Google I/O highlights

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Soldato
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I thought I'd make this as it seemed a pretty big deal for all us Android users.

Sources:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/android-momentum-mobile-and-more-at.html
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2011/05/android-past-present-and-future.html
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2011/05/google-music-streaming.html
http://www.neowin.net/news/google03...offer-movie-rentals-for-pc-phones-and-tablets
http://www.neowin.net/news/google-io-android-keynote-highlights

Android highlights

Android Growth
- 100 million android devices have been activated in total.
- Over 300 different android devices
- 400,000 android devices are being activated every day
- 200,000 Apps in the Android Market
- Honeycomb 3.1 announced

Rolling out for some Tablets today
- Recent tasks list can now scroll
- Widgets can now be resized, both horizontally and vertically, on the fly
- USB Host mode - you can now plug in all manner of USB devices, such as keyboards, mice, controllers, digital cameras, etc.
- Honeycomb 3.1 is coming to Google TV
- Google TV is getting the Android Market, will run honeycomb optimised apps

Ice Cream Sandwich
- Next Version of Android after Honeycomb
- Will unify Android versions - will run on all Android devices, phones, Tablets and more. Addresses fragmentation woes.
- More advanced technology - real time head tracking possible

Movie Rentals via Android Market
- Can now rent full films directly from the Android Market
- Variable Pricing
- Playable on your PC or Android
- 30 Day rental period
- High-definition
- "pinning" system allows you to download to your device for when streaming isn't possible
- Movies app for tablets rolling out as Android 3.1
- Phone app coming out later for 2.2+ devices

Music Beta
- Currently US only
- Store your music collection in the cloud
- PC/MAC application can sync with your existing music collection
- Create playlists and store them on your device for offline playing
- Launching in beta - invitation only to US users
- Store up to 20,000 songs
- Free (at least while in beta)
- First invites go out to all those attending Google I/O
- Updated music app is on the market NOW - for Android 2.2 and above


New Guidelines for Android Devices
- Partnership to ensure timely updates to new android devices
- Founding partners: Verizon, HTC, Samsuing, Sprint, Sony Ericsson, LG, T-mobile, Vodafone, Motorola, AT&T
- All future devices from these partners will be updated for at least 18 months, hardware permitting

Android Open Accessories
- Platform to build accessories for Android devices
- Helps integrate devices, making them compatible with all android devices
- Taking Android beyond Phones and Tablets, android support everywhere, such as the example they used whereby an android phone was connected to an exercise bike
- Supports Honeycomb and Gingerbread
- Supports USB, will support Bluetooth in the future
- Reference Hardware and Software for Android Accessory Development Kit (ADK) available today
- Google created a giant tilting labyrinth as an example - controlled by tilting an android device
- No approval process or NDA required!

Android at Home
- New Wireless communication protocol
- Android devices can communicate with potentially every appliance in your home
- Android Tablet can, for example, turn lights on and off remotely
- Google Partnering with various "industry players" to create a vast array of appliances for your home
- "Project tungsten" android 'Hub' - Android@home devices you can place around your house, such as a speaker system to play music with, or an NFC device that can add music to your music beta collection just be tapping a cd against it


Yes I blatantly ripped that from Neowin but that was a nice quick list. Expect Android market and Chrome OS announcements later today.

Update: videos
 
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The Movie Rental is "Valid for 30 days, then 24 hours once first opened" according to articles I've just read..

But some good news on a lot of fronts, IceCream sounds promising!
 
Google chrome updated to version 12 beta mid keynote here. Performance is awful lol.

How do I roll back?
 
Nice to see they are starting to sort out the Market, hopefully it's a sign of things to come with a view to it getting to the level of the Apple App Store.
 
And just days ago someone was moaning you could not get movies on Android and here we are, HD movies purchasable via Market and playable on the device or PC for 30 days per rent :D

Those are some mammoth changes coming to Android over the next 12 months, I did predict this before the IO started! Although it was a very easy prediction to make :p

I think the most striking this about this is the partnership from all those vendors who will keep their phones updated for at least 18 months. That just erases all fear of Android fragmentation. That and 3.1 being supported on all Android devices.
 
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Khaaan! said:
I think the most striking this about this is the partnership from all those vendors who will keep their phones updated for at least 18 months. That just erases all fear of Android fragmentation. That and 3.1 being supported on all Android devices.
Click to expand...

The 3.1 (Honeycomb) update is just an enhancement for tablets and will also come to Google TV. The unification of all devices under one OS will come under Ice Cream Sandwich (probably 4.0) which will come at the end of the year.
 
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