Google has long been rumored to be developing a Game Center rival for Android smartphones and tablets. Information from a new Google Play Services file, which was obtained and broken down by Android Police, indicates that Google Play Games isn’t too far off. The service appears to include a number of interesting features such as multiplay support, cloud syncing, matchmaking and game invites, achievements, a leaderboard and even support for in-game chatting. All the social aspects of the service are expected to be managed by Google+, allowing users to chat and share achievements with specific friends and followers. Google is expected to announce its new Play Games service on Wednesday at its I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Earlier this year, Google began a trial program to allow select Android developers the opportunity to respond to their critics on the Play Store. The company announced on Monday that the ability to reply to app reviews has now been expanded to all Google Play developers. Ellie Powers of the Google Play team notes that ever since connecting Play Store reviews with Google+ profiles, the quality of reviews has “increased tremendously.” There are still some times when a customer is left unsatisfied, however, and allowing a developer to respond to feedback will only make for a better application. More →
When Google announced that Chrome chief Sundar Pichai would also be taking over the company’s Android division from former Android boss Andy Rubin, speculation naturally turned to whether Pichai had plans to merge the two operating systems together. For the time being, however, this doesn’t seem to be in the cards. In an interview with Wired, Pichai says that the plan going forward is to keep Android and Chrome separate because they each perform distinct functions that serve different purposes and thus shouldn’t be seen as small variations of the same platform. Pichai did concede that “the picture may look different a year or two from now,” but emphasized that in the current environment Google was more than happy to keep plugging resources developing two separate operating systems. Plenty of other interesting tidbits were covered in the interview, which can read by following the source link below.
A new report suggests that Google will unveil an update to its forgotten Wallet service later this month. According to AllThingsD, Google was originally planning to introduce a physical credit card at its annual I/O developers event, however it has since decided against it. The company will now reportedly announce new rewards, offers and loyalty points for Wallet users available from a wider selection of merchants to help the service better compete with Apple’s Passbook. Google’s vision of creating a mobile wallet has been hampered by carriers, which have favored an alternative mobile payment system known as ISIS. The lack of NFC-equipped devices and the limited number of compatible merchant sales terminals have also hurt Google’s efforts. A physical card would have allowed Google to bring its Wallet service to the masses, however CEO Larry Page was said to be displeased with a recent demo and decided to scrap the project.
Amid the sea of iPhone cases, camera mounts and iPad styluses that have flooded various crowd-funding sites in recent years, an interesting new project emerges. It’s name is Earl. Seattle, Wash.-based startup Sqigle is on a mission to build an Android tablet designed to keep users alive while the roam off the beaten path. It will feature a ruggedized exterior, an E Ink display, an integrated solar charger, 20-hour battery life, GPS and highly detailed topographic maps that will help users navigate various terrains while hiking, climbing and wandering. Squigle is seeking an ambitious $250,000 to fund the project, and it hopes to launch by August 2013. If the project meets its funding goal, the Earl will be available starting at $249 including 100k resolution topographic maps or $299 with both 100k and 24k resolution topographic maps. Earl can be preordered on the project’s site, which is linked below.
Earlier reports have indicated that Google and its partners are preparing to launch Android-powered notebooks that could debut later this year. Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities notes that Samsung is just one of many companies that will launch such a product within the coming months, 9to5Google reported. The analyst warns that these “AndroidBooks” won’t be announced at Google’s upcoming I/O Developers Conference due to the delayed launch of Android 5.0, however, which is meant to help further bridge the gap between computers and smartphones. More →
The $99 Android-powered Ouya game console has been delayed by three weeks and won’t be available until late June. Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman noted that the delay is self-imposed to ensure that there is enough stock to “satisfy all the early orders.” The executive also revealed that the company has received $15 million in additional funding from various firms including NVIDIA. The new capital will be used to “support OUYA’s growing game development community, and meet increased demand for the upcoming retail launch.” The Ouya, which has some new competition from BlueStacks, is equipped with a 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 8GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, a USB port and microUSB port, a wireless controller and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The console is now scheduled to launch at Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop and Target on June 25th for $99.99.
A new report has found that mobile device shipments, including notebooks, tablets and smartphones, exceeded 300 million units in the first quarter of 2013. According to research from Canalys, shipments increased 37.4% year-over-year to reach 308.7 units. Android manufacturers continue to ship more devices than any other vendor, totaling 59.5% of all shipments. Strong demand for the iPhone and iPad gave Apple a 19.3% share, ahead of Microsoft’s 18.1% share from shipments of Windows-powered notebooks, tablets and smartphones. More →
Google has long been rumored to be developing a high-end smartphone, codenamed the X Phone, in collaboration with its Motorola division that would be designed to push the boundaries of mobile innovation. New information suggests, however, that the company has abandoned the project because it could not achieve the level of innovation it had originally hoped for. The report comes from Chinese analyst Sun Changxu, who noted that the project has not been cancelled and instead is now being developed solely by Motorola. This could result in a device that doesn’t include the tight Google integration or stock version of Android earlier reports had indicated. While it was first reported that the X Phone would debut later this month at Google’s annual I/O Developers Conference, the latest rumors suggest the device will be announced later this year.
BlueStacks is known best for its App Player software, which allows users to run Android apps and games on Windows and Mac PCs. The company on Wednesday announced that it is branching out, however, and it will soon launch a home video game console that brings the mobile gaming experience to the big screen. Available for preorder beginning immediately, BlueStacks’ GamePop is the first console ever to be offered for free when users sign up for the company’s subscription game service. The console ships with one controller, and only those who preorder the GamePop during the month of May will be able to take advantage of the free offer. More →
A new leak suggests that Huawei is planning to release a super thin flagship smartphone with a metal frame. Images published by Engadget reveal that the handset, code-named P6-U06, features a metal chassis similar to the iPhone and an ultra-thin 6.18mm body. The device is said to be equipped with a 4.7-inch 720p display, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear camera. Huawei is expected to announce its latest flagship smartphone at a press event on June 18th in London. Additional images follow below. More →
Apple claims Google is withholding information about Samsung’s use of the Android source code. The company is now asking a judge to force Google to turn over documents related to Android as part of its second patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, Bloomberg reported. Apple argued that Samsung uses Android in all of its infringing products and the platform “provides much of the accused functionality” in its claims. Apple is concerned that Google isn’t doing proper research to locate the files and would like U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal to intervene. More →
