Google I/O: A few things we haven't covered yet!

Google Maps:

   Google have updated their Mapping platform and the whole idea is to make the platform much more tailored and engaging for you, the customer. You can see the whole list of changes beautifully summarised by the BBC here. There's also three new api's which will help with phone positioning without draining battery and there will be specific tools to establish how people are moving be it in the car, on a bike or on foot!

Google Hangouts:

   This is effectively taking over from Google Talk! The service has Google+ compatibility as well as being built into your Gmail already! The video below shows you how everything will look and work!

Gaming:

   Google have announced a new set of gaming options including Google Play leader boards and new multiplayer features which let you play against friends on games! It's a sweet edition, it's just a
shame the demo of RipTide didn't work yesterday at the event! This feature will also be landing on iOS and the web so it's not an Android exclusive!

Other bits and bobs:

• Google have launched a new service for developers which lets you commission professional translations for you app right from the developer console!
• There will soon be synchronised notifications across your devices! So if you dismiss an email on your phone it will dismiss it on your tablet too!
• Google Play Music will be new an improved and will cost $9.99 per month for 'all access' and you can create your own radio stations based on artists or you can upload 20,000 of your own songs or you can look through Google's catalogue!

Don't worry guys, we know we haven't touched on things such as Chrome and the Android stats just yet, but don't worry we promise that they'll arrive through today, tomorrow and possibly the weekend, as and when we hear more details from Google's sessions!

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15/06/2012

Microsoft preparing to launch their own tablet.

   Microsoft could be about to release their own branded tablet, a measure aimed to directly challenge Apple and rumoured Nexus tablets. 

   The Redmond-based software company has scheduled an event for Monday,and have promised a 'major' announcement, it's so special the company has said "you will not want to miss" it.

   The rumour comes straight from 'The Wrap' and at the moment we have absolutely no idea what the tablet will look like. The mock up above is what Cnet created by slapping a bit of Windows 8 onto the HP TouchPad, but we have no idea what it will look like if there is one released.

   On the software front we expect Windows 8 RT, which is the version of Windows 8 designed for ARM, would be a banker.

   It'd be great to see Microsoft acquire Nokia and make a tablet courtesy of them, using the amazing Polycarbonate casings they've been using on the Lumia 800 and 900.

   There's no doubt that if this does pan out as rumoured then Microsoft will undoubtedly be selling a good few of these tablets just by their brand name alone. If they can manage to make one that looks aesthetically pleasing then this really could be a potential challenger to the iPad and Android tablets.

   It'll be really interesting to see what happens because Microsoft has rumoured to have banned HTC from making Windows tablets, so lets see how they manage themselves.

In other news:

• Motorola business solutions have purchased Psion, the rugged mobile producers for $200million. Unfortunately this is the part of Motorola that makes your phones, so we're not entirely sure what the company is using them for at the moment.
• Apple and Motorola's spat has now gone as far as the judge asking them to prove the validity of each of their claims before they're consider in court, that's scheduled for the 20th of June, so we'll know how this round is going to be scored soon.
• Batman 'the dark knight rises' is coming to Android and iOS this summer.
• China is set to send the country's first female into space tomorrow!
• The Ethiopian government has made it a crime to use any VOIP service from within the country. So Skype, Google talk and pretty much anything else that does the same thing is out of the question unless you fancy 15 years behind bars!
• Apple has shown that in iOS6 you will have to give apps permission to access your contact book, in the same way you would in Android, as an extra bit of security.
• Kinectimals for Android has been released!!!

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