During one of Google I/O’s many Android Pay sessions, Bank of America took the stage to announce that they are now supporting Google’s mobile payment service at their cardless ATMs. That means you can use Android Pay, assuming it is loaded up with your Bank of America card, to withdraw cash. (more…)
Previously expected to be called Android VR, Google announced Daydream at Google I/O this morning, its virtual reality platform for Android devices. To clarify, Google already had a feature inside of the Android OS called Daydream; It was basically a screen saver that was displayed when devices would sit idle. Now, the Daydream name represents Google’s stronger commitment into VR for mobile devices.
Daydream has a few branches that you will hear more about over the next few months. For Android smartphones, specifically ones running Android N, a VR Mode has been built into the OS. This mode optimizes the device’s performance, since VR can be quite the processing hog. (more…)
Want more goodies that we found inside the Android N Developer Preview 3? How about four new wallpapers? Yes, I know you want them because Google’s wallpapers are almost always pretty great.
The four included are the classic aerial shots of coasts and various water bodies. I’ve included previews of each below, but you’ll want to download the .zip file that includes the full resolution papers (2880×2560).
Enjoy! (more…)
Buried inside the the new Android N Developer Preview 3 is the new Google Keyboard 5.1, a slight bump in version number from the recent v5.0 that rolled out a few weeks back. We weren’t exactly expecting a bunch of new features this soon after the big 5.0 push, but one in particular should bring customizers some joy – themes and custom keyboards! (more…)
In an announcement no one saw coming today at Google I/O, Google went ahead and unveiled two new apps, one for messaging and another for video chatting. The apps are called Allo and Duo, respectively.
Unfortunately, Google was just previewing the apps today and hasn’t made them available, but they did talk plenty about them. This is what you need to know. (more…)
Google is essentially rebranding Google Now and the overall Google Search experience for individual users, announcing Google Assistant at this year’s Google I/O developer conference. Unlike the 1-way conversations we have with Google right now, Assistant is a 2-way conversation between you and Google. Contextually aware, Assistant builds on the progress Google has already made to make Search smarter.
As an example for Assistant, a user could search for SF Giants, then be met with all of the information they need regarding that baseball team. Once complete, suggestions will be shown for the SF Giants, such as roster, ticket sales, and more. From here, Assistant knows that you want information pertaining to the SF Giants, so it will recommend other detailed Giants information from the web, YouTube, and other sources. The same can be done for a movie that is in theaters, or other events taking place. (more…)
What’s Android N going to be called? You know the question has be burning through your brain since the first preview arrived a couple of months ago. Google has teased options. We have taken guesses. But we still don’t know, even after today’s I/O keynote.
Well, Google is going to let you do something about it. During today’s keynote, Google announced that they are letting the people help decide what Android N should be called because they are struggling (or just want to include you in the fun). Seriously, they even have a website already setup for you to start submitting options. (more…)
During the keynote of Google I/O this morning, Google Home was made official. Set to be a real competitor to the Amazon Echo, Google Home is powered by Google Assistant, the new AI-based software that helps users complete tasks.
Much like Echo, a user will speak to Google Home, which will get it to relay information from the web, playback music thanks to a built-in speaker, tracks your packages, make and change dining reservations, and even go over calendar events you have linked to your Google account. (more…)
