As for the games, Google played titles Horn and Dead Trigger on the big Google IO screen, demonstrating the capabilities of the Tegra 3. That includes the sort of graphics you might usually expect to find on a regular console or PS Vita.

We’ve already seen those Tegra 3 abilities on other Android tablets, but Google is particularly pushing the Nexus 7 as a content consumption device. The tablet’s HDMI output means that you may be able to replace your PS3 or Xbox 360 by hooking the slate up direct to your TV.

More on the Google Nexus 7 here.

The first thing you’ll be bound to notice is that this application is made to look just as nice one way or the other. That is, if you’ve got a tablet that you want to set up on its landscape side for most of your reading, but then want to bring it with you on the bus and want to hold it more like a portrait-style book, you’ll have no worries, as the flipping is both without delay and smooth as butter. This application begins on your home screen where you’ll see one ever-turning page of news stories, one by one, and the other side full of icons for sources you yourself add in.

You’ll find that each source leads to a page that’s either just full of news stories or has a selection of portals leading to different bits of content. If you have SlashGear on your homepage, for example, and head on in, you’ll see News Stories (from our main feed), YouTube videos, Columns, and more. YouTube is fully integrated with Currents, playing straight from a news story without a problem, and if you’ve got a portal to your YouTube Channel, you get an array of videos that can, if you want, play all at the same time – though that’d be rather loud if you ask me.

Once you enter a News Story, you’ll find that all the text is highlightable and selectable, but none of the images share that freedom. On the other hand, you are able to exit out to a full browser-window version of each story if you wish to see the news how the website publisher originally intended it. Comments and other such bonus features are not currently integrated with Currents, but you are able to Share stories with a variety of sources. There are also options to access a setting screen to change up and sign-in to each of your sharing services as well as a miniature feed access that pops up on the left side of your screen so you can easily access new stories without going back to your source’s main home screen.

Finally there’s adding sources, which is also a simple, your ability to add featured sources the most obviously easy to do, searching for a source similarly simplified down to the basics. For those of you wishing to add details to your own webpage listing in this situation, head to the Producer Portal — accessible by Google Chrome web browser only, mind you. Featured news stories in “Trending” come from Google News, and you have access to Google Reader sources as well – so you’re all tied up!

If you live inside the USA you’ve only to go to the Android Market if you’re using an Android device or on the iTunes Appstore for either this iPad version or the smaller version for iPhone / iPod Touch. If you live OUTSIDE the USA, there’s a method for that as well, but only for Android at the moment. Check it all out right this second and don’t forget to search to add Android Community and head to the Science and Tech section to find SlashGear – and subscribe your heart out!

Have a peek at this hands-on video as well as the screenshots taken from this iPad version of the application and note that the app on all platforms is completely free – what are you waiting for?!

While there may well be a patch to do away with your ability to use this application outside the USA once Google finds that their cutoff has been re-glued together, you can explore the fun and fine world of Currents right this second via the download link. User Shenye over at XDA Developers Forums has kindly provided the .apk file for you to download and open up unto your device without fail. This application should work on either your tablet or your smartphone, no problem, just so long as you have your device set to open applications from third party sources. Easy as pie!

Those of you on iOS outside the USA, you’re still out of luck. Stick around here on SlashGear to see our full review of this application / ecosystem in just a short bit on the iPad 2, and don’t forget to head over to AndroidCommunity.com to see a review of the Android version of the app as well. Once you’re in the app, be sure to add SlashGear.com as well as AndroidCommunity.com so you can get all your tech news in one place – what a greatness there is to be had! Download this app if you’re in the USA from the Android Market or on the iTunes Appstore right this moment!

There’s also a focus on discovering new content, with a Trending section that brings new stories to the fore.  Each hour, Google Currents builds a set of editions tracking the most recent trending stories across various categories, including world, entertainment, sports, and science. Each trending story includes related articles, videos and pictures.

As you’d expect, there’s comprehensive social networking integration, with the ability to share out your favorite stories, photos and videos via Google+, Twitter, email and other methods. If you have multiple devices logged in with the same Google account all your subscriptions are synchronized across devices. Check out our hands-on for both iPad here on SlashGear and Android over at Android Community.

Google Currents is available as a free download in the US. You can find it in the Android Market here and in the Apple App Store here. Content producers can find information on how to get involved here.