Android Q 5G phones will be able to share more network data with apps, as Qualcomm and Google announce plans to maximize the usefulness of next-generation networks. Announced at Google I/O 2019 today, the collaboration will see Android developers gain improved APIs with more insight into the cellular network the phone is connected to.
Smartphones can be great tools for productivity, staying in touch, or even killing time, but they can also be a major distraction. If you're the type of person who finds it difficult to stay focused on other tasks when your smartphone is buzzing with notification after notification, then you'll probably be very pleased to hear about a new feature heading to Android. It's called Focus Mode, and it does pretty much what that name suggests.
Privacy is moving to the fore in Android Q, part of Google's big push to reassure wary users that their devices and services aren't eavesdropping on them or sharing their personal data. The topic was a repeating theme at the opening Google I/O 2019 keynote, reflecting the greater attention tech behemoths and their attitude to privacy has had among both users and regulators.
While most us probably aren't following Google's IO 2019 keynote for new developments on data privacy and security, that topic actually turned into a big segment of the show. Google announced a number of new initiatives today that aim to not only give users more control over how their data is stored, but also to make them more secure across the internet. Those initiatives begin with auto-delete for web and app activity.
Google's attempt to take over the dashboard continues, with Google Assistant Driving Mode joining Android Auto and Android Automotive OS. Announced at Google I/O 2019 during the developer event's opening keynote, it's arguably going to be the easiest way yet to get a car-based interface on your Android phone.
You may not remember Google Lens is there, but according to Google the AR camera is only spreading more broadly. Lens has been used more than a billion times so far, Google's Aparna Chennapragada said during the I/O 2019 opening keynote today, before revealing new talents for the augmented reality camera.
Android Auto is getting a makeover, with Google's phone-based infotainment platform promising swifter navigation and better use of increasingly large dashboard displays. Previewing the new version just ahead of its big I/O 2019 keynote, Google's updated interface also adds a dark theme for better visibility.
Google is opening up Android Automotive OS, the dashboard-centric version of its mobile platform which will launch first on the Polestar 2 EV, to third-party media apps. Set to go live at Google I/O 2019, the company's annual developer event being held next week, the new dev tools are the first of a number of ways Google plans to bring new apps to infotainment systems.
Today we're taking a peek at the coded messages Google's sent with regard to its 2019 Google I/O developers conference. The conference will be taking place on May 7th, 8th, and 9th, 2019, at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. Those are the basic details - from there it gets interesting.
Google's most controversial demo of I/O 2018, its Duplex AI that apparently made reservations on behalf of the phone-averse, now faces questions as to just how real the showcase was. The technology, which used artificial intelligence to hold a conversation with employees at both a restaurant and a hair salon, prompted concern from some, for failing to disclose that it wasn't a real person.
Google's annual I/O event is now underway following its keynote earlier today. The company had a lot to say about its products, the work it is doing now, and the plans it has for the future. There's a lot to unpack from the event, but a handful of thing stand out among the rest, including all the details on Android P, a surprise Waymo announcement, and more.
Google Lens is a cool piece of technology as it is, but beginning next week, it's going to become a lot more accessible. No longer hidden away inside Google Photos and Assistant, Lens will soon be coming to Android camera app on a sizable number of devices. While we'd expect it to be added to the camera app on Google's own Pixel lineup, the full range of manufacturers supporting this roll out may surprise you.