Google's mobile operating system, Android, was the focus of this year's I/O developer conference in San Francisco.
As Wired reports, the tech giant has shown its intention to bring Android literally everywhere. Starting with a preview of Android 5.0 L, the company is offering an early look at the next generation of its operating system, which will be available for download to interested developers.
A key feature of Android L (which will be released in the fall) is its new design (material design, according to Google). Essentially, developers will be able to add the illusion of depth.
Also, changes are being made to the notification processes, to which the user will have direct access from the locked screen, so they will be able to deal with them without "unlocking" the phone, while at the same time the software will "learn" from the user's behavior, in order to display the most important updates for them.
There's also a new personal unlocking feature that looks at data like location, Bluetooth, and even the user's voice "fingerprint" to confirm their identity - as well as a "kill-switch" function in case of a lost device.
Google claims that L will be significantly faster than previous versions of its operating system, and will also support 64-bit processors. Meanwhile, an initiative from the company called Project Volta focuses on improving battery life on Android devices, including a new “Battery Saver” mode.
The new Android will also feature what is called Universal Data Control, which will allow users to control how their data is shared on their device. It is noted that during the presentation, Sundar Pichai, a senior executive at the company, stated that Android now has one billion "30-day" active users (people who have used an Android device in the last month), and that Android now "owns" 62% of the global tablet "pie".
Also, within the framework of Google I/O, changes and upgrades were presented for Chrome regarding the mobile web experience, while Android Wear, which is intended for wearable devices, also took pride of place.
This operating system will support various screen layouts, understand voice commands from the user and synchronize with the smartphone. It also allows you to control other devices and utilizes Google Now capabilities to provide useful information.
Android Auto was also announced at the conference, for the use of applications and services in the car, with an emphasis on navigation, communications and music, as well as voice interaction.
The interface is specifically tailored to the car's data, while the upcoming release of an Android Auto SDK was also announced for developers interested in creating applications for the car.
Also introduced was Android TV, which essentially treats the TV as another Android screen and obviously focuses on TV shows and games, bringing Google Play to the screen.
Google also made updates regarding Chromebooks, for which it is seeking to integrate Android applications, while the company's moves in the office space were also presented - including plans for a new version of Google Drive, for use in workplaces.
In addition to these, a new initiative was announced, called Android One, which aims to facilitate the development and release of smartphones with Google's operating system in the developing world, as well as Google Fit, which "targets" the fitness sector.
Source: secnews.gr
