Google Hangouts, the new unified and cross-platform messaging service announced by Google at I/O, is now live on all platforms. For most of us, we care about Chrome and Android, but if you are an iOS user, you can find it in the App Store as well. Go grab it!

To install to your phone, you’ll need to install through the web Play store for the time being. This replaces Google Talk. Screenshots after the break! 

Via:  Hangouts [Play Link] [Chrome Link]

Hangouts for Android and Chrome is Live! is a post from: Droid Life

Google I/O 2013 is next week. Hard to believe, right? It seems like only a few weeks ago that we were freaking out as the Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly bean (Android 4.1) were all being unveiled through Google Play as we were entering the day 1 keynote of 2012′s I/O. But here we are, almost a year removed from that event and six months out from Google’s cancelled winter event that was supposed to feature the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, new version of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2), and an updated HSPA+ version of the Nexus 7. So as we approach next week, we thought we should drop some of our own predictions, include a few rumors that are floating about, and even a few whispers that have entered our inbox over the last week or so.

Ready? Here is our list of Google I/O predictions. 

• New Nexus Q:  We’ve talked a lot about the return of the Nexus Q on various DL Shows, because we all love the idea that it could become something phenomenal. As you all know though, the Nexus Q was announced at I/O last year, then essentially killed off weeks later before it ever shipped to anyone. Google realized it had either half-assed the product or that it really was lacking any sort of real functionality that could justify its steep price. So is it going to return? Sources of ours have led us to believe that it is indeed returning, only this time with an emphasis on gaming. Details are scarce, so we aren’t sure if it’ll take the OUYA approach or be something different altogether. There is also a chance that the hardware changes to be more cube-like, however, I hope that it doesn’t. I personally love the hardware of last year’s Nexus Q.
• Gaming Center:  Proof of an Android-powered gaming center surfaced a couple of weeks ago through a teardown of the Google Glass .apk, so we’re pretty sure this is happening. We’re talking in-game chat, lobbies, leaderboards, and achievements across all of your Android devices. At this point, we’d be surprised if this new gaming center doesn’t show up, especially after seeing the Google I/O sessions list which talk about “developments in mobile gaming.” If the Nexus Q information we received is also on point, a gaming center would fit nicely into that type of hardware.
• Android 4.3:  There have been zero signs that Android 5.0 is on the verge of a release. Reports across the tech blog world (including our analytics) show only that an Android 4.3 exists. It’ll likely still be Jelly Bean, just like Android 4.2 was. So what happened to Key Lime Pie? Your guess is as good as anyone’s at this point. I’m sure it’ll be here, but for now, life is with Jelly Bean.
• Babel:  Google Babel is the new unified chat service from the search giant that we have been leading the charge on in terms of coverage. We were the first to report the name “Babel,” provide the feature list for it, give an idea as to which of Google’s services it’ll take the place of, and which platforms it’ll launch on. From what we understand, it’s definitely on the way. While we can’t confirm that it will for sure launch at I/O, how could it not? Google’s developer event is the perfect place to launch a new unified chat service. Keep in mind that another insider is reporting that it may actually launch publicly as Hangouts.
• New Gmail:  According to an insider who has taken a liking to The Verge’s forums, Gmail will get an overhaul and launch at Google I/O. It’ll be “Holofied” with a slideout navigation panel. I’d assume that means it’ll look a lot like Gmail for iOS, which we have been waiting some time for. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was improved even over the iOS version.
• Wearable Tech (Google Watch, Glass, etc.):  Do we even need to mention that Google Glass is going to be everywhere at I/O this year? It’s a given, right? OK, moving on. We have seen rumors suggesting that a Google smartwatch is in development by the Android team. While I can’t say for sure that we’ll see this at I/O (thinking more holiday season), I’m pretty certain they are indeed working on Google Watch with NFC built in.
• Chrome Dongle:  Chrome OS will most certainly have another major presence at I/O once again this year, but the big question is, “In what form?” How does a Chrome dongle sound? I’m envisioning a product similar to those Android-on-a-stick drives, only this would contain Chrome OS and be plug-able to almost anything. I’d imagine that this would also be an insanely cheap way for Google to push Chrome OS, even more so than their ultra-affordable Chromebooks. Seems wild, I know, but think about it.
• What about new Android devices? (Nexus 4 LTE and Nexus 7):  Haven’t heard a thing about either. The Nexus 4 LTE seems pretty unlikely at this point, but don’t put it past Google to re-work their latest smartphone mid-year. They couldn’t ignore the criticism over their choice to keep out LTE from the original Nexus 4, so anything is possibly.Should they release an LTE model that works on AT&T (like the HTC One), I’ll be the first in line to pick one up. And what about a revamped Nexus 7 for 2013 with a higher resolution display? Rumors suggest that it’ll be here in July and with a Qualcomm processor. That’s about all we know. If I were a betting man, I’d think that we’ll see it at I/O.

Seems like a lot of stuff on Google’s plate for next week. Will we see any of it? All of it? None of it? I can’t wait to find out. I/O is always our favorite event of the year.

Any predictions of your own?

Google I/O 2013 Predictions, Speculation, and Rumors: New Nexus Q, Android 4.3, Chrome Dongle, New Gmail, and More is a post from: Droid Life

Chrome beta for Android received an update today that introduced two minor features that actually change the user experience in a semi-major way. For one, as you scroll down web pages, the toolbar will disappear so that you get a fullscreen view. All you need to do is swipe back up ever-so-slightly and it will then reappear, so that you can type in a new search query, change tabs, etc. Second, the omnibox (search box) now holds onto your search queries after you press “enter.” So when search results appear, you can quickly edit or add-on to search queries much easier. Previously, your search queries would show up in the Google Search box of the actual Google website – now they stay in the omnibox.

The rest of the new features and known issues are below. 

New features:

• Fullscreen on phones – Scroll down the page and the toolbar will disappear.
• Simpler searching – Searching from the omnibox will keep your search query visible in the omnibox, making it easier to edit, and show more on your search result page.
• Client-side certificate support – You can now access sites that require you to use a certificate and Chrome will allow you to select an installed certificate
• Tab history on tablets – Long press the browser back button to view your tab history

Known Issues:

• Noticeable lag in text entry on some text fields
• chrome://history sometimes show duplicate items
• Opening tabs is sometimes slow
• Pages may flicker sometimes, especially during navigation

Play Link

Chrome Beta Update Introduces Fullscreen Browsing, Simpler Searches is a post from: Droid Life

Whenever Google Babel does arrive for public consumption, we’re starting to believe it will be everything we have ever asked for in a unified messenger service. We’re talking synced notifications, cross-platform conversation experiences, a new UI, photo sharing, quick access to live video chats, and on-the-record chat history viewing from anywhere. According to sources of ours who have shared new information with us (including a feature list), we’re getting all of this and more. 

Google Babel as a product is a collaboration of work by the Google+, Android, Chrome and Apps teams. Through their combined efforts, as was previously reported by us, we’ll see this unified service launch in Gmail and as Android, iOS, and Chrome apps. What’s particularly interesting, is that Google is talking about the iOS app as being the first time they have built a “first class iOS experience” when it comes to a messaging service. I can’t say that I’m familiar with their current iOS offerings, so I’ll leave the iOS experts to weigh in on the quality of Talk (if there even is an app) and G+ Messenger.

We’ve also learned that Google Voice support is “eventually” coming to Babel, however, the service initially only brings together Talk, Hangouts, and Messenger. This was an inclusion we were hoping to see from the beginning, but won’t, from what we understand. No specific details on how Voice will blend into Babel were given, just that it’s coming later on down the road.

Continuing on – there will be notification syncing across devices and platforms. For example, if you have a browser open on a desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone that are all attached to Babel and receive a message, once you check that message on any of the devices, the notification will disappear from the others. As someone who operates a half-dozen devices at any time throughout a day, I can’t tell you how important this feature is. It may be the most important.

We’ll also see a brand new UI that promotes conversations and is applied across all versions of Babel. You’ll be able to send photos, use 800+ emoji (not an exaggeration), look back at any on-the-recrod conversation from any device, group chat, and of course, carry all conversations with you to and from any device.

Here is a feature list according to a Google memo (colorful commentary is theirs, not ours):

1. Brand new UI. We’ve designed a new UI that’s applied across all clients and promotes conversations.
2. Stay in sync.  With just one conversation list and experience across mobile and desktop, everything is always in sync. Install the Chrome app, the Android app, and iOS app.
3. Desktop app.  Stop laying whack a mole across blinking browser tabs. With the new Chrome app your conversations continue outside of the browser.
4. Keep a group conversation going to coordinate with your team, and start a Hangout with a single tap whenever you need to talk face-to-face.
5. Be notified…just once.  Get notifications on your two phones, tablet, laptop, and desktop. Open it on one and watch the others disappear. If you’re actively using your computer or phone we’ll even intelligently notify you on just one of those endpoints. Magic!
6. Message more than just text.  Add a photo to the conversation and/or send some of the 800+ emoji to your coworkers. Kittens and poop are particularly helpful in explaining complex issues.
7. Get nostalgic.  Scroll back in time and relive any (on-the-record) conversation, on any device.
8. More ways to talk.  For the first time we are building a first class iOS experience. Try out our very early preview on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

I will say that the screenshots posted yesterday by TechRadar appear to me to be the real deal. From what I have seen, the emoji box does slide up from the bottom, though I’ve also seen the box with a black background. Conversations will look the same – threaded with profile pictures of the participants.

Still no word on a release date.

New thoughts on Babel?

Google Babel News: Google Voice Support “Eventually” Coming, Synced Notifications, “First Class” iOS Experience is a post from: Droid Life

Chrome for Android received an update today which includes both password and autofill sync, two features that were previously only available in the beta build of the app. Now, as you sync all of your devices from PC to tablet to phone with your Google account, your passwords and autofill history will come along for the ride. The rest of the update brings performance and stability updates along with a fix for random blank page loads. 

• Password Sync
• Autofill Sync
• Fixed issue where blank page would be loaded rather than URL
• Performance and stability improvements

Play Link

Google Chrome for Android Updated With Password and Autofill Sync is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, the official Google Voice extension for Chrome received an update that introduced experimental desktop notifications. To our knowledge, this update has nothing to do with a unified Google chat service (internally called Babel) and is simply a stand-alone update and feature for the Google Voice extension. The notifications, if you are on a Windows machine, will look just like the picture we have included above. Again, to our knowledge, this has nothing to do with Google’s new unified chat service that is currently being dogfooded to employees. 

Via:  Google Voice Extension

Cheers Dominick, Josh and Tyler!

PSA: Google Voice Chrome Extension Updated Yesterday With Desktop Notifications, It’s Not Babel is a post from: Droid Life

Attention Chrome and Android users, stop filling out those expense reports and take the next 10 minutes to have some fun-time. This morning, a new Chrome experiment is turning any website you choose into a big marble maze game. Using your Android or iOS device as a controller, you tilt and slowly (or quickly) work your way through levels, collecting coins trying to reach the end of the level. 

Some sites are a lot of fun to try. For example, if you do Droid Life, you take a ride along our top pink bar and have free roaming inside of our logo as well. Once you take an elevator to the next level, it’s an intense experience navigating through our articles and images. It’s a blast.

You can play it yourself by following this link.

Google Chrome Experiment Turns Your Favorite Site Into a Giant Marble Maze is a post from: Droid Life

During a recent discussion with reporters in India, Eric Schmidt took the time to set some things straight in regards to Android, the Chrome OS, and even rumors that Schmidt was looking to leave Google. There has been slight speculation that Chrome and Android would somehow merge, with Andy Rubin leaving Android, and Sundar Pichai taking over both sections, including Chrome and Apps. 

Although Schmidt claims you may see overlap of the two, that Chrome and Android will remain separate. Lastly, as for Eric having thoughts about leaving Google, he dispelled that by saying the rumors are completely false and that, “Google is my home.”

Were you one of the folks hoping to see a merger? As for me, I would have liked to see some Android functionality in Chrome, but we will have to see what some of these “overlaps” entail.

Via: CNET

Cheers Dan!

Eric Schmidt Says Android and Chrome Will Stay Separate, But You May See Overlap is a post from: Droid Life

This morning, Google’s CEO Larry Page, announced that Andy Rubin will no longer lead the Android team. Andy has been the head of the Android project since the beginning and has watched as it has grown to running on more than 750 million devices worldwide. Taking the lead on the project going forward is Google vet, Sundar Pichai, who currently leads Chrome as well. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Page did not got into detail as to why exactly Rubin is leaving the team, but did mention that he is going to start a new chapter at Google. At least we know this is not a bad split or anything of that nature. This could be Rubin saying he has basically created the world’s most popular mobile OS and it’s time to conquer something else. We shall see.

Below is the full post from Larry Page.

Sergey and I first heard about Android back in 2004, when Andy Rubin came to visit us at Google. He believed that aligning standards around an open-source operating system would drive innovation across the mobile industry. Most people thought he was nuts. But his insight immediately struck a chord because at the time it was extremely painful developing services for mobile devices. We had a closet full of more than 100 phones and were building our software pretty much device by device. It was nearly impossible for us to make truly great mobile experiences.

Fast forward to today. The pace of innovation has never been greater, and Android is the most used mobile operating system in the world: we have a global partnership of over 60 manufacturers; more than 750 million devices have been activated globally; and 25 billion apps have now been downloaded from Google Play. Pretty extraordinary progress for a decade’s work. Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android—and with a really strong leadership team in place—Andy’s decided it’s time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google. Andy, more moonshots please!

Going forward, Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and Apps. Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use—and he loves a big bet. Take Chrome, for example. In 2008, people asked whether the world really needed another browser. Today Chrome has hundreds of millions of happy users and is growing fast thanks to its speed, simplicity and security. So while Andy’s a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward.

Today we’re living in a new computing environment. People are really excited about technology and spending a lot of money on devices. This is driving faster adoption than we have ever seen before. The Nexus program—developed in conjunction with our partners Asus, HTC, LG and Samsung—has become a beacon of innovation for the industry, and services such as Google Now have the potential to really improve your life. We’re getting closer to a world where technology takes care of the hard work—discovery, organization, communication—so that you can get on with what makes you happiest… living and loving. It’s an exciting time to be at Google.

Posted by Larry Page, CEO

Via: Google

Andy Rubin Steps Away From Android Team, Sundar Pichai to Take Charge is a post from: Droid Life

In the newest build of Chrome Beta for Android that was released this afternoon, we finally get password and autofill syncing on mobile. Both are features that have been carried across desktops for some time, but continued to be highly requested for smartphones and tablets, as they eliminate tedious form filling and a need to use your memory. Today is a great day, especially for those of us that have grown tired of re-typing things on mobile that have become automatic on desktops.

We should point out that in order to test out syncing passwords, you’ll need to run the latest Chrome Beta for desktops as well. The feature will roll out in the coming days, so don’t get frustrated if you aren’t seeing it right away.

Play Link

Via:  Google Chrome Blog

New Chrome Beta for Android Brings Saved Passwords and Autofill to Mobile is a post from: Droid Life

Bored at work today? Feel free to give your fingers some exercise with Google’s latest invention – Super Sync Sports. It’s a web application that syncs your PC Chrome browser with that of your mobile to let you participate in running, cycling, and swimming activities. That may sound semi-boring at first, but when you watch the preview below and then head over to the site to take in the soundtrack, you’ll find an urge to play immediately.

Once you sync browsers, you get to pick from 50 different “athletes” to either battle the computer with or to take up against three friends. From there, the activities require you to perform different motions on your phone in order to make your character either run, bike, or swim on your PC browser. It’s addicting. Go get some.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To play, head to this link on both your PC Chrome browser and the mobile version on your phone. Once there, you’ll be guided through instructions how how to sync between the two using a password. From my experience, it does not require a WiFi connection.

It’s also free.

Play This: Google’s Super Sync Sports Using Chrome on Your Phone and PC Browser is a post from: Droid Life

The official Chrome for Android app received an update in Google Play moments ago, bringing a nice list of improvements. According to the changelog, they have improved scrolling performance, increased responsiveness to pinch-to-zoom, faster interactive pages, and expanded support for HTML5 features. 

Updates in this version of Chrome for Android include:

• Improved scrolling performance
• Increased responsiveness to pinch-zooming on pages
• Faster interactive pages thanks to the latest version of the V8 javascript engine
• Audio now continues to play while Chrome is in the background
• Expanded support for HTML5 features
• Audio playing in Chrome will now pause when the phone is in use. This requires an additional permission.

Play Link

Cheers Dustin!

Chrome for Android Updated, Improved Scrolling Performance and Pinch-to-Zoom is a post from: Droid Life

Update:  Google announced the Chromebook Pixel this afternoon, making their first touchscreen Chromebook official.

Remember the video that surfaced at the beginning of February that was said to be Google’s new touchscreen Chromebook called the Pixel? You know, the concept promo clip that was later debunked as being mostly garbage, and a publicity ploy from someone looking for internet attention? Let’s just say that while that video may not be real, a touchscreen device running Chrome OS certainly does make sense, especially with Microsoft fully attacking the touchscreen laptop market with Windows 8. According to a report out of the Wall Street Journal, Google has already begun developing a touchscreen solution for Chrome OS that will be made available some time later this year. 

We will likely see Chrome OS laptops with touchscreens along with hybrid devices that have detachable faces or foldable bodies that can essentially be used as Chrome OS tablets. No word yet on manufacturing partners or a release time frame other than some point in 2013.

Touch devices are the way of the future, so if Google wants to continue to push Chrome OS, they need to get into the touchscreen game sooner rather than later. They have seen some success in schools, businesses, and government offices, but the mainstream consumer has yet to fully buy into an operating system based off of Google’s popular browser. Adding touch or making devices into hybrids that act as tablets is way to bridge that gap.

We’re sort of curious as to what this means for Android or if it means anything at all. Android is the future gold mine for Google, but that doesn’t mean they should stay out of the consumer PC market either.

Via:  Wall Street Journal

Cheers 

Report: Google Already Working on Touchscreen Chromebooks to be Sold This Year is a post from: Droid Life

Today, there is some potentially exciting “news” about Google and Chromebooks. Without diving too far into the back story, let’s talk about the actual video and then we will discuss how it came to be leaked to the Internet. In this video, a narrator (that we wish was Morgan Freeman), discusses pixels and their importance to anything image-related. Now, imagine a Chromebook that featured a touchscreen display with a resolution of 2560 x 1700. Too good to be true, right? Maybe or maybe, not. No one has been able to confirm if this is real or not. 

It is referred to in the video as the Chromebook Pixel. Think of this device as a Nexus-like Chromebook, designed and manufactured entirely by Google, “down to the last pixel.” It is quite the video, which someone clearly spent a ton of time working on. From what we can tell, this isn’t your everyday sloppy leaked video. So, how did it come to light?

According to the CEO of the website, Slinky.Me, the video was stolen after their servers were “hacked.” Interestingly enough, some are speculating that this is some type of hypebeasting move by either Slinky or even Google to get people excited for what is next in the Chromebook department.

Watch the video and let us know what you think. If this thing ever becomes real, I might just have to be the first in line. Needless to say, it’s gorgeous.

Via: +François Beaufort | Android Authority

Google Chrome Pixel Concept Video Leaked, Gives Us Glimpse of a Beautiful Future is a post from: Droid Life

Developer Francois Beaufort, the guy who first pointed out that Chrome would be receiving Google Now-like notifications, posted up the screenshot you are seeing above to his G+ account, today. In the shot, we are seeing at least two things that have grabbed our attention – rich notifications in Chrome OS and an icon that looks a lot like one that would be for a messenger client of sorts. 

First, on the right is a shot of what “rich” notifications will look like in Chrome OS. As you can see, it shows very much in the style of Google Now. It also seems to be showing notifications for missed calls (Google Voice?), users who have circled you (Google+), and messages from friends (Gmail or G+ Messenger). Unified messaging center? Umm, hell yes.

Taking that a step further, the icon in the launch bar by the Google Drive icon is something we haven’t seen before. Beaufort mentioned in his G+ post with the photo that he “doesn’t know yet” what that icon is, followed by a winking smiley face. What’s he hinting at here? In the comments of his screenshot, a number of G+ users are praying for this to be a unified messaging app from Google. For far too long have we had to deal with separated Google Talk, Voice, Messenger, Gmail, G+, etc.

But will it actually happen? At some point, it only makes sense that Google would try to release a unified messaging service. In fact, it should have been done long ago. But since they seem to have neglected Google Talk for the last two years, we can only hope that means they have been working on their next big solution.

Oh, and that argument is also helped by the fact that the icon looks like four messaging icons piled onto one another.

What do you think? Are we finally getting an all-in-one messaging solution from Google?

Via:  +François Beaufort

Cheers Dave!

Is This the Icon for a New All-in-One Messaging Service From Google? is a post from: Droid Life