Google Android discussion - Page 61

This is the reason why this is such a "disaster". We were promised nothing, yet we expected the world. We saw this coming. Voiding KNOX, disabling Samsung Pay, they were all warning signs.

We are the reason for these locks, not Samsung

Please, take some time and search through Any XDA forum and in a matter of minutes you will find a thread where someone bricked their phone rooting it or changing something and they get a manufactures replacement claiming the hardware failed, and 9 times out of 10 it works. How many people sent T-Mobile their S6's after finding that Samsung Pay support was broken after rooting, a lot. This costs companies money, yes they are companies, but causing someone else money because of YOUR MISTAKE is wrong on every level.

As devices get more and more complicated and require more and more security to protect things like mobile payment information, fingerprints etc it is only reasonable to expect fully locked down devices.

Yeah, I am sad that the device is locked down, and if someone finds a root method I may root. But it isn't the end of the world and as long as Samsung keeps putting out top tier devices, locked down or not, they will keep getting my business.

The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Business Insider, and Recode have all independently heard of a Chrome and Android merger that would result in Android becoming Google's flagship desktop and laptop operating system. The move would turn Android into Google's "everything" OS, allowing it to run on watches, phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, TVs, and cars.

Android would need a brand new interface to work on a PC with a mouse and keyboard, just as it has a brand new interface for cars, TVs, and watches. We saw what seems like the beginnings of this with Android N's floating window mode, a feature that is hidden and unfinished in the current Android N Developer Preview. Perhaps Google I/O could be the coming out party for the multi-window feature or for the entire Android-on-PCs strategy.

The original Wall Street Journal report mentioned a release date of 2017, with "an early version" arriving in 2016. Google's big demos usually happen at Google I/O, so could we see a demo of the desktop version? Google would certainly want to get developer feedback on a major new interface like this, and there would probably be lots of new APIs to talk about. It would also explain why we got a random March release for Android N—Google didn't want to overwhelm everyone by launching both Android N and announcing a new desktop interface (and possibly a replacement for Chrome OS) at Google I/O.

We know virtual reality will be a big deal at Google I/O thanks to the schedule, which is packed with virtual reality stuff. Google promises to unveil its "Vision for VR" and show off where the company is headed. Today, Google has Google Cardboard, but several reports from respectable outlets say that Google is building a more substantial lineup of VR hardware. There are rumors of both a standalone VR headset and a smartphone-powered Gear VR competitor due out this year.

Smartphones and mobile SoCs today are designed to prioritize general app performance, light gaming, and low power consumption. As a result, these chips generally provide high performance for short periods of time—augmented and virtual reality have different requirements and will benefit more from chips that provide consistent performance over a longer period of time. Rumors say that Google plans to build itself a more appropriate VR-focused SoC by working with OEMs to design chips.

On the software side of things, Google is supposedly working on a VR interface for Android. Android N added some VR hooks in the latest developer version, so it sounds like baby steps toward this are already underway. As a totally new platform for Android, Google will need developer support, so hearing some news on this at I/O seems likely.

The I/O schedule also tells us to expect a lot of Project Tango news at the show from Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group. Tango is Google's 3D-sensing camera that is often demoed as a platform for augmented reality and gaming. Xbox Kinect-style sensors on the back of the device allow it to make a 3D map of a room and know its exact position and orientation in that room. Google has demoed applications for precise indoor mapping, gaming, and an augmented reality home design app. There are also lots of applications for robotics.

Currently, there is a Project Tango developer kit for sale, but Lenovo is building the first-ever consumer Project Tango device, which is scheduled for release this summer. The I/O schedule confirms the consumer device will be at the show—a session called "What's New with Project Tango" promises to "explore the vision of Project Tango and how it will come to life with the launch of our first consumer phone." The "summer" launch is close enough to Google I/O that we're betting the consumer device will be part of free hardware given out to I/O attendees.

A product team at Google is working on a hardware device that would integrate Google's search and voice assistant technology, akin to the Amazon Echo, Recode has learned.

Google's device will resemble its OnHub wireless router, according to several sources. We don't know if it has a name yet, but internally the project goes by "Chirp."

Google declined to comment. The Information previously reported that Google was plotting a competing version of Echo, a portable speaker with voice assistant tech.

Sources said the device is unlikely to launch next week at Google's I/O developer conference, but plans are for it to land at some point this year.

We should, however, get a peek at it and its potential next week — voice search and intelligent personal assistance will occupy center stage at the company's splash show, along with virtual reality.

Google has long had voice assistant tech in its Android phones — beckoned by the words "Okay, Google" — that many in the industry see as leading the pack. (People inside Google think so, too.) But it has yet to bake that into the home, a key growing marketing for Google and its rivals. Its OnHub router, released last summer, does not have voice recognition capabilities.

On April 28 2016 16:00 Excalibur_Z wrote:
Really impressed by HTC devices, particularly their more recent models. This could be what gets me to finally upgrade from my Nexus 5.

Google will unveil an Amazon Echo competitor called Google Home tomorrow, according to The New York Times. It's not stated exactly what form the device will take — a speaker seems like a reasonable guess, but it's only ever referred to as a "voice-activated home device." Like the Echo, it'll be able to answer questions and take commands by voice.

Though it'll be demonstrated tomorrow, according to the report, Google Home won't ship until this fall. The early demonstration is somewhat unusual for Google, but there's good reason it may want to unveil it at I/O. Announcing Google Home now would let third party developers begin building out integrations with it, which could then be ready at launch.

Amazon's Alexa assistant is well known for the huge number of integrations it has. But it's taken well over a year for those to come together into a coherent whole. By starting early, Google could have a more compelling product at launch. Of course, that's assuming third-party integrations are supported — but I/O is a developer conference, after all, so it's hard to imagine otherwise.

On May 12 2016 08:58 Jibba wrote:

I pre-ordered the 10, and just cancelled it.

Their ordering system is still having the same failures as it did when the Vive released, and their customer support is pretty bad.

Quite frankly, I don't expect HTC to survive another 2 years. Even if the 10 is a great device, it's priced too high in a mature market and the non-engineering aspects of their business are poorly run.