IO2019 - Droid Life

Google Says It’s Really Excited About Wear OS in Least Exciting Way

Kellen May 10, 2019

Wear OS isn't a completely dead platform, but as I wrote up a couple of weeks ago, the wearable OS from Google isn't in a great place at the moment. That was made clearer this week during Google I/O, where there wasn't a single session or mention of Wear OS...

Users in Select Countries Can Now Use Cash to Pay for Apps in Google Play

Tim May 9, 2019

In some areas of the world, cash is still king. Announced this week at Google I/O, users in select markets, starting first in Japan and Mexico, will be able to pay for apps using good ol' fashioned paper money. Called Pending Transactions, a user will initiate...

Google Play App Ratings Will Soon Favor Recent Ratings

Tim May 8, 2019

Google announced to app and game developers this week at Google I/O that very soon, app ratings and how they are calculated are getting changed up. As of right now, an app's rating is calculated from reviews that can date back to the time the app was initially...

Google Showcases Subtle Android TV Changes at I/O

Tim May 8, 2019

Google showcased and spoke of a few changes coming to Android TV later this year, changes that include an updated look for Google Play on the platform, as well as an easier subscription signup and login process for Android TV users. As you may know, logging...

Google Brings AR to Search, New Features for Lens

Tim May 7, 2019

Google introduced a few changes for Google Search on mobile devices today at IO 2019, as well as new features for Google Lens. For Search, it is bringing AR to supported mobile devices, like great white sharks and animated models from Visible Body. With new AR...

Google Shares What’s New in Android Q, and Yes, There’s a Dark Theme

Tim May 7, 2019

Google is sharing what's new in Android Q, and beyond the things we already knew, the list is quite hefty. Maybe most importantly, from a very shallow and silly perspective, is the addition of a dedicated Dark Theme. Seriously, it's coming! Related: Download...

Duplex ‘On the Web’ Will Soon Book Car Rentals, Movie Tickets

Tim May 7, 2019

Google has been using Duplex to help you book reservations at local restaurants for a bit now, but today at I/O 2019, the company announced Duplex on the web. With it, Google is looking to do certain tasks that are associated with the web, such as booking car...

Google Assistant Gets a Driving Mode

Kellen May 7, 2019

Your Google Assistant will get a driving mode starting this summer. It'll provide you with a specific visual experience that's been built for use while driving, sort of like Android Auto. As you can see in the image above, Assistant's driving mode shows you...