Stadia just got a big boost for web browsers - just so long as you're using Chrome, of course. This week the streaming video game platform Stadia was boosted to 4K in web browsers, and the rest of the necessary graphics power and hardware. Those requirements include - for starters - a proper internet connection speed.
Just last week, Google made a rather bold and forceful stand that would be echoed by other software developers in the industry. It said that it would put Chrome and Chrome OS releases on hold during the COVID-19 crisis, a move that Microsoft would follow both for the Chrome-based Edge and even Windows 10 to some extent. In another surprising move, however, Google is now announcing that releases will be pushing through though with a few changes along the way.
This week the folks at Stadia and Unity Technologies made an announcement about their new initiative to bring new games to the cloud gaming universe. This is part of the Google for Games Developer Summit - an online event, as is the situation with most events in the world at the moment. In Stadia Makers, creators will have the potential to be given technical assistance, free development hardware, and funding.
Earlier this week, Google announced that it would be pausing new releases for Chrome and Chrome OS, citing the adjusted schedules of the Chrome team during the coronavirus outbreak. Updates, Google said, wouldn't stop entirely, as the team would continue to prioritize security updates as part of Chrome 80. Today, we're seeing Microsoft make a similar announcement concerning upcoming Edge releases.
As businesses pare back services or shut down entirely in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, Google has apparently started making some tough decisions as well. The company announced today that it will temporarily halt new Chrome and Chrome OS releases for the time being. There's no word on when the Chrome team will be back on their normal release schedules, but it seems to depend on what happens with the COVID-19 outbreak from here.
A rumor today suggests that Google may finally have an answer for the Amazon Fire TV Stick and other dongle-like smart TV platforms. This device would be a follow-up to the Google Chromecast Ultra, a relatively small device that plugs into an HDMI port at the back of a television and requires its own power source - generally provided by a power cord also included in the box. That device does not run Android TV - this new device might.
Today we're taking a peek at the newly-released 4K capabilities of Google Stadia in web browsers - and updating you on our ever-evolving review process with the service. It's a slightly less straightforward process, reviewing a service instead of a piece of hardware. Instead of judging the device on its hard-and-fast qualities, we've got to watch what happens with the software over time. As such, and as we're seeing here with Stadia, things can actually get quite a bit better.
The physical portion of the developer event Google IO 2020 was cancelled due to concerns around COVID-19. This is "in accordance with guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities," said the Google I/O Team - which begs the question: Why are any events going on in California as planned? Prospective Google I/O 2020 attendees will receive full refunds by March 13, 2020 from Google.
It was only recently that Google finally opened the Stadia doors to smartphones outside its Pixel family but it had one important catch. It required the use of a wired controller which somewhat negated the portability benefits of the game streaming service. Fortunately, there are a few enterprising developers who refuse to take things sitting down. One such developer has brought his Chrome tool to enable Stadia gamers on Android to actually use the input method that's always available to them: touch.
Microsoft is back for another stab at the browsing experience with a Microsoft Edge update out this month. The update will be right at home for many Google Chrome users, making it an enticing alternative to Chrome, which holds 60% of the web browser market for desktops.
Web browsers today are a far cry from the early days of the Internet. It is possible, though not really advisable, to even run operating systems in them, if not be an operating system itself. Web technologies have opened up worlds of new experiences and almost literally. No longer confined to powerful devices or even smartphones, mixed reality has come to the no longer modest web browser and the upcoming Chrome 81 release will drive the browser further down that road, this time with augmented reality technologies.
Google loves showing off its AI chops and especially the speech recognition in Google Assistant. It might simply be frivolous convenience for some while others may even be worried about the privacy implications of things like Duplex and Call Screening. Last year, however, Google revealed an application of these technologies that few will argue isn't helpful to everyone. Fortunately, it seems that this feature won't be limited to Pixel phones and might soon find their way to all of Chrome's incarnations.