nexus Q surface in Google Play store
Well, we certainly know what's coming at 12:30. In addition to outing the Nexus 7 tablet and Nexus Q media-streaming device, the Play store has a listing for $399 Triad bookshelf speakers "designed to optimize the sound quality of the Nexus Q." The listed specs peg each speaker at 14 pounds, with a 1-inch fabric dome tweeter and a 6.5-inch proprietary woofer. The speakers' range is 75 Hz - 20 kHz, and according to the page they will ship in two to three weeks -- only in the US.
Google to hand over $25 Play credit with each Nexus 7 tablet purchase
Among the premature Google Play leaks this morning is a line about a purchase bonus, to ship alongside each Nexus 7 tablet. As a temporary incentive, Mountain View is offering customers a $25 credit to spend on Play store content, along with additional content, including a copy of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. We're just minutes away from the start of Google's I/O conference keynote, where we expect to hear full details about the tablet and bonus cash, along with a handful of other devices, such as the Nexus Q.
Miselu Neiro synth at Google I/O: exclusive first look at apps from Korg and Yamaha (video)
Remember Miselu's Neiro -- that prototype app-based Android-powered synth we last played with at SXSW? Not only is it being showcased at Google I/O 2012 here in San Francisco, but we got an exclusive first look at some of the apps being developed for the new platform ahead of the event. The company's been on a roll since our meeting in Austin, gaining (ex-OQO CEO) Jory Bell as CTO and building relationships with partners like Korg and Yamaha. Now on its second iteration, the laptop-like synth has evolved from the hand-built prototype we saw at SXSW to a more polished reference design -- complete with breakout board for SD card and Ethernet support. As before, the device runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor and features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, audio and MIDI I/O, plus USB and HDMI ports. This version even adds XLR and quarter-inch audio jacks -- just keep in mind that those specs have not been finalized. What's really exciting about the synth is the apps. The company's ongoing partnership with Retronyms to create a suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps has evolved beyond the drum-machine demo we covered at SXSW. Called nStudio, the suite now also includes a pad-based sampler / sequencer and a mixer. Plasma Sound is a touch-based musical instrument that's part theremin, part keyboard / sequencer. It's already available for other devices on Google Play, but was easily tweaked to run on the Neiro -- sight unseen -- thanks to Miselu's musicSDK and OS X-based emulator. Miselu will be showcasing two more apps on its synth here at Google I/O: Korg's Polysix and Yamaha's Vocaloid. The Polysix app faithfully recreates Korg's legendary 1981 synth -- known for its rich, thick analog sound. A real, mint-condition Polysix was even available for comparison during our brief time with the app (see our gallery). Vocaloid takes full advantage of the NSX-1 DSP chip that's built-into the Neiro. It's a singing synth app produced by Yamaha that "uses concatenative synthesis to splice and process vocal fragments extracted from human voice samples." We'll be spending some time with the Vocaloid app and its creator -- video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi (of Sega and Lumines fame) -- later today. In the meantime, check out the gallery below and watch our hands-on video with the other apps after the break.%Gallery-159214%
Sirius XM details GoogleTV app ahead of the I/O party
The fine folks at Sirius XM just couldn't wait for Google I/O to kick off. Yesterday the satellite radio giant tipped off Reuters (not that it was the only one "spilling the beans," mind you), and today it's offering up even more information on its upcoming Google TV offering. The app, still slated for a broad 2012 release, will be available as a free download for US subscribers via the Google Play store. The list of features includes Start Now, which lets users listen to programming from up to five hours prior, pausing / fast forwarding / rewinding and Tune Start, which brings up the beginning of an already played song. Also on-board is the Show Finder, a program guide that lets subscribers set show alerts. The company will be demoing the product later this evening at I/O. In the meantime, check out the press release after the break.
Sirius XM gives Google TV a Stern look, plans radio app for this summer
Sirius XM has long had a love affair with Android, going so far as to build an Android-powered satellite radio just a few months ago. That flame is burning for at least a little while longer with plans for a Google TV app launching this summer. Much in line with Sirius XM's more recent internet options, subscribers can soon tune into virtually anything from the satellite radio lineup, including the obligatory Howard Stern, as well as online-only bonuses like ESPN SportsCenter. The radio provider tells Reuters that it worked "closely" with Google to build the app, but what secret sauce that adds (if any) is left to the imagination: the live pausing and five-hour content storage don't exactly break the mold of what we've seen so far. We'll find out very soon just how category-busting Sirius XM can get when we get a full reveal of the Google TV app in sync with the start of Google I/O.
Google tablet will indeed be co-branded with ASUS and will target Amazon, says insider
We already suspected as much -- not least from the FCC filing above -- but an unnamed executive at Asustek Computer Inc has reportedly just confirmed that Google's much-rumored new tablet will be co-branded with ASUS. According to Reuters, the employee said the tablet will help Google to "target Amazon" and the Kindle range of tablets and e-readers. Despite the existence of Google Play Books, which are available on any Android tablet, the insider said that Google "doesn't have anything like Amazon's service" -- a quote which may not make a ton of sense, but which does support the general notion of a $199 rival to the Kindle Fire.
Google I/O 2012 kicks off tomorrow, get your liveblog right here!
Hey, remember that keynote last year where Google unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich before showing off Google Music and the Open Android Accessory standard and Android@Home before giving away 5,000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets? Yeah, it was quite a rush. This year we're expecting another new flavor of Android and maybe even a new Nexus tablet to boot. You won't want to miss it and, as always, we'll be there. We'll be liveblogging every detail of the event straight to your browser courtesy of our exclusive liveblog viewer. Set your bookmarks right here for all the action then set those alarms for the time below. June 27, 2012 12:30 PM EDT
Google's Jelly Bean cup runneth over, kills grass in the process (update: video!)
Happy Google I/O week! Why not celebrate with a giant jelly bean or 12? The search giant clearly has some big, colorful plans for later this week, including, perhaps, another entry in its delicious parade of lawn-cluttering mobile operating system dessert foods. The above statue was spotted and posted to the Google Developers page on Google+, and it surely amounts to more than just a belated Easter celebration. We'll no doubt be hearing a lot more on the subject from Google -- and the American Dental Association -- in the days to come. Update: No, Google wasn't planning on leaving a mess on the Googleplex grass. That jar is part of a more elaborate statue that more clearly reminds us Jelly Bean is, in fact, part of the Android ecosystem. You can catch a video of the assembly and the final product after the break.
Google drops cost of Maps API to keep developers, gives Foursquare puppy eyes (update: potentially cheaper)
Google must be feeling the pinch from developers like Foursquare who've jumped ship from Google Maps in opposition to costs, as it just cut the price of heavy Maps API use in a big, big way. Where it used to cost $4 for every 1,000 map hits beyond a 25,000 daily limit, the company is now charging as little as $1 in addition to eliminating the lower usage cap for app writers who tweak the map look. The olive branch won't make Apple change its mind, of course, but Google clearly isn't keen on anyone else using the price tag as an incentive to join the exodus. Mountain View is no doubt eager to keep as many mobile and web app developers on its side as it can -- with Google I/O just around the corner, it wouldn't do to have customers leaving at the very moment Google is trying to rally support for a big Maps update. Update: As some of you have pointed out the comments, it can get as low as 50 cents per 1,000 map loads. We've been using the API version 2 price as the baseline, but it's true that if you only need version 3 or one of the more limited static or Street View calls, you can pay half as much.
Google entices Android developers to 'build beautiful, powerful, successful apps' with site refresh
You know what's happening next week in Android land? Yes, it's Google I/O, and we'll be there to give you the all the details, of course. Leading up to the event, Google's just given its Android developer site a fresh new "streamlined, simplified, and refocused" look. The redesign touches on three aspects of the app development lifecycle -- design, development and distribution -- in the hopes to entice developers to "build beautiful, powerful, successful apps". Want to find out more? Check out the gallery below and hit the break for the PR.%Gallery-158831%
Google I/O 2012 app unveiled for Android, keeps attendees and outsiders looped in
Hardly any self-respecting conference can do without a companion app these days and Google has pulled out all the stops with an updated app for I/O 2012. Now available on Google Play, this year's iteration is formatted to work equally well on phones and tablets, and allows users to easily sync events with their calendars and find sessions they're interested in, as well as share them on Google+ or in other apps. The social integration doesn't stop there, as a Google+ stream of the #io2012 hashtag is built right in. The app reaches all the way back to Froyo devices, but there are advanced features like I/O Live session video streams (Honeycomb and above), and automatic synching of schedules / NFC beaming (Android 4.0+). Of course, even if you're just going to observe the event from afar, a few eagle eyed users are already wondering if one of the screenshots (above, left) is giving an early peek at the next version Android, Jelly Bean, due to the oddly styled search box. Whatever the case is, we'll find out for sure June 27th, hit the source link below to grab the app and get ready.
Google TV team focuses on third party content, second screen apps as I/O approaches
The slow-starting Google TV project has gotten a lot of attention at the last two Google I/O conferences, so what do the folks at Mountain View have up their sleeves this time around? Judging by recent updates to the Google Developers support pages, a major focus will be on helping third party devs create apps full of content, as well as control and information apps for mobiles or tablets. Recently the Anymote Android library for remote apps and related documentation was published, which the developer of the popular Able Remote app confirmed could assist devs in expanding upon Google's existing app, while subsequent additions to the FAQ library address HTML5 and more. On deck for Google I/O sessions are Bring Your App To The Big Screen, Get Your Content On Google TV and Command and Control in Your Living Room: Building Second Screen App for Google TV. Recently, apps like the one for Al Jazeera have been updated to bring more video to Google's platform, so with the rumored SDK (and HDTV) from Apple still missing in action, we'll wait and see if the third time's the charm for Google TV.
China clears Google acquisition of Motorola, eliminates last barrier to Googorola bliss (update)
The final significant roadblock to Google's buyout of Motorola has been cleared, as Chinese regulators have just given their rubber stamp. Their approval follows a few months after the simultaneous American and European clearances, and virtually all that's left now is to formally close the deal and start integrating the two mobile giants. It might still come too late for the combined entity to present a united front at Google I/O, but at least they won't have any awkward glances at each other across the room. We're just trying to decide on whether or not Googorola is the best pet name for the loving, $12.5 billion-dollar Android union. Update: Google has since told the AP that the deal will likely wrap up early next week, so Motorola should be part of the family well in advance of Google I/O. Also, Google has to keep Android freely usable by anyone for at least five years, although no one was expecting that to change anytime soon.
Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell 'em direct
Hand firmly grasping hat? Good. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on quite the bombshell today, noting that Google is about to cause its carrier partners in the States all sorts of grief -- indirectly, of course. Just weeks after placing its heralded Galaxy Nexus on sale for $399 unlocked, the report states that said move is only the beginning of a new initiative. Likely to be formally revealed at Google I/O, the mega-corp is planning to partner with a variety of OEMs (rather than just one at a time) in order to have up to five Pure Google (read: Nexus) devices available at once. Better still, the whole stable will ship with Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) and will be sold directly from Google in unlocked form to consumers in America, Europe and Asia. The move is significant in a myriad ways. For one, more unlocked Nexus devices means more choice when it comes to carrier selection. Furthermore, the move is likely to quell fears that certain partners may have about Google making Motorola Mobility its favorite after a $12 billion acquisition. Not surprisingly, Google's not commenting on the matter, but sources "close" to the situation say that the company's hoping to have the 5.0 cadre on sale by Thanksgiving -- you know, just in time for Black Friday and the looming holiday shopping season. We're all guessing that this will address the growing "app situation" head-on; by making a push to eliminate carrier-infused bloatware (while also providing early Android OS access to more partners), we're hoping that the whole "skinning" dilemma is addressed, too.
Windows Phone Developer Summit coming June 20th, makes for one busy month
Just in case June wasn't busy enough for mobile app developers, between Apple's WWDC and Google I/O, Microsoft has thrown its hat into the ring. It's scheduling a Windows Phone Developer Summit in San Francisco for June 20th and 21st, just a week before Google's meetup. Details are scant in the notice Engadget received, although Microsoft teases us with the prospects of learning "developer opportunities and platform capabilities in Windows Phone." Whether that means Apollo or just more about Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh (Tango) is still very much a mystery. Either way, it's likely to be good news for Metro-friendly developers crestfallen after MIX was shut down.
