Google's newest software, Android N, has been released this morning, and with it comes a batch of new abilities for smartphones, tablets, and Android TV. We've combed through the developer bits and pieces to find the most relevant and experience-changing features that've been delivered with this software preview - not all of which might end up on your devices out in the wild by the end of the Summer.
This week a bit of a slip of the publish button seems to have revealed a whole lot of details about the next version of Google's Android. The dessert known as Android N, more than likely Android Nerds, or Nougat, will be launching this week as a developer preview on multiple devices. If a leak (now pulled) from Ars Technica is to be believed, this will include the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Pixel C, Nexus 9 (tablet), and a single Android One phone by the name of General Mobile 4G. Strangely enough, this is not the first time this has happened.
The Google Play Developer Policy Center has been updated to provide better transparency to developers, Google has announced. Google says its redesigned Policy Center better provides developers with clear and transparent policy details, doing so with thematic organization, expanded details on policy enforcement, more detailed guidelines, and more. With it all comes a Material Design level of polish.
Google's next version of Android has been spotted - sort of - in a developer preview for a simple function. This simple function allows developers to switch the operating system's "Dark" and "Light" themes on or off - or dark to light, however you want to say it - and contains a clue. This clue is the hamburger menu button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. This button will allow the everyday user to open a drawer to the left of the screen, switching between sections in Settings menus with swiftness.
Microsoft has announced the purchase of Xamarin, a company that allows mobile apps to be developed for multiple platforms simultaneously. The startup's technology basically lets developers write the code for their apps in a single language, and then easily adapts it for iOS, Android, and Windows. Seeing as how Microsoft has quickly moved to offering its apps on iOS and Android in the last few years, such as the mobile versions of Office, the acquisition makes perfect sense.
The Internet of Things might seem pretty ubiquitous at this point, but there are still headaches in getting things connected. Most internet-linked devices rely on WiFi, and though that's common in homes and increasingly in offices (though the latter might be ruled by a draconian IT department), out in the wild it can be harder to find consistently.
This week a new cross-platform 3D game engine was launched with the name Amazon Lumberyard. This system is integrated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Twitch, including cloud-connected gameplay features and connectivity with Amazon GameLift. This second service, Amazon GameLift, was made to deploy, operate, and scale session-based multiplayer games. These tools appear to put Amazon right into the thick of the game development universe. Appear to. We'll see how adoption works soon.
Just last week, Google seemed to declare war on mobile ad-blockers on the Google Play app store. It all started when they blocked Adblock Fast from the store. The most bizarre part of the story was Google's vague reasoning behind their decision, which was that it violated Section 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement. Well, now they appear to have reversed course.
Google has just announced that a beta of its Android Studio 2.0 software is now available for download, offering new and improved tools for Android app developers. As the latest version of the IDE (integrated development environment), Android Studio 2.0 doesn't have a confirmed release date yet, but sometime before May seems likely. Those interested in trying it out can download it now from the Beta channel website.
What you're about to witness is the next best example of why virtual reality changes the way we'll perceive the world. Inside the Unreal Engine 4 VR editor, users will be able to manipulate everything around them inside a virtual universe. What's more - this isn't like Minecraft, where everything is boxy. This is an Unreal Engine 4 environment. That means realistic. That means so realistic that we're leaping over the uncanny valley. It's done being creepy and we're straight away into The Matrix.
Google blocks an ad-blocking from the Google Play app store not long after Samsung announced an ad-blocking API release for its own web browser. Thus begins the ad-blocking war on Android devices in ernest. This is not the first time an Android app has been blocked from Google's official app store for disobeying the official developer rules - and at this time it's not entirely clear whether or not the block has been put in place for something new, or the same reason as the old.
Wearable camera company Narrative is throwing open its platform to developers, inviting more interesting uses for the tiny life-logging gadget. Dubbed the Narrative Open Platform, it clears the way for both hardware and software customization, as the crowdfunding success attempts to make its wearable a must-have accessory rather than a niche geek trinket.
