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THE ABILITY TO share photos by tapping two phones together and a faster way to search content are promised in an upcoming version of Google’s Android operating system for mobile devices.
Google Inc. previewed the version, called Jelly Bean, at a conference in San Francisco for computer programmers.
Google demonstrated “Google Now,” which is supposed to get you the right information at the right time automatically, if you activate the feature.
If you say “traffic,” for example, it will look at your usual commute to work and show you alternative routes if there’s a lot of traffic. It will tell you the scores of your favorite sports teams automatically, and it will keep you up to date on flight statuses if you are flying somewhere.
Google says the Google Now feature will get smarter as you use it more.
Jelly Bean will be available in mid-July. Some devices, including the Galaxy Nexus, will get it automatically as an over-the-air update.
Google says there are a million new Android devices activated daily, up from 400,000 a year ago. Google says there’s particularly fast growth in emerging markets such as Brazil and India. Android is now the chief rival to the mobile software running Apple’s iPhone and iPad.
During the conference, Google is also expected to unveil a small tablet computer bearing Google’s brand.
Tablet threat
If speculation about the long-rumored device pans out, the Google tablet is likely be seen more of a threat to Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle Fire than Apple Inc.’s top-selling iPad. More details should emerge Wednesday during the opening speech of a three-day conference in San Francisco for computer programmers.
Like the Kindle Fire, the Google tablet is believed to have a 7-inch screen, measured diagonally — smaller than the iPad’s nearly 10-inch display.
A Google expansion into the tablet market would bring another imposing entrant into what is already a battle of tech heavyweights. Last week, Microsoft Corp. announced its own tablet, Surface. Expected to go on sale this fall, it will run on a revamped version of Windows and compete directly with the iPad.
Although the tablet is supposed to carry the Google brand and be sold by the company, the machine will be made by AsusTek Computer Inc., according to published reports citing unnamed people familiar the product.
Google also recently expanded into the device-making business with its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings, but the company has stressed that it intends to continue to rely on Asus and other manufacturers that have embraced Android.
The new tablet is expected to be called the Nexus Seven, a reference to a line of smartphones that Google developed to run on its Android software for mobile phones. The Nexus phones have been made by a variety of manufacturers, too.
Google originally sold the first Nexus phone two years ago exclusively in an online store, but scrapped that idea after a few months.
There are already other Android-powered tablets on the market, but none have proven nearly as popular as the iPad or Kindle Fire. That has raised worries at Google as more people rely on tablets to surf the Internet.
If Apple and Amazon establish themselves as the dominant tablet makers, they could set up their operating systems in ways that de-emphasize Google’s Internet search engine and other services. Apple develops its own system, while Amazon modifies Android for use in Kindles.
Apple already has announced that the next version of the iPad operating system will abandon Google’s digital maps as the built-in navigation system. That shift could cause neighborhood merchants to spend less money advertising on Google.
Google’s new tablet is expected to be the first to run on Jelly Bean.
Analysts are also speculating Google that will introduce another long-rumored product, a home-entertainment system for streaming music.
Google also could provide a glimpse at a pair of Internet-connected glasses that it eventually hopes to market as a way to continuously filter and share life through the Web.
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Fun fact – New versions of Android are named after desserts in alphabetical order:
Cupcake
Donut
Éclair
Froyo (frozen yogurt)
Gingerbread
Honeycomb
Ice Cream Sandwich
Jelly Bean.
What were A and B?
Murang
A and B were codenamed Astro and Bender and were basically just test versions,
Aren’t we do cool at google, naming our systems after desserts while we read your text messages, scan your emails, gps location, address book, photos and build a profile of you to sell to advertisers but hey check out our next name… Lemon cheesecake… Coooolll
M, if you’re worried about how they’re using your data, then simply don’t give them any. They only get what you volunteer, so if you’ve such a massive issue with the company presumably you can just not use their services?
Totally agree Winston. It’s unhealthy this level of paranoia levelled at every big corporation. Really lads, nobody is trying to destroy your life using your browsing habits. They just want to show you a few targeted adverts, so they can pay for the technology that you are using for free. Get over yourselves.
Android>iOS.
On a phone, absolutely.
On a tablet, not a hope. iOS is still the tablet OS king and will be for quite some time. As will iPads be better hardware than what the competition are putting out.
However, the new nexus tablet looks sweet for its price, I’ll give it that. Might have to throw a few notes at it!
I’ve a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 and I’m happy with it. Got rid of my IPhone for an Android phone. Broke free of the Apple lock in. More features, unrestricted bluetooth and more supported file types.
Still not an iPhone …..
I phones are shite
Galaxy Nexus > iPhone.
Looking forward to Jelly Bean soon. Just wish Motorola would get their thumbs out and hurry up with Ice Cream Sandwich for my Xoom 2. Honeycomb is brutal.
You’re right John, It’s not an iPhone!
I know telling the difference between a piece of hardware manufactured by one company and a piece of software created by another can be tough, so well done you and hopefully your observation that a version of Android Operating System is NOT an IPhone will aide those who find themselves suffering from the same confusion.
Alan, your vocabulary and technological knowledge are a little stunted. You should ask John to give you some classes as he’s clearly way ahead of the TheJournal.ie pack.
Yes, but I want the iPhone 5. iPhone 5 is better. I can download apps to it. It’s 4G and has the wifis. I’m getting the one with the bigger GBs.
Android is a stolen product and slavishly copies iPhone and iPad.
Obvious troll
So taking everyone’s comments into account I have still arrived at the same conclusion being its still not an iPhone. nn
It’s not a f*cking fighter jet either. Cease your shitposting.
Help! I’ve landed in Geekville
Changed to ice cream sandwich with S2 and disappointed tbh. Slowed down my phone, battery is worse and the extra features are barely noticeable.
Strange… I had the opposite experience with ICS on my Nexus S when I changed even though it’s similar spec to SII. My Galaxy Nexus is in a different league though and ICS really shines on it.
Is this not the issue with android, due to the openness of the software, experience varies widely depending on hardware, and less apps due to reluctance of developers to program across multiple devices? One of the downsides of freedom? My iPhone is telling me to type this.
My Android told me to give you a thumbs down :P
My iPhone is claiming intellectual property rights over all emoticons. Expect an email.
Already bean and gone.,,
So whats next, krapcake?
KoolKlan
It’ll be an all white tablet
Key Lime Pie
Is it starting to look embarrassing the way all these big companies are trying so hard to catch up with apple products..with very little success so far…
Android is older than iOS. Nokia and RIM have had smartphones on the market a lot longer than Apple. Catch up? Other OS’s and manufacturers innovate while Apple copy and make fashionable. Apple haven’t done anything innovative since the 90′s. Cut the fanboyism and take of the blinkers. This is coming from a person whose used Macs through 90′s and 00′s.
The galaxy S3 is a pitiful attempt to “catch up” with Apple all right, MASSIVE fail on Samsung’s part for sure :-D
Did the journal cover the new Microsoft surface?
Thanks
So what do you put their success down to Barry.. As a company they are untouchable…
Cult-like following, bombastic marketing, tight supply chain management (Tim Cook’s doing) and big profit margins. In that order.
Apple’s iOS trails Google Android by about 20 percentage points in smartphone market share, and Apple has less than 10% market share with Mac OS X. The only market it leads is the tablet market (with around 60%), and Android is catching up quick (now on around 30%).
Any more questions?
They do make stunning hardware, I’ve yet to find a trackpad that’s on a par with the macbook pro’s. That’ll probably be irrelevant within the next year or two anyway.
Apples handling (or lack of) of the wifi problem on macbook pros is nothing short of disgraceful.
Also, the new macbooks are becoming even more restricted in how you can use them. People will still buy them though. Seems to me the new macbooks are bordering on glorified iPads.
The real cult like following is Android heads. Watch how any critical comment on Android gets so many thumbs down on this site. Diddums.
Works both ways.
All I can say is vive choice! Both have good and bad points. I prefer Android I find it much more open but ios is still a bit smoother running. Breaking free of Apple’s ecosystem was great for what I wanted my devices to do.
have your say