So there you have it - ads are very likely going to be part of Gmail soon. After all, it seems almost silly to not monetize a core app with an absolutely massive install base - between 500 million and a billion. I just hope these ads won't be overly intrusive, and from the looks of things, the Gmail team is approaching the situation with care.
Ads on my Android Gmail application? Seriously, Google?
Alternatives?
Starting today we’re making Quickoffice for Android and iOS available for free, for everyone. With Quickoffice, you can edit Microsoft Office documents across your devices, giving you the freedom to work with anyone no matter what hardware or software they’re using. Plus, it’s integrated with Google Drive storage so you can safely access your files from anywhere.
And unlike Microsoft Office, it's completely free. Good move by Google.
The new apps look and behave much like the native apps you find on Windows and OS X. They're built using web technologies, but also with Chrome-specific code that means they won't be able to run on other web browsers - they're truly Chrome apps. They can exist outside of your browser window as distinct apps, work offline, and sync across devices and operating systems. They can also access your computer's GPU, storage, camera, ports, and Bluetooth connection. Chrome Apps are, for now, only available through Chrome on Windows or Chrome OS on a Chromebook. Mac users will have to wait another six weeks before their version of Chrome will be updated.
This is very important for Chrome OS - since this means it can now have applications outside of the browser. Google's plans for Chrome OS suddenly became a whole lot clearer.
Android is the operating system that powers over 1 billion smartphones and tablets. Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. As everybody finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next version of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats, Kitkat!
Not a whole lot of information just yet. The page says "It's our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody", which could mean either a focus on lower-end, cheaper devices, improved support for more form factors such as laptops, or both.
As for the name - the BBC reports that Nestle is okay with Android using the KitKat name, and that no money is exchanging hands. A deal was reached within 24 hours.
Google's strategy is clear. Play Services has system-level powers, but it's updatable. It's part of the Google apps package, so it's not open source. OEMs are not allowed to modify it, making it completely under Google's control. Play Services basically acts as a shim between the normal apps and the installed Android OS. Right now Play Services handles the Google Maps API, Google Account syncing, remote wipe, push messages, the Play Games back end, and many other duties. If you ever question the power of Google Play Services, try disabling it. Nearly every Google App on your device will break.
Fragmentation addressed through the backdoor. Too bad it's too technical for most blogs, so the fragmentation line will be parroted for years and years to come.
Noticed any differences when using Google's Hangouts video chat lately? If you did, then you may be one of the lucky users who has already received an upgrade to 720p HD video. The company quietly started to roll out HD for Hangouts to a subset of its users in the last few weeks and hopes to complete the rollout soon. But the change isn't just a quality upgrade - it's part of a bigger move towards open standards that will eventually bring us video chat in the browser without the need for any plugins.
To enable HD, and prepare for this plugin-free future, Google quietly started to transition Hangouts from the H.264 video codec to VP8, an open and royalty-free video codec the company released back in 2010. Google's Vice President of Engineering Chee Chew told me during a recent interview that the switchover from H.264 to VP8 should be more or less invisible to consumers, with some possibly noticing a little less choppiness. "It will be cleaner, better video," Chew said.
Good move.
On a related note, whatever happened to Apple's promise to make FaceTime an open standard?
Update: the functionality used by the application was reverse engineered and Google stated that it may change. Google has released a statement which acknowledges that playing local content will come back to ChromeCast once the API has stabilised. Storm in a teacup, apparently.
Heads up. Google's latest Chromecast update intentionally breaks AllCast. They disabled 'video_playback' support from the ChromeCast application.
Given that this is the second time they've purposefully removed/disabled the ability to play media from external sources, it confirms some of my suspicions that I have had about the Chromecast developer program: the policy seems to be a heavy handed approach, where only approved content will be played through the device.
A company intentionally disabling cool stuff? Surely you jest.
Apps and their ads must not add homescreen shortcuts, browser bookmarks, or icons on the user's device as a service to third parties or for advertising purposes. Apps and their ads must not display advertisements through system level notifications on the user's device, unless the notifications derive from an integral feature provided by the installed app. (e.g., an airline app that notifies users of special deals, or a game that notifies users of in-game promotions).
I've never encountered any of these, but good to see them banned.
Early this morning on Google+, he showed off his latest project, which will allow any audio or video file to be casted to your TV using a CyanogenMod-powered device and the Chromecast dongle. In his demo above he shows it off using the Twit.TV app, but he explains that the process should be the same for any media you can play through any app.
This is exactly what I want out of the Chromecast.
Over one billion people use Google Maps services every month. On the Google Maps app, these users are often searching for local businesses - from restaurants, to car dealerships, to dentists, and more. Recently, we launched a new version of the Google Maps app for Android, iPhone, and iPad where we introduced several new features. Today we're introducing an updated ad experience we think is more attractive for users and more effective for advertisers.
Yes, ads in Google's mobile Maps applications. Fantastic.
Well, I see that people have figured out why I'm quitting AOSP.
There's no point being the maintainer of an Operating System that can't boot to the home screen on its flagship device for lack of GPU support, especially when I'm getting the blame for something that I don't have authority to fix myself and that I had anticipated and escalated more than 6 months ahead.
By the way, in this context, 'to escalate' means handing something over to your superiors so they can handle it. I believe this definition of the word is uncommon outside of the US.
The issue here is exactly what it sounds like: there are currently no factory images/binaries available for the latest Nexus device, the new Nexus 7. The problem is that the GPU in the new Nexus 7 is made by Qualcomm, a company which is incredibly hostile towards the open source community. This isn't the first time Qualcomm has sabotaged an AOSP launch - all Nexus devices with Qualcomm chips, the Nexus 1, 4, and the new 7, faced these problems.
Because he is apparently very good at pattern recognition, JBQ states that he already anticipated this issue six months ago, but that it hasn't been solved. A recent tweet from him is quite telling:
That feeling when lawyers sabotage the launch you spent 6 months working on? I haz it. Sad sad sad sad sad sad.
This is bad news for Google, and bad news for Android. JBQ has done an amazing job on AOSP, and I'm very sad to see him leaving his post. As of this moment, it's not yet known whether he will leave Google entirely or not.
But once I used the phone heavily, I started to come around to the Moto X in a way I hadn't expected. The additions to the software that Motorola has made are legitimately useful and really quite impressive. They add to the experience of Android without removing what is most vital in Google's software, unlike the competition, which seems intent on obscuring what's already a sophisticated and beautiful operating system. If Motorola ends up producing a Google Play Edition of this phone that retains the customizable hardware and software additions like Assist and Active Notifications - this could be as good an option as the S4 or One.
And the phone is nice. I mean, really nice to use. It's a reminder that the way something is built can be as important as what it's made of.
If I'm right in reading between the lines of Google's marketing speak, the Moto X was made in the image of the everyman. The 4.7-inch screen size, the curvature of its back, the composite materials, its weight and front-face look were focus-tested for maximum inoffensiveness. The Moto X exudes no tech halo like the Galaxy S 4 or the HTC One because it is the sum of averages. Here's how I see it: You know those people who own iPhones, but don't know which model number they own and also refer to all Android phones as Droids? This phone is for them.
It seems like there's a consensus regarding the Moto X: it's average in almost every way, but for some reason, it still feels like a fantastic phone. It's not the best at any metric, but at the same time, nothing really sucks about it either. It's an interesting approach in the smartphone world, but since older and/or cheaper models (e.g. iPhone 4/4S, Galaxy SIII) are still selling really, really well, to the point where they harm margins, the Moto X might be on to something.
However, this makes the price tag that much weirder. It's $199 on contract, just like most other flagship phones. So, who is this for?
Good.
About time.
The Moto X looks interesting, but I doubt it can handle the competition. Specifications do seem to matter in the shops, and the Moto X doesn't measure up. On top of that, how are they going to do the custom design thing in other parts of the world?