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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean home screen revealed, automatically accommodates your apps and widgets
It's a pain manually moving apps and widgets on Android screens, ain't it? Well, at Google I/O 2012, the folks in Mountain View have just given us some Jelly Bean salve to soothe that irritation. The latest Android OS automatically arranges onscreen icons around any new widgets or apps you choose to insert. Not only that, but you can also remove any unwanted apps and widgets with a simple swipe up and off the home screen to delete them. A welcome Android addition, to be sure, but it begs the question, when will us non-Nexus owners get to enjoy it? Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Android Jelly Bean input options include updated keyboard, offline voice dictation
On stage at Google I/O, the company is showing off its newest features for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which include a new keyboard with SwiftKey-like word prediction, and voice typing that works even when you're offline. From the demo on stage it worked quickly without the annoying lag of waiting for the server to process your words we've experienced from voice control so far. There are 18 new input languages including Persian and Hindi, although offline voice dictation is US English only for now. Also mentioned on stage are new audio cues for blind users, and support for Braille. Check out our Google I/O 2012 live blog for all the details. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
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 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 tablet outed before I/O 2012 (update: now with specs, price)
Well, it looks like the rumors are true. This morning, just ahead of 2012's Google I/O initial keynote, Android Police dug up what looks to be an official press shot of Mountain View's unannounced 7-inch tablet, aptly named the Nexus 7. As opposed to our previous sneak peek, this shot shows what is most assuredly the home screen for Jelly Bean, and comes directly from Google's servers. Glad we got that settled. Now we just need to know about the actual hardware inside -- good thing we've only gotta wait another hour or so to find out. Update: Hoo, boy! The hits keep comin.' The good folks at Modaco managed to grab screenshots for the sale page of the Nexus 7, replete with screenshots and specs. Turns out, the tablet has a 1280x800 IPS display coated in "scratch-resistant Corning glass," which we presume is of the Gorilla variety, plus a front-facing, 1.2-megapixel camera. Within its 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm case lies either 8 ($199) or 16GB ($249) of storage, plus 1GB of RAM, and NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 SoC. Connectivity comes courtesy of GPS, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Micro-USB, plus it's got NFC for all your Android Beaming needs. Rounding things out is a 4,325mAh battery and the usual spate of sensors: accelerometer, magnetometer, and a gyroscope. Want more? A video all about Jelly Bean and the new hardware running it awaits after the break, or you can hop on over to the source to order one for yourself. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
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 Nexus tablet reportedly shows its pre-rendered face, packing Android 4.1 and a $199 price
There's been a longstanding rumor that Google liked ASUS' Eee Pad MeMO ME370T well enough to bestow it with an official Nexus badge and take it underground until it was ready to show its Jelly Bean face. If we're to believe a render and a raft of claimed training documents nabbed by Gizmodo, that face is getting its debut in about two days' time. As it's described, it could largely be what we'd expect from the ME370T being revived as an Android 4.1 reference device: a 7-inch, quad-core Tegra 3 slate with a front 1.2-megapixel camera, NFC, 8GB to 16GB of storage and a 1280 x 800 IPS-based LCD. If you're looking for gotta-have-it features that will have you rushing to fork over the cash, though, they may be limited to the OS and Kindle Fire-busting $199 and $249 prices for the two storage capacities. That image? There's a very distinct possibility that it's still a cleverly-done fake. Nonetheless, the prism-like backdrop has a whiff of Galaxy Nexus about it, and that textured, rounded back lines up neatly with what we've seen in an FCC filing for the ASUS design. We'll know soon enough whether or not it's real or just a fantasy -- if the tip (and others we've been hearing) is right, Nexus slabs will spread 'round the world come July.
Android Jelly Bean revealed as version 4.1 on Galaxy Nexus checkout page
We have yet to get any confirmation from Mountain View, but it looks like Jelly Bean just got a touch more official. The as-yet-unannounced Android OS was outed as version 4.1 on the Galaxy Nexus Google Wallet checkout page. 4.1 does in fact make Jelly Bean a more incremental update than the potentially more significant Ice Cream Sandwich, from a classification perspective, at least. The operating system also, based on the checkout page above, will be coming to the Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ version first -- which handsets will follow is yet to be seen. This could very well be a typo on the Wallet checkout page, but it's more likely to be an un-approved slip, giving us just a hint of sugar ahead of an official Google reveal. Though a (presumably) Jelly Bean homescreen in the checkout thumb does go a bit further to legitimize the above -- you'll find that screenshot after the break. [Thanks, Fred]
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.
Nexus 7 tablet will arrive at end of June, says anonymous ASUS source
We reported the possibility of the ASUS building a 7-inch Nexus tablet earlier, but that rumor just jumped a notch with an unnamed rep confirming to Android Authority that it is indeed working with Google on a quad-core tab. Though the mole wasn't willing to divulge more specifics, previous speculation points to the Tegra-based MeMO 3270T with Jelly Bean, the next iteration of Android. The publicity-shy source also confirmed the device would be coming at the end of June -- putting it within reach of Google's upcoming big event.
Google Nexus tablet appears in benchmarks, appears to run on quad-core Tegra 3
ASUS's seven-inch MeMo tablet has just ducked under the FCC's gates, but some benchmark results for a purported Google and ASUS team-up could tally with the same device. According to the listing, the Google Asus Nexus 7 will arrive with NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, clocked at 1.3 GHz, while that (presumably) 7-inch screen packs a 768 x 1280 resolution. The hardware specs end there, but thanks to some investigation by Android Police and Rightware, it appears that this mystery tablet is running Android 4.1 -- possibly the version number for Android's next iteration, Jelly Bean. There are several more hints adding credence to these benchmark results, including the fish-based "grouper" codename, which follows the Stingray moniker that was handed to the Motorola Xoom ahead of its reveal. We're just itching to know whether it'll still manage a sub-$300 price-tag.
ASUS MeMO 370T 7-inch tablet clears the FCC, leaves no trace of Ice Cream or Jelly behind
The 7-inch ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME370T we saw in early prototype form during CES just passed through the FCC. It's still only showing WiFi radios with no trace of a cellular connection, although if it's going to be the $249 standard bearer NVIDIA and ASUS were so excited about, that's to be expected. A juicier rumor that has surfaced in the intervening period however, suggests this device will actually be released as a Google Nexus 7-inch tablet (or just sold from a Google store), and could even feature the next version of Android, codenamed Jelly Bean. It could also sell for as low as $149, although the cheaper reworked version might swap out the Tegra processor for one from Qualcomm. We didn't spot anything in the filings to back that up, but you can paw through the PDFs yourself at the link below, or just get an idea of what it looks like in non-line drawn form with our gallery of pics from CES 2012.
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.
WSJ: Google to sell ASUS, Samsung tablets from its own online store
In a move that would be reminiscent of its initial plans for the Nexus handsets, the Wall Street Journal suggests Google will open its own online store this year, but stocked with tablets instead of phones. The Android tablets would be built by Samsung and ASUS who already offer the well received Galaxy Tab and Transformer lines, but have been unable to make a dent in marketshare comparable to that of Apple or even Amazon. Other details seem to be less clear, including the possibility of the lineup including Google branded tablets -- like the one hinted at by Eric Schmidt in December -- or that the store could offer a new tablet from ASUS (maybe running Jelly Bean, maybe not), or the chance that Google will follow Amazon's approach by subsidizing the upfront cost. Right now it seems that all possibilities are still in Play, but if the rumor is right we'll see the store launch this year -- any suggestions for the folks at Mountain View?
ASUS claims it may be among first to get Android 5.0, confirms Jelly Bean moniker
We've seen some pretty incredible smartphones and technologies at MWC, but it goes without saying that one of the hottest topics at the show was Android, and speculation over the release and alias of its next-gen operating system. Based on Google's update schedule, it's within reason to expect Android 5.0 to hit within the next year -- but which popular confection will bear the honor or representing the latest OS flavor? There's been little doubt that the jelly bean will fill that role, and now ASUS has confirmed to TechRadar not only that delectable moniker -- Jelly Bean -- but also that the company will likely be among the first to get the new OS. That claim came from VP Benson Lin, who said "Asus is very close to Google, so once they have Android 5.0 I think there will be a high possibility that we will be the first wave to offer the Jelly Bean update." So, there you have it. Now go get to scooping up every variation of the Je!!y 8ean domain.
Kinect-driven 'Jellybean' armchair hands-on (video)
Yes, this is what happens when you combine Kinect with a recliner on a motorized platform -- perfectly normal people doing awesome zombie impersonations! This week at Microsoft's MIX 11 web developer conference, the enterprising Clint Rutkas of Coding4Fun / Channel 9 fame showed off his Kinect-driven "Jellybean" armchair on stage during the keynote, and later let our very own Sean Hollister take it for a spin. Sadly, we missed our chance to capture this special occasion on video for posterity when the laptop used to control this armchair overlord ran out of juice in the final stages of our practice run. The motorized platform uses eight batteries, four omnidirectional wheels each with its own motor, and a pair of motor controllers connected to a laptop which interprets the input from Kinect (using the new SDK for Windows) and provides visual feedback to the driver. A gesture interface brings the entire contraption to life and even includes a hand signal to recline the armchair. Take a look at some closeup shots in our gallery below and watch our video of the recliner in action after the break. %Gallery-121299%
