Google"s Android Keynote has just finished and here"s the highlights, hot off the press:
Android Growth
- 100 million android devices have been activated in total.
- Over 300 different android devices
- 400,000 android devices are being activated every day
- 200,000 Apps in the Android Market
- Rolling out for some Tablets today
- Recent tasks list can now scroll
- Widgets can now be resized, both horizontally and vertically, on the fly
- USB Host mode - you can now plug in all manner of USB devices, such as keyboards, mice, controllers, digital cameras, etc.
- Honeycomb 3.1 is coming to Google TV
- Google TV is getting the Android Market, will run honeycomb optimised apps
Ice Cream Sandwich
- Next Version of Android after Honeycomb
- Will unify Android versions - will run on all Android devices, phones, Tablets and more. Addresses fragmentation woes.
- More advanced technology - real time head tracking possible
Movie Rentals via Android Market
- Can now rent full films directly from the Android Market
- Variable Pricing
- Playable on your PC or Android
- 30 Day rental period
- High-definition
- "pinning" system allows you to download to your device for when streaming isn"t possible
- Movies app for tablets rolling out as Android 3.1
- Phone app coming out later for 2.2+ devices
- Currently US only
- Store your music collection in the cloud
- PC/MAC application can sync with your existing music collection
- Create playlists and store them on your device for offline playing
- Launching in beta - invitation only to US users
- Store up to 20,000 songs
- Free (at least while in beta)
- First invites go out to all those attending Google I/O
- Updated music app is on the market NOW - for Android 2.2 and above
New Guidelines for Android Devices
- Partnership to ensure timely updates to new android devices
- Founding partners: Verizon, HTC, Samsung, Sprint, Sony Ericsson, LG, T-mobile, Vodafone, Motorola, AT&T
- All future devices from these partners will be updated for at least 18 months, hardware permitting
Android Open Accessories
- Platform to build accessories for Android devices
- Helps integrate devices, making them compatible with all android devices
- Taking Android beyond Phones and Tablets, android support everywhere, such as the example they used whereby an android phone was connected to an exercise bike
- Supports Honeycomb and Gingerbread
- Supports USB, will support Bluetooth in the future
- Reference Hardware and Software for Android Accessory Development Kit (ADK) available today
- Google created a giant tilting labyrinth as an example - controlled by tilting an android device
- No approval process or NDA required!
Android at Home
- New Wireless communication protocol
- Android devices can communicate with potentially every appliance in your home
- Android Tablet can, for example, turn lights on and off remotely
- Google Partnering with various "industry players" to create a vast array of appliances for your home
- "Project tungsten" android "Hub" - Android@home devices you can place around your house, such as a speaker system to play music with, or an NFC device that can add music to your music beta collection just be tapping a cd against it
Android Market Announcements tomorrow.
Plus, everyone in attendance got a brand spankin" new Galaxy Tab 10.1.