google android

Android in 2013: What to expect

Brace yourselves: 2013 is upon us, and that means a whole new generation of Android devices, rumors, and expectations.

Android will have a strong showing at CES, and the next few months will be littered with new smartphones and tablets. Let's take a look at some of the trends we can expect in the Android space over the coming year.

This article will touch on many trends in the Android ecosystem, including hardware advancements, vendor decisions, and key events of the year. Given the sheer number of players in the space, there will be much to look forward to … Read more

Google brings Snapseed to Android

As of today, Snapseed, one of the more unique photo-editing apps for desktop and iOS, is officially available for Android. After enjoying much success on other platforms and even getting acquired by Google in September, it was only a matter of time before this increasingly popular product would make its way onto the Mountain View titan's own mobile OS.

Snapseed offers borders, filters, and a handful of other useful tools for fine-tuning photo attributes like focus, brightness, contrast, and more. And not surprisingly, the app comes with built-in Google+ sharing, which seems to set the stage for an ultimate … Read more

As Nexus 10 hits the marketplace, new life is seen for Android tablet apps

The recent release of new 7- and 10-inch Nexus devices earned some of the strongest reviews yet for Android tablets. And yet along with praise for the high-resolution displays and snappy processors came a familiar complaint: there aren't enough apps.

As my colleague Roger Cheng put it: "Unfortunately, it's software, and not hardware, that continues to be the key problem for Google. Android tablets have struggled to make a real impression with consumers because there is a dearth of apps built specifically for tablets on Android. While the hardware and specs are great for the gadget enthusiasts … Read more

Apple, Google and Amazon wage war of pixels

It was there this month in Apple's announcement of the iPad Mini, in Google's marketing of the Nexus 10 tablet, and in an advertisement on Amazon's home page promoting the Kindle Fire HD.

Pixels per inch -- the simple measure of a device's screen resolution -- now trumps many other metrics in a device's product marketing. In a world where nearly everything has become a rectangular square of glass, the quality of the display on that glass has risen to the top of device makers' priority list.

Google has made the screen of the Nexus … Read more

With Android 4.2, Google asks users to submit their panoramas

Google Maps' Street View feature has long allowed users to get a glimpse of far-flung destinations in 360-degree panoramas. Today the company is inviting users to contribute panoramas of their own.

Today Google unveiled Android 4.2, whose features include a new camera option called "Photo Spheres." A Photo Sphere is a 360-degree panorama akin to similar offerings from Microsoft (Photosynth) and the namesake product of startup TourWrist.

Only Photo Spheres, though, can be uploaded to Google Maps.

"Your images will help make Google Maps more comprehensive, and enable other travelers to get an accurate preview of … Read more

Google announces new Nexus tablets, smartphone

Google announced lots of new hardware today via blog post, after an event in New York was canceled in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. The big items:

The Nexus 4 smartphone, developed with LG. It features a quad-core processor, a 4.2-inch display, and a wireless charging feature that lets you power the phone by setting it down on a charging service. It runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and a feature called Photo Sphere for creating 360-degree panoramas. The phone goes on sale Nov. 13 for $299.

The Nexus 7 now comes in new Wi-Fi models that are 16GB (… Read more

Say hello to Google's answer to the iPad

We've already seen pictures taken with the upcoming Nexus 10 tablet, thanks to Google's Vic Gundotra. Now we're seeing pictures of the device itself.

Days before the Nexus 10 is expected to make its debut in New York, new images have surfaced purporting to show the device and the updated version of Android it's running on. [Note: Monday's Android event has been canceled because of Hurricane Sandy. We'll update you with a separate post when we know more.]

BriefMobile posted a 16-shot gallery of the new tablet showing a roughly … Read more

Buy credits for Google Play from your browser

Google has added a feature that lets Google Play users top off their credit by simply visiting the Web version of the storefront. The move comes on the heels of the recent introduction of physical gift cards in various retail stores.

Scrolling to the bottom of the Google Play store, you can now click on a link that allows for credit refills in various denominations. It's possible to purchase credit in increments of $5, $10, $15, $25, and $50.

As of now, it's only possible to add to your own account, though I suspect we'll see gifting … Read more

Google overhauls Android developer console

Developers have uploaded more than 675,000 apps to the Google Play store -- but along with them, they have registered their fair share of complaints about the process.

The current system can make it hard to see whether an app has published to the store, they said. The workflow asks them to fill in information they may not yet have ready. The design of the developer console can be confusing.

Google hopes to remedy those concerns today with a new developer console that it says is friendlier to developers.

"At its core, the Developer Console is how you … Read more

Google reportedly recruiting for a Nexus call center

In a potential sign of things to come, Google has tapped a third-party company to help staff a Nexus call center. According to details uncovered by Geek.com, recruiters have been floating around the San Francisco Bay Area, seeking out Android "afficionados." The reason? Someone in the Mountain View, Calif., area needs help providing phone and e-mail support for an Android tablet.… Read more