One announcement that received a little less fanfare than Android L and the Android Wear smartwatches at Google I/O this week was Android Work, an enterprise security and management framework which could rival BlackBerry’s own security suite.
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Google’s I/O 2014 keynote certainly had its ups and downs earlier this week, but the clear highlight as far as we were concerned was Android L. Google’s next Android build, likely named Android 5.0, will feature a number of key changes. For one thing, there are some huge performance enhancements coming in the next major release of Android, though we’ve already told you how to get many of the benefits on your phone right now.
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We try to tell you as often as possible when good paid apps are made available for free, and today we’ve hit the mother lode. For a limited time, Amazon is offering more than $100 worth of paid Android apps for free in its popular Amazon Appstore portal.
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Apple may be getting ready to launch the new iPhone 6 next quarter, but that doesn’t mean the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c aren’t hot propositions anymore, especially since retailers are apparently now ready to sell at deep discounts. Starting Friday, Walmart will permanently discount both 2013 Apple iPhones, as long as they’re purchased with a new two-year agreement.
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Android Wear was one of several highlights from Google’s I/O 2014 keynote earlier this week, as the company showed us that it wants to be everywhere, not just on smartphones, tablets and computers. Three new devices were shown off during the event — one of which was absolutely gorgeous, while the other two were decidedly “meh” — along with all of the nifty functionality we can look forward to as Wear devices begin hitting the market.
For early adopters, of course, there is really only one question that matters right now: Is your smartphone compatible with Android Wear devices?
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The smartwatch market has suddenly got very crowded over the last year, in good part thanks to the five different smartwatches Samsung has released in the last eight months alone. So how will Apple differentiate itself when the iWatch finally comes to market this fall? From what we’ve heard, it seems Apple is going to position the iWatch as the ultimate fitness tracking machine that will reportedly pack 10 different sensors you can use to check up on your health. And now Network World has spotted a recent Apple hire who could help make the iWatch even better than what we’ve been expecting.
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Some reports have revealed that Google plans to ditch the Nexus family of devices next year and replace it with an Android Silver line that would consist of high-end devices running a stock Android version, much like Google Play Edition devices. Moreover, a report claimed a Nexus 6 would not be launched this year, somewhat further backed up by LG, which recently denied plans to build such a device for Google this year. However, Google head of Android engineering and the Nexus program at Google told ReadWrite that the Nexus line isn’t going anywhere, which seems to indicate that a Nexus 6 smartphone is still in the cards, just as a recent rumor suggested.
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Forget Wi-Fi for your Chromecast connectivity needs, as Google has found a more interesting way to pair the dongle with nearby devices for streaming purposes, GigaOm reports. The Chromecast team has figured out how to use inaudible ultrasonic sounds to pair the entertainment device with supported smartphones and tablets.
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With all eyes on the iPhone 6, it can be difficult to remember that Apple has other hardware aspirations in the pipeline. 9to5Mac reports that Apple’s next priority will be the Smart Home, consisting of a range of new devices that will interact with Apple’s phones, computers and tablets. According to unnamed sources, Apple has put together a team specifically for the Smart Home initiative, and although development could be delayed, the company is “beyond the exploratory phase of development.”
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Google did not unveil new Nexus smartphones or tablets during its I/O 2014 opening keynote, but the company might be planning to offer fans a new Nexus 5 color option in the near future, and that’s yellow. In fact, the company has already listed it on its Android website, where Google+ user Android Luna spotted it, but the device is not available to order from the Google Play Store just yet.
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