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Optimus G?
VV(^^)VV_____OFFICIAL ANDROID OS/DEVICE THREAD_____VV(^^)VV
- Thread in 'General' Thread starter Started by pacmagic2002,
- Start date
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[h1]Google Play Services gives control of Android back to Google[/h1]
By Jerry Hildenbrand | May 17 2013 | 2:06 pm | 47 COMMENTS
[h3]With API services outside of the core operating system, Google is taking back control of Android[/h3]
We didn't get a new version of Android this year at Google I/O. You can read all the lamenting and gnashing of teeth over this across the web, so I'll spare you the play by play of how it was supposed to happen (a proverbial lock), but didn't.
Instead, I'll tell you a little bit about what we did get -- a huge updated version of Google's service APIs, which turns out is much better.
Wait. Better? How can an app I never wanted that got magically pushed to my phone be better than a newer, higher number in my about phone screen? That's crazy talk, right?.
Turns out, that little app is a powerful beast. Read on.
[h3]What are Google Play Services?[/h3]
Sitting through the session at Google I/O gets us the answer straight from the folks who write the software -- and they sum it up nicely. Google Play Services is "a single place that brings in all of Google's APIs on Android 2.2 and above." An API (Application Programming Interface) is a fancy term for special code that's written as a way for one piece of software to communicate with another. Google writes APIs for Android, and app developers use them as a conduit to access many of Android's core features. You'll find APIs in plenty of software projects, both big and little. Having them isn't really anything special.
Currently Google Play Services is at version 5. You probably had no idea things were updating on your phone or tablet all this time, because that's the way it was intended. You don't go looking for the file, it comes and finds you. Every device running Android 2.2 or higher that has official access to Google Play uses these services. That means almost every single one of those 900 million devices that have been activated has a copy of Google Play Services installed. And Google keeps things updated, and pushes these updates out fast, which is part of what makes them so fantastic.
Being under complete and total control from Google means that the folks who built your phone, as well as the carrier you may have bought it from, are completely out of the picture. You won't have to wait six months or more to get the new service APIs. In fact, Google says they are able to get them pushed to the majority of devices in about a week after they are updated. If you take one thing away from all this, knowing that Google decides what the service APIs are, who gets them, and when is the important part.
[h3]What do these services do?[/h3]
The meat of the issue. If you watched the Keynote, where Google announced all these ultra-cool and new features for Android (yes, without any version update!) -- features like the new fused location service, the Play Games services, new and improved Google Cloud Messaging or even the new panorama API -- you've seen some of the things that Google Play Services handles. The app installed on your phone allows developers to install some libraries from the SDK, and tap into all this stuff with just a few lines of code. No matter if you're running Ice Cream Sandwich, or Jelly Bean or any version above 2.2, you'll have access to them.
Google not only has pulled these services and their respective APIs out of the OS, it has made it easy for application developers to use them. The past few days here at Google I/O we've seen just how easy it can be to add these features to an app, because Google is doing all the heavy lifting. Developers only need to reference the particular thing they need from the Google Play Services application in their code, and the magic happens when you run it on your phone.
Remember from above we talked about the fantastic part where Google controls these services, and their distribution out to all of our devices? I want you to keep remembering that as you read through. Think how different things would be if you had to depend on your carrier or the people who made your phone to get all this out to you. Yeah, that would suck. This is why such a big update to Google Play Services is more important than a new version of Android -- we got all the cool stuff without waiting for HTC or Samsung, or even worse -- AT&T or Verizon -- to send it to us.
[h3]Why it matters to us[/h3]
For a minute, forget all the complaining about how Hangouts weren't instantly available for everyone at the same time. Most everyone should be good to go by now and have their new Hangouts app. Everyone. Think about that -- Google Talk, a long staple and core feature of the operating system, was updated with a slew of new features without you getting a system-wide update.
Last week, before we came to San Francisco, we were afraid. We were worried that Hangouts would get shown off, and then we would find out that they were part of Android 4.3. This means that most people would be waiting a long, long time for them, and you all would be ready to boil over knowing that your new HTC One or Galaxy S4 wasn't going to get the feature any time soon. And rightfully so, smart phones are expensive.
Instead, 15 minutes after Hangouts was shown off, people were finding it in the Play Store. The same thing will happen when a developer uses the panorama API to build a photosphere viewing app, or someone writes all the new Games functionality into your favorite game. This is much better than a new version you weren't going to get for six months, isn't it?
By Jerry Hildenbrand | May 17 2013 | 2:06 pm | 47 COMMENTS
[h3]With API services outside of the core operating system, Google is taking back control of Android[/h3]
We didn't get a new version of Android this year at Google I/O. You can read all the lamenting and gnashing of teeth over this across the web, so I'll spare you the play by play of how it was supposed to happen (a proverbial lock), but didn't.
Instead, I'll tell you a little bit about what we did get -- a huge updated version of Google's service APIs, which turns out is much better.
Wait. Better? How can an app I never wanted that got magically pushed to my phone be better than a newer, higher number in my about phone screen? That's crazy talk, right?.
Turns out, that little app is a powerful beast. Read on.
[h3]What are Google Play Services?[/h3]
Sitting through the session at Google I/O gets us the answer straight from the folks who write the software -- and they sum it up nicely. Google Play Services is "a single place that brings in all of Google's APIs on Android 2.2 and above." An API (Application Programming Interface) is a fancy term for special code that's written as a way for one piece of software to communicate with another. Google writes APIs for Android, and app developers use them as a conduit to access many of Android's core features. You'll find APIs in plenty of software projects, both big and little. Having them isn't really anything special.
Currently Google Play Services is at version 5. You probably had no idea things were updating on your phone or tablet all this time, because that's the way it was intended. You don't go looking for the file, it comes and finds you. Every device running Android 2.2 or higher that has official access to Google Play uses these services. That means almost every single one of those 900 million devices that have been activated has a copy of Google Play Services installed. And Google keeps things updated, and pushes these updates out fast, which is part of what makes them so fantastic.
Being under complete and total control from Google means that the folks who built your phone, as well as the carrier you may have bought it from, are completely out of the picture. You won't have to wait six months or more to get the new service APIs. In fact, Google says they are able to get them pushed to the majority of devices in about a week after they are updated. If you take one thing away from all this, knowing that Google decides what the service APIs are, who gets them, and when is the important part.
[h3]What do these services do?[/h3]
The meat of the issue. If you watched the Keynote, where Google announced all these ultra-cool and new features for Android (yes, without any version update!) -- features like the new fused location service, the Play Games services, new and improved Google Cloud Messaging or even the new panorama API -- you've seen some of the things that Google Play Services handles. The app installed on your phone allows developers to install some libraries from the SDK, and tap into all this stuff with just a few lines of code. No matter if you're running Ice Cream Sandwich, or Jelly Bean or any version above 2.2, you'll have access to them.
Google not only has pulled these services and their respective APIs out of the OS, it has made it easy for application developers to use them. The past few days here at Google I/O we've seen just how easy it can be to add these features to an app, because Google is doing all the heavy lifting. Developers only need to reference the particular thing they need from the Google Play Services application in their code, and the magic happens when you run it on your phone.
Remember from above we talked about the fantastic part where Google controls these services, and their distribution out to all of our devices? I want you to keep remembering that as you read through. Think how different things would be if you had to depend on your carrier or the people who made your phone to get all this out to you. Yeah, that would suck. This is why such a big update to Google Play Services is more important than a new version of Android -- we got all the cool stuff without waiting for HTC or Samsung, or even worse -- AT&T or Verizon -- to send it to us.
[h3]Why it matters to us[/h3]
For a minute, forget all the complaining about how Hangouts weren't instantly available for everyone at the same time. Most everyone should be good to go by now and have their new Hangouts app. Everyone. Think about that -- Google Talk, a long staple and core feature of the operating system, was updated with a slew of new features without you getting a system-wide update.
Last week, before we came to San Francisco, we were afraid. We were worried that Hangouts would get shown off, and then we would find out that they were part of Android 4.3. This means that most people would be waiting a long, long time for them, and you all would be ready to boil over knowing that your new HTC One or Galaxy S4 wasn't going to get the feature any time soon. And rightfully so, smart phones are expensive.
Instead, 15 minutes after Hangouts was shown off, people were finding it in the Play Store. The same thing will happen when a developer uses the panorama API to build a photosphere viewing app, or someone writes all the new Games functionality into your favorite game. This is much better than a new version you weren't going to get for six months, isn't it?
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I know some slick devices will be dropping but idc, this note 2 will hold me down for some years.
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Good article about the google api's. I always disliked that certain google apps were embedded (?) in the OS and not available/updated on the play store like everything else. Getting timely updates now is nice.
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[h1]Wolfson WM5110 audio chip outputs 'studio master' sound, may appear in next Galaxy S (ears-on)[/h1]
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/17/wolfson-wm5110-audio-chip/
awesome if this come standard on new nexus and other android devices ...if this and the rumor nikon camera lens comes true
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/17/wolfson-wm5110-audio-chip/
awesome if this come standard on new nexus and other android devices ...if this and the rumor nikon camera lens comes true
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I'm hoping I get an invite too.
Have you gotten a chance to mess with it yet?? Thoughts??
Nike Jordan
Supporter
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I got my invite yesterday. 
Nike Jordan
Supporter
- 33,869
- 80,921
Edit: Double post.
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I'm hoping I get an invite too.
Have you gotten a chance to mess with it yet?? Thoughts??
[COLOR=#red]My first impression of it is that it's just a really clean interface. The search is integrated very nicely and there's a feature where you can click on almost any street on the map and it will display the address and a street view preview. Also the images are vector based which means less time to fill in the map when you scroll. I can't do 3D in it because I'm on Mac OSX 10.6.8 and you need 10.8 and higher but I aint switching to Mountain Lion because it has a glitch that drains batteries like no other.
Below is a screengrab[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#red]They made streetview a lot more tidy as well. Better overall GUI and the behind the scenes improvements seem to speed things up.[/COLOR]
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Is that why my MacBook was dying? Bruh, my joint was dying in 2 hours a couple of weeks ago. I received an update a few days ago and things returned to normal.
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kinda confused on how hangouts works. just got my update for it. i tried to type niketalk in that search at the top of the app but nothing happened. im in the google+ niketalk community though. [email protected]
whyhellothere
Banned
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[COLOR=#red]Yes bro, the problem was well documented. Please let me know how that update works long term. If it's stable I'll upgrade to Mountain Lion finally.[/COLOR]
ssjjfar
Supporter
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You gotta do hangouts with your contacts or people in your circle. If your doing it from phone anyways. So add people in the community to a NT circle and you could do it like that afterwards.
On Google+ website you can start a hangout in community that will allow anyone to join if they want, but it's not gonna notify/call them all like if it was a personal request. It will just be in their stream, and on community page as hangout available to join.
bhergh
Banned
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Is screen burn in covered by warranty? Samsung note 2 have had the PHONE since January online is too confusing with random information
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ah i see. well i added everyone that joined the NT community page on google+ about 28 people and added everyone to a group hangout chat
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:x :x
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the android hangouts version of emojis are whack haha but im talking to a friend on hangouts with an iphone and her emojis in the app still look the same as the regular apple ones.
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My battery was not doing great so I just decided to switch back. I guess I will root this bad boy and hang out until the Note 3
Mr Dink
formerly foamposite xi
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Somebody tell me, did I done goof?
So, I HATE the new plans T-Mobile is doing. I actually did the math and realized that I would actually be paying more money if I were to go with that. The only way I actually get an HTC One without dealing with any of this is if I order one with Best Buy. So, I go to a Best Buy store and try to do a cross upgrade with my dad's line. The problem is, Best Buy can't do cross upgrades with T-Mobile because they simply won't allow them to due to restrictions or some crap. They also told me that if I were to upgrade his line, they would have had to add a $20 data plan on his line too in order to upgrade the One on his phone. They told me to just go home and try to do everything myself, when I get the phone in the mall, call and tell them to activate it on my line instead of my dad's and just remove the data plan. So, I go home and do all of that. While I go going through the process of upgrading my dad's line, I notice that there was absolutely no requirement to add a data plan in there. In fact, they actually let me keep my current plan completely. My question is, when I get the phone, try to activate it on my line, you think I'll be okay? Or will T-Mobile just give me a hard time and make me put a data plan on my dad's line, might not even let me use the phone on my line?
So, I HATE the new plans T-Mobile is doing. I actually did the math and realized that I would actually be paying more money if I were to go with that. The only way I actually get an HTC One without dealing with any of this is if I order one with Best Buy. So, I go to a Best Buy store and try to do a cross upgrade with my dad's line. The problem is, Best Buy can't do cross upgrades with T-Mobile because they simply won't allow them to due to restrictions or some crap. They also told me that if I were to upgrade his line, they would have had to add a $20 data plan on his line too in order to upgrade the One on his phone. They told me to just go home and try to do everything myself, when I get the phone in the mall, call and tell them to activate it on my line instead of my dad's and just remove the data plan. So, I go home and do all of that. While I go going through the process of upgrading my dad's line, I notice that there was absolutely no requirement to add a data plan in there. In fact, they actually let me keep my current plan completely. My question is, when I get the phone, try to activate it on my line, you think I'll be okay? Or will T-Mobile just give me a hard time and make me put a data plan on my dad's line, might not even let me use the phone on my line?
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Anyone on straight talk?
Guess they don't sell micro sims anymore ... so I'll have to cut it?
Guess they don't sell micro sims anymore ... so I'll have to cut it?
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Those tmobile plans = how much do I pay today/right for this phone. Instant gratification.
You are right. It ain't worth it.
You are right. It ain't worth it.
Mr Dink
formerly foamposite xi
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Seriously, I am so frustrated with T-Mobile because of this that it almost makes me wanna end my 10-year relationship with them... But AT&T and Verizon don't offer unlimited data (I know T-Mobile technically doesn't either, but at least they won't charge after the 2 GB cap... ), and I don't know how I feel about Sprint, either. If the time comes where I have no choice but to go to the new plan from T-Mobile, then I will switch.
But AT&T and Verizon don't offer unlimited data (I know T-Mobile technically doesn't either, but at least they won't charge after the 2 GB cap... ), and I don't know how I feel about Sprint, either. If the time comes where I have no choice but to go to the new plan from T-Mobile, then I will switch.
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