Google Launches New Limited Edition Skrillex Live Cases For Android Devices

Google Launches New Limited Edition Skrillex Live Cases For Android Devices

If flagship Android devices are you thing, and keeping them looking fresh and scratch-free is on top of your agenda, then this latest project from Google and its partners is something you may want to pay attention to. As part of a collaboration with musician Skrillex, Google has introduced a limited number of cases for popular Android devices known as the “Edition” range. This isn’t just an ordinary protective case however. The accessory also comes with an accompanying live wallpaper beamed directly from above the earth by a satellite ballon named after the musician’s dog. Yep, you read that right. We couldn’t make this up.
Let’s talk about the cases first. Any purchase of one of the limited run of Edition cases will also come with a stunning live wallpaper to match the aesthetic of the purchases case. Unlike other live wallpapers that we’ve seen, this particular purchase will introduce a live feed of images of the earth at night as captured by the satellite “Nanou“. Nanou, named after Skrillex‘s dog, will also serve up constellation images for a particular location that is derived from the GPS data of the device that the case is used on.

The limited edition cases will be offered up in sizes to offer compatibility with the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6, and the soon-to-be-replaced Galaxy Note 4. Google is clearly hoping that this little side project will appeal to the younger generation due to the involvement of Skrillex, an electronic dance music producer who is extremely popular around the global club scene. In addition to offering compatibility with a fairly decent range of popular Android devices, the cases will also feature a choice of three unique designs that have been put together by Skrillex himself. Clearly a man of many talents. If you’re into that sort of thing.
If you aren’t excited enough by what’s been offered so far then hold on, there’s more. Every purchase of one of the Edition case will also come with a free-of-charge album download as well as the ability to navigate directly to Skrillex’s YouTube channel via a hardware button on the case itself. And, to top it all off, if you purchase a case and follow the @Android Twitter account then there’s a chance you could also win the actual Nanou satellite balloon that is feeding the images back from above the earth.
The Edition cases are available via the Google Play Store – here – and will be offered until the end of June or until supplies are depleted.

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Every Android Wear Announcement From Google I/O 2015

Every Android Wear Announcement From Google I/O 2015

Thursday, May 28, Google took to stage at the I/O 2015 conference to unveil some upcoming new features for Android wear, including WiFi support, always-on apps, new launcher, emojis, wrist gestures, glance-able apps, and much more. All in the hopes of making Android Wear much better than what it is already. And all that you’d find on the LG Watch Urbane and with the latest update for the ASUS Zen Watch.

Here’s a quick round up of what Google announced for Android Wear today.
Always-On Apps

Taking cue from the most basic functionality of watches – checking time – Google is introducing the concept of always-on apps, which means that certain apps will remain active even in the low-energy display mode, providing information that you can glance on your wrist as you go. Examples include a shopping list that you want to refer to continuously without needing to pull your phone out, or, even better, navigation directions using Google Maps.
WiFi & GPS

The new Android Wear version will be able to take advantage of WiFi connectivity to deliver notifications to your wrist even if you don’t have your phone with you. This means that if you were to forget your phone home, your Android Wear smartwatch will continue to bring you notifications as long as it has a WiFi connection, through the cloud.
New App Launcher
Similar to how Apple Watch allows launching apps specifically made for your wrist-companion, the new Android Wear version will feature a launcher that will make it easier to launch apps on your smartwatch as opposed to going through menus upon menus to find that Start function. Of course, voice support is still there, so you can speak an app’s name to launch it, too.
Wrist Gestures
This is one feature that is really slick. Wrist gestures allow you to navigate through notifications and check them in more detail through flicks of your wrist. Flick outward for next, and toward yourself for previous. There are multiple gestures supported that take full advantage of the several sensors onboard your smartwatch.
Draw Emoji Characters

In another move that highly mimics Apple Watch, Android Wear’s new version will let you draw emojis on your watch face that will be recognized by Google and converted from your poorly-drawn images to proper graphic art. Based on my own testing, it works pretty well, and is a neat gimmick.
4,000 Android Wear Apps + Better Apps
According to Google, there are 4,000 Android Wear apps out there on the Play Store after almost a year since launch. To put things into context, the Apple Watch had 3,500+ on launch day itself, and the list is growing like wildfire till this day.
Google also announced today that it would be stepping up the quality of the apps available on Android Wear, and they proved their point by showing off Uber and Foursquare for the platform.
This pretty much covers the major updates/features for Android Wear. Of course, there are several under-the-hood kind of improvements that will make the whole experience all the better. Since my ASUS Zen Watch has already received the update, it has considerably improved battery life, by almost twice as much. As of now, unfortunately Zen Watch and Urbane are the only smartwatches that have been on the receiving end. For all others, we’re waiting on Google for more information.
You may also like to check out:

• Apple Watch Vs Android Wear: 16 Features Apple’s Offering Has That Google’s Doesn’t

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Download Android M Developer Preview For Nexus 5, 6, 9, Nexus Player [Direct Links]

Download Android M Developer Preview For Nexus 5, 6, 9, Nexus Player [Direct Links]

With Google I/O 2015 now in full swing following the conclusion of the opening keynote, developers the world over are eager to get their first taste of the newly announced version of Android – Android M. The new update is still in its early pre-release stages, but developers need to try it out for a variety of reasons, not least to ensure their apps work with what will soon enough be Google’s newest version of its mobile operating system.
Google today said that it would be making developer previews of Android M available and that has now happened, with developers able to download the preview of Android M for devices across the Nexus smartphone and tablet ranges.

Those wishing to give Android M the once over can now download an image for the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and even the Nexus Player which should be enough for most developers to at least get started on their compatibility work. The aforementioned downloads are obviously free, and can be grabbed right now – links at the foot of this post.
Of course, it’s possible that non-developers will also want to install these previews, with Android enthusiasts keen to try out what new enhancements and bug fixes have been included in this new release. With Google still some way off having Android M ready for primetime even before carriers and hardware makers get their hands on it we suspect Google’s new version of Android could be quite a way from being ready. With that in mind we suggest you don’t rush out to install Google’s Android M images just yet unless you have a valid reason. And if you do decide to give it a try, just remember that this is the first developer release of a new version of a highly complicated mobile OS. Expect bugs. Expect strange goings on. Expect crashes. It’s all part of the game.

Google’s I/O developer conference kicked off today and the fun is only just getting started. We’ll keep our eyes on the event and our ears to the ground for more tidbits over the coming days.
The direct download links of the Android M developer preview images are as follows:

• Nexus 5
• Nexus 6
• Nexus 9
• Nexus Player

You may also like to check out:

• Android M Announced: Features And Release Date [Everything You Need To Know]

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Google Cardboard App For iOS Released, New VR Model Supports Larger Phones

Google Cardboard App For iOS Released, New VR Model Supports Larger Phones

With Google I/O 2015 currently underway we can be sure of plenty of big announcements coming out of the developer event, but there will also be one or two smaller ones that while not likely to change the world nevertheless should not be underestimated. One such announcement is the availability of Google Cardboard for iOS.
For those not up to speed on Google Cardboard, this is the, well, cardboard accessory which was originally announced last year at I/O 2014. It has a slot for a smartphone to be put into it. The phone then drives what is now essentially a virtual reality headset of sorts, and while it may not be up to the standards of Oculus, it’s definitely better than nothing. Until today Google Cardboard was only available to those using Android smartphones. Now though, those with an iPhone 5c or above can take advantage of the little box that could.

Google Cardboard app for iOS allows iPhone users to configure Cardboard and it even has a few little virtual reality experiences for Cardboard owners to try out. Right now the app is only available in the U.S. App Store which is probably related to the fact that you need to get Google to send the actual Cardboard portion of the headset out to you before the app is of any use.

Google is pushing Cardboard once again at this year’s Google I/O, with a slant towards education currently seeing Cardboard used to help students go on virtual field trips. No more going out in the cold and rain to see some architecture, or at least that’s the theory.


The Google Cardboard app is free and available to download now. The Cardboard itself can be bought from Google’s partners, though you might want to get the refreshed version which was announced today as it is easier to assemble than last years model, includes support for smartphones up to 6-inches and has a button that now works with any smartphone as well.


(Download: Google Cardboard for iPhone on the App Store)
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Google Announces Project Brillo: A Baby Version Of Android For Internet Of Things

Google Announces Project Brillo: A Baby Version Of Android For Internet Of Things

The Internet of Things is one of those ideas that has been around for a while but hasn’t really come to proper fruition yet. Google seems to think that it can be the one to sort that problem out, even though it already tried back in 2011 and then quietly killed the project off. Maybe the second time is a charm.
Speaking at today’s opening of the Google I/O 2015 developer conference, Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President at Google, outlined the company’s plans for Project Brillo. The idea behind the new project is to give third-party devices such as baby monitors, lights, door locks and other in-home gadgets a way to communicate thanks to a pared down version of Android that they would theoretically all be running – sort of like Apple’s HomeKit. It’s Android Jim, but not as we know it – after all, not everyone can get Android running properly on a smartphone so can you imagine the chaos of trying to squeeze it into a garage door lock?

While actual details on how any of the Project Brillo stuff will work for the end user are scarce, developers were treated to some information on what Google is calling ‘Weave.’ Designed to be the technology that allows all of this kit to talk to each other, Weave will give devices a way to tie tasks and events together. Imagine having a coffee machine that kicks into gear as soon as you open your front door, or a house alarm that arms itself up whenever your car leaves the garage. The possibilities are quite endless, but with Google not ready to ship the developer tools needed for Project Brillo until Q3 of this year and Weave not ready until a month or two after that makes an appearance, you’re going to have to wait before the Internet of Things finds a way into your living room.



The Google I/O event is just getting started so expect to hear more information about Project Brillo and the latest version of Android over the coming days. These are interesting times for Google, let’s see where they take us.
If you’re a developer and are eager to learn more about Project Brillo then simply head over to this link in your Web browser: developers.google.com/brillo/
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GoPro Announces Insane 360-Degree 16-Camera Rig For Capturing VR

GoPro Announces Insane 360-Degree 16-Camera Rig For Capturing VR

Google has announced a new collaboration partnership with GoPro – the makers of extremely popular high-definition video cameras that have become the module of choice for motorcyclists, divers and extreme sports fans around the globe. The recently announced collaboration has been struck as part of an effort to build a virtual reality filming rig using multiple GoPro cameras that will then be partnered with Google’s Jump software that was introduced as part of this year’s I/O conference.
Google’s new Jump virtual reality platform certainly looks impressive enough, but just check out what GoPro has created as part of this formidable team. In an effort to capture the content that will ultimately be rendered and shared using the Jump software GoPro has designed and developed a 360-degree camera rig that looks like something straight out of Star Wars and comes equipped with a hugely impressive 16 GoPro high-definition cameras. As you might expect, the device itself is a fairly impressive piece of kit built on top of GoPro’s technology with an additional array of functionality.

As part of the 16 camera setup the new 360-degree GoPro rig will offer camera synchronization, the ability to control cameras individually, and perhaps most importantly, an extremely long battery life built with the sole aim of capturing as much insane footage as possible. When the video has been captured, Google will then use its Jump software to adapt and splice the footage into something truly seamless and exceptional. After this process, users will then be able to upload the video directly to YouTube, Google’s video sharing site, for individuals to view on virtual reality headsets, such as Cardboard, Google’s very own low-cost VR headset.

The GoPro announcement features one of three parts that are actually necessary to capture, render and then view the virtual reality video, as outlined by Clay Bavor, Google’s Vice President of Product Management:

Jump enables any creator to capture the world in VR video. Video that you can step inside of and make it available to everyone. It has three parts − a camera rig with very specialised geometry, an assembler, which turns raw footage into VR video, and a player.

Early speculation suggests that Google and GoPro will be seeding early builds of the 360-degree rig to prominent YouTube channel owners in an effort to get initial content up and running before it eventually goes on general sale.
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Google Project Tango Tablet Now On Sale For $512

             Google Project Tango Tablet Now On Sale For $512

Google managed to turn a lot of heads with its Project Tango initiative last year which was coupled with a tablet introduced as the test-bed for the project. The tablet has always been touted as a developer oriented gadget and was only available to buy through an invitation. This has now changed, as the Mountain View-based company releases the mysterious device for anyone willing to pay for it.
The powerhouse of a tablet has walked out of the invitation stage and has arrived straight into the Google Store while its retail price remains cut by almost fifty percent. Earlier, Google had brought down the price to $512 to all invitees, and that very price tag has been carried over to the store units as well. Meanwhile, the tablet continues to carry some of the best hardware specs money can buy, with the NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor at the heart of the machine, which despite being older than the Tegra X1, still packs a mean punch. 4GB of RAM is rather enviable for existing Android fans, and 128GB of onboard storage is simply plentiful. The display? A 7-inch 1080p panel.

However, what sets this apart from the rest of the tablets around right now is that 4MP camera with a massive module coupled with a motion and depth sensor giving the tablet a “human’s perspective” of the 3D world around it. The tablet is no consumer device by a long shot, and even through its much broader availability, the machine is pegged as a Tablet Development Kit. “These tablets are designed to enable software professionals to develop for the platform. The tablet has known issues and will receive regular updates which may modify the device’s functionality as the platform evolves. By purchasing this device, you acknowledge you understand this risk,” says the Android giant.


Interestingly, Google did not say a word about the tablet’s availability a day later at the Google I/O 2015 event, despite it announcing at the 2014 event that it was looking to team up with LG for a consumer tablet to be released in 2015.
Here’s our hands-on with Project Tango tablet from I/O 2014.

If you want to grab yourself a Project Tango developer tablet, then simply head over to this link.
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