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Android Auto finally looks like it'll be great to use with an impressive redesign
Android Auto has its fans and its critics, but this big redesign debuted at Google I/O is truly going to make it so much better to use.
While much attention is directed at mobile from Google I/O, Android Auto has its own deserved moment in the spotlight. Google is set to launch a big Android Auto redesign later this year and finally looks set to make it great to use in the car. Android Auto has been around for a while now but has often frustrated users in the one place you can't afford frustration.
Google Home extension for Visual Studio Code is now available
Developers building for Google Home have a new tool to play with thanks to the release of the Google Home Extension for Visual Studio Code.
Developers building for Google Home have a fancy new tool to play with as of Google I/O. It was first talked about in 2021, but now, the Google Home extension for Microsoft's Visual Studio Code is now available. Visual Studio Code is one of the most popular IDEs available on Windows, Mac, and Linux (including Chromebooks), and Google's new tool is the perfect companion to building for Google Home.
Android TV's “expanded” picture-in-picture mode is here with Android 13 Beta 2
Android 13 introduces a new expanded picture-in-picture mode that allows developers to create longer and wider PiP windows on Android TV.
During the excitement of a new Android 13 beta release, it's quite easy to forget that phones (and tablets) aren't the only things getting upgraded. While the initial Android 13 beta for Android TV was a bit underwhelming, the latest version includes something that users have been wanting for quite a while -- a revamped picture-in-picture mode.
Google I/O 2022 Recap: Everything you need to know from Google’s big tech event
We have rounded up the major announcement from Google I/O 2022. Here's everything you need to know from the event.
Google I/O 2022 is done and dusted, and boy is there so much exciting stuff to talk about. While Google I/O has traditionally remained a software-focused event, the story was a bit different this year. The new Pixel hardware stole the show this time around, as Google not only announced the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch but also gave us an early look at the upcoming Pixel 7 series and the Pixel Tablet.
Google I/O details the next Chromebook features you're going to love
Google I/O isn't all about flashy new hardware with some pretty neat features coming to Chromebooks really soon. Here's the lowdown.
Google I/O isn't all about new phones and smartwatches, it's a developer conference, after all. So that means software gets its fair share of attention, including Chrome OS. Google has detailed some of the features coming to Chromebooks in the near future, with a number of quality of life improvements heading our way.
Google Pay virtual cards will soon make your online purchases more secure
You'll soon be able to keep your bank card info private by using Google Pay virtual cards. They'll start rolling out this summer in the US.
Google has announced an expansion of its virtual cards in Google Pay, promising to make online purchases even more secure. In the coming months, users will be able to use virtual cards for their purchases on Android and desktop devices using Google's Autofill, whether they have a Visa, American Express, MasterCard, or Capital One card.
Google's affordable Pixel 6a is officially coming to India later this year
Google has confirmed the Pixel 6a is coming to the Indian market later this year. There's no word on pricing or exact launch date yet.
Pixel fans in India rejoice! The newly announced Pixel 6a is officially coming here, marking the return of Google's Pixel line to the Indian smartphone market after nearly a two-year hiatus.
Google Home gets a fancy new homepage and 'works with' program
Google Home is getting some love at the annual I/O developer conference ahead of the big launch of Matter later this year.
There is a lot to digest from Google I/O, and one of the categories that's getting a lot of love is the smart home. Later in 2022 the long-awaited launch of Matter, the open smart home standard part-developed by Google, will finally launch. Ahead of this, Google Home is getting in order, starting with a refreshed "works with" program and a fancy new homepage to help budding smart home builders navigate their way through the space.
Google is updating more than 20 first-party apps to look good on Android tablets
At Google I/O 2022, Google announced that it would be updating more than 20 Google apps "to look amazing on large screens."
Google is finally getting serious about Android tablets. With players like Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Realme entering the tablet scene, the time is ripe for Google to put in some work to improve the Android experience on big screen devices. Earlier this year, Google announced Android 12L to make Android look good on foldables and tablets. And today, the company shared how it’s optimizing the Android app experience for larger tablet screens.
Google's Magic Eraser can now change object colors
During its main keynote of I/O 2022, Google announced that the Magic Eraser in its Photos app can now change object colors.
Google's Magic Eraser is quite.. magical. For those unfamiliar with this feature, the company first released it as a Pixel 6 exclusive. It allows users to edit out people and objects from shots in the Google Photos apps. Thanks to the company's unrivaled machine learning (ML) models, we now don't have to post photobombed shots online or spend too much time and effort manually editing them. Through Magic Eraser, anyone can just swipe on the unwanted person or object, and they'll simply disappear. The background extends over them, and you can pretend they never existed.
The all-new Google Pixel Buds Pro with ANC arrive in July for $199
The Google Pixel Buds Pro were announced today, promising big sound and ANC in a compact package. The earbuds will arrive in July for $199.
After a major leak last week, Google has finally announced the latest addition to its wireless earbuds hardware lineup, the Pixel Buds Pro. The earbuds will be available in four colors, come priced at $199, and will go on sale starting in July.
Firebase App Distribution helps developers test their apps before launch
Firebase App Distribution will help developers test their apps prior to their launch, and help developers collect user testing data.
When developers want to test their apps and make sure they work, it's important to test them on groups of people and to ensure that all of the feedback and testing data they get is of a high standard. Google’s Firebase is a pretty comprehensive set of development tools that can help do exactly that, but also so much more. Its goal is to make app development and maintenance easier, with features like detailed crash reporting, user analytics, authentication, and storage. That's why Google is now graduating Firebase App Distribution into stability at this year's Google I/O, pulling it out of the beta that it's been in since the end of 2019.
Google announces Flutter 3, now with macOS and Linux desktop support
Google has announced Flutter 3 at this year's Google I/O, and it features macOS and Linux support, along with Material Design 3.
Google created Flutter a number of years ago, with the aim to make a cross-platform software framework. Flutter's biggest strength is that it can be used to build applications for Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, macOS, and even the web, and all from the same shared codebase. While building apps for Windows received stable support back in February, both macOS and Linux were still only in beta. Now that's changing, as Google has announced Flutter 3 at this year's Google I/O, complete with stable support for building apps for macOS and Linux.
Android Studio Electric Eel Canary brings Live Edit to the Compose Preview
At its I/O Developer Conference today, Google announced a new Canary release for Android Studio codenamed Electric Eel. Download from the link in the post.
After months of testing on the Canary channel, Google finally graduated Android Studio Dolphin to the beta channel at its I/O Developer Conference today. The beta release packs various Jetpack Compose features and improvements, new features for the Wear OS emulator, and a couple of additional developer tools. Along with the Dolphin beta release, Google has rolled out the first Android Studio Electric Eel Canary release. It too brings a host of new features and improvements. In this post, we'll take a look at all the new features in the latest Canary release.
Android Studio Dolphin is now available in beta
At its I/O Developer Conference today, Google announced that its graduating Android Studio Dolphin to the beta channel. Download from the link in the post.
Android Studio Dolphin has been in Canary for a while now. At its I/O Developer Conference today, Google has finally graduated it to the beta channel and introduced a new release, codenamed Electric Eel, on the Canary channel. Both the latest beta and Canary releases of Android Studio bring along a host of new features, like the ability to view Compose animations in Animation Preview, resize the emulator for large-screen devices, pair, and control Wear OS emulators and launch tiles, watch faces, etc. directly from Android Studio, and more. In this post, we'll take a look at all that's new in the latest beta release.
Google sends Apple a direct message about iMessage at IO
Google has thrown shade at Apple during its I/O 2022's main keynote for not supporting Rich Communication Services (RCS).
It's no secret that Apple tends to stick to its proprietary solutions when it comes to its hardware and software. For example, the company still includes the Lightning port on all of the iPhones it puts out. In the meantime, most smartphone manufacturers have already switched to USB Type-C ports. It's a universal charger that works across countless brands and devices -- making everyone's lives easier. Another example is Apple not adopting Rich Communication Services (RCS). Right now, iPhone users have two options in the Messages app. They either send iMessages to other Apple device owners or fall back on the ancient and outdated SMS when iMessage is unavailable. Meanwhile, Google has adopted RCS in its Messages app -- allowing Android users to take advantage of the protocol, regardless of their phone brands. Google has now (once again) thrown shade at Apple for resisting RCS during its I/O 2022's main keynote.
Android 13 Beta 2 is here with a new predictive back gesture
Android 13 Beta 2 is now here for Google Pixel devices, and it introduces a predictive back gesture for developers to implement.
Android 13's first developer preview arrived in February of this year, and it recently had its first beta release. Now at Google I/O, the company has announced that the second beta is already available for download, and users can give it a try on their Google Pixel smartphones from today.
Google reannounces and rolls out automatic summaries for long documents
At Google I/O 2022, Google announced that it would be bring automatic summarization to Google Docs and Google Meet.
During Google I/O 2022, Google CEO Sundar Pichai introduced a "new" feature that would bring automated summarizations to Google Docs. Despite the proclamation of it being new, the technology was previously introduced back in March 2022 for business users. Regardless, the technology is quite impressive, using machine learning models to parse data in order to pull out the main points from documents. Undeniably this could become a game-changer, saving countless hours of reading, and giving people access to only the most important details of a document, and it's now rolling out to normal users, too.
Google Wallet app is here to replace your physical wallet & 'Google Pay'
Google has announced the launch of Google Wallet, it's new Android app that'll let you to store digital IDs, credit cards, and more.
At its I/O developer conference today, Google finally announced the much-awaited Google Wallet revamp. The updated Google Wallet app will let you store everything from credit cards to digital IDs on your phone. The company is essentially trying to replace your physical wallet. And -- here's the kicker -- this new Google Wallet app will also replace the old Google Pay app in some regions. That's right, Google has officially confirmed that Google Pay will soon become the new Google Wallet app in regions outside the United States, Singapore, and India.
Google teases a new Pixel Tablet you can't buy until 2023
Google is having another crack at tablets with the Pixel Tablet, briefly teased at Google I/O. But you can't get one until next year.
Right at the end of the Android portion of the Google I/O keynote we got a true "one more thing" style moment with the tease of some new hardware. The Pixel Tablet is Google's next attempt at a tablet, and aside from the fact it uses the company's first-party Tensor chip, we know basically nothing.