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Google Play Movies & TV for Android improves second screen tools
If you've splurged for a Chromecast or pre-ordered the newfangled Nexus Player, streaming from Google Play to your television just got better. Mountain View's Movies & TV app for Android update brings actor and soundtrack cards to your mobile device, putting that requisite casting gadget's display to good use while you watch. Not all content will showcase the new feature though, so you'll have to look for the Info Cards badge when making a selection. Material Design is being applied in other bits of software, and with this latest version, Movies & TV gets a fresh flat coat of paint to match. The Watch Now tab serves up more recommendations and trailers can be watched right inside the app. If you're not seeing the update just yet, sit tight: it's rolling out to all users over the course of the next week.
Google's redesigned Play Music app offers stations that suit your mood
You know how there were hints that Google Play Music was about to get a Material Design makeover? As it turns out, that's just a small piece of what's in store. Google has updated its Play Music Android, iOS and web apps with a new Listen Now page that focuses on context-aware music stations from the company's recent acquisition, Songza. Provided you're an All Access subscriber, you'll get to stream curated playlists that fit the time of day and your likely activities -- you may get relaxing playlists to take the edge off your commute home, or uptempo tracks for morning exercise. The page also improves discovery with cards that suggest both new releases and stations based on what you like. Google's redesign should be available today in all 45 Play Music countries, so have at it if you're an avid listener.
Google gives you the tools to build apps for Android 5.0 Lollipop
The official Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade for your phone may be weeks away, but Google has delivered all the ingredients for you to make Lollipop-ready apps. The search firm has released both the finished Lollipop developer kit and a fresh batch of stripped-down Android test releases for Nexus 5 and 7 devices. There's also a new round of Material Design guidelines and assets to make sure apps look at home in Google's flatter aesthetic. This won't help much if you just want to try all the whiz-bang features, but you'll definitely want to hit the source links if you're a software creator.
Google Play on Android has its flattest design yet
With how many of Google's core apps are getting updated to the new, flatter Material Design, the release of Android L can't be too much further away. While we wait for that, however, the Google Play redesign leaked not too long ago is available for sideloading right now, as spotted by Droid Life. With it, the "What's New" section's been moved back to the top of the store and you'll now be able to create device-specific profiles (like one for phones and another for tablets) for restoring a custom set of apps per gizmo-type. If you'd rather not wait your turn for the update from Mountain View, DL has the APK, while Android Police has a smattering of screenshots if you want an advance look of what you're getting into. If you haven't started a betting pool for when Android L will hit, now just might be the time.
Google+ is the latest Android app to get a Material Design makeover
Google's quest to bring that extra-flat, extra-colorful Material Design look to every single app is still underway, it seems. The search giant has posted an update to Google+ for Android that flattens even more of the social network's interface and adds splashes of solid color, such as a bright red "new post" button. This isn't just a cosmetic update, mind you. The Photos section is both simpler and better-looking, so it should be easier to share recent snapshots with your circles. At this rate, about the only software Google has left to officially Materialize is Android itself... which might happen soon.
Samsung's take on Android L looks very familiar
You've probably seen plenty of Google's stock Android L interface by now, but custom interfaces are another story. What will the OS look like when device makers get hold of it? If SamMobile's experience with an early, leaked version of Samsung's TouchWiz software is any indication, it will be... remarkably familiar. At least on the Galaxy S5, it looks like the current front-end with splashes of Google's Material Design philosophy thrown in. Core apps and notifications are now full of card-like, colorful elements, but the home screen, app tray and many other elements resemble what you've seen on existing Samsung hardware.
Android's new flatter design is taking over the Play Store app soon
Google may have already given Android's Play Store a big makeover this summer, but it's not done yet -- there's another revamp coming this year. Android Police has posted shots of a pre-release Play Store 5.0 update that's very clearly guided by Google's Material Design concept. While it's not quite as dramatic an overhaul as what we saw a few months ago, it's still a pretty noticeable change. Swaths of bright, solid color are everywhere, and there's even more of an emphasis on title pictures. You should get some extra function to go with this form, too; code buried in the update hints that you'll get to restore apps on a per-device basis, making it much easier to recreate your setup from an old phone. It's not certain just when the new Play Store will go live, but it's reasonable to presume that you'll see it around the same time as the similarly-styled Android L update.
Chrome on Android is the latest Google app to get a flatter design
Google's "Material Design" was a major part of this year's I/O conference and now it's rolling out to an Android app you probably use a lot more than the Play Store: Chrome. The browser's stable version is the latest recipient of the not-quite-flat façade and fancy animations. Lest you think the mobile web-surfing tool's new tricks are only skin deep, however, Mountain View has added a bit more functionality, surely. Signing into the application with your Google account now logs you into the search giant's websites, like Groups, as well. It's pretty easy to see where Page and co. see the hierarchy of importance for their apps, given the sequence of what's getting the Material Design threads and when. Should Gmail be next in line, it likely wouldn't surprise too many people. The odds of Google Voice getting these new duds anytime soon? Slim -- but that's just a guess.
Google's new, image-rich Play Store for Android is rolling out now
It looks like you won't have to wait long at all to check out Google's visually rich Play Store revamp -- it's rolling out now. The refresh doesn't appear any different on the surface, but a quick dive shows very different product pages that are clearly inspired by the company's multi-layered Material Design philosophy. Cover art plays a much larger role, and details like rating overviews and genres have been moved into easy-to-read icons. You might not like everything about the new storefront -- there's considerably more scrolling involved, for one thing. On the whole, though, it's both prettier and easier to understand at a glance. The revamp should reach your device within days, but Android Police has an installer if you just can't wait to see what's new.
Google's Play Store is getting a big, visually intensive makeover
Many would argue that the Google Play Store for Android is useful in its current form, but pretty? Not so much. However, there are now signs that it's going to be much better-looking -- if not necessarily more functional. Android Police has obtained a wealth of screenshots hinting at a big Play Store revamp that borrows more than a few pages from the company's new Material Design handbook. Extra-large artwork is everywhere, and there are now a slew of icons that make it clear what you'll be getting, such as mature content. The layout isn't perfect; there's a lot of scrolling, for example, and some of the sharing features appear to be buried at the bottom. With that said, the new storefront is billed as a work in progress with no definite release date. It wouldn't be out of the question to see a few tweaks before the store reaches your mobile device of choice.
