The Google Maps Android API v2 allows you to easily embed Maps directly into your app, but today, Google took it one step further. The launch of three new Location APIs will bring services that improve the overall maps experience. Moreover, the next version of Google Maps for iOS and Android was previewed today, packing a bunch of new features. (more…)
![[IMG]](http://s.iosfans.com/?u=https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bR-miRNPNFg/UYRb8dq0HuI/AAAAAAAAGzc/ro5zkqVNR2g/s750/Banner2.jpg)
Not even two weeks ago, we told you that Apple announced its 3rd app download milestone giveaway. Today, we get to follow up on this to tell you that said landmark has been reached–the 50 billionth app has now been downloaded. As we mentioned previously, Apple has expanded on this giveaway greatly this time around. Not only will the grand prize winner be receiving a $10,000 app store gift card, but the 500 subsequent downloads will be receiving a prize as well in the form of a $500 gift card. (more…)
Google+ is set to receive its first major redesign in over a year, gaining a multi-column look that closely resembles the iPad and Android tablet layout that was rolled out last June. The new Google+ design, which looks very similar to Pinterest, will be rolled out to users later today.
With a three-column, card-sized appearance, Google is hoping that users will be able to discover information on Google+ quicker and, therefore, increase their interaction with the social network. (more…)
Google Cloud Messaging is a service announced last year that pushes data between your apps and its servers. The Google middleman that manages this transfer allows your app to use the smallest amount of data and battery possible all while providing reliability and speed. Google today announced a few new features apart of this service including one “synchronized notifications” which, as you might expect, synchronizes your notifications between devices. (more…)
On Wednesday, at its Google I/O conference, Google announced its new unified, cross-platform messaging service called Hangouts. The service, which will be available for Android, iOS and Chrome, will be launched later today for all three of those platforms.
Hangouts adopts the same name as its popular Google+ feature, and combines Google Talk, Google+ Messenger and the original Google+ Hangouts video chat feature into one consolidated service. Eventually, those three aforementioned services will be retired. (more…)
At the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco, a new version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 running stock Android — no TouchWiz — with an unlocked bootloader was announced. The smartphone will begin shipping on June 26th on the Google Play Store for $649 (16 GB). While the Google I/O crowd was very receptive about the handset, prompting much applause, the audience went silent when the price tag was announced. It’s expensive.
Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will now gain the same treatment as the Nexus lineup of devices that Google offers. The Galaxy S4, to be available on AT&T and T-Mobile, will now receive more streamlined Android updates, without carrier delays or limitations. Other versions of the Galaxy S4, including the Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy S4 Active, are rumored to follow next.
At the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco, Android head Sundar Pichai announced that total Android device activations top 900 million in the history of the mobile platform. That number encompasses the previously announced milestones of 400 million Android activations in 2012 and 100 million in 2011. Comparatively, about 350 million iPhones have been sold in the nearly six years since the Apple handset was initially released. About 1.5 million Android devices are activated per day.
Samsung continues to show its strength as an Android partner, as Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo claims the South Korean handset maker shipped 6 million Galaxy S4 units in two weeks. The Galaxy S4 was launched on April 26th, with 4 million units sold in the first five days of availability alone.
“As of the end of April, we supplied four million Galaxy S4 handsets to telecommunication operators around the world,” an executive at the company said on Friday. ”As of Friday, we have sold more than 6 million units, and we predict that we could break the 10-million mark by as early as the end of this month.”
Comparatively, it took Samsung a total of 85 days to move 3 million units of the original Galaxy S, 55 days for the Galaxy S II and 21 days for the Galaxy S III. Samsung is on pace to sell 10 million Galaxy S4s by the end of May, on track with analyst expectations.
Further iterations of the Galaxy S4 are expected to be released in the coming days and weeks, including a smaller Galaxy S4 Mini, rugged Galaxy S4 Active and a TouchWiz-free Galaxy S4 (update: the latter was announced) that runs stock Android.
[The Chosun Ilbo via BGR]
Google I/O is an annual conference that touches upon the latest in Android and Chrome developments, alongside some potential hardware surprises and other interesting announcements. The Google I/O keynote commences on Wednesday, May 15th at 9:00 AM Pacific and can be watched below, streaming live from the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Also keep tabs on the iFans blog and Twitter for extensive coverage.