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Sign-up page for revamped Google Maps shows off plenty of new features
Just hours before its I/O event, Google has apparently had a little accident: the sign-up page for "the new Google Maps" briefly went live, revealing a slew of extra details about what's coming in the rumored refresh before quickly being pulled. Droid-Life managed to grab some screenshots, including the one above, which gets to the heart of what Google is trying to achieve. The central idea is that Google will create maps tailored to the kind of information you're looking for, using a "smarter search box" to highlight just the "things that matter most," whether those be flights, ground transport or the new Earth View that integrates directly with Google Earth without the need for a plug-in. According to the leaked sign-up screens, the bringing together of all Google's data will result in layers of information that reach "from outer space down to the streets" -- but there's still no evidence about how (or whether) this might work on mobile. Stay tuned to our Google I/O opening keynote liveblog for more.
Google I/O 2013's opening keynote is live tomorrow, get your liveblog right here!
Who can forget last year's Google I/O opening keynote? With skydivers and a plethora of extreme antics all culminating in the on-stage unveiling of Google Glass, it will go down in history as one of the most exciting product unveilings of all time. Can Google top that this year? It's certainly going to try, and rather than hosting multiple keynotes on multiple days big G is doing it all in one shot. One three hour shot. Set your alarms and make sure you find a comfortable chair then join us at the URL below for the 9:00am PT (12:00pm ET) liveblog tomorrow, May 15th. Google I/O 2013 opening keynote
Google I/O attendees will see their every move recorded in real time
During Google I/O this week, visitors to the Moscone Center will have their every movement tracked, but it's not as creepy as it sounds. Google's Cloud Platform Developer Relations team is spearheading a project called the Data Sensing Lab, which utilizes a network of Arduino sensors to collect ambient data and translate it into easily understood visualizations. Fluctuations in temperature, air quality and humidity will be recorded along with noise levels and foot traffic to provide a real-time breakdown of activity within the Moscone Center. The information from the Data Sensing Lab will then be displayed on a number of screens scattered around the conference floor. The Data Sensing Lab is the next step in Google's quest to master environmental data collection after absorbing the team behind Behavio last month. Developer Programs Engineer Michael Manoochehri admits that the plan is "kind of futuristic, and maybe a little crazy," but emphasizes the practical uses for real-time environmental analytics. For example, information about air quality fluctuations can be monitored to adjust a room's temperature and footstep counters can provide valuable insight into which areas are most popular. In the spirit of open innovation, Google promises to make the Cloud Platform code, the Arduino sensor designs and the collected data available online after the conference. Big Brother might be watching, but at least we'll be able to watch right along with him.
Android chief says Google I/O will focus on devs, not new products
Sundar Pichai, Andy Rubin's replacement as Android chief, has been talking to Wired about his new job. He poured ice water on the idea that we'll see a raft of new hardware at Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference. Instead, he said that this year's show will focus on "all of the kinds of things we're doing for developers, so that they can write better things" for Android and Chrome OS. He also let slip that his daily driver is a Galaxy S 4, but that he's never even used the flagship's much-hyped eye-tracking feature -- an admission which'll surely go down well with HTC One fans.
Korea Times: LG is working with Google on another Nexus phone
Getting the Nexus 4 into customers' hands aside, the Google-LG team-up was a huge boost to the Korean manufacturer's smartphone fortunes. According to the Korea Times, LG's now looking to repeat the magic and is already working with Google on a Nexus sequel. Presumably another phone beyond that Optimus G sequel we've been promised, there's no word yet on whether we'll see any new Google-branded hardware at this year's I/O event. We reached out to an LG spokesperson, who told us that it doesn't comment on rumor and speculation, although the meeting wasn't all about the Nexus series. LG is also apparently looking for more cooperation with Google on TVs and other future hardware -- Glass was apparently mentioned in passing.
PSA: Google I/O registration opens tomorrow, March 13th at 7AM PT
If you're still recovering from losing an hour of sleep this past weekend, you may have forgotten that registration for Google's annual I/O conference opens tomorrow at 7AM PT. General admission is $900, while full-time students or faculty members of high schools and colleges can score a discounted Academic pass for $300. In order to attend Google's three-day shindig, you'll need to be at least 16 years old, have a Google+ profile to sign into the registration process and a Google Wallet account to purchase your ticket. While it remains uncertain if the company will be serving up slices of Key Lime Pie at this year's conference, we wouldn't be surprised if some type of dessert-flavored software is announced along with a few other goodies. Google warns that tickets will be limited, so if you plan on attending you'll definitely want to set yourself a reminder and make sure that all of your ducks are in a row in order to increase your odds of securing a spot.
Google's Patrick Brady tells us how the Nexus 7 went from 'start to finish in four months'
At this past year's CES, we were inundated by tablet after tablet after, well, tablet. Some were big, some were small, and some were just right. A few, though, kind of faded into the wallpaper and didn't return. Such was a little prototype NVIDIA brought by for us to play with, a 7-inch tablet from ASUS with Tegra 3 power and an amazing price tag -- just $250. We got our hands on it briefly (as seen in the video below) and it was impressive, but it was never to be seen again. One month later, Google's Director of Android Partner Engineering Patrick Brady joined Matias Duarte in Taipei to meet with ASUS and to launch the project that would become Google's first Nexus tablet, the 7-inch, Tegra 3-powered Nexus 7 that is shipping soon for an even more amazing $199. Coincidence? Join us for a discussion with Patrick about how Google's mighty little tablet came to be.
Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps
If you invested in the Pebble e-paper smartwatch -- and who didn't? -- you'll be happy to hear that the firm has unleashed a preview of the Kickstarter darling's SDK at Google I/O this week. That'll give developers a head start on creating apps for the ARM-powered e-paper device, allowing them to learn exactly how it receives data from Mountain View's robot OS. The company said the new kit supports multiple program languages to boot, allowing developers of all skill levels to create Pebble-enabled apps. The document is still a work in progress, of course, but advances like this should help keep it from getting trampled by the cavalcade of smart wrist devices now coming out. Check the source link if you want to grab it.
Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)
Another day, another speaker dock. We initially dismissed Gear4's latest accessory at Google I/O 2012 until we noticed that the attached Nexus 7 was playing audio digitally via the USB port instead of simply through the headphone jack (or wirelessly over Bluetooth for that matter). It turns out that Jelly Bean supports USB audio, a software feature that's bound to spearhead a whole new generation of accessories for Android devices. Gear4's universal speaker dock with alarm clock radio is the first to handle USB audio. While the sound for any app can be routed to the USB port in Jelly Bean, the functionality is missing from older versions of Android. Thankfully, Gear4 includes an app with its accessory that can be used to set alarms, sync time, tune the radio and play media over the USB port on legacy versions of Android. Want to know more? You'll find our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-159523%
Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video)
Remember that Android SDK Recon Instruments finally unveiled for its heads-up display goggles? Well the company was showing off the fruits of its labor here at Google I/O 2012 with two demos -- specifically two-way Facebook integration and augmented reality using a Contour camera. In the first demo, the goggles are paired over Bluetooth with an app running on an Android phone. Each time you jump while snowboarding or skying, the accelerometer data from the goggles is sent to the handset which posts a graphic to Facebook showing the distance, height and duration of your flight. Any comments made to the post are then immediately relayed back to the heads-up display. The second demo uses a Contour camera attached to the goggles and paired via Bluetooth. As you look around, the output from the camera appears on the heads-up display augmented with labels showing the location and distance of the nearby train stations based on the compass and GPS data from the goggles. Pretty cool, eh? Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our two hands-on videos.%Gallery-159495%
Cracking the Nexus Q, Google's 25-watt amplified obsession
"We're missing a nut," says a bemused Matt Hershenson, former Danger founder and now Google's director of hardware for Android, pointing at a vacant spot on an exploded photo of the Nexus Q. Its parts are strewn out across a white background, perfectly arranged in a linear pattern that starkly contrasts with the spherical nature of the thing. "Wow, you're right," agrees Joe Britt, engineering director at Google and another former Danger founder. "It's like the illuminators, you know, the monks who used to draw up the codexes." Hershenson picks up the reference without missing a beat: "Everybody needs to make at least one mistake. Nothing can be perfect." That goes against everything else we've been learning from the pair, who spend 45 minutes walking us through every detail of what went into the development of the new Nexus Q. They worked hand-in-hand with engineers and designers and materials experts, ensuring everything from the bearings to the LEDs were, well, perfect. But there is one thing, something larger, that many have said is a crucial flaw in this illuminated device: pricing. Will people pay $299 for a high-concept, low-functionality social media streamer? Join us after the break for how the Q came to be, and why Britt and Hershenson think it will be a success.
Distro Issue 47: Made in the USA edition
It's that time of the year when folks in the US of A tend to get a tad bit patriotic. Pretty soon, those of us in the States will be all about grilling and putting back a few hot dogs and / or hamburgers before rushing off to catch some fireworks. We're looking to keep the spirit alive in our weekly, too. This time around, we offer up a Made in the USA edition with editorials that tackle Nevada's solar-geothermal hybrid power plant and just how much coin it takes to offer internet in American Samoa -- along with a few more stops in between. The Nexus 7 and Nexus Q were revealed at Google I/O and we offer some initial thoughts on the pair of gadgets from the folks in Mountain View. Find yourself jonesin' for a closer look at that fancy Tesla S? You're in luck. You'll find some detail shots of the new $50,000 EV in "Eyes-On" this week. So what are you waiting for? There's a monster truck on the cover for crying out loud! Dive right in to the latest issue via your download method of choice. Distro Issue 47 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Inside Google's amazing Accessory Development Kit demo hardware (video)
The coolest thing at Google I/O this year isn't a cheap tablet or a pair of overpriced glasses or even a killer keyboard. It is, believe it or not, an alarm clock. But not just any alarm clock -- this is an alarm clock with potential. What you see above, and demonstrated in the video after the break, is the gadget that was handed out to attendees who went to learn about the Android Accessory Development Kit. It has an array of RGB LEDs on the front which it can use to display simple numerals and digits, but thanks to a bevy of sensors -- and plenty of connectivity options -- that's just the beginning. USB? Check. NFC? Definitely. Accelerometer, colorimeter, magnetometer, barometer, hygrometer, thermometer? Yes, all that and more. What starts out as an oddly shaped clock held together only with magnets has the potential to be hacked into something truly amazing -- and that's the point. With this, developers have what they need to try out all sorts of crazy ideas relying on a wide assortment of sensors. It's an empowering collection of abilities and, when a dev finds some combination that works, they can turn around and spin that into something new. We're very eager to see what eager engineers do with their ADK demo units, but for now you can see what it can do right out of the box in the video below.
Google helps train developers, hook up universities in new education programs
While it only just revealed Google Developers Live earlier last week, offering interactive broadcasts and tutorials, the hardware-dabbling giant has now kicked off two more programs to support its dev faithful. The Google App Engine, Google Drive, YouTube and several advertising APIs will all be covered by the Google Developers Academy, a new site hub that offers up training materials on the above, with more promised in the future. It's joined by a new University Consortium, aiming to collaborate between academics who use Google's tools and dev platforms in their research and teaching. Both sites are now live -- learners can hit up the sources for all the details.
Yamaha Vocaloid on Miselu Neiro synth: exclusive hands-on at Google I/O 2012 (video)
Did you enjoy our first look at the latest apps being showcased on Miselu's Neiro Android-powered synth here at Google I/O 2012? Want more? You've come to the right place. As promised here's an exclusive hands-on with Yamaha's Vocaloid app demoed by the man behind the technology himself -- video game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. We got the chance to play with an early build of the software running on the same 3-octave prototype version of the synth that we last saw at SXSW. The verdict? It works pretty well considering the pre-alpha status of the code. The app features two modes of operation -- edit and play -- the former letting you type or speak text and map it to an existing melody and the latter allowing you to chose preset sentences and "sing" them with the keyboard. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so take a look at our gallery below and watch our hands-on video after the break.
Google TV will get subscription billing, support for movie and TV purchases in Google Play
While it didn't merit a spot in either keynote, the Google TV platform is also getting an updated version of the Google Play store. Along with a new UI that looks a lot like the one on other Android devices it will have support for purchasing movies, music and TV shows as mentioned yesterday, and also subscription billing. The "Bring Your App to the Big Screen" presentation is still going on, we'll let you know if any other new elements are revealed. There's a new post on the Google TV blog mentioning apps like the one announced by Sirius XM, and the new hardware from partners LG, Sony and Vizio. Finally, the team is also focusing on its updated APIs for developers building not only apps for the TV (like the Google I/O app itself, which has been working smoothly this week streaming video), but also second screen applications just as we pointed out earlier. The last update and potentially most curious? Mentioned during the presentation, later this year Google TV will no longer require hardware manufacturers to provide a physical keyboard on their input device.
Sergey Brin hopes to bring Google Glass to market in 2014
If you're not one of the lucky few who met Google's requirements (be a U.S. citizen attending IO) and don't have $1,500 to drop on an early dev unit of an unproven technology, you might be wondering, "when can I get my hands on Glass?" The answer, straight from Sergey Brin's mouth, is 2014... hopefully. The Google big wig told Bloomberg that, if all goes according to plan, Google Glass will become available to consumers en masse sometime in 2014. Of course, how much cheaper they'll be two years from now is anyone's guess. But we wouldn't expect the first-gen to be an impulse purchase. When you check out the video after the break, you might notice that Sergey is wearing a new set of Glass glasses (how's that for awkward sounding), these ones with some snap in shades. If you're wondering if progress could be made any faster, we wouldn't count on it. Brin says he spends more than half his time on this project -- which means Google is putting a lot of stock in the future of wearable computers. Check out the complete interview after the break.
Google sends Chromebooks to some Best Buy and Dixons stores, starting today
Google is getting serious about spreading the reach of Chromebooks. At its day two I/O keynote, it just revealed that the Chrome OS laptops are in 100 Best Buy retail stores across the US, effective today. British stores are getting a similar amount of care with a Chromebook presence in Dixons stores throughout the UK. We're still waiting on more details, such as which models will grace shelves, but there's good reason to suspect that Samsung's Series 5 550 will be front and center. If you haven't had the chance to make it out to a library or a cross-country flight to try a Chromebook for yourself, all you'll have to do now is swing by the local electronics shop to give that cloud computer a real shakedown. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!
Google Drive: 10 million users served
Day two of Google I/O 2012 has started, and Big G just gave us an update on the success of its cloud storage solution. Google Drive's been accessed by over 10 million people, which comes out to about 1 million a week since its launch. Not a massive number, but it's a pretty good start, and with the explosive growth of Android and the addition of Chrome OS and iDevice users to the Drive party, the cloud locker's legion of users will continue to grow. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!
Google announces offline editing for Docs, available later today
We're live at day two of I/O and the theme of this keynote is all about "Going Google." With this focus on Mountain View's various cloud-based apps, Clay Bavar, Director of Product Management for Google Apps, announced that Docs will now work offline for editing. In the onstage demo, Bavar was able to log into several devices, including a Nexus phone and tablet, to interact and collaborate in real-time on a document. Thanks to the smooth syncing at work, edits made from each device showed up as they were being entered, keystroke-by-keystroke. Now, those edits can also be created without a working internet connection and synced up later. You won't have to wait long, either, to take this offline mode for a test spin, as the feature will be enabled later in the day, with that functionality "coming soon" for presentations and spreadsheets. Check out the official PR after the break. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!