Android Honeycomb preview
-Hey, I'm Donald Bell for cnet.com.
We are at Google's Android Honeycomb event.
There is some Motorola Xoom tablets inside that are running Honeycomb.
I'm gonna go inside and check it and see what Honeycomb can do.
-Sounds this is CES, but you can actually--
-Uh huh.
-attach your player on a bit.
As you can see, there is a notification window and that's now kinda got the general--
-Yeah, exactly!
-settings down here the bottom too--
-Uh huh.
-so, you don't have to dive into the actual full settings menu.
-Yeah, exactly!
-And it's cool too.
You're getting a 2-pane view of everything.
-Exactly!
So this is again using the [unk] of the fragments which break up the screen into multiple pieces.
-Yeah.
-So, you can jump between them.
Here is another actual example [unk] job locations.
You can see that there is kind of almost a [unk] Chrome navigation that you got input through and you can jump back to applications, jump to storage and get that.
So, navigation is fully-- it's kind of-- it's fully been rethought--
-Uh huh.
-once again.
-This music interface is a new interface for you guys too--
-Yep.
-right?
-Thought of, you know, having the
4 buttons [unk] out of their tabs.
You have this kind of drop-down navigation.
But, really it's kinda of, again, rethought--
-Uh huh.
-in terms of, you know, how does this work in larger space.
So, the interesting thing about notification--
-Uh huh.
-is actually-- this is something that's changed in the past.
The notification was always there.
-Uh huh.
-But now if you press "Home" for example or jump into another app, the notification appears in the bottom--
-And here is a--
-Yep!
-combined.
-So, you've got your quick controls for play, pause and skip?
-The menu key has become part of this top application bar.
-Uh huh.
-And some of them are just more
important than other.
So, we decided that--
-They are up here.
-that we will put them in front--
-Yeah.
-immediately visible on the screen.
And the secondary item, that's kind of what are-- what's relegated to this--
-Like this key?
-the secondary menu.
-Right.
-So, this is kind of where the menu buttons gone.
-That would be [unk].
And so-- and all of the Google mobile sweet kind of apps like these--
-Yeah.
-Gmail, maps--
-Yes.
If you jump that to calender is another example of fragments in the actual bar.
So, again, you have this fragment in the right.
You have this kind of main fragment, and then you have that
actual bar over the menu buttons.
-Is there anything that you guys have done, I mean, obviously, the keyboard is a lot larger.
-There have been some changes to the actual keyboard functionality like there is multitouch now.
You can have, you know--
-Wow!
-you can see [unk] things like that.
At the same time, there are some other changes there and they're kinda more minor--
-Uh huh
-but the keyboard has had a big kind of rebound.
-So, that was Android Honeycomb on the Motorola Xoom.
I gotta say first impressions, the hardware is beautiful.
The screen is really responsive.
The touch accuracy is really good.
The OS itself, Honeycomb, on the tablet, it does a lot of stuff that Android hasn't done, well, historically on the tablet size devices yet.
It's killer e-mail, web browsing is really great.
The actual repositioning
of apps and widgets on the screen, you know, the drag down different UIL [unk].
The reposition of the settings down in the corner and the contactual mini buttons at the top.
Overall, we can tell a lot thoughts gone into it.
I'm really excited to see this into a formal CNET review hopefully soon.
For cnet.com, I'm Donald Bell coming to you from Goggles Android Honeycomb demo.
Up Next
What is the Fediverse?
Up Next
What is the Fediverse?
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Apple and Disney's Unique Bond: Why Vision Pro Needs the Mouse
Apple and Disney's Unique Bond: Why Vision Pro Needs the Mouse
The Ocean Cleanup's System 03 Collects Plastic Pollution at Record Levels
The Ocean Cleanup's System 03 Collects Plastic Pollution at Record Levels
Latest iOS 18 Rumor Roundup: New Designs, AI Tricks
Latest iOS 18 Rumor Roundup: New Designs, AI Tricks
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Everything Just Announced at Google's AI Health Event
Everything Just Announced at Google's AI Health Event
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
Apple May Give FineWoven Accessories 1 More Season
Apple May Give FineWoven Accessories 1 More Season
US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
What to Expect at Apple's May 7 iPad Event
What to Expect at Apple's May 7 iPad Event
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Latest How To All how to videos
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro